Daegu Original Hyeonpung Park-soseon Halmaejib Gomtang, Menu & Price

Wonjo(Original) Hyeonpung Park-soseon Halmaejib Gomtang is one of the famous Gomtang restaurants in Daegu, South Korea.

The name is quite long, so let us translate it.
Wonjo means first-made(Original), many people use this word:Wonjo for naming things like this and it means there is hardly Wonjo stuff. And Hyeonpung is the name of its location, Park-soseon is the name of the founder. Halmaejib means Grandma's house. So its meaning is kind of original Gomtang made by Park-soseon at Hyeonpung.

Additionally GomTang(GomKuk) is one of the traditional Korean dishes and GomTang is a soup but it is more like beef stock(bone broth) made with some beef parts such as bones, and head.

Interior

The interior is typical Korean style restaurant. Nothing special.

They serves Gomtang and some side dishes. Taste good.

Actually because Gomtang is common Korean cuishin, it is always good to have.
And it is believed like stamina food. And the meat(beef) in the Gomtang is very smooth and odorless.

Menu & Price

The price is quite expensive. And lunch time, there are so many people so if you don't like to wait the queue, go there before lunch time(usually before 12 o'clock).

Business Card

Map and Address

Korean Version of this post: 대구본점 원조 현풍 박소선 할매집곰탕 솔직후기와 메뉴&가격

Address: 56-1, Hyeonpungjungang-ro, Hyeonpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea

Phone: 053-615-1122

Visit to Bugaedong Children's Library in Incheon city

Nowadays when it's dusty in the air, I look for somewhere where my kid can have fun.

This time I went to Bugaedong children's library in Incheon, South Korea.

The library is a municipal facility operated by Bupyeong-gu, so it's free to use.

The library is 3rd and 4th floor and the entrance is on 3rd floor.

There is a air purifier and a water purifier. The air conditioner and the heater is always on against the weather. So it provides good environment for kid to read a book. 

<Toilet on 4th floor>

On 3rd floor, there is books for preschooler, and on 4th floor you can find books for elementary students and parents.
For parents there are books on topics such as economics, child care and creative work, so parents seemed to be able to spend time with their children while reading at the library.

<Introduce newly arrival books>

There is a thinking tree(생각 나무), unlike its name it's a place for breastfeeding and changing a diaper.

The computers are for registering membership(to borrow a book) and book searching.

And there is a room(see the photo above) where you can read books for your kid or kids.

And there is English books for kids also.

Information of Bugaedong Children's Library

Business hour
Weekdays: 09:00 ~ 18:00
Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 to 18:00

Closing day
Mondays, National holidays

Phone Number
032-505-1131

Address
166 Dongsu-ro, Bugae-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea*Parking place is existed but parking is almost not possible.

Link: Korean Version of "Visit to Bugaedong Children's Library in Incheon city"

Introduce Korean Food: GomTang

GomTang(GomKuk) is one of the traditional Korean food and you can have gomtang everywhere.

GomTang is a soup but it is more like beef stock(bone broth) made with some beef parts such as bones, and head.

Although the recipe of GomTang is very simple, it is kind of hard to cook by yourself. Because it takes lots of time.

Let's have time for how to make GomTang.(Simplest one)

1. Put the brisket, ribs, ox tail, and(or) meat into water to remove blood. It takes hours.
2. Boil them for about 10 mins and then drain the water, rinse the bones to remove blood and boiling(simmering) again for about 5 hours.
3. While simmering, remove foam and oil that is from bones.
4. Season with salt and pepper just before eat.

As you can see above, its recipe is very simple but as I mention it take hours, so even Korean people usually do not cook GomTang at home. We go to the restaurant or buy ready-to-eat food from a mart.

And the liquid part of GomTang is very useful to cook Korean soups such as Kimchi soup, Korean miso soup and etc. Its use is like chicken stock's.

And the broth can be frozen and stored so many people do.

GomTang is believed that it is stamina food, however belief is very old-fashioned. In the point of the nutrition, GomTang is quite high calorie food and we eat the Gomtang with cooked rice. The rice makes GomTang higher calorie.

Korean banks SWIFT Code/BIC collection

When you transfer foriegn money to the account that is in other country, you need to know the bank SWIFT code.

SWIFT is short for 'Socity for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication'. SWIFT code is simply address for banks' network such as WWW(World Wide Web).

So, here is the banks' English names and SWIFT codes of Korean banks.

Bank Name(Korean): KB국민은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: CZNBKRSE
Bank Name(English): KOOKMIN BANK
Bank Address: #26, Gukjegeumyung-ro 8-gil, Yeoungdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea

Bank Name(Korean): KEB하나은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: KOEXKRSE
Bank Name(English): KEB HANA BANK
Bank Address: KEB HANA BANK, HEAD OFFICE, EULJIRO, JUNG-GU35, SEOUL, KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): NH농협은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: NACFKRSE
Bank Name(English): Nonghyup Bank
Bank Address: 120, TONGILRO, JUNG-GU, SEOUL, KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): 우리은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: HVBKKRSE
Bank Name(English): Wooribank
Bank Address: 1585 Sangam-dong, mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea

Bank Name(Korean): 신한은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: SHBKKRSE
Bank Name(English): SHINHAN BANK
Bank Address: 20, SEJONG-DAERO 9-GIL, JUNG-GU, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): IBK기업은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: IBKOKRSE
Bank Name(English): INDUSTRIAL BANK OF KOREA
Bank Address: 50, ULCHIRO 2-GA, CHUNG-GU,SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): 한국씨티은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: CITIKRSX
Bank Name(English): Citibank Korea Inc
Bank Address: 24 Cheonggyecheon-ro Jung-gu Seoul Korea

Bank Name(Korean): SC제일은행

SWIFT CO DE/BIC: SCBLKRSE
Bank Name(English): Standard Chartered First Bank Korea
Bank Address: 47, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

Bank Name(Korean): 부산은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: PUSBKR2P
Bank Name(English): BUSAN BANK
Bank Address: 30 MUNHYEONGEUMYUNG-RO, NAM-GU, BUSAN, KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): 경남은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: KYNAKR22
Bank Name(English): Kyongnam Bank
Bank Address: 642, 3·15-daero, MasanHoewon-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea

Bank Name(Korean): DGB대구은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: DAEBKR22
Bank Name(English): Daegu Bank
Bank Address: 111, OKSAN-RO (CHILSEONG-DONG 2-GA), BUK-GU, DAEGU, 41593, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Bank Name(Korean): 광주은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: KWABKRSE
Bank Name(English): Kwangju Bank
Bank Address: 225 Jebong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju, S.Korea

Bank Name(Korean): SH수협은행

SWIFT CODE/BIC: NFFCKRSE
Bank Name(English): National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives
Bank Address: 11-6 Sincheon-dong Songpa-gu Seoul S.KOREA

* Reference date: November 11, 2016

If the SWIFT code field is 8 digits, enter the code above.
If it requires 9 ~ 11 seats, then give XXX or blank at the end.

There is a reference date that I summarized SWIFT codes above.
The SWIFT code of a bank is not easily changed, but it may be changed depending on whether the bank is merged or the bank name is changed.

If you have a large transaction of money, we highly recommend that you check it again through the bank's official website or bank customer center.

Korean Version of this post: 외환 송금을 위한 은행별 스위프트(SWIFT) 코드 정리

Bucheon Newcore, Pizza Mall review, weekday & weekend price info.

I went to the Pizza Mall in NC department store, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea on the weekend.

Pizza Mall is a Pizza Buffet & Salad Bar running by E-land in South Korea.

First, the price is divided into weekday and weekend.
For Weekday: 9,900 Won
For Weekend: 14,900 Won
(Elementary school student: 7,900 Won, Preschool student: 4,900 Won)

Drinks such as carbonated or coffee are free, and Aid drink(grapefruit, lemon, orange) prices are 2,900 won.

In fact, my child is still young, so when I have a meal outside, there is not many choice for us. So I usually go to buffet or salad bar type restaurants. There are many things to choose from, so I think that there is something that my kid can eat.

Pizza Mall can taste a variety of pizzas, and there are many things to eat in the salad bar, so you do not have to like pizza.

There were quite many people on the weekend. But it was still possible to enter without waiting.

The pizza mall is self-service for the plates and leftovers to keep the prices low.
You can organize your own dishes. But if possible, it is better to avoid the place next to the corner where you can see the picture above. People also come and go a lot and do not look good and hygienic. Because it is a place to throw away leftovers.

There are pizzas of various kinds to match the name of Pizza Mall. I do not like pizza very much, but it was okay to have other food.

Pizza Mall reviews on honest

In fact, the Pizza Mall seems to have many students and young customers, as the prices are low. And the atmosphere of the restaurant is loud and lively.

The overall quality and taste of the food is moderate. The price is right for its quality.
If you want good food, it would be better to find a restaurant in the a la carte menu here. I think the Pizza Mall is just a place where you can get a variety of food at moderate prices.

So if you are not a pizza mania but you want to have a buffet, I recommend the Ashley restaurant near the Pizza Mall for better food and service.


Link for Korean Version of the post: Bucheon Newcore, Pizza Mall review, weekday & weekend price info.

Is salt the enemy of losing weight?

Is salt the enemy of losing weight?

Salt vs Weight loss

Salt is essential for normal physical activity. It is an important factor affecting muscle contraction and neurotransmission.

Let us try to understand why you should not eat salt while you are on a diet.

The less you eat salt, the better for your health?

Salt (sodium) contributes to the body's ability to attract and store water. A large amount of salt increases the water in the blood, increasing the blood flow and consequently the blood pressure. Such heart burdens can cause heart disease and related diseases of hypertension in severe cases.

Low salt diet and lose weight

The intake of salt does not really have a big impact on the diet. Especially, it does not affect the decrease of body fat. As mentioned above, if you reduce the salt intake, your body's water content is decreased and it seems to lose weight, but the actual body fat will not change.
It is said that adjusting the salt intake during diet is beneficial to the diet because there is research and common sense that BUT salt makes the food delicious and increases the food intake.

How much salt should I eat?

The World Health Organization(WHO) recommends 2,000 mg sodium intake for adult. However, depending on your individual health condition, you may need to adjust your intake. In particular, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney-related illness, you should consult your doctor.


Korean Version of this post: "Is salt the enemy of losing weight?"

Very easy way to remove tempered glass screen protector

Nowadays tempered glass screen protector is one of the must-have items for smart phone to keep your phone fine.

It is very strong against scratches and thankfully when the screen was impacted, it absorbs instead of broken.

But the tempered glass screen protector will be turned a troublesome when you remove it. It is kind of GLASS so when it is broken it is sharp and hassle to handle.

So here is the easiest way to remove the tempered glass screen protector that I know and I do.
(Link for How to Video)

To do this, what you need is a toothpick or a plastic straw.

I do this with a plastic straw.
First, let us attack the slight gap between phone screen and the screen protector film.

As you can see the picture above, luckily my case I have a crevice at the red arrow. Then push your tool into the gap as possible as much.
If there is no chance, then you can make using your nail or a plastic card such as a name card(see the picture below).

I used my nail to make the space to put into. When do this, please do carefully! Because if the tempered glass screen protector breaks, the thing will get tired.

Now explore the between-land. Slowly put the straw into the gap and then you can see that the film seperates from the screen. Don't be hurry! The more the tempered glass screen protector damaged the harder the work will be.

I did slowly and carefully but the glass broke. When the glass is scattered, use a tape to keep them from going to everywhere.

Done! Without any damage or scratch on the smartphone screen, I removed the tempered glass screen protector. The tools I recommended are not sharp and weaker than the screen glass so they are hard to make damages on the screen glass.

Watch the video below to make this easier.

Korean Version of this post: How to remove tempered glass screen protector from smart phone.

Don't miss HomePlus payment-error reward

Homeplus is one of the largest retail chains such as walmart or woolworth in South Korea. And we also have E-mart, Lotte mart, costco and etc.

There is a customer service center at every Homeplus usually and you can have a help from the staff there.

This time I introduce 'Home Plus payment-error reward' which is if you discover something wrong at your payment, you can have the reward from Homeplus.

Few days ago, I bought 5+1 cup-ramen that means when you buy 5 of it, you can get free one of it. But the POS system missed it. I don't know the reason exactly. Anyway, I found out it from receipt so I went the customer service center to get the reward and my money back.

Let us look at the wrong receipt first.

Item No. 7 to 9 are the event items and I bought 6 of them so I would have got 1 free. But the system didn't reflect it.
I went to the customer service center so.  And I said to the staff to check my receipt and then she checked and went the cashier to make sure the fact. And she did calculate my goods again and she gave the new receipt to me and also the difference.

As you can see above the picture, the item No. 7 and 8 were changed and below the 8 there was event-adapted discount.

And they gave me the gift card that was 5,000 won worth.

If you just said the payment-error to a cashier, you might not get the gift card. Because the cashier don't have an authority of the reward.
And also they don't mention about the reward system so you should go to the customer service center to get the reward.

How to remove Kimchi smell from a food container in Eco-friendly way

Kim-chi is one of the famous Korean food and many people love to eat Kimchi and some of them love to make/cook Kimchi themselves.

And some days ago, I read a article about how to keep Kimchi well and it said the best way to contain kimchi is putting it into a plastic container.There is a problem when you put kimchi into plastic containers, the problem is that the kimchi smell is retained in the container even after washing the plastic container several times.

Now let's find out how to remove kimchi smell from a plastic container eco-friendly.

1. Use sugar

I think this is the easiest way that we can try to remove any odor.
First, make solution of sugar and water. The ratio of sugar and water can be 1:2 or 1:3. The more sugar it has, the better. And put the sugar water into the container fully, then keep it one or two days. The sugar in the water will absorb the Kimchi smell.

2. Solar power! Sunlight.

Sunlight can be the best disinfectant and also be a deodorant.

It is also very easy. Just washing the plastic containers and expose them into the sun. The natural power will remove the Kimchi smell. Actually this way was what my mother did when I was a kid.

This is quite useful but I don't think it is to plastic containers. Because UV and heat from sunshine can be destroyed the plastic chemically and the damaged plastic can be harm to your health.

3. All-purpose detergent: Baking Soda

Recently, Baking Soda is used such as environment friendly multi-cleaner. It can be applied for washing dishes, cleaing vegitables and even removing chemicals.
This versatile detergent is soluble in water, and the alkali solution will get rid of germs and food particles on the plastic surface that can be hardly removed by general washing.

Put the plastic container into the baking soda water for 30 minutes or more until the odor disappeared.

4. Wheat flour

 
This is also easy way to deodorize the Kimchi smell. Put the wheat flour into water and stir till the powder and the water well mixed. And fill the plastic container with the water fully and then close the lid. Then keep the plastic container into the refrigerator for a day or more.
The flour partcles in the water will absorb the smell.

5. Eco-friendly disinfectant: Vinegar 
 

Like Baking Soda, vinegar is an environmental friend and we all have it in the kitchen cabinet.
The ability of vinegar to kill germs and bacteria removes the odors created by them.
Make vinegar solution with 2: 1 ratio of vinegar and water.
Such as other methods above, fill the solution into the container and leave it for a day or more.

Additionally, we can find other ways to deodorize the Kimchi smell away. Like as using coffee grounds, peel of onion and etc. But I do not think they do work.

So let us try the above method and to combinate them to increase the effectiveness. They will work out well.

AND there are two main causes of odor, food residues and bacteria. Normally, the smell is generated by the growth of germs in the food residue left on the surface. If you clean and disinfect in the usual environmentally friendly way, you will be able to live cleaner life without the smell.


Korean Version of "How to remove Kimchi smell from a food container in Eco-friendly way"

Learning Boxing in Korea (One month)

Finally I have done boxing for a full month.


Still 6 rounds of jumping-rope are not easy for me but it got used to.. anyway, not like my thought at first about boxing, boxing is quite lonely sport, before sparring or fight you must have a time to practice posture, punch, movement and strategy. So I think boxing can be very peaceful sport depending on how you approach.

Recently I focused on hitting a sandbag. It was very fun and it is very helpful to give strength on the fist.

Personally I do not like things like sparring, but the sparring is one of the main parts of the boxing because during sparring, you can learn many practical things.

On 4th week I learned how to turn.
You can easily watch the videos of turning from YouTube such as pivot turn. But this time I learned step-turn(I don't know its English word) which is like move one foot and one foot.
For example, to turn left, first move the left foot to where you want and then move the right foot.

At first, turn 90 degree(left/right) and when it is used turn variety degrees/directions.

Learning Boxing in Korea (First Day)

I believe that the human beings have to do workout so I do. And so I have done weight training for one years at the gym however, nowadays I was bored and not motivated.

Therefore I decided changing something. Yes, I quit the gym and looked for boxing gym.

Boxing is one of my admired and loved sports but I haven't had a chance to do it. And now the chance has come. I found the boxing gym near my house and I got the permission from my wife.

 

The boxing gym receives entrance fees and dues.

They said the entrance fee is the cost of gloves and handwraps. And dues is usually around 120 ~ 150 thousand won(about $ 110 ~ 140) and it depends on the career of the gym director or manager and the size of the gym mainly. 
Anyway, my point of the gym-choice is the distance between my house and a gym and I have fewer choices because boxing is not common in Korea yet. So I just went the nearest boxing gym from my house.

Before I went to the boxing gym, I searched many stories on the internet and they helped me a lot.

When I thought of boxing, it reminded me punch, so I thought that on the first day of the boxing I would learn how to punch. But no, I was taught jumping rope, stance and step only.

And here is basical knowledge of boxing.
1 round = 3 minutes of exercise + 30 seconds of rest

Anyway, firtst day I learnt general stretching and did 6 rounds of jumping rope. 6 rounds of jumpling rope is just everyday-warming-up.

After done jumping rope, I learnt how to stand(foot position) and fist position.
While keeping the positions(foot and fist), I leant how to move(it is called 'step').

There are many kinds of steps but this time I learnt two.
First one is 'step in place',
second one is 'step forward and backward'.

I did steps for 2 rounds. So actually my first day, I did 6 rounds of jumping rope and 2 rounds of steps. But I was very hard maybe because it was first day.