You can see a high-level of computer games played by professional gamers like Starcraft, Warcraft, etc. You might think, “What it would be a big difference with my game?” But there must be a big difference you cannot even imagine. Professional gamers usually spend more than 10 hours a day to play computer games, which is their job, not their hobby. Some of them make good money as much as a salary of pro-baseball players or pro-soccer players. And the gamers show their games in Yongsan E-sports stadium which a lot of youngsters want to see. If you want to see high skills of computer games, or if you want to compare it with your skills, you should come to Yongsan E-sports stadium.

Yongsan E-sports stadium also has a variety of recent computer game’s information. On second floor in the stadium, there is some place where you can enjoy the newest computer games for free, playstation, X-box and many other games. Every computer game company shows their state-of-the-art game in the stadium to find out how people react to their game before releasing it. So we can play the newest games which are not even released in the market. Furthermore, people can find out what games would be their tastes. If you like the new game after experiencing it, you can buy it right there. With hundreds of the newest computer games, you might not be unaware of the passage of time.

On every Friday night, the stadium has a show that you cannot miss. Korean B-boys are showing their rap and breaking dance in the show, which has already been acknowledged in the world by winning many world dancing contests. Many Korean youngsters are coming to the stadium to enjoy Friday night fever of the stadium all together. Besides, the show is so famous among B-boys of the world that many B-boys from other counties come to the stadium to see what the best breaking dancing is like. Like this, Korean youngsters are making a big party in the stadium every Friday night.

Aren’t you already excited? Yongsan E-sports stadium has much more meanings than any kinds of normal stadium for Korean teenagers. It is a liberated area where our kids are getting rid of their stress and making a new culture by watching computer games, doing computer games and having a big party. You might as well see it directly if you want to feel Korean youngster’s culture. The Yongsan E-sports stadium is located in the I-park mall connected to number 4 gate of Yongsan station. It opens from 10AM to 11PM every day, except Monday. If you need more information, feel free to call 016 9797 8707.

이준호(JooNo)

The first thing that you have to try is the sauna. In the hottest room such as a yellow earth firing sauna room, it might be hard to breathe or tolerate the hot air. Nevertheless, if you can stay there more than 20 minutes, your body will be all in a sweat and flushed up with the heat, and you can also feel relaxation of muscles as if you had done exercise. Many people love that feeling so become a sauna addict. If you don’t like to be clammy with sweat or don’t feel comfortable with a strong heat, you can choose another room, an oxygen room, which keeps up the temperature at 50°F with refreshing and fresh air. In fact, this room is not for sauna, but you can take a break in this room where is alive with chatter, laughter and a TV sound. Each sauna room has its special theme and uses the relative materials with the theme.

For instance, ceramic cave sauna room, which is my favorite room, has 10 holes of the same size for each person filled with real sawdust. When your body is touched with the sawdust, first it will be a little coarse, but soon it will be your cushiony bed, and further you will feel comfortable with a faint smell of sawdust. Sometimes people fall asleep while doing this sauna and it is all right for a couple of hours. Like this, you will have a fun experiencing the various types of sauna rooms with the themed interior of each room, and you can choose the room on its specialized theme.

The next step to experience Korean culture is a spa. After sweating, you certainly want to take a shower, but in Zzimzilbang, you have to take a public bath. If it is your first time taking a public bath, you might be embarrassed or will be shocked just seeing many naked people even though all of them are the same sexes, who are chatting with each other, doing a hot tub together, and rubbing off other persons’ dust. Besides, the voices of people and the sound of a splat reverberated through the bathhouse. It could be uncomfortable situation. However, once you get accustomed to it, you will love this bathhouse because its interior is also very attractive. It is decorated with a natural theme using threes, stones, sands, and even waterfalls. Although some of them are artificial, you could have an illusion that you are enjoying the spa in the middle of the forest because of the haze of steam from the hot tub, cold water scent, and murmuring. Entering the room, you can see various types of spas. Some of them are named by the temperature of the water like a high-temperature spa called as “Yeol Tang,” a bathtub with warm water called as “On Tang,” and a cold tub (60~62°F) called as “GeupNang Tang.” Others are named by the material of bathtubs.

For example, “Hinoki Tang,” especially its bathtub is made of lumber, a real material from Japanese cypress which is rich in ‘Hinokitaor.’ So, you can certainly feel like you are in nature due to its faint fragrance of cypress. Even though bathing in open place is a little awkward, soon you will be pleased with the beauty of nature and diverse spas.

At the end, you should try Korean food because after those all activities, you must be hungry because your body had been transpired which made you exhausted and hungry. So, you don’t want to waste the time searching for food. There is a good restaurant to appease your hunger, where provides you with various and tempting Korean traditionally food, and my recommendation is ‘Meeyokuk,’ a seaweed soup. It can be little slippery picking seaweed with chopsticks, but you don’t have to use them, drink it just stirring up seaweed and chopped meats into one bite-size. It could look like a thick broth because of seaweed which had got very soft soaking up water, but it tastes more like a beef broth than a seafood soup because of the chopped beef, and its mild and rich taste will suit your palate. It is not necessary only for satisfying your hunger, but also you are in need of water because you have been dehydrated from sweating. Thus, it will be a perfect food for you if you drink a bowl of seaweed soup. Further to introduce Korean traditionally food is ‘SikHyae.’ It is a kind of a sweet drink that was made from fermented rice. Moreover, when it is half frozen, it tastes better.

It tastes even better if you drink it right after sweating and coming out from a hot sauna room. Having Korean traditional food after you have experienced Korean culture will give you feeling of knowing about Korea.

In this place, you can have a great fun by relaxing yourself in various sauna rooms, bathing or doing a spa with other people, and trying food which is good for your health. Seoul Leisure is open 24 hours. Admission is 8 thousand won from 9am to 5pm and the other time is 10 thousand won, but you can get a discount when you print out the coupon from its website. (www.sstown.co.kr/)

To get to Seoul Leisure, take a subway number 5(purple line) and get off from Bangiee station, and get out from number 2 exit. You can find a narrow path on your right, then follow the path straight about 200m. Then, you can find 4 floors building. Sports Club Leisure, on your left right in front of an indoor driving range, and get off from Bangiee station, and get out from number 2 exit. You can find a narrow path on your right, then follow the path straight about 200m. Then, you can find 4 floors building, Sports Club Seoul Leisure, on your left right in front of an indoor driving range.

Juyoung Hwang

Neung Won Garden chooses the best cuts, which is the best quality of meat. A best cut is very fresh and red which is also juicy and soft. Neung Won Garden marinades meats in special sauce for 24 hours to flavor. Another reason to make the taste even better is that they do not use gas propane but uses charcoal to cook. Cooking with charcoal makes meat more soft because the moisture is kept inside of the meat but using gas propane makes vaporize the moisture on the surface of the meat as well as the inside which make the meat too tough. Neung Won Garden serve various side dishes for free such as many fresh vegetables like lettuces and sesame leaves to eat with meat, mashed potatoes, white kimchi, red kimchi, salad, acorn jelly and many more depending on the season. Naengmyeon, iced noodle, is worth trying after eating galbi because it has cold meat stock, plus strong and chewy noodle. If you like hot foods, you might want to try Bibim Naengmyeon, which is hot and spicy cold noodle with Korean spicy sauce Go Chu Jang. Providing best food is the reason to make people come once more.

Neung Won Garden provides many wooden tables outdoors where many trees are all around. You can feel a light breeze and hear some birds singing. The tables are var apart so it gives you some space compared to other restaurants. It makes you feel as if you are in a park except that someone is serving for you. If you are sick of going to crowded and loud galbi restaurant in the city, Neung Won Garden is the place you can feel relaxed. If you prefer the seats indoors, there is no need to worry. There are tables ready in Korean traditional style building. Even though you need to sit Indian style on the floor, a thin floor cushion is provided. Also, there are air cleaning machines at each table to eliminate the smoke, so it helps keeping the air fresh inside the restaurant and will prevent your clothes from smelling like galbi. Either seat lets customers to have tranquil time with their family or friends.

There is the Seo Oh Rung next to Neung Won Garden which is the 5 tombs of Josun Dynasty kings and queens. The entire area covers about 1,840,000 square meters with many trees and walk roads. You can find information board at front of the main entrance door to the Seo Oh Rung. There are information board at each tomb about who is is for and what kind of life they had. It is interesting to compare each tomb because every tomb has different style. Some looks like just a hemisphere with grass and some looks like little temple which it is not allowed to go inside. Even though it is a historical site, it is more like a large park with many tables and chairs to take a rest. It would be great to take a walk when you have a full stomach after eating at Neung Won Garden. You can also bring some books and mat. Learning about historic information and enjoy relaxing afternoon would be great to spend a day.

In conclusion, even though there are many galbi restaurants, Neoung Won Garden is the place you should experience the best galbi and calm atmosphere to enjoy eating. Also, you will get the chance to take a walk with observing the historical site. Neung Won Garden opens daily at 10:00 AM and closes at 11:30 PM. The price of meal range from 9,000 won for Pork galbi per plate to 35,000 won for beef galbi. Admission for Seo Oh Rung is 1,000 won for adult and 500 won for child age under 18. It opens at 6:00 AM and closes at 5:30 PM. The best time to visit Seo Oh Rung is from May to September. To get Neung Won Garden, you need to go to Nok Bun station, subway line 3(Orange line). Then go to exit number 4 to take the bus number 702. You can also take the bus from subway line 3(Orange line), exit number 3 Won Dang station. You need to get off at the ‘Seo Oh Rung’ bust stop. When you get off from the bus, you can see the Seo Oh Rung and Neung Won Garden is on the left side of Seo Oh Rung, which is 10m away. For more information, you can reach to Neung Won Garden at 02-356-7767. For more information about Seo Oh Rung, please check out the following website.
http://www.cha.go.kr/english/royal_palaces_new/Seooreung.jsp?catmenu=EN_05_02_09

양희진

Wol-gok Health land has many fun, entertaining activities for people of all ages. Karaoke is one of the many activities that is located on the fourth floor, on the very right side of the corner. There are four karaoke rooms available for you to use at the price of 500 won for each song that you desire to sing. Three out of four rooms are very small, thus they hold four people whereas the fourth room holds eight people. For those who are not familiar with Korean pop songs, there are outdated English pop songs available to you. Since the room is private, feel free to practice any songs you want in comfortable clothes. After the screaming, laughing, and singing, you will be will filled with unexpected energy and be ready to take the next adventure as a better singer.

Another activity that is popular at Wol-gok Health Land is the health club or fitness club. The fitness club is located on the fifth floor right in front of the stairs. The estimate size of the fitness club is 30 ‘pyeong’ or square units of area with mirrors all around the three walls; the fourth wall is made into a transparent window that allows people to have an outside view of the street. The fitness club is open for all ages, usually from teenagers to adults, from 8 in the morning till 12 midnight and free without extra fees. Also they play mostly techno music to get you ready and energetic while you work out. On weekdays, Wol-gok Health Land provides free programs such as aerobics, diet dance, and well-being yoga from 11 in the morning till 6 in the evening. There are different types of equipments to work out your arms, legs, and back. The popular equipments that people occupy are the treadmill, indoor cycle exercise bike, and the chest press; thus you may have to wait 5 to 10 minutes between 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening. During the time are waiting, you may use other equipments that are not occupied. Although the floor cold, you are not provided shoes or any type of footwear, thus you should take caution not to drop the weights as you exercise. After pumping weights or running on the treadmill, you will feel stronger, healthier, and your body mind and body will be refreshed.

Once you have worked out, it’s time for you to relax by entering the two different ‘jimjil’ rooms located on the second floor of the building. Both of the ‘jimjil’ rooms consist of a different theme; the cold room, and the hot room. First, you would enter the cold room which is a small cubical room where the four symmetric walls are all made out of ice. The cold room has the affect of relieving you stress by rapidly cooling down your body temperature. The room is like a freezer, hence as soon as you feel the chills running down your spine, it’s time for you to exit the cold room and enter the hot room. The hot room is twice the size of the cold room. Within seconds of entering, you will notice a mild yet blissful fragrance of herbs mixed with a salty aroma. The floor is covered in big round salts and the walls are embedded with mineral stones such as Cobaltain Calcite, Citrine Calcite, and various types of marbles. This room is hot; therefore it helps circulate your blood from your heads to your toes. Also, you start to sweat as your body relaxes while it is being massaged by the round, pebble-like salts from the floor. Entering both hot and cold ‘jimjil’ rooms will help your pores get rid of all the dirt and leave your skin flawlessly smooth as well as relax your tense body by helping you forget about your daily stress.

At Wol-gok Health Land, you will be able to practice singing, be physically healthier, and be able to release all your stressful problems all within the budget of 10,000 won. Wold-gok Health land is open twenty-four hours, seven days a week. The entrance and clothing fee from 5:00 in morning till the 7:00 in the evening is 6,000 won and 7,000 won from 7:00 in the evening till 5:00 in morning. Wol-gok Health land provides free-use of towels, soap, and toothpaste; you must bring your own shampoo, toothbrush, and other bath necessities. However, if you forgot to bring any, you may buy bath products there at various prices from 500 won to 5,000 won. To get to Wol-gok Health Land, you must get on line number 6 and get off at Wol-gok station, exit number 2. From exit number 2, walk straight about 100 meters until you see Wol-gok Gam-ri Church on your right, then turn right and walk straight about another 100 meters until you see a building with a flashing sign that says, “원곡건강랜드.” For more information, check out their homepage at http://home1/moatv.com/wolgok/index.htm or call 02-919-2266.

Mee Kyung Choi (Mickie)

Dosan Park is established in the memory of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho. Dosan is the pen name of famous historical person Ahn Chang Ho. He is the person who worked for the independence of Korea back in 20th century. In Dosan Park, there is the Dosan Memorial Hall with many historical documents and data like letters in the past. There are also media documents about him to understand better that everyone is able to access freely. When you go right across the main gate, there is the tomb where Ahn Chang Ho is buried. He is with his wife, Lee HyeRyn. Also, many memorial monumentsare in the park and a huge statue of Ahn Chang Ho is in the middle of the park that makes the great photo spot. When we think about tombs, we tend to think about scary place with no one, yet in this memorial park, the atmosphere itself is very peaceful but ironically also very lively with people and things to see like museums and monuments. In Dosan Park, even though this is the park you can also see the history of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho.

The park itself is s wonderful walking course. Moreover, it is one of the most romantic date courses in this area. It is because the park is very well made with many plants and flowers making the park a romantic place for couples. There are many couples shooting their wedding photosespecially during the spring when the flowers bloom. The best part in this park is “The Pine Trees Walking Course”. It is located right behind the tomb of Ahn Chang Ho. The course is not long at all, yet pine tree forest makes the atmosphere very romantic. Not only couples but also this place is perfect for family outing. There are kids facilities available such and jungle gyms and see-saws. Many blooming flowers are wonderful during spring evergreen grass field is the great picnic course for citizens. Also during autumn, falling leaves make the great scenery. Here in Dosan park, you can rest and refresh yourself with nature.

Around Dosan Park, there are many high quality café-restaurants. Two great café-restaurants are right across the main gate. The one called “Walking slowly”is on the left-side. It is the organic caféyet it serves food as well. The seats at the terrace are always hard to get yet once you sit down, you cansee the best view of the park. This place is known for its great coffee and club sandwiches. The other one is “Gorilla in the kitchen”. This place is well-being restaurant with organic main salad dish. Wide selections of salad are well-known. The unique this place is that they have health check-up center at the middle of the restaurant and nutritionists are there for food advice. Both restaurants are relatively expensive yet very high quality. It is always worth to try the food in those restaurants. Maybe trying there best ones like club sandwiches, salad and great coffee would be fantastic. Best café-restaurant will satisfy your need for gourmet.

Dosan Park will give you an opportunity to feel both the past and the present. Memorial museum and tomb will help you to know about the Korean history back in early 20th century, feeling of nature when walking through the park will refresh you mind. Great and trendy café-restaurantsin the neighborhood will make you happy. Dosan Park is open 24hours, everyday. Only the memorial hall opens 10:30-16:00 and closes on Sundays. It’s free for everyone and is open for everyone. The restaurants range from 14000KWON-20000KWON for salad or club sandwiches, 8000KWON for coffee or tea for both café-restaurants. To get to Dosan Park, you have to take the orange line number 3, and get off from the Apgujung station. Go out from the exit number 3.Then walk straight for about 500m until you reach the big crossroad. You will see the Hotel-Sunshine on your left hand side. Then, turn left and go straightfor about 300m, and you will see a cross walk, go straight for about 100m then before you reach a huge buildingwith movie posters; that’s the “Cinecity” building, you can see the wide road called ” River-side walk”. Take the river-side walk on your left side, and then you will see the park immediately. Try having a picnic with your friends or families at Dosan Park, you will never regret it.

Jennifer