Here are 11 goals/things I want to do in the upcoming year:
1. Have an adventure while backpacking through Vietnam.
2. See the US Coast Guard Band play in Taiwan.
3. Check out the view of Victoria Harbor from above.
4. Explore the many rice paddies and temples on Bali.
5. Get certified to scuba dive in the Gili Islands.
6. Play with orangutans in Sumatra.
7. Ride a camel into the desert (and sleep under the stars) in Rajasthan.
8. Trek in the Himalayas.
9. Appreciate the beauty of the Taj Mahal.
10. Relax on the beaches of Goa.
11. Finally go to the Christmas Markets in Germany!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
Gwangju Christmas Party
One of the hardest things about living abroad for an extended period of time is missing family and friends, especially during the holiday season. I'm so lucky and blessed to have a wonderful group of friends in Gwangju that have really become my family in so many ways during the last year and a half.
Christmas Eve, me and about 25 of my closest friends in Gwangju got together downtown at German Bar for a potluck Christmas dinner. Everyone chipped in some money or food, and had an amazing time! We even had special place settings and decorations!
We had two turkeys, cooked by Steve and Rupert at Steve's school's kitchen (with the help of some of his students!), stuffing, gravy, rolls, green beans, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, wild rice salad, veggie tray, lettuce salad, carrot and ginger soup, cheese ball, sliced cheese, jello, ice cream, doughnuts, and banoffee pie. I'm not sure if I'm missing anything, there was so much selection!
Here I am with two of the best turkey-cookers I know!
I brought the cheese ball!
Song, the owner of German bar, has always been gracious to us (rock night, poker run, and bake sales), and we were so thankful that everyone was able to gather there without any problems. Andrew gave him a present for all he's done for us.
We also had a secret Santa gift exchange, which Rupert did a great job of organizing and emceeing. Some of the presents were really thoughtful (slippers, scarves, tea, coffee, clothes, toys, liquor, etc), while others were a "last minute" idea (ie: random items from Mini Stop!)
In the end, everyone was just glad to be around friends and to have had such a great meal. I think everyone would love to do it again sometime soon!
Christmas Eve, me and about 25 of my closest friends in Gwangju got together downtown at German Bar for a potluck Christmas dinner. Everyone chipped in some money or food, and had an amazing time! We even had special place settings and decorations!
We had two turkeys, cooked by Steve and Rupert at Steve's school's kitchen (with the help of some of his students!), stuffing, gravy, rolls, green beans, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, wild rice salad, veggie tray, lettuce salad, carrot and ginger soup, cheese ball, sliced cheese, jello, ice cream, doughnuts, and banoffee pie. I'm not sure if I'm missing anything, there was so much selection!
Here I am with two of the best turkey-cookers I know!
I brought the cheese ball!
Song, the owner of German bar, has always been gracious to us (rock night, poker run, and bake sales), and we were so thankful that everyone was able to gather there without any problems. Andrew gave him a present for all he's done for us.
We also had a secret Santa gift exchange, which Rupert did a great job of organizing and emceeing. Some of the presents were really thoughtful (slippers, scarves, tea, coffee, clothes, toys, liquor, etc), while others were a "last minute" idea (ie: random items from Mini Stop!)
In the end, everyone was just glad to be around friends and to have had such a great meal. I think everyone would love to do it again sometime soon!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Boshintang (Otherwise known as dog soup)
Last night I did something illegal. I went out with 5 other friends (Kenny, Matt, Steve, Emily, and Miguel) to a restaurant in Pungam-dong to try boshintang soup. It was my first time, along with Steve, Emily, and Miguel. Gaegogi (dog meat) is illegal to serve in Korea, but I read an article not long ago that estimated there are around 3,000 restaurants in Korea still serving it. Back in 1998, there were as many as 20,000 I won't get into any animal rights or treatment of the dogs, because thats just sad. I do know that nowdays there are not beaten to death in Korea, as they still are in other parts of the world. There is a specific breed of dog raised for this purpose, called Nureongi, so it's not as if we're eating random strays off the street, or cute fluffy pet dogs. Nureongi dogs are not normally kept as pets, according to Wikipedia.
We were really nervous, because we had no idea what to expect. We had to get some beer and soju before hand to help it all go down.
Here's what the soup looked like when it first came out:
Here's the first bite!
It didn't taste quite as bad as it looks like it does. The broth wasn't bad, it tasted similar to other Korean broths I've had before. Then there were some onions and vegetables, which I ate. There were some unknown chunks of something that honestly looked like skin... but it may have just been a tendon or fat. I don't really want to think about that! As for the meat itself, it wasn't horrible. It's more of a mental hurdle you have to get over. If it wasn't in the soup, it would taste greasy, gamey, and fatty. However, when you took a bit of broth, rice, onion, and meat in one bite, it wasn't the worse thing in the world.
Kenny did the best out of all of us finishing the soup, but didn't do it entirely. The rest of us had about a third, and filled up on the kimchi and rice. Including the drinks, the total for each of us was 10,000 won, or about $9. Not a bad meal cost wise, but I'm pretty positive it will be the last time I have boshintang!
We were really nervous, because we had no idea what to expect. We had to get some beer and soju before hand to help it all go down.
Here's what the soup looked like when it first came out:
Here's the first bite!
It didn't taste quite as bad as it looks like it does. The broth wasn't bad, it tasted similar to other Korean broths I've had before. Then there were some onions and vegetables, which I ate. There were some unknown chunks of something that honestly looked like skin... but it may have just been a tendon or fat. I don't really want to think about that! As for the meat itself, it wasn't horrible. It's more of a mental hurdle you have to get over. If it wasn't in the soup, it would taste greasy, gamey, and fatty. However, when you took a bit of broth, rice, onion, and meat in one bite, it wasn't the worse thing in the world.
Kenny did the best out of all of us finishing the soup, but didn't do it entirely. The rest of us had about a third, and filled up on the kimchi and rice. Including the drinks, the total for each of us was 10,000 won, or about $9. Not a bad meal cost wise, but I'm pretty positive it will be the last time I have boshintang!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Seoul Getaway
A few weekends ago, Kenny and I went up to Seoul for our 6th month anniversary. I hadn't really been out of Gwangju since I'd come back in August, so I really felt the need to get out!
We just went up for Saturday night, but we seemed to do so much in the short amount of time that it felt longer than it actually was. We did lots of fun things, but I think our favorite was going out to dinner at "Between" in Itaewon, and going to "All That Jazz," also in Itaewon.
"Between" is a relatively new restaurant on the main drag in Itaewon. They're known for their wide variety of Tapas and bar selections. We had no problem getting a seat in the non-smoking section, even though it was busy. It was much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside!
We poured over the extensive tapas menu for a while before we decided. We chose the set menu, assuming it was a "couples set." Unfortunately it wasn't (but for the price, it should have been! 55,000 won!). However, we looovveed every dish they brought us!
We had a total of 6 courses, and started with the appetizer- raw beef, lettuce, fresh Parmesan, olive oil, and some nuts:
Our second course, the tapas, we selected seared scallops wrapped in bacon. They were my favorite!
Third course was a spicy seafood pasta:
Fourth course was our meat dish- so good! Roasted duck with a orange glaze, garlic mashed potatoes, and cooked apples.
Fifth and sixth courses was desert (creme brule) and tea (mango). All this food was washed down with a nice Canadian IPA, Alley Cat. Even though the food was delish, we weren't completely full, but that made getting the late night Kebab from the street vendors all the better!
Here are some more shots of the restaurant:
We just went up for Saturday night, but we seemed to do so much in the short amount of time that it felt longer than it actually was. We did lots of fun things, but I think our favorite was going out to dinner at "Between" in Itaewon, and going to "All That Jazz," also in Itaewon.
"Between" is a relatively new restaurant on the main drag in Itaewon. They're known for their wide variety of Tapas and bar selections. We had no problem getting a seat in the non-smoking section, even though it was busy. It was much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside!
We poured over the extensive tapas menu for a while before we decided. We chose the set menu, assuming it was a "couples set." Unfortunately it wasn't (but for the price, it should have been! 55,000 won!). However, we looovveed every dish they brought us!
We had a total of 6 courses, and started with the appetizer- raw beef, lettuce, fresh Parmesan, olive oil, and some nuts:
Our second course, the tapas, we selected seared scallops wrapped in bacon. They were my favorite!
Third course was a spicy seafood pasta:
Fourth course was our meat dish- so good! Roasted duck with a orange glaze, garlic mashed potatoes, and cooked apples.
Fifth and sixth courses was desert (creme brule) and tea (mango). All this food was washed down with a nice Canadian IPA, Alley Cat. Even though the food was delish, we weren't completely full, but that made getting the late night Kebab from the street vendors all the better!
Here are some more shots of the restaurant:
How a 7th grader can Save The Earth~ Unit 10
Dear Principal (Mr. Hyeok Seun Kim),
We can do a lot to save the Earth! There are many kinds of pollution: water, air, ground, and noisy. We can save Earth. We should use less water and recycle bottle, paper, plastic, cans and turn off the lights, TV, fan... but some of students think teachers waste many thing. Why teachers say, "Student turn off heater!~" Oh... my God!! Because of teacher, we waste many things. Students are cold. Please give our mercy! I want to turn on the heather. We are very cold. Please one more time say, teachers save Earth too.
(Korean blah blah blah 400,000won blah blah Korean)
Please teathers! Save Energy!!!!
Sincerely, Kim Chi Hun
We can do a lot to save the Earth! There are many kinds of pollution: water, air, ground, and noisy. We can save Earth. We should use less water and recycle bottle, paper, plastic, cans and turn off the lights, TV, fan... but some of students think teachers waste many thing. Why teachers say, "Student turn off heater!~" Oh... my God!! Because of teacher, we waste many things. Students are cold. Please give our mercy! I want to turn on the heather. We are very cold. Please one more time say, teachers save Earth too.
(Korean blah blah blah 400,000won blah blah Korean)
Please teathers! Save Energy!!!!
Sincerely, Kim Chi Hun
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Dakgalbi (닭갈비)
After hiking on the 7th, Kenny and I ate at Chonnam Back Gate, one of our favorite places to eat. The area is packed with a variety of "traditional Korean restaurants," as well as having some Italian restaurants, cafe's, and even a Mexican restaurant.
One of the best things to get there is the 닭갈비 (Dakgalbi). It's a cheap dish, and very filling, especially when split between only two people! We were starving from the hike, so it was exactly what we needed.
Dakgalbi is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish with a lot of intense flavors. The waitress will bring out a large pan and put it on the table in front of you. It will look something like this:
On the bottom is sliced cabbage and on the top is the chicken, onion, ddeok (rice cake), and spicy sauce (usually a mix of gochujang, red peppers, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and sugar). You cook this by swirling it in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. This way, the chicken is cooked, but the cabbage still has a bit of crunch in it. You cook it until it's bubbling away and looks like this:
As you can see, it made a ton of food. However, we were still hungry, and opted to the get Bokumbap (fried rice) for an additional 1,500 Won. After that, we could barely move! If you're ever looking to get a big meal on a small budget, dakgalbi is definitely the way to go (if you like spicy foods)!!
One of the best things to get there is the 닭갈비 (Dakgalbi). It's a cheap dish, and very filling, especially when split between only two people! We were starving from the hike, so it was exactly what we needed.
Dakgalbi is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish with a lot of intense flavors. The waitress will bring out a large pan and put it on the table in front of you. It will look something like this:
On the bottom is sliced cabbage and on the top is the chicken, onion, ddeok (rice cake), and spicy sauce (usually a mix of gochujang, red peppers, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and sugar). You cook this by swirling it in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. This way, the chicken is cooked, but the cabbage still has a bit of crunch in it. You cook it until it's bubbling away and looks like this:
As you can see, it made a ton of food. However, we were still hungry, and opted to the get Bokumbap (fried rice) for an additional 1,500 Won. After that, we could barely move! If you're ever looking to get a big meal on a small budget, dakgalbi is definitely the way to go (if you like spicy foods)!!
Hiking in November
Last Sunday, Kenny and I went for a hike behind Chonnam National University. It was such a pretty hike, and a lot less crowded than hiking up Mudeungsan! We didn't know where exactly to begin hiking because the number 6 bus dropped us off at Home Plus, a short distance from the mountain. So we just started walking up behind some apartments in the area. We had no problems though, and the hiking was relatively easy, especially since I wasn't even wearing tennis shoes.
It took about an hour to get to the peak, where we enjoyed our snacks (apples and peanuts). The trees were so beautiful, different shades of red, yellow, green, and brown; I wish I could say the same about the view.
It's always hard to tell in Korea if you're seeing pollution, haze, fog, or what exactly the white "stuff" in the sky is. I've heard mixed things, the Koreans always say it's just moisture, but most foreigners know that it's gotta be a mix of pollution and clouds, because it's always there.
Here's some of the pictures. If only it was clearer, you'd be able to see almost the entire city!
It took about an hour to get to the peak, where we enjoyed our snacks (apples and peanuts). The trees were so beautiful, different shades of red, yellow, green, and brown; I wish I could say the same about the view.
It's always hard to tell in Korea if you're seeing pollution, haze, fog, or what exactly the white "stuff" in the sky is. I've heard mixed things, the Koreans always say it's just moisture, but most foreigners know that it's gotta be a mix of pollution and clouds, because it's always there.
Here's some of the pictures. If only it was clearer, you'd be able to see almost the entire city!
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