Updated: The Quest for Pho in Seoul

I meant to post at least once a week, but I got caught up in all sorts of projects, particularly a podcast for preschoolers. (Aren't you curious?)

I'm so happy to finally have a chance to share my pho findings.

After a number of disappointing visits to various Pho chains around Seoul (Thanks for nothing, Pho Hoa!), I had pretty much given up all hope of finding anything close to the pho I had tasted back in the Homeland.

That brings me to our fervent quest for pho-that's-not-sal-guk-su-in-lukewarm-beef-broth. Last month, April of Buncha Banchan told me about this magical little food stall in Wangshimli. "It's run by a Vietnamese man," she said. "People bring him fresh produce - limes and cilantro - Vietnamese people." Pho made by a Vietnamese man, enjoyed by people from Vietnam? Cyndi and I were intrigued. For about two weeks, all we could think about was eating pho in Wangshimli.

A few of us trekked over there one frightfully chilling evening in January, and I have to say, we were quite pleased with what we found.

Pho Spot #1: Wangshimli [Little Vietnam]

Located in a little food court in the basement of some officetel, this little pho place is run by a mysterious Vietnamese man who seems to know a smattering of English and Korean, but not much. His stall is topped by a picture menu that boasts some exciting prospects. Unfortunately, most of those dishes aren't available. With the help of some kind bystander, Cyndi doggedly asked him when the other dishes would be available and he tentatively replied that they'd be available on the weekend. I suspect that he just said that so Cyndi would leave him alone.


















The night we were there, he only had two offerings: pho or fried rice.

I can't say that his pho is the best I've ever tasted, but it certainly is the best I've tasted in Seoul. The flavors were quite nice, but (I'm not sure if this is the right food term) I found the broth a little shallow. Back in San Jose, the pho broth tasted as if the beef bones had been simmering in spices for days. Mr. Wangshimli's broth, though tasty, seemed as if it had just been made a few hours prior or had been diluted with water in order to extend his soup supply.

April suspects that Mr. Wangshimli's pho is limited due to his lack of supplies. When she first went, she saw a bunch of patrons bringing him various groceries. The quality of his pho seems to be dependent upon availability of ingredients. So, if you have access to essential pho ingredients, please do share.



















Mr. Wangshimli should also be commended for his selection of greens, including cilantro and Cyndi's favorite Ngo Gai (Eryngo).


















We also ordered the second and only other dish available that night, fried rice. It was also very tasty.




















The Verdict:
Definitely worth checking out. I really hope you will, because I'm selfish and am afraid that he'll close without more customers. It's one of the, if not only decent, pho place in Seoul.

Edit: We went back to the Wangshimli pho place. This time we brought along Robear, who not only grew up on Vietnamese food, but also speaks Vietnamese. Though the proprietor is not initially the chattiest of fellows, Robear was able to get a lot of back story on Little Vietnam, the name of the restaurant. Apparently, there used to be about 200 Vietnamese folks living in the apartment building. Unfortunately, most of them were deported. Little Vietnam has only been in operation for about 3 - 6 months. Business I'm sure has slowed down quite a bit since the exodus of his primarily Vietnamese clientele.

Robear also learned that Little Vietnam's pho contains ingredients only available in Vietnam (or at least, not available in Korea). A number of his ingredients, including the ngo gai, were brought over from Vietnam. Sadly, half of the greens were spoiled or confiscated by Customs at Incheon. Needless to say, I'm not sure how long Little Vietnam will be able to stay in business.

If you'd like to help keep Little Vietnam in business, you'll want to go there soon and regularly. Otherwise, it's back to pho-ish noodles at some chain restaurant.

If you'd like to order something other than pho (like summer rolls, mmm...), he told us that we could call him in advance.

The second time around, we were able to order Vietnamese spring rolls - fried, rice-wrappered concoctions filled with ground meat, noodles, and other unidentified, yet very delicious ingredients. They were yummy.


















How to Get There:
Phone number: 2299-3362

-Take the subway to Wangshimli.
-Take exit 2
- Walk straight (about 5 minutes), and turn left when you see the Family Mart (alley way before the Hyundai Oil Station) .
- Up ahead, you'll see a Mini Stop and Holly's Coffee. Walk towards them.
- Make a right at the Mini Stop. Across from the Mini Stop, you'll see a large apartment buidling: 삼성쉐르빌아파트상가.
- Look for a set of stairs leading to the Home Mart. Go down the steps and enter the doors on the left (These door lead to the food court, not the Home Mart).


















- If you can't find the Home Mart steps, you can just enter the building and head to B1. Walk around until you find the Home Mart. The Food Court should be near. Look for this banner.




















Pho Spot #2: Cơm Binh Dân (Shinseol-Dong)
Open: 8 AM to 9:00 PM
Phone: (02)2232-1341

Coincidentally, a few days after Wangshimli pho (I really need to find out the name of that place), I read a piece about Com Binh Dan in the January 2010 issue of 10 Magazine. Because Cyndi and I can get a bit obsessive about food (must run in the family), we immediately had to check it out.

Com Binh Dan is run by a lovely couple, a Korean man and his Vietnamese wife. Located in the food court of another officetel (what's with these food courts and their hidden Vietnamese gems), next to a chicken hof, Com Binh Dan is apparently not a place that agashi-dul frequent. The couple was very welcoming, but also a bit surprised. The man was like, "How did you find us?" (It was also another cold, wet, and dreary evening, not really wandering-around weather). When we explained that we read about them in a magazine, he was pleasantly surprised. (Someone please bring him a copy of the article. I'm sure they'd really appreciate it).

The pho is not like any pho I've tasted back in the Homeland, but it was certainly tasty. I've never tried homemade pho, but I imagined Com Binh Dan's pho to be what homemade pho might taste like. It's not quite the pho I'm used to, but I certainly would go back for more.

I particularly like the fact that they're very generous with their portions.


















I ordered the seafood pho because, you know, beef is not good for me. (Yes, I know. Seafood pho cannot compare to beef pho.) It was good. I was happy to see actual seafood in my seafood pho. None of those imitation crab sticks and mini shrimps. (Thanks for nothing, Pho Hoa Seoul!)



















Though we only tried the pho, Com Binh Dan seems to have quite a large menu. They also sell various Vietnamese/Thai food items at reasonable prices.


















They only offer cilantro and sprouts, but I ain't complaining.


















Cyndi was happy that they had Vietnamese coffee, but she says that it was "nothing special."



















The Verdict:
Tasty rice noodles in beef/seafood pho, but not quite like the pho in San Jose.

How to Get There:

- Take the subway to Shinseol (신설).
- Get off at exit 10.
- You should see a Tous Le Jours. Walk towards the crosswalk.
- Cross the street towards Hana Bank.
- Walk around Hana Bank (follow the sidewalk, veering left).
- If you see a big hagwon (고려학원), you know you're in the right direction.
- Keep walking straight. When you see a Shinhan bank, you're very close.
- Look for a officetel called Paraville (See picture below.) Turn right into the entrance way, sort of behind/parallel to the Family Mart.
- You should see a sign for a Hof. Follow the arrow.



















Pho Spot #3: Saigon 쌀국수 (Jongak)


When my cousin N heard about our obsessive quest for pho made and eaten by Vietnamese people, she recommended a place in Jongak-dong. I know it's really silly to assume that Vietnamese food made by Vietnamese people will automatically ensure its tastiness, but I'm willing to take the risk.

Saigon is run by a Vietnamese family (again, another assumption). Like the aforementioned pho places, Saigon is located in an officetel. Unlike the other two, Saigon was quite busy, bustling with Korean patrons. I don't think we have to worry about this place closing down any time soon. You can also tell that a lot of Koreans frequent here by the amount of kimchi they gave you.

I was quite happy to see that they had spring rolls. Unfortunately, the spring rolls were very Korean - imitation crab & pickled vegetables - blech.



















Like Com Binh Dahn, the pho is tasty, just not like the pho I'm used to (or at least the pho I've come to idealize in my head). Cyndi and April ordered beef pho. They both agreed that the pho was tasty, just not as good as the pho in Wangshimli. If I had to describe the pho, I would say that its pho is designed for a Korean palette -- meaning, it's full of flavor, but heavenly seasoned with chili pepper.

I had the seafood pho. I thought there was a little too much broth, but at least there was actual seafood in there.


















The Verdict:
Tasty rice noodles in beef/seafood pho, but not quite like the pho in San Jose.

How to Get There:

- Take the subway to Jongak.
- Take exit 2. Walk straight.
- Make a left at the Dunkin Donuts.
- Walk for a few minutes, and keep an eye out for a building called "We've Pavillion". It should be on the right side of the street.
- Saigon is on the first floor.




















Sadly, I'm not very articulate when it comes to describing the flavors of pho, or for that matter, flavors in general. I just have this unintelligible idea of what pho should taste like based on what I've had in California/Hawaii. So, if you're wondering, which pho placed I liked the best, I would say Wangshimli has the most potential. I'd definitely go back there. I hope others will go there too. We don't want him to go out of business!

Elle Magazine puts out a publication called Elle à Seoul that profiles trends, eateries, and shopping destinations throughout Seoul. It's one of those magazines that I would never pay money for, but can't wait to read for free at a cafe or salon. I love looking at all the glossy photos of pretty things and pretty places. This month's issue has a feature on two of my favorite things: Dessert Cafes and Winter Street Food.

















I think the magazine did a particularly good job of capturing some of the most popular street snacks for the winter season in "겨울, 길거리 부페의 핫트렌드" (Translation: "Winter, Street Buffet Hot Trend"). I take some issue with the "Hot Trend" label. I mean some of these snacks (e.g, chestnuts and the sugar candy) have been around for a long time, but for the most part, it's a good list.

I wish I could provide you with a better quality scan of this article, but you'll just have to settle for my shoddy digital photography. Because I'm sure you're interested, here are my notes on each of these snacks. *Please note that the prices listed come from the Elle article. Actual prices may vary.



















(Clockwise, starting with the bun int the dragon's mouth)
1. 용알 (yong al, Dragon's egg, 2000 won) I've never tried one of these, but according to the article, you can find them in Insadong. They're little buns stuffed with different fillings like bulgogi-flavored or mandoo-flavored stuffing. I will need to seek this one out.
2. 미니와플 (mini waffle) This mini Belgium waffle trend really started popping over the summer, but continues to persist in its popularity. You can get the waffle smothered in various flavors of syrups, ice cream, and whipped cream, but I prefer to eat it plain, fresh from the oven. What's not to love about a warm, MINI waffle that you can eat on the go? Plus, it's usually only 1000 won.
3. 왕슈크림 (wang shu curim, King Cream Puff, 1500 won) I'm not a fan of cream puffs, so I can't really endorse this one, but I've seem them sold all around Myeongdong. Sold at 1500 won, they seem like quite a bargain, but having seen the vendors prepare the cream puffs at their street carts, I have to say, they don't look very appetizing.
4. 모둠꼬치 (modum kkochi, Assorted food on a stick, 3000 won). Chicken on a stick. Sausage on a stick. Heart attack on a stick. Processed meat on a stick is a favorite amongst carnivores on the run. The "stick" pictured in the article consists of mini sausages and ddeok galbi: rice cake encased by mystery ground meat. I'm a fan of the ddeok galbi concept, but am not really impressed by its execution. It's the darn sauce. The ddeok galbi marinade is a mixture of goju-jang, ketchup, and sugar, followed by a liberal stream of mustard. It's sauce overkill. Like most of the food-on-a-stick I've tried in Korea, ddeok galbi is worth trying, but I don't think I'd eat it again.
5. 회오리감자 (Cyclone Potato, 2000 won) It's basically a deep-fried spiral of potato. It looks really appealing, but is rather disappointing in taste. In my opinion, it tastes like a spiral of soggy potato chips. On the other hand, there always seems to be a ton of people eating these potato spirals in Myeondong, so there must be something about these potatoes that I'm just missing.
6. 꼬치옥수수 (kkochi oksusu, Corn on the Cob) It's corn on the cob. You can't go wrong-- unless it's been sitting in a vat of murky water all day long...
7. 달고나 (dalgona, 1000 won) This candy is also known as 뽑기 (bbobgi) because you're suppose to punch out the design impressed on the circle. I can rarely finish a whole candy on my own, but that smell of melted sugar and baking soda is sure hard to resist.




















(Clockwise, starting with the crunchy snacks in the baggy)
8. 강정과자 (gangjeong gwaja, starting from 3000 won) This is an old timey snack made out of corn powder and a bunch of other things. It tastes like a peanuty rice cracker.
9. 풀빵 (pul bbang, 5 for 1000 won) It's a bite-sized, crispy-ish glutinous rice cake filled with a bean paste. The bbang is quite unappealing when it gets cold, so you'll want to gobble them up as soon as you get them.
10. 딸기빵&똥빵 (Ddalki bbang & Ddeong bbang, 4 for 2000 won) Only found in Insadong, these bean filled buns come in two very appetizing shapes. (1) Dalki, a popular Korean character with a strawberry-shaped head or (2) a swirl of poo. I've already written about these breads, but to keep it short, they're pretty disappointing as far as bean-filled buns go.
11. 꿀타래 (ggultarae, Honey Almond Candy, 10 for 5000 won) If you've been to Myeongdong or Insadong, you've undoubtedly seen a stall full of young men in white hawking these sugary confections of honey and almond. They're a little to sugary for my taste, but the candy seems to be a popular take-home gift for visitors. Even more remarkable than the candy is the little show they put on when they make the candy. If you haven't already, you should definitely watch them do their candy spiel. It's quite entertaining. Here's some footage from youtube user 1wd13mp.
12. 핫바 (Hot Bar, 1500 won) There's always a line of people waiting for this fishcake-on-a-stick in Myeongdong, but I swear, there's only a line because there is a line. It's sort of a monkey see, monkey do phenomenon. I've tried one of the ggae-nip wrapped, deep-fried fishcakes. Nothing to write home about. I mean, you can't really go wrong with fishcake. Just be sure to eat it slowly. Remember, it's been deep fried, so it'll be hot.
13. 케밥 (Kebab, 3000 won) Some savvy folks in Myeondong have Koreanized the chicken "kebab" by changing up the seasoning on the chicken and smothering the wrap in, what's essentially, thousand island dressing. Again, I think they're a little to liberal with the sauce, but it's not bad.
14. 군밤 (gun bam, roasted chestnuts, 3000 won) I can't believe I haven't eaten any roasted chestnuts this winter. Having grown up in a chestnuts-less locale like Hawaii, roasted chestnuts were a special occasion snack that came sold in those fancy red paper envelops at the Japanese market. Chestnuts are even better in the Motherland because you can buy them already peeled.
15. 구운오징어 (gu-un ojingeo, grilled squid, 2000 won) The Elle article describes the 2000 won squid, but you must go to Myeongdong and spring for the 5000 won bag of squid. I have no idea what the vendor is called, but there's a stand that only sells grilled ojingeo, and it's SO GOOD. They manage to someone maintain the squid's chewiness, but still infuse it with a nice smoky flavor. At 5000 won a bag, it's pricier than other street vendors, but the squid is definitely superior. It's best enjoyed right after it's been grilled. Note to self: Take a picture of the squid and post.
16. 옥수수 호떡 (oksusu hoddeok, 900 won) This deep fried, sugar-filled pancake is a street food staple. Though a big fan when I first arrived in the Motherland, I'm no longer a fan of the deep fried hoddeeok. It's too greasy. I prefer the "diet" aka "Chinese" aka "original" style hoddeok. It's grilled (?) instead of fried. It kind of taste like a crispy flour tortilla with a warm, sugary center.

Okay, now I'm hungry.
I'm going to go find me some roasted chestnuts.

Current Obsessions: Current Snow and Eye Sight

I woke up this morning to see a massive blanket of snow across the whole 'hood. Apart from Tahoe, I've never seen so much snow in my life! It snowed a few times last winter, but I don't recall ever seeing this much snow in Seoul. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

Cyndi has a sore throat, so we decided to trek to the pharmacy. Very prudent, I know. The Iditarod dogs weren't available, so we had to settle for Piggy. Unfortunately, Piggy gave up after a few stomps through the snow. Piggy don't do snow.

Here we are bundled up like an Olsen twin. This is not me trying to be fashionable. This is me trying to protect my eyes... and obscure the fact that I'm in my PJs.

Look at all that snow. The snow is knee-deep. (Granted, my legs are only about a foot-long.)




































Check out the walkway up to our apartment. We thought we were going to need to sled our way to the pharmacy. Man, that would have been so cool!


















This is Piggy's first, and if she has anything to say about it, last time trekking through the snow. Before, y'all are like, "Poor Piggy!" please take a look at the next picture.


















This dog is is 11 years-old. She's virtually a halmoni. We saw her prancing through the snow, and she seemed unfazed. She gave Piggy this look like "Ya, what the heck is your problem?" Piggy replied in turn with a gaze that said, "Bi***, please. I trained my humans to carry me around, and keep me warm."



















Okay, enough about the snow. Take a look at this pic. This is the last time you'll see me wearing glasses (at least, ones with real lenses). I'm hoping that by the time I need to wear glasses again, I'll be too old to blog.


















Last week, my cousin Daniel (Cyndi's bro) and I finally had the Lasik surgery done, dun dun dun. Daniel had his surgery on Tuesday. After seeing that his surgery went off without a hitch, I then followed on Saturday. I'm told that it takes about a week for my vision to recover fully, but so far I've had no complications. It's like I'm wearing contacts, except... I'm not.

Here's a pic of Daniel pre-surgery. (Dude, you weren't looking very So Ji Sub-like that day.) The Lasik may have taken care of his poor eyesight, but I don't know if it did anything for his pirate's stare.




















They give you a little beany pillow to grip during the surgery. It was quite comforting.
The surgery isn't all that bad. The worst part is the device that pulls back your eyelids back. It's not painful, but it is uncomfortable (Just imagine someone pulling at all four corners of your eye). My eyeball was all numbed up, so I wasn't bothered by any of the scraping or lasering. I was surprisingly calm throughout the procedure, that is, until the doctor would tell me, "Don't be scared. It's just a little water. Don't be scared." That's when I did start to get a little scared. Fortunately, I was distracted by the machine's funny noises. It sounded like a copy machine from the 80s. It was very clunky. I also found the sound of burning eyeball flesh quite amusing. Is that weird?




















It's been two days since the surgery. I go in for a check-up tomorrow. I can see quite well (though not quite at 20/20 yet). My vision is supposed to continue to progress over the next week or so. The doctor and the nurses kept warning me against touching my eyes, so being as neurotic as I am, I've become quite paranoid about my ability to control my compulsion to rub my eyes.

That's why I've been quite diligent about wearing my protective goggles. (Or, when I'm feeling cool, my sunglasses.) The plastic goggles make feel like one of those four-eyed NBA players. Pretty hot, right?

New Eyes for the New Year

What the what? It's 2010! Where did the year ago?
I'm currently blogging from the eye doctor's office. That's right. I'm finally getting the Lasik surgery. I chickened out last year, but now I'm ready.
The next time I blog, I shall have 20/20 vision, or so they tell me.

See you later.

Blame it on the Pop

United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop)

Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-oh

I promise. I'll be back to blogging soonish. My term at the Elementary School is winding down, so I will have more time to dedicate to unpaid work.

In the mean time, check out my opening act: The Chipettes

Hangul in Indonesia

I was at Tom N Tom's today, perusing Asiana's in-flight magazine, and learned that a small Indonesia tribe in the city of Bau-Bau (Bauer-Bauer) have adopted hangul as their written alphabet. Though the tribe has their own oral language called Cia-Cia, they have not been successful in maintaing an official system of writing. The Yonhap News Agency has more on this news story.

Though I still have issues with its patchims and some vowel sounds, I do have to admit that hangul is quite a nifty little alphabet. I think it's definitely better than the English alphabet. Come on now. Is it really necessay to have a 'c', 'k', AND 'q'?

hahaha

My cousin VP likes to take an occasional gander through the work 'n' play forums, and somehow she always manages to find jems like this posting:

hello, i'm a goose father who sent my family to chicago 3 yrs ago. so i live alone in mok-dong.(we call it 'goose father' hahaha)

i'll get a green card in the near future, and then i'm going to fly to chicago. i wanna speak english more fluently before i go there. i'm looking for a person who is a native english speaker, wants to learn korean, and lives around mok-dong area.

i've experienced language exchange in san fransisco in 1997 when i worked as kind of a correspondent of a newspaper. i taught korean to a berkley graduate who was supposed to be a english teacher in high school in korea. and he helped me learn english. nevertheless, i'm still not good at speaking and listening english like most koreans. but i'm confident of grammar and writing(do u agree with that? hahaha) so the most needed for me is spoken english.

i was a reporter, and i am a general director in charge of a business department in a newspaper. well, i'm willing to buy u a meal during our language exchange class. i know a very good italian restaurant around here. hahaha

if u live in an area a lttle far from mok-dong, i ask u to come here. mok-dong is very convenient for u to come by subway no.5.

it doesn't matter if u are male or female. i'm, of course, male in the 40s. too old? hahaha

why don't u give me a email, meet twice a week in mok-dong, and exchage languages with me? my email address is xxxxxxx@naver.com

---------------------

I bolded the bits that I found most memorable. I'm particularly taken with the way he sprinkles his message with *laughter* (I'm sure the hahahas would sound less creepy in Korean. ㅋㅋㅋ).

I think I need to meet this guy. hahaha

Hanaro Club

I've been meaning to blog about Nonghyup's Hanaro Club for some time now because I've never seen a mart quite like it. Resembling a large warehouse, the Hanaro Club in Yangjae-dong is sometimes described as the "Korean Costco." Membership is not required, nor do you have to buy in bulk, but Hanaro Club does sort of have a warehouse feel to it. It's like the food section of E-mart, only five times larger. (If I had to guesstimate, I'd say the store was at least the length of a football field and a half.) What I find most appealing about Hanaro Club is that it's like an outdoor shijang (market), only it's INDOORS, i.e., air conditioned and slightly less dusty. It feels like a colossal farmer's market, only, without the farmers. The produce seems remarkably fresh, as if some farmer just boxed it all up and dropped it off that morning.



















The store is milling with people, but at least the warehouse is large enough that you can maintain your personal space, and not get run over by some woman's cart as you're trying to grab something from the sample tray.



















Is it just me, or are Korean veggies unnaturally large? Check out the 대파 (large green onions)! Surely, these green onions are meant to garnish the dishes of giants and not my little bowl of ramyun.



















I also encountered a number of unfamiliar veggies including this root vegetable 안동마 (andongma). It's similar to a potato, only with a stringier(?) texture. Apparently, when steamed, it makes a good snack.


















I also realized that Korean farmers have been getting all mad scientist out in the shigol, and have concocted some amazing new products. Check out this lime-colored cucumber chili pepper. As the name suggests, this mild pepper does indeed taste like a cucumber. Yes, it's as good as it sounds.



















Some farmer even invented the root vegetable of my dreams: 밤고구마, the chestnut sweet potato! Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my household who likes goguma, so I didn't feel like purchasing a box. I'll just have to look for it sold by the pound.


















I wish that we had a Hanaro Club near my 'hood. I was told that there is a Hanaro Mart in Yongsan, but I'm assuming that it's not as magnificent as the Hanaro Club in Yangjae.

Caribbean Bay

With H1N1 running rampant throughout Seoul, I decided that there was no better way to challenge my now 27-year-old immune system than a trip to a Korean water park.

Thanks to Summer's foresight and Cyndi's hotness, we were able to wrangle a ride from our ultra-friendly real estate agent. Thank goodness we got a ride, because Caribbean's a bit of a drive. Part of the expansive Everland theme park, Caribbean Bay is located in some lush valley in Yongin. It's a bit of a fortress, actually.

Despite the swarms of people, prevalence of mesh shirts*, and the chattiness of our real estate agent, I had quite a good time.

Caribbean Bay is not prettiest water park I've ever seen, but it's definitely the largest. The pseudo-Spanish/Mediterranean decor reminded me of a Tex-Mex restaurant back in the Homeland.




















Did I mention the swarms of people? You'd think with the threat of H1N1 people would be more prudent and avoid crowded areas, but no, there were hundreds (maybe even thousands) of folks just as foolish as me. For goodness sake, parents. You should keep your children at home -- so that I don't have to wait 1 hour to go down a water slide!


















Sorry. Nothing really exciting in this picture. Just a bunch of umbrellas and beach chairs. Though I carried my camera around in a waterproof pouch, I didn't really take very many photos. Firstly, it's quite a pain to remove your camera from a waterproof pouch. Secondly, it's quite a pain to take photos when you're wooshing down a water slide.




















Here we are chilling in a hot tub. Finally! A jacuzzi where you don't have to share water with a bunch of naked ajummas. (No offense, ajummas. I just don't like sharing bath water with strangers.)



















We kept coming back to the tidal wave area because it was the one attraction where we didn't have to wait in line. Not sure if you noticed our very attractive vests, but those babies were provided by the water park folk (My vest is less tropical because I got the little person's vest). I know that some girls were probably bummed that they had to wear such tacky and concealing attire over their cute two-pieces, but I for one was grateful for the life vest. For one thing, I was able to go out into the deep end of the pool without fear of drowning. Secondly, I didn't have to worry about any wardrobe malfunctions this time around. Trust me, ladies. Do not go into a wave pool in just a two piece unless you want to give the lifeguards a show.

Speaking of two-pieces, can I just say that Korean women dress to impress when it comes to the water park. I'm not just talking about the agashis. The ajummas were working the two piece. You ever see those swimsuits at Dongdaemum or your local super-mart, embellished with rhinestones, ruffles, or flowers, and wonder, where would one wear that? The answer is Caribbean Bay! In addition to their colorful swimsuits, Korean women know how to accessorize. From their hat, to their sunglasses, to a sparkly little cover-up tied at the middriff, Korean women look like they walked off the set of some summer music video.



















You may also notice our headgear. Summer told us that the park requires that headgear be worn when in the water. Presumably, the head gear was to decrease the amount of hair clogging up the pools. Esther kindly loaned me her visor. I'm not sure if the visor was successful in keeping my hair in place, but it did a good job of protecting me from the sun. Thanks, Esther!



















If you can put up with the massive crowds, Caribbean Bay is quite fun. It boasts a number of exciting water slides. I mean, I only got to try a few of those water slides due to long lines, but all those slides seemed like they'd be quite exciting.


I have to say many thanks to SK-unni for getting us tickets to Caribbean Bay. I owe you dinner!

*I wanted to spare people from my tangent on mesh tops, but since you've made it all they way down to this little asterisk, I'm going to assume that you're interested in what I have to say.









What's the deal with mesh tops? A number of women at Caribbean Bay were wearing mesh "cover-ups" over their swimsuits. Cover what? It's full of holes! A lot of women at the park seem to have opted for the mesh dress for the sake of a little more modesty. Am I alone in thinking that mesh tops seem more skanky? In my opinion, a bikini seems more modest than a mesh top over a bikin. In addition to their non-functionality, mesh tops are just plain ugly. I don't care if you have Heidi Klum's body. It looks like you're wearing one of those laundry hampers you buy at the dollar store. Thirdly, those mesh dress pose a safety hazard. Can you imagine your mesh dress getting caught on something? It happens to fish all the time.

Birthday Food

We prepared a feast in celebration of my birthday last weekend. Unofficially, the theme was "Dishes from the Fifties." Officially, the theme was "Dishes That Are Bad for Anna's chejil." So what if I'll have indigestion and clogged pores the next morning. It's my birthday, and I'll eat cheese if I want to!

Special thanks to Cyndi and Seong for helping with all the food and to Cousin VP for cleaning the apartment!

Let us now all revel in all the yellow/brown goodness of my birthday feast:

Lemony Spinach Almond Pasta Casserole



















Cyndi's Mmmmmmmmeatloaf



















Tuna Casserole


















Potato Gratin


















Deviled Eggs


















Chips and Pico de Gallo


















Cyndi's Cake Made Just for Me! -- Yellow Cake and Brownie topped with a sour cream chocolate frosting. (It was all made from scratch! Well, except for the sprinkles. And the birthday candles.)



















I feared that we all might have eaten our way into a food coma, but we all managed to wake up the next day for the WATER PARK! I'll have to save details for another post.

I think I've earned my Ellie Badge.

Seong and I have spent the past two weeks helping seniors with their college application essays. I know that we're both getting paid for our services, but sometimes I feel like I'm doing volunteer work. Both Seong and I are committed to maintaining some standard of integrity: We might prompt a kid with essay topics or offer them some generous assistance with their grammar and syntax, but we truly try to avoid writing the essay or explicitly telling students what to write. Trust me. That's much harder than it sounds.

High schoolers can't help it. They're just prone to writing what they think admissions officers want to see. Plus, it's really hard to think and write about yourself when you only have 17 years of life under your belt. We've become writing tutors/therapists.

At the end of the day, I go away feeling like we've succeeded in helping students showcase their best qualities without creating any yarns, but it is pretty exhausting.

To help me recover, I've taken to listening to the the soundtrack for Pixar's Up. It's like optimism in a bottle. It makes me believe for a moment that helium balloons could actually carry a fully furnished house all the way to South America.

Up

Poo

I like the Ssamzie Insadong Market in Insadong. It's always full of quirky little surprises. On our most recent trip, we came across a delightful little cart at the front of the market boldly selling 똥빵, poo-shaped bread filled with a sweet bean paste.


















As far as sweet red bean buns, the ddong bread isn't anything to write home about. But, let's be real. Who buys ddong-bang for the taste.? You're buying it because it's shaped like poo!


















The ddong bread comes with instructions on how to best enjoy the bread. Shall I share?
Let me warn you... It's a bit revolting.

1. Buy the ddong bread.
2. Nyam. Nyam. -- Savor the ddong bread.
3. Poo the bread out.
4. Examine your poo.
5. Put your poo in a bag (perhaps even the ddong bread bag!)
6. Save it.

(Translation by Cyndi)















Ddong bread is kind of like one of those Garbage Pail Kids -- an odd combination of cute and disgusting.

"Super Magic" by Supreme Team

This song has grown on me. Despite the seemingly random string of English words (or maybe because of) I think I'm going make this my new song for the norae-bangs.
Lala. Lala. Lala.

My Dongsaeng the Gisaeng

My dongsaeng, Doogal and her NP were looking to get a couple's portrait while they were visiting in Seoul last month. While strolling through Insadong we stumbled upon the Hwang Jiny Photo Cafe. I'm not sure why it's called a cafe when they don't serve coffee, but it turned out to be a great a place to dress up in Korean costume and get your photo on.

Photo packages vary in price, but my sister opted for the basic couple package at 100,000 won. The package includes one costume selection for each person, make-up, two print-outs (which are photo-shopped by the photographer), and a CD containing all of the photos from the session.

The cafe offers a variety of traditional hanboks as well as more costume-y hanboks, like the ones featured in TV dramas. My sister opted for the brightly hued look of a gisaeng, who were, for lack of a better definition, the geisha of old Korea.

*If you bring in the brochure (available at the front of the building), you get 10% off.

















Check out the video to check out all the fun. My sister had a great time, I'm almost tempted to go back for myself. Though, I don't think I need more awkward pictures of me in heavy makeup and crazy hair.

My Dongsaeng the Gisaeng from Annalog on Vimeo.

Now, time for a quick "Who Wore It Best?"








































































The wig looks so crazy without the hanbok.

School Lunch

Cyndi and Cousin VP are teaching English at a small private school in Seoul. They've both raved about the school lunch, so I've been dying to join them for lunch. I finally got a chance to join them for lunch a couple of weeks.

Can I just say that I love Korean cafeteria food? I love those little metal trays and the little compartmentalized portions. (I guess this is just further proof that I have the eating habits of a 6th grader.)

This is a student-made poster. It says "골고루 먹자!" Translation: "Let's eat a little bit of everything." The poster purports that if you eat "a little bit of everything" you won't be "bad" aka fat(?). But, if you DO eat a little bit of everything, you will be "smart" (and shorter?).



















Lunch was so good: Tomato, kimchi, rice, fish filet, and chicken soup.



















I was told that the students must finish everything they take. Otherwise, you have to sit at the table until you clear your plate.



















Unfortunately, the day's menu was not very appealing to the mogyangs, Cyndi and Cousin VP. They couldn't partake in any of the yummy fish.



















I enjoyed having lunch with the students. Lucy, the girl who sat next to me, was particularly funny.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asks. Then upon my response, she quickly darts around the corner. She returns a few seconds later and says. "You know, my cousin is a yuh-neh-in."

"Your cousin is a celebrity?" we all exclaim. "Who!?! Jang Do Gun?"

Lucy says his name. My cousins and I look at each other blankly. "Who's that?" we ask. We eventually figure out that he's one of the supporting actors in Coffee Prince.

"Does this mean that you're trying to set me up with your cousin?," I ask Lucy.

"He change his phone number, so I no talk to him now," says Lucy.

I guess her answer is "No."

"Contradictions taste good."

My sister sent me a link to a recent commercial for the "Starburst Contradictions" Campaign. All I can say in response is, "D'oh!" The ad features a young Scottish-Korean man, which apparently, like the new solid, yet juicy Starbursts, is a "contradiction." Scottish-Korean makes for an interesting combo, but I wouldn't say it's a "contradiction." Do the Scottish and Korean have a deep history that I don't know about?

I think the Starbursts people should just stick with the llamas.