One Restaurant, One Table, Two Happy WoCLA

By:  Brittany S

One of the things I love most about Korea is the random acts of kindness that occur between Koreans and expats.  The other day, I was waiting for my friend to meet me at 7-11 so we could pop fireworks for 4th of July.  Korean 7-11s have patios with patio furniture on them.  I sat in one of the chairs near a family that was enjoying a meal they brought from home (picnic at 7-11?).  They saw me and immediately tried to get their timid toddler to say "Hi" to me in English.  I smiled and waved at her, then the family started trying to include me in their picnic!

In the same week, my ["Woman of Color Living Abroad"--WoCLA] friend, Perl, told me that her former employer wanted to take her to a very special restaurant and wanted her to bring a [WoCLA] friend to share in the experience.  Up until this very day, I had never heard of this woman, nor her of me.  But, she drove to my apartment to pick me up and take me to this unique restaurant.

I've said this before and I'll say it again--Love knows no language.  My Korean isn't as great as it used to be (thanks to 6 wks in America), but Koreans are very patient with my attempts and they put forth the little English they may know.  Meeting new people is no longer intimidating because of a language barrier.  We always work it out.  Even silence is now comfortable.  On our 30 minute ride up the mountain, the silence allowed us to take in the breathtaking view.

The city I live in is considered a somewhat rural area.  However, there is a rather thriving city life here, so you can avoid the countryside experience if you so choose.  This restaurant was up in the mountains, therefore placing it on the outskirts of town, on a lot of back and windy roads without street signs or signals.  If someone where to ask me today how to get to that restaurant, I'd have nothing to go off of except the more green you see around you, the closer you are getting.

When Perl first told me this restaurant only had one table, I thought either something was lost in translation between her and her former employer, or this place was extremely exclusive and required reservations months in advance.  Neither was the case.  I jokingly said "are we just going to someone's house for dinner?" but when we arrived, that was exactly what it was!  This particular family had chosen to split their home into two parts closed off from one another.  One part served as the restaurant and pottery barn (as all the dishes they use there, from bowls to serving trays to mugs, etc, they make and sell) and the other the residence.  The restaurant was designed with traditional Korean paper all around the interior, and hundreds of hand-crafted items lining every wall and shelf.  The low table was handmade as well.

Our waitress/chef/host was very friendly and very curious about the WoCLA who came to visit her on this day.  We were her first expat visitors!  We spoke as much Korean as we could and filled in the blanks with English.  They did the opposite for us.  When the food arrived, we were given two different kind of salads.  The most interesting part of this was we were served a salad with FLOWERS in it!  I was very surprised that the most satisfying part of the salad was a petal!  My friend and I devoured this part of the meal, thinking this was the main/only course.






Soon, lightly fried eggplant, pumpkin, and mushrooms arrived, as well as a plethora of side dishes.

 



The side dishes looked like different shades of green of the same plant (with a few other variations).  We tried them all.

 



As if that wasn't enough, she brought out a soybean stew and traditional (purple) rice.

 



We wrapped up the meal with omija, a traditional tea that is famous for having "5 flavors" on your tongue.

 


There was so much food leftover and I couldn't believe that we had a 100% organic and vegetarian-friendly meal that was completely satisfying and delicious!  The best part about it was that it cost 10,000won per person (about $9 USD)!

The owner was so happy we came that she gave us our choice of pottery to take with us.  I was so glad Perl invited me to take part in this experience.  Below is a video she made of our experience.  Check it out!

 

(Perl's comment about eating the dog is because we passed my restaurant that I ate dog at on the way here.  That is another story...)

When Eating Live Animals Goes Wrong: The Ultimate Crash Diet

By:  Brittany S

Interested in weight loss?  Have a little extra holiday weight you want to lose?  Trying to uncover your summer beach body?  Recently spend 6 weeks in America and gain 7 lbs (Too specific)?

Well I'VE GOT THE SOLUTION FOR YOU!

EAT SANNAKJI!

What is this "Sannakji" you ask?
A "killer" diet, that's what!  It is literally a diet to die for.


Why?
Because aside from being one of the most dangerous foods in the world, it can help you drop the lbs in a matter of DAYS!


"What do I have to do?!"
It's simple really.  Just watch this instructional video below:

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is THAT SIMPLE and it only takes a few SECONDS!


Eat sannakji and your body will flush out waste over the next few days.  Drink plenty of water.


I personally have lost 6 or 7 lbs on this program.  I'm quite happy with the end result.  But don't just take my word for it.  Read some of our testimonals from actual product users:

ACTUAL PRODUCT USERS!

Testimonials:
Ebony--"I lost 4 lbs in one week...just in time for my wedding!"

LaToya--"I lost a few lbs and was able to take a vacation from work!"


Try it for yourself and discover the new you today!

What I discovered wasn't too exciting.

**Disclaimer:  This is not a true diet nor is it advocating for any type of "diet" or weight loss method that causes the body to lose weight in an unnatural way .  Side effects may include:  diarrhea, vomiting, lack of energy, weight, and pride, Yes, it did cause me and the people mentioned in the testimonials to lose weight by causing us to "flush out waste," but that definitely was not by choice!  Sannakji is really one of the most dangerous foods in the world.  It is live octopus.  Each tenticle has its own brain and even though the sannakji we were served was already chopped up, it continued to squirm.  If you do not chew this food quickly and thoroughly, it can cling to the inside of your cheek and/or your throat wall and cause you to choke to death.  This is not "a diet to die for" but it definitely is a "killer."  There are several deaths annually from this food.  If you decide to try this Fear Factor eligible food, please CHEW CHEW CHEW!

Also, I would suggest you learn from our mistake and eat something first.  We didn't eat beforehand and dined on not only raw octopus, but raw oysters as well.  We've decided that the oysters were the real culprit; the more oysters you ate, the sicker you were (out of the 7 of us who went there, 5 of us were extremely sick afterwards).  When I talked to a Korean person about it, he told me a lot of people have been getting the Norovirus from raw seafood lately.  That is definitely what it felt like.  This is definitely NOT a "date food."  I'd eat ribs or something else sloppy on a date before I'd eat this!  You've been warned.

Happy (Lunar) New Year--Celebrating the Korean Way

By:  Brittany S

In the Western world, the tradition of gathering with friends and complete strangers alike and bringing in the new year.  In some public setting in slacks with button-ups and sequined cocktail dresses, thousands of people gather with flutes overflowing with the bubbly toasting to "out with the old, in with the new" hopes.  Other circles gather in churches or family homes to count down the new year.  Wherever they may be, the new year watch party takes place December 31-January 1, every year, without fail.

But this is the way in the West.

In the Eastern world, some countries celebrate a different (or an additional) new year, a day determined by a lunar calendar (the "standard" calendar to date is a solar calendar).  This means that the day isn't marked by an annual date perse (every Jan 1 for instance), but it rotates.  This year, Lunar New Year was Sunday, February 10.  And I celebrated it with a Korean family.

Think of this as Korea's national "birthday cake"  (Courtesy: Koreanbapsang.com)

"Seollal" (설날) is the first day of the Lunar calendar.  It is traditionally a 3-day holiday (a day both before and after the new year are a part of the holiday).  It is a holiday in which distant relatives return home to celebrate the new year with their extended families.  Although it is not as popular as it once was, many Koreans still dress in the traditional "hanbok" (한복)to the ancestral ceremonies (or at least more formal attire).  They eat "tteokguk" (떡국) or rice cake soup for good luck and to acknowledge becoming another year older.  (Eat this and age a year!)  Other dishes served during Seollal include galbijjim (braised short ribs), japchae (glass noodles with sautéed vegetables), Korean pancakes, hangwa (traditional sweets and cookies), and about a dozen other side dishes of various kinds of fresh vegetables, meat and fish.

Me stuffed in my (tiny) boss' hanbok one day before work.

Koreans perform "sebae" (세배) or a formal bowing ceremony in front of the family's elders.  They sit at the feet of the elders (starting with the eldest), perform one deep bow, say "saehae bok mani badeuseyo"  (새해 복 많이 받으세요--loosely translates to "have a blessed new year"), then sit and wait for words of wisdom and encouragement from the elders.  Elders also give "sebae don" (세배 돈) or pocket money for good luck in the new year as a reward for this gesture.




So what does this all have to do with me?  Well, this year, Eun Hwa (은화, my Korean name) celebrated as well!  One of my friends invited me to celebrate the holiday with her family.  I felt humbled and honored that she would let me share in that tradition, particularly because my Korean language skills are so limited.  I traveled to Cholwon, a small town near the DMZ (the border between the Koreas) and stayed with her in her parents' home.  I was a bit jittery (as I always am when with a Korean family) that I would mess up a custom, offend or at the very least annoy someone with my ignorance.  I was vaguely familiar with the holiday but had never celebrated it.  Plus this was my first time meeting her family and I would be meeting about 20+ people at once!  But my friend was by my side (most of the time) and helped me feel at ease.

A HUGE mountain that spanned practically everywhere we went in Cholwon!

It is a custom to bring a gift (usually food) to the host, but due to the length of travel and my confused jetlagged state (I had only been back in the country for a couple of days), I didn't purchase one of the many Seollal gift sets and grabbed a bag of fruit from my home instead.  Her mother graciously accepted and prepared dinner for us all (her husband, daughter, son, and me).  Afterwards I played "Rummikub" with my friend and her father.  He is such a relaxed person that he made me feel right at home.  We retired to our room for the night and prepared for bed.  This was my first sleepover in a Korean home! :-)

Probably the most unexpected gift set in my American mind.  This thing costs around $35USD!                            (Courtesy: Koreatimes.co.kr)

I thought the bed was very interesting.  It was elevated to the same height to which I am accustomed, but it was not a mattress; more like a boxspring.  It was an electrically heated box in a sense.  It was so warm!  It incorporates the Korean tradition of sleeping on the floor with the Western tradition of sleeping in a bed.  I'm glad I pulled the covers back before I hopped in bed!  I would have really hurt my knees! :-)  The bathroom was unfamiliar to me as well.  The washing machine was next to the toilet, there was plenty of storage space within the bathroom, and there was no sink, but a low faucet about shin height.  Wondering where the shower is?  There is a showerhead attached to the faucet and the entire floor is shower-friendly tile.

If I were to describe a boxspring for a bed and a faucet for a shower to my family, I'm sure some of them (and perhaps some of you) would think I was in a poor house.  That isn't the case at all.  This family has everything they need and then some.  They have more cows than I could count (almost all of which stood up when I walked out to visit them; how respectful hehe) and a few other animals, they have a hearty family business, have traveled and lived abroad, and the list goes on.  Being with them made me question what measures I (or we as Westerners or Americans) use to gauge poverty or being "well-off."  My apartment has a stand-alone shower but is the size of a dorm room.  This family owns a house and land in a country where apartments are the norm.  It also made me consider what luxuries are and how other things can easily serve as alternatives to them.  Their bathroom was almost the size of my apartment!  Who needs a separate section for a shower when you have all of that!?

All cows stood for me except the brown one.  "How now brown cow!?"

The next morning (at 8am) we went next door to one of her aunt's houses to gather with her father's side of the family.  We had a small church service followed by "sebae" and breakfast.  I was asked to participate in sebae as well.  They even gave me sebae don.  I felt as much love from her entire family as if I was her sister.  And all of this without a sentence of English!  From there we went to her family's church (where I sang along with everyone using my new Korean/English bible/hymnal duo) followed by dinner with her mom's side of the family.  Let me just go on record as saying her grandma is ADORABLE!  She was so tiny and I could see the joy in her face as her legacy sat around her.  We performed sebae again, ate dinner, and sat around joking and enjoying each other's company.  Apparently I now need to start dating someone in the family so I can marry one of them. :-)


In the morning, we returned to her grandma's to have breakfast and say goodbye to everyone.  My friend and I headed back to our respective cities and as I was leaving, the family wished me safe travels, gave me a loving hug, and hoped I would return soon.

Sometimes Sebae Don is given in a small pouch.  Ours wasn't, but traditions evolve.  (As seen on:  roryandjamie.com)

I think I found another Korean family!

"Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!"

I Ate Dog, Then I Saw His Kinfolk...Uh Oh

 By:  Brittany S

Yep, you read correctly.  You can stop wiping your eyes, or staring at the screen with your face scrunched up and head cocked to the side.  I, Brittany, ate dog…on purpose.  No I am not starving or in a third world country.  No I wasn’t on Fear Factor or the victim of a really demented dare.  I didn’t get paid for it and outside of this post, I didn’t really cause much of a fuss.  It was just a typical Saturday in Korea and I decided “I think I’ll eat dog today.”

            I know a few of you need a moment to process that.  I’m sure a few of you may feel you know me somewhat if you are a loyal reader of my posts.  I know at least a handful of people are reading this like “I was with you on everything, but DOG?! Really?!  You are on your own on that one.”  Need a moment?  Cool.  Take 5.  Look at this completely unrelated video to ease your mind.

            We good now?  Interested in Ameriquest...or maybe pick up on my subliminal message in the tagline?  Cool.  I know…the next thought after the “Eww!” or “OMG!” is “WHY?!” so here it is:  because they serve it.  I mean as long as it isn’t human (and hey, even that isn’t off limits for some people) and is considered a delicacy (or at least local cuisine) somewhere, then why not?  In my personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with eating dog, but Eastern cultures have started to shy away from it because of how Western (particularly American) cultures have made them feel about it.  Why is it gross or primitive to eat a dog?  I believe it is because we view dogs as household pets and family members at best.  How could you eat a member of the family!?  You savage individual you.  But hey, my Grandmommy had a pet chicken once, and you better believe she can fry a mean bird.

Such eager foreigners.  Our food was getting cold...

            Think about it, why shouldn’t we eat dog---because it is a pet?  Well in that case, Grandmommy eats her pet regularly.  I have a friend who had a pet cow named Oprah  (we are from the same state).  Do you think she doesn’t eat hamburgers or steak?  Ever have a pet fish?  So only the small ones are cute and shouldn’t be eaten but the big ones are fair game?  But you’re right…a dog is a “special” pet.  -_-

            Or maybe that is just unhealthy or unnatural in some way…perhaps even ungodly to have such a meal.  Without turning this into any type of spiritual conversation on what not to eat I will just say pork…really?  Pork is like THE most unhealthy meat we can consume.  No matter what we name it (bacon, ham, pork steak, sausage, pig feet, chitterlings/”chitlins”, etc), it is still terrible for our bodies.  Dog is actually a leaner meat and many Koreans believe it is good for your health.  But, I digress.

My friend was happy to share this part of her culture with me...just not happy that we took so many pictures. :-)

            Bottom line, my reason for eating dog is to say that I am embracing a part of their culture that my (American) culture rejects.  I ate it because I am learning to acculturate myself to the world’s culture and not just my own little piece of earth.  I ate it so the next time someone calls me a picky eater I can say “If only you knew…”  It made me feel a little like a daredevil, too.  Don’t be fooled; it played with my head a little when I saw the food in front of me.  I just scooped up a large spoonful and shoved it in my mouth before I could over-think it.  After that, it wasn’t that bad!

WARNING: First bite of dog causes you to change colors.

            I ate it in two forms: a bibimbap and a soup.  I prefer the bibimbap form.  The meat was lean and spicy.  It tasted a little like goat (yes I have eaten that, too…is that one off limits too? J Oh well…).  I sat there with my friends chatting away as if we were sharing a pizza.  Of course we took a TON of pictures (as it was my American friend’s first time eating it as well.  My Korean friend just shook her head and laughed at us.) to document our “Bucket List” event.  Would I eat it again?  Yes.  HOWEVER, I don’t see myself ever getting a craving and saying “Hey, let’s eat dog tonight!”  I WOULD however eat it again if a friend wanted to try it and was scared to do it on their own.  Friends don’t let friends eat dog alone. ;-)  In the meantime, bring on my Grandmommy’s pet chicken and my friend’s pet cow!

It comes out like this...

...then you add raw egg and white rice, stir, and VOILA!

It doesn't look so bad...right?

            The workers were so nice to us and very worried about us foreigners eating dog.  They constantly asked us if it was ok and if we thought it was delicious.  This is exactly what I mean.  Poor Koreans, all worried about what us foreigners think of something that makes them happy and isn’t really our concern.  After we finished eating, we were escorted to a bus stop and informed that it will take about 25 minutes before the next bus comes.  Not even three minutes later after we ate Fido, FeFe, and Fluffy, a dog goes sniffing around in the field in front of the restaurant.  We all just looked at each other like “Uh Oh.”

The victim...

            As time progressed and a bus still hadn’t come, we started making up a whole story about that dog.  It sniffed its way all the way to behind the restaurant and we pronounced him dead on arrival.  After we had a good laugh about it and the dog STILL didn’t resurface, we stopped smiling.  Where exactly do they get the dogs for the restaurant anyway?  I’ve never seen “Beef, Chicken, and Dog” listed at the grocery store.  We imagined the dog fell victim to a bug zapper meant for dogs and would soon be served up.  To make matters worse, shortly thereafter a man came walking by looking for something (or someone).  He practically traced the steps of the dog and eventually ended up behind the building…for a loooonnng time.  Oh great, now the bug zapper got him, too!  That explains why the field on the side of the restaurant looks like the earth was freshly turned.  Poor guy…didn’t stand a chance.

The crime scene...

            Just when we have completely turned our innocent dining experience into a sick horror story, our ride comes and it is time to leave this place.  Even in my brave moment of eating that meal, a tiny part of American me wondered where the dogs came from and felt sorry for the dog I saw.  What can I say, I can’t overcome everything at once—Rome wasn’t built in a day!

12 Things About Korea That Make Me Smile…Now…(But Not Before)

By:  Brittany S

I can’t really say I had “culture shock” when I arrived in Korea, but I will say there were several things about Korean society that I didn’t really care.  But it’s funny how things work out; now I like them!  I guess all I needed was time.  Here’s a short list of a few of my new likes.  (NB: When reading this article, be sure to click on the highlighted texts so you can see the associated images and video clips)

1                    K-Dramas:  In my opinion, soap operas in general are over-the-top and not the highest quality of acting (just overly emotional, beautiful faces).  But Korean Dramas are even more extreme.  Someone is ALWAYS angry, crying, sad, and/or dying.  They are SO CHEESY!  But, I will say, on any given day, one might be playing in a restaurant or on a bus and it is VERY entertaining to “dub” them with a friend.  You should hear what we come up with.

I have no idea what this one is about but I can make up one heck of a story about it.

2                    Commercials:  If you watch the commercials here, ½ the time you have no idea what they are advertising (what does a talking radish have to do with a phone plan?) or you have no idea WHY they are advertising that (and in that way).  When I got over the futility of the commercials to me, I found them to be quite comical.

 (Top: Yea, you were thinking it...especially on the slow-mo's. O.o

  Bottom:  We definitely don't advertise ice cream like THIS back home.)

 

  

3                     Cafés:  I am not really an avid coffee drinker and if I was Stateside, you probably wouldn’t find me in a Starbucks (or anything similar) for service or hanging out.  But here it is possible to stand on the corner of a street and see four different chains at one intersection.  Eventually, you make time for the cafés and it becomes a bit of your social norm.

4                    Dogs: I LOVE dogs…but not “purse dogs;” you know, the dogs that never walk, but just get carried.  Those are pointless to me.  But here, usually only foreigners have bigger dogs (a bulldog is considered big here).  I was slightly annoyed with people carrying dogs, but when you see all the little cute doggie clothing they dress them in (and occasionally they dye their fur some neon colors), you can’t help but say “Awww…”

TOP: Even dogs get to wear "hanboks"--traditional Korean clothing (As seen on weddinggraphics.xanga.com) BOTTOM: Not uncommon to see a dog that looks like it's been playing with a hi-lighter.  The owner usually looks really reserved, too.

5        Konglish:  Korean-English can frustrate a native speaker:

Me: Bus Terminal

Taxi Driver: (yes?)

Me: Bus Terminal

Taxi Driver: (YES?)

Me: *sigh* (pronounced: “Buh-suh, teh-mi-nal”)

Taxi Driver: Ahhhhh…

Me: -____-

BUT, there are times where it is REALLY funny.  I often search for Konglish and/or English translation merchandise just so I can get a quick laugh.

I don't want any "butt cheese" at all!  I don't care if it's American!

 (As seen on: "Quilly in Kowea")

Could you tell this was about "Dirty Dancing"?

6                    The Staring:  Sometimes it is innocent and you can see the curiosity in their eyes, but other times it is condescending and flat out RUDE.  Originally I was quite offended, but now I just imagine all of Korea is a catwalk.  If I catch you staring, get ready for the show.  I’m about to think I’m Naomi, and I might even wink/blow you a kiss.  Now who’s uncomfy? ;-)

7                    “Can you…?”: Although their intentions are good, I absolutely HATE when Koreans ask:

“Can you eat spicy food?” (No, if I eat it, it will cause my body to combust.  -_-)

“Can you use chopsticks?” (Not at all, not even to style my hair. I don’t understand these mystical sticks.” -_-)

So now I reply to them with:

“Can you eat a hamburger?” or

“Can you use a fork?”

When they think my question is absurd, my point has been made and life goes on. :-)

8                    “Where are you from…Africa?”:  Now don’t me wrong, I don’t see my skin color’s association with the Motherland as an insult.  I embrace it.  (But, as a Black American, if you say I’m African, where exactly am I from?  In reality, if you say I’m an African-American, does that mean I’m like Obama with 1 African parent, or Charlize Theron, a S. African native?)  The reason Koreans think I am African is for no other reason than that I am not White.  Whoaaaa…since when is America monochromatic?  Then whenever Koreans put anything about Africa in their media, it is usually derogatory in some way.  So in some cases, a person calling me African might mean it as a slight.  No need in getting mad anymore.  I just ask them “Are you from Japan?”** and that usually settles it.

9                    Korean hierarchy: This Confusionist culture is admirable.  I wish Americans respected and looked out for each other more like Koreans do, especially in when it comes to education.  You should see the complete authority that a Korean co-teacher demonstrates in our classes.  With that being said, there are times that as a foreign English teacher, nobody tells you anything and it all pertains to you!   Then if you do find out, they only tell you ½ truths, and at the last minute, all the while not including your input.  Fortunately, as time goes on you learn how to beat the system and to navigate “the Korean way.”

10                Walking Everywhere:  There have been times that because of #9, I ended up going on long hikes in sandals.  Honestly, if I had tennis shoes, I’m not sure how much better off I would have been.  It’s a little shameful how out of breath I was getting.  But now I am used to it and I feel healthier.  Plus my legs look amazing! ;-)

11                Being Told To Go To The Hospital:  In America, especially for someone who can’t afford to take off work and/or does not have insurance, we only go to the hospital if it’s an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.  The first few times someone forced me to go to the hospital here, I thought there would be major problems because of the language barrier, and that it would cost me an arm and a leg.  In both cases I have been wrong.  Most doctors speak quite a bit of English, no matter the city.  Also, I have been to the ER, gotten a prescription, and had an ultrasound done and had a follow-up visit when my lymph nodes were swollen and all of that cost a little over $100 (without insurance).  Plus it only took about 30minutes!  So now if I even THINK I’m getting sick, it’s off to the hospital I go! Why not?

Koreans often LEAVE the hospital and go around town just like this. (As seen on: lauraeff.tumblr.com)

12                Shopping Difficulties:  Back home, you can try on almost anything before you buy it.  Here?  NO.  In fact, many places sell “Free Size” clothing so you can either fit that one, or none at all.  Considering I’m not built like the average Korean woman, this would irritate me and I would often end up buying something that had I been able to try on, I would have put back.  But now I shop like a pro.  I walk in, check the price, hold it up to my body, then buy it.  I also have become less materialistic.  Some things I can’t even buy here (like shoes for instance) and I am ok with only using what I have over and over, after all, see #6.

I mastered the art of shopping and shopping as art. ;-)

**If you don’t know the history between Japan and Korea, please research it.  In short, to associate them with anything Japanese is a bad idea and vice versa.

***Many of the links used in this post are from two of my favorite comical sites about expat life in Korea.  One is called "Dear Korea:  a random comic made by a random expat" and the other is "#kikinitinkorea"  Please support these two!  They are good laughs and VERY accurate.