Kimbap and Kimchi

Say what you want to about my new life here, but make sure you mention all the food! I feel as though many of my friends and most of my family members who have never been to Korea think that I live in a third-world country where I don't have access to basic necessities. I have to put that myth to rest and assure you all that Seoul is far from being a place that has little; it fact, it is a place that has everything!

It is true that many expats complain about the prices of most of the food in the grocery stores here because just about everything is imported. However, having base privileges allows me to purchase everything I need to cook my usual fabulous meals from this magical place called the commissary. The prices there are extremely reasonable and they carry imported and domestic items. So, if I want homemade lasagna like I did last week, I simply pick up the ingredients and fire up our easy-bake oven (appropriately named because it is the smallest oven I've ever had the pleasure of cooking in).

Recently, my interests have turned to chamchi (tuna) kimbap. This local delicacy is ideal at any time of the day. I often depend on it in the morning when I'm running from one class to the next. Many food vendors sell it right on the street...and yes, it's safe. Kimbap is also cheap and can be very tasty depending on what's in it. The roll is very similar to a Japanese maki roll and can contain a variety of ingredients including spinach, egg, tuna, ham, crab stick, pickled radish, and carrot. It's basically the Korean version of a breakfast burrito and for about a dollar, I can get one roll which will stave off hunger pains until just about lunch time. For an added treat, sometimes I bring a banana or drink a cup of coffee or red ginseng tea (another delicacy here which claims to cure cancer among other health benefits).

The only thing I have yet to get used to is kimchi. With the exception of a yummy kimchi pancake that the hubby introduced me to one night, I have not been able to get used to eating kimchi with every meal. According to the locals, it aids in digestion. Yeah, that's great! but I still know I'm eating spicy, fermented cabbage and nothing can stop me from tasting that. Perhaps one day it will grow on me.

Until then, kimbap yes! kimchi no!

Neo Seoul

Thing are changing rapidly here in Seoul...and I don't just mean the things in our area; although, that is a big part of what's changing. As with any big city, the vibe is anything but mellow and, if you're not careful, it's easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle. In just the past few weeks, I've started working, the weather has changed dramatically, and new places have popped up all around us.

I love working, probably more than the average person and I'm not ashamed to admit it. While some would complain about the schedule I'm currently on, which includes split shifts and alternating weekends, I'm thrilled to be teaching again and thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to work with like-minded adults who seem to genuinely enjoy being here as much as I do. My students are eager to learn as was made very evident last Thursday when I ended class a mere five minutes early to ask if they had any questions regarding the lesson. Instead of saying "no" and running from the room in utter exultation, they sat and asked me what I was doing over the weekend. Of course there's no way I would admit that my teaching homies and I were going out for beer and beef, but it was nice that they cared enough to ask considering they know that I'm relatively new here; and, of course they were speaking English!! which is the point of the class. I told them that I was going to try some Korean food and maybe visit a local art gallery, then asked them for other suggestions or recommendations. It was great!

Dinner and beer with the teaching homies was actually a scheduled welcome party for some of the other new hires and me. There was definitely lots of beer and more beef than I'll probably ever admit to eating or watching someone else eat. I think we all justified it by saying that it was the end of the week and the beef was wrapped in a leaf (the traditional way to eat Korean barbecue) so it made the whole thing acceptable. I managed to maintain my composure in spite of my exhaustion after having just left work a mere thirty minutes or so before we started eating and I excused myself at a relatively reasonable hour so that I could get in at least five hours of rest before working again on Saturday.

Needless to say, Saturday night and Sunday were a complete wash because I spent them totally comatose on the couch...like so knocked out that my husband had to carry me to bed (beef and beer will do that to a body). So, we were unable to enjoy the new fall temperatures. Fall in Seoul is apparently rather pleasant; not too cold, not too hot and most importantly, the humidity is gone (yay!). The evil mosquitoes have almost all died, but those that remain are straight kamikaze. Those evil, bloodsucking little devils must know that they're on their way out so they're going for it with gusto. Somehow, I managed to get six new bites on my face and neck about a week ago after I thought I could outsmart them by pulling my covers up as close to my eyeballs as I could without suffocating myself in my sleep. I lost. They won.

The cooler temperatures have also caused a few new businesses in the area to pop up and rush to be ready to open before it gets really cold. At the bottom of our hill alone, there is one new restaurant and another shop that barely has two functioning doors right now. The rest of the place is empty, but the workers are in there every day doing something else to get it ready. The hubby and I are taking bets as to what it will be. I think it's going to be some sort of gamer cafe, and while he's excited by the idea of that being true, he's not convinced. Considering how many coffee shops and convenience stores
there are concentrated on that one corner, I really hope it's not another one of those.

So far, my impression of Seoul is that it is constantly growing and creating it's own unique identity. It is definitely far different than any other place that I've ever lived. I don't think we could have picked a better country to live in for our first time living abroad. It's pretty easy to see why the army calls this "The Assignment of Choice;" there's always something new to see and do in Seoul.  

Seoul-less

Wow! what a vacation...I mean business trip. Due to government regulations, the company I will be working for here in South Korea sent me to Guam to obtain my teaching visa. For whatever reason, Korea has this thing about having to return to your country of origin if you're hired here and since Guam is the closest U.S. territory, I was forced to spend two days on the beach while they processed the paperwork for my visa at the Korean consulate. It was money and time well spent.

First of all, I had never even thought about going to Guam ever in life; not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't know anything about it. Now that I know, I plan to make that trip at least one more time. This adorable island reminded me a lot of Jamaica with its friendly people, warm weather, and relaxing atmosphere. The tranquility was a welcome change from the noise and congestion of Seoul. Lately, the sounds of the city have interrupted much needed sleep and the traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian, has caused a significant amount of angst and irritation.  

My trip started with a leisurely train ride to the Incheon airport, which much like the Blue Line in Chicago, takes you right beneath this massive, international hub, but unlike the Blue Line, is clean and safe. Upon checking in for my flight, the sweet and accommodating clerk at the Korean Air counter asked me if I wouldn't mind sitting in business class...uh duh, of course I don't mind getting bumped up from coach for free!

What a way to start my trip! First of all, I'm pretty sure I've never been on a plane that had an upstairs and, if it did, I definitely wasn't privileged enough to sit in the upstairs area. It is an understatement to say that it was truly a treat to experience this kind of luxury. Business class on Korean Air consists of seats that recline all the way flat to a bed for maximum comfort during the flight, wine, dinner, ice cream, and more. To make things even better, I was seated in an exit row, so I had even more leg room and the seat next to me was empty. The only down side to the flight was a gentleman behind me who decided to take his shoes off; needless to say, I smelled the issue before I saw it.

I arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning and settled in. What the hotel lacked in room aesthetics, it more than made up for in service and scenery. After sleeping for a few hours, I went downstairs to grab a bite to eat before heading to the Korean consulate. My complimentary breakfast was served in the hotel's only bar and grille, which was ideally located on the beach with a spectacular view of the private island just off shore, para-sailing, jet-skiing, and the evening crab races on the sand. Okay, so the crab races weren't exactly planned entertainment, but for me it's the little things that make a difference; and if Mother Nature saw fit to wake the little crabbies around dinner time so I had something to watch while I ate alone so I didn't feel so alone, then I took notice and was grateful.

Day two was much the same as day one in that there was sun, swimming, drinking and eating, but there was also the knowledge that this was my last day there. After spending the morning and early afternoon doing what I wanted to do, I made my way back to the consulate to pick up my passport with its shiny, new visa plastered inside. I was in and out and back at the bar for a late lunch (and margaritas) in no time. Apparently, margarita number two was slightly more potent than number one and I soon found myself asleep in my room (clearly I'm getting old and can't hold my liquor like I used to). I slept through dinner and spent the rest of the evening catching a few more episodes of SVU and CSI (totally appreciative of the opportunity to watch American television and not have to suffer through cheesy Korean commercials), checked out, and went back to the airport.

As I ended my Seoul-less days in paradise, I thought to myself, as cliche as it sounds, "home really is where the heart is and Seoul has really become home; and while I enjoyed my little vacation/business trip, it'll be nice to get back to my husband and my friends." Anyone can take issue with some of the not so great things about where they live, but there is definitely something in finding enough good there to miss it when you're gone. What's more, is the fact that the people here are what I missed most. Hopefully, the next time I go on such a wonderful adventure, I'll be able to take my heart(s) with me.

Earning My Seoul Patch: Part Dul (that's two in Korean!)

Our life here is almost complete. In the last couple of months, we've received our express shipment (which took a month to get here) and now the car! I successfully passed the driver's exam just in time to welcome the car to Korea and give it its first taste of Korean road. Of course with that comes Korean traffic; but, I digress. The last part of the puzzle is the "slow" shipment, which we knew would take at least two to three months to get here, and so it has.

While I was waiting for our stuff to catch up with my busy life here, I decided to get a few things done. And by a few things, I mean tons of paperwork. Nothing around here gets done without printed copies of orders, forms, powers of attorney, etc. Once you think you've filled out all the forms you need and think you have everything to do what you need to do, you sit, wait, and then fill out more forms. If I hadn't gotten used to signing my new last name before I got here, I've definitely gotten a ton of practice in by now. At this point, I just kind of make a game out of it in order to get through without pulling out my hair. It's becoming rather amusing to organize things into a perfect pile and then yell "BAM!!" and slam it down in front of the person requesting it as they ask for each piece; plus it keeps them awake. Other times, I wait until they shake their heads at me like something is missing and then I slowly pull the form out of my folder and say, "oh, oh, wait for it...wait for it...HA!! I've got that too. What else do you need?"

The most comical activity was actually trying to get my driver's license. The process included studying Korean road signs and rules of the road (all of which they break), working myself up over passing the exam, passing the exam and realizing that it w

as much easier than I thought it was going to be, and then laughing hysterically at the mandatory safety videos that followed. I suppose, in retrospect, the videos could have been useful for military personnel who are expected to drive large vehicles outside of the city or anyone who hasn't ever driven in a Michigan or Chicago winter, but this gal has seen and driven in just about everything. Bring it on!

I talk a big game right now, but the truth is that as soon as I picked up the car and hit the road, I made a beeline straight for post, gassed her up, and parked her. Truly, with the way I've seen both Koreans and Americans alike drive around here, I have no intentions of risking life, limb, and paid-off car by venturing off post. I'll just settle for being proud of myself for being legally allowed to drive around here and I'll anxiously await another major Korean holiday where the city looks like it's experiencing a mass exodus and the streets are nearly empty.

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.