Lazy Sunday today. The most excitement was after our housekeeper SY prepared dinner, she took me to the nearby health club to sign me up. She had searched high and low for several months for a suitable health club. The first week we moved here, we asked her about this one just a couple blocks away. For some reason, she thought that was not suitable. I don't know how many different ones she called, at one point she was recommending one some distance away. Something about the age of the facilities, the number of clients, and the condition of the equipment. For various reasons, mostly frequent travel over the holidays, we kept putting off actually signing up. Finally in February I told her I wanted to sign up right away. But, she said, it is very bad to sign up in February - many Koreans join the health club then as a result of Lunar New Year's resolutions (this is my rough translation of what I think she told me). These people make the club very crowded for the month of February, but then it tapers down to reasonable crowd in March. Also, about this time, she changed her mind and agreed that the one very close was actually the best place. March came around, and she and I were both just too busy, and then last week I took a short trip to Taiwan. FINALLY, today we sign me up.
I am now a proud member of Yang Chun Sporens Co, Ltd., Health Club. I have privileges at both the health club facilities AND the squash - excuse me, in Korean, we say "squashie" courts. I chose NOT to use the Golfing or Jazz Dance facilities. The Stumbling Engineer is so handsome and already knows all the dance moves, so the teacher and students would just be intimidated 8-). NOT. I have also made a special arrangement with the owner (via SY). When I leave the country for business or vacation, he will extend my membership accordingly. Woohoo!!!!
We took a short tour of the place - On the 2nd floor, there are the health club facilities - treadmils, cycle machines, weights, etc. As we walked by, SY says to me - here is the Men's Locker room where you will change. She opens the door and immiately shuts it and turns red. I open it and glance inside. It is much different than what I would have experienced back home in the US. Usually there is some small maze or wall at the entrance to a locker room. Not at Yang Chun's club - you are immediately in a locker room, and right in front of me was a naked man changing into his clothes. We regained our composure, SY telling me several times "I didn't see anything", and proceeded up more stairs. I think I will get ample exercise just walking up the 4 flights of stairs to the squashie courts, never mind actually playing the game.
I figure since I am reasonably skilled at racquetball, it won't be hard to pick up squashie. I saw some playing tonight, and it looked somewhat similar, but something didn't quite seem right. The most obvious thing was the ball is smaller, and maybe isn't quite as bouncy as a racquetball. Then I saw a basket of squashie balls, so I tried to bounce one on the floor. Yikes - it was like bouncing a ball of clay. Almost NO bounce. This is going to be interesting. I met my squash instructor tonight, and I have my first lesson tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect, but I am sure it will be interesting. I think I will go 30 minutes early and do some treadmill and listen to some K-Pop on my iRiver.
Recycling is big in Korea. I can't speak for everywhere in US, of course, but I think here in Seoul we recycle far more stuff than we do in my home town. Today I observed two examples of recycling of a different sort. We were running low on two items this week, chocolate powder and dish soap. SY bought refills for each. Now I have seen refills in US, but those are normally in bottles or boxes. These refills were in foil envelopes. I refilled the chocolate powder can, and fortunately all my foil pouch contents fit into the can. I am certain that all the dish soap did not fit in the little bottle we have, but I didn't notice what SY did with the remainder. I would worry that it will leak all over the place - there was no obvious way to seal the pouch once you cut it open. I kind of like this refill idea - I mean, how many dish soap bottles or chocolate powder cans do you really wear out in a year?
Well, that's all tonight. Better get some good rest for my first lesson tomorrow. I'm sure by the end of the week I'll be teaching the instructor a trick or two from my racquetball days....
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Dinner Again, with Legend
Mrs. Stumbler pointed out that it was difficult to identify all the food cooking on that hot rock. So I prepared a new photo with annotations. Sorry for the poor color text - click on image for a larger view, and the text should be clearer.
Annotated Pork 
Dinner and the Shell Game
Last night my Korean colleague and I ate one of my favorite dishes, 김치 삼겹살 (kimchi samgyeopsal). I also hear this is probably one of the most unhealthy Korean dishes! First, about the kimchi. As for many westerners, kimchi was an acquired taste for me, although it was reasonably good tasting the first time I tried it. Now it tastes delicious to me. But normally kimchi is served cold. In this dish, it is served hot, and also you will note all that pork "flavor" runs down through the kimchi. It is a fabulous taste! Every time I eat 삼겹살, it tastes better. Last night, I even observed that EACH BITE was tasting better throughout the meal!!!
After dinner, we adjourned to a nearby bar for some more business discussions. There I saw one of the most ironic sights from my many Korean food experiences. During one of my very first visits to Korea, I was shocked when me and my Korean friends were served shrimp. They popped the whole shrimp in their mouths and ate, head, tail, shell and all. I could not tolerate this, and had to peel mine and remove the head and tail. Last year, during another meal, we were served some crabs which our colleagues ate, shell and all (ouch ouch ouch). "This is the Korean way", we were told. So I have this picture in my mind that Korean people have an amazing tolerance to eating shells.
I burst out laughing last night when the bartender lady brought us a small dish of peanuts, the type with a paper-thin coating, or shell, around them. She proceeded to peel this layer off each peanut, making a pile of "edible" peanuts for us to eat! I laughed so hard they wondered what was wrong with me. Once I explained it, they got a kick out of it, too. I still don't understand why it is okay to munch on a shrimp or crab shell, but you have to peel your peanuts, but that's okay. This is one area of Korean dining etiquette where I will continue to break the rules.
Kimchi Samgyeopsal (notice it is cooking on a sloping rock)
After dinner, we adjourned to a nearby bar for some more business discussions. There I saw one of the most ironic sights from my many Korean food experiences. During one of my very first visits to Korea, I was shocked when me and my Korean friends were served shrimp. They popped the whole shrimp in their mouths and ate, head, tail, shell and all. I could not tolerate this, and had to peel mine and remove the head and tail. Last year, during another meal, we were served some crabs which our colleagues ate, shell and all (ouch ouch ouch). "This is the Korean way", we were told. So I have this picture in my mind that Korean people have an amazing tolerance to eating shells.
I burst out laughing last night when the bartender lady brought us a small dish of peanuts, the type with a paper-thin coating, or shell, around them. She proceeded to peel this layer off each peanut, making a pile of "edible" peanuts for us to eat! I laughed so hard they wondered what was wrong with me. Once I explained it, they got a kick out of it, too. I still don't understand why it is okay to munch on a shrimp or crab shell, but you have to peel your peanuts, but that's okay. This is one area of Korean dining etiquette where I will continue to break the rules.
The Shell Game
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Extra Firm
My business colleague, John, and I moved here back in November. Because of our travel schedule, I ended up being here alone during the first few days of moving in to the officetel. As such, my duties included shopping for two beds. We had three ladies we hired to help us select furniture, and two of them accompanied me that day to shop for beds. I had a hard time figuring out what style mattress to chose, and finally after an overseas phone call on my handphone to John, we settled on a reasonably firm style for our beds. While I sipped some green tea that the salesman had given us, there proceeded perhaps 15 minutes of loud back and forth discussions between him and the ladies. To my ear, this did not seem like a friendly conversation, and I learned later it had something to do with the price, although I could tell other things were being discussed. About halfway through the exchange, I fully expected some poking or slapping to commence. Then, just as abrubtly as it had started, they finished up the conversation and the deal was struck.
One the way out of the bed section of the store, I saw this "rock" bed (see photo). My mattress barely tips the firmness scales when compared to this beauty! But by this time, I had already paid for the two "normal" beds, so I decided not to change. I was told that these "rock" beds have built-in heating sytems, which I suppose would be nice. However, in my officetel, I can get almost this level of firmness by sleeping on the wooden (and heated) floor. But I admit, rock is most certainly harder than wood. I guess the only bed more firmer than this would be made from diamonds. I will never complain about a matress being too firm again.
I'll have mine extra firm, please.
One the way out of the bed section of the store, I saw this "rock" bed (see photo). My mattress barely tips the firmness scales when compared to this beauty! But by this time, I had already paid for the two "normal" beds, so I decided not to change. I was told that these "rock" beds have built-in heating sytems, which I suppose would be nice. However, in my officetel, I can get almost this level of firmness by sleeping on the wooden (and heated) floor. But I admit, rock is most certainly harder than wood. I guess the only bed more firmer than this would be made from diamonds. I will never complain about a matress being too firm again.
Bandannas
Last night was "normal" Friday night for me - normal meaning no plans, or any plans I do have get turned upside down. Not that I mind, whenever a plan changes, I have always had a good time. Maybe there is a lesson for me somewhere... Anywho, last night was shaping up to be a McDonald's dinner. You see, even though I know enough Korean to order food in most places, I feel a little awkward going into a nice place and eating alone. Sometimes when alone I will eat dinner at home or perhaps at a Korea fast food place, where eating alone is not unusual. But for some reason I was heading for McD's, even though it is my least favorite place to eat.
I was rescued from the misery of McD's by my housekeeper (more about her in another post). She called me as I was leaving, and as usual, asked me where I was and what I was doing (I feel like she is my mother hen sometimes). She found I was going to eat alone, and it turns out her plans for last night were cancelled, and she insisted to meet me for dinner. We had galbi, and I heard all about her motor scooter problems in the high winds yesterday. After stuffing ourselves, she went to meet a friend nearby and I went to one of my favorite bars for a couple of beers. This bar owner is a very nice lady who everytime comes to say hello to me, and often will give me a "service" item like fruit. Last night she opens up this bag full of what looks like hot dogs (in the bun) wrapped up in gold colored paper. She gives me one, and all the staff insist I open it right there. It turns out to be a package of three bandannas. Two of them were maps of Korean mountain park areas, and the third one (in the photo) appears to be a no smoking message. I thanked her very much, and I am now the proud owner of some of the fanciest snot catchers in Seoul.
I was rescued from the misery of McD's by my housekeeper (more about her in another post). She called me as I was leaving, and as usual, asked me where I was and what I was doing (I feel like she is my mother hen sometimes). She found I was going to eat alone, and it turns out her plans for last night were cancelled, and she insisted to meet me for dinner. We had galbi, and I heard all about her motor scooter problems in the high winds yesterday. After stuffing ourselves, she went to meet a friend nearby and I went to one of my favorite bars for a couple of beers. This bar owner is a very nice lady who everytime comes to say hello to me, and often will give me a "service" item like fruit. Last night she opens up this bag full of what looks like hot dogs (in the bun) wrapped up in gold colored paper. She gives me one, and all the staff insist I open it right there. It turns out to be a package of three bandannas. Two of them were maps of Korean mountain park areas, and the third one (in the photo) appears to be a no smoking message. I thanked her very much, and I am now the proud owner of some of the fanciest snot catchers in Seoul.
No Smoking Bandanna?
Friday, March 11, 2005
Welcome
My first post... my friends have been telling me to start blogging my korean days, especially since they now seem numbered. So let's go. I am an American engineer, who has been travelling to Asia and Korea since 2001. Since November last year, I have been living in Seoul. I will document my many stories here for family and friends. I will try to mix in each post a story from the past and a current story. Enjoy...
-Chris
-Chris
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
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