Cafe with Penguin & 1st Penguin – Penguin Cafes in Seoul

I already talked about Seoul’s coffee shops such as the Charlie Brown Cafe and Hello Kitty Cafe. One day I wondered if there are cafes about my favorite animals (penguins) and yes, there are at least two in Seoul. Obviously there are no living animals there unlike in cat or rabbit cafes. One cafe is a study cafe called 1st Penguin and the other is an ordinary one called Cafe with Penguin.

1st Penguin

While it’s not unusual for cafes to be used for studying, I think the coffee shop owners would rather have customers who stay for just one hour instead of six. Still, I’ve seen coffee shops both in Tokyo and Seoul which were clearly remodeled for students. My local Starbuck’s in Nakano introduced long tables with small lamps – good for studying.
1st Penguin is located near Korea University, one of the three best universities in Korea. With an emphasis on small tables with just two chairs each and a desk lamp for most tables instead of one big overhead one, this place is clearly a study cafe. People don’t come here to chat, so it was very quiet. Don’t have anything to study? They have books too – not as many as a book cafe though.

Near the walls they have power sockets to connect your notebook. WiFi is available and free. Small snacks are available and if you’re hungry after studying there are lots of restaurants nearby – this is a university area after all.

The 1st Penguin falls short in the penguin department. Just a few cuddly toys on the bookshelf and around the front. On the other hand, the simple design of the interior and the colors help students to stay awake unlike the typical Starbuck’s with warm colors. I didn’t think that the staff was very friendly – maybe he’s only used to regulars?

Solo Karaoke

Karaoke is either done with friends/colleagues (Asia) or in a bar in front of people you don’t know (West). But friends don’t always have time and trying out new songs in front of others can be embarrassing. Then it’s time for solo Karaoke, also called “Hitokara” (一人hito(ri): one person; kara: Karaoke). There are Karaoke boxes for just one or two persons in Korea and in Japan.

For some going to a Karaoke place alone can feel embarrassing too. Last November One Kara opened near Kanda Station in Tokyo. One Kara caters to soloists who can even record their singing on CD. They also have a dedicated lady’s space with women-only cabins. From 10am to 6pm it’s 600 Yen and from 6pm to 6am 1100 Yen per hour. Headphones are available for an extra fee.

Bringing the concept of hitokara home without waking up the neighbors is うるさくないカラOK！ミュートマイク (Silent Karaoke is OK! Silent microphone). Pressing the special piece that is attached to the microphone to the face should mute the sound. The mic is connected to an iPhone and can be used without the mouthpiece. The set is available for 3980 Yen. A USB version is offered for Wii and PS3.

I haven’t tried the mute microphone or One Kara, but I have been to a solo karaoke box before.

Google Cave View

Google making panoramic shots of another city is no big deal (unless that city happens to be in Germany), so occasionally they take Street View off the street. One such project is the Google Art Project which is using the Street View panoramic view to explore museums. Some university campuses are photographed as well and after the March 11 earthquake, Google sent cars to the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami, to show before/after images.

They also have panoramic shots of two Japanese caves. One is the Okubo Mabu Mine Shaft in Oda City, Shimane prefecture. This is the largest mineshaft ruin in the area, tours are offered from Friday to Sunday.

The other is the Akiyoshi-do Cavern in the Akiyoshi-dai Quasi-National Park. When you visit the large limestone cave, you will only be able to visit one kilometer of what is at least a ten kilometer long cavern. It took 300000 years to form the current cavern. The cavern is located in Yamaguchi prefecture and about 40 minutes from Shin-Yamaguchi Station.

I think projects such as the Art Museum one or the panoramic shots of caves are good PR for Google Street View. There’s also less resistance to such projects: It’s great for tourism, great for Google and great for the people. The cavern and mine look already impressive on photo, I’m looking forward to see them with my own eyes one day. (via Mashable)

Sitting Snow Woman and other Snow Creatures in Tokyo

Snow is rare in Tokyo and if it snows it usually doesn’t stay long before it melts. So if it snows, hurry up, build your snowmen and take shots of your favorite places! If you have too much time on your hand, you may explore your inner snow sculpture master and build snow creatures such as the ones above.

The three pictures were posted to Twitter. The top one shows a snow man sitting cross-legged on a bench and was shot by kakko-shima. The body appears very smooth and except for the face, this work looks quite professional. kakko-shima also posted a photo showing what’s left of the snowman.

The bottom left one is even more impressive since the snow woman (man?) isn’t supported on the back. Looking around the snow around her, collecting enough snow alone must’ve taken a while. This picture was posted by Haruka Miyafusa (@tomatel), presumably near Hitotsubashi University in Kunitachi.

The third one is a clever play with perspective. It looks as if it is standing, while the snow has just been put against the wall. kinsama took this picture. It’s not clear where it was, except near his/her company.

The more common snow creatures look a bit different…