Not Just Kimchi

Turtle Egg Ice Cream Treat

2011-05-23T23:26:00.001+09:00

I found this ice cream treat in the small grocery store that's across from our apartment. I'd never seen it before and it looked peculiar, so I bought one. When I brought it home Kwang immediately recognized this ice cream treat and told me he used to eat these when he was a kid. The Korean name translates into turtle egg.

When I opened up the plastic package I thought to myself, what the hell is this? I hate to say it, but it has a strange likening to an ice cream filled condom. Ok, as a kid growing up in the United States I remember being repeatedly warned about playing with balloons and being scared with the vision of some defiant kid who suffocated from inhaling a balloon. Here they fill balloons with ice cream, encouraging just the opposite. Have all of my instincts been wrong all along?!

The pictured instructions showed that I needed to cut off the tip of the balloon. From that moment on chocolate ice cream came spurting out under the strange pressure of the balloon. I cut a bigger opening about half way through, which was a huge mistake. The ice cream came gushing out at the end and practically exploded all over the floor. I still can't believe this is a mass produced, Korean FDA approved product. Turtle eggs, worth trying while in Korea.

Urban Gardening in Seoul

2011-05-14T20:23:00.001+09:00

Our new 14th floor apartment has a small screened in porch. I think most people put their laundry out to dry here. I've seen some plants growing though in the other windows I've peeked at. I really miss having a garden so Kwang and I trucked ourselves over to the flower market to see what we could find. We decided on two big planters. Then we bought cucumber, eggplant, hot pepper, and tomato plants. We also got some basil for cooking and some mint for mojitos. I'm hoping if the cucumber plants really take off I an create some sort of trellis running up the wall. Some of my adult students have told me that in their experience plants don't grow above the 8th floor for some reason. I'm hoping to prove them wrong.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-05-14T20:08:00.001+09:00

There are so many advertising gimmicks here. However, I can never get enough of the funny costumes. Especially when it's a bowl of udong wore on the head. That fried shrimp does look pretty tasty though!

Seoul's Friendship Festival

2011-05-09T10:29:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. After my Korean lesson Kwang and I met up and went to City Hall to take in some of Seoul's annual Friendship Festival. There were booths from around the world selling crafts and regional food. We snacked on sausages from the UK tent and drank German beer. We also caught a couple of performances from Thailand and Korea. We're back at work today, but tomorrow is Buddha's birthday which means another day off (last Thursday was also a holiday).

The Dog Cafe on the Wolmido Boardwalk

2011-05-08T09:37:00.000+09:00

Kwang and I walked to Wolmido island from the Incheon subway station. He had a hankering for raw fish and I just wanted to explore. Wolmido has a long boardwalk lined with raw fish restaurants. Warning though, the prices were more expensive than if we had eaten at the fish market in Seoul. While we were wandering around we came upon a dog cafe. We sort of made the mistake of lingering around the doorway only to see that the owner looked pretty frustrated that all of the onlookers that weren't coming in to order drinks. So we decided, what the heck, and went in for a tea and milkshake.

There were about 8 dogs in the cafe. They were all very sweet, but I could tell they weren't really impressed with all of the attention.

There was a giant Saint Bernard. He slept most of the time, although Kwang desperately wanted him to wake up and play. Large dogs are not very common in Korea. I've seen a couple of gold retrievers out and about, but that's probably the largest dog I've seen being walked on the streets. It also seems that people are slightly afraid of dogs. I've had a coworker pull me aside to avoid a dog while walking on the sidewalk. With that said though so many people have little lap dogs that they dress up and take everywhere.

Most people who walked by the dog cafe were really curious about the animals. However, hardly anyone stopped to purchase a drink. I can see why the owner was a little frustrated. After going I was really happy Kwang convinced me to stay. So many cat and dog cafes have popped up in Seoul. I wonder if this is just a passing fad although I hope not for the sake of the animals.

Delicious Chinatown Baked Buns

2011-04-19T22:33:00.001+09:00

In Chinatown there was a small shop selling baked buns filled with meat, pumpkin and other delicious fillings. There was a big line outside the shop which is always a good sign. I opted for the meat bun and inside this is what I found. The outside was a crispy baked bread shell. Inside was flavorful meat and a layer of green onions. Amazing.

While we were standing in line one of the shop owners gestured us to come look and see how the buns were cooked. These little bun pods are stuck to the sides of the oven. There are coals at the bottom that heat and bake the buns. Such a great traditional baking method.

Incheon's Chinatown

2011-04-19T22:20:00.000+09:00

Directly across the street from the Incheon subway station stands the gates of Incheon's Chinatown. Korea has a fairly significant Chinese population. I was surprised to hear that on the subway some stops are spoken in Mandarin.

A protector of the gates.

I love it when one object is represented repetitively like these red lanterns.

Here we are posing in front of the gold dragons. I think it was the nicest day yet of 2011.

A Visit to MBC Headquarters in Jeongbalsan

2011-04-17T11:43:00.001+09:00

MBC is one of the big TV broadcasting companies in Korea. The company has headquarters in Yeoido and Jeongbalsan. We walked to the Jeongbalsan location (line 3) after going to the Seoul Motor Show. On the first floor there's an interactive exhibit as well as a gift store, that didn't happen to be open on Sunday. The picture above is of Kwang posing with the cast of Infinity Challenge (무한도전). It's one of the most popular variety shows featuring comedians doing ridiculous tasks.

The exhibit had a miniature set of a traditional drama showing all of the behind the scene details.

I find this hilarious because we've encountered this same scene while walking around Seoul before. Dramas are filmed just about everywhere.

This was a fake motorcycle you could get on and see what it was like filming an action scene. Pretty awesome!

This part was really cool. Who hasn't wanted to experience what it's like to be the weatherman. Kwang took a natural liking to this job.

There was even a mock version of the MBC news with a nighttime view of Seoul in the background.

Have you always wanted to see what it's like to be a cameraman? Well here you can try it out. I was so pleasantly surprised by this entire exhibit. We had no idea that there was going to be this much cool stuff to do when we on a whim decided to go in the building.

Highlights from the Seoul Motor Show

2011-04-07T22:53:00.001+09:00

There was so much to see at the Seoul Motor Show last weekend. These are just some of the highlights that I found intriguing.

Kwang I think you shrunk!

Kia had a gigantic model on hand just for pictures like this one.

Camper cars are incredibly expensive in Korea. Most people rent them if they want the benefits of one. People could not get enough of this model. I love that everything is really hands on. With most cars you were free to get in them, fidget with the controls, get in the back seat and even open the truck.

These kids even got some driving time in.

Alright, what's strange about this car?

How the hell do you get in it?

There are no handles.

Some mock off roading...I like it!

I thought this car was pretty cool. The inside is like the set of the Jetsons. Plus look how the door opens up. Is this is the wave of the future? We saw so many cars that had this feature at the show.

Everyone wanted a piece of the rampant poising action, including this little girl. I was a little skeptical at whether people were taking pictures of the cars or show girls...or maybe that was just Kwang.

This was the first time I had seen male models at an expo.

It was totally refreshing.

Car parts were also on display.

This station showed the latest in windshield wiper technology.

Hey! What's a bike doing at a Motor Show? Oh wait it's a motorized bicycle. This model would be perfect for the radiation rain we've been getting here in Seoul lately.

This bus was huge! We got a tour though....

The bus was the perfect place to take a nap...except for the disco lights over head, making this picture look only a little creepy.

Look at the width of this seating.

I'll be taking this bus on my next 5 hour trip to Jinhae.

Don't worry, they didn't leave out the city bus either. Here's my stop!

Finally, you can't have a Motor Show with a bride.

Now that I think about it there wasn't a groom, strange.

And no, this is not the dress I will be wearing next year.

Poktanju...the Killer Cocktail

2011-04-06T21:37:00.000+09:00

My company went out as a group a couple of Fridays ago. We ate pigs knuckles and of course had some soju. However, my wild and crazy team leader heard that I liked to drink beer mixed with soju (somac), so she decided to make me a soju cocktail. She first filled up a shot glass with cola about 3/4 full. She put that in the beer glass, shot glass and all. Then on top she filled another shot glass with soju and stacked that on top of the cola shot glass. Then she filled up the tall glass with beer to make a poktanju cocktail. Bottoms up!

Who Thought That This Was a Good Idea?

2011-04-06T20:56:00.000+09:00

Alright I love me some PB&J, but seriously this seems wrong. I found this burger at Hunter Burger in Kangnam. It really does have peanut butter and strawberry jam on it. To really top it off there are slabs of bacon added to the mix. I wasn't brave enough to order it and I definitely don't have any "jellousy" about this burger.

Working for EducaKorea

2011-04-03T10:12:00.000+09:00

This is what I get to walk into every morning while working for EducaKorea. There's something pretty satisfying about being surrounded by books everyday. Especially when the books are reminiscent of my childhood. I'm currently working on a variety of projects including writing English assessment tests, creating compilation storybooks and workbooks that support the assessment tests, writing teacher guides for books like Maniac McGee and Island of the Blue Dolphin, and proof reading most anything that the company produces. I also get to do my first presentation to foreign teachers on Tuesday showing them how to use a textbook we sell.

The bookstore is also an amazing resource for English teachers in Seoul. I never knew small stores specific to children's English books even existed in Seoul before working here. They have English games, books, coordinating workbooks, puzzles, and English cartoons. I've used some of the storybook/workbook combos for private lessons which has been way great way to supplement my lessons.

The bookstore is open from 10-7 on weekdays and 10-4 on Saturday. It's located at Seolleung Station, exit 1. Walk straight out of the exit 1 for about 3 blocks until you see a Dunkin Donuts. At Dunkin Donuts take a right and walk two short blocks up the hill. You will see The Coffee Bean as in the picture above. The blue sign at the top of this picture is EducaKorea's sign. Take a right down the street just after The Coffee Bean.

On the right there is an entry way to the elevators. The bookstore is on the 5th floor.

The Beginning of Spring...Dust Storms!

2011-04-03T09:41:00.000+09:00

A couple of weeks ago we experienced our first dust storm of the season. This is when sand from the Gobi Desert travels through the air and hovers over Korea. Last year I was surprised to wake up and find a strange orange glow radiating from the sky. This time instead of orange dust it was plain old ordinary regular dust. At first I thought it was smog, but then I looked at the cars.

I feel like this is worse than pollen season in New England. I'm thinking those little dust particles could scratch the surface pretty easily. I also have not seen an abundance of car washes in and around Seoul.

Here's a close up of what to expect from a dust storm. Kwang was telling me that he's been out in the rain during a dust storm and gotten back home with a head full of sand. Eh...I guess it's just kind of like going to the beach.

Need Some Luck on Your Big Test?

2011-03-28T22:59:00.000+09:00

The new part of Sillim that we moved to is near an area where government and law tests are taken. These are serious, intensive tests. Kwang has a friend that's been studying for the past 5 years, trying to pass the government exam. We walked down this Sunday to explore and to find a place to have coffee. On the way we passed a table filled with these used book stands. Each one was once used by a prior student. They are marked with various sayings like "helper" or "gateway to success".

This one claims to be used by a student who passed the test. I love that added superstitious element. I figure everything helps when studying for such strenuous tests.

Renting a Truck in Korea

2011-03-28T22:24:00.001+09:00

We moved into our new spacious, two-bedroom apartment about a month ago. Up until last weekend we still were sitting on the floor watching TV and eating dinner. I managed to find someone on Craigslist who was selling a bunch of furniture. The only hitch was that they lived about an hour away from our apartment. So we rented a truck with a driver...sounds expensive huh....wrong! It was less than $60 to get our new furniture loaded up and driven all the way over to our apartment. We took the subway both directions and the whole thing was done in less than 2 hours. Now that's efficient.

Another Great Soju Ad

2011-03-25T00:13:00.001+09:00

I was walking through Sillim the other day and all of a sudden had to do a double take. What a brilliant marketing campaign for soju.

Keep in mind these guys were biking at a snail's pace.

This guy really got into it. I love the wigs and the matching outfits, although I still don't have a thirst for soju. Maybe that comes with time.

Not So Free Cosmetic Samples

2011-03-25T00:05:00.000+09:00

We were in Myeongdong, Seoul's shopping mecca, and we wandered upon this interactive display. Let me first say I love the cosmetic stores in Korea. There are so many of them and each one is a little different focusing on either cute packaging, all natural ingredients, or even hipness like the store "Too Cool for School" as pictured below. In most cosmetic stores in Korea if you buy something they will give you free samples of their latest products they are trying to push. I especially love the cosmetic stores in Myeongdong because they give the best free samples. I can walk out with a free facial mask, two vials of wrinkle cream, maybe a mini face wash and some cotton pads after only spending a few dollars. There's no such time as bonus time here because it happens everyday, take that Estee Lauder.

I should mention in Myeongdong cosmetic stores get you into their store usually by placing these girls at the entry who have loud headset microphones and are yelling for you to come on in. The girls are skilled too. They speak Korean, Japanese, and English and are not afraid to target the person passing by. Hello American girl, come on in, come check it out, you get this free! I'm a sucker, what can I say.

Well "Too Cool for School" was trying a different approach. They had this booth set up where someone stood behind holding out their hand.

If you put a 100 won coin (less than 10 cents) into the hand out would pop two samples. Of course people walking by, would occasionally slap the and mess with the guy behind the scenes, but he took it with grace. A crowd gathered soon after a few of us bystanders decided to partake in the stunt.

Here's what I got: a face wash sample (the small blue packet) and a BB cream sample (BB cream is sort of like foundation, but better, it's super popular here). Not bad at all, especially since it included a mini show.

Bowling with the Razer Korea Team

2011-03-13T23:50:00.000+09:00

Kwang and I got invited to attend Razer Korea's office bowling showdown. There was quite a bit of smack talk going on between Kwang and Alex from the Razer office. Each was convinced that they could out-bowl the other.

Here they are shaking hands after the "warm-up". May the best bowler win!

Bowling in Korea was pretty much the same as it is in the States. One slight exception was the absents of a bar attached to the alley. I'm not sure about you, but my bowling skills only get better with a couple of beers. There was a cooler that had some refreshments in it for sale, but this crowd was more into focus and showing off.

Can I take these home? Probably the first shoe in Korea that I've found that actually fits me.

Alex had a mean hook that I caught in action here.

Everyone in the office as well as Kwang put 20,000 won into the pot for the winner. Low and behold all of Kwang's talk couldn't stand up to Alex's continuous strikes. He won the money and then took us all out to dinner. He also bought us each a lottery ticket with his earnings and made us promise to split the winnings.

Le Saint Ex

2011-03-10T23:02:00.001+09:00

Last week I had a few days off since my teaching contract had ended and my new job with EducaKorea didn't start until the 7th. To celebrate I took Kwang out to lunch to Le Saint Ex, which is a popular French restaurant located in Itaewon. I'd seen a lot of blog posts about this restaurant, specifically about their lunch special. I was itching to see if it was really worth all the hype as some western restaurants are a bit overrated here in Seoul.

This is Kwang's best "this bread is magnificent" expression. It really was too! And they brought us basket after basket of crunchy, chewy, yeasty slices.

Kwang opted for the smoked salmon plate as he thought the lunch special was too much food. Seriously, did 5 years in the states not rub off on him at all? I love the cute little circle-piles of capers, red onion and parsley.

The lunch special consisted of a choice of soup or salad, the main course, and then a choice of 5 different desserts or coffee. All of this for 20,000 won, a steal really. I started off with the salad of the day...can you see what's underneath those thinly sliced apples...yeah those are beets! Beets are just not one of those universal, worldly, vegetables. Australia loves them, same with New Zealand and North America. I'm also fairly confident Europe embraces this purple vegetable. Asia...not so much. Needless to say this salad was refreshing and a little taste of home.

The lunch special's main course was a ground beef and potato shepard's pie. Hardy, delicious and super flavorful.

If this was one of your choices for desert why would you ever pick the apple cobbler (Kwang's first choice). They call this the "Floating Island". Isn't it beautiful.

Kwang couldn't wait to crack into that hard candy crust. Underneath the candy shell there was a heaping layer of meringue. Underneath the meringue was a rich and creamy custard. We were instructed to mix all three layers together when eating.

This dessert was amazing. It was incredibly rich and decadent, but really I felt like I deserved it. Was Le Saint Ex overrated? Not even close.

The Korea Blog!

2011-03-08T22:39:00.000+09:00

The Korea Blog recently had a contest to find 50 lucky bloggers to contribute to their website. I entered and was picked as one of the 50! Whoohoo! I'm still not exactly sure what all of this means, but I've been invited to the opening ceremonies at the Cheong Wa Dae, commonly known as the blue house or rather the President's house...yes!

I still have to try and figure out how to get some time off of work for the event, but I think I should be able to make it happen. The top contributors to the blog, who currently live in Korea, win the prize of a round trip ticket home. Sounds like a exciting opportunity to me.

Trip to Yangpyeong Pension

2011-03-08T22:17:00.001+09:00

A couple of weeks ago it was my friend Angela's 30th birthday. To celebrate she rented a pension in Yangpyeong which is a hour and a half train ride east from the center of Seoul. A pension sounds so European, but that's what they usually refer to as a guest house here. I like it. Here is a picture of Oak, Angela and MiYoung on the train. I originally met them in response to an English ad on Craigslist. They were looking for a foreigner to place their English with as they have all lived abroad in Canada or the states and wanted to keep up their language skills. I feel really lucky that they choose me because they've become some of my closest friends here in Korea.

I often see groups of young people carrying around boxes like these on the subway during the weekend. I had always wondered what they were up to...well they apparently were going away on their own pension adventure. We made a stop at E-mart first to pick up all the essentials for Korean BBQ and a ramen breakfast. Some heavy lifting was involved, but all necessary.

The pension owner picked us up at Yangpyeong train station later that evening. The house was really beautiful and I can only imagine what the grounds might look like in the spring or summer. The space we rented had a huge kitchen, bath and a large separate bedroom. We barbecued out on the porch while pop songs played in the courtyard.

There was a built up gazebo on the side yard. We climbed up there and took lots of pictures.

Here my friends are on the second story of the pension. It was such a beautiful day.

Not only was there a swing set, but there were also a sauna.

For Angela's birthday we surprised her with this cake and candle display. Champagne all around!

Glocal Here in Korea

2011-02-28T00:34:00.000+09:00

I work near Konkuk University and they recently put up this sign which made me laugh a little. I know catchy, buzz words made from synergizing two words together are quite popular, but all this sign did was make me think of the movie "Up in the Air". In the movie their adaptation of glocal was being able to lay people off virtually so I wonder what KU is doing to adapt glocality into their curriculum.

Wade Kids Academy Graduates

2011-02-28T00:19:00.002+09:00

I can't believe graduation day is already here. It's been a year since I've taught Neptune class at Wade Kids Academy. I'm so proud of my little ones. It was a bitter sweet moment saying goodbye to my seven year olds. It will be a little strange not seeing them everyday.

Oh Diego, how I will miss the funny things you say. He looks like such a young man in his cap and gown. He had both his parents there as well has one set of grandparents. They were so proud of him.

The students get this kindergarten diploma that has their picture, the official school seal, and a class picture. Pretty fancy for a kindergarten graduation. Kwang still has his kindergarten graduation picture with him in a cap and gown so I guess this was pretty common even back in the 1980's.

The kids not only sang two songs, but had to recite a speech they wrote. We practiced a lot for this moment. Everyone got over their nerves and did a great job.

Here's the paparazzi; parents all wanting the perfect shot. We went up on stage and did a series of poses. Parents brought bouquets of flowers with some kids leaving with more than two fist fulls of flowers.

Giant Soju Truck

2011-02-15T21:13:00.001+09:00

I've seen this truck driving around our neighborhood a couple times now. It reminds me of the red bull truck back home, only in Korea instead of a can of red bull there's a giant soju bottle. Hmm do I feel like some soju right now...maybe next time as I can usually only handle it when mixed with beer.

Valentine's Day in Korea

2011-02-15T20:43:00.000+09:00

Being a kindergarten teacher may not be my calling, but making fun, crafty projects with the kids sure is fun. Valentine's Day is a relatively new concept here in Korea. They put their own little twist on it as it's a day where the woman in the relationship is supposed to do something special for the guy, typically in the form of a box of chocolates. Then a month later on White Day, March 14th, the guys buy something white for their ladies. This sort of leaves a challenge for same sex relationships, huh. At school the kids had a hard time understanding that they were supposed to write valentines for each student in the class. I'm quite proud of the ones I made above and the kids loved getting them. They also were totally tickled when I explained to them that XOXO meant hugs and kisses.

Tamna the puppy from Jeju-do

2011-02-08T00:12:00.000+09:00

After arriving at Kwang's parents' house at 3:00 am I was greeted by this little bundle of goodness. His name is Tamna because Kwang's father bought him at a market on Jeju Island. At one time the kingdom of Tamna ruled this small island off the southern tip of South Korea. He's a bona fide mutt but he might have some Jindo in him which is Korea's native breed.

I love the way his ears flop down. He was pretty timid when we arrived, but after all of the love we gave him he opened up quite a bit. Tamna had a dog house in the courtyard though he did not have inside privileges. Every morning I would wake up and find him outside basking in the sun. Jinhae was a good 10 degrees F warmer than Seoul. I couldn't believe that we didn't have to wear winter jackets during the day.

We were a little sad to leave Tamna behind as we both knew we wouldn't be back until Chuseok which is in September. By this time we will not be greeted by a cute, little puppy any more so we had to soak up all of that playful goodness. Having a dog there will still be fun though. Tamna even came with us when we went to visit Kwang's grandmother's grave. He was a little troublesome, trying to steal the food that was set out for honoring the deceased. If only Kwang and I both didn't work so much. A dog would definitely be in the plan if that was the case, especially since our new apartment allows it...oh well.

Wade Kids Academy Celebrates Seollnal with Chicken Fights

2011-02-07T00:19:00.000+09:00

Part of our Seollnal celebration was practicing bowing as all children need to bow to their parents during the holiday. Kwang and I did this for his family too, though I should have taken better notes as the kids were learning how to at school.

Another activity we did was Chicken Fighting where you have to hop on one foot with your other leg crossed, while bumping into your opponent, trying to get them off their one leg. I would have to say the girls had it extra hard as it's no easy feat doing this with a long hanbok on.

The boys were pros though!

Wade Kids Academy Celebrates Seollnal by Making Kites

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000+09:00

At school we made colorful Korean kites to celebrate the New Year, Seollnal in Korean. The kids were really into this activity and made some great art. All too often our art projects are a set kit where deviation from the design isn't really encouraged, so it's nice to have these small creative projects.

Diego was having sort of a rough time after he broke out with a nose bleed half way through the project. This picture says it all. God I love this kid.

Emily is very much into weird, sciency, non-girlie girl things. Princesses are not on her list of favorites. So it seemed only fitting for her to make a crocodile sort of creature for her flag.

The kids loved taking pictures with their faces in the hole of the kite. Here Kenny added a long green piece so that he would have a beard.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie in Seoul...no joke!

2011-01-30T23:00:00.000+09:00

I stumbled upon this little bakery in Seoul called Tartine located in Itaewon. I had walked by the bakery late at night and was practically drooling as I looked into the window filled with mini pies. To my shock they had a strawberry rhubarb pie. I knew I had to come back and see if it was the real thing.

This afternoon while Kwang was sleeping off a cold I ventured out of the house and decided to hit up Itaewon for the afternoon. I brought back this amazing looking strawberry rhubarb pie. From Tartine's website they claim that it's the only bakery serving rhubarb in the country and I believe them. I've yet to find rhubarb for sale though just yesterday I did find celery which is also extremely rare. After heating up the pie and wishing I had some vanilla ice cream to dob on top, I finally was able to sample this rarity of home. Nothing beats the tartness of rhubarb with the sweetness of strawberry. If you have a hankering Tartine is a place to go check out. Their window case was also filled with the likes of banana creme pie, pecan pie, berry pie, bread pudding, chocolate cream pie, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie and butter tarts, some sort of Canadian specialty.

Violin Ice Cream Treat

2011-01-30T22:31:00.000+09:00

I love any ice cream treat where the traditional cone is molded into something else. I think this technique is genius and just not well represented in the western world. It may be winter, but ice cream is still king here in Korea. I found this special treat while pillaging the ice cream freezer at my local grocery store. I love that the cone is in the shape of a violin case. What a convenient vessel for some delicious ice cream.

Here what it looked like when I took it out of the package. Gobs of caramel and other goodness is already spilling out of the cone case.

Inside I found creamy vanilla ice cream with thin layers of caramel and peanuts on top and bottom. It was pretty good, though I still think my ultimate favorite is the corn cob ice cream treat.

New Songdo City and the Northeast Asia Trade Tower

2011-01-23T10:13:00.000+09:00

Awhile back Kwang had to go to Songdo City for a gaming event that he had to attend for work so I tagged along. New International Songdo City as it's called, is a newly built city that took about an hour and a half to get to on the subway from southwest Seoul. It's built on reclaimed land and is a free economic zone. When we were there from 5-8pm it was a dead land with hardly anyone walking on the streets or even driving around, quite the difference from bustling, elbow shoving, people pushing Seoul.

This is the Northeast Asia Trade Tower that's still being built, but due to be finished in March. It's the tallest building in Korea coming in with 68 floors. From searching on the internet I found out the lobby is lined with Vermont Slate walls. Who would of thought I'd have a little piece of home right here in Songdo. I love the angular design though it reminds me of the World Financial Center in Shanghai without the bottle opener at the top.

An area called Central Park has also been built in Songdo that is sort of a combination of NYC's Central Park and Venice. There is a large water way that appeared to have water taxi's though they were not running at night in the wintertime. We walked along the water though it was a little strange as the place was deserted.

The city scape is shaping up to look a little like NYC. It will be interesting to go back and see what the city looks like when it's fully occupied.

Chagall at the Seoul Museum of Art

2011-01-20T22:45:00.002+09:00

A couple of weeks ago, during my Christmas vacation, I made it to the Seoul Museum of Art. There was a great Chagall exhibit going on so I soaked in some culture and bought a ticket to the gallery. Chagall's classic wedding scenes with the enamored chicken or two were whimsical, but what instantly struck me was the number of people walking through the exhibit at the same time. Besides the Louvre, particularly around the Mona Lisa, I've never been to such a crowded museum before. On the first floor was an exhibit showcasing Korean modern artists. I actually think I enjoyed this more than the Chagall show. I've been pleasantly surprised at the way Seoul supports modern art. It seems to be everywhere.

This is a picture of a grate outside of the museum. I love the stenciled Hangul writing against the English.

Wine Hoodie

2011-01-19T22:20:00.000+09:00

The 7-11 around the corner was selling bottles of the 2010 Beaujolais for around $18 dollars. I had a hankering so I went on down and picked up this set. With promotions in Korea you often get free stuff attached to the products you are buying. For instance when I buy tuna, there are often tupperware containers taped on if I buy a pack of three. I say score! However, I had no idea what the soft, pink and white fleece object was packaged with the Beaujolais.

So when I opened the package and found this wine hoodie I was ecstatically surprised. It's actually two pieces that snap together. The cape like part just covered my shoulders, perfect for laying back and drinking wine. This fleecy cuteness made my purchase just that much better. I think I'll go back and buy more.

Huhh? Desputed Origin of US Lobster

2011-01-10T23:09:00.001+09:00

Kwang and I walked past this restaurant in Apgujeong which is one of the fancy parts of Seoul. I had to laugh. I would never want to eat a lobster caught or raised in New York. I'm not sure who didn't check their facts, but Maine lobster is the finest the US has to offer. Slapping a little NY at the beginning won't make it better in this case.

Ping-Pong Korean Style

2011-01-03T20:25:00.001+09:00

Would you mess with this man? Look at how he's holding his ping-pong paddle. That's skill. See the agile way that he has his feet planted. That's the fierce competitive nature within him. I hate to brag, but Kwang was on his high school's ping pong team. He also hates to loose...would you take him on?
I think not.

The competition, Alex, Kwang's co-worker. He's also got a mean serve and that same instinctual prowl for the kill. These guys hit fast and will do anything it takes to win a point. Myself on the other hand learned how to play ping-pong in my 7th grade gym class. It was a unit that included shuffle board and some other geriatric sports-like activity. I do not play here as I think I might embarrass Kwang. I'm actually lucky to be allowed into this establishment.

Ping-pong rooms are common here in Korea. You can rent a table by the half hour for about $3. They serve soda, but no beer which seemed like a shame to me. Then again it's considered a sport here instead of a drinking game. There were several other tables around us all separated by green mesh curtains. I was particularly proud of the woman playing in the doubles match behind us, sort of a heroine in my book.

Snow in Seoul!

2010-12-30T19:31:00.000+09:00

We woke up the other morning to a dusting of snow. This is the view from our apartment. All of this meant that Kwang had to take the subway to work since the roads would be a mess and the city buses would be delayed. Considering that it is crucial for Kwang to be at work before his boss, checking the weather in the morning is a critical factor these days.

Here's a view of Boramae Park in the winter. It's school vacation time so there were lots of children having snowball fights and building snowmen.

If you look closely at the little pagoda you'll see a huddle of men still gambling, playing games and probably drinking soju to stay warm.

It may have snowed, but people are still walking the track with vigor. A little snow won't stop these retirees' exercise routine.

The way home to our apartment.

I Ate Blowfish and Survived!

2010-12-30T19:19:00.000+09:00

If prepared incorrectly blowfish (or swell fish as it's often referred to) can be deadly. I had mentioned to my friend Younyoung that I was interested in trying some new Korean food since Kwang and I have gotten into a food routine lately. She went to college with a girl whose family owns a blowfish restaurant so she took me there. Blowfish like the ones above, were swimming around in tanks in the restaurant. If they are scared or irritated they puff up very quickly though unfortunately we did not see this transformation during our lunch.

We ate four different blowfish dishes. The first was a salad made with blowfish skin. The skin was really tender and the salad came with a great spicy dressing. The dish above was called blowfish bulgogi. Bulgogi is typically beef sauteed with a sweet, spicy sauce, however in this case blowfish was substituted for the beef. It was really delicious especially when everything cooked for awhile and the sauce began to caramelize. There were lots of wood ear mushrooms that soaked up the flavor of the sauce.

Next came tempura style blowfish. Really you can't go wrong with anything that been tempura-ed. Yes, that's a new word and I was lucky to have some pumpkin slices (my favorite) mixed in with the blowfish.

The last dish was a simple, yet delicious blowfish soup. There were large chunks of the fish along with bean sprouts and green onions. After all of the spiciness and tempura this style of blowfish was cleansing and pure. A large table of business men sat next to us and each ordered this soup. Thank you Younyoung for taking me here!

Wade Kids Academy Celebrates Christmas

2010-12-26T09:45:00.000+09:00

Friday was a festive Christmas Eve at my school. We wrote Christmas cards for parents, sang Christmas songs, made Santa candles and ate spaghetti (the true highlight!!). These girls helped celebrate by wearing very popular reindeer horn headbands to school.

This is our 5 year old class (really they are 4 years old in western terms). Each class had a caroling contest. The best girl and boy each got a special present. Lucky for Chloe she was the only girl that day.

All of the girls in the 7 year old class looked very festive for Christmas.

My lucky co-worker Michael was chosen as this year's Santa. The children's parents had sent in a present for each them so that Santa could give them something special.

Christmas Cakes

2010-12-25T22:49:00.000+09:00

Christmas cakes seem to be all the rage in Korea at the moment. This was Dunken Donuts' cake display today. There are so many cute cakes. I like the one that looks like a teacup. I really wish they offered a cake made out of donut layers, now that would be delicious.

These were Baskin Robbins' ice cream cakes. They also look cute though it's freezing outside right now and the thought of eating ice cream gives me goose bumps.

Kwang's boss sent him home with this cake. I guess instead of a Christmas ham you get a Christmas chocolate cake here in Korea. The little cookies and figurines are pretty cute.

Here's the hard working man himself. All cakes in Korea come with candles, little matches and sometimes even party poppers. This one also came with sparkling grape juice that my kids at school referred to as champagne.

This man has many tricks.

Earlier that day one of my elementary students had bought this cake to celebrate the last day of class before vacation. Needless to say I was a little caked out by the time Kwang came home with his.

Couple Sweatshirts

2010-12-25T22:33:00.000+09:00

Matching couple sweatshirts are huge here. So imagine my surprise and joy when I found one in my Christmas stocking from Kwang.

Why Boston? Or more like why not Boston! Finally I can show my USA pride though it's not exactly hard to hide here since my foreignness is rather apparent.

Here's a close up which really helps show the other special part about these sweatshirts. Never heard of Massachubatts, eh?? A quick Wikipedia search claims that Boston was established in 1630. Who do you trust Wikipedia or this sweatshirt...that's right Massachubatts doesn't lie.

The Confession of a Deliquent Blogger

2010-12-20T21:57:00.000+09:00

Before I knew it it's already the 20th and I've only touched my blog once this month, yikes! I blame Christmas shopping and my 4 jobs. However, I couldn't hold back posting this picture. How I love taking ridiculous pictures with anime characters.

Favorite Fruit and Vegetable Stand

2010-12-20T21:52:00.000+09:00

This is one of my favorite fruit and vegetable stands. They sell everything by the plastic basket so it's really easy to tell how much something costs. You can find everything there; peppers, bananas, persimmon, apples, oranges, cucumbers, potatoes...I could go on.

When you figure out what you want all you have to do is bring your baskets up to this guy. He then puts everything into plastic bags. He also might strike a deal with you. Last time I bought $4 worth of oranges and red peppers and he asked me if I wanted a huge bunch of banana for $1 to make it an even $5 bucks. I was like yes please!

Here are some apples and tomatoes in baskets. It's practically like the farmers market though it's pretty typical to find one of these little stands on most corners in Seoul.

Juk, Juk and more Juk

2010-12-20T21:40:00.000+09:00

Juk is to Korea as chicken noodle soup is to the United States. Juk is the answer to all ailments here in Korea. Have a stuffy nose, eat juk. Feel like you're coming down with the flu, eat juk. Your stomach is upset, eat juk. I admit it is a soothing bowl of goodness, though I stay strong to my sleeve of saltines, 7-Up and buttered toast when really feeling under the weather.

The juk restaurant we went to was called "Juk Story". It's a chain that's pretty easy to find around Seoul. On the wall they had these inspirational words to say about juk. To best describe juk it's a thick rice porridge. It often has different types of seafood in it as well as vegetables, meat and occasionally cheese (Kwang cringed when I ordered juk with cheese).

Here is Kwang's juk. He ordered the oyster and mushroom juk. Every order comes with little side dishes of regular kimchi, white kimchi, marinated shredded beef, and a red chili paste root vegetable concoction.

Here's a close up of the juk. On top they put ground sesame seeds and finely chopped dried seaweed. You then stir it all together.

Here's my chicken and cheese juk. I usually don't find juk that flavorful, but this type was incredibly delicious. There were big chucks of broccoli in with the rice and shredded chicken. This is sort of the non-traditional flavor adapted for Korea's changing taste. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lotteria's Lady Burger

2010-12-09T22:00:00.001+09:00

The Korean fast food chain Lotteria has a new burger out, the "Lady Burger". That's right it's only for ladies and apparently there are no rules here on discrimination as the ad claims the burger is just for women. What makes it a "lady" burger...well, well, well...the burger actually has pieces of rice cake in it and not the type of rice cakes you get back in the US. Rather these are thick chewy pieces of rice that has been make from mashing regular rice together to make a cylindrical cake. I suppose I need to dare Kwang to go and try and order one.

Here's the commercial to get a better idea.
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=7zBbu-mhvlU

This company also makes a diet burger that has rice patties instead of a bun. When I visit Lotteria I usually opt for the shrimp burger because it truly is delicious with big chunks of shrimp visible with every bite. It seems I have many other items to add to my list of dinner possibilities.

The Show Girls of G-Star

2010-11-30T23:22:00.000+09:00

A booth wouldn't be complete with out some show girls. This is very common when marketing products in Asia. These were the girls working at Razer's booth. I think they had some of the coolest outfits in the entire convention.

These ladies were packing heat. Keep in mind I was the only woman spectator taking pictures.

These ladies had a wall of photographers waiting in line to take pictures.

Yet again, I guess it doesn't get old and it draws in the crowd.

This was towards the end of the day and the booth was closed so the women created a barrier into the exhibit.

Umm...where can I get one of these headbands??

This booth employed so many show girls. At the end of the day they lined the parameter of the booth and bowed to everyone in thanks. It was impressive.

G-Star Video Game Convention

2010-11-30T22:56:00.000+09:00

Kwang had to help man a booth for Razer at G-Star which is Korea's exclusive video game convention. It took place in Busan so I took the bus on down to meet him there. On Sunday morning the crowd had already started to line up outside the convention center. Thank goodness I had a VIP pass!

This is Razer's booth. People could come and test out their products, play Starcraft and get free Razer removable tattoos of the tri-snake logo. The black and electric green logo really attracted the crowd.

Have a question? This good man will help you out. He was very proud to be part of the team.

Here are some of Razer's newest products that were on display.

Engagement Ring(s)

2010-11-30T22:45:00.000+09:00

It's official! Kwang and I are engaged. As usual we are not exactly doing everything in the traditional way. In Korea many couples exchange promise rings. These are rings that both the bride and groom wear before getting married. There is a section of Seoul that specializes in these coordinating rings and when I say coordinating I mean coordinating. If the bride gets some bling so does the groom. As much as I would have liked for Kwang to sport some sparkles we didn't go that route. We had been looking for something that represented Korea and found this ring set. The rings are made by a Korean designer and when placed on top of each other create a chrysanthemum flower. It reminds me of our differences and yet our ability to fit together.

North Korea Attacks

2010-11-24T22:37:00.000+09:00

Tuesday afternoon while I was working at school we got word that there had a been an attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. This area has been a hot bed of tension as it lies near the boarder. In the past disputes had occurred between military ships on the open sea, never on S. Korean soil. In March the Cheonan, a S. Korean ship, sank in this area due to a missile strike that was later identified by an international investigation to be of N. Korean origin.

A picture from after the attack. Heavy artillery was used against the island.

It was discovered today that there were two civilians casualties from yesterday's events. When talking with my adult students about the situation some were quite open and frank about their opinions and why N. Korea had attacked. Others refused to have a discussion because in their minds there was nothing to discuss. The attack happened and it was meant to provoke. South Koreans have worked so hard rebuilding their country from the rubble of the Korean War. When I look around Seoul I try to think how to paint a picture of this city that's filled with skyscrapers, people who work 60 hour weeks, modern art, schools on every corner, and an impressive infrastructure that accommodates the 11 million people that live here. You can get cell phone reception on the subway here, you can't even do that in New York City. Hell, why would I want to talk on the phone when I can watch TV or the baseball game on my commute home. It's an economically strong country that proudly boasts about paying off their debt early to the IMF after the Asian Economic Crisis of 1997. To engage in war would shatter the foundation they've built. However, to be bullied around continuously poises the blatant threat.

The attack happened about 90 miles away from Seoul.

We May Not Have an Oven, But Don't Feel Too Bad for Us!

2010-11-14T13:06:00.000+09:00

Since most apartments or houses do not come with an oven, Korea has adapted by have delicious bakeries located on practically every corner. Kwang and I have started the habit that on Sundays we go to the bakery and get pastries and lattes. Well it's usually me who gets out of bed to walk the short trek over to the shop, but it's well worth it. Anything filled with apple, raspberry, or cream cheese is sure to make it into our Sunday breakfast routine.

Pepero Day 11/11

2010-11-14T12:50:00.000+09:00

Pepero Day in Korea is when children, girlfriends or boyfriends give pepero, chocolate dipped bread stick snacks, to their loved ones on November 11th. The date 11/11 looks just like these skinny cute snacks. I've been told that the holiday originated in Busan where school girls gave pepero to their friends with inspiration that their bodies would mimic the ultra slender snack. Sort of ironic consider it's a cracker dipped in chocolate. Let's be honest, it's a made up holiday in which Lotte, the manufacturer of pepero, set out to gain more sales. And that they do with pepero day making up around 60% of their yearly sales.

I decided to indulge and buy some pepero for Kwang and my kindergarten students. I tried to sneak the big box on the right into Kwang's messenger bag so that he would have to embarrassingly share with his co-workers, but he caught me.

This was the typical scene outside of convenient stores around Korea on 11/11. There were pepero gift baskets, pepero bouquets and finally my favorite pepero stuffed animals.

Besides plain chocolate dipped there are other varieties such as chocolate dipped with almonds or peanuts. There is also a naked pepero that is a bread stick filled with chocolate.

Korean Wedding #2

2010-11-11T20:55:00.000+09:00

My co-worker Katie got married a couple of weeks ago. Before entering the wedding hall there are lots of pictures the couple had taken together. They usually picture the couple in pre-canned romantic or humorous poises. The cheesier the better is typically the norm. I think this one is pretty cute.

This photo montage was really funny. I'm thinking Kwang and I will be opting out on this type of photo shoot though it's entertaining to image what type of pictures we potentially could take.

Their ceremony was quite grandiose with these two ladies in their power blue outfits stealing the show with their swords. I don't believe this has anything to do with military service. It was a great way to spice up the ceremony though.

One of the more modern traditions in a Korean ceremony is to have friends of the bride and groom sing to couple. These friends do not have to be professionals and often times this point is blatantly obvious. These sweet singers had to restart the music due to nerves. I would be shaking in my shoes if I had to sing up there.

At the end of this ceremony the couple and their families cut the cake together. I though this was a nice gesture of family unity. They also drank champagne and did a toast with the rest of the guests. Afterward everyone made a beeline to the buffet. Every dish imaginable was served at this wedding, fresh sushi, noodle soup, marinated and grilled meat, assorted Korean dishes, 6 different kinds of kimchi, even some slightly western dishes. I was ecstatic to find salmon with capers and horseradish on the table.

Stuffed Animal Game Machines

2010-11-11T20:26:00.000+09:00

There are a ton of game machines in Korea. They are often placed outside of convenient stores and even bars. I guess people are more apt to risk a little pocket money when intoxicated. With that said I'm still drawn to them in fascination. Kwang approaches the taunting machines with vigor and an eye for the challenge. In my entire life I've only managed to win one stuffed animal out of a machine and it was only after inserting $10, not realizing these machines don't give back change.

This particular machine was filled with giant stuffed radishes. Who doesn't want one of these??!! So cute, so weird. I especially love that they are in plastic bags. I wonder if this hinders the giant claw's ability to grasp the radish. Just another obstacle for Kwang...a tricky one at that as alas we did not go home with a giant radish.

Hiking Gwanak San

2010-11-03T23:48:00.001+09:00

Kwang's company planned a hiking day instead of spending Saturday in the office. I was invited to tag along. We got off the bus at the base of mountain only to be greeted with this crowd. Seriously, when there are this many people hiking there is only a certain amount of de-stressing and being one with nature to be had.

This rock formation lined the trail at one point. It is good luck to balance a rock on top of the many piles that have been started around the base. With that said it is bad luck to have any of those piles fall.

When we reached the top this was the view.

There was a Buddist Temple at the top of the hike. We had to climb over large treacherous boulders to get to it. Many people were outside praying and bowing when got there.

After climbing on rock ledges and watching old women being passed on the ledges my impatient men we got to this steep, smooth incline. Miraculously on the far left of the hill there was a man selling cup of noodles and rice wine. I passed on the rice wine as I was worried I wouldn't be able to get back across the boulders in one piece.

Nonconventional Use of My Rice Cooker Take 1: Steamed Pumpkin

2010-11-02T23:17:00.001+09:00

Before I met Kwang I had never owned, used or lived with a rice cooker. Of course this all changed and no longer am I allowed to make rice on a stove top. However, this machine perplexes me as so much other food could be prepared within its non-stick steam pot.

Pumpkin is hugely popular in Korea. It's used in baked goods, rice dishes, bar food and soup year round. I love it because it's sweet and reminds me of acorn squash. I decided to take a stab at steaming some pumpkin in the rice cooker.

I flavored it with some pepper, hit the switch and 20 minutes later had super soft, tender pumpkin to eat. I don't quite understand how the rice cooker switches from cooking mode into warm mode, I'm assuming some sort of internal thermometer meter, but the pumpkin didn't need to cook quite as long. Overall, it was a success! The outside skin peels right off and the sweet pumpkin was delicious.

Wade Kids Academy Celebrates Halloween

2010-11-01T00:07:00.000+09:00

Witches and wizards were the hit costume this year. Actually, from past Halloween pictures I've seen from my co-teacher costume choices don't deviate much from this norm.

Most of the kids wore costumes that were bought from the store. It's a same that homemade costumes are not the rage here. Perhaps this will be my new business!

I've seen more adults wearing these exaggerated bow headbands, perfect for Halloween and a ballerina.

My wardrobe was sort of lacking Halloween inspiration this year. I decided to be a cowgirl since I had a straw hat left over from laying on the beach in Vietnam. Not one of my students got my costume, cowboy boots and all, until I explained it. Just another reason why my costume business would be a hit, time to give these kids some non pre-canned creativity.

A witch cackling at the camera. She spent some time in the US and is the only student I have that feels the need to pinch other students...hmmm, just saying.

Here's Michael and his class getting into their Halloween poises. The kids were definitely scared of his zombie blood.

Why Would I Need A Waitress When I Have a Machine

2010-10-31T23:39:00.000+09:00

Kwang and I recently went out to eat and found ourselves in the future of fast food. This self service waitress machine showed us the specials, took our order, made us pay and spit out an order ticket that we had to bring to the counter.

Now I couldn't request to hold the kimchi, but I could have ordered multiple hard boiled eggs at 50 cents an egg. The food we got was hot, fresh, and delicious. However, the place was super small and we walked in a just the right time as there were two seats waiting for us. The women behind the counter did serve us the food so I suppose this machine can't do everything. It did certainly solve some of my language barriers. I wonder when McDonald's will catch on...

Wade Kids Academy Carves Pumpkins

2010-10-31T23:26:00.000+09:00

We carved pumpkins in class this week. They don't really have your typical jack-o-lantern pumpkin here in Korea. When Kwang and I were living in Portland we would go to the Korean grocery store and see what the store described as "medicine" pumpkins. Well that's what we used to carve at school. It was much squatter and thicker than American pumpkins. It was also a shame to see all of those pumpkin seeds go to waste. Just another baking treat that left me wishing I had an oven.

Here I am with my class of 6 year old students (they're considered 7 here in Korea). Two students were absent that day so it was a nice small class, a good thing when a knife's involved.

Here's my co-teacher Cathy, working her magic with the girls.

One of the Perks of Living in Korea

2010-10-19T23:12:00.000+09:00

Korea does not have any open container laws. It's a normal sight on any day of the week to walk through the park and see groups of retired men sitting on mats and enjoying rice wine. Now most people do not walk around drinking say cans of beer. However, some teachers I tutor introduced me to a fantastic cocktail take-away place in Hongdae, a trendy part of Seoul. The tiny shop is called Vinyl, rightfully so due to the vinyl containers the drinks are served in.

Kwang opted for the gin and lime while I went for a rum and coke (it even came with a slice of lemon in it) . The drinks are mixed right in the bags and are really a steal at about $4 a piece. I've never seen cocktails this inexpensive in Korea. Most of the time they run around $10 a drink or you have to buy the whole bottle for a little under $100 at a time. Needless to say we will be going back to this place.

Chestnuts Roasting...Everywhere

2010-10-18T22:00:00.001+09:00

Ok well technically this vendor isn't roasting chestnuts. Instead he has big tubs of them which you can buy per the kilo and then he will put them in his tumbler machine that peels the hard shell off the nut. Kwang loves raw chestnuts and I often find them in things that just seem wrong to me, like bread. I big no thank you, especially when I thought the chestnuts were apple chunks. There are also a bunch of roasting stands out now that the weather has gotten chilly. In my opinion this is a much better way to eat the nut.

One Tight Parking Space

2010-10-12T22:08:00.000+09:00

Kwang and I walked past this parking space and had to stop in awe. This has got to be one of the smallest parking spots I've ever seen. Let it be noted I am admittedly not talented enough to back a car into a spot like this even if I had a camera attached to the rear. Which is one reason why we do not have a car here and probably never will.

Moving Stuff Via the Window

2010-10-12T21:58:00.000+09:00

I've seen this machine quite a few times while walking around Seoul. This one I happened to capture right outside of my apartment. It's a lifter that helps people move objects, boxes, and furniture out of their apartments via their window. I love this concept. It's so much easier than walking things down the stairs. We are probably going to move to a different apartment in March, but alas our windows don't open up accordingly and we will have to pile everything in the elevator. I'm not complaining one bit.

Chuseok Table

2010-10-10T09:07:00.000+09:00

I'm a little late in posting these pictures since the holiday happened weeks ago. Here's what a traditional Chuseok ceremonial table looks like. Kwang's father was cleaning up a little before I took this picture so the table was full with dishes at one point. Plates of watermelon, grapes, dried fish, chestnuts, rice cakes, fried shrimp and other delights are placed on the table in honor of their ancestors. At Kwang's house the men bow at the table every 10 minutes or so in this repetitive fashion that lasts for about an hour. The women bring new dishes to the table and at the end bow once. After the ceremony is finished small pieces of all the food are gathered on a dish to be placed outside the family's house and at the graves of their ancestors.

Glasses of milky rice wine called makgeolli are poured out and refilled after each time the men bow. After the ceremony is done this small shrine is set up in the home.

Kwang's Grandfather

2010-10-03T23:58:00.000+09:00

I finally got to meet Kwang's 94 year old grandfather over Chuseok. He is Kwang's maternal grandfather. Personally I don't think he looks a day over 80. He has an apartment in Busan, the second largest city in Korea. He even still rides a bicycle!

He is such a sweet man. Unfortunately, his hearing is going and it's hard for him to hear unless conversations are shouted. He was very excited to have the company.

Visiting Kwang's Grandmother's Grave

2010-10-03T23:36:00.000+09:00

Kwang was 23 when his grandmother passed away. She had lived with his family since he was born. Since Kwang was the oldest son in his family he shared a room with his grandmother. This may sound strange by western standards, but it is very much the norm here. For Chuseok we went to go visit his grandmother's grave. She is buried in a small village near Jinhae where winding roads bring you to a small farming community. We hiked up a small path with groves of persimmon trees lining both sides.

Looking down hill from her grave this is the scene. It's quite beautiful. When we arrived two frogs were hanging out around the grave. Korean Buddists believe that frogs protect the deceased so we made sure to give them some of the food we had brought in honor of his grandmother. There were many chestnut trees around the grave that were heavy with spiky fruit. Inside the fruit is the chestnut. Koreans love chestnuts and not only roast them, but also put them in things like baked goods. I'm still not a fan quite yet as I've mistook them many times to be a nice chunk of apple only to find a starchy chestnut in my danish.

I love persimmons, but had never seen an actual persimmon tree before. Here's what the persimmons look like before they are ripe. I wonder if I could make persimmon jam...hmmmm.

Wade Kids Academy Celebrates Chuseok

2010-09-28T23:29:00.001+09:00

All of the students dressed up in their traditional hanboks the Monday before Chuseok. I loved seeing all of their different outfits with so many colors and accessories.

This is Diego, admittedly my favorite student. He has such a fun sense of humor and which he partly gets from having to put up being in a class full of girls. We are about to make traditional rice cakes called songpyeon. He's apparently a little bored. He and his brother wore matching hanboks.

This is Tony. The male hanbok is just as colorful as the female version. He's holding his songpyeon which are filled with red and black beans, not my favorite holiday treat.

Most of the girls also wore traditional head pieces. In some cases they were barrettes or clips. Most of the time the girls wore these types of headbands as pictured above. They give the illusion that the girls are wearing earrings. Special adornments are attached to the ends of the headband to create this effect. I thought this was quite cleaver.

I asked if the colors meant anything, but it's all personal choice or rather what their mother's pick out which is what one student told me. The skirt were so long on the girls that is was quite dodgy watching them go down the stairs.

One student even had these fancy shoes to match.

Collecting Gingko Nuts

2010-09-28T00:15:00.000+09:00

While visiting Kwang's parents I got to prove that I'm just a country girl at heart who loves anything to do with the gathering or preparing of fruits and vegetables. We were headed back in the car from visiting Kwang's grandmother's grave when we stopped along the side of the road near some gingko trees. Some of the tall trees had fruit hanging off of them high above. So what did we do, but shake and kick the trees until the precious fruit fell to the ground. The fruit is about two inches long, is a yellow/orange color and is sort of wrinkly tender on the outside. Oh and it smells awkwardly like feces. But that was the least of our problems. Inside the fruit is a hard nut where when ground gives way to a precious oil that is good for your health. I am finding out everything in Korea is good for your health. It's just the way it is here.

Our method of shucking the nut out of the fruit was by first stepping on the fruit. This made them more tender and helped break the nut free a little from the meat. Kwang's mother used a knife to get the nut free, but I used my finger nails as I am going through a long finger nail stage (a rarity). There were so many nuts to free. I squatted for awhile, but then my unpracticed legs gave out so his aunt brought me a mini stool to sit on. They were so impressed that I was able to help and was efficient too! It was only two days later when we all found out that the ginkgo fruit is actually quite abrasive and caused thin layers of skin to peel off our hands.

Chuseok Traffic

2010-09-24T16:34:00.000+09:00

September 20th
Pack up and leave Seoul at 8:00pm
Arrive in Jinhae at 2:30am
Total time on the road 6 1/2 hours

September 23th
Pack up and leave Jinhae at 12:00pm after Kwang sees a TV report saying that the commute should only take 5 hours.
Arrive in Seoul at 8:00pm
Total time on the road 8 hours

On a normal day it takes about 4 1/2 hours to get to Jinhae from Seoul. This year Chuseok fell in the middle of the week and companies typically gave their employees Monday or Friday off so that they would have more flexibility on when to leave or come back from their hometowns. This also meant that the traffic this year was BETTER than most years as there was not a mass exodus when everyone got out of work.

Can't wait till next year! I think we will be taking the wake up at 2am and leave in the middle of the night approach.

Chuseok Gifts

2010-09-20T00:16:00.000+09:00

This Wednesday is Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and a big part of holiday is giving gifts. Typically if you are employed you would give gifts to your parents and extended family. Elders are more likely to receive an envelope of money while other relatives are given beautifully wrapped presents. While taking the train home this week from school so many passengers are carrying Chuseok gifts. I love the way they are packaged. A lot of care is given to the presentation of these gifts.

Believe it or not Spam sets are a very common gift. Love it or hate it sets like this can be found at everywhere to the corner store to giant mega marts. I haven't experienced much spam in Korean cuisine, but it does make an appearance every so often.

Lucky for me another tradition of Chuseok is that employers give their employees gifts. My school gave us teachers this wine set. I was ecstatic! Wine here is usually very expensive and is often very, very sweet. To find a cab/sav and a merlot in the box made me very happy.

My biggest dilemma was what to give to Kwang's 2 sets of aunts and uncles. Ginseng, seaweed, cooking oils and honey are all popular Chuseok gifts. Kwang was of no real help so I consulted our friend Sunjeong. We went to Costco to look for something special and she made the excellent point that it would be a little strange or lack luster for me, a westerner, to give a typical Korean gift. So we decided that Pepperidge Farm cookies would be an excellent representative of my American self. This box comes with 4 packages so Kwang's aunts and uncles can share them with their neighbors and brag about how their nephew's American girlfriend gave them these for Chuseok.

Need New Customers, Rent a Creepy Clown

2010-09-19T23:43:00.000+09:00

When a new store opens up here street entertainment is key to luring in new customers. On my walk home from school the other day I found this creepy clown performing outside of a newly opened cell phone store. Often instead of a clown there might be scantily clad girls singing and dancing around an archway of balloons. I don't really understand how this is culturally accepted when modesty is a big part of female culture here.

For some odd reason clowns on stilts are primarily used for cell phone and electronic store openings. What does that say about the demographic, huh. I wonder how lucrative being a promo clown is...

I Guess I Would Stare Too

2010-09-16T22:08:00.000+09:00

Kwang and I went hiking a couple of weekends ago with the idea of trying to find a refreshing pool of water to lounge by. We've been on a couple of hikes where swimming holes have made us regretful of not bringing out bathing suits. This time I was determined to find something that would allow us to lounge and be refreshed. Well as you can see above, the available pool of water we found was refreshing though sort of a tight squeeze. Additionally, it didn't help that we were right next to the hiking trail. Kwang tells me I get stared at normaling just walking around Seoul (I rarely notice because I'm checking everyone else out!). I think being in my bathsuit while squatting in a shallow pool of water which was in the direct path of a busy hiking trail tripled my gawking exposure. I made some friends though with an elderly couple who was in a similar pool of water a couple meters away. As I plunged in I the old woman pointed and smiled at me. Then her husband started to do some intensive hand clapping exercises over his head. I was tempted to join along, but I didn't want to make a scene.

The Dividing Line that is the JSA

2010-09-13T23:51:00.002+09:00

Here it is, the Joint Security Area. That white building is in North Korea. The building I'm standing in is in South Korea. Those sky blue buildings in between are where joint talks take place. We could not point nor use a camera that had a powerful zoom. It was tense to say the least. Strangest of all how this war zone was now a tourist attraction.

Here I am, taking in the tension as well as the weird shoot photo moment.

This soldier's job is to always keep one eye on North Korea. He stands on the corner so that he can not only know what's happening in front of him, but also what's happening to the right side of him. Kwang's brother was chosen to work in this position during his two years of military duty. I asked Kwang why Changwoo was placed here and he told me it was because he was tall, had 20/20 eyesight, had a father who worked as a high ranked Navy officer and was able to stand straight with his legs together with no space between. It was a dangerous position, but the barracks were extremely cushy. Changwoo only had three roommates where Kwang shared a space with 80 other soldiers. Yikes! Also most Koreans are not given permission to visit the JSA. However, Kwang and his family were given special permission to visit Changwoo there.

If you look closely at the pillar the third in from the left you will see a North Korean solider. He was holding binoculars and every so often would look up at us. On this part of the tour we were not allowed to wear t-shirts with large logos, flip-flops, shorts, jeans with holes or military/gang looking clothing. North Korea is known to take pictures of westerners dressed in this sort of clothing and use it as propaganda.

"Look at these westerners dressed in flip-flops and ripped jeans. They are so poor that they must go around wearing ripped clothing and can only afford sandals you would wear in the bathroom. Can you believe it?!"

Imjingak: Freedom Bridge

2010-09-12T21:12:00.000+09:00

This is the freedom bridge. It's used as a place for people to come to and remember family or friends from the North. Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) is coming up and typically people go back to their family's homes to honor their ancestors. South Koreans who's family escaped from the North during the war will come to the Freedom Bridge to pay their respect.

The bridge is located in a large park that has lots of modern art, open space, monuments and in sort of tacky tradition an amusement park.

This is the remnants of a train that was caught in the middle of an ambush in the DMZ during the Korean War. The conductor of the train made it out and is still alive today.

A fence of prayer ribbons written with hopes of peace and unification line the parameter. The colors really contrast against the other parts of the park. I think it's a beautiful way to express the heartache many families have had to go through from division.

I Dream of Taking the Train from Seoul to London

2010-09-12T19:18:00.000+09:00

Part of the tour I took of the DMZ included a stop at Dorasan Station. It is the closest train station to North Korea and is currently only being used to transport materials to the Kaesong industrial region which is located in North Korea. South Korean companies own factories in Kaesong that use North Korean labor. We were told that typically North Korean workers receive 1USD per month after taxes and government fees. However, in Kaesong that amount is doubled to 2USD. Taking North Korea's recent currency reforms this gain really doesn't amount to much anymore.

What's fascinating about Dorasan Station besides the fact that it's this huge vacant building is that all of the tracks are in place for mass transportation to North Korea and beyond. Being there reminded me that the majority of South Koreans feel that without a doubt reunification is going to happen. South Korea is prepared too. In the station there were even metal detectors in place for passenger security screening. The government has spent a lot of money on this station that has minimal use. The current government is also talking about imposing an unification tax on the people of S. Korea so that the country is financial prepared when reunification happens. However, it's very controversial and nothing has been put into law yet.

I love the idea of taking the train from Seoul all the way to London. For now it is just a dream though the map at the Dorasan Station makes it seem more like a reality.

There was a faux passport stamp counter at the station. Something that my co-worker Dustin pointed out was that the station has a high possibility of becoming outdated as the years pass by. I like the intention the government had with this station and I hope it's able to become a place of welcoming in the future.

There it is...North Korea

2010-09-06T23:42:00.000+09:00

I finally broke down and went on a DMZ tour with my co-worker Dustin. We did a full day tour which included stops at the 3rd tunnel, Freedom Bridge, Dorasan Station, and the JSA (Joint Security Area). Here's a picture taken from the Dora Observatory. Does my camera have a weak zoom you ask? Or did I just choose to stand far away?

Nope, this was a forced act of shotty photography. They were very strict about where you could and couldn't take photos. In this particular spot it seemed rather ridiculous. We could barely see Gaesung City, which interestingly enough is a propaganda city where windowless buildings line the streets. A huge North Korea flag flies bigger and taller than the opposing South Korean flag that's only meters away. We were told in our DMZ debriefing that the North Korean flag pole may be taller, but South Korea's flag pole is sturdier. Always a competition.

Quite the Job

2010-09-06T21:36:00.000+09:00

I caught these guys in the action at Yongsan Station. I'd never seen something like this in action. I thought it was very organized of them to place the sticker rolls in order along the side as to not mistake the order. So many stairs, though. I suspect the first two stairs are sort of fun to unroll and apply, but by the 20th roll it gets old.

Here's another view of how many steps are at this train station. Yongsan is the electronics area of Seoul. Inside this building is not only a subway stop, inter-Korea train station, a movie theater, clothing stores, restaurants, a gigantic grocery store, but also a huge electronic mart where each floor specializes in a certain product. There's a camera floor, a computer floor, kitchen appliances floor and a phone/MPG player floor. It's pretty impressive and you can get quite the deal.

A New Kind of Urban Gardening

2010-09-06T21:21:00.000+09:00

I stumbled upon this unique urban gardening along the roof top of an outside mall in Insadong (the arts and crafts area of Seoul). I love that you can grow a pepper plant out of a sand bag. If I ever get a roof top patio, which is on top of my apartment wish list for next year, I'm going to try this out. Many apartments have patio areas so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm so impressed by the eggplant plant. The corn on the other hand doesn't look so hot. The brightly colored sandbags definitely add to the display.

Yum, Yep That's an Ashtray

2010-09-05T23:21:00.001+09:00

I passed by this ashtray and just had to get a photo. After seeing the tobacco brown liquid inside this ashtray/sculpture I don't know what could deter people more from smoking. You can smoke just about any where here, in bars, elevators, bathrooms, I've seen it all. Some restaurants, like at Taco Bell that just opened here, have a glass partitioned room for smoking.

Something to note, often it is not socially acceptable for women to smoke by themselves. It is more acceptable if they are in the company of men. With that said, I've seen lots of men and women smoking especially high school/college kids.

This was on the base of the ashtray. A pack of cigarettes in Korea costs between $2-$3. I wonder where the tobacco comes from. Maybe it is grown here since the price is so cheap.

My Boss Gets Married

2010-09-05T21:21:00.001+09:00

This weekend was my boss Suzie's wedding. I was pretty excited to experience my first Korean wedding. It took place at a church and there were definitely unique Korean elements. The ceremony starts out with the mothers holding hands walking down the isle. They were both dressed in their traditional hanboks. I think hanboks are absolutely beautiful. I love the colors. The mothers went and each lit a candle and then sat facing each other where bridesmaids and groomsmen would stand in a Western ceremony. Suzie walked down the aisle with her father and then the minister spoke in a lot of Korean that I didn't understand. At one point everyone laughed out loud. My co-worker later told me that at this point the minister was talking about how much patience is needed when being married. He then turned to Suzie and told her that she did not look like a woman with much patience. Ohhh Korean humor. I don't quite get it.
After some songs were sang and the couple went and bowed to each set of parents. I thought this was really nice. Then I think some I do's were said, the crowd clapped and they walked back down the aisle. They did not kiss until they had reached the end and the photographer requested that they do so.

Money is what is given at a wedding. My co-workers and I pooled our together and put it in one of these festive wedding envelopes. At the back of the church there were two tables, one representing the bride, one for the groom. Two men were each table taking envelopes for either the bride or groom. When I handed our envelope in to Suzie's table we each received tickets for lunch. I found some humor in that interaction.

Before the wedding is picture time with the bride. Here are all of my female co-workers and I posing with Suzie. Also at the end of the ceremony there were more pictures taken with friends and family. The bride also gets to choose who gets the bouquet and they do a photo of the toss which was pretty funny.

Here is my Korean co-teacher Cathy (she's fantastic) and my other foreign teachers, Michael and Dustin. They had been to other Korean weddings before so they were able to fill me in on everything.

A Typhoon Hits Seoul

2010-09-05T19:26:00.000+09:00

We woke up to violent gusts of winds Thursday morning at 6:30am. The dreaded Typhoon had finally hit Seoul. The wind lasted about 2 hours at full strength. My friend Laura was visiting and her flight was scheduled to take off at 12:30pm that afternoon. Everything was still being reported on schedule as she got on her bus to the airport. Come to find out the flight was delayed 14 hours. Luckily for her the airline comped her a hotel room for the day, lunch and dinner. Wow. Note to self fly Luftansa when ever possible.

There was some debris outside from the windstorm, but nothing major in my neighborhood. I was sort of unimpressed by the whole thing until I saw this neon sign hanging from a wire, feet above the sidewalk. Yikes! This was much the scene all the way to the subway.

Near my school the trees had really suffered a beating. Piles of leaves lined the street. As a note of storm lingo a typhoon is technically the same thing as a hurricane. Asia Pacific just happens to refer to such a storm as a typhoon and frankly I like it.

This bicycle had managed to stay standing though it was the centerfold for a pile of leaves and random trash. My co-worker's neighborhood suffered more damaged with whole walls falling down from the force of the wind. Windows were smashed out with glass all over the street. Supposedly this isn't the last of the late summer storms as another typhoon is headed our way this week.

Wade Kids Academy Goes to the Movies

2010-08-22T19:56:00.000+09:00

Yeah!!!! My kindergarten class got to go to the movies!!! Boooo the movie was in Korean so my co-worker Dustin and I got to sleep through a hour and a half Korean cartoon. This is Diego and I expressing how excited we are to be at the movies. His brother Silver is behind him. During the scary parts Diego held Silver's hand, soooo cute. I took this time to take a nap which Diego then told everyone about how he saw Jennie teacher sleeping during the movie.

This is David and though he doesn't show it he's excited to be out of the classroom. It's funny, because these kids get their pictures taken constantly I think they are sort of programed to poise in a certain way. It takes some coaxing to get a genuine smile out of them.

It is possible though!

Your Feet Will Get Wet at this Restaurant

2010-08-22T19:45:00.000+09:00

While at Anyang Art Park we stumbled upon this restaurant where the novelty is that your table and chairs are in a pool of water. We had to this this out so we went in and ordered samgetang (a whole chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, and dried fruit in soup form).

The water was so nice...at first, then it got a little chilly as the sun started to go down.

Here I am, half emerging in the water. My purse even got its own stool too.

Anyang Art Park

2010-08-22T19:26:00.000+09:00

Since I caved in and bought a Lonely Planet guide to Korea I decided to play tour guide for a day with Kwang. I always like to joke with him about how I can show him around his country. Anyang Art Park was a featured day tour in the guide and it just so happens to be fairly close to our apartment. Instead of a grassy sculpture park that I envisioned there was a small stream running down the mountain which had been designed with summer swimming in mind. A perfect escape from the heat and humidity of Seoul.

These kids were having the best time.

There were all sorts of man made structures that built into the stream that created mini water falls and large wading pools.

Kwang got into it as well. We had been walking around all day and the water felt so good.

It was fun to see all of the families out. Most bring a mat to lay on and lunch, spending the day lounging near the water. It was one of the first senses of community that I've experienced while in Seoul.

Night Speed Skating

2010-08-16T22:47:00.000+09:00

The park near our house as a large roller blading track. Roller blading is fairly popular here in Korea. In the summer professional speed skating teams practice outside using roller blades. I was able to capture a few pictures of what seemed to be team practice.

The speed at which they were flying around the corners was intense. I always forget how competitive the speed skating circuit is in Korea. I was sure not to mention Apolo Anton Ohno's name around this crowd.

Last Post from Vietnam: Jesus on the Hill

2010-08-15T18:25:00.000+09:00

There's a pretty large Catholic population in Vietnam. Vung Tao hosts a large Jesus that you can walk up to and even climb to the top of its arms. We woke up and started out at 7:00am from our hotel in an attempt to beat the heat and humidity. We had no such luck as it was a hot and sticky walk back.

If you look closely you can see people along the Jesus's shoulders.

On the base of the Jesus there was a bronze relief of the Last Supper.

The trek up the hill wasn't too bad though yet again I found myself soaked with sweat in Vietnam.

Alyssa was bold enough to climb up the Jesus. I wasn't dressed appropriately with a tank top and shorts on. Nor did I feel like taking the plunge with the sun rising.

Tsunami Warning

2010-08-15T18:04:00.000+09:00

Both Alyssa and I agreed that 1,000 meters didn't seen that far from the shore.

Adventures on the Beach in Vung Tao

2010-08-15T17:57:00.002+09:00

Here's the beach front in Vung Tao. It looks pretty busy, but it's just because no one lies on blanket at the beach. Instead you have to rent a beach chair for $2.50 for the whole day. It's worth it too because the sun is incredibly intense. Plus women with fruit and other delicious treats come along and stop at your chair.

A woman who looked like she was 75 years old came and sold us the most amazing fruit while we were at the beach. These are mangosteens. You have to cut them open with a knife and inside is the sweetest white custard fruit. They were delicious.

We went for a walk early one morning and the fishermen were getting ready to go out.

Taking the Hydro Foil To Vung Tau

2010-08-15T14:56:00.000+09:00

We took this boat called a Hydro Foil to Vung Tau. It was about a hour and half boat ride along the river to the coast. They even gave us hand wipes and a bottle of water. One way it cost about $9, not a bad deal to escape the bustling city and find a beach paradise.

Electricity Lines in Ho Chi Minh City

2010-08-15T13:56:00.000+09:00

This was a pretty amazing sight to see. This disorganized cluster of power lines lines most streets in Ho Chi Minh City. Can you imagine being the repair person who has to go and fix an outage. It looks like a next to impossible task.

Copyrights? They don't really exist in Ho Chi Minh City

2010-08-15T13:22:00.001+09:00

Alyssa and I made it back to Ho Chi Minh City in one piece after our bike trip. On our way to a restaurant we were walked past some women who were selling copies of The Lonely Planet. I didn't have one for Korea so I decided to ask how much. Then I realized these weren't normal guide books, but books that had been copied and then reproduced without the publisher's permission. After checking to make sure that it was a 2010 edition I bargained the woman down to about $6. This was a steal considering in Korean the same book costs about $25.

Here's sort of a bad shot of what these book peddlers carry around. They carry these tall stacks filled with an assortment of Lonely Planets from around the world along with popular novels. They are all photo copied versions. It's quite the entrepreneurial set-up.

The Floating Market

2010-08-13T00:11:00.002+09:00

Part of our bike tour included a tour of the floating market. We took a narrow little boat to the area that all of the boats convene. Not only can you get an idea of the boat we were on, but you can also check out "Kitty's" spandex bike outfit on day 2.

Here's a boat full of pineapples at the market.

This woman was pretty amazing. I don't think I would ever be able to master the paddling while standing skill this woman has down.

You can even buy lotto tickets at the floating market!

I thought that this was brilliant. Boats advertise the fruits and vegetables they have for sale by attaching their wares to a long mast that can be see from far away. This boat had a lot of variety while others focused mainly on one product.

The 2-Day Bike Trip through the Mekong Peninsula

2010-08-12T23:58:00.002+09:00

Alyssa and I were a little worried that it was only going to be the two of us on our bike trip through the Mekong Peninsula. Luckily 2 British couples and British man living in Hong Kong joined us in this adventure. A man who liked to call himself "Kitty" picked us up at our hotel wearing spandex head to toe. We started to worry that perhaps this biking trip was going to be long and grueling.

The biking ended up not being that hard. The biggest problem we faced were the motor bikes that we perpetually encountered passing us from both directions. This along with a narrow path that often did not have rails along the small bridges we went over created a fair amount of swearing from my bike. This area of Vietnam has lots of waterways so we used bike ferries during our bike ride. The picture above is of the toll. Basically a woman stands and collects the tolls from passing by motor bikes and bicyclists. Pretty cool.

Here's Alyssa on the ferry. The humidity was pretty intense so we were dripping wet. At the end of the day the bus met us with icy cold wet towels.

Pictures from the Saigon River

2010-08-11T23:30:00.001+09:00

During my trip we used the river twice as an exit from the city. It was a quicker way to get to other points around the southern part of Vietnam. Along the way I got to see how everyday life is away from the city.

Many parts of the country are prosperous and gaining wealth, but along the river a different story is taking place.

Many people were living on boats. We saw lots of children come out and wave as we passed by.

Sewing in the Tunnels

2010-08-11T23:02:00.000+09:00

There were many large dug out rooms beneath the surface that linked to the tunnels. Often they served as meeting places or in this situation sewing rooms. Uniforms and shoes were made here. This sort of looks like one of my sewing machines. It was a singer!

Shoes were made out of old tires. The straps were threaded through the soles. The ends of the straps were not trimmed. This caused the shoes to not leave footprints. I thought this was especially cleaver.

Here are some scraps from the shoe making process. Shoes are still being made for tourists who want the real experience.

Rice Wrappers

2010-08-11T22:36:00.000+09:00

Part of the Cu Chi Tunnel tour included a section where we were shown how rice wrappers are made. Here batter is poured onto to griddle that looks very similar to how crepes are made.

Then the wrapper is transferred to a woven drying mat. The mat leaves a woven imprint onto the wrappers.

I guess this woman had been making wrappers all morning because a long row were drying outside. They have to dry for a quite a few days, which I thought was surprising. I bought some summer rolls on the side of the road in Ho Chi Minh city and they were quite delicious, filled with mint, pork, shrimp and lettuce. They also came with a spicy peanut hoisin dipping sauce.

Bullets for Sale

2010-08-09T23:05:00.000+09:00

What's that sound in the distance? Oh it's just the National Defense Sports Shooting Range, of course. I had the opportunity to fire some serious ammo, but alas I'm a wimp and really didn't feel like partaking in this ultra touristy war remnants activity.

I can't say it wasn't an affordable guilty pleasure with 19,000 dong to the dollar being the exchange rate. Someone mentioned to me that some of these guns aren't manufactured any more. Hmmm, I'm still not a taker.

Deadly Traps

2010-08-09T22:25:00.000+09:00

Also on display were a variety of deadly traps that were used in the war. Often poison was applied to the hooked spikes lining the traps. This one really made you watch where you were walking along the trail.

Here the guide is demonstrating what would happen if you stepped on this trap. Yep, a spike right through your foot. Ouch!

It was explained to us that this was one was designed especially to get you where it counts, your knees, inner organs and the baby maker.

Strange Photo Opportunities

2010-08-09T21:57:00.000+09:00

The tour included some awkward photo moments. I did not feel like I needed to take a photo in front of an American tanker. There were mannequins of the Viet Cong poised in "everyday" positions. I guide really encouraged us to take pictures. But before we did I captured this man, rice paddy hat and all.

Yep, jungle fighters we are. I couldn't miss this opportunity to break out my peace sign or as Kwang tells me the international victory sign in Asia. Oh how inappropriate.

The Cu Chi Tunnels

2010-08-09T21:18:00.000+09:00

The Cu Chi Tunnels were devised by the Viet Cong and were the base of their operations during the Tet Offensive. There were up to three levels of tunnels in some sections. Along with there were were larger rooms built into the earth that were for cooking, supplies and sleeping. There were even air tunnels that led to huge termite mounds. Holes were drilled into the mounds in inconspicuous places so that the enemy would never know the true purpose of the termite colony.

In the tour that we took you could actually have a go at getting into the tunnels from the original small openings. This guy on our tour took up the offer. The thought of being in such a small narrow space creeps me out so I did not partake.

There were other small entrances like this one that I did take to go down. The tunnels were narrow and I had to almost crawl to get out. We did this for 20 meters which was plenty for me. Thankfully there were also lights along the way as our tour guide went much faster than I would have liked. I booked it as to keep up.

Economic Development in Ho Chi Minh City

2010-08-07T14:18:00.001+09:00

Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as the older Vietnamese generation calls it, is growing economically as race for cheap labor continues. For the most part the city is architecturally flat with most buildings not reaching more than 10 stories high. Skyscrapers do not protrude from the skyline, that is except for this one. It's the Bitexco Financial Tower.

I love the strange shape and asymmetrical design of this building. Upon further investigation the disk shaped protrusion is actually a helicopter pad. The building is designed to look like the bud of a lotus flower, the national flower of Vietnam. The helicopter pad makes me wonder what's the purpose of this luxurious structure. I do not believe anything like a hospital is planned for the building. Perhaps the helicopter is the new motorbike?

Playing Catch Up: My Vacation in Vietnam

2010-08-07T14:01:00.000+09:00

Ahh vacation and even better, vacation in Vietnam. I had pretty limited knowledge of this country before coming with most of my exposure being limited to the Travel Channel, Anthony Bourdain, and the Vietnam War in 20th century history class. I was ready to dive in.

My friend Alyssa met me in Ho Chi Minh City. Her flight was delayed 5 hours so we stumbled into our hotel in District 1 around 4 am. We were scheduled for a boat tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels at 8:30am so with around 4 hours of sleep we woke up to find the city looking like this. Motorbikes rule the street with the occasional taxi and bus navigating through the wake.

Across the street a veranda makes me wish that my apartment in Seoul even vaguely resembled this scene.