I've been meaning to share this tip for awhile now... it's a pretty good one.
Now, that I'm back to using keys, I kind of miss the keypad locks back int the Motherland. Back at the officetel, I never had to worry about locking myself... that is, unless, the batteries died!
If you're in your apartment, it's easy to switch out the batteries, but what do you do when you come home, and the keypad doesn't work because the batteries have died? Yikes!
Fortunately, Cyndi's dad figured out the trick: All you need to do is run to the nearest mini-mart and purchase a 9V battery (the boxy one). Place the top of the battery (both circley parts) against the little circular metal "pad." You'll know that everything is working when the keypad lights up and makes some weird noises. You will have to hold the battery for awhile (around 5 minutes?). Caution: The battery will get quite hot (another sign that it's working), so I suggest that you wrap the battery in your T-shirt or scarf.
This is only a temporary fix, though. You'll want to change the AA batteries as soon as you get back into the apartment.
Perhaps this is common knowledge, but we (me, Cyndi, my mom, and sister) were a little astounded. We definitely felt very MacGyver when we charged up the keypad with the little ol' 9V battery. I'm sure there's some simple scientific explanation behind this quick fix, but I lost my ability to comprehend scientific principles after I got into college.
Saw this video on the Frederator Blog. It made me giggle, so I thought I'd share.
You're probably familiar with "Take on Me" by A-ha. (Come on now, what else are you going to sing at the noreabang?)Well, some clever folks posted their version on youtube. It's the original video, but the song has been redone to literally narrate what's happening on screen. It's pretty hilarious. The "sketchy arm" line had me laughing out loud.
We went to see Eagle Eye this week. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the film. I have to admit, I hadn't known what the film was about. I just knew that it was Shia LaBeouf's big debut as a leading "man."
Aww. Look at little Shia, all grown up, with facial hair and everything.
Before I give you the low-down on Eagle Eye, can I just ask, since when have theaters allowed "outside food"? On the way to the AMC theater, I stopped at the Cinnabon because it had this big sign that said something to the effect of, "Buy your snacks here. Don't let yourself get ripped off by the movie theater. Let us rip you off with our stale mini-bons instead." This new open food policy is a pleasant surprise. It is a little tricky to sneak in Bubble Tea without a little spillage.
Anyway, about Eagle Eye, here's the gist:
Jerry Shaw (Shia LeBeouf) is a fast-talking clerk at the Copy Cabana. He is presumably a smart guy because he was a former Stanford student. Unfortunately, due to his failure to consult with an advisor from the Undergraduate Advising or the Freshman Dean's Office (in my opinion), he dropped out a couple of years in, and is consequently, so broke that he can't even afford a razor (also, my interpretation). His woes worsen when he loses his brother to a fatal car accident.
Jerry returns from his brother's funeral and miraculously finds $750,000 in his checking account. On top of that, he returns to his apartment and finds boxes and boxes of various terrorist paraphernalia (fertilizer, guns, false passports, etc.), all of which he did not order. Suspicious... After rifling through all of the boxes like an idiot, Jerry receives a phone call from a mysterious woman who instructs him to run or else be seized by a battalion of FBI agents and charged for terrorist shenanigans. And, here, lies the main premise of the film. The mysterious caller, through the various wonders of modern communication technology, instructs Jerry to complete a series of dangerous tasks at the risk of grave consequences. Though Jerry tries to ignore the calls, she always manages to get a hold of him. It's like she can see his every move. It's like she has an EAGLE EYE. Dun dun dun. Meanwhile, young Marcia Gay Harden, a single mother (Michelle Monaghan) finds herself in a similar predicament to Jerry, and sooner than later, meets up with the young lad. Together, the duo brave the mysterious caller's menacing demands, try to figure out what Jerry's dead brother has to do with anything, and desperately attempt to evade the EAGLE EYE. Dun dun dun.
Oh, yeah, meanwhile, the duo, presumed to be terrorists, are pursued by Agent Billy Bob Thornton (played by Billy Bob Thornton).
My thoughts:
Shia LaBeouf, the young whippersnapper, is definitely going to live up to his hype as the next big leading man (barring drug addiction, a same-sex love affair, or premature balding). I think he's got the potential to be the next Will Smith. Probably. Maybe. Possibly? He can cry real tears and deliver sharp quips, a mile a minute. The boy is quite talented. I have great faith in Shia LaBeouf's future, but I don't think he's quite ready to play a "man", especially opposite a woman who looks like she could be his mother. The boy may have a deep voice and probably a DUI under his belt, but he's only a few years out of Even Stevens. He's not old enough to star in an action film that requires him to wear a suit.
The rest of the cast is just as solid, but something bugged me about each of them: Billy Bob Thornton -- His fake teeth. Rosario Dawson - Every interaction with a male character always seemed like it was heading towards romance. I like Rosario Dawson as an actress, but her character was pretty pointless. Michelle Monaghan - She looked too much like Marcia Gay Harden. (It took nearly the entire film for me to figure out who she looked like.) The "Mysterious Caller" - She was like a talking Sunday Advertisement Pull-out. The "caller" would essentially say things like, "Go to the Macy's and buy a new outfit" or "Go to the Circuit City Home Entertainment Center and wait for my next message, now available in HD. Don't forget to ask your sales associate about our new zero -down, 0% APR offer." It was so annoying. Whatever happened to subliminal messaging?
As for the plot, I have to say that the premise was intriguing, but then I realized that the film was basically a mix of [SPOILERISH ALERT]...
Saw and I.Robot, only with cell phones.
The movie would have been fun if the filmmakers didn't try to get all lofty at the end and cram in themes about national security, human rights, retribution, personal freedoms, and communication technology. I don't want to give anything away, but it seemed like the film sort of unraveled at the end. It's rather disappointing because the filmmakers did a good job of building the suspense and action in the first half of the film, but then, as if they realized that the movie was getting too long (or maybe the hole was too deep and there was no turning back), they hastily brought it to an end.
How about a convoluted metaphor to help illustrate my point? It's like we were all hitting at a pinata. At first, we diligently cracked the pinata's paper mached exterior at a steady pace, but suddenly, we realize that it's time to go blow out the birthday candles, so your mother grabs the pinata and runs it over wither her car. Then, everyone's like, "Yeah, I guess that works..." Later, we all leave the party with drooped shoulders, clutching paper bags filled with crushed hard candies.
Maybe some kids came away from the party with M&Ms and bubble gum, but I only got crushed butterscotch and strawberry candy. I appreciated the ideas behind Eagle Eye, but the end result wasn't very impressive. Plus, all the gratuitous car chase scenes made me experience a little motion sickness. That's no fun.
The thought of a Forever 21 launch party in Seoul is so strange to me on a couple of levels. First of all, as I mentioned previously, Seoul is basically one large Forever 21. You can find similar fashion items (if not the same exact thing with a different tag) for a fraction of the price in Edae, Kangnam, or Dongdaemun. Secondly, I still remember when Forever 21 was just a step above Rave or Jean's Warehouse, a place to buy your clubbing outfit for under $20. Now's it's become the mecca of the budget fashionista.
You have to admire the founders of Forever 21 for seeing the potential in Korean manufactured fashions and their ability to make it appeal to the American Mall demographic (i.e., Asian Americans).
Speaking of malls, Forever 21 had yet to open before I left, but I did see the Coming Soon signs at the newly built M Plaza (located right next to the Body Shop). I'm calling it. In about ten years, Myeongdong is going to become one big shopping mall. Yeah, I'm talking American style. Who knows? It may even have a Cinnabon and an Orange Julius.
Perhaps malls do not fit with the "here today, gone tomorrow" model of many small retailers in Seoul, but I think Korean consumers will quickly become accustomed to large, somewhat organized merchandise displays and air condintioning.
Mark my words. (And if I'm wrong, I'm going to blame the economic woes of 2008)
I'll see you in December, Forever 21 Myeongdong. If you're still there, that is...
I've sort of trapped myself into a terrible, terrible sleep pattern. I would like to blame it on jet lag, but I've been back in the States for nearly two weeks, so I'll need to find another excuse. I basically can't fall sleep until around 4 AM, which means that I end up sleeping until noon. This also means that I end up missing breakfast! I'm supposed to have three square meals a day. This is no good.
I've been trying to push myself into a non-vampire like sleep schedule, but I'm traveling to Hawaii in a couple of weeks, and then back to the Motherland in a month and a half. Perhaps all my efforts will be in vain?
It's now 2:45 am, and I've spent the last thirty minutes watching Weird Al music videos on youtube. (Thanks a lot, Wired Magazine.)
Anyway, my whole reason for posting was to inform you that Weird Al just released a parody of T.I.'s hit, "Whatever You Like." Oh, Weird Al, you are one funny dude.
If you've been keeping up with SNL or seen all those "Rock the Vote" T-shirts on celebrity folk, then you probably already know that the U.S. Presidential Election is just around the corner. I've already picked my candidate, but just for safe measure, I thought I'd consult with my trusty new advisor, Lego-Man.
Lego-Man may only be seven-years-old, but he's a pretty smart kid. I mean, he already knows how to do pre-Algebra and build a motorized Ferris Wheel out of Legos. After dinner, I asked Lego-Man who he'd select as President. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he said John McCain. Say what? What could an intelligent seven-year-old possibly find appealing about a man like Senator John McCain?
So I had to ask Lego-Man, "John McCain? Why John McCain?" "Because he was on the cover of TIME for Kids," he replied simply.
To be fair, Lego-Man, Barack Obama also made it on the cover of TIME for Kids.
Lego-Man may still be a wee young lad, but we couldn't allow such blithe decision making. Thus, his Auntie Joyce and I put him on the hot seat and forced him to explain himself -- on camera.
I can't blame Lego-Man's fickleness when it comes to selecting candidates. He is, after all, only seven. However, his emphasis on picking whichever candidate was the most "popular" is a reminder that popularity is probably the most important criteria during school elections. In grade school (and high school for that matter), more often than not, we picked the candidate that was our friend, the person we thought had the most friends, or the person that all our friends were voting for. This sort of voting works in grade school when the biggest decision the student council president makes is the theme of the next pep rally, but there is so much more to consider when you're voting for the foremost leader of the nation. I know that a lot of people (myself included) have a tendency to vote for their favorite "clique", but I do hope that people are a lot more thoughtful with this forthcoming election. I mean, look what happened when people voted for the rich, party-boy. If people really thought about who would make the best president, I think the choice is obvious. Forget the super-senior with the pretty girlfriend. Let's pick the smart underclassmen with the sparkling personality. Are you with me people?
With all the Pink Berry shops scattered throughout L.A. and pictures of those Hollywood gals "eating" the trendy fro-yo , I think Korean yogurt's sort of become passé. The popularity of Red Mango definitely seems to be on the decline in the Motherland, replaced by over-priced waffle cafes and Roti Boys.
Nonetheless, we were all pretty excited to see a couple of new Red Mango shops pop up in the area. We took Piggy to the Red Mango next to Cupertino Library.
The Red Mango yogurt here is a little different. I'd say it's a little more tart. It's got a stronger yogurty flavor. The Korean Red Mango is sweeter.
Toppings were complimentary in Korea, but here in the U.S.of A. (We're going through hard times out here, if you haven't heard), you have to pay for each topping. Outrageous, you say? Not really given that the fruit is FRESH! Yeah! Fresh blueberries! Captain Crunch! Mmm... Despite the individually priced toppings, the end price comes out to about the same as the yogurt back in the Motherland.
Red Mango America is Piggy approved.
Soo ordered the green tea yogurt. It looks so naked without any toppings.
Felix told me that the former Survivor winner Yul Kwon owns one of the Red Mango(es?). Looks like he owns the one on University Ave. in Palo Alto. (And, he's engaged, Cyndi!)
Power to Red Mango and its gyopo founder, but it must be said that before Red Mango, before Pink Berry, before Fiore, there was Yami Yogurt at Ala Moana Shopping Center.
We drove up to the City on Saturday to celebrate the Not My Cousin Daniel's Birthday. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures! Happy Birthday to Not My Cousin Daniel!
On Sunday, we celebrated Piglet Eugene's 2nd birthday. I made Martha Stewart's Monkey Cake, and Cyndi helped me to frost it up and make it look like a piggy. Piglet Eugene wasn't feeling well, so his mom requested a cake sans frosting. We disobeyed...but we did make him a plain cupcake decorated with a bit of decorating gel.
In movies and books, the protagonist often comes back from a year abroad having experienced some great change or epiphany. I'm more of a gradual change type of person, so I can't say that I came back from the Motherland transformed in some fundamental way (other than some eyelash extensions and a cheap dress addiction). On the other hand, after a few days in the Homeland, I've noticed that I picked up a few new habits and preferences from my time in the Motherland.
Okay, people. Sit back and relax. It's time for another list.
10 Signs That You've Just Returned from a Year in the Motherland (aka South Korea) (in no particular order because I don't like to rank things)
1. Immediately after finishing your meal, you walk up to the cash register and demand the check only to have a perplexed hostess say to you, "Please have a seat. Your server will bring you your check."
2. You forget to tip your waitress. "Oh, right. 15%. What? 20%? That's outrageous! Service is my divine right!"
3. You openly examine yourself in reflective surfaces without any hint of sheepishness or irony.
4. You wear heels to do un-glamorous tasks like walking the dog or buying detergent at Target.
5. You eat samgyupsal without any rice. You don't have the "meal" or shiksa until after you've had your fill of grilled gogi.
6. You go out in public even though your face is a shade lighter than your shoulders. (In my defense, I'm not purposely trying to look "whiter." I'm just trying to cover up my blemishes with some b.b. cream!)
7. You crave a steaming hot tang or jigae on a blistering summer day.
8. You take pictures of yourself. Eww. Not those kinds; ones of you acting cute or silly, usually with the camera angled above your head.
9. You automatically bow with every greeting or thank you, as if you were some Geisha robot.
10. Social gatherings never end with one round. You need to at least hang out until sam-cha, "round three." Typically, 1-cha is dinner. 2-cha involves soju. 3-cha is the time to sober up at the noraebang. If your night carries onto the 4-cha or 5-cha, you'll need to make sure you have the number for a cab or daeri-oonjun.
I'm really glad that I didn't drive in Seoul. I can only imagine the gnarly driving habits I'd have learned. Running red lights and stop signs, u-turning wherever I pleased, swerving into lanes like a convict on the run -- I'd be an accident waiting to happen.
I just spent most of the day grading papers and writing up progress reports (Yes, thanks to the magical powers of the Internet, I am bringing the exciting world of hagwon all the way to my little apartment in California), so I'm just taking a quick blog break.
I will blog more tomorrow, but can I just write a big, uncharacteristic OMG in response to the tragic, tragic news of actress Choi Jin Shil's suicide?
Choi Jin Shil used to be one of my favorite Korean actresses. She was the star of my high school favorite 별은내가슴에 (Star in My Heart). She was sort of the Julia Roberts of Korea. She was beautiful, but was also known for her likable persona. The news of her suicide is quite distressing. I can't imagine what her family and friends are going through.
I hate to generalize, but where as many American celebrities often turn to drugs or alcohols (and public displays of foolishness) to drown out their woes, Korean celebrities (at least within the last few years) seem to turn to death. Is this cultural, coincidental, or one of the new dangers of a life in the public eye? Whatever the case may be, I hope recent tragedies inspire awareness, discussion, and change.
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.)
My sister sent me the link to Josh Groban performing a medley of theme songs from the past 60 years of TV, including my jam from the Golden Girls. The clip is from Sunday's 2008 Emmy broadcast, so you better watch it before they take it down from youtube.
I usually stick to Onstyle, Fox Life, CGV, or OCN when watching TV in Korea. Other than the music shows and a few dramas, Korean shows have always been a little too "busy" for my tastes. After watching the third season of Project Runway for the umpteenth time, I have become more interested in a few variety programs. In case, you were interesting in watching more Korean TV, here are a few of my picks.
무한도전 Infinity Challenge MBC/Sat 6:35 PM This one is a classic, starring some of those most popular male MCs in Korea, including my MC crush, Yoo Jae Suk. Each episode, the cast is given a special mission where hilarity inevitably ensues. Past missions include sportscasting live matches at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; a traditional Korean meal with Paris Hilton; and more recently, preparing for Chuseok dressed in drag. (I really wanted to see that episode). I think this is one of those shows you can enjoy without knowing a lot of Korean. Their exaggerated expressions and reactions are universally goofy.
미녀들의수다 Global Beauty Talk Show KBS / Mon 11:05 PM
If you are a young foreign woman who speaks at least a smidgen of Korean, you've probably had a Korean person say, "You should audition for Misuda!" I used to watch this show back at home with Cyndi's mom (Thanks, youtube!), but haven't been watching the program as often now that I'm actually living in Korea. This show features young foreign women from around the globe (okay, mostly Asia) who share their experiences and thoughts about life in Korea. The show seems to be running out of original topics, but when it first began, the show offered interesting insight into the perspective of foreigners (the non-laborer types) in Korea. Most of the panelists are not ethnically Korean, so their level of Korean is quite impressive -- definitely better than mine.
I've only seen a couple of episodes, but watching Shin Dong do the U-Go Girl dance cracks me up to no end. During each episode, Jung Jae Yong (from DJ DOC) and Shin Dong (from Super Junior) are assigned to learn a dance from a popular music video. After tutorials from professional dancers, they are ambushed throughout the week with pop dance quizzes where they are then forced to perform an excerpt of the dance. It doesn't matter if they're having dinner or getting their hair done at the miyongshil, they must dance. I can't recall the consequences for failing the test, but I think it's some form of shame. At the end of the episode, Jung Jae Yong and Shin Dong must perform the entire routine (in costume). I think they're allotted up to three mistakes -- collectively.
At first my emo-bu couldn't understand my mom & emo for staying up late to watch this show, until one night, he watched a full episode, and then he was like "I see." The premise sounds lame at first, but stick with me. Popular celebrities are paired up by the producers and assigned to live as a married couple. This show is what VH1 would probably label as "Celebreality." The marriage and scenarios are completely staged by producers, but the show is driven by the personalities and chemistry of the celeb participants. Each couple represents a marriage archetype. Every WGM fan has their favorite couple (or spouse). I think that a person's favorite is very telling about an individual. My mom, for example, likes Crown J. A! He's showy, but sweet. I guess my mom is more of Seo In Young type of gal. My emo, on the other hand, likes Alex. I'm a big fan of Alex the singer, but Alex the husband is too romantic. He's really big on "events." I can't say that I'm a fan of anyone in particular, but if I had to pick, I'd go with Kim Hyun Joong from Double-S501. I am by no means into those so-called "idol" groups, but I do like the fact that he is goofy and weird, though a little dim. He also reminds me of a Japanese actor that I like.
This one's a current favorite. Each week, the celebrities, acting as family, take an overnight trip to the countryside, somewhere outside of Seoul. The producers send the current residents (usually a halmuni and harabuji) to spend a relaxing night in the city, while the "family" takes over. During their stay, the cast plays games, does chores, cooks for themselves, and torments each other -- just like a real family. The show seems to be growing in popularity thanks to the excellent chemistry between cast members. Off course, my crush, Yoo Jae Suk acts as the family patriarch. His interactions with Daesung (boybander from Big Bang), Lee Hyori (formerly of FINKL), and Lee Chun Hee (actor) are especially fun to watch. After watching the show, I also realize why Hyori is such a big deal. She's really quite personable and funny.
SBS Thurs 8:50 PM Wow! How? I haven't really been watching this series since moving to Korea, but my mom is a big fan. This show features segments of curious (Oh! Wow!) events, things, and people from around the world (Okay, mostly Asia). For example, I once saw a segment about a girl in China who eats chunks of dirt -- by choice. She cooked dinner for her family, and then took out a side of dirt for herself. Wow! I also recall a segment on a Korean man who eats crab shells and bones, as if they didn't have the potential to hurt his jaw. The show had the man consult with a dentist, and his teeth appeared perfectly normal.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
New Question: Can you please tell me the direction for the batting practice please? submitted by PP
Of course. Especially since you asked so nicely! I'm not terribly good with directions, so I had to ask Cyndi. She says that the batting cages are at the end of Insadong; opposite from Anguk station (i.e., all the way at the other end). The batting cages are near the little B-boy stage.
Cyndi went the extra mile and even made us a little illustration. I never knew that she had such impressive Paint skills.
I'm mostly a pseudo-expert on B.B. creams and cheap shopping, but if anyone else has got any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
Hello. Thanks for stopping by! The short story is: I am interested in the way children learn and like helping them find the fun in learning.
I'm also really into cute things.
If you'd like to know more about me professionally, here you go:
http://about.me/anna.ho
I've been meaning to share this tip for awhile now... it's a pretty good one.
