Death by Fan

Summer is long gone, but I thought I'd share with you an interesting superstition that I heard during the hot season. The way this urban legends goes, is that if you sleep in a closed room containing a running electric fan you could die. Fan death can come about by hypothermia, asphyxiation or heat exhaustion. It is said that an electric fan creates a vortex, which sucks the oxygen from the enclosed and sealed room and creates a partial vacuum inside.
This is widely believed here in South Korea. A couple of my friends have insisted with me that this is not a superstition...it is fact. However if this were really the truth, then how is it that the only country in the world that knows about fan death is Korea? If this were really true, I would have died at least a thousand deaths by now.
 It is not really known where this belief started, but there is a conspiracy theory that the South Korean government started this myth as propaganda to reduce energy consumption during the 1970s energy crisis. One thing for sure is that the media continues to spread this rumor about fan death and recommends people to have their fans on a timer and to keep their doors open.

If you were to buy a fan here in Korea, most come with cut-off timer switches.


So what do you think? Truth or superstition?

Fall Leaves & Hotteok

Fall in Korea has come and gone in the blink of an eye, but I did get the chance to go out one day and enjoy the fall colors. I went out to Manin mountain with some co-workers and their kids where we enjoyed a lovely hike around the forest. This place is also popular in the spring for viewing cherry blossoms.

I love all the bright colors. There's a kind of tree, known for their fall colors, that has been planted all over Korea. They're known for turning a bright yellow color in the fall. They drop a cherry-like fruit that smells awful when crushed, but th e appearance outweighs the smell.

View of the city.

With Luna.

This place is very well known for their hotteok (fried pancake with a brown-sugar and nut filling).

Waiting in line for Hotteok.

Fresh hotteok being made.

Yummy hotteok!

 There was a lovely pond right next to the hotteok place. This view is from a walkway up in the air where you can get a nice view of the area.

Group picture.

Hong Kong Trip Day 3

For our third and final day in Hong Kong we got to meet up with a few friends, and basically spent the day eating and exploring and eating some more.

We started the day with breakfast at a dim sum restaurant, called "London". Dim sum is a style of Cantonese food that is prepared as small bite-sized portions of food traditionally served in steamer baskets or on small plates. When going to eat dim sum, it is commonly known in Cantonese as going to "drink tea" as  tea is usually served with dim sum. At this restaurant the waiters go around with food carts and you choose the dishes you want from your seat. The waiter will then stamp a card that's on your table. Different dishes get different stamps, and at the end of your meal the card serves as your bill. We tried a lot of different dishes, and overall ate a lot of good food. 

Shrimp dumplings.

We ordered coconut mango rice dumplings. They were so good!!!

Krista being brave and trying chicken feet for the first time.

Cow stomach...we let Oscar enjoy this one on his own.

Steamed buns with veggie filling. Very delicious!

More dumplings.

Hot coconut custard inside coconut shells. Very yummy.

Clockwise from the top: Yin Yan, Billy, Oscar, Perry, Krista, and I

After breakfast, we went over to Perry's cafe where we taught them how to play Dutch Blitz. Boy was everybody competitive!

Walking through the streets of Hong Kong.

We went to an outdoor market called "Ladies' Market" where they sell everything and it goes for blocks.

We took a break at a well known place. Starbucks! This specific store is well known for its decor.

We went to a shopping center where there are at least three floors of little shops that sell action figures. If I was filthy rich...I would probably go broke buying big people toys.

At Bee Cheng Hang where you can get freshly made beef, chicken, and pork jerky.

In the afternoon we went for afternoon tea of course at LGB (Le Gouter Bernardaud) in IFC.

Waiting for our reservation and taking "candid" pictures.

Oooh pretty. Too bad I had to mess up the latte in order to drink it.

Taking pictures of each other taking pictures of the food.

High tea. Look at all them goodies!

Macaroon arrangement by Yin Yan.

What to do when at a restaurant?? Take a group picture of course!...well, besides the eating.

Not only did we get to ride in a taxi, the subway, the ferry, and a two-decker bus while in Hong Kong; we also got to ride in a bus van.

Walking around.

Food market.

Going through the "Men's Market" this time.

Some cool looking hair trees at the Tin Hau temple.

Creeper picture...

Around the Tin Hau temple.

There were several groups of men playing Chinese chess.

Back at Perry's cafe. It's a Nobel School Theme Restaurant. The waitresses dress up in costumes and play board and card games with the customers. The waitresses also wore color contacts that made their irises look bigger. It's a hot fashion accessory in Hong Kong right now...I think these contacts are illegal in the states.

Playing games. What game? Dutch Blitz of course!

We had a red eye flight back to Hong Kong. We were dead tired from lack of sleep, but lo and behold I found a Jamba Juice in the Seoul airport! I never knew they had it outside of the states. It had been so long since I'd last had it.

Yay!!! Strawberries Wild. I didn't try to order anything from the special menu...I don't think they would have known what "Pink Starburst" was. It helped tide me over until I could crash in bed.