Seoul Sista

I couldn't let last night's excursion go un-blogged about. It was the first time I ventured out with a new friend sans children. Now before you start feeling sorry for me, let me just say that the hubby and I have been out with an entire group of people, none of whom have kids and had a great time. We've been out for tacos, drinks, dancing at night clubs, and recently for Bulgarian food (which I highly recommend). Let me also say that I love kids, have only ever met one in my life that I didn't like at all, and hope to have my own soon, but there's something about being out without them and being in a place where there are none around that is truly special; in an odd way, it makes you feel like even more of a grown-up to know that they can't be there.

Anyway, my new buddy and I ventured out last night without the husbands for a little grown-woman time in the city. Initially, we were in search of inexpensive wine and maybe a little dinner. What we found was ridiculously overpriced wine by the bottle at restaurants we admittedly would only go to with our husbands for a really special night out. As we were walking rather quickly away from the expensive spots and over where we knew we could find what we were looking for, we both heard an undeniably familiar noise that neither of us had heard since we arrived A Wolf Whistle! 

Now, historically speaking, those things have gotten certain people into some extremely sticky situations but for whatever reason they are still relatively popular in the states. But after a month of being here and having never heard one from a single, solitary, Korean man, I assumed that I simply did not represent the version of beauty that is appreciated in that way, in this country. Honestly, I was content to go the entire two years here without ever hearing one considering how much it made me cringe when I heard it back home. 

We immediately commented to each other that this was a truly unusual occurrence that neither of us had experienced here and laughed rather heartily about it being from an unassuming, older Korean man. I definitely think it boosted our confidence as much as it caught us off guard. 

We continued on to our destination and found the perfect place for Korean food, wine, and my first taste of soju. I'm glad I found a new friend in my fellow Seoul Sista and glad we could share that experience together if for no other reason than we have a witness to say that it actually happened. 

The Kitchens of Seoul: Part 1

It occurred to me that in a blog with the word "kitchen" in the title, it's probably a good idea to focus on some of the food here. I definitely eat and on a day like today when it's raining so hard that all I want to do is stay inside and make warm, appetizing things that I may or may not actually eat (cooking is really more cathartic for me than anything) I've decided to share a little about what's available to eat when we're out and what I cook at home. I assume that this will be one of many posts about food, so I've dubbed it "Part 1" (fancy huh!).

Let me start by assuring those who are hesitant about travelling to a country like Korea that they truly have all the comforts of home...and then some. If I stepped out my front door right now (which I won't because, again, it's still raining *sigh*) I could walk just a short distance to a McDonald's, a KFC, a Burger King, a couple of Starbucks, and other familiar restaurants with very English names. Many places, like my beloved Holly's Coffee, which serves an excellent mushroom soup and warm scone combo meal, are chains that can be found just about anywhere in the city.

For something a little more interesting than that, there's a Chinese place, a couple of small Turkish restaurants, a Korean BBQ, Italian spots, and one of my new faves, Buddha's Belly which serves very yummy Thai food and has an amazing view of a city that doesn't really have a bad view unless you're in an alley or an underpass where the homeless sleep (like any big city, they have those too). We've gone out for tacos (pork belly, beef, chicken, and fish), pizza and beer, had corn dogs at a ballpark, etc.You don't really have to be too adventurous to eat at any of these places as the menus generally have pictures and English translations of everything in any dish you choose. Best of all, the service is usually fast and courteous.

Bulgolgi is one traditional Korean dish that comes highly recommended pretty much anywhere that serves it. It appears to be very popular with Americans who are just trying Korean food for the first time and is a good introduction to this type of food. It's kind of like trying a California roll first before you tackle more traditional sushi rolls and get totally freaked out that you're eating raw fish. Bugolgi is simply beef that is marinated in a sweet sauce and usually served with onions, green peppers, bean sprouts, and clear noodles, and is usually eaten over rice. With a jar of marinade and the right meat from the grocery store here, I was able to pretty much duplicate it at home and had no complaints from the hubby when I told him we were eating leftovers the following night.

Although I wanted to take formal Korean cooking classes while I was here, I was quickly told that they no longer offered the classes on post and my best bet was to Google Korean dishes and figure it out myself at home. I did just that and found a great YouTube video blog by an adorable Korean woman by the name of Seonkyoung Longest. I recently tried out her recipe for smoked salmon rolls and absolutely loved them. I'll try to make sure to post pictures and descriptions of future attempts.

Last night we had homemade chicken fried rice.

Tonight, I'm cooking at home (duh) and we're having chicken quesadillas!

Earning My Seoul Patch

Happy anniversary to me!! I have officially been in Seoul for one month today and I really feel as though I'm well on my way to earning what I've dubbed, my Seoul Patch. This fictitious achievement that I picture looking like one of my many Girl Scout badges, means a lot to me. One of the goals on my bucket list was to live in a foreign country for a year; and now I am only eleven more months away from reaching my goal.

But living in a different country is more than just about eating, sleeping, and pooping somewhere other than where you're from, it's about absorbing as much of the culture as you can while you have the opportunity to do it. I said from the beginning that I was going to get out and do and experience as much as I can and I'm well on my way to doing just that.

My adventures over the past week or so have taken me on a long walk past some fascinating museums that I fully intend to explore the insides of very soon, to the aquarium at the CoEx mall, and to the most interactive baseball game I've ever seen.

The walk that seemed it would never end began as a simple trial run for the interview that I had the next day. In typical "me" fashion, I got lost (if you didn't know, now you know, I'm completely directionally challenged). I grossly over-complicated some very simple directions and ended up walking around for about four hours--totally safe, great exercise, highly recommend doing it on purpose. I took being totally lost in stride by sight-seeing while I wandered. I accidentally found the agricultural museum, Samsung hospital, and the Seoul Museum of Art, and the Plaza hotel among other random things in the city hall area. They were setting up for something call the Hot Festival in one of the open greens, which I didn't stay around long enough to see to completion. Although I didn't realize it until I got home, I did actually walk by the building I needed to go to the next day.

The CoEx mall is something you just have to see to believe. For my Chicago friends and family who have never been here, imagine a mall and an aquarium inside of McCormick place. This place had everything from the usual stores, restaurants, and a movie theater (appropriately name the MegaBox) to a conference center and yes, the aquarium. I mention the aquarium one because the picture of the open fridge and front loading washer is actually a fish tank and two because I initially didn't really want to go into the aquarium. Due to the steep entrance fee of about $20 per person, I told my husband that we should just skip it. He ignored me, paid the fee, and walked in. I was pleasantly surprised to see some amazing fish, sharks, stingrays, and turtles, as well as other water mammals such as beavers and otters and of course, my favorite, the penguins.

We didn't see daylight until we walked out hours later after having watched Elysium and having eaten dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Needless to say, it was an awesome date with the hubby and a much needed break from the work he was doing and training that I was doing for my new job.

Finally, this past weekend, we went to an exciting baseball game between the Nexen Heroes and the Dosan Bears. I'll admit that the most exciting part of a baseball game for me has always been the beer and hotdogs but clearly, I've never been to a sporting event in Korea! There were cheerleaders, games for the fans, a mascot hurling baseballs into the stands, song, chants, and dances, and of course beer and corndogs on a stick!! I was on full ADD overload the entire game and we had a great time.

So maybe my Seoul Patch won't be just one patch but a series of patches I earn for completing different activities. I'm pretty sure I've earned my entertainment patch and I can't wait to see what's up next.

I Got Seoul but I'm not a Soldier

It is painfully obvious at all times that I'm very much a civilian. Off post, I suppose, it is not as noticeable even though I still don't exactly blend in. But upon walking through any gate and onto post, which I do just about daily, I am immediately faced with the realization that I'm very different. My wardrobe is generally a dead giveaway that I'm not exactly there to do any sort of work. Because of the heat, I'm limited to free-flowing dresses or tanks and capris on a rotating basis until the rest of my clothes arrive. As an American, it's rather ironic that instead of my things being on a slow boat from China, as they usually are when I order something online, they are on a slow boat from the United States. At any rate, I stick out like a sore thumb pretty much everywhere I go.

I've made a little bit of a routine of trying to get out of the apartment at least once every day. Considering the fact that we live on a pretty steep hill and I am nearly a puddle on the doorstep

by the time I reach our front door at the end of the day, leaving out again is kept to a minimum; love my place, hate the hill. I don't ever feel obligated to go onto post, but I often find myself there during peak travel times for some of the soldiers who are heading to work in the morning. Yesterday morning, I amused myself with thoughts of what each soldier on the post shuttle must think I'm doing that early without children or a husband around to give me a purpose for being up and at 'em. In my ripped jean capris, bright blue t-shirt, and gym shoes, I definitely clashed with the sea of green fatigues that filled the bus.

Nonetheless, I was alert--which was more than I could say for the poor, exhausted soldier next to me who tilted his head back, dropped his mouth open, and began to snore next to me--and off to a meeting with regarding employment. My original plans to start working in a Korean school teaching English had been delayed, so I took that as an opportunity to look into other things to keep myself busy. To my sleeping seatmate's dismay, my stop came quickly. I tapped him and excused myself, then waded through the sea of soldiers and off the cool bus into the hot sun.

The meeting went well, as did my off-post excursion following that to the Cat Cafe (a must for any cat lover in Seoul), and my subsequent interview later that day--an exception to my rule about climbing the hill twice in one day, as it was necessary to change out of my casual attire into something more suitable for an interview.

I'm pleased to report that the company I interviewed for did make an offer and I'm hoping to start working very soon. If there's one thing I can say for certain about myself, it's that when I really want something, I go after it full force and I'm not likely to let a few awkward glances in my direction deter me from getting it. In this case, I love being a teacher; I'm learning more and more that it's not just something that I do, it's really who I am and I enjoy every minute of it.

I may not be a soldier, but I've got heart and determination...and now I've got a job in Seoul!

Seoul Mates

I'm falling more in love with this place by the moment...and I say moment because I feel like each part of my days here is broken up into memorable moments in time. From one to the next, things change drastically sometimes to the point where I feel like there's almost too much to report. Therefore, I won't claim to cover all the exciting details, but I'll do my best to highlight the best moments.

Shortly after finishing my last post, my husband came home unexpectedly for an extremely brief break from the exercise. Anything I planned to do for the rest of the day was of course put on the back-burner so that I could spend time with him. It was great to just hang out and do nothing with him; and by nothing I mean it's still too hot to do much of anything other than look longingly at one another from opposite ends of the couch while we watched television. With a good night's sleep, some clean clothes, and a few goodies from me in his backpack, he left early the next morning. That was enough to hold me until he gets home at the end of the week and I considered myself fortunate to get just that little bit of time with him since not all of the guys were able to make it home even for a night.

Of course though, after spending time with him, it was slightly bittersweet to start having fun and exploring again without him. Yesterday was full of all sorts of excitement that I really wished I could have shared with the hubby. I went to the outdoor pool on post again with my new buddy (and fellow JAG wife) and her kids. It was the last weekend before school started, so we assumed it would be busy. We were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't, which was great; but, without the visual overload of having tons of people to look at and avoid tripping over, it left some time for me to think about how much fun my husband would have flipping off the diving board or racing me from one end of the pool to the other. Luckily, the pool doesn't officially close for the season until after this coming weekend, so we may get to enjoy it together at least once.

After a few hours at the pool, we went our separate ways to shower, change, and rest for our evening excursion. This was my first time on the subway in Seoul and I have to say I'm very impressed. It reminds me more of the shuttles in those large, fancy airports than it does the grimy filth of the CTA in Chicago; yet another reason to like and appreciate my new surroundings. Our fancy train ride took us to the Banpo bridge where we enjoyed an amazing light and water show (see pics, but Google it because my pics don't really do it justice) complete with end-of-the-season fireworks. Talk about visual overload! There were tons of people, illuminated boats on the river, fire twirlers, and food delivery people taking orders and delivering food right to where you sat! I was amazed and overwhelmed, and again wished I could have shared all of that with my husband. Clearly I wasn't the only one thinking that because even the kids said something about their daddy missing out on it too.

My new dates/mates are pretty darn awesome, but I'm sure even they would agree that there's nothing better than sharing those moments with the men that were missing from last night.

Heart and Seoul

I have to keep reminding myself how fortunate I am to be able to make this trip with my husband, which isn't hard after hearing the stories of separation from the other wives I've met. According to one wife, this is one of those posts that many husbands in JAG choose to take for a year without their wives; consequently, there are few of us around. However, that doesn't make me miss my husband any less.

It's no big secret around here that many of the soldiers are on a military exercise, which keeps them away and pretty busy. I can't complain much because I do still get to chat with him whenever he's free, but after being separated for two months while he was here and I was back in the states, I'm really yearning for some cuddle time and a chance to get into a normal, married couple routine of some sort.  

I keep myself busy most days with learning my way around, meeting people, and taking care of necessary tasks to settle in. Today was the first day I got the nudge from the hubby to venture to places off post. I have to say that it was on my agenda but the extra push was nice. Itaewon has a lot to offer and I'm planning to offer it something back very soon--I'll keep you posted on that. 

For now, I'm going to soak up all this culture and take the advice of a Korean gentleman I met today on post while waiting for the bus. As fate would have it, he used to be a professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He spoke slowly and very articulately about how he could tell that I was very new here and how he regret that I arrived at a time of year when the weather was so uncomfortable that I couldn't fully enjoy everything Seoul had to offer. 

Then, he assured me that if I waited just a little while, the Fall would come and I would have the opportunity to experience this country to the fullest capacity allowed by a "human existence". Finally, he told me that in order to fully and completely absorb the culture, I must learn to speak the language in order to interact with native Koreans the way he had learned English to absorb the culture in America while he was teaching at Calvin. I told him that I hoped to do so; to which he replied, "it is not a matter of hope, but a matter of determination." 

And so I'm off with a heart full of determination to explore more today and maybe get lost and maybe find my way in Seoul. 

Body in Seoul

At this point, I've been in Seoul, South Korea for almost two weeks and I can honestly say that I have no idea what Korea is like. Being an army wife has its benefits, but one of those benefits is having a close network of people and a huge army post that almost prevent you from experiencing what the culture in this bustling metropolis is really like. Now, I must admit that much of my time over the last two weeks was spent overcoming a sinus infection that I developed pretty much immediately after I arrived. For the sake of creating a story, I'll start with the creation of the sinus infection and move forward.

Seoul is HOT this time of year. Not hot like back in Chicago where they tell you to check on old people and make sure your dog gets lots of water for about a week and then everyone forgets about it, but hot like that on steroids...for the whole summer. I have not taken less than two, cold showers per day the entire time I've been here. As my friends and family know well, I rarely turn the air conditioner on and absolutely never sleep with it on. Here, that's not an option. The AC was on full-blast the first couple of nights I was here, and it wasn't long before I started feeling the effects of it that prevented me from using it in the past. I coughed and hocked up the most disgusting blobs of goop I'd ever seen come out of my body, and that's putting it nicely.

However, in an attempt to enjoy those few first days, I tried to ignore what my body was doing. I spent one day pretending like I wasn't sick, followed by a day of some rest, then a day of acting normal, and a subsequent day of trying to feel well. Finally, this past Monday night, I gave up and took some over-the-counter meds to speed things along. Well, the good news is that the meds worked; the bad news is that I lost an entire day popping pills and sleeping, which brings us to today.

After over a week of discomfort, I finally felt actual relief, went out, and had fun (without hacking up a lung). I can officially say I know how to take the post shuttle, I've been to probably the best pool on post, and I've been to the mall thanks to a new buddy and fellow army wife that I had the honor of introducing myself to after a series of text messages between our very busy
husbands and us. Together, I'm hoping to discover more of what this great city and its wonderful culture have to offer, and maybe make a few more friends in the process, so I'm not just a lonely body in Seoul.