Here in Korea, it is pretty rare to see a knife or a fork at the table. When eating rice or soup, they use a spoon. When eating the side dishes or the noodles in a soup, they use chopsticks. On many occasions, food is brought to the table that is too big to fit in your mouth or should be shared. What to do? Instead of everyone having their own knife, every one shares one pair of scissors. It is fun chopping things up at the table with scissors.
One popular kind of Korean dining is the Korean BBQ. The hot coals or fire is in the center of the table and you get long strips of thin meat to cook. Since the meat is too long to eat, you get to slice away at it with the scissors.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Igidae
This morning was chilly and drizzly - perfect for a hike.
Rie and I met Matt, Rie's English teacher, near our house and went for a walk to the nearby park, Igidae Park. We walked along the coast and quickly left the city behind. The trail winds along the rocky shoreline and periodically climbs up to get around cliffs. There are a few Korean Army fox holes along the way and the occasional fisherman down by the water. We even saw one scuba diver getting ready to go for a swim.
After about 90 minutes of enjoyable walking, we came to the end of the land and looked out at the Oryuk-do islands. The Oryuk-do islands are a group of 5 (at high tide) or 6 (at low tide) islands. A bunch of brand-new 50+ story apartment buildings were just built out at the end of the peninsula. Luckily for us, this meant that bus service was out there also. We took a bus back to the university neighborhood and Matt showed us around the restaurant district. We found a bunch of nice places that we want to try sometime.
Since we were all cold and wet, Matt took us to a place for spicy chicken noodle stew. Naturally, it was tasty.
Now we are back home, sitting on our heated floor and warming up. Rie is so warm that she is napping. :)
Rie and I met Matt, Rie's English teacher, near our house and went for a walk to the nearby park, Igidae Park. We walked along the coast and quickly left the city behind. The trail winds along the rocky shoreline and periodically climbs up to get around cliffs. There are a few Korean Army fox holes along the way and the occasional fisherman down by the water. We even saw one scuba diver getting ready to go for a swim.
After about 90 minutes of enjoyable walking, we came to the end of the land and looked out at the Oryuk-do islands. The Oryuk-do islands are a group of 5 (at high tide) or 6 (at low tide) islands. A bunch of brand-new 50+ story apartment buildings were just built out at the end of the peninsula. Luckily for us, this meant that bus service was out there also. We took a bus back to the university neighborhood and Matt showed us around the restaurant district. We found a bunch of nice places that we want to try sometime.
Since we were all cold and wet, Matt took us to a place for spicy chicken noodle stew. Naturally, it was tasty.
Now we are back home, sitting on our heated floor and warming up. Rie is so warm that she is napping. :)
Happy Birthday Rie
Yesterday was Rie's birthday. Since we were in the jjimbilbang and the lights had just gone off, I was able to wish her a Happy Birthday right at mid-night.
After our afternoon Korean lesson, we hopped on a bus and went out to the Kigeong market. It took close to an hour to get out there. It is several beach towns up the road from Pusan. Kijeong is locally famous for its crab restaurants. We walked down the alley where all of the crab houses are concentrated. Each restaurant has a bunch of tanks in front and the tanks are filled with crabs. We found a place we liked and then picked out two good looking crabs. The man helping us threw in a third one for free and put them all in a metal container. He put the container in line for the steamer and we went in and sat down.
The meal started off with a great assortment of appetizers. We ate a kind of pancake filled with scallions, quail eggs, peanuts, kimchi, and seaweed soup among others. When our crabs were done with their sauna, they were brought to the front table where two women with scissors quickly cut them up and arranged them onto a serving dish. Rie and I spent a good half-hour pulling all of their meat out and eating it.
The crab brains came to the table on top of the crab's shell. Rie sent them back with a request for how they should be prepared. A few minutes later, the shell returned from the kitchen, but this time it was filled with crab brain fried rice and topped with some fish eggs.
After some ice cream at Baskin Robbins, we called it a day.
After our afternoon Korean lesson, we hopped on a bus and went out to the Kigeong market. It took close to an hour to get out there. It is several beach towns up the road from Pusan. Kijeong is locally famous for its crab restaurants. We walked down the alley where all of the crab houses are concentrated. Each restaurant has a bunch of tanks in front and the tanks are filled with crabs. We found a place we liked and then picked out two good looking crabs. The man helping us threw in a third one for free and put them all in a metal container. He put the container in line for the steamer and we went in and sat down.
The meal started off with a great assortment of appetizers. We ate a kind of pancake filled with scallions, quail eggs, peanuts, kimchi, and seaweed soup among others. When our crabs were done with their sauna, they were brought to the front table where two women with scissors quickly cut them up and arranged them onto a serving dish. Rie and I spent a good half-hour pulling all of their meat out and eating it.
The crab brains came to the table on top of the crab's shell. Rie sent them back with a request for how they should be prepared. A few minutes later, the shell returned from the kitchen, but this time it was filled with crab brain fried rice and topped with some fish eggs.
After some ice cream at Baskin Robbins, we called it a day.
I got shot
I have always enjoyed eating street food when I travel the world. My mother has been after me for years to get a Hepatitis B vaccine, but somehow I never got around to it. A doctor told us that 10% of Koreans have Hepatitis B and that we should be careful. Since medical care is so cheap here, I figured that this is the perfect place to get some shots. Each visit only costs about $15.
I took off Thursday morning from work and went to the Dong-Eui Medical Center. The nurse from the international section took me around and made sure I did the right thing at the right place in the hospital. So, now I have had my first of three shots.
Rie got her shot last weekend and we will both go back for the second shot next month.
Korea is a very communal place when it comes to sharing food. Often, the main course is served on a big plate and every body just eats from there. Usually, when I order the same soup as the person next to me, it comes in one bowl for us to share.
I took off Thursday morning from work and went to the Dong-Eui Medical Center. The nurse from the international section took me around and made sure I did the right thing at the right place in the hospital. So, now I have had my first of three shots.
Rie got her shot last weekend and we will both go back for the second shot next month.
Korea is a very communal place when it comes to sharing food. Often, the main course is served on a big plate and every body just eats from there. Usually, when I order the same soup as the person next to me, it comes in one bowl for us to share.
Español
Rie studies English at the local university twice a week. The class is made up entirely of Korean housewives whose husbands all earn enough money for them to spend their days having fun. They frequently go out to lunch together after class and Rie has made some good friends there. One of her classmates went to Europe and enjoyed it very much, especially Spain. She is interested in learning Spanish, and somehow, Rie volunteered me to teach her.
In Hak came over for her first Spanish lesson on Thursday. Rie also took my Spanish class. Rie started to study Spanish a little bit last winter when we lived in Kansas. Now, more than ever, I would like for Rie to become fluent. In the U.S., when we want to talk about someone in public, we use Japanese. In Japan, we use English. But, here in Korea, there are so many people who speak English or Japanese, that we have to be careful. For this reason, Spanish would be useful for her.
When we first came to Korea, I was reluctant to speak Japanese in public. Japan colonized Korea in the first half of the last century and were not the nicest overlords. I was afraid that there would be some resentment if I tried to speak Japanese. It turns out, that despite their several millennium of antagonism and continuing differences at the international level, the Japanese and Koreans have a connection and interest in each other at the personal level. Many Koreans have studied Japanese and worked in Japan. So often, if we can't make our selves understood in English, we find success in Japanese.
Anyway, the first Spanish class went well and I am looking forward to the next one.
In Hak came over for her first Spanish lesson on Thursday. Rie also took my Spanish class. Rie started to study Spanish a little bit last winter when we lived in Kansas. Now, more than ever, I would like for Rie to become fluent. In the U.S., when we want to talk about someone in public, we use Japanese. In Japan, we use English. But, here in Korea, there are so many people who speak English or Japanese, that we have to be careful. For this reason, Spanish would be useful for her.
When we first came to Korea, I was reluctant to speak Japanese in public. Japan colonized Korea in the first half of the last century and were not the nicest overlords. I was afraid that there would be some resentment if I tried to speak Japanese. It turns out, that despite their several millennium of antagonism and continuing differences at the international level, the Japanese and Koreans have a connection and interest in each other at the personal level. Many Koreans have studied Japanese and worked in Japan. So often, if we can't make our selves understood in English, we find success in Japanese.
Anyway, the first Spanish class went well and I am looking forward to the next one.
More Korean Language study
Friday evening Korean class was postponed because of our jjimjilbang excursion. We got home around noon, took a nap, and went to class at 3pm on Saturday afternoon instead.
Our instructor had given us a famous old Korean song to study and we read that for him. Yesterday's class reinforced my growing suspicion that the Korean Language is not as easy as I thought. I was excited to learn that Korean only has 24 letters. But, now I realize that they have another 15 or so two-letter combinations that make their own sounds. That by itself would not be too bad, but they also don't always pronounce letters the way they sound when you say the alphabet. We spent much of our last two classes learning about how different letters change their sounds, depending on what other letters are nearby.
The end result after one week of Korean lessons is this: Before we started the classes, I thought I could read. Now, I see I have a long way to go. On the positive side, since the class is taught in Japanese, my Japanese is improving.
Rie of course, is progressing quickly. She is discovering more and more words that are similar to Japanese words. Lucky her.
Our instructor had given us a famous old Korean song to study and we read that for him. Yesterday's class reinforced my growing suspicion that the Korean Language is not as easy as I thought. I was excited to learn that Korean only has 24 letters. But, now I realize that they have another 15 or so two-letter combinations that make their own sounds. That by itself would not be too bad, but they also don't always pronounce letters the way they sound when you say the alphabet. We spent much of our last two classes learning about how different letters change their sounds, depending on what other letters are nearby.
The end result after one week of Korean lessons is this: Before we started the classes, I thought I could read. Now, I see I have a long way to go. On the positive side, since the class is taught in Japanese, my Japanese is improving.
Rie of course, is progressing quickly. She is discovering more and more words that are similar to Japanese words. Lucky her.
Jjim Jil Bang
We had a great Friday night / Saturday morning. On Friday night, we met two Japanese women and one Australian man for dinner. We went to the Jagalchi Market. The Jagalchi Market is a multi-story building on the water front - facing Yeong-Do Island. On the ground floor are many people selling live fish. We went upstairs to a small restaurant run by Rie's friend's friend. We ate lots of great seafood for not very much money.
After dinner and a stroll around the Nampo-Dong shopping district, we went to a Jjimjilbang. Ever since I first read about this sort of place, I have been eager to check one out. A Jjimjilbang is the Korean version of a hot sauna place, with an extra special room up top.
We all paid our entrance fees and then split up. The women went to the fourth floor and David and I headed up to the third floor. The sauna floor was typical of what I have seen elsewhere in Korea - lots of places to stand or sit and wash yourself. After a good scrub, there were about 6 or 7 different temperature and style baths to soak in. The warmest baths at this place had salt water. The baths in front of the big window overlooking the harbor and island had very powerful jets coming up from the floor and I could not find a comfortable position in them. The room also had four hot saunas of varying temperatures and one ice sauna.
After washing and soaking, we headed up to see what makes this style of sauna special. We put on the pajama-like shorts and shirt that we were issued at the entrance and went up to the fifth floor. Rie and her friends were already waiting for us upstairs. A jjimjilbang is a sauna with a napping room. The sleeping floor was a big open room that overlooked the harbor. People who don't want to spring for a hotel room go there for a cheap place to sleep.
The floor of the main room is hard tile, but is heated from below with the ondol system of piped hot water that is common in Korea. They had a pile of over-sized bath mats that you can use to claim your spot on the floor and also use as a blanket if you get cold. We set up camp in the middle of the room. Somehow, even though we had had a big dinner and a small dessert, we were ready for some more food. We went to the snack bar and bought a big bowl of shaved ice that was covered with sweet beans, chewy rice cakes, and some canned fruit. Instead of paying there, we they just held our key chain up to a sensor and got charged at the front on the way out the next day.
On the sleeping floor, there were also about 7 different saunas. One had reed mats and was only about 100 degrees F. One of the hotter ones had a white-sand floor and another had a black-pebble floor. They also had a computer room where people played games or cruised the Internet.
The main room had a few TVs and lots of people talking and eating, so it was not the best for sleeping. Off to the side they had about ten little caves. They were about 4 feet high and three feet wide and had room for one or two people to crawl in and lay down. They stayed full all night, so I never got to go in one.
At mid-night, they shut off the TVs and most of the lights and all 100 or so of us went to sleep on the hard floor. Between the previous hot baths I took, the heavy cotton pajamas I wore, and the heated floor, I got pretty warm. At around 3 a.m., I woke up and went into the ice sauna for a little while. They keep the temperature right around 0 degrees F in there.
I did not have the best night sleep, but it was an interesting experience. It has been my experience in other large-group sleeping situations that people just grumble at the loud snorers, but don't do anything. That is not the case in Korea. Any time one of the drunk men started to make too much noise, someone nearby would shout at them and tell them to stop. One of the cleaning women even went and woke up some snorers just before the morning.
I watched the sun rise over Yeong-Do Island and then played on the Internet until everyone else woke up. We ate breakfast in the attached restaurant when it opened at 9:30 and left the jjimjilbang at around 11 a.m.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
On the roads
I was a bit nervous before my first ride to work last week, but now I am getting pretty comfortable with it. The ride takes about 15 minutes, plus 1 to 5 minutes for traffic lights. There are a few small hills, so even if the temperature is in the 40s, I get pretty warm.
When we first got to Korea, the plethora of 50+ story buildings with helicopter landing pads on the roof and crazy traffic patterns all seemed overwhelming, but now it is old hat. After a few weeks of observation, I feel pretty comfortable on the road. I now know when to stop at a red light and when to ignore it.
I got my Korean driver's license from the Army base last week and drove a car for the first time on Wednesday. My boss and I had a two hour drive after a meeting and I took my turn at the wheel. I warned her that I don't drive as fast as she does, but I do tend to get places safely. I figured out that if I drive slowly after a traffic light, everybody else zooms ahead and then the road is empty just for me. My boss laughed when I shared this observation.
My daily commute takes me along an industrial area, so I wear a mask to keep some of the fumes out of my lungs. In the morning, most of the trucks are sitting on the side of the road waiting for the ports to open and I can race by them to work. In the evening, most of the trucks are sitting in the road - stuck in traffic - so I can race by them and go home. Either way, the traffic that cars get stuck in tends to disappear when you ride a bike.
When we first got to Korea, the plethora of 50+ story buildings with helicopter landing pads on the roof and crazy traffic patterns all seemed overwhelming, but now it is old hat. After a few weeks of observation, I feel pretty comfortable on the road. I now know when to stop at a red light and when to ignore it.
I got my Korean driver's license from the Army base last week and drove a car for the first time on Wednesday. My boss and I had a two hour drive after a meeting and I took my turn at the wheel. I warned her that I don't drive as fast as she does, but I do tend to get places safely. I figured out that if I drive slowly after a traffic light, everybody else zooms ahead and then the road is empty just for me. My boss laughed when I shared this observation.
My daily commute takes me along an industrial area, so I wear a mask to keep some of the fumes out of my lungs. In the morning, most of the trucks are sitting on the side of the road waiting for the ports to open and I can race by them to work. In the evening, most of the trucks are sitting in the road - stuck in traffic - so I can race by them and go home. Either way, the traffic that cars get stuck in tends to disappear when you ride a bike.
Dog is Gae
I speak English at work and so many Koreans can communicate well enough in English that I have had a hard time picking up the language. We wanted to take night classes at the local university where Rie takes her English class, but they are on a two month break. Rie checked out a bunch of places and found a school for us. It is just outside the university - a 15 minute walk from our apartment.
We take classes three nights a week, for one our at a time. We had our first class on Monday and practiced making all of the Korean sounds. Some of the vowels are tricky. Our teacher speaks Chinese and a little bit of English. Unfortunately for me, he speaks great Japanese and that is the language he teaches us in. So, I am learning Korean from a Japanese speaker. As you can imagine, that is a bit of a challenge for me. I am not always quick to answer questions because of all the translations involved, but Rie is always next to me to help me out.
Rie started learning to read Korean last weekend. It is not too difficult to learn and she is almost as good as me now. I think she will get good very quickly because of all the overlap in vocabulary and grammar between Korean and Japanese.
The one word I remember from class is Dog. Dog is Gae.
We take classes three nights a week, for one our at a time. We had our first class on Monday and practiced making all of the Korean sounds. Some of the vowels are tricky. Our teacher speaks Chinese and a little bit of English. Unfortunately for me, he speaks great Japanese and that is the language he teaches us in. So, I am learning Korean from a Japanese speaker. As you can imagine, that is a bit of a challenge for me. I am not always quick to answer questions because of all the translations involved, but Rie is always next to me to help me out.
Rie started learning to read Korean last weekend. It is not too difficult to learn and she is almost as good as me now. I think she will get good very quickly because of all the overlap in vocabulary and grammar between Korean and Japanese.
The one word I remember from class is Dog. Dog is Gae.
Monday, December 8, 2008
My first Korean bicycle commute
I rode my bike today for the first time. It was not as bad as I feared. The truck fumes were a bit much, but the traffic did not feel too dangerous. Of course, I took all of the precautions I could. I added a rear-view mirror to my helmet, a highly-reflective vest to my body, a second flashing white light in front and a second flashing red light in back. I also added the world's loudest bicycle horn. It is 115 decibels. That is very loud. I did not get to use it today, but I am looking forward to the day that I can make a truck driver jump out of his skin.
When riding in traffic, I subscribe to the theory that car drivers usually watch the road. They don't watch the sidewalk. They don't watch the edge of the road. They watch where they are going, for the most part. For this reason, I try to be highly visible and right in front of them. I take up most of the lane and make them pass me slowly. Also, if one car is stuck behind me, then no other cars are going to be zooming past me.
The ride to work took under 20 minutes. It was a nice way to start the day.
When I get to work, I have to show my ID to the security guard at the front gate. Today, he told me that my vehicle is not registered with the base. I had to ride to the other base in Pusan and register my bicycle. It was only 15 minutes away. Now my bike has a big red registration sticker on it.
I'm a stranger here myself
In Japan, when I wanted some American food at the grocery store, I had to go to the special foreign food section.
In America, when Rie wanted some Japanese food at the grocery store, she had to go to the special foreign food section.
In Korea, when we want some American or some Japanese food at the grocery store, we have to go to the same special foreign food section.
It is nice to both be foreign together.
In America, when Rie wanted some Japanese food at the grocery store, she had to go to the special foreign food section.
In Korea, when we want some American or some Japanese food at the grocery store, we have to go to the same special foreign food section.
It is nice to both be foreign together.
I'm a winner with the Won!
The Korean currency is called the Won. Last year it took about 1000 Won to buy a U.S. Dollar. The Won had a bit of a crash last month and now the exchange rate is nearly 1500 Won to the U.S. Dollar. This 30% drop is not so good for Koreans who want to buy items from overseas. But, for those of us earning Dollars and spending Won, it is wonderful. Korea was already a fairly cheap country before. Now it is great.
The biggest bill they have here is 10,000 Won. That is about $7. I don't have any local debit cards yet, so we are paying for everything in cash. A few hundred Dollars comes out to many hundreds of thousands of Won. In Dollars, you can carry $200 in two bills. The equivalent amount of money in Korea takes about 30 bills. My wallet is straining.
A typical meal in the places we like to eat costs us about 10,000 Won for both of us. The nice foreign restaurants we have tried were in the 30,000-50,000 Won range. A ride on the subway costs under 1000 Won and a twenty minute taxi ride is usually under 10,000 Won. Actually, taxis are pretty cheap. They start at around 2000 Won and the numbers don't start going up for a mile or so. Even once they start changing quickly, it is only in increments of 100 - less than a dime.
The biggest bill they have here is 10,000 Won. That is about $7. I don't have any local debit cards yet, so we are paying for everything in cash. A few hundred Dollars comes out to many hundreds of thousands of Won. In Dollars, you can carry $200 in two bills. The equivalent amount of money in Korea takes about 30 bills. My wallet is straining.
A typical meal in the places we like to eat costs us about 10,000 Won for both of us. The nice foreign restaurants we have tried were in the 30,000-50,000 Won range. A ride on the subway costs under 1000 Won and a twenty minute taxi ride is usually under 10,000 Won. Actually, taxis are pretty cheap. They start at around 2000 Won and the numbers don't start going up for a mile or so. Even once they start changing quickly, it is only in increments of 100 - less than a dime.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A man's home is his castle
Rie and I are still getting settled in. We don't have our washing machine hooked up yet and we are still using the kimchi fridge instead of the huge American refrigerator. We have lots of half-unpacked things in two of the bedrooms and the queen sized bed in the third.
The nicest room in the apartment is the living room. The fake-wood floor looks nice and so does all of the wooden furniture and fixtures. The ondol makes the room nice and comfortable as well.
We don't sleep well on a regular bed and prefer the thin futon on the floor. So, we have pretty much shut off the three bedrooms and laid out our futon on the living room. We live in the living room and kitchen. The bedrooms are just used for storage at this point.
Our living situation reminds me of those old noble families in England. Over the centuries, as their fortunes dwindled, they shut off various wings of their family estates and lived in smaller and smaller portions of their castles.
The nicest room in the apartment is the living room. The fake-wood floor looks nice and so does all of the wooden furniture and fixtures. The ondol makes the room nice and comfortable as well.
We don't sleep well on a regular bed and prefer the thin futon on the floor. So, we have pretty much shut off the three bedrooms and laid out our futon on the living room. We live in the living room and kitchen. The bedrooms are just used for storage at this point.
Our living situation reminds me of those old noble families in England. Over the centuries, as their fortunes dwindled, they shut off various wings of their family estates and lived in smaller and smaller portions of their castles.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
We make a good team
Rie and I have had some difficulty finding Korean language lessons that fit our schedule. Most classes are offered during the day. We found a night class at the nearby university where Rie studies English, but because of the approaching holidays, they did not have enough students to offer their December-January class.
In the meantime, we are both picking up bits of Korean here and there. I concentrated on learning to read and write. Five hundred years ago, the King of Korea decided that it did not make sense to use Chinese characters to write the Korean language. He had his advisers come up with a new written system that was better suited to the Korean language. The result was 14 consonants and 10 vowels that are very easy to learn.
At this point, I can sound out most words, even if I don't understand the meaning. If the word comes from English, I am in luck. Otherwise, I am just making sounds.
A lot of Korean words derive from Chinese words. A lot of Japanese words also derive from Chinese. So, when I sound out words, Rie is frequently able to understand what I am saying.
With me reading and Rie understanding, we are managing quite well.
In the meantime, we are both picking up bits of Korean here and there. I concentrated on learning to read and write. Five hundred years ago, the King of Korea decided that it did not make sense to use Chinese characters to write the Korean language. He had his advisers come up with a new written system that was better suited to the Korean language. The result was 14 consonants and 10 vowels that are very easy to learn.
At this point, I can sound out most words, even if I don't understand the meaning. If the word comes from English, I am in luck. Otherwise, I am just making sounds.
A lot of Korean words derive from Chinese words. A lot of Japanese words also derive from Chinese. So, when I sound out words, Rie is frequently able to understand what I am saying.
With me reading and Rie understanding, we are managing quite well.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Our new place
We moved into our lovely 11th floor apartment in LG Metro City today. Our place has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a good sized kitchen and a big living room. and four interior porches/utility rooms. A whole bunch of furniture was delivered from my work, so the place is already a bit full even without our own things. We also got the Internet hooked up today, but we don't have an adapter for our computer yet, so no pictures for a few more days.
LG Metro City is a relatively new neighborhood stuck between the big fancy Gwangalli Bridge and Igidae Park. There are about 30 buildings and each has 25 stories. Our view and sun-exposure are nothing great, but we should be happy.
Korean homes do not use central heat or fireplaces. They use ondol and ondol are great. They have pipes under all the floors and pump hot water throughout. The house heats from the floor up. There are also valves under the kitchen sink so we can turn the ondol on and off separately for each room. Pretty neat.
Koreans eat kimchi with every meal. Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage dish. They like it so much that apartments come with a dedicated kimchi refrigerator. Since our regular fridge is not hooked up yet, we are storing our orange juice in the kimchi fridge. I hope the OJ does not smell as bad as the fridge tomorrow.
The stove that came with the apartment does not have an oven, so we got a second range/oven unit. The gas company will come to hook that up soon. We can cook on 8 burners at once, if we were so inclined.
There is a super market about 100 yards away and a Mega Mart about one mile away. We are also close to a Baskin Robbins, a Dunkin Donuts, an Outback Steakhouse, and a McDonald's. Luckily for us, there are also hundreds of little Korean shops and restaurants in the area.
A very nice old man works in the guard shack in front of our building. He can communicate well enough in English and can watch us on the remote camera when we are in the elevator.
All in all, I think we will be happy here for a year.
LG Metro City is a relatively new neighborhood stuck between the big fancy Gwangalli Bridge and Igidae Park. There are about 30 buildings and each has 25 stories. Our view and sun-exposure are nothing great, but we should be happy.
Korean homes do not use central heat or fireplaces. They use ondol and ondol are great. They have pipes under all the floors and pump hot water throughout. The house heats from the floor up. There are also valves under the kitchen sink so we can turn the ondol on and off separately for each room. Pretty neat.
Koreans eat kimchi with every meal. Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage dish. They like it so much that apartments come with a dedicated kimchi refrigerator. Since our regular fridge is not hooked up yet, we are storing our orange juice in the kimchi fridge. I hope the OJ does not smell as bad as the fridge tomorrow.
The stove that came with the apartment does not have an oven, so we got a second range/oven unit. The gas company will come to hook that up soon. We can cook on 8 burners at once, if we were so inclined.
There is a super market about 100 yards away and a Mega Mart about one mile away. We are also close to a Baskin Robbins, a Dunkin Donuts, an Outback Steakhouse, and a McDonald's. Luckily for us, there are also hundreds of little Korean shops and restaurants in the area.
A very nice old man works in the guard shack in front of our building. He can communicate well enough in English and can watch us on the remote camera when we are in the elevator.
All in all, I think we will be happy here for a year.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Too much food
My bulging belly is glad that we will be moving into our new home tomorrow. We have had a long six weeks of eating out and eating well.When I first discovered Korean food nearly 20 years ago, one of the things I liked about it was all of the extra side dishes that came with the main course. When you order one dish, you get a bunch of extra delicious ones as well.
I really enjoy the side dishes, but there are so many that I am often too full for my main course. In this picture, Rie and I ordered the big bowl I am holding and the bowl of red soup at the bottom. The ELEVEN other dishes were just what the woman who made our food felt like giving us.
My current theory is that no matter what you order, the restaurant will fill the tabletop completely with food. For this reason, I usually look for restaurants with small tables.
A quick apology to Korea
Last week, I mentioned that the Koreans are the most aggressive and least law-abiding drivers I have ever seen. I have now seen a bit more of Korea than Pusan and realize that I was in error. From my slightly broader perspective, I still think that Koreans are not the safest drivers I have ever seen, but all of my previous observations about how bad Korean drivers are still apply to the residents of Pusan. Its a battle out there. That is why I ordered a 115 decibel horn for my bike.
Our first venture out of Pusan
After our great Thanksgiving day with co-workers and Kyung's family and our night in the "Sweet Motel", Kyung came to pick us up on Friday morning. She took us to her family friend and doctor and then we went to eat in a very nice Italian restaurant on the edge of the city. I thought I could see an airplane on the other side of the nearby lake. Kyung told me that the plane is very old and someone parked it there and turned it into a restaurant. It looked good.
Kyung knows that Rie and I like hiking in the mountains. She drove us to the nearby Palgong-san. Kyung thought that Rie and I should hike to the top to see the Buddha, but there did not seem to be time for that. Instead, we all hiked up for about 30 minutes to a small temple complex. Kyung is under 40 years old and follows the typical patterns of a person her age and means. By this I mean that she does not hike much, but she does like golf and designer clothes. I felt bad for her expensive shoes on the walk.
After another night in Daegu, Kyung drove us to the town of Gyeongju. I wanted to visit a Folk Village near there. Kyung drove us to the village of Yangdong. Yangdong is about 600 years old and many of the buildings are well over 200 years old. The Korean government subsidises the inhabitants and in return they maintain the appearance of their homes and gardens and leave portions of the village open for tourists.
We stopped for lunch in a small family-run place that did not seem to get much business. I think it was as much of a cultural experience for Kyung as it was for us. After lunch, Kyung went home and left us with the very capable English-speaking guide. She showed us around the ancient village and gave some good explanations. After the tour, our guide drove us to the main road and we caught a bus back to Gyeongju.
Gyeongju was the capital area for one of the three ancient Korean regional kingdoms. The Silla Empire ruled the area from 57 BCE through 668 CE. We visited the excellent Gyeongju National Museum. They had many artifacts from the nearby tombs and buildings. We saw many gold and iron objects, as well as glass and pottery. The museum could have used a bit more English explanation, but otherwise did a very impressive job of presenting its objects.
We spent Saturday night at another boring love motel near the Gyeongju bus terminal.
Sunday morning we walked to the Tumulus Park. There are ancient burial mounds all around the city, but a bunch of them are protected in the Tumulus Park. One of them, Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb), was excavated and rebuilt as a small museum. We went in and saw where the king was buried, the objects he was buried with, and the way they built a small wooden building over the casket, covered it with rocks and soil and then planted grass.
Next, we walked to Cheomseongdae and saw one of the oldest structures in Korea - a Star Observation Tower. We finished off our tour of Geongju with a visit to Anapji. Anapji was a royal pond and garden.
After a short bus ride, we visited Bulguk-sa. Bulguk-sa is an old Buddhist Temple and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. We looked at some impressive temples and Buddhas and then took a taxi up to the top of the mountain. After paying yet another small entrance fee, we walked along a mountain-top trail to Seokguram. Seokguram is one of the most impressive works of art in Korea (according to my guidebook). It certainly was worth the visit. High up in a cave, facing east towards the ocean, there is a large Buddha statue and a few other carvings.
At the end of a long day of sight-seeing, we took the train back to Haeundae beach in Pusan and are now spending our last night in a hotel. Tomorrow we move into our new place.
Kyung knows that Rie and I like hiking in the mountains. She drove us to the nearby Palgong-san. Kyung thought that Rie and I should hike to the top to see the Buddha, but there did not seem to be time for that. Instead, we all hiked up for about 30 minutes to a small temple complex. Kyung is under 40 years old and follows the typical patterns of a person her age and means. By this I mean that she does not hike much, but she does like golf and designer clothes. I felt bad for her expensive shoes on the walk.
After another night in Daegu, Kyung drove us to the town of Gyeongju. I wanted to visit a Folk Village near there. Kyung drove us to the village of Yangdong. Yangdong is about 600 years old and many of the buildings are well over 200 years old. The Korean government subsidises the inhabitants and in return they maintain the appearance of their homes and gardens and leave portions of the village open for tourists.
We stopped for lunch in a small family-run place that did not seem to get much business. I think it was as much of a cultural experience for Kyung as it was for us. After lunch, Kyung went home and left us with the very capable English-speaking guide. She showed us around the ancient village and gave some good explanations. After the tour, our guide drove us to the main road and we caught a bus back to Gyeongju.
Gyeongju was the capital area for one of the three ancient Korean regional kingdoms. The Silla Empire ruled the area from 57 BCE through 668 CE. We visited the excellent Gyeongju National Museum. They had many artifacts from the nearby tombs and buildings. We saw many gold and iron objects, as well as glass and pottery. The museum could have used a bit more English explanation, but otherwise did a very impressive job of presenting its objects.
We spent Saturday night at another boring love motel near the Gyeongju bus terminal.
Sunday morning we walked to the Tumulus Park. There are ancient burial mounds all around the city, but a bunch of them are protected in the Tumulus Park. One of them, Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb), was excavated and rebuilt as a small museum. We went in and saw where the king was buried, the objects he was buried with, and the way they built a small wooden building over the casket, covered it with rocks and soil and then planted grass.
Next, we walked to Cheomseongdae and saw one of the oldest structures in Korea - a Star Observation Tower. We finished off our tour of Geongju with a visit to Anapji. Anapji was a royal pond and garden.After a short bus ride, we visited Bulguk-sa. Bulguk-sa is an old Buddhist Temple and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. We looked at some impressive temples and Buddhas and then took a taxi up to the top of the mountain. After paying yet another small entrance fee, we walked along a mountain-top trail to Seokguram. Seokguram is one of the most impressive works of art in Korea (according to my guidebook). It certainly was worth the visit. High up in a cave, facing east towards the ocean, there is a large Buddha statue and a few other carvings.
At the end of a long day of sight-seeing, we took the train back to Haeundae beach in Pusan and are now spending our last night in a hotel. Tomorrow we move into our new place.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Happy Turkey Day
Thursday was a holiday, so Rie and I headed out of town for some fun.
We took the bullet train to Daegu - about 100 miles away. They have a very nice bullet train, but they have not finished building the bullet tracks. That means that we take normal tracks and the ride should take one hour. But, to make our first Korean inter-city train ride more interesting, the train broke down in the middle and we had to wait an hour for another train. We were headed to Daegu to have dinner with some co-workers and the big boss. I wanted to call ahead and say we would be late, but we won't get our cell phones until Monday. I knew a few other people were riding up to Daegu, so I just walked through the train until I heard one of my co-workers on the phone to my supervisor saying we would be late.
Eventually, the four of us made it to Daegu and ate way too much good southern-style Thanksgiving fixings.
From dinner, Rie and I went to the main train station and found a nice love hotel. It cost about $22 and was nothing special as a love hotel, but it was a perfectly reasonable regular hotel room. Then we called Rie's friend, Kyung. Kyung lived in Newport News last year and moved back to her hometown of Daegu last summer.
We took the bullet train to Daegu - about 100 miles away. They have a very nice bullet train, but they have not finished building the bullet tracks. That means that we take normal tracks and the ride should take one hour. But, to make our first Korean inter-city train ride more interesting, the train broke down in the middle and we had to wait an hour for another train. We were headed to Daegu to have dinner with some co-workers and the big boss. I wanted to call ahead and say we would be late, but we won't get our cell phones until Monday. I knew a few other people were riding up to Daegu, so I just walked through the train until I heard one of my co-workers on the phone to my supervisor saying we would be late.
Eventually, the four of us made it to Daegu and ate way too much good southern-style Thanksgiving fixings.
From dinner, Rie and I went to the main train station and found a nice love hotel. It cost about $22 and was nothing special as a love hotel, but it was a perfectly reasonable regular hotel room. Then we called Rie's friend, Kyung. Kyung lived in Newport News last year and moved back to her hometown of Daegu last summer.
Kyung picked us up at the nearby Louis Vuiton store and took us to a Japanese restaurant. We ate some great food with her family. Her husband is a neuro-surgeon and his friend owned the restaurant. The sushi chef brought the head of a tuna fish to our table and sliced off some choice cuts of cheek for us. Then he popped out the big eye and gave us some of the tasty middle-of-the-head meat. We went back to the hotel, and thanks to the black-out windows, slept great all night with our big bellies from the two wonderful meals.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I see naked people
I learned to love hot spring when I lived in Japan. Here in Korea, they translate at 'Hot Saunas.' By any name, they are still great.
To most people, one room full of naked men might seem much like any other room full of naked men, but to my discerning eye there a number of differences from what I got used to in Japan. In Japan, many men carry a small towel around and hold it or lay it strategically for modesty. In Korea, nobody does that. Here, they are much more comfortable laying face-up and spread-eagled under the heat lamps. During the pre-soak scrub, fathers vigorously clean their sons and friends frequently scrub each others backs.
Korea has many Hot Saunas and we are looking forward to visiting as many as we can.
To most people, one room full of naked men might seem much like any other room full of naked men, but to my discerning eye there a number of differences from what I got used to in Japan. In Japan, many men carry a small towel around and hold it or lay it strategically for modesty. In Korea, nobody does that. Here, they are much more comfortable laying face-up and spread-eagled under the heat lamps. During the pre-soak scrub, fathers vigorously clean their sons and friends frequently scrub each others backs.
Korea has many Hot Saunas and we are looking forward to visiting as many as we can.
Lay of the land and outdoor enthusiasts
Pusan has about 4 million residents. The city has three subway lines and takes about an hour to cross by subway. It has four distinct downtowns. It is also criss-crossed by 2000 foot mountain ranges. It is great. You are never more than a mile or two from a good hike. From our last hotel, I crossed one small street and one big street and then hiked in the mountains for four hours.
Last weekend we took the subway to another mountain area. Especially on the weekends, most of the people riding the trains are 50+ years old and completely decked out in technical outdoor gear. North Face and Columbia are very popular brands here, as well as the local Kolon Sport and Black Yak brands. Needless to say, I feel very comfortable around here with all of the fellow hikers.
As soon as we left the station, there was a man selling trekking poles. That was a great sign. We took a cable-car to the top and then walked in the hills for four hours. We got lots of great views of the city and, since it was a clear day, we saw the nearest Japanese island of Tsushima as well. We finished the hike at Beomosa Temple and then went for a hot soak.
Last weekend we took the subway to another mountain area. Especially on the weekends, most of the people riding the trains are 50+ years old and completely decked out in technical outdoor gear. North Face and Columbia are very popular brands here, as well as the local Kolon Sport and Black Yak brands. Needless to say, I feel very comfortable around here with all of the fellow hikers.
As soon as we left the station, there was a man selling trekking poles. That was a great sign. We took a cable-car to the top and then walked in the hills for four hours. We got lots of great views of the city and, since it was a clear day, we saw the nearest Japanese island of Tsushima as well. We finished the hike at Beomosa Temple and then went for a hot soak.
Health Care
Pusan has a bit of a reputation as a health-care destination because the Korean Won is so cheap compared to the Dollar or Yen. There are a lot of medical tourists from other countries who come here for plastic surgery.
Yesterday we took a tour of a local hospital with one of their international counselors. She is a registered nurse and helps foreigners make appointments and figure out their medical needs. The hospital is two hospitals in one. A western hospital and a traditional oriental medicine hospital. So, if you have a headache, they can take x-rays and then prescribe acupuncture.
The hospital offers a four hour full-body medical exam. They take MRIs, do all sorts of tests and only charge about $200.
Yesterday we took a tour of a local hospital with one of their international counselors. She is a registered nurse and helps foreigners make appointments and figure out their medical needs. The hospital is two hospitals in one. A western hospital and a traditional oriental medicine hospital. So, if you have a headache, they can take x-rays and then prescribe acupuncture.
The hospital offers a four hour full-body medical exam. They take MRIs, do all sorts of tests and only charge about $200.
Traffic, Daily Commute, and Public Transportation
We are still living in a hotel, as we have been for one month. At first, we were in Centum City. That was a nice hotel near the convention center, but there were not many restaurants near there. While there, my co-worker Mr. Kim, picked me up every day and drove me to work. Driving with Mr. Kim, I learned about the rules of the road in Korea. There aren't many.
If there is cross-traffic in the road, you stop for red lights. Also, if there are people in the cross-walk, you stop. Other than that, you mostly just go. As fast as you can. This is one of those countries where you can fit three cars side-by-side on a two lane road. You can make a right turn on red, and you don't even need to stop first. Many drivers stop for red lights, but if it safe they don't bother to wait for the green light.
I have driven in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, and Mexico City. I have walked in Kathmandu, Buenos Aires, Rome, Madrid, Marrakesh, Nairobi, Lima, and many other cities, but I have never seen such aggressive drivers as they have here in South Korea. They use the horn a lot, especially taxis. They aren't shy about racing pedestrians to the cross-walk and zipping past you. On the highway, they speed, but then slam on the brakes when they pass the speed cameras.
A few weeks ago we moved to the Seacloud Hotel on Haeundae beach. This is the most popular beach in the country and has lots of great places to eat. I now take either the subway or the bus to work. Usually, I wait for the express bus in front of the hotel and then change to a local bus after 15 minutes and then walk for 25 minutes. The whole commute takes me a bit under an hour, but I don't mind because I am either reading or walking the whole time. It seems like a great way to start the day to me. In the evening, a co-worker drops me off at the subway station.
Buses and trains cost well under $1 to ride. We bought 'Hanaro' cards. I keep the card in my wallet. When I get onto a bus or train, I just touch my wallet to the sensor pad and the money is automatically deducted. Very easy.
If there is cross-traffic in the road, you stop for red lights. Also, if there are people in the cross-walk, you stop. Other than that, you mostly just go. As fast as you can. This is one of those countries where you can fit three cars side-by-side on a two lane road. You can make a right turn on red, and you don't even need to stop first. Many drivers stop for red lights, but if it safe they don't bother to wait for the green light.
I have driven in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, and Mexico City. I have walked in Kathmandu, Buenos Aires, Rome, Madrid, Marrakesh, Nairobi, Lima, and many other cities, but I have never seen such aggressive drivers as they have here in South Korea. They use the horn a lot, especially taxis. They aren't shy about racing pedestrians to the cross-walk and zipping past you. On the highway, they speed, but then slam on the brakes when they pass the speed cameras.
A few weeks ago we moved to the Seacloud Hotel on Haeundae beach. This is the most popular beach in the country and has lots of great places to eat. I now take either the subway or the bus to work. Usually, I wait for the express bus in front of the hotel and then change to a local bus after 15 minutes and then walk for 25 minutes. The whole commute takes me a bit under an hour, but I don't mind because I am either reading or walking the whole time. It seems like a great way to start the day to me. In the evening, a co-worker drops me off at the subway station.
Buses and trains cost well under $1 to ride. We bought 'Hanaro' cards. I keep the card in my wallet. When I get onto a bus or train, I just touch my wallet to the sensor pad and the money is automatically deducted. Very easy.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Life in Korea
Well, I managed to do it again. I am now living and working in my 10th country. This time it is South Korea. Rie and I left Virginia on the 26th of October and got here on the 27th. Two of my co-workers picked us up at the airport and took us to a great hotel in Busan. We quickly settled into our routine. I go to work and do all of my new job paperwork and Rie explores the city and learns about the buses, trains, shopping, neighborhoods, universities, restaurants, etc.
So far in Korea, we have done a few nice hikes in the mountains and explored Busan a bit. I will share some of my initial impressions of this part of South Korea.
There are a lot of people around here who can speak some English. I was able to open a bank account in English. About half of the people we deal with in shops or restaurants are able to do there job well enough in English. It is pretty impressive.
We are still living in a hotel. We moved to one on Haeundae Beach. We have an ocean view from our 18th floor room. We move into our new place in about a week. It will be nice to have a kitchen again and stop eating out so much. Luckily, the eating out has been great.
So far in Korea, we have done a few nice hikes in the mountains and explored Busan a bit. I will share some of my initial impressions of this part of South Korea.
There are a lot of people around here who can speak some English. I was able to open a bank account in English. About half of the people we deal with in shops or restaurants are able to do there job well enough in English. It is pretty impressive.
We are still living in a hotel. We moved to one on Haeundae Beach. We have an ocean view from our 18th floor room. We move into our new place in about a week. It will be nice to have a kitchen again and stop eating out so much. Luckily, the eating out has been great.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Ressurection of the Blog
Hello all,
I am glad you found my new blog. This is the third iteration of my online ramblings. The first blog is at http://www.geocities.com/avramfox/. The second is at http://www.geocities.com/foxavram/.
It has been a bit over three years since my last post and lots of wonderful things have happened since then. Most notable of course, is my marriage to Rie.
Since my last post in May of 2005, I visited friends and family in the US, studied Geography at Arizona State University, completed an Ironman triathlon, ran another marathon, crossed the Grand Canyon in one day, made a few trips to Japan, swam across a big bay in Japan, got married, drove across the US, spent a winter in Kansas, took a cruise to the Bahamas, did a couple of great bike-camping trips in the Arizona desert, started a career with the Federal Government, spent 16 months in Newport News, VA and moved to Korea.
I am glad you found my new blog. This is the third iteration of my online ramblings. The first blog is at http://www.geocities.com/avramfox/. The second is at http://www.geocities.com/foxavram/.
It has been a bit over three years since my last post and lots of wonderful things have happened since then. Most notable of course, is my marriage to Rie.
Since my last post in May of 2005, I visited friends and family in the US, studied Geography at Arizona State University, completed an Ironman triathlon, ran another marathon, crossed the Grand Canyon in one day, made a few trips to Japan, swam across a big bay in Japan, got married, drove across the US, spent a winter in Kansas, took a cruise to the Bahamas, did a couple of great bike-camping trips in the Arizona desert, started a career with the Federal Government, spent 16 months in Newport News, VA and moved to Korea.
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