Top 5 things....

... that I miss most about Korea!

5. Hearing a mixture of k-pop and 90s pop music a-la the Backstreet Boys playing in most coffee shops and restaurants.

4. Free internet available in any and every open public space.

3. Cutesy dancing, cartoons and costumes being considered appropriate for any and all situations (remember, this includes campaigning for national elections).

2. Getting in my daily dose of kimchi. Ridiculously addicting.

And last but DEFININTELY not least,

1. The PEOPLE.

I will carry with me forever from my first year in Korea memories and friendships that have left a permanent mark on my heart. Everyone from my co-workers and my precious students, to the people that I volunteered with, to the friends and family members who became my network of love and support for my time overseas-- even down to the couple who ran the corner store down the street from my apartment, and the lady who spoke perfect English at the bank-- meant so much to me. Each in their own way played a special role in God's shaping, challenging and changing me over the past year, and I am so thankful to Him for bringing them into my life, and for allowing me to be a small part of theirs.

Summer Heat

Summer is DEFINITELY here. It is difficult for me to find words to express just how oppressive the humidity of a Korean summer can be. I step outside, my skin immediately feels wet and my hair rapidly grows to resemble some sort of creature out of a small child's nightmare.

Fortunately, Koreans have a number of tried and true ways to handle the summer heat, and, not surprisingly, most of them involve *food.*



1. Patbingsu
This was actually my first Korean dessert experience upon arriving here, and it made me want to STAY. Patbingsu consists of shaved ice loaded with sweetened red beans, various fruits, candies, and pillowy ddeok, and is often topped off with sweetened condensed milk or ice cream. Mix it up like bibimbap and enjoy!




2. Mul Naengmyon
A favorite in my household growing up, Mul Naengmyon is one of the most popular foods consumed during the Korean summertime. "Naengmyon," literally meaning "cold noodles," consists of buckwheat noodles in a cold beefstock broth. It is most often served in a big metal bowl and topped off with a few thin slices of beef, strips of radish, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, and sliced Asian pear. I usually also like to add a dash of vinegar and some wassabi-like mustard to give it a bit of a kick. This dish is the perfect refresher for a hot summers day.



3. Oi Sobagi
This summertime kimchi is another favorite of mine. The cool, fresh taste of the cucumber with the spicy tang of the crushed red peppers that are hot enough to make you sweat is a surprisingly great combination on a hot summers day.





4.Bosin-tang
Also called gaejang-guk, this dish has a long history of serving as a restorative food during hot summer days, particularly among Korean men. It is the infamous dog meat stew, and I hesitate to post about it, because there is such a stigma attached to the idea of eating man's best friend. Since dogs are in fact pets and close companions to many Koreans, some, especially in younger generations, are very strongly against eating this dish. And even traditionally, while the men enjoyed this delicacy-- believed to increase a man's stamina and considered to be quite a rare treat in days when meat of any kind was scarce-- women often enjoyed a similarly seasoned chicken stew instead. While it may seem counter intuitive that stew would be popular in summer, these kinds of dishes are known for their restorative properties. Plus, it doesn't hurt that their heat induces so much sweating-- the momentary discomfort pays off as the body cools.



5. Mud Fest
The only non-food related item to make my list, the Boryeong Mud Festival takes place every year at Daechon beach off Korea's west coast. This weekend, hundreds of people-- and particularly foreigners-- will flock to the beach to roll around in the tons of mud shipped in especially for the event. From the photos, it looks like it would be the prime place for Girls Gone Wild Korea edition to film, but from what I hear it is actually a relatively clean and innocent, though thoroughly crazy, experience.


Trips to the beach, barbecues, watermelon and waterparks are all also to be found in plenty during Korea's hottest months. And, of course, it is obligatory for me to share with you a summer k-pop treat... this song was specially created as a promo for Korea's biggest waterpark, Caribbean Bay.

Bye Bye Shel and Christopher :(

Shelly and Christopher left Korea Monday afternoon at 3pm. I managed to hold it together fairly well until after parting with them at the security check-in, but then proceeded to bawl like a baby for the entire two hour bus ride back home. Saying goodbye that day, I suffered my first pangs of homesickness since arriving in Korea, but I was also overcome with feelings of thankfulness for my wonderful family.

My time with Shelly and Christopher here was really precious to me. I feel so blessed that they had the opportunity and the freedom to be able to come and stay for such a long time. Korea became a different kind of place to me for the time that they were here. I experienced Korea through their eyes-- and they had a much fresher perspective on it than I have had, even from the beginning of my time here. It was really wonderful to spend time with our Korean family together, and to get to talk about how we saw our mother reflected in them and vice-versa. It was also special just to witness Shelly and Christopher be truly embraced and loved on by all the wonderful friends that have turned into a second family for me during my time here. I really enjoyed bringing those two separate worlds together and seeing that they fit beautifully :)

A couple of days before they left, as we were enjoying treats in this amaaazing little chocolate cafe (I mean, a chocolate cafe= obviously amazing) I asked Shelly and Christopher to each make a list highlighting their favorite things about their stay here. Since we were terrible about keeping the blog updated during their time here, I thought I would share those with you as a kind of summary to give you a picture of what their stay was like and what they valued most in the time they got to spend here.

Christopher's Top 5

1. Getting to stay up until midnight watching Friends
2. Our cousin Moonsun coming to visit us and staying at Mary Nuna's house in Ansan
3. FINALLY getting to go to Busan [after delaying the trip due to illness and injury :) ]
4. Turning 11 in Korea; Getting to decorate my own birthday cake, going to dinner with all of the new friends I made, and then going noraebang (singing room) afterwards!
5. Getting to see a bunch of old stuff

Shelly's Top 5

1. Staying up ALL night laughing and jumping around when we first arrived, even though we hadn't slept for twenty-eight plus hours
2. My siblings regaining their health
3. Meeting all of my mom's family
4. Korean FOOD
5. Sister time and getting to experience a taste of my sister's new life


*To see more about their stay here and some of the things they got to do and experience, go to Shel's facebook page and browse through her pictures. There are some pretty fun ones in there :)

메리 크리스마스!!

I hope that all of you at home had a WONDERFUL Christmas. I really appreciated the cards, phonecalls and emails-- so sweet to know that you were thinking of me, even though I am so far away :) I had an absolutely FANTASTIC Christmas. It was very low key, but full to the brim with warmth, friends and love.



Top 5 Highlights

5. Nertz
I hope I got the spelling right. This is a card game that a couple friends in my bible study introduced to me for the first time at our Christmas Eve sleepover. They explained it as group Solitaire + Speed. Google it if you aren't familiar. I was absolutely terrible-- we were playing to a hundred (first person to get to 100 points wins) and at the end of the game, my score was -5. I had a lot of fun, though, and next time if I end up on the positive side, I'm calling it a victory.

4. The Grinch and Elf
Two Christmas classics. It was fun to guage our Korean friends' reaction to Dr. Seuss and Will Ferrell.


3. Christmas Eve music at Dongsan Church
The night featured, among many other things, a Korean rendition of Avalon's "Testify to Love," an uptempo version of "Joyful, joyful" performed by our English service praise team, a group of ajumas in pink angel outfits doing a choreographed dance, a boy playing the saxophone while zipping through the crowd on roller skates, and a bunch of three year olds singing and stomping around in bedazzled green and pink dutch looking costumes (one of them even got so excited bopping up and down to the music that she tumbled off the stage mid-performace... she popped right back up unphased and kept doing her thing, though). It is times like these that I really wish I had my camera to share the wonderfulness that is Korea with you all.

2. Skype, Sleepovers, and Singing
The best part about my first Christmas away from home is that I didn't feel sad or lonely at any point. Not only was I able to skype my entire family (multiple times) and hear all of their sweet voices praying and singing together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I also got to have back-to-back sleepovers with two great groups of people here in Ansan. It was wonderful to get to wake up surrounded by my bible study group on Christmas morning and to all head to church together. And my Christmas Day sleepover at the Dow's that evening was especially precious, because AP and I stayed up until nearly 4 a.m. singing and listening to Christmas carols (the guys joined us for about two songs, before moving on to video games). It was a sweet blessing, and a great way to end my first Christmas experience in Korea, because singing Christmas songs together is probably the one single part of celebrating with my family that I have always treasured most.

1. Spending quality time with the birthday boy
I know it's cheesy, but I love Christmas and I love Jesus. And I had a really great time thanking Him for being born :)

5 things...

... that I don't have the desire (or guts) to try while in Korea.


5. Going to JimJilBang-- the traditional Korean public bathhouse. It may not sound so bad to many of you, but I just can't get past the idea of walking around completely nude in front of a bunch of strangers, especially knowing how my simply being a foreigner invites so much gawking, even when I'm fully clothed.


4. Getting a pedicure by Dr. Fish... aka, having my feet mauled by flesh eating carp.




3. Eating dog... completely self-explanatory, I think.


2. Eating octopus ALIVE. While I do think this National Geographic video is a bit dramatic, it should give you a pretty adequate picture of why I don't intend to partake in this particular delicacy. Just in case you needed it.




1. Actually, I can only come up with four things... but those are more than enough, I think.

Late Fall is Kimchi Season

I have gotten a few requests for a more thorough post on kimchi since my arrival in Korea, and I figured that since we are currently in the throes of kimchi preparation season in the ROK, there would be no better time for me to tackle the subject.

Historically, the pickling and fermentation of cabbage and other vegetables arose from the need of an agrarian society to preserve it's main food source in order to get through the long, cold winters here on the Korean peninsula. Of course, in modern times this is no longer necessary, but the tradition of preparing for winter by making and storing pound after pound of kimchi persists-- though, now, rather than being stored underground, it is stored in special and widely popular kimchi refrigerators.

In my first post I described kimchi as a staple food of Korea, but in reality it is so much more. IMHO, kimchi qualifies as a cultural obsession among the Korean people, and serves as something of an icon for the nation. Last year, when the first Korean astronaut entered space, government research institutes spent millions of dollars developing a bacteria-free kimchi to send into orbit with him. Private and government funded websites, publications, and museums all devoted to the promotion and glorification of kimchi are plentiful, and it is suspected that the government has repressed the publication of research showing excessive consumption to be the cause of the high rate of gastric cancer found among Koreans. Kimchi is a source of national pride, and in Korea's quest to grow her cuisine's presence and popularity on the international scene, kimchi is the central tool.

Myth and speculation surrounding kimchi's ancient origins abound. Here is an example of one myth accounting for the foods' conception:

The origin of kimchi is attributed to a poor farmer who carried several old heads of cabbage to the sea to wash and freshen them. He noticed that these rather meager heads seemed to grow bulkier after sitting in the salty water, and decided he was onto something great. If a short washing in sea water made them a little heavier wouldn't an overnight soaking make them a lot heavier? His puny cabbage would become hearty and he would have more food for himself and his family. He left the cabbages to soak and returned expectantly the next morning, only to find that the pot he had left them in was half empty. He swore revenge on the cruel thief, not realizing that it was the salt in the water that had brought about the change in the contents of the pot and not a criminal. Perhaps driven by dispair, the farmer tore off a leaf from the wilted cabbage heads and popped it in his mouth. Yummmmm! Kimchi was born...

There are other stories like this one floating around, but, however it is that kimchi actually came about, there is no mistaking the food's importance in Korea, nor the value that Koreans have placed on it, both historically and today. Here's a little taste of kimchi propoganda:



The trailer below was linked to from LoveThatKimchi.com, one of many websites and blogs devoted to the food. Apparently this "Kimchi Khan" documentary has been 20 years in the making.




The article on wikipedia will tell you most of anything else that you might want to know-- and I am a lazy blogger-- so I will simply conclude by sharing with you pictures and recipes for my own top 5 favorite types of kimchi. Enjoy :)


1. Baechu Kimchi: Nappa cabbage kimchi, the most common variety

Recipie found at whats4eats.com
Makes about 2 quarts

• Chinese cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut into 1-inch squares -- 1 head, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
• Kosher or sea salt -- 1/2 cup
• Scallions, finely chopped -- 4-6
  
• Garlic, minced -- 2-4 cloves
  
• Ginger, minced -- 1 tablespoon
• Korean chili flakes -- 4-6 tablespoons
• Sugar -- 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Add the cabbage and salt to a large glass or plastic bowl and toss together well with clean hands. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 2-5 hours.
2. Place the cabbage—which should now be soft—in a colander. Rinse out the bowl and then rinse the cabbage well with water. Squeeze out excess water and return cabbage to the bowl. This step removes excess salt.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together with a wooden spoon. Place into a larg,, clean glass or plastic crock, container or jar and tamp down to remove any air bubbles. Cover with a lid and let set in a cool, dark place for 2-3 days.
4. Transfer to a new container and store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

2. Chonggak Kimchi: Ponytail raddish kimchi-- also called "bachelor kimchi"

Recipe from yum-recipes.com
Ingredients

3	bn	Korean ponytail radishes
1	cup	salt plus
1	tbl	salt
1	head	garlic
2	piece	ginger root - (ea 1" long) peeled
1	bn	green onions cut 1" slices
1/2	cup	Korean ground chile
1	tbl	salted shrimp

Instructions:
Peel radishes, taking care to leave green stalks attached.
Wash radishes thoroughly.
Drain in colander. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 cup salt.
Mix and let sit 30 minutes.
Separate garlic cloves and peel.
Place garlic and ginger in food processor or blender and mince.
Combine garlic mixture with green onions, chile, salted shrimp and 1 tablespoon salt.
(If mixing with your hands, be sure to wear gloves to avoid chili burn.
)Rinse salt from radishes.
Drain in colander. Rub seasoning mix onto radishes.
Set 2 (1-quart) jars on work surface.
Divide radishes among jars.
Let sit 2 to 3 days before serving.
Refrigerate after opening.
This recipe yields 2 quarts.



3. Oi Sobagi: stuffed cucumber kimchi, especially popular in spring and summer

Recipe from Chow.com
Ingredients

• 6 medium unwaxed cucumbers

• 2 tablespoons salt

• 1 bunch chives

• 6 green onions

• 1 small Daikon radish

Seasoning Paste

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 small white or yellow onion

• 1 inch fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 3 tablespoons medium ground red chili pepper

• 1 tablespoon fine ground red chili pepper

• 1 teaspoon sugar

Optional

• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cucumbers–Cut cucumbers in half across the middle.
   Slice the cucumber sections in half lengthwise, leaving the last 1/4 inch uncut.
   Turn the cucumber section half way and repeat.
   Lightly salt the inside surfaces and let stand for at least twenty minutes. Rinse, drain, and place in a large non metallic mixing bowl.


2. Prepare the vegetables–Grate or shred the Daikon and lightly salt.
   Fine chop the green onion


3. Mix the Seasoning Paste–Place the garlic, onion half, and ginger into a blender with just enough water to blend into thick smooth paste. Pour into a medium non metallic mixing bowl.
   Add all other seasoning ingredients and mix well. Add water as needed to maintain a thick paste.
   Add chive, daikon, and green onion, mix well.
   Let stand fifteen to twenty minutes.


4. Stuff Cucumber–Carefully stuff the seasoning paste into the slotted cucumber. Be careful not to break the uncut ends.
   Place stuffed cucumber into a large glass container, cover tightly, and let stand at least one hour.
   Refrigerate and serve cold with your favorite Korean meal.

4. Dongchimi: White radish kimchi, vinegary rather than spicy

Recipe from koreanfood.about.com
Ingredients:

• 8 Medium Korean radishes (if you can't find, use Daikon), peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 6 Tbsp sea salt
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3-4 green onions, sliced into 2 inch pieces
• 10 cups of water (about 2 quarts)
• Carrots, chili peppers, or Asian pears (optional)

Preparation:

1. Coat radishes with 3 Tbsp of salt and 2 Tbsp of sugar. Let stand for 1 day at room temp.
   
   
2. After 1 day, dissolve 3 Tbsp of salt and 2 Tbsp of sugar into warm water.
   
   
3. Add liquid to salted radishes, garlic, green onions, and any other vegetables you are using. Let stand for 1-2 days at room temp.
   
   
4. When broth has achieved a tart, vinegary flavor, store in refrigerator.
   
   
5. To serve, ladle vegetables and generous amount of broth into a cup or small bowl.

5. Pa Kimchi: Green onion kimchi

Recipe from korean-cuisine.blogspot.com
Ingredients:

• 5 dans of jjook pa
  
• 1 CUP red pepper powder
• 1.5 TB sugar
• 2 TB honey powder
• 3 TB gga-nari fish sauce
• 1 TB fish sauce
• 3 TB rice wine
• 6 TB water
• 1 TB sesame seeds
• 0.5 TB salt
  

Wash and clean 5 dans of jjook pa. Jjook pa is basically the same as regular greens onions, but they are thinner.

Mix together the ingredients listed above: 1 CUP red pepper powder,1.5 TB sugar, 2 TB honey powder, 3 TB gga-nari fish sauce, 1 TB fish sauce, 3 TB rice wine, 6 TB water, 1 TB sesame seeds, 0.5 TB ginger powder, and 0.5 TB salt.

Work the pepper mixture into the pa in thirds. Get 1/3 of the pa and 1/3 of the mixture and mix, and so on...

Once everything is mixed in well, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. This will make the pa soft and much more easier to store.

Finally, store in a container overnight and then let it ferment inside the fridge for a few days.

After a few days it will be ready to serve!

Happy Turkey Day!

Living in a foreign country and dealing with unfamiliar, often uncomfortable and sometimes frustrating occurrences on a regular basis, it can be easy to lose sight of just what a truly awesome blessing it is that I am here. So with Thanksgiving just a few hours away in the US, I am taking a moment to reflect on a few of the things that I am thankful for in Korea specifically.

Posted as a timely reminder to myself, here is a short list of five HUGE blessings that have come as a result of my being in Korea, in no particular order...

1. Meeting and getting to know family who I would have never otherwise had the opportunity to get to know

2. Growing relationships with precious friends here who have kept me grounded and encouraged by consistently speaking wisdom into my life

3. (Re)learning the depth of my need to rely on God's grace

4. Experiencing a different culture, and learning and growing from those experiences daily

5. Becoming connected to a part of my identity-- the Korean part-- that I had never been able to truly identify with while living in America

And none of these wonderful things would be happening to me had I not decided to come to Korea-- so I am also very thankful to all of you who encouraged me to go and who have helped me along the way. I really am truly and unbelievably blessed... :)

***
PS. I've been watching this video sent to me by a friend to help me get in the Thanksgiving day mood... Makes me smile everytime!

Keeping Warm

My favorite time of year has always been fall. I love the beautiful colors, the falling leaves, and that perfect middle ground where you can go out feeling perfectly content in nothing more than a long-sleeved t-shirt and your favorite pair of jeans. And fall in Korea, with its lovely mountains and high blue skies, has more than fulfilled my expectations.

The only trouble is that it hasn't lasted. We seem to have moved from balmy, humid summertime weather to snow flurries and down jackets in just a matter of a few short weeks. And with such a rapid descent into cold winter days, there has also come the temptation to become a little less energetic and just a little more pessimistic.

Luckily, however, I have been able to find a few fail-proof ways of keeping myself warm-- both inside and out-- as I transition into what is sure to be a long and chilly winter here in Korea.

1. Ondol

Ondol is Korea's unique underfloor heating system-- such a GREAT idea. It evolved from the millenia-old practice of heating the stone beneath the home in order to keep warm during winter. Thanks to ondol heating, rather than dreading getting out of bed and putting my feet down on the hardwood floor every morning, I actually look forward to the opportunity to make my toes all warm and toasty. It's so cozy that sometimes I'm even kind of tempted to get rid of my bed and sleep on the floor, traditional Korean style. (Well, I said kind of...)

2. Teatime

For some reason, even though it is freezing outside, my school insists on keeping all of the doors and windows in the hallway open at all times. So, despite the fact that I keep the heater in my classroom on full blast, the students still come in wearing coats and bundled in blankets, pouting "Teacher, cooolduhh!" Thus, the best part of my work day has become returning to my office right after lunch and being greeted by a steaming pot of Chinese tea. One of the older English teachers-- she is one of those sweet and precious women who act as a mother towards everyone-- serves tea to a few of my co-teachers and me, and we all spend a few minutes warming up and chatting. The tea and the company both warm my insides, giving me the extra little boost I need to get through my afternoon classes.

3. Christmas-y-ness

One great side-effect of it becoming cold so quickly and early here is that it puts me in the mood early for all things Christmas, and just thinking about the Christmas season makes me completely, inexplicably and absurdly happy-- I never tire of Christmas music and can watch Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, and A Charlie Brown Christmas endlessly. Getting into the spirit and preparing for the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ is a surefire way to keep me warm and happy even in the bitterest cold.

4. Book Club

I absolutely love getting lost in the pages of a new book. Few things make me happier than curling up with a good long book and a warm cup of tea on a cold winter day. And meeting with friends to be able to talk about what I've read is like icing on the cake... or, in better keeping with the theme of this post, whipped cream topping on a mug of steamy hot chocolate. Every Monday night for about a month now, three other foreign teachers and I have met up for Dak Galbi (a yummy spicy pan-fried chicken dish that never fails to warm us up and clear out our sinuses) before heading to Starbucks or another nearby coffee shop for hot drinks and discussion. We get into some really interesting topics, and those once dreaded Mondays have become much more bearable, knowing that I have book club to look forward to at the end of the day.

5. Playing in the park and other fun adventures

Because of my arthritis, it is particularly important for me to get out and move around during the winter months-- if I don't, I will turn into one very stiff, sore and cranky girl. During the week this means taking regular walks in the park (which I've mentioned on the blog before and still love to do), but on the weekend I get to be more creative. And lucky for me, there is never any shortage of things to do here, so planning active adventures that I am motivated to do is no challenge. May seem a little backwards, but I look forward to doing more hiking and outdoor activities in the winter than I have during the warmer months. Although, I may eventually need to get some better shoes and a warmer coat if I want to keep it up...

5 Little Things...

... that made me happy this past week :)


5. The Christmas is Here sign that's been posted outside of Starbucks for almost a month. While I am slightly dissapointed that Korea seems to have passed over the Pumpkin Spice Latte season, I do enjoy the fact there is nothing here that stands in the way of my urges to start listening to Christmas music and decorating at the beginning of November.


4. iTunes U-- I spend a good bit of time every week and weekend on the subway, and what would have been wasted hours this past week were instead spent getting educated for free!


3. Hiking Gwanaksan Mountain and enjoying the gorgeous view from the peak-- particularly satisfying considering how challenging I found it to get to the top.. quite a rocky climb.


2. Finally getting around to lighting the pumpkin spice candles sent to me back in September from my fantastic family and friends at home.. my little apartment now smells deliciously warm, homey and cozy, even if it doesn't quite look it.


1. Sweet friends, good conversation and chai tea lattes... all three just warm up my insides and make me feel good all over. Their combination is perfection :)