2012 Seoul International Photo & Imaging Industry Show & Korea Universe 2012

2012 Seoul International Photo & Imaging Industry Show April 27th, 28th and 29th

COEX, Seoul, South Korea held an amazing Photo and Imaging exhibition showcasing all the new models, bodies and accessories of the industry and yes I am talking about the camera equipment :) 

Thousands of visitors flocked to the exhibition over the three days (27, 28 & 29 April) most armed with their cameras to capture the Korean models flaunting all the new wares from their brand. There were exciting cameras on display and cameras everywhere you could use and take photos with. There were also new and exciting gadgets one which I took particular interest in was a gadget you could clip your camera to a bag strap or your belt with for ease of access and to take the strain from your neck strap.

Here are a few photos from the event regarding the equipment and a Youtube slideshow:

The Show also surprised me regarding the number of models exhibiting the new camera models. It was similar to the Seoul Motor Show I attended last year with all the usual suspects in attendance. I used this opportunity to play with some of my camera settings to achieve some new shots or exposures and to get a lot of video footage practice before the big BIMOS event at the end of May (I will keep you posted on that :).

So here are the girls; pictures, videos and a slideshow:

Korea Universe 2012 April 28th Gungnam Seoul South Korea

Due to such a busy day I made it only to see the last two events of this show but I must admit the quality of the contestants was amazing! I will definitely be going to Korea World in September (check last weeks post for details). If you are going there by subway (in September) take the orange line (line 3) to Daechi exit 6 and follow the big guys around the corner about 50 meters down the road. 

Well here is some of the pictures and a slideshow off the contestants for your enjoyment:

So ends a huge, huge weekend. I did go to the flower show in Ilsan on Sunday but I will save those photos for another day coming soon! :)

Next week is the G_Global Aviation in Ansan 2012 Airshow. The Korean name has apparently changed and it is difficult to find much information about it in English. But here is a link:

http://gsbc.gicamp.com/category/sub3/sub3_2_view.asp?sn=12

It starts May 3rd and finishes May 8th 2012. If I find out any more information about it I will post it here otherwise this information is correct.

You can get there taking line 4 to Ansan and just get a taxi outside the station to the show. It will probably cost 6,000 - 10,000 won maximum to get there (I think it cost me 6,000 or 7,000 won last year?).

**UPDATE** 5 May 2012. I have looked for some information about the Ansan Airshow for 2012 and cannot find anything which is not a good sign. I have found conflicting information about when it is on so that's not good either and the official website does not give any dates so I am going to hold off until I know what the website says in Korean. But for now I am assuming it is not on in May!!!
http://www.skyexpo.or.kr/

So I may see you there :) Until next week have a fantastic week and enjoy the sunny summer weather (if you are in the northern hemisphere :)

Mr. & Mrs. Gimpo Bodybuilding Competition 22nd April 2012

Mr. & Mrs. Gimpo Bodybuilding Competition 22nd April 2012

This weekend I attended, for the first time, a bodybuilding competition.
It was... impossible to get any information about this event in English so unfortunately I couldn't tell you about it in advance... but not to worry if you are interested in attending a bodybuilding event in the future in Seoul I can give you some more dates from naturalbodybuildingevents.com so look out for the info and links down below.

Mr. and Mrs. Gimpo Bodybulding Competition was pretty interesting. I was impressed by the quality of the competitors and the size of some of the guys was pretty big too. Not quite the size of a Ronnie Coleman or a Jay Cutler but around 90kg+ so not small.

Korea still has a certain level of conservatism especially when it comes to women bodybuilders and fitness models as was evident with only 2 fitness models competing and 6 female bodybuilders with 1 pro... so come on Korean women get out there and pump up! :)

There were a lot of male competitors ranging from beginner, amateur to pro looking with some good preparation displayed by the competitors. You could pick the finalists just by looking at them and some competitors far outclassed their rivals with some good cutting and water reduction before the competition allowing them to display good muscle striations.

So a couple of upcoming events for bodybuilding in Seoul:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/Intl/2012/asia.htm



So I think that is enough talking from me. Time to let you guys judge for yourselves:

   

















If you are interested in some more pictures and the actual posing check out the following video's:

























Wow! So that's all for this week. Be sure to check out the Photo and Imaging Show 2012 at COEX this weekend 27, 28 & 29 April 2012:

http://www.photoshow.co.kr/english/

I will be there to cover all the action :)

Until next time have a fabulous week! :)

Beijin Circus Seoul South Korea

Beijin Circus Seoul South Korea

Wednesday the 11th of April was the day Koreans went and voted for the local elections and that meant that I had the day off :)

So we took a trip to the circus! The performance was held right next to the Mokdong Baseball stadium and ice rink.

The performers were children and young adults but the stunts and acts were fantastic! Tumbling, Ropes, Balancing; just an amazing spectacle.

I was actually surprised at how enjoyable it was and the skills these performers had was aslo surprising for their ages.

If you get a chance see if you can get there:

Exit 4 Omokgyo Station and follow the signs to the stadium.

Here is an information link to the stadium: (The Circus is off to the side of the stadium beyond the car park.

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/mokdong-baseball-stadium-s933/

There is a copy of the ticket and you can call or email.

I was also able to take some video's of the performances so I can share that with you now.

So I hope you enjoyed the circus :)

Next week there is a bodybuilding show on somewhere ear Gimpo... I cant seem to find any information on that at the moment but if i do find something I will post it here before the show.

Anyway have a great week! :) See you next time!

P.S. You might have noticed that I have made a category section on the right sidebar so you can find the things that interest you more easily :)

HobbyIn Seoul Grand Park, Botanical Gardens & DV8

HobbyIn Seoul Grand Park, Seoul, South Korea

A while ago I visited HobbyIn in Seoul Grand Park. It's located at or near the bottom of the hill just up from the chair lifts on your right.

Filled with fantastic models this is a great place for any current or "retired" :) model enthusiast! There are hundreds of models from planes, cars and ships to vehicles and Gundam robots. All (or most) of the models are encased in glass so it is a little difficult to get a great shot with your camera as you have to find the perfect angle to escape glare. I forget the cost though :/ it maybe 6,000 or 7,000 won entrance fee? But anyway is a bit of excitement for the weekend :)

Here is the link:

http://www.hobbyin.com/

Check out my video slide show here of the models:

Botanical Gardens Seoul Grand Park, Seoul, South Korea

Further up the hill are also the botanical gardens. A large area filled with flowers and plants as well as a smaller area where you can watch a sheep and dog show as well as feed some goats and sheep. There is also a small Zoo opposite the gardens where you can see some monkeys and horses. Seoul Land Adventure Park is also further on up the hill but I didn't get there this time. Maybe this year I will go on another adventure and visit Seoul Land and tell you about it :)

And probably the best flower picture I have taken: :)

Alright so you want to know how to get there?

Seoul Grand Park Station Line 4 Exit 2

Here are the official links:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264199

http://grandpark.seoul.go.kr/Eng/html/main/main.jsp

DV8 Can We Talk About This Review LG Arts Center Seoul South Korea

Unfortunately as I write this the run on this show has ended. It was held at the LG Arts Centre in Seoul and was something I have never even imagined seeing before. It was a serious political piece on Islam and Muslim values set in Britain and how multiculturalism was at odds with preserving British values. It illustrated how being tolerant of the values of other cultures that at times are contrary to the values of Britain could spark violent racial division. The piece also touched on some European nations facing similar issues.

The oddity was that is was a Physical Theatre piece in that while the performers were delivering the serious content they were bobbing and weaving, standing on their heads and posing at strange angles. It was quite surreal at the beginning and it reminded me of a Monty Python skit. However despite my initial confusion or surprise I was thoroughly entertained and transfixed with the content. I am not quite sure what the Korean audience thought about it as the pace of the English speech was blistering, the content I would say not familiar with the Korean culture and the British aspect, well Korean seem to be more familiar with American culture. I found the performance thoroughly refreshing with a more familiar British feel to it, heavy though provoking content and a delivery that was fantastic. If you get a chance to see this show I would recommend that you do.

Well that is all for this week :)

More excitement to come in the next few months. I will keep you up to date with events and dates of shows ahead of time.

Have a fantastic week and see you next time! :)

Dark Tranquility Live Seoul South Korea 31 March 2012

Dark Tranquility Live Seoul South Korea 31 March 2012

Asia Metal Festival 2012 31 March 2012 V-Hall Hongdae Seoul South Korea

** COMPETITION **

This week I am holding a competition! :)

I am giving away one CD copy of "hell hound" by the Korean Metal band "Silent Eye". Just answer this simple question:

Which country does the band Dark Tranquility come from?

You can post your answer in the comment box on my facebook page under the Dark Tranquility post:

http://www.facebook.com/RawrKorea

or simply send me an email at:

rawr.korea@gmail.com

The competition will close on Tuesday the 10th of April 2012 at 11:00am Korean time :)

I will draw a name and contact you regarding your address details and then I will post the CD to you :)

Only one entry per person please and the competition is open to everyone worldwide :)

Here is what you can win! (as you can see the jewel case has a hairline crack :( but the CD is perfect :)

Far beneath the earth the sounds of metal shook the streets of Seoul for 6 hours on Saturday. Held in V-Hall in Hongdae in the basement Koreans and foreign fans enjoyed a night of metal from four nations. Korean bands (Remnants of the Fallen, Down Hell, Ninesin and Silent Eye) were joined by bands from Taiwan (Eye of Violence), Singapore (Fall of Mirra) and the headliner Dark Tranquility from Sweden.

I was a little surprised at the "intimacy" of the venue (or how small it was) but the fans poured in and "moshed", crowd surfed and stage dived throughout the day.

I arrived late in the day (6pm the concert started at 4:30pm) so I did miss a few bands but the highlights for me were Silent Eye and Oathean. I especially enjoyed Silent Eye's song Heavy Metal (which you can see down near the middle / bottom of the page).

Dark Tranquility put on an awesome performance with Mikael Stanne (vocals) being a good sport and enjoying the friendliness of the crowd as they embraced him and the music both figuratively and literally!

Below you can see some of the action of the night. Some of the sound quality is not that great unfortunately :( however the videos give you an idea of what the concert was like :)

silent eye

----

Well that it for this weeks mammoth and time consuming post! :) I am not sure what I will have for you next week... it will be a surprise for me too! :) I will also announce the winners name for you next week. Until then have a fantastic week! :)