Cold Noodles and Ice Cream

Man, this summer heat is brutal.  And it just doesn't let up.  It doesn't matter if it's 8am or 8pm, the humidity suffocates me.  Everywhere I go these days, no matter how short the distance, my face is dripping with sweat. It just puts me in a bad mood.  

Why, Korea? Why is your weather so extreme?!

Thank god for 냉면 (cold noodles)

and 아이스크림 (ice cream).

That's right, noodles sitting in an icy vinegar broth.  One of few reliefs from Korean summers.

Green Tea  팥빙수 , shaved ice with fruits and mochi.  Another gloriously cool summer food.

Some German Love

Behold, sausage rugs!

Bierschinken, Blutwurst, Mortadella and Salami--why wouldn't you want one of these? :)

Created by none-other than eine Deutsche Firma, Das rote Paket. I came across this peculiarly awesome home decor yesterday as I was wasting time on the internet and thought German lovers and lovers of Germany alike would get a kick from it. Want to deck your floors with some Wurst?  Click on the link above to see some more photos.

South Korea and Japan

These two countries have a long history with each other and one that I'm not even going to try to recount here, however if you're ever hanging out with a Korean or happen to be in Korea, make sure you're careful what you say about their neighbors.  

Below is a map of Korea you will never see in the ROK.  Do you know why? (Well, other than the Romanised spelling...)

You will never see a map like this in the ROK.

I used this exact map during a presentation I made to a class of 6th graders in my first month here, and I had students falling out of their seats and shouting at me.  Notice the name of the sea between Korea and Japan?  That's right, "Sea of Japan".  The Koreans don't think too highly of this name and instead refer to it as the "East Sea".

The Japanese invaded South Korea twice in the last 5-600 years, and the last invasion was not too long ago.  Japan colonized Korea during the first half of the last century, so the wounds are still pretty fresh, despite having another war (the Korean war) and invasion from their own northern half since then.  If you can't imagine well the passion they feel against their former colonizers, I had a Korean friend over coffee once, liken them to the Nazis.

Another point of contention at the moment is over a little tiny island that lies smack dab in between the two countries.  Dok-do as it's referred to by the Koreans, and Takeshima by the Japanese, is nothing more than two tiny little mounds of land in the sea, with no inhabitants, nothing actually. But it is a matter of huge pride to the Koreans that this land remains theirs. The island is so small, it can barely be seen on the map, in fact, if you have a look again at the map above, Dok-do isn't even on it.  But it is none-the-less a big deal.  Don't go messing with Dok-do.  

(Above) Not my picture, but I have seen protestors with similar signs marching in Seoul.  (Below)  A picture of Dok-do: what all the fuss is about .

Just in time for the 4th

Korea is famous for their barbecue, so much so, you can literally find three or four restaurants specializing in BBQ on a single block.  Where American barbecues are famous for having burgers, hot dogs and chicken, some corn on the cob and watermelon, Korean barbecue is a little bit different.  Below you can see a typical setting.  Notice the lack of carbs on the table.  No bread or rolls, and rice isn't usually served either (but of course you can order it).

Grill is built into the middle of the table with lots of side dishes used to eat with your meat.  Garlic, sauces, onions, a special kind of salt and most importantly, different lettuces/greens to wrap your meat in.

The greens are what the Koreans wrap their meat in and then devour using their hands.

How it's done. . .

Some favorites?  Other than 불고기 (bulgogi) (marinated grilled beef), 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) (or three layered pork, kind of like Korean bacon)  and 갈비 (galbi) (ribs can be marinated or not) seem to be some of the more famous ones.

The big three:  bulgogi, samgyeopsal and galbi--맛있는!

*If you're craving more info on Korean meats, this website seems to be a fairly thorough guide. ;) Enjoy.

Culture Class

Despite all the pictures I post of my travels, I'm actually in a classroom the majority of the week. All NSETs are contracted to work 22 class hours per week during the allotted 8:40am-4:40pm work hours, myself included. And while every teacher's school/experience and class schedule is different, I normally work with grades 3-6 two times a week.  This past month, I was asked to give a special presentation for 2nd graders about the US. Here are a few pictures from those classes.

Started out with a quiz to see what the kids know about the USA.  One class picked (D) Will Smith as the American president!

Eager 2nd graders with all the answers!

One girl pointing out our national bird on the back of the US dollar.

Checking out US money.

Teaching them how to line dance to Cotton Eyed Joe :)

Silently coloring their own US flags into their minibooks.

I had such a great time preparing for and giving these classes, I wish every day could be as fun!

Paju Peace Park

Korea is the only remaining divided country in the world, and that makes for some fascinating history--as sad and as troubled as it has been. 

This past Sunday, one of my colleagues invited me to go with her family to the Paju Peace Park which is in the north western part of Gyeonggi-do along the Imjingak river, very close to the DMZ/North Korean border.  Through the eyes of a foreigner here in Korea, it is really interesting to see how South Koreans respond to talk about their Northern counterpart.  I mean, to be fair they are still technically at war, and to be even more fair, it's a war that has been at a standstill for the last 50+ years. The park was built under a special pretence and with a special meaning in mind, but as my colleague said, for her, "it's just a park" and you can totally feel that.  There is a mini-amusement park and kids and families building up tents and picnics only meters away from the peace bridge, peace bell and an observatory deck where you can look direction north. 

I wanted to share some pictures from the park, but if you ever get the chance to go, I would totally recommend it.  Enjoy!

Imjingak, the designated spot for 'peace' in the ROK.  The observatory deck with people looking northward.

Three of the four massive wicker men.  A art piece surely with significance to the north-south conflict, but unfortunately, we couldn't figure out what it was.

This park has patches of colorful pinwheels.  Such a simple but awesome way to add some fun to the park.

The pinwheels from a far. 

 

Bullet holes filling rusted train parts.  To remember the pain both sides struggled during the war.

Even though the other side of the fence is not yet North Korea, barbed wire was surrounding the park and there were a lot restricted areas and signs prohibiting photographs.  Not shown in the photo, is a railroad track leading to the last station in the north of South Korea, Dorasan.

Paying respects with flags and ribbons and letters to the 'other Koreans'.

Page 1 of a very sweet letter a child had written.  With my basic Korean I could decipher the main gist of it.  "North Korean friends, hello.  Quickly unification, so we can play together."

DMZ:  the sign behind reads, "DO NOT COME CLOSE OR TAKE PICTURES."

Riding the Heat Wave

This past Thursday, Seoul and the rest of the nation participated in an emergency blackout drill.  From 14:00 - 14:20, all citizens and businesses were asked to turn off all the electricity and prepare for what they would do if there was indeed a power outage. 

At school, my two co-teachers and I sat in the dark eating ice cream.  Twenty minutes later we went back to our desks and resumed our work on the computers.

I don't know how one can really prepare for a power outage, especially for large-sized farms and businesses, a loss will be had no matter what, but I think the government wants to put the idea in people's heads that it is a possibility.  We've had hardly any rain this year and the heat has been high for the last few weeks, so people have been turning on the ACs non-stop and earlier this year. As a result the national energy level is dwindling dangerously low.  My school in an effort to preserve energy has made a rule that the AC can't be turned on unless it is over 27 degrees (C) (80.6 F) and between the hours of 11am and 2pm. 

As a way to combat the heat, officials in Seoul have suggested a change to the office dress code. Check out the mayor of Seoul below, sporting his colorful, casual summer office wear.  (Such a cute smile!)  For the first time, according to BBC News, government workers have been given permission to come to work in shorts and sandals.

Seoul's mayor Park Won-Soon has promoted casual business for the summer, while Lee, Myung-Bak, the South Korean President, sweats it out in a black and formal suit below--typical business attire in SK.