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?

That's So American: Mall and Movies

I don't know how I managed to live over a year in Seoul and not know that there's a mall at Yongsan. I've been to Yongsan Station a couple of times, but never noticed the huge "multiplex" building RIGHT NEXT DOOR! You'd think I'd notice such a thing.

I went to the iPark Mall for the first time during the lunar new year weekend with my gyopo relatives. We only went to the theater, but it appears to have all the features of a mall: shops, eateries, move theater, and central heating/cooling system. The mall is a little cluttered and stuffy for my tastes, but it's definitely worth another trip.

Over the holidy weekend, I also accompanied my cousins to the US military base at Yongsan. We weren't able to go to the comissary, but we did get to shop at the fast food eateries. It's pretty embarassing how excited I felt when I purchased a large bag of Cheddar Sun Chips for $1.95! We also had dinner at the hotel. I ordered mediocre Carne Asada tacos, and they were awesome!

We also caught a movie at the theaters on base. We saw Disney's Bolt. Surprisingly, Miley Cyrus' voice did not make my ears bleed, and I quite enjoyed the film. I have to admit though that I was a little startled by the playing of the National Anthem before the start of the film. I was leaning back in my seat, enjoying some Sweet Tarts when at the blare of trumpets, my cousin N. whispers, "Quick! Stand up!" Baffled, I jolted upwards, then noticed on the big screen, a patriotic montage of smiling soldiers, waving flags, and cherubic children. I looked around at the other theater goers and saw them staring intently at the screen with their bodies at attention, and hands plastered at their sides. I followed suit, but couldn't help but feel a little weirded out. I'm proud to be American, but for a moment, I felt like one of those pajama-clad guys in the Apple 1984 commercial. On the other hand, for $4 movie tickets I will stand attentively through the Anthem, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and wear red, white, and blue.

Party Time. Excellent.

My cousin N. and her husband, Mr. T are always going to exciting events around Seoul. For instance, last week, she went to a charity dinner where she met Alex from Clazziquai, and told the singer that her cousin (that's me!) is a big fan. Whenever she has the opportunity, N & Mr. T invite me, along with the other teachers at The Hagwon, to join them. It's fun to take N up on one of her invites because you never know what's in store.

Two weekends ago, we found ourselves at the Seoul Club celebrating St. Lucia Day, a Swedish Holiday. We listened to Swedish carols, munched on saffron buns, drank glog, and ooh-ed and ah-ed over dozens of little blonde children with rosy cheeks and blue eyes. Swedish families must have a hard time walking around Seoul without encountering people who want to pinch the cheeks of their children or snap photos of them. Every kid we saw at the party looked like he or she walked out of a Gap Holiday ad.

The Swedish winter festivities concluded with a raffle, where Seong won a bottle of mushroom wine from North Korea. I'm not sure what they're doing up there in the North, but they're definitely not working on perfecting their wine-making techniques. Just the thought of the mushroom wine makes me shudder.

This past weekend, N & Mr. T invited the entire Hagwon gang to their Rotary Club holiday dinner. We were just expecting a buffet, but were met with an entertainment extravaganza! In addition to the buffet and a free-flow of wine, soju, and beer (oh my!), the evening began with a live performance by a woman pursuing a career in the music industry. She hasn't made it to Inki Gayo or anything, but she does have a song on some drama OST. I enjoyed her performance, even though she concluded her set with Frank Sinatra's "My Way", a song, as someone at the table noted, is better suited for a funeral.

The musical performance was followed by a dance lesson, where we were all forced to learn the jive. Thanks to Social Dance I back in college, I was able to keep up with the ajusshis. I think I may have even been leading at some point. It was embarrassing, yet fun.

Later that evening, one of the members of the Rotary Club, a folk singer from the 70s, who, according to N, was part of the Simon & Garfunkel of Korea (no, not SG Wannabe), brought out his tribute band. After, rocking out to numbers by Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton, "Paul Simon" joined the band and performed a few of his greatest hits, including a few songs that we were required to "twist" along to. Twisting is hard, y'all. Gidget and Elvis make it look so easy.

Since I'm normally inclined to just roll up into a ball and never leave the house during the winter, I'm grateful to have a family with a social life. :)

Here or to-go?

In keeping up with my glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle, I flew to Washington on Wednesday in order to stalk Edward Cullen.

Just kidding. He's probably in Alaska right now.

I actually flew up to Seattle to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my sister. I have trained my sister very well. While I slept in, she spent Thursday morning slaving over a hot stove, preparing me a turkey feast. Mmm... turkey...Zzz...














Seattle is a lovely town, but I'm finding it way too cold. I shouldn't be complaining though, since I will be experiencing true winter in a few days. Speaking of Korea...

I'm used to finding funny Engrish phrases in the Motherland, but I forgot that being a melting pot and all, you can also find Engrishy-fun right in the Homeland.

While cruising around the South Center mall in Lynnwood, I had to take a moment to giggle over a little food court gem called Sushittogo. Apparently, the establishment is called "Sushi Itto Go." I'm not sure if spaces cost extra when it comes to making signage, but I think the added cost would have been worth it. Don't you? Or, maybe this just an example of upfront marketing. You get what's advertised.

What's in the bag?

Last night, Cyndi handed me a white paper bag and said, "Here. This is from [The president of my fan club]. It's for you and Piggy."

Note: Obviously, Cyndi did not call her/him "President of my fan club", but since s/he's one of Cyndi's most persistent Stans I will assume that s/he reads this blog regularly for Cyndi updates, and thus, will avoid revealing any personal details.

Anyway, I opened up the bag and found two containers of Pepero - one pack of original, one pack of Almond Pepero. I do love me some Pepero, but such bulk offerings of Pepero seemed kind of random. And, that's exactly what I said to Cyndi, "Hmm...Random." (I know. I can be an ungrateful wench).

Cyndi explained that the gift was in appreciation for the Halloween cupcakes that I brought to her office. Oh, shoot! I just revealed that he's a co-worker. Oh, darn! I just revealed that her fan is a dude. My bad...

Today, I looked at the date, 11/11 and realized that the Pepero bounty was in honor of Pepero Day, which reminds me, Happy Anniversary to Heng & Joon!

The president of Cyndi's fan club has been showering Cyndi with gifts for some time now, but this is one of the first time's that he's bestowed anything upon me or Piggy.

Ooh, Cyndi, you better watch out. He's switching up his game. Now's he trying to woo you by winning over your little cousin and your puppy.

I may be susceptible to the bribes (especially food), but I'm not sure if Piggy's so easily won over. I mean, just check out her expression when I gave her the Pepero loot.














In case you're reading this Mr. President, Piggy wants me to inform you that she only accepts cold hard cash... or Target gift cards.

Movies for Ajumma

My mom and emo wanted to watch a movie, so they asked me too find out what's playing inthe theaters. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of ajumma friendly stuff out there. Amidst all the horror flicks and action/suspense films, I managed to pick out a couple of contenders:


OPTION #1:

The Secret Life of Bees

I show the beginning of the trailer to my emo, and her immediate comment is, "It's PG-13? That's for kids." My emo walks away, so I show my mom the trailer. She comments, "It's PG-13. That's for kids." Apparently, my mom and emo like their movies a little less kid friendly.

My mom then goes on for a bit about a film that she and emo saw months ago, (they were taken in by the film poster). At that time, my mom just called it the movie where the guy sits on a bus. I had no idea what she was talking about, but today, I realized that she was talking about Into the Wild.

As I search for the next film option, my mom declares that Into the Wild was about a genius and tells me that she and emo want to watch something similar, i.e., a film based on a true story.

So, let's recap. They want a dirty movie, somewhat based on a true story. Beverly Hill Chihuahuas? Max Payne? Eagle Eye? (Heck no). The Duchess? Bingo!



OPTION #2
The Duchess

I show my mom the trailer for The Duchess. She seems really engrossed, so I think we have a winner. At the end of the trailer, I ask her, "What do you think?" She looks at me blankly. Then, I ask, "Did you understand their British accents?"

"Not really."

Back to the drawing board...



There's actually only one film out right now that mom and emo would enjoy. I knew this from the beginning, but since I didn't see it in the theater listings, I didn't mention it. I decide to show my mom the trailer for The Changeling. "Ooh, I like that movie," she exclaims even though she has yet to see the film.

Sadly, The Changeling is in limited release and hasn't made it to our local theaters.
Darn.

Why is there so much crapola in the theaters? Hollywood, you need to pay attention. You seriously need to tap into the ajumma market. Here's what you need to do: Make a based-on-a-true story about a poor person who moves up in the world, but then encounters some tragic end. Please exclude nudity, foul language, and British accents.

Until then, my mom and emo are going to stick to their Korean DVDs.

Old Yearbook Photos

It's always fun to look through your old yearbook photos, and see how you've changed. Come on people, let's take a trip down memory lane!

This was from my A Tree Grows in Brooklyn phase. The pin curls and the hand-drawn stocking seams were kind of a pain, but I enjoyed being retro.


















Then, my hair grew out, revealing its natural texture and color. After many strands of burnt hair and limbs, I think I can finally say that I've become a crimping artiste.


















This is when I decided to grow out my long, naturally wavy locks. I know, right? Totally rad. (This was before I knew that aerosol spray cans were so grodie.)


















This is from my Martha Stewart phase, when I liked to bake pies and boss people around. This hairdo was definitely a statement. It said, "Don't mess with my pies, or I will cut you."



















Though she was quite reluctant, I managed to convince Cyndi to share her yearbook photos. I have to say, she was always trendy and fly, even back in high school.









































































Thanks to Cyndi (and Peter) for helping me find my lost yearbook photos at http://yearbookyourself.com/.

Ahnyoung!

The air's a little nippy, the girls are in their mini skirts and knee-highs, the mosquitoes have stopped buzzing around... it's officially fall, people. It's my second autumn in the Motherland. Time has flown by!

I spent over a year living full time in the Motherland, but now it's time for me to return home.  I'm leaving today with many memories and megabytes of a fond year in Korea.

Oh, don't cry, Internet. I'll be back.

I'll return to Korea in December, but it does feel like I'm closing another big chapter in this book I call Life.

In commemoration of my year in the Motherland, I've put together a video montage (of course) set to Holly Conlan's "You are Goodbye." In putting this video together, I realized that a) I need to start organizing all my photos and videos and b) I take way too many photos of food. The video barely covers my year in Korea, but it does include a few highlights and never before seen "footage."

I'd like to also take a moment for a very long fragment to thank the various people who have made my stay in the Motherland such a special memory. So, a big kamsahmnida to my COUSINS, Cyndi's cousins, co-workers from the Place That Must Not Be Named, my teaching soul-mate and partner in crime, Seong, EVERYONE from PD, everyone from PD that say that I look like 이효리 (yeah right!), all the Korean unnies, all the Gyopo unnies, visiting chingus from the Homeland, Umma, Doogal, all the people who help me get my beauty on, the ajummas who clean the officetel, and last but not least, our Korean BFF, Heng!

Oh! And Cyndi! 

Thanks for coming with me to the Motherland! (And thanks for picking me up from the airport.)

See you later, Motherland.

Mother in the Motherland

Here's the highlight reel for my mudder's (as well as my dongsaeng's) trip to the Motherland. Features "Oh Momma" by Justin Nozuka. I didn't mean to give the video such a sad vibe. I just recently purchased his album "Holly" so I have become mildly obsessed.



As mentioned previously, my mother has not been back to Korea since the late seventies. She was born and raised in Seoul, but immigrated to Hawaii when she was in her late twenties. You could argue that Hawaii, with its large Korean population, is not a far stretch from Korea, but my mom has spent over half her life in the ol' U.S. of A. She was definitely looking forward to her sojourn back to the Motherland.

I think she had seen this trip as a sort of homecoming, but quickly learned that Dorothy wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Here's what she had to say about the whole experience:


What did you expect to find before you landed in Korea?
I knew what it looked like because of TV [K-dramas and documentary specials]. It's more crowded than I thought. When I arrived in Korea, it felt like I wasn't in Korea.

What surprised you about Korea (Seoul)?
All the buildings and signs. So many! People changed. They are not friendly. People so mean.

People were nicer back in your day?
No, they wasn't kind, but... People now are nervous. Everybody is nervous breakdown. It's like they're [being] chased by something, so I get nervous too.

What do you like about Seoul?
All Korean people around me. It's like everyone is family. I recognize everybody. I like to see all the hangul. I can read all the signs. And, the food. Korean girls also got prettier than before. Before, it was all dark messy face.

One thing, they all over-dress. The use high heels with anything. To me, it doesn't match short legs.


What didn't you like?
Food is disappointing. Too sweet. I like country food like san-namu (moutain vegetables?). All the ingredients [for the country food] are fresh.

How do you feel about Korea?
I just want to say [its] o.k.. All I [will] remember is too many people. Scared to walking around. No more taxis on the street!

The hanshik was good [Thanks for taking us, Heng!]

What do you have to say to the Motherland?
Manner 촘 있어면 좋껫다. (If [people] had a little more manners, that would be good.) Especially the girls.
Too many apartments. Just like a box. I miss the old time rice farms.

....
I think my mother had really missed Korea, but now accepts that her former Homeland has changed dramatically. In her day, Seoul was the big city, but it wasn't the metropolis that it is today. I think time and nostalgia may have colored my mother's memories of Seoul, so in comparison, today's Seoul seems noisy and dirty, and the people brash and impatient.

I wish I could experience the Seoul in my mother's memories, a city where young female bus attendants collected your fare and held people into the overflowing bus with a rope strapped to their bodies and the bus entrance. I'm curious to see Myeongdong littered with artists. I'd like to walk the busy streets of Jong-no, waiting to catch a glimpse of the day's most popular recording artists. On the other hand, I suspect that after spending a year in modern-day Seoul, I'd end up tapping my foot impatiently, bemoaning how shigol the town was.

My mom is set on returning to Korean next year, but this time with my emos in tow. Next time, however, she's going to book a tour around the Korean countryside and just limit herself to a few days in Seoul for shopping.

Pigs...Not Just Good for Samgyupsal

I'm sorry if you found the picture disturbing, but in Korea, a pig with cash sticking out of its nose is no big deal. More on that in a little bit...

THE HAGWON, newly founded by one my many cousins, has gone under way. Despite all the bureaucratic hoops we had to jump through, we're finally open for business! I've taken the lead on developing the curriculum, which has proven to be demanding, but fun. THE HAWGON is not quite a month old, but if its burgeoning popularity is any indication, I think we have a bright future. Knock on wood. Or should I say, "Help us, Mr. Pig..."

During the opening reception, one of my cousin's friends prepared an old Korean shamanistic ritual. You can read more on the significance of pigs at the Seoul Metropolitan Government website, but basically, Koreans traditionally see pigs as a sign of wealth and prosperity. Thus, it is a common practice for folks to put out a pig's head at the start of a new business or big deal endeavor. The pig's head is placed upon pans of ddeok (the one with lots of whole beans) surrounded by candles and makgeoli. Guests then bow and place money in the pig's mouth (I stuck my bill in his nostrils) as a sign of best wishes. In return, guests and neighbors are given a portion of the ddeok, which I hear, goes very well with kimchi.

My cousin told me that contractors usually conduct this ritual after they've put up a building and will use the money to buy some well-deserved beer for the construction workers. We, however, did not buy beer. The money was prudently used for office appliances.

Prior to the reception, an unmarked cardboard box had been delivered to the hagwon. I unwittingly opened the box thinking it was another box of ddeok. Can you imagine my fright when I lifted up the flaps and found the Lord of the Flies!?!

I like bacon as much as the next Korean girl, but I do not want to see its face. :)

Call me biased, but I think THE HAGWON is special. I hope others will feel this way as well.

May the pork be with us.

엄마 미아!

I took my mom to see Mama Mia before her flight last night. BT-dub, the movie theaters are packed on Chuseok. I thought it was only my family who went to the movies on a major holiday, but apparently it's a general Korean thing. So I guess watching Saw II on the birthday of Jesus is an inherent part of being Korean.

I saw the Mama Mia stage production a couple of years ago back in SF, and I remember it being campy, but enjoyable, so I was looking forward to Mama Mia the movie.

For those of you unfamiliar with the musical (Where have you been, people?), Mama Mia is the tale of a young woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who, unbeknownst to her mother (Meryl Streep), invites three of her mother's former lovers to her wedding. One of these three men is her father (I know. The mother was such a tart!). Through a series of song and dance numbers originally performed by Abba, Sophie is determined to figure out the identity of her unwitting father just in time for him to walk her down the aisle. I know. I know. If you'll just accept the kooky premise, you're more likely to enjoy the show. Just go with it.

If the premise doesn't catch your interest, maybe these musical clips will...





No? Still not interested?
I don't blame you. You're not missing out on anything.

My sister, after watching the film online, had recommended the movie to me. I'm sad to say that it was a major disappointment, despite the presence of Meryl Street. The Broadway musical just does not translate well to the big screen. The camp and spandex are simply enlarged in film -- in a bad way. It sort of felt like an extended karaoke music video, especially during the bits when the actor pranced around the island in slow-mo. It also seemed like all of the characters were performing under the influence. There were even a few times that I thought Amanda Seyfried's eyes were going to pop out of her head. I love Meryl Streep, but her character came off as cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, if you know what I mean.

With Meryl Streep & Colin Firth, Abba songs, and raunchy old people jokes, Mama Mia is strategically designed for ajummas, and yet, even my mom fell asleep.

Today, my sister tells me that she fast forwarded through all the bits with dialogue. Thanks a lot, Doogal. Wish you had told me that earlier.

The movie has a few fun moments, but I would by no means recommend the film. If you don't like Abba, then you're definitely not going to like Mama Mia the movie. If you love Abba, then you may want to look out for the sing-along edition now playing in select theaters. Check the movie website for theater listings.

Making Songpyun: The fate of your children is in your hands

The streets are eerily free of rampaging pedestrians and young women teetering in their high heels. There's a curious hum in the air, uninterrupted by the sound of blaring horns. Where have all the cars and people gone? Mass alien abduction? Nope. It's Chuseok time!

Most of the Seoul Patrol has headed out of town to spend quality time with their family (both the dead and living), so the city feels relative empty. Me likes it.

I can't believe I'm celebrating my second Chuseok in the Motherland. Last year, we went to down to Busan to fry fish with Cyndi's relatives. This year, since my mom is still in town, we're spending Chuseok in Seoul. I have to admit, Seoul sans half its population is quite pleasant. As my mom would put it, it's a little less jeongshin eopso. I feel like I have more room to breathe and think.

My cousin Nani invited us over to her house to make songpyun, traditional rice cakes shaped like half-moons. It is a Chuseok tradition for the women of the family to sit around and gab while making songpyun. My family of course is always big on the gabbing and gossip, but we usually buy the songpyun from a store. Fortunately, Nani is quite knowledgeable about Korean traditions and was able to school us on some Motherland culture.

In honor of Chuseok, my family and I offer you a simple tutorial on how to make songypun.


THE "DOUGH"
In order to make the "dough" (not sure of the correct term), take soaked uncooked rice (쌀) to the rice mill professionals (방앗간) and have them process the rice with salt, producing a sticky rice dough.

In order to add color to your dough, you made add one of the following ingredients:
omi tea (오미자차) = pink
jujube (대추) = brownish
mugwort (쑥) or spinach (시금치)= green
By no means, should you use artificial coloring for your songpyun. Nani told me that it is strongly frowned upon in traditional Korean food culture. You can dye your hair, but don't mess with your ddeok.


This is what the "dough" looks like with no additional ingredients.




























This is what the "dough" looks like with ground jujube.














THE FILLING
As a product of harvest celebrations, songpyun are filled with beans, chestnuts, or sesame seed pastes. We had three different options:
- chestnuts (밤) mixed with sugar
- sesame seeds (깨) mixed with brown sugar and honey
- sliced jujube (대추) - not pictured




























ASSEMBLY
Please view the video for a demonstration of how to assemble the ingredients.


According to my mom, your ability to make "pretty" songpyun foretells the prettiness of your children (she also says this about making mandoo). My mom claims that she was told that her songpyun were very pretty. Following suit, this means that my sister and I are "neomu yebbeo (so hot, hot)" all thanks to my mom's mad skills. I don't care what you haters think. The songpyun never lie.

Based on the sorry songpyun that I made today, let's just pray that my future children have sparkling personalities.

Nani also told me that the songpyun are half-moon shaped, rather than completely round because the shape suggests that you still have something to fulfill (or to accomplish), while a complete circle suggests that your life is complete; meaning there's nothing left to be done. It's all over. At least, that's what I think she said.

It'd definitely be much easier to roll the dough into a little ball, but I appreciate the significance of the half-moon shape. It's a shame, though that my ineptitude for making pretty half moons will mar the beauty of my future offspring. Mama's really sorry, future kids.

STEAMING
Steam your beautiful little half-moons upon a bed of pine needles. The pine's purpose is two-fold. 1) It keeps the songpyun from sticking to the pot. 2) The pine needles infuse themselves in the songpyun, making the ddeok much more tasty and fragrant.















After steaming the songpyun for about 15 minutes or so (no sure about the timing) rinse the ddeok in a bowl of sesame oil, or if your calorie conscious, a mixture of sesame oil and water. The sesame oil will leave your little ddeok babies glistening just like the ones made by the professionals.

TA DA! THE FINAL PRODUCT














Okay, I know that they're not much to look at, but I think we did a pretty good job. We all especially liked the sesame filled songpyun because unlike those stingy professional songpyun makers, our ddeok was bursting with the sweet, honey paste.

Chuseok is the time to pay respect to your ancestors, hang with your family, and give thanks for the bounty of this year's harvest. I hope you take the time to do this, wherever you may be.

Special thanks to my family (Umma, Emi, Emi's BFF, Nani, and Vice President) for letting me blog and post pictures about our songpyun workshop.

즐거운 추석!

Chuncheon

My mom desperately wanted to get out of Seoul (I don't blame her) and visit a more shigol area. Thanks to the help of my cousin we decided to take a day trip to 춘천 (Chuncheon), the capital of Gangwon Province.

You can get to Chuncheon by car, bus, or train. Heng told me that a 고속 bus would be the quickest option from Bundang, so we caught a bus from the Yaptap bus terminal. About an hour and half-long nap later, we were in Chuncheon (Bus Terminal).















At first, Chuncheon looked a lot like Seoul, only less people, less litter, and less traffic. It was quite nice. We picked up a map from the Tourist Info Center, then with Heng's helpful instructions, headed out to find the bus to Soyang Dam. Unfortunately, people gave us conflicting directions so it took us a while to find the bus stop for the #11 bus to Soyang Dam.

We waited at the bus stop for a little bit, staring at the "Pumpkin" Night Club, but we started to get a little antsy, so we hopped in a cab. The driver said that it would only take 10 minutes, but I think the drive took about about 15 minutes.














The Soyang Dam was an interesting sight. I tried to take a picture, but our taxi driver aka Speed Racer flew up the mountain (I think he was trying to get there in 10 minutes). I didn't even have time to take out my camera.

This picture of the lake (and mom & I) will have to suffice.














Once at Soyang Dam, we were able to take a boat to 청평사잘 (Cheongpyeongsa Temple). I wish my dongsaeng Doogal were with us, but I don't think she would have enjoyed the boat ride. It was short, but quite choppy.

I know this sounds very childish, but the boat ride made my feel like Big Bird in China. Since I usually worked on Saturdays, I never really made an effort to explore the world outside of Seoul. It's easy to mistake Seoul as a representative for all of Korea. I'm not a nature person per se, but I do miss being surrounded by trees and water that weren't planted by a Mayor aspiring to be President. The boat ride on Soyang Lake was a refreshing reminder of Korea's lush, green beauty. I regret not exploring more of the countryside. I must make a point to do so in the future.















Chuncheon is known for its dalk galbi (Spicy marinated chicken) and mak (noodle soup), but we had 감자부침 (potato pancake), 도토리묵 (acorn jelly), and 더덕구이 (some kind of grilled root). Even though there wasn't any gogi, the meal was so tasty, like something your Korean grandmother would make.

도토리묵 (dotori muk) & 감자부침 (gamja buchim)














더덕구이 (deodeok gui)














There are so many food stalls selling absolutely the same thing, so I asked my mom, "How do they make money?"

My mom replied simply, "Luck."














It's a weekday and just before the Chuseok weekend, so tourist traffic was quite low. Apparently, it's quite busy on the weekends. I hope so. Look at those lonely stalls.

We were going to hike up to the temple, but my mom was wearing inappropriate shoes and was not feeling up to the 30 minute hike. Hence, no pictures of the temple. You'll have to use your imagination. Think of something Buddhist.

I finally decided to join the youtube bandwagon, so you can check out some scenic footage from our boat ride. I apologize in advance for the Blair Witch moments. I don't have very steady hands.

We only had the time to look around Soyang Lake, but there is a myriad of activities and landmarks around Chuncheon. You could definitely spend a couple of days looking around the city. Chuncheon is probably most famous for 나미섬 (Nami Island). Yes, you too can walk along the same foot paths as the illustrious Bae Young Joon aka Yon-sama. Chuncheon is also the home of the Gangwon Drama Gallery. It is a Japanese ajumma's Disneyland.

In addition to natural landmarks like Soyang Dam, Mt. Samaksan, and Deunseon Waterfall, you may also want to check out Munbae Village, a traditional folk village, Animation Museum, Chuncheon Shooting Range, Jade Palace, Chuncheon Coffee Theme Park, Yu-Jeong Literature Village, and MBC Children's Museum. You can also golf during the spring, ski during the winter, and paraglide in the summer.

I have not explored any of these attractions for myself, but they definitely sound interesting. I am especially intrigued by something called the "Song Monument of I feel like living in Gangchon" (강존에살고싶네노래비). I swear, I did not make that up. That's how it's listed on the map.

Chuncheon also plays host to a lot of big festivals including the Chuncheon International Play Festival (October), Chuncheon Puppet Festival (August), Chuncheon Mime Festival (May), and the Chuncheon MTB Race. According to the brochure, the Mime Festival is a 5-day event. That sounds...disturbing.

While in Chuncheon, at the very least, you must pick up the English Tour map. It has all sorts of interesting tidbits, including this blurb for the Chuncheon Preserve.














Not sure if you can see it clearly, but the caption reads, "Where you can enjoy with your family." The accompanying photo features a group of hunters smiling in front of bloody bird carcasses.

I'd rather hang out with the mimes, thank you very much.

No, she is not my halmoni.

My mother has been referred to as halmoni (grandmother) since arriving in Seoul. Actually, people have commented that she is a "멋쟁이 할모니." My mother is definitely not a halmoni, but they keep mistaking her for one because of her salt and pepper hair. Only halmonis rock their natural hair colors. Evidently, ajummas, are supposed to regularly dye their hair and get a fresh perm.




Dang, society. Can't a woman keep her natural hair color without being booked into a care home?

Anyway, given that people keep mistaking my mom for a halmoni, you'd think that they'd be a little more respectful (i.e., give up their seat on the bus or NOT elbow her in the stomach while entering the subway car). That definitely has not been the case while in Seoul. What's with young people these days? No respect, I tell ya.

Fancy Cheese...Mmm...

Envious, right?
Last week, we went over to my cousin's house and to our pleasant surprise, we were able to partake in a sumptuous platter of fine French cheese, fresh from France. My cousin's friend, a professional French chef (Le Cordon Bleu, people!) prepared a lovely quiche, while my cousin prepared a yummy goulash.

Cyndi and Piggy Go Home

Cyndi and Piggy left for the Homeland today. Boy, did time fly by! Cyndi left with four pieces of luggage: 2 check-in pieces; a carry on roller bag; and Piggy. Less luggage than you expected, right?

Don't be silly. We shipped a bunch of stuff and had Cyndi's dad take a couple of suitcases back to Hawaii.







After hours of (okay, I exaggerate) of googling in Korean! I managed to find the original lyrics to the song -- I think. My translation is in the parentheses.


원숭이엉덩이는빨개 (Monkey's butt is red)
빨간건 사과 (Red apple)
사과는맛있어 (Apple is delicious)
맛있는건 바나나 (Delicious banana)
바나나는 길어 (Banana is long)
길면 기차 ([If] Long train)
기차는 빨라 (Train is fast)
빠른것은 비행기 (Fast airplane)
비행기는 높아 (Airplane is high)
높은것은 하늘 (High sky)
하늘은 푸르다 (Sky is blue)
푸른것은 바다 (Blue ocean)
바다는 넓다 (Ocean is wide)
넓은것은 지구 (Wide Earth)
지구는 둥글다 (Earth is round)
둥근것은 공 (Round ball)
공은 튄다 (Ball jumps)
튀는것은 토끼 (Jumping bunny)
산토끼 토끼야 어디로 가느냐 깡충깡충 뛰면서 어디를 가느냐
(Mountain bunny, bunny-ya, where are you going? Hoppity, hoppity, running. Where are you going?)

모란 시장

My mom and I went to Moran Sijang today and I'm still slightly traumatized. Having shopped at the open markets in Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and a few neighborhood spots, I thought I understood what sijang is. Dang, was I ignorant.

Moran Market is a true Korean outdoor marketplace. This is where the natives go, yo. The market was bustling with ajummas, ajusshis, halmonis, and harabojis, all looking to pick up some produce, fish, dried foods, flowers, extra large underwear, or transistor radios. I saw absolutely no foreigners, not even gyopos. My mom and I definitely stuck out. I was literally the youngest shopper there.

According to my mom, this is how they used to shop back in her day, and yet, she still seemed taken aback. The primary reason for our discomfort was the line of cages that greet you towards the entrance of the market. These cages were filled with chickens, goats, and dogs for you know what... Heng had mentioned that you could buy dogs at Moran Shijang, but I thought she meant puppies! Not dogs for you know what...

If you take a look at my video, I was ignorantly filming some chickens when I suddenly noticed a cage of dogs. I feel like crying just thinking about them. I had to walk with my big Gap tote in front my face in order to shield my eyes from the line of cages until we were able to exit from that alleyway. I'm trying not to be judgmental, after all, I still eat pigs and cows, but such a sight makes me feel very sad and disappointed.

Seeing livestock so up and close makes me want to become a seafoodatarian. I've occasionally thought about only eating food that I could personally hunt and gather (i.e., seafood and vegetables), but I just love gogi to much and veggies too little. Bacon, hamburgers, fried chicken, meatloaf, steak, samgyupsal, deep fried turkey... it's gonna be hard for me to covert, but I'll definitely try...

The Moran Shijang is only open a few days a month, but thanks to Heng and Kwak-kun Oppa, we learned that the market was open today. My mom was able to pick up dried squid, sesame candy, Korean rice krispy treats, dried anchovies, and some scary looking dried fish, called daegu. My mom says that daegu sells for over $100 a piece in Hawaii. Yowza. She paid man-won per fish. Good deal.

I'm glad that I got to experience an authentic Korean market, but I don't think I'll ever feel the urge to go back. I prefer to get my groceries from a matu, even if it is overpriced. To be honest, Korean open markets are not for everyone. Don't go bringing your visiting relatives from Podunk, Idaho. The sights and smells may be a little too hard to take in if you're just visiting. Stick to Namdaemun instead.

The market is also surrounded by a lot of evangelists -- representing both Christian and Buddhist sects. I have no problem with your desire to share your faith, but don't go and shout in my face with your little a/v system and tell me that all non-Christians will go to hell or that I should buy your Buddhist charm for good luck.




















































Want a virtual tour of Moran Market? Check out the video. (If you don't want to see the cages, skip the first 25 seconds.)


Featured song: "Lesson" - Lee Hyori