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Thanksgiving

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:26:08 -0500

Just thinking about how I’ll miss eating all that delicious food.

I’m pumped to cook Thanksgiving dinner next year though. I plan to make things from scratch. Setting the bar high!

I don’t want anyone to bring anything. I want to provide all the food. I’ve missed the holidays that much!

Here’s a rough draft for the 2010 menu:

THE TURKEY

“Michigan Amish fresh turkey $3.49/lb. Raised on pasture at Hillcrest Farm by David Schmucker of the Amish community in Homer, Michigan. Artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are never used on the farm. No growth hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products are used in feed.”

Turkeys can be ordered through Arbor Farms: “Serving the Ann Arbor community since 1979, we offer local and organic produce; fresh Michigan grass-fed beef and organic lamb; Amish and organic chicken; natural pork and turkey; fresh seafood; gourmet deli; and breads and sweets from the area’s finest bakeries. The freshest produce, naturally-good grocery selection and our knowledgeable nutrition staff will keep you coming back!” http://www.arborfarms.com

I plan to brine the turkey (need to find the perfect recipe), and hopefully cook it in the conventional oven… Just have to figure out the logistics of cooking everything else. Clearly, we need two ovens!

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

SWEET POTATOES

I’ll be relying on the good ol’ family recipe… Hopefully with organic/local ingredients.

MASHED POTATOES

Cover 2 pounds whole russet or Yukon gold potatoes with cold salted water; simmer 45 minutes. Drain, peel and mash with 1/2 to 1 stick butter. Add 1 cup hot milk, and salt and pepper; mash until smooth and fluffy. I may add some garlic, too: Fry 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil until crisp; drain. Drizzle the oil into classic mashed potatoes, garnish with garlic pieces.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

This dish will only be eaten by myself, my mom, and Cory. No one else is going to touch it. But it will be delicious! http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=e17940ee0c90f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

STUFFING

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/moms-dressing-recipe/index.html

GRAVY

This is the best I’ve found so far: http://www.recipezaar.com/Kittencals-Easy-No-Fail-Make-Anytime-Turkey-Gravy-145064

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Might research this dish a little more, but this one looks yummy-even though I’ve never actually tried cranberry sauce…

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/basic-cranberry-sauce?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/cranberry-sauces-and-relishes#slide_9

DINNER ROLLS

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/12/moms-dinner-rolls.html

CORNBREAD

Still trying to find some good recipes. Might just have to test a few out before T-Day. This is the best recipe I’ve found so far. http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/recipes/No_Title_-_eatinginbl1030_box1.html

PUMPKIN PIE

Ignore the canned pumpkin puree in the background. I want to try making a pie from a real pumpkin! Check out this detailed link: http://www.pickyourown.org/pdfs/pumpkinpie.pdf

SWEET POTATO PIE

I’ve never had this pie, but I want to try it! Maybe I’ll make this one: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1938,147175-240199,00.html

All we have here is a small toaster oven, which we only recently purchased… I really miss cooking and baking, and the convenience of a big, American oven. :)

CAN YOU TELL I’M EXCITED AND READY TO COOK?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving in Asia, here’s Hello Kitty, wishing you a wonderful holiday.

Halloween Day at KDLP

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:51:46 -0500

For those of you who don’t know, or don’t remember, Cory and I were classmates in 2nd grade (until he moved to Ann Arbor a few months into the school year). We were classmates long enough to celebrate Halloween together in 1993, though we don’t remember each other.

We came to this realization when we started dating our senior year of high school. We found out (or maybe our moms found out) that we had both been in Mrs. Brunk’s class at Lincoln. Cory’s mom thought, “Wouldn’t it be funny if there was a picture of you two together?” Turns out there was! Cory’s mom found the photo below, and we’ve since made many copies of it - it even sat out at my high school grad party. Later, we watched some old home video footage of that fateful day, and my 2nd-grade-self was spotted on screen.

So apparently, this Halloween, Cory and I were channeling our former seven-year-old selves.

Here we are in the morning on Friday, October 30th, getting ready to greet the children (and snapping some photos of our own). Cory was a monster and I was a ballerina. Our co-workers were dressed as a Japanese schoolgirl and an anime fighter. :)

Here we are in second grade, October of 1993. I was an “old-fashioned schoolgirl” (I tended to, spur of the moment, make up random costume ideas that only I understood…), and Cory was a purple dinosaur (not to be mistaken for Barney).

Note the minute similarities:

I have my hair in a bun and came up with a costume using clothing from my closet (plus a skirt from a friend this year).

Cory is wearing a colorful, dorky, homemade costume (not his mom’s handiwork this time, but crafted by his own hands).

I guess we’ve come full circle.

Halloween Costume Progress...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:34:00 -0400

I know it’s exactly what you’re thinking…

WHAT IS IT?

Truthfully I don’t know. It’s called, “What can you make using only supplies at a Korean Kindergarten”. Kindergarten Supply Room Monster? Mutant Swamp Frog Monster?

I paper-mache-d my head this afternoon. I’m sure I’ll post pictures of the completed costume after Halloween…

(There you go, Sandy. No more Salami!)

Our first trip to Costco...Ever!!

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:47:27 -0400

Things we bought:

Salami. This was about 15 dollars. I splurged in celebration for paying off my loan! Cured, or dried meats, are my favorite. When I go back to being a more dedicated Vegan/Vegetarian, I will let it slide when it comes to Salami or Korean Barbeque.

Cheese.

Salsa

Sour Cream, split with Mike & Kait (our coworkers), who have the membership…

(NOT PICTURED) Pumpkin Pie, also split with M&K.

Mixed-use

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:13:00 -0400

Today, after work, we got off the subway, walked the five minutes to our apartment to we drop off our bags. Then we went downstairs to one of ten restaurants near the entrance of our building and ate dinner with our friend (delicious Galbi). Afterwards, I walked right next door to get my hair cut. Then, I went back upstairs to our apartment, and in the elevator I thought, I’m going to miss this…

I love Korea in so many ways (and hate it in others)…

Taiwan (Freshly Updated)

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:44:00 -0400

Cory: Ask anyone their hobbies, or what they’d like to do, and “traveling” always seems to be in their list of answers (especially here in Korea among a bunch of expats), and yes, I have said it, but truthfully I don’t know how much I really “love” it.

Traveling is weird. I’m still not sure if I have really warmed up to it. I’m shy, and hate to be a bother. Two qualities/weaknesses definitely not suited for a traveler. I can’t help but feel as if I’m disturbing the lives of those around me, as I traipse around their country with bulky camera in hand. I’m too embarrassed to butcher their language, and even more embarrassed when I have to use mine. I like to be quiet, and just rely on myself. I prefer to be a ghost. Which is why seeing ancient temples, small towns/villages, holy sites, or other places of intimacy makes me feel like the intruding anthropologist, or man-with-hot-dog-at-polar-bear-cage.

Our trip had ups and downs. The arc went a bit like this: Yeah, this is cool, I really like it here -> I’m kind of bored -> Oh, this place sucks, I’m ready to go back to Korea -> Oh, wow, this place is amazing!

Karen: I think the hardest part about traveling is the exhaustion - physically and mentally. I went from total excitement/amazement to practical depression in a span of like two days. I can’t help getting disappointed if something isn’t as I had hoped or expected. But I’m getting better about going with the flow, and everything does always work out. For me, I’m a planner and I like knowing that things are in order. And I can get moody. So for me, traveling can be hard (which also makes it hard for Cory). Each subsequent trip gets easier though. Taiwan has really only been our second traveling experience, and already it felt easier than our first trip, Malaysia.

We went into the Taiwan trip with zero expectations and we kind of forgot we were going, so we didn’t really prepare much. Compared to our trip to Malaysia when we got super pumped and had all these grand ideas about how it would be… Then we got there and there were a lot of disappointments. We learned anticipation can be better than the actual experience. This time, I think I felt more indifferent about the whole thing. We went, and now that we’re back, it’s like, “Well, we did it. Overall it was fun…” I have kind of a ‘take it or leave it’ feeling. Yeah, traveling is fun, but at the same time, it’s a lot of work. Maybe I would fare better with my own personal tour guide who can just show me what to eat and where to go.

We were lucky to know someone in Taiwan (Cory’s friend James from Grand Rapids). It’s really great going to a place where you know someone. Having James and his girlfriend Sarah show us around was really great. And seeing their house/neighborhood was awesome. We ate so many delicious foods that we never would have found otherwise. It’s really hard to just pick something to eat - you can’t read things, you don’t know the language, and most of the time there aren’t any pictures. It was nice seeing Taiwan with the help of people who have been there a while. It makes a big difference.

Time is another issue. One week is no time at all to get to know a country. I wish we had more time to really get to know the places we visit. It’s honestly been beyond amazing living in Korea, not only because it’s my birthplace, but because we can really see and experience the country. Ideally, a person should go live in a place for a year or so just to experience it, then move on to the next place of interest. But that’s not realistic for most people (myself included). I have a desire to “settle down,” have a real home base. I think my (and Cory’s) personality is more of a home-body/get to know the city in which you live/find your niche, as opposed to the adventurous world traveler. If I loved teaching, I would take English jobs all over the world… But there is a definite reason why I changed my major.

Despite my slightly ambivalent feelings and my personality clashes, I am enjoying having this time to travel. I recommend traveling to everyone! You can learn a lot about the world and a lot about yourself. There are more places I want to see (like Europe and even parts of the US and Canada)! I think we’ve almost had our fill of Asia. We’re ready to see another part of the world. Hopefully we’ll become more skilled at traveling and change ourselves in the process.

TAIPEI (Yeah this is cool, I really like it here… but now, I’m kind of bored):

Taipei in some ways is like a sub-tropical version of Seoul. Big, crowded and full of tons of things to see and do. We checked out a couple museums, did some shopping, and of course ate. The only really good thing I had to eat was a hakka soup, which featured, bits of pork, duck, cilantro and noodles in a french onion-like broth. I would eat this soup once a week if it existed in Seoul. (Karen didn’t like the soup very much, thought the broth was too greasy and not that flavorful…)

We also ate some bad food. Express sushi/japanese food, awful falafel, and weird “Mexican food”… Food only got better as the trip went on, but it was really difficult to find food in Taiwan, as everything good is written in Chinese (same as in Korea, except I can read Hangul).

As far as shopping goes, if you’re more in to “streetwear” or really “graphic-y” t-shirts, or just sort of slutty girls clothing, Taiwan is a bit more suitable for you when compared to Seoul. There were some cool things (I wish we had Muji, a japanese goods store) and a lot of the stationary seemed cuter (not necessarily better). I’m also extremely jealous of the few grocery stores we saw. Cheaper cheese, more western goods, and an abundance of cilantro…

We left Taipei with a good impression (better than Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia!), but we were a tiny bit bored. Karen was hoping for some good shopping (she even packed less clothing thinking she’d find some clothes there), but it wasn’t her style, so that got old really fast. We were left wondering what to do besides just wandering around.

From Taipei, we took the High Speed Train (HSR) down to Kenting, a small coastal town, with “great” beaches on the southern tip.

KENTING (Oh, this place sucks. A lot.):

First of all, there are so many stray, dirty dogs in Kenting with sad little faces. Karen wanted to buy some cheap street food and just give it to the dogs who were standing nearby. It looked like they were waiting in line like a customer, but they were just hoping someone would drop a scrap of food for them to eat.

In Taiwan, taxi drivers are like prostitutes. “Hey Big Boy, I’ll take you where you need to go. Come here. Where are you going? I can take you there! Cheaper. Bus too slow!” We were greeted by about five of them when we got off the HSR. Of course they don’t really say, “Hey Big Boy,” but they do come at you quite aggressively speaking Chinese. We tried to explain to them we were taking a bus. They wouldn’t have it though. They just kept talking and talking. We ended up surrounded by them at the bus stop, and another woman translated for them. She was going to Kenting too, and wanted to share a Taxi (she was kind of scared to go alone). The taxi was a bit cheaper, and a lot faster, so we decided it seemed like a good idea…

I’m not sure how fast he drove, but the websites said I should expect a 2 to 2 1/2 hour bus ride. We got there in an hour. He took us in to the lobby of what was apparently our hotel. I had no idea because it was written in Chinese. We paid him, and I timidly walk to the front desk, “is this, this?” I said, showing him the name of the hotel on my iPod. “Yeah.”

We booked a “Wood House,” the most expensive option at the hotel. The houses were separate from the hotel, and you had to walk down a small road to get there. We tried to stay positive as we walked down an ally where dogs roamed near some tiny houses. When we saw the “Wood House,” which was parked in a parking lot and looked like a prison trailer for conjugal visits, Karen got really disappointed. Ours was conveniently parked in front of a family’s home. It was a crappy room. The best part was, there were no towels, just disposable cloths, similar to a paper table cloth. And we could hear the family… It was like we were staying in a room in their house - kids yelling, dogs barking, scooters revving.

“Let’s check out the ocean…”

We walked for a good 10 minutes, and could never quite seem to make it to the ocean. We could see it through the tall grass, and wire fences, but we couldn’t figure out how to get down there. As we walked we passed charming 3-story hotels, with private balconies and new paint jobs. The owners stood out in front asking us if we needed a room. I wanted to go home, and do it all over again. Karen was obviously frustrated, and not happy with our situation. Neither was I, but what could we do. We just needed to find the ocean… We decided if we could do it over, we would just go to Kenting and walk around to find a hotel. Booking a hotel from home was hard because hotel info was in Chinese, so we just booked the best one we could find that had an English site. And we would have rented a scooter to explore more (find better beaches).

We couldn’t seem to find the beach, so we walked back to our hotel for directions. We discovered we just needed to walk a few minutes further in the direction we had been going. When we finally found it, garbage blocked the path of the small, rocky beach. A dirty stream emptied out into the ocean nearby. The water was gray and murky, and the waves were at least 12 feet high (the weather had been stormy). I really wanted to go home.

Our Kenting experience sucked. It rained off and on. We spent the second day in our new hotel room (we ditched the Wood House for a cheaper room inside the hotel) watching TV and sleeping.

On the day we left, in a random bus that I thought was the one we needed, it was sunny, and we passed a beautiful beach a little ways down the road. Nice calm blue water. Clean white sand. Screw you Kenting… We were severely disappointed.

We pulled into a bus stop 30 minutes later, and our driver went to get someone who spoke English. A woman jumped on and asked us where we were going:

“Umm, here.” I said, pointing at my iPod again. “I can’t read English.” I tried to pronounce it, “Zoying…Zooning, Zuonying…” “Oh, Zuoying.” she said in a way I don’t think I ever could (this was one of my other frustrations in Taiwan. Chinese is not pronounced as it looks in English.)

We sat in the bus stop for about 40 minutes and I started to write something for our blog:

“I do not like traveling. I find it stressful and tiring, or boring and wasteful. I cannot begin to comprehend how people enjoy spending months “exploring” Asia, or finding themselves in Europe. I get homesick on the plane ride to my destination, which happened on this trip to Taiwan…

Right now, Karen and I are sitting at a dirty bus station in Kenting, Taiwan. Chinese is blaring from the television and the older couple in front of us is arguing about keys… I think he wants to drive but she’s not letting him, perhaps he’s too high on betel nuts. There are a couple stray dogs scratching at fleas and Karen has her arms crossed and a sad/pissed look on her face. It’s my fault, I got us on the wrong bus, I hastily jumped on the first one I saw with the name of our destination to avoid the taxi drivers who kept harassing us with their red toothed smiles (from betel nuts). I tried speaking to the bus driver but my lack of Chinese skills got us nowhere. We stopped about 30 minutes later, after passing the beautiful beach we spent two days searching for, at this bus stop where a woman who could speak (but not read) English asked us where we were heading. After saying the name three times she understood me. Chinese is hard. We were on the wrong bus. Thank you kind woman for saving us…

So here we are in kenting. Tired, disappointed, and overwhelmed. This is exactly why I don’t like traveling. It’s too fast. Too much too soon.

Korea has been amazing. Somedays I feel like a Korean. I have pride for the country. In Taiwan the few times I’ve seen Hangul or something from Korea, I feel a little bit more comfortable and proud. I don’t think I’m a traveller more of a temporary settler… I’d like to live in dozens of countries, but have little interest in just passing through them for a week…”

So, we headed from Kenting to Tainan.

TAINAN (Oh, WOW, this place is amazing!):

Our first few hours in Tainan were spent fighting about where to go, and what to do. My friend James, from University, who we were staying with, was not off of work until 7pm, and we were there at 4pm. We tried walking around the department stores he suggested, but were far too tired, and annoyed with our whole situation. We sat in a food court. Karen bought a smoothie, and put headphones in. We weren’t talking.

A few hours later, James picked us up in a blue scooter with built on trailer. He took us to a nice restaurant for a delicious snack. We caught up, and I was relieved. Karen’s mood lifted too. We both knew it was going to be better from here on out. And it was.

James has lived in Taiwan for five years, can speak Chinese, and knows his neighborhood well. During our time in Tainan we ate amazing food, drove around in his scooter on crowded streets, rode bikes and saw interesting sights (temples, and that tree house we have so many pictures of). Their house/apartment was really nice.

I could go on, but I don’t really feel like it. I REALLY enjoyed our time in Tainan, and liked it much better than Taipei (James lived there for a two years, and said the food in Tainan is MUCH better). The food, the tea (!!), the company, the architecture. Everything was pretty perfect there, and I wished we would have just skipped Kenting altogether, maybe even Taipei.

I liked Taiwan, and I’m sure there will be times when I’ll miss it, as we sometimes miss Malaysia.

Enjoy the pictures!

For PHOTO DESCRIPTIONS, view the photos on our flickr account. It’s the Taiwan Set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cory-and-karen/

-C & K

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:50:00 -0400

KAREN’S NOTE: We browsed some antique shops in Seoul this past weekend and saw some great Korean furniture and stone sculptures. It was neat seeing Korean antiques, as I’m accustomed to browsing the interiors of antique shops in the Midwest. Even though we don’t need to purchase any such items (though some were really neat and the thought crossed my mind… How much would it cost to ship something home…) Anyway, it was a fun little adventure and I was proud of my Korean heritage. There were moments when I felt a twinge of sadness even… This is my culture, my background, and I know so little about it. I didn’t grow up here, I don’t have family members that I can inherit amazing Korean antiques from, or who can tell me about their lifetime here. I was just filled with emotion and pride for my heritage. There is so much beauty in Korean culture. I am so happy to be able to live in Korea, and I know I will miss it a lot!

Very Seuss-ical

WEIRD ADVERTISEMENTS FEATURING BABIES

“Baby, It’s so funny when you eat my toxic chemicals!”

What is wrong with this kids mouth. Weird photoshopping, maybe? Not his mouth?

I also realized I’ve never really photographed our neighborhood. This is the main street:

Glad they’re putting English to use…

Our street

I bought a new toy, the newspaper guy. Designed by Hong Konger, Bubi Au Yeung

-C

Cat Cafe

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:00:03 -0400

A month ago, we promised our co-worker’s daughter, Jian (who attends our school) that we would go with her to a cat cafe.

Cat cafes (and dog cafes) are pretty popular among Koreans. You go there and enjoy coffees, teas, and so on while cats roam freely. You can pet them, play with them, and just enjoy their company and cuteness.

Jian is ridiculously obsessed with cats. She wants to be a cat instead of a girl. She often crawls around the school meowing. So of course, we wanted to go with her to see some real cats.

Here’s me and Jian about to enter the cat cafe, named Gio Cat.

Me, Jian and her mom (Mrs. Kim).

There were lots of rules. We had to take off our shoes and wear slippers and sanitized our hands. You weren’t allowed to let the cats play with your drinking straws, you couldn’t mess with their tails, no flash photography (will apparently damage their eyes), you couldn’t pick them up (will cause too much stress), couldn’t press their tummies, couldn’t feed them outside food, and if they were sleeping, you weren’t supposed to wake them.

The cafe provided a roster of all their cats with pics, names, and descriptions.

I enjoyed an Ice Choco, Cory enjoyed a Carmel Macchiato.

There were a lot of fluffy, long haired cats.

There was a vague smell of litterbox (which I’m used to smelling at my parents’ house). Jian plugged her nose for the first ten minutes we were there.

There were some books and magazines about cats and caring for them.

Cory liked the illustrations.

Most of the cats were pretty snobby. They didn’t really want to be cuddled or petted. Most of the time they wandered around avoiding people. I’m sure they were sick of people touching them.

This fat cat could barely fit up there.

My favorite cat, a Bengal cat with a Marble patterned coat.

Another favorite. It was a Scottish Fold (they have floppy ears). Mrs. Kim wanted to take this cat home.

After cat cafe, we sang some songs at noraebang (singing room).

This is Jian pretending to be a kitten on my lap. I think she was pretty sleepy.

Overall, the cat cafe was and interesting experience. I wish the cats would have been more friendly, but I think they were just grumpy because so many people come to pet them. Part of me wishes we had a cat, but I just don’t want the responsibility of a pet (as precious as they are). Plus, we would risk not being able to bring it back to the states, it could get quarantined at the airport, and we would just have to part with it. Not worth it!

We enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Kim and Jian. I look forward to having kids and seeing what their obsessions are. Hanging out with Jian made me realize how different your life is once you have kids. Walking around takes a lot longer, and you have to cater so much to them. But really, Jian is well-behaved and sweet. It was a fun day.

Alphabets...

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:48:22 -0400

Since coming to Korea, and learning to read a new alphabet, I’ve developed an appreciation for different scripts. Korean, or Hangul, is a beautiful alphabet. Developed by the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, Sejong the Great, to make it easier to read and write. Before that Korea used Hanja (Chinese Characters) and everyone except educated males (who opposed the new script of course, “Hanja is the only way”) was illiterate. Just look at it, it’s beautiful.

Hangul (Korean)

Everything is in neat little boxes. It’s all very logical. If only the Korean language was as easy as its alphabet…

Some of my other favorites include:

Inuktitut (Inuit)

So simple, and clean, like white snow.

Lycian (Not used anymore, region of Turkey)

Katakana (One of 3 Japanese Scripts)

Something about Katakana, and Hiragana (another one of the Japanese scripts) makes everything look fun and exciting! クラッカー! (Crackers!)

Did I miss any?

Things I taught this week:

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:58:06 -0400

We’re teaching the kids about the world right now. Anything from culture, to geography, to wildlife, to the games children play. It’s fun, hard-work, and slightly absurd. This week, Europe (each week’s a different continent), I taught:

Monday The Brothers Grimm (Germany) - We watched some fairy tales on you tube and discussed them.

Tuesday Irish Castles - We looked at pictures of castles in Ireland, and talked about what castles were like (cold and dark) and discussed whether or not we’d want to live in one (consensus: yes). Then, we built Lego castles.

Wednesday The Legend of Count Dracula (Romania) - Students took a short quiz about Count Dracula. I showed them pictures of monster versions of Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, and Dracula’s (Vlad’s) Castle. Then we drew pictures of Dracula.

Thursday Aesop’s Fables (Greece) - We watched a short fable, then I explained who Aesop was, where he lived, and what a fable is. Then we watched a “Aesop and Son” (Remember, from Rocky & Bullwinkle) and talked about that. This was probably the hardest lesson.

Friday Hans Christian Andersen (Denmark) - Where he’s from, and what he wrote. For the 7 year olds I let them write short fairy tales/fables. For 6 year olds, we read Thumbelina, then filled out a worksheet about Characters and Setting. With 5 year olds, we read Thumbelina, and then I had them predict the ending. We finished it, then watched, “The Ugly Duckling”.

It seems strange/absurd to be teaching this stuff to Kindergartners. I remember learning letters, shapes, and colors. Our kids are learning about Pompeii (Karen’s lesson) and how a volcano wiped out a huge number of people. This is AP Kindergarten. And yes, the kids are understanding! In a second language!

Next week, Asia!

Love,
Cory

P.S. If you’re curious, my lesson about the U.S. was about diversity. We played, “Are they American?” There was one lively discussion in one class between three boys and how they would never be friends with someone from India… Most kids thought it was good though to be friends with everyone…

Each weekend I dream of a Michigan fall, and wish Summer and Winter passed as quickly as the...

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:53:50 -0400

Each weekend I dream of a Michigan fall, and wish Summer and Winter passed as quickly as the falling leaves and melting snow.

Photo

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:07:27 -0400

A New Desk Brings A New Arrangement

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:04:10 -0400

We found a new desk in the trash on Sunday. It’s pretty perfect.

We arranged our apartment, and it feels a little bit “homier”… though we still need a couple lamps.

I hate our couch, it wouldn’t be bad if it had that missing arm. It just looks awkward to me.

A lamp needs to go in that right corner

Our Return to the Jungle / It's hot right now / Reflections

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:05:34 -0400

I can hear the cicada’s through the glass of our windows. The air is as thick as a greenhouse, and it smells like the inside of an iguana’s aquarium. It’s 93 degrees outside. Our apartment smells the same as the day we moved in, and I can’t help but feel some of the same nervousness, and homesickness as when we arrived a year ago. Yet, it feels like “home”, strangely.

For a year I talked endlessly about “home”. I dreamt of the food I was going to eat. Thought about how it would feel again to sit at the same intersections, and see the same strip malls I’d grown up seeing. Well, it came and went, and truthfully, it didn’t feel that different. The first morning I woke up, in Karen’s bedroom, it felt like no time had passed. It felt as if I had just had the longest most vivid dream of my life, full of elaborate details, tastes, smells, and sounds. We were back were we started.

As we drove down the same streets where we used to drive, I noticed that very little had changed. Sure, a lot had gone out of business, but most was the exact same. Even the one empty space at the food court in Grandville’s Rivertown Crossings was still vacant.

I thought going away for a year would give me a fresh perspective. I figured I would experience some sort of culture shock returning home. I wasn’t sure if I could hold back, “Kamsamnida” as I left a restaurant. I could. Things felt the same. The only overwhelming moment, what could be deemed as culture shock, was walking into a Whole Foods the day we arrived. There was so much delicious food, so many things I had longed for while grocery shopping in Korea. It all quickly passed. Meijer felt like the same old Meijer I grew up visiting (though the amount of Organic food, and snacks has increased).

The only thing I noticed, the change within my perspective, is that the U.S. is HUGE, and EMPTY. There is so much space everywhere! So few cars on the road! Where are the people at? And Malls! There is room to run in most stores, which is very different from the small boxes we cram ourselves in while looking at clothes in Korea. I’d be lying if I said, I didn’t enjoy the space, but after a while, I missed the crowded sidewalks, and busy subways. I couldn’t help but wonder why, on our way to Indiana, do Americans need so much space and privacy? Why do we choose to live out in the middle of nowhere? Then again, that is not to say all of the U.S. is like this. My experiences are based on suburban/country living with the metropolis of Seoul. I have just been won over by city living, which is something my 17 year old self, who declared, “I hate cities” would find surprising.

By far the most disappointing thing during our visit was my complete lack of appetite. Other than our first meal from the Whole Foods hot bar, a falafel sandwich that brought a smile to my face, and a meal cooked by my Mom, and a few others, most meals failed to live up to my expectations. I felt nauseous most of the time we were home. I had diarrhea numerous times (Too much information?). Stupid jet lag. I will just have to wait until next year.

Am I glad to be back in Korea? Yes. Am I sad to be back in Korea? Yes. I already miss our families and friends a lot. However, when I envisioned the life we would have lived if we’d chose not to come to Korea, I’m glad we’re here. We have a job. A good job. We have a bit of adventure. What I truly wish is that all of you would come here. I want to take you to a Noraebang at 2 am. I want us to all go eat Galbi together. I want to meet you somewhere in Seoul, and we’ll take a busy bus to a busy shopping street. Come. Please.

While we were home (U.S.) I caught myself telling Karen, “when we get home (Korea)…” And this is the problem: we’re stuck between two countries, both of which we call home, but only when we’re not in the other. We either have two homes, or are homeless.

It feels good to be back though. Our first lunch back here: Kimchi Bokkumbap, with Chamchi Kimbap was incredibly comforting. Tonight we’re meeting up with our co-workers, Kait and Mike for Dak Galbi. I look forward to seeing them, as well as our other friends, and, of course, our students. I missed Korea, and do not regret signing up for another year in the slightest.

I am serious though. Come to Korea. We’ll show you around. And, if you could, bring Whole Foods. And that cool summer you’re having…

Love, Cory

What's wrong with me...

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:21:00 -0400

We’re back in the States now (longer post, as more things sink in, and we have time to reflect)…

I will say though, that right now, on the third day of our trip, I’m craving Korean food. Which I think is because our last meal was so good. We finally tried the Galbi (Beef Ribs) place below our building. The Kimchi there was some of the best I’ve ever had. You simmer it in a little silver tin over the charcoal, and that sour taste mixed with the sweet of the meat was…and we got this other thing, which was basically kimchi bokkumbap, except you cooked it also in a tin over the charcoal, it was…

I want some kimchi bokkumbap right now…

Sky Full of Dragonflies

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:58:43 -0400

Again. The Sixth Time...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:36:28 -0400

I’m sick again. It feels like the exact same thing. Running nose, watering eyes, bit of a sore throat, stuffy sinuses… a cold. This is the sixth time I’ve had this in Korea. The irony this time is I have seen, or been near, a child in 5 days.

-C

OCD Cleanliness

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:40:47 -0400

Due to our school closing because of swine flu - and the need to create ridiculous busy work - we had to sanitize every toy in the entire school with a mixture of bleach and water. It was honestly a bit over-the-top, but I think the teachers did it because we still have to come to work and have nothing else to do.

The process consisted of this: 1. Carry every toy from all five classrooms outside 2. Set up two washing stations armed with tubs of water/bleach mixture and also clean water 3. Put on rubber gloves and get to work

My co-worker Kait and I were in charge of one of the washing stations and some of the Korean teachers were in charge of the other. Our standards were vastly different from the Koreans. Kait was manning the bleach water tub and I was manning the clean water tubs. Toys were dumped in the bleach water, and Kait just swirled and shook them around for a few seconds, then I dipped them in clean water.

The Korean teachers put the toys in the bleach water and then sat scrubbing each and every toy with a brush or sponge before rinsing them in the clean water. We kept telling them it was unnecessary to scrub the toys, but they kept right on doing it. Each to their own…

The whole process of cleaning the toys was master-minded by the Korean teachers. If it were up to us (foreigners) we would have just dunked toys in bleach water, spread them out on the ground and hosed them off and left them to dry. The Korean teachers said the process HAD to go like this: Scrub the toys with bleach water, rinse with clean water TWO times, then HOSE the toys a final time. Then let them dry. They argued that the bleach mixture was too toxic, so we had to thoroughly rinse.

We were like, okay, if the bleach mix is THAT toxic, then why do you think you have to scrub so hard? If it’s that toxic, just touching the toy to the bleach water will do the trick. Haha. It was frustrating at the time, but looking back, it’s pretty funny.

Oh, and then to top it off, one of the teachers decided we HAD to bleach all the frickin sandbox toys. Yeah…… We only did half and everyone decided that was just plain stupid. Just hose the dumb toys and call it good! Made me seriously consider never buying my children toys. Or just never cleaning them.

We’ve been cleaning for two work days. Glad we’re doing some manual labor. Honestly, it is nice having a break from the kids, but management seems to just be making up jobs for us so we have to keep coming in. Anyway, next week is our last week before coming to the States for vacation!!

YAY!

Making Progress: 52% / 50%

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:58:00 -0400

A while back I found a list, 100 Korean Foods You Gotta Try. I, of course, wanted to try everything. I just checked, and I’m at 52%:

1. Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)
2. Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
3. Bulgogi (Grilled Marinated Beef)
4. BulDalk (Burn-your-pants-off Spicy Grilled Chicken)
5. DalkBal (Spicy Chicken Feet)
6. Korean Fried Chicken
7. Dalk Galbi (Stir-fried Marinated Chicken and Veggies)
8. San Nakji, chopped (Semi-live Baby Octopus)
9. San Nakji, whole (Live Octopus)
10. Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)
11. Juk (Rice Porridge)
12. Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs)
13. Galbitang (Short Rib Soup)
14. Shinseollo (Fancy Hot Pot)
15. Gobchang Gui (Grilled Beef Intestines)
16. Seng Gan (Raw Beef Liver)
17. Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs)
18. Bossam (Steamed Marinated Pork with Lettuce Wraps)
19. Japchae (Clear Noodles Stir-fried with Pork and Vegetables)
20. Jaeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Pork)
21. Kimchi Jjim (Braised Kimchi with Tofu)
22. Ddong Jip (Chicken Gizzards)
23. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles)
24. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries)
25. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs)
26. Hongeo (Fermented Skate)
27. Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly Smothered in Red Pepper Paste)
28. Lotteria’s Shrimp Burger
29. Sae-u Kang (Shrimp Flavored “Fries”)
30. Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Bean Paste Stew)
31. Cheonggukjang (Stinky Fermented Bean Paste Stew)
32. Boshintang (Dog Soup)
33. Seonji Haejangguk (Hangover Stew with Clotted Cow Blood)
34. Ddeokbokki (Chewy Rice Cakes in Spicy Sauce) 35. YukHui (Korea’s Steak Tartare)
36. MiyeokGuk (Seaweed Soup)
37. Mae-eunTang (Spicy Fish Soup)
38. Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Baby Octopus)
39. Mareun Ojingeo (Dried Cuttlefish)
40. Beondaeggi (Silkworm Larvae)
41. Golbaenggi (Sea Snails)
42. Jangeo Gui (Grilled Eel)
43. Jaratang (Turtle Soup)
44. Bog-eo (Blowfish)
45. Sae-u Sogeum Gui (Salt Grilled Shrimp)
46. Deodeok Root
47. Bindae Ddeok (Mung Bean Pancake)
48. Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake)
49. Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables)
50. Boribap (Mixed Barley Rice and Vegetables)
51. Jjim Dalk (Braised Chicken)
52. Patbingsu (Shaved Ice and Red Bean Treat)
53. Dotorimok (Acorn Jelly)
54. Naengmyeon (Chilled Noodles)
55. Makkoli/Dongdongju (Rice Beer)
56. Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine)
57. Soju (Rice Whiskey)
58. Andong Soju (Strong Rice Whiskey from the Andong Region)
59. Jogae Gui (Grilled Shellfish)
60. Haepari (Jellyfish)
61. Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg)
62. Corn Ice Cream
63. Dolsot Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables in a Sizzling Stone Pot)
64. Mandu (Stuffed Dumplings)
65. Ddeokguk (Chewy Rice Cake Soup)
66. Songpyeon (Stuffed Chewy Rice Cakes)
67. Hot Bar (Fried Fish Batter Street Food)
68. Shikhye (Sweet Rice Punch)
69. Any product with Green Tea in it
70. Gujeolpan (Nine-sectioned Dish)
71. Yogurt Soju Cocktail
72. Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi)
73. Any Kimchi that’s over 3 years old
74. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi)
75. Shake-’em-up Dosirak
76. Mul Kimchi (Water Kimchi)
77. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
78. Ggakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi)
79. Sae-u Jeot (Salted Tiny Shrimp)
80. Myeongran Jeot (Salted Pollack Roe)
81. Changran Jeot (Salted Pollack Guts)
82. Ssamjang (Mixed Soybean and Pepper Paste)
83. Kalguksu (Hand-cut Noodle Soup)
84. Ramyeon (Ramen Noodles) in a Tin Pot
85. Entire Hui Meal (Korean style Sashimi)
86. Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls)
87. Jokbal (Pigs Feet)
88. Sundae (Blood and Noodle Sausage)
89. Yeot (Traditional Korean Candy)
90. Naengi (Shepherd’s Purse)
91. Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
92. Budae Jjigae (”Army Base” Stew, traditionally including hot dogs and Spam)
93. Agu Jjim (Stewed Monkfish)
94. Haemultang (Seafood Soup)
95. Nurungji (Hot Water Mixed with Rice Scrapings in a Stone Pot)
96. Sujebi (Rustic Dumpling Soup)
97. Janchi Guksu (Thin Noodles in a Seaweed Broth with Condiments)
98. BungeoBbang (Goldfish-shaped Stuffed Pastry)
99. Raw Ginseng or anything with Ginseng in it
100. MulHui (Chilled Sashimi Soup)

I have a lot of seafood to eat still…

Here is my progress with the Omnivore’s 100, I’m at 50%:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (My Grandma hit a pheasant with her car, and cooked it for dinner)
76. Baijiu or shaojiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Every now and then are apartment announces things over the loud...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:39:00 -0400

Every now and then are apartment announces things over the loud speaker in our apartment. I always wonder what they’re trying to tell us. Is North Korea attacking? Is the Elevator out? Are they spraying for roaches? We really don’t know.

Enjoy the mystery, unless you speak Korean, then let me know what they’re saying. All I recognize is Kaeran, but that’s “egg,” which wouldn’t make much sense, unless someone is selling, or lost, eggs.

My Korean is pretty much limited to basic greetings, and food. I know my food.

-C