Seoul Animation Center / Cartoon Museum & Getting Business Cards in Seoul

So first off the bat... I am posting this a little earlier this week because I have a lot to cover this week and my goodness! Its another short week coming up :)

So this week we shall visit the Seoul Animation Center and Cartoon Museum which are located right next to each other and are free!

I also have a simple map that will guide you there :)

Getting or making business or name cards in Seoul Korea? Wondering where to go? Where to get them made? Well I may just have a solution for you if you don't mid a trip to Hongdae :)

So to start us off... The Animation Center and Cartoon Museum:

Located just up the road from Myeong Dong Station this place could easily be overlooked by the casual tourist because it hidden away just enough not to be noticeable. However I have a map I will share so you can find it just as easy as jam on bread... or something like that :)

Both places are quite small and is good for a drop in and look on your way up the tower or doing some shopping. You can see both places in perhaps half an hour or so. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 6pm.

Lets check out some photo's:

Check out all the interesting pictures set to music in this youtube video :)

Don't miss the cafe right across the street Aven Pace.N Design Gallery and Cafe where you can get a delicious brunch and a lovely cup of tea... or coffee.

So here is the map: Exit 1 Myeong Dong Station Line 4. Immediately turn around after exiting the number 1 station exit and head up the hill. You will see Namsun tower and then a little further the Cartoon Museum. Cross the road at the crossing and you are almost there!

Getting business cards in Seoul South Korea

Making business cards in Seoul South Korea

Sometimes they are referred to as name cards as well....

Well you have got to the stage of needing to get some business cards for yourself, either a blog, business or so that when you meet some people out and about you can give them your contact details in a professional manner.

try searching for some information on this on google and you wont find much to help you. However I do know of two places in Hongdae that you can go to.

1. M blue Graphic Design

www.mblue24.com

02 324 1714

This is where I went to get a custom made business card for this blog. I drew the picture myself and colored it as well.... which was a long process so I was pleased at the care and effort this designer took in cleaning up the black border and text for me :)

Here is what the original picture and the card look like:

Yes I did notice I made a small mistake in the address. It reads

htpp://rawrkorea.blogspot.com

it should read http://rawrkorea.blogspot.com

However this will be remedied tomorrow since I have almost run out of cards and I am going to just change the address to www.rawrkorea.blogspot.com and add a youtube user address also.

**EDIT** 11 March 2012

Fixed the card so it is all correct and I have added a youtube link too :)

Well here is the map from Hongdae station. You will have to have someone with you who speaks Korean or have some written instructions because as far as I can tell he does not speak English but probably understands some :)

You will see this building just after the service station go in and its on the second floor first door on the left.

The other place I have heard about but have not used is:

Peakee

www.peakee.com

Give them a call for opening hours. I believe they open at 2pm at the moment although their website says 10am.

You can locate this store by leaving exit 9 of Hongdae station, walking along to the main road that heads up to the university. On the right side of the road you will see Lotteria. There is a small alleyway just before Lotteria walk down there and on your right you will see a building with lots of business cards outside... Well here is some pictures and a map to help :)

Phew... that was a long post!

Well a few weeks back I got myself a new lens. Previously i had been using a Canon 28 - 90mm plastic lens, now I have a Canon EF 70 - 300mm f4-5.6 L IS USM which is super fantastic! I used it first at the Cosplay event and again at the Animation Center. I am still getting used to it but wow you can get some good close up shots with it!

Here it is in comparison with my old lens. Its fitted with a lens hood in this picture.

Well as i mentioned the coming week is a short one so I will be having a relaxing 4 days or so soon. Maybe I will have something interesting for you next week :) Until then have a fantastic time! :)

Hongdae Cafe's / Good Dining Places

This weekend I decided to have a little rest and stay out of the cold weather (which is dragging on if you ask me :)

The nights are getting longer here now so spring must be getting closer by the day or at least some warmer temperatures.

So this week is three nice places just outside the main Hongdae area to get a tasty meal or a drink away from the hustle and bustle of the city area.

I have a map here with coloured stars (or colored stars for those American English speakers :)

Here is the map and I will refer to the green star, red star and purple star in that order.

Green Star

Cafe Sandpark:

** Edit - leaving from exit 8 of Hongdae Station and following the map is probably your best bet or if you can leave at exit 4 of the Hongdae/Incheon International Airport Station and you know where you are going is a good option too. As far as I know (last time I checked) to go from Hongdae station and exit at exit 5 you will have to enter Incheon International Airport Station (and pay to do it) before you can exit.... :( **

Straight out of the new subway exit 5 of the Incheon International Airport Subway Station (which seems not to be updated on Google maps....) is cafe Sandpark a Spacious cafe with decor that you may have seen at you grandmothers house or an old flat somewhere. The cafe has a homely feel and a great selection of beverages and snacks at a reasonable price. The great thing about this place is it is quite big and relatively quiet so you can have a nice conversation without shouting over the music like at some of the other Hongdae cafe's.

Red Star

E Rewr Song Kuk:.... (or something like that....)

Personally my favorite obscure cafe/restaurant with unique and fabulous food that wont break your budget. The guy there is also very nice and runs the place by himself. You can write a note or draw a picture and stick it on the wall leaving your mark or artwork for others to enjoy.

Try the shrimp fried rice it is good!

Purple Star

"U" (as best I could guess this restaurant/cafe's name :)

Feeling like a little Mexican flavor? Well this is the place for you. Probably the best tasting and unique Mexican style restaurants I have eaten at in Hongdae. Little but cozy the staff here will look after you and the chef speaks English so you will have no worries here. A little more costly with prices around 10,000 to 17 or 18,ooo won for a dish but worth it. Try a Sour Midori to round out your meal :)

Ok, so with the nights (hopefully) getting a little warmer soon you can venture out an enjoy some good eating spots in Hongdae (if you are around this area :)

I have a few more cafe's to share with you later sometime so keep a look out for those. I hope to share with you some more exciting things next week, so until then have a great time! :)

Comic World Seoul 2012 Cosplay (107)

So sorry for not giving you the heads up on this event in Seoul. I didn't know about it until last Friday!

But if you are in Busan this weekend 18 & 19th of February head out to BEXCO because that is where the Comic World Busan event will be held.

I attended this event in 2010 at SETEC (you can see the details here if you are interested http://rawrkorea.blogspot.com/2010/07/comic-convention.html ).

This year 2012 was a little bigger and many more people were enjoying cosplay. I would guess that a few hundred were in cosplay in 2010 but in 2012 probably a thousand or so...?

So the event had the usual comic book stands, competitions and so on but I think the real draw card for many people was down by the stream again behind SETEC. Down there is a fantastic place for people to get there photo taken in costume. There are lots of locations that really create a good looking scene for capturing a great looking costume on film.

So here are some of the photos and of course a Youtube video of the event:

Sorry the posting was a little late but it is Valentines day and I was busy today :)

So until next week have a great time and enjoy the end of winter and hopefully the beginning of spring! :)

Judas Priest Epitaph Tour Seoul 4 February 2012

Judas Priest arrived in Korea to rock Seoul with classic Heavy Metal spanning over 40 years.

A packed out crowd gathered in one of Seoul's coldest nights to listen to music that in most cases was written and performed well before they were even born!

The show was fantastic and the band was tight illustrating why this band has outpaced father time for so long.

Rob Halford came out on stage and looked a bit stiff for the first few songs (but who wouldn't be stiff having to endure sub zero temperatures that Seoul was offering for days before this concert) but soon limbered up and was owning the stage soon after as in his prime.

The set list was a good long one covering 40 years of albums that really got the crowd excited!

the Set list follows as well as an experience of the show of the first 14 tracks.

1. Rapid Fire

2. Metal Gods

3. Heading Out To The Highway

4. Judas Rising

5. Starbreaker

6. Victim Of Changes

7. Never Satisfied

8. Diamonds And Rust (Joan Baez cover)

9. Prophecy

10. Night Crawler

11. Turbo Lover

12. Beyond The Realms of Death

13. The Sentinel

14. Blood Red Skies

15. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)

16. Breaking The Law

17. Painkiller

18. The Hellion/Electric Eye

19. Hell Bent For Leather

20. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

February in Seoul for any metal head is heaven with performances still to come of:

Lamb of God -- February 12th

http://ticket.interpark.com/Global/Play/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=11018149

Opeth -- February 14th

http://ticket.interpark.com/Global/Play/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=11018671

and

Evanescence -- February 17th

http://ticket.interpark.com/Global/Play/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=11018769

So get out there and bang your head... I might just do so again soon! :)