Gangnam Style drink in Gangnam.
What can I say, it's been a shaky Q2. Moving into a new apartment, having Byakko and myself going to the hospital (nothing serious if you wonder... I had a nasty cold and an allergy attack, he ate some rubber sole and eventually manage to get it out of his body without surgery), welcoming family and friends in Malaga and ending up with a 3-week "route of the spices" around my favorite side of the World.
Everything comes to an end, so I am hoping for a more stable summer where I can focus on the things I love i.e. dancing, enjoying summer with friends and dropping some snapshots to those of you who continue to visit us, despite the questionable frequency on the content update.
So I'll start from the beginning of the journey, with a Convenience Store in Gangnam (yep, the same as in Gangam Style, a business district in central Seoul, where our office is located). Convenience stores (or conbini 「コンビニ」in Japanese) are a staple in Asia. You can buy food, toiletries, alcohol, use the restroom, withdraw money, pay bills, send/receive post, get a SIM card, buy concert tickets nearly anywhere and anytime, as the are open 24x7 in most cases. 7/11, Lawson, GS25, Family Mart... There are many chains but all of them are equally well stocked, strategically placed close to stations, workplaces and popular areas.
When moving away from the East side, this one of the things you miss the most - what if it's Sunday and everything is closed? What if I finished work late and would like a quick bite to munch on the way home? Forget it. Try checking the hood's "Chino" and if they don't have what you want, then wait until tomorrow or whenever the National Holiday is over.
NOTE: in Spain we have small grocery stores run by Chinese open nearly 24x7 which we call "the chinese" (el chino). Some Spanish people have a problem with this and claim that they are "ruining Spanish families", while I wish them all the best... For working hard and making Malaga feel a bit more like Tokyo.
Convenience Stores are also great places for souvenirs in Asia - cheap cute things for your guys back home, so you can buy presents without ending up broke.
Instant noodles and Kimchi are the perfect introduction to Korean flavour for those back home (watch out with Kimchi as it may explode inside the plane...)
Virtually any kind of drink, including soju「소주」is available. Do not miss trying the best Korean sweet, Market O Brownie - that in fact became so popular that ended up becoming a restaurant that even arranges weddings O_o
UPDATE
Additional snapshots of the conbini where I bought my dinner many nights during my stay in Taipei follow below. You can find literally anything from glue through booze to make-up, roasted sweet potato or weird boiled eggs.
No comments
Post a Comment