The Eating Experience

Korea is full of such a variety of delicious, unique dishes that you won't miss your steak or potatoes back home. In the states, I mostly stuck to sandwiches, salads, fruit, cereal--ya know, typical homemade, quick-n-easy stuff--not to mention the amount of microwavable meals (Healthy Choice only) was quite high as well. And of course I treated myself to burgers and fries on occasion. It's like a whole new world here though, and I wanted to try everything and anything I could because, well, why not? I thought I'd give a run down of the best types of foods that Koreans have to offer. If the topic of food ever comes up in class, my students will inevitably ask, "Teacher, you like kimchi?" And my answer is invariably, "Yes, I love kimchi!" It pleases them to no end. On the topic of pleasing Koreans, to noticably enjoy a Korean's food or really just to simply consume it in their presence gives them great pride in themselves as a people--if a westerner enjoyed a strange eastern dish, it must have been extra special. This equally pleases me.
So here's the low down...

1. Kimchi - pickled cabbage loaded with spices, served with every meal--even breakfast. It' extremel difficult to make yourself as my students and coworkers tell me. One day, I saw a group of older women making kimchi for the winter on huge tarps. I think an organization was sending this food to the armies. Kimchi is pickled in large clay pots and supposedly stored underground in the winter months where it gets yummier and yummier. You can tell how fresh your kimchi is by its taste--if it doesn't taste great, it's fresh.

2. Bap - or as we like to call it in English, rice. Obviously, rice is a big deal in Asia. Kids tell me that they eat rice for breakfast, sometimes plain, sometimes with milk, but most of the time with kimchi. David and I inherited a rice cooker from a friend, and we have been using it about 4-5 times a week since. What a genius device!

3. Galbi - Gabli is a general term for meats grilled at your table and served with lots and lots of side dishes that are refillable at your request. Our favorite local place serves an amazing salad with a vinegarette dressing--we usually go through three of them. They give you spicy kimchi, spiceless kimchi, onions, fresh garlic, a burnt orange-colored sauce that is oh-so yummy, and lettuce leaves. For about $1, you can order a side of rice that comes with jiggae, which I'll explain later. The technique: take a leaf of lettuce, spoon a small amount of rice on top, add a small piece of cooked meat from the grill built into your table, add a sliced onion and grilled garlic, add sauce with your chopsticks, maybe throw a piece of kimchi on there too, and then wrap it up and munch away! This is, by far, my favorite thing to eat in Korea. I crave it at all times. It will fill your belly for days.

4. Dukgalbi - Similar to galbi only in that this dish is cooked on the grill that is built into your table. This dish consists of chicken and loads of vegetables (onions, leeks, carrots) tossed in a teryaki (sp?) type sauce. The waiter mixes it while it cooks every few minutes, so you don't have to do any work. Once he or she gives you the signal that it's ready, everyone shares from the large pan.

5. Kimchi jeem - There is a great place near our apartment that my Korean coworker introduced us to that serves this dish. Again, you sit at a table with a grill in the center (or in the case of this restaurant, it's a stove top burner). A full head of cabbage is steamed and stewed with yummy red spices and chunks of pork. They also throw in some tofu, which isn't actually too bad. This place also serves loads of side dishes like japchae noodles, salad with raisins and creamy dressing, and obviously kimchi! This is a favorite of ours.

6. Jiggae - Jiggae is a soupy stew with tofu cubes, onions, jalapenos, green onion-type vegetables, and yummy spices. You can also order this as kimchi jiggae or chomchi (tuna) jiggae. It's orange-red colored, so I'm guessing the spices used are similar to those used in making kimchi. It's always served with rice. Scoop up some rice with your spoon (rice is only eaten with a spoon--not chopsticks) and then dip it into the jiggae, picking up some tofu or onions. Be careful, though, it's served very hot.

7. Dokbokki - compacted rice that comes in many shapes. At street vendors, it is the shape of a breakfast sausage. It's served with an orange-colored, spicy sauce. The texture is strange, unlike anything I've ever felt, maybe most comparable to a gummy worm. I wasn't fond of it at first, but now I crave it. (Note about dokbokki: this is made from leftover rice that is then compacted into any desirable shape. It is impolite and wasteful to ever leave rice on your plate, so dokbokki is a great solution. If you make the journey to Korea, or really anywhere in Asia, always finish your rice, and never leave your spoon or chopsticks sitting in your rice bowl--very rude!)

8. Mandu - This is most comparable to a dumpling. They're stuffed with meat, clear noodles, chopped onions, green veggies, and special ordered with kimchi. You can dip them in a sortof soy sauce, but they are just as good without it. We bought a big frozen bag of them from the supermarket, and I noticed they are not too high in calories.

9. Fried anything - Street vendors line the street that I live on because there are so many English academies (hagwons) on this block. Since kids spend most of their time in school or academies (math, English, writing, you name it), they need to fill their brains with energy for all that learning. Vendors sell fried carrots, potatoes, corn dogs, chicken-on-a-stick, blood sausage, mandu, again, you name it. I pretty much avoid those places.

10. Waffles - Waffles are apparently a huge fad here at the moment, like anything else in Korea. They make them right on the street or in the subway station (imagine that smell filling the tunnels..Mmmmm..) in waffle-makers under tents. They smear a honey-like spread all over it then coat it in a mousse-like vanilla or chocolate icing. For ean extra 500 won (45 cents), they can add vanilla or green tea ice cream. David and I will order one waffle (about 90 cents) and split it because these things can't be to great for our health.

Are you hungry yet?

xx
hh

Images above are not my own:
Bottom left - Galbi
Bottom right - Jiggae
Top left - Kimchi
Top right - Mandu

Fun with Korean

This is what it's like to read a sign in Korea that is splashed with English:

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Coca Cola blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Chicken blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Love for Women blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Pizza blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Free Drinks blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

It's really fun.

xx
hh

Keep Right, PLEASE!

Who has the right of way? No one. There is no "right of way" to speak of in Korea. The traffic here could quite possibly get you killed, whether you're a passenger or a pedestrian. Here are some general non-rules of the road:
1. Stoplights mean nothing. If you have the green light, that doesn't necessarily mean that cars coming from the perpendicular direction will stop. Oh no, a red light simple means look very carefully before crossing through the intersection. You won't see too many cars doing this, but when it comes to motorcycles/mopeds and public buses, watch out.
2. Lines mean nothing. Lines? Who needs to stay in the lines when you can squeeze your way to the front of any line of cars by using the left or right turn lanes, perhaps even the lanes for oncoming traffic. Don't you love that feeling when you are the first in line at a stop light (unless, of course, you just missed the green. Then it sucks)? It is a short-lived thrill in this country as drivers tend to steal that thunder right from under you at any chance they get to save themselves 4 seconds of waiting at a light.

So what's it like to be a pedestrian in a city of 10+ million? A rule to stick by is as follows: Never be the first or the last person in a crosswalk. This one simple rule could save your life here, and it's one I try to follow--unless I'm in a super-big hurry, then I just run for dear life as the crosswalk's red hand flashes, warning that "death awaits you!" I'd like to think that in America and most countries, no matter how busy or crowded, there's a general unspoken rule to keep right and walk in a straight line unless avoiding obstacles like parking meters, other people, trash cans, etc. Here in Seoul, I could be walking towards another person on the sidewalk, both of us on opposite sides, and suddenly, without warning, they will cross over onto my side, nearly knock me over, possibly brush my arms with their arms, and pass me to their left. Unless you are in Australia or England, this is completely ridiculous--pass on the left??! No, friends, you pass on your right. That way, everyone avoids each other when walking in opposing directions. Why has this not caught on yet? In fact, I heard that for the World Cup, Seoul introduced a campaign to teach pedestrian etiquette to its Seoulites. In subways now, there are arrows on the ground to help remind people to stay right when walking up and down stairs. I'd say 75% of people ignore these arrows. I'd also say that without 99-100% participation in this rule, it's pretty much ineffective. It really only take a small number of people to cause major congestion and muck up the flow.

Needless to say, it only takes one day, maybe even one moment, in this country to realize that there is a major issue here with order on the streets. It was the first major difference that I noticed, and from time to time, becomes a bit of a stressor for me. Relaxing walks in the park around the track? Not so relaxing when groups of older women stretched across the entire width of the road dilly-dally and zigzag, perhaps even stop to stretch, as you try to pass them. It's like they know a waegook is approaching! It's frustrating, to say the least. But David and I have a laugh about it almost everyday, "You'll never guess how I got cut off today!"

I still love you, Korea.

xx
hh

Note: "Waegook" means any foreign westerner (basically a white person). And when you hear that word in public, they are definitely talking about you.
Another Key note: This is literally the city where the streets have no names. Good luck finding your way around!

A, Ya, Eo, Yeo (ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ)

Today it's been 3 months since I arrived in Seoul. If you've read the story about the flight to get here, then you know how stressed that first day must have been. In the taxi ride to my apartment from the airport, I was pretty much terrified. Looking at the traffic signs on the highway and the shops and restaurants lit in neon lights on the hour-trek there, I wondered how I'd survive in a country where I did not know the language. I thought about my ancestors who came from Germany and Syria. And I still think about the melting pot that is American culture today. So many have managed to survive in a world so different from their norm. But is it normal to be scared? Why wasn't I scared 24 hours ago? I have a tendency to put off... well, everything--even my feelings. It literally didn't hit me until the day before I left for Korea --that I was leaving for Korea. I put off being sad to leave my family (and dogs) and friends. I convinced myself that a year wasn't all that long, heck, I remembered my college graduation like it was yesterday, and it was TWO years ago. So how long could a year feel in a foreign country? Day 1 felt like a week. My first thoughts on my day one went something like this: How will I eat? How will I find my way around the city? How will I meet people? How will I read signs? How will I survive here? I'd say I was in panic mode. Like, what the heck was I thinking? How cocky could I be to think I could function in Korea??

Piece of advice number one. Learn the language of the country you move to. Life will be much more pleasant. So I did. I actually taught myself to read the Korean alphabet. I started off slow, used my teacher skills on myself. I chunked my learning, memorizing 4 letters at a time and repeating them outloud and writing them on paper as many times as I could fit on one line. If you heard me in those early days, you'd practically hear me saying these first four sounds in my sleep, "a, ya, eo, yeo" (ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ). Slowly, but surely, I learned all the letters. There is a restaurant we go to about 5 times a week whose menu is solely in Korean--no pictures, no English, just Korean. That was great practice. I learned my letters, pronunciation, and types of foods all rolled into about 5 minutes. Now, three months later, I know more phrases, and though I seldom practice them in real-life, I am still proud to use them to impress my students. I pull out the phrase, "chincha," for the kids, and they oooohhhh and aaaahhhh at me (chincha=really? or seriously?). Youtube has some really great videos (busyatom) that teach special case rules about the language, which are probably unnecessary for me to learn, but regardless, I like knowing them. Things are looking up now on the language front. That, simultaneously, relieves enormous amounts of stress from everyday life.

If you were wondering... yes, I still get stared at. And children still stop to say hello or simply wave. I am still a celebrity. And I still kinda like it.

xx
hh

Image: http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/Language/Korean-big.gif

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Let's be honest: No one likes the cold. Not unless, of course, you are from Canada. It's not pleasant. Your skin dries and cracks up. You look pale and sickly. All you want to do is cuddle under thick warm blankets. Forget the outside world, you are hibernating for the winter. Then, you pack on the pounds and hide it under layers of sweaters and scarves, then promise yourself you will get to the gym come April.

This is my excuse for not blogging. For the past month, I've basically been in hiding from the tundra that is Seoul right now. I'm pale, I'm a little overweight, and I'm really, really cold. It's no colder than St. Louis though. I am at about the same parallel (just south of the 38th parallel) and in the same climate type - temperate. I'm really kicking myself in the a** for not choosing a warmer place like I had intended. Last winter, I kept telling myself that I was going to escape winter this time around and move to Central/South America. Sadly, I made my travel plans in August, where summer's heat tricked me into believing that winter wouldn't be so bad--some relief from this sticky, humid air, even. And now that it's here, all I want is for the summer to come back to me.

In conclusion, if you need to find me, I'll be curled up on my ondol floors*, sleeping like a grizzly.

xx
hh

*Note: Ondol floors: Korean-style heating system where pipes running hot water under the floors heats the entire apartment

No "Ho-ho-ho!"

Spending Christmas in South Korea was only my second time being away from home for the holidays. My sister, Natalie, and I backpacked Australia for a month during college winter break in 2005. Spending Christmas on the beach in Perth and seeing Santa on the subway was a little different, but so memorable. In fact, I remember receiving a stuffed koala bear from Natalie's friend, Dave, when we arrived in the Melbourne airport on Boxing Day (day after xmas). That little guy sits on my dresser back in the states. Sadly, Dave passed away a few months ago in a tragic accident in Turkey, so the bear leaves me a tad teary but always reminds me of Dave's kindness and hospitality.

At least Christmas is celebrated in Australia.

Here is the series of questions I asked my students regarding their Christmas plans:
hh: Will you open presents tomorrow morning?
students: No.
hh: Santa won't bring you any presents?
students: No Santa.
hh: No Santa in Korea?
students: No.
hh: Ah, yes, Korea's probably too far.
students: (laugh) Yes, too far.
hh: So what about a Christmas tree?
students: No Christmas tree.
hh: Will you have a big dinner?
students: No. Just sit in big room with family.
hh: Wait. No presents... no Santa... no Christmas tree... no dinner?
students: Yes. Go to America, teacher.
hh: (laugh)
students: (laugh)

Sooooo the conclusion here is that there is no Christmas in Korea--not the American way anyway. No decorations (only cheapy $1 crap at Lotte Mart). No gift baskets. No tacky sweaters. They just hang out with family all day. Married or unmarried couples spend the day together too. Oh, and for you single people out there, you hang out with other single people and get really drunk (which doesn't actually sound too bad considering your other option is being locked in a room with your folks). Therefore, a group of Westerners decided we would make our own Christmas here. An engaged couple had about 20 or so people over and cooked us all a huge dinner, which was actually one of the best meals I've ever had. Steamed veggies, salad, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, stuffing, turkey, short bread cookies, and egg nog! And all this they did with a stove top, microwave, and rice cooker! We played Rob Your Neighbor, and I won a sweet pair of fuzzy rainbow socks. My English friend won a pair of butt implant underwear--funniest and best prize in the pot! Of course we played the usually drinking games--F the dealer and Circle of Death. I recreated high school memories by writing dares on every block of a game of Jenga that someone won in Rob Your Neighbor. We summed up the night by purchasing large quantities of soju and sprite and heading to a norabang (karaoke room) singing the Beatles, Justin Timberlake, and everything in between. Honestly, it was an amazing Christmas. An amazing week.

Of course, I missed seeing you. Seriously, if you are reading this, then you must be someone that actually cares about me. How about next year?

xx
hh

Rock, Paper, Scissors

When you have short hair (I'm learning), it is important to make frequent hair appointments as letting it grow out a couple inches transforms a chic, edgy look into a slobbish mess. Some other Westerners suggested salons where English was well spoken and understood. However, since bus and subway rides were involved, I opted to go to a local shop that is a 5 minute walk from my apartment (including waiting for the elevator and walking up two flights of stairs). Did my laziness pay off? I'd say so. And I got a neat little story out of it too.

So I walk into Juno Hair Salon and am instantly spotted by every Korean in the shop (the norm). A young girl comes to the counter to help me, and I do my normal freeze, stare, purse my lips, and shake my head. I grab a strand of hair and make a sideways peace sign, chopping it with my fingers, and say, "cut?" A young man came over to me and led me to the waiting area. I see a white guy waiting too and think "Thank God. Maybe he can help me. Surely he's done this before." My next thought is, "He'll hear me trying to communicate with them. This is going to be humiliating." I typically don't mind making a fool of myself in front of Koreans because they can't understand what I'm saying anyway. But sounding like an idiot in front of someone that can understand your language... ugh, as if I'm not awkward enough on my own. So this white guy is sitting with a Korean American girl (I know this because she is talking perfect English with an American accent), and I think, "Jackpot!" The young man that seats me starts saying something that ends with "tea." And I did my stare and freeze movement again. He then simply said, "Tea?" I'm still speechless. I'm so used to never understanding Koreans (except at school) that I don't even understand when they are speaking my OWN language to me. I look to my right to the Korean American girl, and ask, "Do you know how to ask for a haircut?" She responds, "Yeah. But he's asking you if you want tea," rolling her eyes on the inside, I'm sure. How stupid can you be? They try to speak English to you and you just give them a blank stare! Now I'm feeling legitimately dumb. You have a college degree. You've traveled the world. Come on. I decline the offer of tea because I feel that I've been a burden enough in making him wait for an answer. A man sits down next to me to discuss what I want with my hair. He has a book in hand, and we flip through it together. I find a couple pictures I like. He sputters some words in English like, "bob cut, short in back, and A-line." I'm thinking we're in business now. This will work. A different young girl washes my hair, adding a bit of a scalp massage in the mix. She brings me back to my hair dresser's chair. He tells me his name is Sun-il, and we chat in broken English, using key words like, "Me. America. Here for 2 months," as I hold up two fingers to make sure he understands. He tells me that his friend lives in Canada and wishes he would move there because there are no good hair dressers in Canada. We laugh. He tells me he dreams small: small city, America, cut hair. I say he should move to St. Louis, and he can cut my hair when I move home. We laugh. All the while he does a funky flip move with the scissors, holding them backwards as he cuts. I do a lot of laughing and alternating between saying, "Yeah," and "Ne," which is Korean for "yes," because giving blank stares don't seem to get me anywhere. He asks me if I want my neck "clean," and I ask him, "green?" He makes a buzzing noise at my neck, and I realize that he's cut it so short that he needs to buzz my neck a bit (not the first time this has happened). He calls for a young man to get his the clippers which are in the cabinet at his station. It's funny--they have hair washers, tea servers, clipper retrievers, and even hair dryers. I tell him I have to leave for work soon so he and another girl blow me dry, he cuts a little more, styles, adds some goop, and brings me to the counter to pay. They give me a card for a 10% discount for my next visit. I try to ad a tip to my card, but the lady ringing me up doesn't understand. I paid 22,000 won, which is something like US$20. Not bad. And, hey, I got a neat little story out of it.

xx
hh