A Day with a Korean Friend and Korean Food

Today, my Korean friend, Eva, invited me over to her apartment for lunch.  Not just any lunch, this was a completely vegetarian homemade traditional Korean meal.  There was denjang chigae (fermented bean paste soup), biji soup (this consists of the whey produced when making tofu, a.k.a. biji, and kimchi), and there was a rice noodle and vegetable dish that was once a special item only brought out for parties and company.  Then there were the ever present Korean side dishes.  There were four different types of seaweed, which were all surprisingly tasty.  I really enjoyed one large leafed variety in particular called mulmi-yug which is dipped in a spicy red sauce called cho-jang.  On top of that there was kimchi-jan (kimchi pancakes), homemade tofu, a kind of crunchy root, and a delicious kind of vegetable reminiscent of ginseng called Nang-i.  Tasting Nang-i is like biting into the earthy smell and taste of the forest.  It is very refreshing and pleasant.  And of course, there was rice to round out the table.  To drink, we had homemade corn tea, which had a wonderful aroma. 

After we ate our fill, we took a long bicycle ride down the bike path along the Oncheon river.  The weather was unseasonably warm, and everyone in the area was outside taking advantage of it.  There were people exercising on outdoor equipment lining the park area, people playing badminton and basketball, and people walking their canine companions.  It was exciting to be able to enjoy the weather outdoors in a park like setting for a change.  On a side note... I'm not sure why, but the phenomenon of adult bikes having wheels not much bigger than tricycle wheels seems to be popular here in Korea.  Eva's boyfriend's bike is one such model.  I wonder what is the advantage to such tiny wheels?

Once we made it back to the apartment, Eva made a dessert of ho-dduk (sweet Korean rice pancakes) filled with sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  She then proceeded to load me up with samples from the meal to take home, as well as some homemade kimchi and soy sauce.  I was really excited and appreciative of such a care package.  I'm sure the sight of a foreigner on the subway with parcels of traditional Korean food bewildered not a few onlookers. 

All in all, the day was delightful; my compliments to the chef/host.  For the first time, I actually enjoyed every item and side dish in a Korean meal!  Now I just have to find out if I can replicate them... 

Exercise, Winter, and Misc.

I just got done working out on my Wii Fit, a Christmas present from my grandmother.  I really enjoy working out with it, but sometimes it's hard to get myself motivated after a long day of work.  I've always been a fan of going to the gym first thing in the morning, but that's not an option here since I'd wake Erik up if I used the Wii before work.  There's no good gym near us, so that's not really an option either.  Situations like this really make me miss the convenience of my car.  I miss the days when I could just hop in my car and make a quick drive to the gym in the mornings. 

The Wii Fit is great; it's versatile and at times it can even be a bit cheeky.  I like that about it, but it really does expect a lot out of it's users.  It's an awesome tool to have at your finger tips.  Still, I miss being able to go outside and hike up the mountains, or go swimming at the beach.  I can't wait for the weather to warm up again; I'm feeling cabin-feverish in this shoebox of an apartment. 

I wrote down some blogs to put on here during my trip to Japan over Christmas.  I'll try to upload them soon.  Also, I have some stuff written about when I first came to Korea, I'll try to type those up as well.  Right now is intensive month at our school, which means extra classes.  The English concert is also coming up, so we're preparing for that as well.

Mostly I'm just trying to stay warm.

B-Boys and Green Smoothies

On Saturday, Erik and I went to see a hip hop dance performance with our friend, Lacie.  It was a good show, and it was also interesting to see Korea's own unique brand of hip hop.  There were definitely some dancers there who could bust a move.  One guy spun so much on his head that the wore a helmet; it was like watching the spins of an ice skater upside down.  You'd have to be so strong to pull off the windmills and spins that we saw; to be good at break dancing, you have to be dedicated. 

The music that some of the crews chose was interesting.  There was classical music, oldies, and even Brittney Spears, (and of course hip hop), but there was a lot less rap than I would have thought.  A big difference is that back home, if you're going to break dance or Step, your song has to have a base line.  Several songs at this performance had little or no base.  I would definitely say that many of the dancers had some real soul to their moves, but it was funny to see them attempt to imitate thug culture (at times in skinny jeans and ties).  All in all, it was an entertaining couple of hours, and a good time.  I'm glad I went; although I think it was more of an impromptu nap time for Erik.  :P

On a completely different note, Erik and I went Christmas shopping for each other (together) today.  We came away with some good stuff, and I was a good girl and wrapped everything and put it under the tree...except for one thing....a blender.  I just couldn't wait to make myself some green smoothies.  I'm going to try to have one for breakfast every morning.  For those of you who don't know, a green smoothie is a smoothie with the normal stuff like yogurt (if you're not vegan), fruit, and an equal amount of leafy greens like spinach, kale, etc.  They come out green colored, but tasting like fruit, and they are a great way to get leafy greens into your diet.  Yum!

Let it Snow!

This morning on the way to work, Erik and I discovered snow covering the cars.  Excited by the opportunity, I promptly grabbed some and lobbed a ball at Erik's back.  A perfect hit.  :)  This is definitely the earliest in the year that I've ever seen snow before.  I was surprised, especially since everyone's been telling me that it only snows once a year or so in Busan.  That's fine with me; I don't want to have to walk through it everyday on my way to work.  But who knows, maybe this winter will be the exception to the rule.  This summer certainly was.  It was supposed to be humid with little rain after the monsoon season, hot, and sunny; instead, it was hot and rather wet.  In China this winter, they're already having record snowfall, with collapsing buildings and all.  I know our winter won't be anything like that in Busan, but maybe there will be more snow than usual.  Only time will tell, but I could do with a few more snowball opportunities. :D

Persimmons, Boong-a-Bang, and a Christmas Tree

For the past month, I've been noticing people selling mass quantities of what I thought were tomatoes, until my coworker Ryan informed me that though they look like tomatoes, they are sweet like fruit.  I'd never heard of anything like that before, so I asked my students what they were called.  (We're studying a story about fruit at the moment, so it fit the discussion nicely.)  They told me they were called gam, and that I should put them in my refrigerator.  They also said that when ready to eat them, I should cut them in half and eat the fruit with a spoon, like a grapefruit.  Wandering through the produce isle of Home Plus today, I looked for gam, and was surprised to find "Persimmons" printed on the package.  Sure, I've heard of persimmons before, but I never saw or ate them in the States.  Maybe when I passed them in the supermarket, I mistook them for tomatoes.  At any rate, I bought a bag and tried some today.  I really enjoy them; they are lightly sweet with a good flavor and very filling.  I think I'll keep buying them while they're in season (until December).

Yesterday, I also tried my first authentic Korean boong-a-bong.  Boong-a-bong are bready/doughy pasteries filled with sweet red bean paste; they are sold in the shape of a fish (the boong-a fish, to be precise).  A nice warm snack on a cold winter's day.   In Dallas, I bought them in the frozen section of Super-H-Mart (a big Korean supermarket), and liked them.  But the hot, fresh authentic Korean version straight from the street vendor is so much better.  They are delicious, and I bought five for one dollar! 

This weekend I couldn't resist the urge to buy a Christmas tree.  And of course, once I got home I couldn't resist the urge to put it up.  I think I've started early this year to make up for the fact that I won't be seeing my family this Christmas.  I'll be making the holiday bright by overdoing it on Christmas songs, decorations, and baked goods.  :)  Our tree is simple: waste high, with red and gold ornaments (no lights), but I think it's got character, lol. 

Tomorrow, Erik and I will have been married for six months.  Time flies when you're having fun!  :)

Pepero Day!

Today is Pepero Day here in Korea.  Pepero is what in the States is known as Pocky.  People exchange pepero, because the date is 11/11, which looks like four sticks of pepero.  Remember on Valentine's Day in elementary school when everyone would exchange little valentines, and some would be tiny boxes of candy with the valentine printed on the side.  That's basically what happens on Pepero Day; you get lots of boxes of Pocky with a note written on the box.  It's only half way through the day, and I've already got six boxes and some jumbo sticks of it.  Yum!  I think I'll go try dipping some in my coffee...

The Comforts of Home

I love being in Korea; it's taught me a lot.  It's also given me a new found appreciation for the things unique to my home in the US.  Sometimes, I find myself fantasizing about spacious houses and hot apple pie, which is how my brain lets me know that I'm a little homesick.  I don't mind; it gives me something to look forward to at the end of the year:  hugging my family and friends, cuddling with my dog, wide-open spaces, green fields of grass, suburbs, the countryside, lack of censorship, ditching the crowded subway for my spacious car, clean air, having a full kitchen and an oven, finally being able to use the things I got at my wedding shower, being able to buy western food EVERYWHERE, a greater selection of vegetarian food, nearby coffee shops, sugar-free and low fat options, the list could go on forever...

I used to be one of those college kids that felt embarrassed to be from the US, and did nothing but complain about it's flaws.  While I'm still embarrassed about America's foreign policy, living so far away from home has taught me that it's just that: my home.  It might have flaws, but I'll never feel more comfortable than I do in America.  It's a pretty nice place to live, and when I go back, I'll spend more time enjoying it instead of griping about it.