been a while.. too long in fact
ok so let me start by telling you about this very odd person who crossed my path a few weeks ago. i was waiting for the bus on a sunday minding my own business when this little rotund asian man walks up to me and in fairly fluent english starts asking me stupid questions like where i'm from whats my name etc etc. this is not totally unormal, fairly often in fact koreans will approach me and ask these types of questions to practice their english. it's kind of fun and i always oblige. they're just so nice its hard not to. anyway, right off the bat this guy gives me a real weird vibe like maybe he's a little retarded. he shakes my hand about 30 times in the first 4 seconds of the conversation like he hasn't talked to another human being in 20 years. i say the term "shakes my hand" quite loosely because his handshake is more like an extention of his unusually small pudgy hand which requires the other person do all the gripping and shaking. it's really kind of gross, immediatly i resolve to shake this persons hand as least often as possible.
thank God finally my bus arrives after about a minute of the most akward conversation in the universe. to my dismay this portly little fellow follows me onto my bus and sits by me like we're all of a sudden friends going to spend the day together. he's dressed nice in a suit-sweater-vest ensemble but something about him is off.. he says he's a computer-engineer and grew up in chicago but talks very quickly and i understand only about 20 percent of what he's saying. his forehead is beading with sweat - i am grossed out and wishing the bus seats were wider and spaced farther apart. FINALLY my stop comes up and he gets off right behind me. i say, "hey bud nice meetin ya, gotta jet this way" i point up and sort of behind me indicating a direction neither left nor right but away from him "take care now" he sticks his hand out and says something to the effect of lets get coffee or something and i pat him on the shoulder and turn on my heels to flee to the nearest handwashing station.
i was hoping this would be the end of stephen or johnny or whatever he called himself
so TODAY... i wake up early and thinking about how much i love mornings, sausage egg mcmuffins, and how rarely i get to see them so i decide to put on some of whatevers laying on the floor and head to MickyD's. I see my bus driving away as I approach the bus stop so I think, OK no problem, time to get a coffee then. Starbucks happens to be right there and i'm happy about how perfectly located this starbucks is, i can wait inside with my coffee out of the cold morning air and hop outside just as my bus is pulling up. with this thought in mind I go for the enterance and stride head on into the glass door. ITS CLOSED!! i check my watch - 8:15.. "is it shut down?" i wonder, "remodel? surely its not too early...." it doesn't OPEN UNTIL 10 AM!! and there's LOADS of foot traffic here too... this surely is the most bizarre thing i've come across so far in the time i've been in korea... starbucks not open til 10??
anyway, i wait for the bus with no coffee in the cold. by the time i'm eating my egg mcmuffin i've totally forgot about it all anyway. and mcdonalds coffee really isnt too bad, it's at least nice and strong. so i make it back to my neighborhood and think, "ok now i'll get my coffee" i just started a new book, theres a great view from the window where i can sit and read and enjoy myself. as i walk up the stairs i see a figure that looks familar in an unsettling way.. i ignore the apparition and carry on with ordering my beverage. while i wait i casually look over to scope out where might make for the best sittin and readin when this stupid pudgy face starts smiling and waiving... "oh no..." i think.. my heart sinks, it's that stephen or johnny guy from several weeks ago... "shit." the only reason i came in here and paid 5 bucks for this coffee was so i could sit and read undirsturbed. he approaches me and goes for the handshake, "hey bud" i say and tap him on his fat little shoulder. he blah blah's for a while in the mean time i'm thinking about how this guy should be in an episode of seinfeld, not here, not now! please! he wants to get beers or coffee sometime but has no paper to write his number on, "here here" he says, "i'll buy you present" he buys me a chocolate chip cookie and uses the receipt to write his number on. i KNOW the the cookie is clean but still probably wont eat it. he gives it to me, i shrug, "heh.. thanks.. gotta go..." i say. no where else to go i wander home, here... wondering where lies my new quiet coffee and book sanctuary
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Saturday 14 March 2009
much prettier as a butterfly
This is beondaegi. aka silkworm pupae. high in protein. they taste like hazelnuts. three or four was enough for me. they're served just like this in a little dish, like peanuts would be, as something to munch on before food arrives. they look like something that came out of metroid.
my new favorite drink is chai latte
new favorite food is potato chips
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Humpday and the shoes
I heard a little korean kid say something about hump day a few wednesdays ago. A term myself had not heard of until I was about 20.
However, if i was in school of some form or another 15 hours a day you can bet i would know the feeling of relief that comes along with wednesday being over. They call it parallel education. going to public school for 8 hours then spending another 8 hours in math, english, korean, music, etc academies. This is a very thorny issue. The spectrum is wide and the passion is high. I agree with both ends.
on one end people argue that kids need their free time. The brain needs time to relax and wander, nurturing a state of wonder, especially for children. Also when students spend so much time in class they shut down mentally and the learning curve becomes exponentially higher. i strongly agree with this but i also strongly agree with me having a job.
The OTHER end of the spectrum, which i also tend to agree with, was explained to me by my boss who put it more eloquently than I am about. korea doesn't have too much as far as natural resources. (they do export a lot of electronics and cars but only because they've been assembled with imported materials.) the korean people are seen as a resource. That is why education is so highly valued and competative. Because they don't produce the worlds supply of corn, or oil, or steel, they make up for it by producing the worlds smartest people. they are also very well dressed which leads me too....
from what i can tell the only students who wear uniforms are high schoolers. but i could be wrong. if you didn't know when winter break was over it became immediatly clear when suddenly everyone that was wearing a hoodie and blue jeans is now wearing a suit and tie or a skirt and tie if you're a girl.
The thing i really notice, but didnt notice i noticed at first was the shoes they wear. The uniform guidlines are pretty strict but they don't seem to have any say on what kind or color of shoe you wear. anything from white nike air force ones to pink converse all-stars. these kids only form of self expression is worn on their feet. It's pretty interesting to notice and now i silently get a kick, no pun intended, out of seeing all the different shoes move about underneath the sea of gray, black, and blue, uniforms.
However, if i was in school of some form or another 15 hours a day you can bet i would know the feeling of relief that comes along with wednesday being over. They call it parallel education. going to public school for 8 hours then spending another 8 hours in math, english, korean, music, etc academies. This is a very thorny issue. The spectrum is wide and the passion is high. I agree with both ends.
on one end people argue that kids need their free time. The brain needs time to relax and wander, nurturing a state of wonder, especially for children. Also when students spend so much time in class they shut down mentally and the learning curve becomes exponentially higher. i strongly agree with this but i also strongly agree with me having a job.
The OTHER end of the spectrum, which i also tend to agree with, was explained to me by my boss who put it more eloquently than I am about. korea doesn't have too much as far as natural resources. (they do export a lot of electronics and cars but only because they've been assembled with imported materials.) the korean people are seen as a resource. That is why education is so highly valued and competative. Because they don't produce the worlds supply of corn, or oil, or steel, they make up for it by producing the worlds smartest people. they are also very well dressed which leads me too....
from what i can tell the only students who wear uniforms are high schoolers. but i could be wrong. if you didn't know when winter break was over it became immediatly clear when suddenly everyone that was wearing a hoodie and blue jeans is now wearing a suit and tie or a skirt and tie if you're a girl.
The thing i really notice, but didnt notice i noticed at first was the shoes they wear. The uniform guidlines are pretty strict but they don't seem to have any say on what kind or color of shoe you wear. anything from white nike air force ones to pink converse all-stars. these kids only form of self expression is worn on their feet. It's pretty interesting to notice and now i silently get a kick, no pun intended, out of seeing all the different shoes move about underneath the sea of gray, black, and blue, uniforms.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
dinner and a movie with me myself and i
Finished my book today durring a break at work over a scoop of some ice cream i couldn't read what it was called. chocolaty malt ball surprise i would guess. the bad guy didn't get what he deserved but the good guys got what they wanted and all lived happily ever after. then I saw watchmen. I'll have to see it again because A. it was darn good and B. i was 20 minutes late and had to get up once to pee
the reason i was late
"restaurant street" or whatever everyone calls it has this place we go to once in a while for grilled sam gyup sal. i had a hankering for the curry option which is quite delicious. I wonder if theres anywhere like it back home? it's not quite possible to enjoy a meal you have to cook yourself in under 30 minutes, with drinks. They also serve coke out of glass bottles. one side the label says, Coca-Cola classic the other side says the same thing only in Korean.
At the same slow rate I've been learning to read hangul i've been discovering new things. "no-rie-b-ong" OHH! that's a kareoke place! or, "ss-ah-n-ah" OH!! that's a sauna! the best so far was being able to order the "K-uh-d-ee" (curry) sam-gyup-sal YUM!
the reason i was late
"restaurant street" or whatever everyone calls it has this place we go to once in a while for grilled sam gyup sal. i had a hankering for the curry option which is quite delicious. I wonder if theres anywhere like it back home? it's not quite possible to enjoy a meal you have to cook yourself in under 30 minutes, with drinks. They also serve coke out of glass bottles. one side the label says, Coca-Cola classic the other side says the same thing only in Korean.
At the same slow rate I've been learning to read hangul i've been discovering new things. "no-rie-b-ong" OHH! that's a kareoke place! or, "ss-ah-n-ah" OH!! that's a sauna! the best so far was being able to order the "K-uh-d-ee" (curry) sam-gyup-sal YUM!
Monday 2 March 2009
The Korea Times
I've been buying The Korea Times whenever I can find one in english. Because I walk by about 16 convenience stores on my way to work (ok really its about 4 but still it's a lot considering my walk takes about 6 minutes) I periodically check in to see if there is a paper in english for sale.
they must only get one a day because i've never seen more than one and usually theres none, so i have to pounce on the first one i see. if its not in the first store i'll just pit stop in on the next one and work my way down the line until i find one. except the "buy the way" on the corner they always charge me 1000 won even though it clearly says 700 on the front of the paper i digress
the crosswords are rediculously hard... these are no LA times monday crosswords, they're for some serious brainiacs. they remain general knowledge but more of an international saavy general knowledge. in other words, attempting the crosswords makes me feel like a dumb american. (the red white and blue kind no offense canada or mexico) unfortunately there is no sudoku for me to default to. not so much because i particularly enjoy sudoku, but being able to at least do a sudoku somewhat softens the intellectual ego blow that comes with not even being able to guess at a single clue in the crossword.
theres also garfeild, doonsburry which usually sucks but when its good its good, foxtrot, some sort of political cartoon which is hit or miss depending on the news, and then of course theres way too much space dedicated to "confused in connecticut" or whoever-it-is-this-time who can't muster the cojones to tell their mother-in-law how they really feel. i usually read dear abby anyway. at least the first one. it's like family circus - despite the fact that everyone hates family circus it remains a macabre circle of newspaper real estate. as if under some spell your eyes look to that little circle and before you can divert your glance you've read it!! why?!?!
anyway, here is the link to the korea times
the korea times
here are some articles that i thought were funny, interesting, or at least worth sharing
expensive fish cakes lead to violence
pretty funny if you ask me. these fish cake tents are on a lot of corners. we call it "street meat" they're really not that bad. its a spongy "cake" made of fish i'm assuming, folded up and skewered on a long wooden skewer. there are bunches of them soaking in large vats of broth usually one spicy one not with the "handle" sticking out waiting for a passerby to grab and eat.
sort of like this
-/\/\/\/\-----------
who knows when the broth was made. theres almost always some sort of potsticker, or spicy rice things, or tempura style vegetables as well. you just walk up to the tent and start grabbing and eating then when you're done eating you pay. it's really cheap. i mean REALLY cheap.
i think the best part of the whole article is at the end when it blames the whole incident on "the economic slump" way to hop on the bandwagon with that one!
4 foreigners busted for drug use
they are DANCERS from SPAIN.... again... DANCERS from SPAIN.... i had to check on this one to make sure i didnt accidently follow a link to an article for the onion. lol
US watching NK missile move closely
the us is watching closely. south koreans are not so much. the s. koreans ive talked are more interested in what color sprinkles are on their donuts than what NK is supposedly doing. its a case of the boy (kim jong il) who cried wolf. the SK's i've talked to do not take NK claims seriously for a couple reasons. first, they seriously doubt the cababilities of NK being able to launch a tin can into space let alone a "satelite" whether it be a satelite or missile or whatever. if they are being honest when they claim they're launching a "satelite" it's to boost the self esteem of the NK people who presumably have very low morale. second, SK's don't believe they're really going to launch anything because given the current state of affairs in the world claiming to launch anything, (possibly nuclear) while remaining shrowded in secrecy is like many people have said, "a bargaining chip" for a country that basically has nothing else to bargain with. in other words its a monumental inferiority complex.
in short - its been fun reading the newspaper over here the new perspective and broader scope of the world outside of america has been refreshing.
they must only get one a day because i've never seen more than one and usually theres none, so i have to pounce on the first one i see. if its not in the first store i'll just pit stop in on the next one and work my way down the line until i find one. except the "buy the way" on the corner they always charge me 1000 won even though it clearly says 700 on the front of the paper i digress
the crosswords are rediculously hard... these are no LA times monday crosswords, they're for some serious brainiacs. they remain general knowledge but more of an international saavy general knowledge. in other words, attempting the crosswords makes me feel like a dumb american. (the red white and blue kind no offense canada or mexico) unfortunately there is no sudoku for me to default to. not so much because i particularly enjoy sudoku, but being able to at least do a sudoku somewhat softens the intellectual ego blow that comes with not even being able to guess at a single clue in the crossword.
theres also garfeild, doonsburry which usually sucks but when its good its good, foxtrot, some sort of political cartoon which is hit or miss depending on the news, and then of course theres way too much space dedicated to "confused in connecticut" or whoever-it-is-this-time who can't muster the cojones to tell their mother-in-law how they really feel. i usually read dear abby anyway. at least the first one. it's like family circus - despite the fact that everyone hates family circus it remains a macabre circle of newspaper real estate. as if under some spell your eyes look to that little circle and before you can divert your glance you've read it!! why?!?!
anyway, here is the link to the korea times
the korea times
here are some articles that i thought were funny, interesting, or at least worth sharing
expensive fish cakes lead to violence
pretty funny if you ask me. these fish cake tents are on a lot of corners. we call it "street meat" they're really not that bad. its a spongy "cake" made of fish i'm assuming, folded up and skewered on a long wooden skewer. there are bunches of them soaking in large vats of broth usually one spicy one not with the "handle" sticking out waiting for a passerby to grab and eat.
sort of like this
-/\/\/\/\-----------
who knows when the broth was made. theres almost always some sort of potsticker, or spicy rice things, or tempura style vegetables as well. you just walk up to the tent and start grabbing and eating then when you're done eating you pay. it's really cheap. i mean REALLY cheap.
i think the best part of the whole article is at the end when it blames the whole incident on "the economic slump" way to hop on the bandwagon with that one!
4 foreigners busted for drug use
they are DANCERS from SPAIN.... again... DANCERS from SPAIN.... i had to check on this one to make sure i didnt accidently follow a link to an article for the onion. lol
US watching NK missile move closely
the us is watching closely. south koreans are not so much. the s. koreans ive talked are more interested in what color sprinkles are on their donuts than what NK is supposedly doing. its a case of the boy (kim jong il) who cried wolf. the SK's i've talked to do not take NK claims seriously for a couple reasons. first, they seriously doubt the cababilities of NK being able to launch a tin can into space let alone a "satelite" whether it be a satelite or missile or whatever. if they are being honest when they claim they're launching a "satelite" it's to boost the self esteem of the NK people who presumably have very low morale. second, SK's don't believe they're really going to launch anything because given the current state of affairs in the world claiming to launch anything, (possibly nuclear) while remaining shrowded in secrecy is like many people have said, "a bargaining chip" for a country that basically has nothing else to bargain with. in other words its a monumental inferiority complex.
in short - its been fun reading the newspaper over here the new perspective and broader scope of the world outside of america has been refreshing.
Friday 27 February 2009
Bean Paste
this is my first blog - i don't know why but i had been riding the fence for a long time on whether or not to start a blog and finally this particular instance has pushed over the edge. Maybe it's because it's something i want to share but don't necessarily want to email every one i know about it, and facebook just isnt the appropriate medium for blogging. also, there have been a lot of FAQ's and lately i've been doing e-mail marathons which get to be a chore, not that writing to friends and family is a chore i love it, but the redundancy of answering the same questions was getting rediculous. maybe eventually i'll make a blog entry that is strictly FAQ's.
i'm sure everyone has noticed that i dont capitalize anything either, if this bothers you too bad. its an annoying habbit i developed in high school thanks to aol instant messenger.
ok so anyway, bean paste... its all over the place in korea, and i'm pretty sure in china and japan too. its used as a condiment, like dipping sauce sometimes. but there is also this form of bean paste that is kind of chalky and really quite flavorless but it's used to fill a lot of pastries. so, imagine a fried dumpling with a sweet donut like dough but filled with this red kind of chalky bean paste thats sort of thick and there are little peices of bean skins in there that you feel are probably sticking themselves to the front of your teeth.
anyway, koreans are crazy about this stuff. sweets aren't really a big deal here, and this stuff is a little sweet maybe thats why they love it, or they're just so used to it. i think westerners are grossed out by it because it comes across as an attempt at healthy sweet. we want real sweet, like feel the sugar grit crunch between your teeth sweet not extracted from nature sweet. for example in elementary school they would have chocolate cake for dessert but they would bake zuchinni in it or something to make it healthy sweet so really it came out as a trainwreck of flavors and textures inside your mouth.
so... i'm at work the other day, and this sickness bug has been going around the office needless to say i'm not feeling super hot let alone feeling like eating strange food. i'm sitting there at my desk when i hear a korean teacher from behind, who happens to know that i'm all about trying new foods. just not these last couple days. i hear this, "eben, want to try some traditional korean food" my heart sinks, the fact that its korean food i know it will probably be something i've either never had, or something i'm not really used to eating especially with a ear/nose/throat melee of congestion. (its probably not campbells chicken noodle soup) and then theres the clencher, the word i dreaded, "traditional" this means i KNOW it's going to be extra unusual and probably more disagreeable. i look back over my shoulder with a worried look on my face. "uh... sure" i say... and step up to the plate
she's holding a tin foil tray filled with rather large dumpling looking things, "oh great" i think, "this sucker's going to take at least 3 bites to finish off" i grab one and pull it from the tray but it is very sticky and sticking to the tray, and the other dumplings. it feels really gooey, she tells me its made out of rice... "they make taffy out of rice?" i think.. its asia, of course they do. "well, at least it's covered in powdered sugar" i tell myself as i take the first bite, making sure its a huge bite because subsequent bites are only going to be more difficult. Quickly i realize that powdered sugar was flour. gross, and the dumpling is filled with lots and lots of bean paste, gross. so i chew and chew and chew... it tastes like i'm chewing a huge wad of raw dough. the korean teacher looks at me, "oh these are so good, you no like? many westerners dont like texture we love it ^_^" "MMmmMmmM" i mumble and sort of give a thumbs up while chewing.. finally i just decide its time to swallow and down it goes, then i realize today was the wrong day to wear black slacks. they are covered in flour. this is awesome. i try to wipe it off only to realize my fingers are covered in flower and now i'm just making a mess... one more bite down the hatch. i reach for my bottle of water...
eventually i finish it, get my pants cleaned up and go about my day. would i do that again? probably not, was i glad i did? of course. i think part of being in another culture, and representing your own country, is showing a respect for those around you. At least being willing to try something, more importantly something traditional and enjoyed by the people shows that you really are interested in their culture and way of life. Especially a country like Korea. I read somewhere korea has learned to survive in the middle of such large economies as china, japan, and the u.s. by literally curling into a ball and getting kicked around. they are an important country but don't always get treated like such. if you do find yourself in korea, make an effort to get to know the people and the culture. it can be as simple as asking about a holiday, or how to read/pronounce something and it will really go along way for your experience with them and their experience with you.
i'm sure everyone has noticed that i dont capitalize anything either, if this bothers you too bad. its an annoying habbit i developed in high school thanks to aol instant messenger.
ok so anyway, bean paste... its all over the place in korea, and i'm pretty sure in china and japan too. its used as a condiment, like dipping sauce sometimes. but there is also this form of bean paste that is kind of chalky and really quite flavorless but it's used to fill a lot of pastries. so, imagine a fried dumpling with a sweet donut like dough but filled with this red kind of chalky bean paste thats sort of thick and there are little peices of bean skins in there that you feel are probably sticking themselves to the front of your teeth.
anyway, koreans are crazy about this stuff. sweets aren't really a big deal here, and this stuff is a little sweet maybe thats why they love it, or they're just so used to it. i think westerners are grossed out by it because it comes across as an attempt at healthy sweet. we want real sweet, like feel the sugar grit crunch between your teeth sweet not extracted from nature sweet. for example in elementary school they would have chocolate cake for dessert but they would bake zuchinni in it or something to make it healthy sweet so really it came out as a trainwreck of flavors and textures inside your mouth.
so... i'm at work the other day, and this sickness bug has been going around the office needless to say i'm not feeling super hot let alone feeling like eating strange food. i'm sitting there at my desk when i hear a korean teacher from behind, who happens to know that i'm all about trying new foods. just not these last couple days. i hear this, "eben, want to try some traditional korean food" my heart sinks, the fact that its korean food i know it will probably be something i've either never had, or something i'm not really used to eating especially with a ear/nose/throat melee of congestion. (its probably not campbells chicken noodle soup) and then theres the clencher, the word i dreaded, "traditional" this means i KNOW it's going to be extra unusual and probably more disagreeable. i look back over my shoulder with a worried look on my face. "uh... sure" i say... and step up to the plate
she's holding a tin foil tray filled with rather large dumpling looking things, "oh great" i think, "this sucker's going to take at least 3 bites to finish off" i grab one and pull it from the tray but it is very sticky and sticking to the tray, and the other dumplings. it feels really gooey, she tells me its made out of rice... "they make taffy out of rice?" i think.. its asia, of course they do. "well, at least it's covered in powdered sugar" i tell myself as i take the first bite, making sure its a huge bite because subsequent bites are only going to be more difficult. Quickly i realize that powdered sugar was flour. gross, and the dumpling is filled with lots and lots of bean paste, gross. so i chew and chew and chew... it tastes like i'm chewing a huge wad of raw dough. the korean teacher looks at me, "oh these are so good, you no like? many westerners dont like texture we love it ^_^" "MMmmMmmM" i mumble and sort of give a thumbs up while chewing.. finally i just decide its time to swallow and down it goes, then i realize today was the wrong day to wear black slacks. they are covered in flour. this is awesome. i try to wipe it off only to realize my fingers are covered in flower and now i'm just making a mess... one more bite down the hatch. i reach for my bottle of water...
eventually i finish it, get my pants cleaned up and go about my day. would i do that again? probably not, was i glad i did? of course. i think part of being in another culture, and representing your own country, is showing a respect for those around you. At least being willing to try something, more importantly something traditional and enjoyed by the people shows that you really are interested in their culture and way of life. Especially a country like Korea. I read somewhere korea has learned to survive in the middle of such large economies as china, japan, and the u.s. by literally curling into a ball and getting kicked around. they are an important country but don't always get treated like such. if you do find yourself in korea, make an effort to get to know the people and the culture. it can be as simple as asking about a holiday, or how to read/pronounce something and it will really go along way for your experience with them and their experience with you.
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