Gamsa hamnida!

... "Thank you!" in Korean.

Happy Thanksgiving! It's clearly not the same in Korea, but we did have a wonderful dinner with some other Americans and Canadians (even though their Thanksgiving was October 10th) this past Sunday with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, veggies, fruit, rolls, deviled eggs (David and I brought), pumpkin and apple pie, chocolate mousse, and much more! It's always a good idea to reflect upon the things that you are grateful for on this day, so I've compiled a list. If you are reading this, you will find yourself on it below ;)

What I’m Thankful for in Korea (in no specific order)
1. Kimchi - Spicy cabbage served virtually at every meal, so delicious, I could eat it alone all day, every day.

2. Yumsem - This is our favorite restaurant by far. We literally go there everyday. As I write this, I am digesting an omurice (rice wrapped in an omelet coated with a red/brownish sauce and mustard). They have very cheap kimbap as well, about 2500 won per roll (less than $2.50). Kimbap is the Korean version of sushi. They put yellow radish and a strange brown stringy vegetable instead of avocado and cucumber. There’s also egg, ham, and rice in there, wrapped in seaweed. My favorite is, of course, kimchi kimbap.

3. Crosswalks - Cars (well, the people inside of them) don’t follow any real rules of the road. Lines? Forget ‘em. Stop at a red light? Neh, just honk your horn as you pass through. Crosswalks are the only way to go to get across the street - but you still gotta look both ways ;)

4. Etude House - A cute little shop with make-up, nail polish, and scented sprays and soaps. It’s pretty cheap--drugstore prices for the most part--and the body sprays are scrumptious. It’s kind of like Sephora, where you can test out everything, which, of course, I do.

5. Poped Corn - Now, you’re probably thinking, “poped” corn? Holly, don’t you mean “popped” corn? Nope, it’s on the bag: Poped Corn. It’s actually not even popcorn. It’s a lot like the cereal Pops, and it is so freaking good, great with milk even though it’s in the snack isle. We also really like the typo, that makes it more special.

6. Galbi - There is a place that is a 2500 won cab ride away that is 8900 won all-you-can-eat galbi (barbeque). You grab meats, veggies, rice, etc., from the buffet and sit around a grill at your table and cook it yourself. Put a little rice, meat, toasted garlic, and hot sauces onto a piece of lettuce and eat it as a wrap. Divine. This place also has a pumpkin porridge that is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. It’s clumpy, and it’s yellow, and it’s sweet and steamy--yum!

7. My cleaning lady - aka David. It’s pretty awesome to come home from work to a clean house and clean clothes. Oh, and it’s also nice to come home to my best friend.

What I’m Not So Thankful for in Korea
1. Stares - Sometimes I want to look ugly. I don’t want to wear make-up. I want to wear pj’s outside of my apartment. But then some Korean will think that ALL Americans are unkempt slobs. I know they are watching. On the other hand, it's pretty adorable when little kids wave and yell hi from far away to get our attention. Today, while David and I were on an exploration walk (one where we just wander and make random turns, not knowing where it’ll lead us), a little girl dressed in all pink stared up at David (who is 6’4”) as she approached us, as she passed us, and after we walked by. Her mouth was wide open. Those are cherished moments.

2. Not being able to speak Korean - I’m working on the alphabet right now. I know 8 vowels, so I can read approximately 1/5 of the language. Imagine if you could only read 1/5 of a sign or a menu--it doesn’t really work. Give me time. I will never be able to speak it, but I know lots of key phrases: yes, no, give me please, thank you, hello, goodbye, here, come here please, really?, hooray, I love you, and of course, various foods like kimbap, bulgogi, dongas, galbi, etc. The upside to this is that David and I can talk really fast in English and pretty much no one will understand a thing we said. So if I don't like someone's shoes sitting next to me on the subway, I can say, "David, the person sitting next to me has wretched shoes." Then again, I could be talking about David. Also, this would never happen because everyone has nice shoes here.

Things I Miss in America

1. Family, friends, and Lucy and Louie (and Copper, I guess)

2. Supernanny and Clean House - I was watching these two shows obsessively on TV for about a month or so before I left. Two great lessons learned: Do not have children unless you are willing to raise them. Do not keep shit you don’t need.

3. A Soft Bed - Our bed here is like a wooden board. A thin layer of cloth separates rows of stiff metal springs. I keep thinking that I’ll get used to it, but every morning I wake up and can’t move my neck. I miss memory foam.

4. Honey Nut Cheerios + Fiber One + Sliced Bananas + Blueberries = The reason to get up in the morning - I can get Cheerios at Costco, but I’m not sure how much they’ll cost. Cereal here is quite pricey and the large grocery store we go to doesn’t have a huge selection--maybe 12-- and they are things like Fruit Loops, Cocoa Crisp, and Frosted Flakes, all written in Korean and many with their own Korean cartoon characters. I’m making due with a box of Frosted Flakes with Almonds.

xx
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P.S. Linnea, if you read these SO often to occupy yourself at work, why aren't you my follower? Huh?!