tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360457382024-03-13T15:20:35.046-07:00quibbling jottingsJeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.comBlogger622125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-80153905753975170962018-03-10T00:40:00.000-08:002018-03-10T00:40:02.628-08:00Keto MeringuesSo weird having a blog that patiently waits for me and doesn't pressure me into writing!<br />
<br />
Blogging to log this somewhat momentous occasion- I baked!<br />
<br />
I've been doing fake keto for a little over a year now. I always just sort of scroll through Instagram, and I landed on this image from <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/two-fops-and-a-fix-it/" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1W2Pgz4vjY1HuMHVet0P3UqPir-cz6Bl9CiyiRY27waq5BdxSC-aXeHhPHHxhzyS1kMh9yHNi8qSZ3143WkYcFdTT76NP5adpm_73xHEfv1ZhNHod81rSEUcUlystdHJ8gMbt/s1600/moms-chocolate-chip-meringues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1W2Pgz4vjY1HuMHVet0P3UqPir-cz6Bl9CiyiRY27waq5BdxSC-aXeHhPHHxhzyS1kMh9yHNi8qSZ3143WkYcFdTT76NP5adpm_73xHEfv1ZhNHod81rSEUcUlystdHJ8gMbt/s400/moms-chocolate-chip-meringues.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It seemed simple enough, and I've always liked meringues. It rained here in Busan yesterday (so cold still, gah!), so today, I made these meringues with some changes to make them keto:<br />
<br />
<b>Keto Meringues</b><br />
egg whites 2<br />
salt 1/4 tsp<br />
True Lemon 1 packet (used instead of cream of tartar)<br />
stevia to taste<br />
xanthan gum 1/8 tsp<br />
walnuts 20 g chopped<br />
sugar-free dark chocolate chips 50 g<br />
<br />
Whip egg whites, then add stevia and True Lemon and whip some more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7En_oN1b41eKOdTY9FOepCbQeBFRZnIHIJ3WrfHqH0QVLacySXedx2e0zf7Aa90NW_fhBFaKjQGPezsEIkyrFEoDJ9NJ0FaZVuIo9fdAtboGnA6yGfb5v6wuhYxlTawPaAoDT/s1600/meringues1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7En_oN1b41eKOdTY9FOepCbQeBFRZnIHIJ3WrfHqH0QVLacySXedx2e0zf7Aa90NW_fhBFaKjQGPezsEIkyrFEoDJ9NJ0FaZVuIo9fdAtboGnA6yGfb5v6wuhYxlTawPaAoDT/s400/meringues1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Add xantham gum and whip until medium peaks form (Deb says to whip to soft peaks, but she's using real sugar and I'm using fake sugar, so I did medium-- really, they were almost stiff peaks).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBza0LQ-Cjzg9Lh3JunHM-cgfnkgpI9P0UZRl7-4JZPdb7ce3MrGDiJwl5KV1eDJtqDz9bcp6-tUBm2_dEGwSZG7g7BkMyeXump9vj95cNGFA2QXfWuWlBPCWBn6rUyBznNjU/s1600/meringues2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBza0LQ-Cjzg9Lh3JunHM-cgfnkgpI9P0UZRl7-4JZPdb7ce3MrGDiJwl5KV1eDJtqDz9bcp6-tUBm2_dEGwSZG7g7BkMyeXump9vj95cNGFA2QXfWuWlBPCWBn6rUyBznNjU/s400/meringues2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Fold in walnuts and dark chocolate, spoon onto parchment paper, and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. I flipped the baking sheet after 15 minutes because my wee oven heats really lopsidedly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC5esE22hptIPFBJx7kzbGxT7VhEjYBd3QvNmu9QMgpqPCHi5oPt63tLjuxG07agrloi0ttKq8n_ZOHgfN9pTnfOmZOnGBYTEeMSMAuyHorEAoyWbrATPQuxTTMuJE7BN_GOM/s1600/meringues3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC5esE22hptIPFBJx7kzbGxT7VhEjYBd3QvNmu9QMgpqPCHi5oPt63tLjuxG07agrloi0ttKq8n_ZOHgfN9pTnfOmZOnGBYTEeMSMAuyHorEAoyWbrATPQuxTTMuJE7BN_GOM/s400/meringues3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
They were really good! And yes, I ate every single one. No shame.<br />
<br />
(I actually used two packets of True Lemon in mine, and they were too lemon-y, so for future reference, one packet is enough.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eA5_0kYI7FhO9AnPWkNui8aW_h_PB-8P1B-_t97y1sLQy-V6IXZ_id6D1ntAamsPsU29TKbRbEe5fTUgFig6U3GSBX_OoBb99AU0PHMUZv2Nj7ehK1lKenljEHx-mtTirhko/s1600/meringues4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eA5_0kYI7FhO9AnPWkNui8aW_h_PB-8P1B-_t97y1sLQy-V6IXZ_id6D1ntAamsPsU29TKbRbEe5fTUgFig6U3GSBX_OoBb99AU0PHMUZv2Nj7ehK1lKenljEHx-mtTirhko/s400/meringues4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Pretty dang keto, too!<br />
<br />
I used much less chocolate than Deb did, and I don't regret it at all. The meringues were very squishy on the inside but crackly and crisp on the outside.<br />
<br />
I want to get into blogging again, since I'm not working, but we'll see....Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-19910520650277942532016-02-12T09:03:00.002-08:002016-02-12T09:03:39.585-08:00Grammar!From this <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/grammar-mistakes" target="_blank">link</a>, the most difficult English grammar conundrums:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I or Me after a preposition and another person</b><br />
The rule: Use “Me.”<br />
Incorrect version: “She went to the store with Sally and I.”<br />
Correct version: She went to the store with Sally and me.<br />
Incorrect version: “Between you and I…”<br />
Correct version: “Between you and me…”<br />
“I tell people to imagine the sentence with only one person because that usually makes the pronoun choice clear,” says Mignon Fogarty, creator and host of the Grammar Girl podcast on the Quick and Dirty Tips network. So think of it this way: You wouldn’t say, “She went to the store with I,” right? “Adding Sally doesn’t change anything,” Fogarty says.<br />
<br />
<b>Effect versus Affect </b><br />
The rule: Effect is usually a noun, while affect is typically an verb.<br />
Incorrect version: “The book really effected me.”<br />
Correct version: “The book really affected me.”<br />
Incorrect version: “The book had an affect on me.”<br />
Correct version: “The book had an effect on me.”<br />
“Mixing up ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ is one of the most common errors because not only do they sound alike, but they also have similar meanings,” Fogarty says. There are exceptions (such as “to effect change” or “a baffled affect”), but most of the time affect is a verb and effect is a noun, says Mary Norris, a page OK’er at The New Yorker magazine and the author of Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.<br />
<br />
<b>Further versus Farther </b><br />
The rule: Farther refers to an actual distance, while further should be used for a figurative distance.<br />
Incorrect version: “Macy’s is further away than Nordstrom.”<br />
Correct version: “Macy’s is farther away than Nordstrom.”<br />
“The traditional American thinking is that "farther" is for physical distance (e.g., "Macy's is farther than Nordstrom") and "further" is for figurative distance (e.g., "Don't bother me about this further"),” Fogarty says, “but in British English, people use the two more interchangeably, so that may be a reason that American speakers have trouble remembering the difference.<br />
<span style="color: blue;">[The only one of these rules that I have some issues with is this one! I don't know why, but <i>further</i> and <i>farther</i> are just too similar for me.]</span><br />
<br />
<b>Lie versus Lay </b><br />
The rule: People lie, things lay.<br />
Incorrect version: “I’m going to lay down for a few minutes.”<br />
Correct version: “I’m going to lie down for a few minutes.”<br />
“You lay an object somewhere, and you lie if you're taking action on your own,” Fogarty says. “I suspect people get confused because of the children's prayer "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep."<br />
<br />
<b>Impact as a verb </b><br />
The rule: Impact is a noun, not a verb.<br />
Incorrect version: “The story really impacted me.”<br />
Correct version: “The story really influenced me.”<br />
“Eek, screech, agh! Even educated people now use ‘impact,’ as a verb. I’m a purist,” Norris says. “Impact should stay a noun unless you are talking about having an impacted wisdom tooth.” She suggests saying “influence” instead. Fogarty says she suspects the root of the issue might come back to number two—people don’t know whether to use affect or effect, so they (incorrectly) use impact instead. Her fix: “You'll almost always have a stronger sentence if you explain how it affected you instead: ‘The story changed the way I think about seahorses,’ or ‘The story made me stop what I was doing and call my mother to tell her I love her.’”<br />
<br />
<b>Fewer versus Less Than </b><br />
The rule: Use fewer for countable items (with some exceptions).<br />
Incorrect version: “There are less than three pieces of pizza left.”<br />
Correct version: “There are fewer than three pieces of pizza left.”<br />
“Typically, ‘fewer’ is for things you can count, and ‘less’ is for things you can't count, but time, money, and distance are exceptions to the rule,” Fogarty says.<br />
<br />
<br />
There you have it, grammar issues for Americans!<br />
<br />
We're in the middle of a move that isn't going well (the new place, which is in the same building as our current place, is going through a bit of a remodel that's taking longer than anticipated!) and the weather is still frigidly cold, so trying to get through this winter. Spring is just around the corner ... I think ... even though it rained all day today and will rain pretty much all day tomorrow. Sigh.Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-54645178752287343762015-09-30T02:39:00.002-07:002015-09-30T02:39:33.142-07:00Summer Vacation! Jeju, Day 3I really miss our summer vacation! It feels like it's been ages now, though that's mostly because the husband has been away for a shoot on-and-off for the past few weeks, so I've been alone and doing nothing but thinking about the fun we had during this vacation. Hee.<br />
<br />
It's also been raining quite a lot in Busan lately, which is lovely (and makes me sad for L.A. with its lack of rain! Go to L.A., rain!) but also doesn't make me want to go anywhere, since I don't have a car. Thankfully, the gym is on the second floor of our apartment, so I don't have to go outdoors!<br />
<br />
Here's Day 3 from Jeju!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4MckFCosoD1SQy1xMIzxgUULnin1286u3ELzJ6Ih2oampRw89DVcCox4yLTNo_ee0_BUSSPBBH-uucE7treBUEatWCDazGEEKNheUXXQ7R8xyB9POKFWNVd2iaLxNGUP-8SY/s640/blogger-image-1753452178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4MckFCosoD1SQy1xMIzxgUULnin1286u3ELzJ6Ih2oampRw89DVcCox4yLTNo_ee0_BUSSPBBH-uucE7treBUEatWCDazGEEKNheUXXQ7R8xyB9POKFWNVd2iaLxNGUP-8SY/s400/blogger-image-1753452178.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We got up and took a ferry to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udo_%28island%29" target="_blank">U-Do</a> (which I would have spelled Oo-Do, but whatever, Koreans), which is a small island off the much larger island that is Jeju-Do (Do means island, can you tell?? And it's pronounced "dough," not "do," which I think is so confusing!). There were either a ton of people on U-Do or the island was so tiny that the amount of people seemed staggering. Either way, lots of people and cloudy weather for the day! (Aww, the husband is carrying my bag for me in the photo above~ I love it when he does sweet things like that!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmICWGUgv7G4JfPuTx6BdWF1h_NsI05hVdFqc7_Hlj5OylaEfPkLPuaD0E8kS1xezgVbw3ZBD1VYiWP3K01ah16fu76CctzOPLSiEpn2Tga4KBS_T2x_JpEO_kAwVdDvNxYd3/s640/blogger-image-365974297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmICWGUgv7G4JfPuTx6BdWF1h_NsI05hVdFqc7_Hlj5OylaEfPkLPuaD0E8kS1xezgVbw3ZBD1VYiWP3K01ah16fu76CctzOPLSiEpn2Tga4KBS_T2x_JpEO_kAwVdDvNxYd3/s400/blogger-image-365974297.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Aww, they think they're beautiful! Honestly, I didn't think the island itself was beautiful ... it was just a teeny little island- so tiny that we rounded it in less than an hour on this little beauty:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fGj4jRTFYpxT1OJUn-56PX7O5SiNlEK6Tc_C1I-WvB42_M5aui2b0CPFO49IXtWlN610xQJRMLp-E8zhKHZB-2Er6e5RddtWtbUW7Dzdddf26UWE8_72VotWaR-GDPuDCmzH/s640/blogger-image-1887065295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fGj4jRTFYpxT1OJUn-56PX7O5SiNlEK6Tc_C1I-WvB42_M5aui2b0CPFO49IXtWlN610xQJRMLp-E8zhKHZB-2Er6e5RddtWtbUW7Dzdddf26UWE8_72VotWaR-GDPuDCmzH/s400/blogger-image-1887065295.jpg" width="300" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
That's right, we rented a little tricycle clown car! It was so cute! ... But it really didn't go very fast at all. Haha! It was fun, though, sitting in this teensy little car and vrooming around the island. We literally took the one "highway" (really, it was a road) around the island and did a loop and that that it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgCuMwIT-Uk2wtdAMjLzpq2H6NXtieztHuouqQvZlRAXuOejpYPR7AkzWXrHzTJYPapXUecZJmUD4tFAfl-pqNGQcpn5Dz0j7HVNrLpGoIZSRa3nKqgudH2F5BLlX2wZ3esGN/s640/blogger-image--1683297417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgCuMwIT-Uk2wtdAMjLzpq2H6NXtieztHuouqQvZlRAXuOejpYPR7AkzWXrHzTJYPapXUecZJmUD4tFAfl-pqNGQcpn5Dz0j7HVNrLpGoIZSRa3nKqgudH2F5BLlX2wZ3esGN/s400/blogger-image--1683297417.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Peanut ice-cream is really popular on U-Do, so of course we had it! Along with another popular U-Do (and Jeju-Do, for that matter) beverage, tangerine-ade. I love how Koreans add "ade" to anything and everything! All they do, really, is add carbonated water to syrup or concentrate. This ade was pretty good, though. And the ice cream! It was really good. I love peanuts, though, so of course I loved it!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq9E4C4T37H6UTTMIqDuQUbSnfvE-uG3SS0hZTQCuIWLMDqnWAIkxBetZebHXoPVRt4tzpzLFCQ6KUJ3Eb6mFDazKmH9umXv6oq734pRCGw8r6IyJWUTeBpZRia2cMj-QKuez/s640/blogger-image-1371581285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq9E4C4T37H6UTTMIqDuQUbSnfvE-uG3SS0hZTQCuIWLMDqnWAIkxBetZebHXoPVRt4tzpzLFCQ6KUJ3Eb6mFDazKmH9umXv6oq734pRCGw8r6IyJWUTeBpZRia2cMj-QKuez/s400/blogger-image-1371581285.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We stopped pretty frequently as we saw things that we wanted to take pictures of, like this pretty cliff with ocean view. It was a cloudy day all day long with some sprinkling here and there, so the sky's not very picturesque, but it was still a lovely view!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3b2nDzC2NKxDNioMby67cpnh6jYNgDAd4Ze6p0uYSmC4cWsoVCVSBIEKLAeENUPN3ZU_Q69-92bIoMcrI5PNYPkwrRB3bpt2u6QUN14rrkJTw2EylgPSA-LAfBW5-wo5ksFT/s640/blogger-image-1014493213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3b2nDzC2NKxDNioMby67cpnh6jYNgDAd4Ze6p0uYSmC4cWsoVCVSBIEKLAeENUPN3ZU_Q69-92bIoMcrI5PNYPkwrRB3bpt2u6QUN14rrkJTw2EylgPSA-LAfBW5-wo5ksFT/s400/blogger-image-1014493213.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Another mango juice place! This one was <a href="http://mangoray.co.kr/" target="_blank">Rich Mango</a>, I believe, which I thought was really similar to Mango Ray (which we had on our first night!), but slightly richer and with slightly more mango flavor. I love mangoes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ_RZ7_dxIUR3s-vsbonD7rs1zG8Gb38zC8ff7E8Y9DTOezNPs8Wva4dFtVqjfKu7CUwqp5jPSZF4ZDYYw7zNL76t-gv-HwhPvax9d5Zs9k8M7NnBzBQmMrA9h2OsRKdwOuHK/s640/blogger-image-780429372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ_RZ7_dxIUR3s-vsbonD7rs1zG8Gb38zC8ff7E8Y9DTOezNPs8Wva4dFtVqjfKu7CUwqp5jPSZF4ZDYYw7zNL76t-gv-HwhPvax9d5Zs9k8M7NnBzBQmMrA9h2OsRKdwOuHK/s400/blogger-image-780429372.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Then we took the ferry back to Jeju and went to <a href="http://www.aquaplanet.co.kr/jeju/eng/06company/chain_info.jsp" target="_blank">Aqua Planet</a>, the first aquarium I've been to in Korea that doesn't make me feel bad for the animals in it. It's really big and spacious, including the huge tanks for the fishies and sharkies and manta rays (I love mantas!). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nHZWLZlZvu4ddwzhzHvCIUsNgxp4xpwgiApVxlYOTETuhZdXajdXDzL7K0Lvzn6zmfBg0eSMwNeNpgFjwK8cQrUCW40V1jvSpTk_l99mPfRCH3FdI2WkNKruKnbpoO1_EZtT/s640/blogger-image-1073033930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nHZWLZlZvu4ddwzhzHvCIUsNgxp4xpwgiApVxlYOTETuhZdXajdXDzL7K0Lvzn6zmfBg0eSMwNeNpgFjwK8cQrUCW40V1jvSpTk_l99mPfRCH3FdI2WkNKruKnbpoO1_EZtT/s400/blogger-image-1073033930.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Obligatory selfie at the selfie mirror inside the water tunnel. I loved the water tunnel! I've been to one before (I don't remember where, though ... Monterey Bay, maybe?) but I will always love water tunnels! We look tired because we were tired. It had been a long day full of exploring and traveling.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiES1fZUg574i3wIMgBjZBRxn4R6GXvQ4I36k4ZI22XTM50lwr-InrpxC2-QoDy7jq0H2eEtmVQ6SI_XoqQ8UH01U2NUItCYzH8f3h3i5ykt2_32jiH9UFKbZFTuATtArw2w65X/s640/blogger-image--216894711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiES1fZUg574i3wIMgBjZBRxn4R6GXvQ4I36k4ZI22XTM50lwr-InrpxC2-QoDy7jq0H2eEtmVQ6SI_XoqQ8UH01U2NUItCYzH8f3h3i5ykt2_32jiH9UFKbZFTuATtArw2w65X/s400/blogger-image--216894711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Sunset with wind turbines ... pretty! There are a lot of wind turbines in Jeju, but not that many on mainland Korea. Why is that?? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT1n6lNOtBzm2QnU9P8POo1xCQ2w6jyKleB5_wb0li-L9R_IPWTHqrr7HNm7xmMcu4Mv03VFxQ_2oghGDSARUsBiuzIjUvlx1FS7UcjvX_PC2dWgU30fTn45TAL1Nh_X-ED5V/s640/blogger-image-1263426005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT1n6lNOtBzm2QnU9P8POo1xCQ2w6jyKleB5_wb0li-L9R_IPWTHqrr7HNm7xmMcu4Mv03VFxQ_2oghGDSARUsBiuzIjUvlx1FS7UcjvX_PC2dWgU30fTn45TAL1Nh_X-ED5V/s400/blogger-image-1263426005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Dinner was the delicious black pig of Jeju again, of course. I really didn't used to like this pork belly cut at all, because I don't like fat on my meat, but I've learned to love it while living in Korea.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ht-jJ8XsrdgopAuqPW4XB2docP6lcxgSk2uqd7TrQ1JIejPaIuya_nyUHBhAInPGa5-wwchVRvSxIjI3-PGZVF3otcE_hrcUqKC5nPmZJQNjiIgmYDJEOtvLj_Ivlkqd2lqv/s640/blogger-image--1661553885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ht-jJ8XsrdgopAuqPW4XB2docP6lcxgSk2uqd7TrQ1JIejPaIuya_nyUHBhAInPGa5-wwchVRvSxIjI3-PGZVF3otcE_hrcUqKC5nPmZJQNjiIgmYDJEOtvLj_Ivlkqd2lqv/s400/blogger-image--1661553885.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Our room, panorama'ed!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWlKDbv4XNSmI6-xe1volWMjL7Qm9mbRXc398EBv2zcX50a2Ny_uYLxA7Ucz_makaCTK8GPuGuCBSO8X9gMQwmHazsu40eHM3weYFP-ZLrU0q5RbSb4BKDh8wLR4h11XZyfhf/s640/blogger-image-2127521764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWlKDbv4XNSmI6-xe1volWMjL7Qm9mbRXc398EBv2zcX50a2Ny_uYLxA7Ucz_makaCTK8GPuGuCBSO8X9gMQwmHazsu40eHM3weYFP-ZLrU0q5RbSb4BKDh8wLR4h11XZyfhf/s400/blogger-image-2127521764.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Our room, panorama'ed from the other side!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghg7PVDxeKhIfe0sljggskY3STJyN9lfTNtyyGQJwfDIujROUKAls2CxNITv0UDorOj0m8xBcewkQdKXR8Qbqwzq9ZhmkVr8IbgJQUwwOufVlhl-WYDuT6cFSV6HJ7YMlEQ1ET/s640/blogger-image--2088818699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghg7PVDxeKhIfe0sljggskY3STJyN9lfTNtyyGQJwfDIujROUKAls2CxNITv0UDorOj0m8xBcewkQdKXR8Qbqwzq9ZhmkVr8IbgJQUwwOufVlhl-WYDuT6cFSV6HJ7YMlEQ1ET/s400/blogger-image--2088818699.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
The cutest little (huge!) ray there ever was at Aqua Planet. Aww, ray, why you so cute??<br />
<br />
The seasons have definitely changed here in Korea. It's autumn now! And not that that's a bad thing, but it's really making me so tired. Yawn...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-35624871779769703702015-09-15T02:06:00.001-07:002015-09-15T02:06:43.234-07:00Summer Vacation! Jeju, Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Sorry about the delay in posting about our summer vacation! It's already been a couple weeks since we've gone and come back, actually, so these postings are testing my memory (and letting me re-live the vacation ... seems like it was so long ago!).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Day Two, here we go!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPGE61OvUmnjr8PDFftV5wPyVjfxlH10lTmD0XL8uNw63JhzhZDt1KpeII1ej5IofwkMyjAR5V64Fj_CcPcoFxcXvVDzCi6pVPxTSxYSD4S_x0RiTiX7FIfJO8fAKAXB66yqO/s640/blogger-image--191358822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPGE61OvUmnjr8PDFftV5wPyVjfxlH10lTmD0XL8uNw63JhzhZDt1KpeII1ej5IofwkMyjAR5V64Fj_CcPcoFxcXvVDzCi6pVPxTSxYSD4S_x0RiTiX7FIfJO8fAKAXB66yqO/s400/blogger-image--191358822.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The photo above was taken, I believe, on the first night we were in Jeju. It was a good thing I took this photo, too, because they took the letters off the building the next day! (Ah, construction, always so fun...)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVoneL4AejSDFI0Bsm8WCU0acZRIQLEFTPl269o3I61rUIUvin5vIMlLYJQjOohl_NxR_GCancNpK7kPqvG4k60rekc-ZRJIBa-Rc-dIVqNS6-1TI6Xc5Rh-pS8EwKc6ual2y/s400/blogger-image--1305513950.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The view from our room. Not great, I have to say. I appreciated that the little house directly in front of us had a dog, but I felt bad for the dog because it was tied up the entire time I saw him. People in Korea are so much meaner to animals than people in the U.S. (I'm generalizing! <b>Mostly</b> it's like this!) And look at those clouds ... should have taken that as a sign, really, of tons of rain about to fall. (Click on the photo above for a larger version, as always!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUJXuifW-minZht11st3wlmod5WiXsuxnYq3rpEW_K_DwUkfrG9dheIHCIIix7KUEgITRejbg50IK08LF59Juxc_w84Hg6m-toB8pSQjnVfnMFmFHBudUp2abWgEIm3RK90hP/s640/blogger-image-608994574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUJXuifW-minZht11st3wlmod5WiXsuxnYq3rpEW_K_DwUkfrG9dheIHCIIix7KUEgITRejbg50IK08LF59Juxc_w84Hg6m-toB8pSQjnVfnMFmFHBudUp2abWgEIm3RK90hP/s400/blogger-image-608994574.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We woke up and drove over to <a href="http://www.osulloc.com/main.do?source=http://www.google.co.kr&source=http://www.osulloc.co.kr/" target="_blank">O'Sulloc</a>, (website in Korean), a famous tea plantation (are farms where they grow tea called plantations?? I feel like they should be!) and tea museum (the museum was meh, but free, so worth going, though there were a ton of people there!). They grow green teas, which I don't love but I drink a lot of, as it's supposedly very good for you. (No, I can't tell a difference at all between drinking tea and drinking water.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The tea fields above are the first time I've seen tea in its raw state, and it was a little ... weird. Disconcerting, I suppose. It doesn't smell like anything, even like the tea you steep, and it's just ... leaves. It was really pretty, though! The fields were huge and, I thought, very lovely. (It was so hard to crop out all the people milling around!) Anyway, now I know- I love tea plantations!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstpB1HIqq_HJmz_5qjTY4jz64TQbuAFOH2rysVBUDbzHOLjDV3UZa8ddXW3Env4hdb2wKlLq7cH-DHC-RYphLKYa4nb6ndszY7Xc8QylnQDqdANeS5C5pyQB-0BugPtEo5NWu/s640/blogger-image--751617581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstpB1HIqq_HJmz_5qjTY4jz64TQbuAFOH2rysVBUDbzHOLjDV3UZa8ddXW3Env4hdb2wKlLq7cH-DHC-RYphLKYa4nb6ndszY7Xc8QylnQDqdANeS5C5pyQB-0BugPtEo5NWu/s400/blogger-image--751617581.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It was raining, unfortunately,
so I took about two photos of the fields and then we dashed inside to
the museum. Ahem, the "museum," since I didn't really see how it was a
museum! It didn't have any artifacts or anything, it just had a few
teapots and teacups and a cute little diorama-thing (seen above). I don't know what those red creatures are, but they were cute!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
This was right beside the loudest, most crowded cafe I've ever been to in my entire life! I think of tea and think of ladies, sitting and sipping and talking quietly. Not so with Koreans. They were shrieking, it felt like, and there was a LOT of insanely loud yammering. We had two very expensive tea drinks (that were really good, actually!) and high-tailed it out of there.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We went to the <a href="http://www.koreaautomuseum.com/" target="_blank">World Automobile Jeju Museum</a> (website's in Korean), which had a lot of cars outside and a ton of cars inside. They also had deer outside!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5w9Ydq0kh_ADrEamvmjCdS4HBC5JLxsiCuVF1Vwd8mDp6yjinKUp7wXJTy4Of6yP0rGxG0LZPyawEdJGSImqCifPK0Vj3-TEU-4cSEXITGhDE6Yw7CChm_7rsXPGj1gKRy4W/s640/blogger-image--308811502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5w9Ydq0kh_ADrEamvmjCdS4HBC5JLxsiCuVF1Vwd8mDp6yjinKUp7wXJTy4Of6yP0rGxG0LZPyawEdJGSImqCifPK0Vj3-TEU-4cSEXITGhDE6Yw7CChm_7rsXPGj1gKRy4W/s400/blogger-image--308811502.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
That's not his tongue, it's a carrot! There was a sign that said we could ask for deer food to feed the deer, but it was raining and we were getting wet (we only had one small umbrella for the both of us!), so we dashed off to get to the car (and get dry).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCq3dLHXstCE3hbujgYZbi7ykghySObhljJy4l3L5p-nBn5Vqt5sy13m-CjvvicbL65__Ujazg9mYM6Y1tzNQgGbDQQotIdnfuON8c_G_pEGHJk8quFHqKpoGBb3zMD_l3K2wP/s640/blogger-image-1756899914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCq3dLHXstCE3hbujgYZbi7ykghySObhljJy4l3L5p-nBn5Vqt5sy13m-CjvvicbL65__Ujazg9mYM6Y1tzNQgGbDQQotIdnfuON8c_G_pEGHJk8quFHqKpoGBb3zMD_l3K2wP/s400/blogger-image-1756899914.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Sorry my deer shots are so blurry; he was moving and I was in a hurry to get out of the rain! We got into the car and drove to go eat, because I was getting hangry again. (Recurring theme of this trip, I tell you!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We went to a restaurant called <a href="http://www.snname.com/shinlawon5032/" target="_blank">Shillawon</a> (website in Korean), which is famous for its horse-meat dishes. It sounds odd to me, as an American, to eat horse, but it's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_meat" target="_blank">common</a> in other countries (I just learned from that Wikipedia page that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_meat#South_Korea" target="_blank">Koreans</a> don't generally eat horse meat except on Jeju Island, and usually raw!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXi8b-UkDJH4VOGs9Lnlt3WYgbVThLQEGdx7TE3mv0TwyKzn6fXBVTFXnHm4Wt6KlQpFp5pj4yxn8SrW5pTwEenj7QkI2doXF8Ewc4UjkQ6vrSC75vsoq0T1XUs_uwDyUDBAS/s640/blogger-image-1105456052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXi8b-UkDJH4VOGs9Lnlt3WYgbVThLQEGdx7TE3mv0TwyKzn6fXBVTFXnHm4Wt6KlQpFp5pj4yxn8SrW5pTwEenj7QkI2doXF8Ewc4UjkQ6vrSC75vsoq0T1XUs_uwDyUDBAS/s400/blogger-image-1105456052.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Above is the raw horse-meat, which was the best of the three horse-meat dishes we had. It was so good! Horse-meat tastes a lot like beef (why don't we call it cow-meat??), but very, very lean. The leanness was probably what made it not very good when cooked, because it cooks up really tough and stringy, like chicken breast can get if you don't cook it well. Ah, the joys of fat-less meat... ㅎㅎ <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpHZ8AzzzGJ91wQpanwEWS6uge-gCVV8K4x8a9rTMeYOX6QKRQCRrG3MYhtiIcOgedgQvnnAcTu6zztBO8m2nD6czUcZ8pKP3bxV8vvK4X5X4zF5YON-o3vX85Spc9MauFbTQ/s640/blogger-image-822568841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpHZ8AzzzGJ91wQpanwEWS6uge-gCVV8K4x8a9rTMeYOX6QKRQCRrG3MYhtiIcOgedgQvnnAcTu6zztBO8m2nD6czUcZ8pKP3bxV8vvK4X5X4zF5YON-o3vX85Spc9MauFbTQ/s640/blogger-image-822568841.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The above is a photo of braised horse-meat, which was not very good at all. I like my meat braises to be sweet and salty, as they usually always are. This one was ... neither. It didn't taste like ... anything! It was so bizarre, because it looks just like braised beef, but it didn't taste like it AT ALL. Maybe we got a bad batch, where the cook forgot to add the seasonings?? Whatever the case, we ate all the meat, puzzling the entire time why it tasted so odd.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzVeMNBd4YepIWJjx54EoRuVz6lKiOXQYLKpGdG3xjMXbdKgbc93z941GKuq7qqwMYrETEbL1O54uBNTyMa-vPStglQv11UbdUBHtViXMW8gp7ZscrOYo56i8DqeC3W6F21wk/s640/blogger-image-1384835627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzVeMNBd4YepIWJjx54EoRuVz6lKiOXQYLKpGdG3xjMXbdKgbc93z941GKuq7qqwMYrETEbL1O54uBNTyMa-vPStglQv11UbdUBHtViXMW8gp7ZscrOYo56i8DqeC3W6F21wk/s640/blogger-image-1384835627.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The whole table. That dish at the top right was the only pork we had, which was good (and seasoned!) but tasted really fatty after all the horse meat. We were having shabu-shabu with horse-meat when I took this photo, which is what's in the pot in the middle of the table. The shabu was okay, but not great. Again, horse-meat has too little fat to be eaten very well when it's cooked (though that braise...! Such a waste, it would've been so good if it had been seasoned properly!).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We took a drive through the middle of the island after lunner (that's between lunch and dinner, FYI) to check out the mountains. Jeju is a volcanic island, after all, so there are mountains here, there, and everywhere! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLv-xSryyQMQJtpFza03tqWh-WmI7WgxsfFaq6VYErqIU6XTGApNUhppdwqlSjd3-3NukRHR31Vvn4nvUPq11mkTVS3M9h7bQE0QL2YYhheKbNaDQ627W694DEtrxJCZQhZyU/s640/blogger-image-1374361343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLv-xSryyQMQJtpFza03tqWh-WmI7WgxsfFaq6VYErqIU6XTGApNUhppdwqlSjd3-3NukRHR31Vvn4nvUPq11mkTVS3M9h7bQE0QL2YYhheKbNaDQ627W694DEtrxJCZQhZyU/s400/blogger-image-1374361343.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
In the mountains (this was at a rest stop, because I wanted this pastry that they sell at rest areas, but the store was closed!), it was cool and foggy and mysterious, which I LOVED. I love fog, I love cool, I do not like hot and sticky, and I love mysteries! It was so pretty, and this photo doesn't do justice to the landscape at all. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We went back to the hotel afterward because I was pooped. I had gone to the hospital the day before we took off for Jeju, so I think I was rightfully tired! The poor husband just got nagged at the entire time we were on vacation ㅋㅋㅋ</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
After resting for a little while, we decided to go see <a href="http://www.jejuloveland.com/" target="_blank">Jeju LoveLand</a>, (website in English has less information, the Korean version has tons more!), which is a racy theme park that people kept posting about online. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-dm7yti7CrKn7wJc0-T0RFonnortgx9EgmFUqWKwtdO62FIBqy3LK9okdlWR6oL5pH0Ux1__Z6iXKih3TyZwtGU5wPopsRjMS1Aad7DOQlAjMm8SA3JTzU-aZ4GYGrfwTtl0/s640/blogger-image--1403700471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-dm7yti7CrKn7wJc0-T0RFonnortgx9EgmFUqWKwtdO62FIBqy3LK9okdlWR6oL5pH0Ux1__Z6iXKih3TyZwtGU5wPopsRjMS1Aad7DOQlAjMm8SA3JTzU-aZ4GYGrfwTtl0/s400/blogger-image--1403700471.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The entrance, which looked like an ice-skating rink to me, for some reason. The moon was either full or just about to be full, and the husband's looking a little weird in this photo, but oh, well!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkgh6IRIXkpifqmgqR_rkHvLC6z10X9jinpB2sAY3TYGLCLOR5ArLJDo8smdF0HUG27LTZsqIyY2RWqO6Zz1fH8aF4rjVwPlbrpArDHW1Ck37j1kYsaS-MHxPkUnxK3T-W05K/s640/blogger-image--1212845376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkgh6IRIXkpifqmgqR_rkHvLC6z10X9jinpB2sAY3TYGLCLOR5ArLJDo8smdF0HUG27LTZsqIyY2RWqO6Zz1fH8aF4rjVwPlbrpArDHW1Ck37j1kYsaS-MHxPkUnxK3T-W05K/s400/blogger-image--1212845376.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We wandered around the park and saw all the sights (lots of sexual statues! Lots of sexual noises!), but I got rather chilled, because it got pretty frosty at nighttime, and we went around 9:00 or so. There were tons of giggling 20-somethings, which was funny, and a few buildings where we could go inside and see "artistic" renderings of things and lots of sex toys for sale. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The pastries above were filled with Jeju orange paste, which didn't taste all that different from regular ol' orange paste, but they were warm, which was nice! The husband's finger is there for scale (though he has abnormally large hands, so I probably should have used my own hand!).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg021qZ3j3pvEecHiCbtJCkMMkOw9ypD7VOEQQ55W-5g8Va9An_QZaYZkiq5BwCbmjmm7t4iYHlU5H77HNf38XS6ZpZtmM0Svy9YdhUpczJ68UlQSQBmWc3vAsfQCTa91BFhowo/s640/blogger-image-1871363146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg021qZ3j3pvEecHiCbtJCkMMkOw9ypD7VOEQQ55W-5g8Va9An_QZaYZkiq5BwCbmjmm7t4iYHlU5H77HNf38XS6ZpZtmM0Svy9YdhUpczJ68UlQSQBmWc3vAsfQCTa91BFhowo/s400/blogger-image-1871363146.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We got back to the hotel, where I filled in my journal for the day. I love having a <a href="http://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank">Midori</a> (well, two of them!) because it's so nice to have one place where I log my day, schedule my week, write down reminders, etc., etc. My hand is looking a little wonky in this photo...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd6SCnQxaCfTuWzH_Wr3AGDTJibyMiFypFI-d9h3Zu5yR1f84cevzyYq0XwOm_WBcLf4S6hzqOaFVnkZgUMINqkbXC0wr4zlQ0z5Dr52lhrVZ_YbsPWHTiXt6hUoRZ6pGYck6/s640/blogger-image-1439720312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd6SCnQxaCfTuWzH_Wr3AGDTJibyMiFypFI-d9h3Zu5yR1f84cevzyYq0XwOm_WBcLf4S6hzqOaFVnkZgUMINqkbXC0wr4zlQ0z5Dr52lhrVZ_YbsPWHTiXt6hUoRZ6pGYck6/s400/blogger-image-1439720312.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And we had green tea lattes! The husband loved his green tea latte at the O'Sulloc Tea Museum, and they were selling them there, so of course we had to buy some! They're actually really good and not as many calories as I had feared (I think it's around 55 per packet), so I love these! (We also found them at a store near our apartment for only ₩500 (about 43 cents) more than what we paid in Jeju!)<br />
<br />
The second day was tiring for me, for some reason- I think it was the medication I was taking for my tonsillitis. I miss our summer vacation, though! It was so much fun to do nothing and worry about nothing for a few days~<br />
<br />
The third (and last full!) day coming ... soon-ish!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-22343994493336918132015-09-08T22:41:00.000-07:002015-09-15T00:48:18.591-07:00Summer Vacation! Jeju, Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Oddly, to me, Koreans all go on summer vacation. Why?? The country is a steam-box in the summer and the traffic is horrible! But since I married a Korean and live in Korea, we went on summer vacation. ^_^</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Since it was our first summer vacation as a married couple, we decided to go to Jeju Island, an island off the south coast of Korea (that's supposedly called "the Hawaii of Korea" but it's nothing like Hawaii, so don't get your hopes up!). Lots of people go to Jeju for their honeymoon (but less so lately, I think, because plane tickets are getting so cheap!), just like Hawaii. Because of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome_outbreak_in_South_Korea" target="_blank">MERS</a>, there were actually seats on planes and hotel rooms to be had, which was exciting (normally, you can't go to Jeju in the summer without a few months' head start to get your plane tickets and accommodations worked out!). Luckily for us, the husband, who is quite a bargain hunter, booked the travel and room two days before we took off. And then off we went!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfwAgZ08WHd2yj7_qDIhhX7xrN4dK_u2Lp0cKLaEeFeKUCO-qCW9Mi40ouo7TLn-iCu2p6VkfbC5guiCnpwzbLr_5Y-adov_sfWPPUCyLGOxbPVKUUf89coIyL7uV-UyC0lmU/s400/blogger-image-71465413.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I do not like or approve of these thin paper plane tickets. What happened to those thick cardboard ones?? And what happened to those card-stock ticket folder things?? Man, traveling is getting so cheap and flimsy now. Anyway, the flight from <a href="http://www.airport.co.kr/gimhaeeng/index.do" target="_blank">Gimhae Aiport</a> to <a href="http://www.airport.co.kr/jejueng/index.do" target="_blank">Jeju International Airport</a> is just about an hour long, which is a nice little nap. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We landed in Jeju, picked up our one bag (the teeny white suitcase seen in the photos above and below!), went to get our rental car, and then zoomed off to our hotel. Our hotel, the Jeju Grand Hotel (soon to be re-named to the <a href="https://ora.oraresort.com/eng/GRD/" target="_blank">Maison Glad Jeju</a>) was under construction, so we never got to use the front entrance! What a bummer. But the construction made the prices much better (not cheap, per se, but less expensive, anyway), so that was a nice bonus. They're still constructing the outside of the hotel, but the rooms are all done! And our room was really very lovely. I love exposed brick and I love dark colors, and look at the wall behind the TV! Exposed dark brick. So pretty~ If only they had made the counter a dark color, I would've wanted to take the whole room back home with me. What is up with the blond wood?? Bizarre Korean fashion sense, methinks!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCM87eZVaKsgvgcUW6fRUdL6KK5S_YzlkrPOB129AHFttv9LBCXdm1OLzVP4idsQVba0Yr9iNPfAWCTwVfVc8BBVl1fExjGFb9KwAvWBm4E3WrAA39_bEFcS49rsAn39F17SwP/s640/blogger-image--1943470786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCM87eZVaKsgvgcUW6fRUdL6KK5S_YzlkrPOB129AHFttv9LBCXdm1OLzVP4idsQVba0Yr9iNPfAWCTwVfVc8BBVl1fExjGFb9KwAvWBm4E3WrAA39_bEFcS49rsAn39F17SwP/s400/blogger-image--1943470786.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The room had two beds, which was a bit odd (who would sleep in the other bed??). The one shown below is queen or king, and the one in the foreground was a single, so we just threw stuff on it and used it for lounging. That chaise in the background next to my husband was amazing! It was grey and quilted and so comfortable. We tried really hard to figure out who made it, but there were no tags or anything! What the heck! Overall, the room was a win. The view was a bit odd, since we could see peoples' houses and restaurants, but we didn't look out the window very often, so it was fine. The floors were so pretty, too! Dark wood, unlike our floors at home (which are white wood, which is hideous). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcrqWUwUGNJqoZxz7F5VzZaT2CE292lPK80LTy9SIKKErSFtUugLEoCl1PHZ5ZpiEr2aAwfWDLECVWRDOhkab6cRPhuWJhHOTDiQ0W9d7p7GX3P2iZ-VzA3fW8ox53mkZb_au/s640/blogger-image-1844733830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcrqWUwUGNJqoZxz7F5VzZaT2CE292lPK80LTy9SIKKErSFtUugLEoCl1PHZ5ZpiEr2aAwfWDLECVWRDOhkab6cRPhuWJhHOTDiQ0W9d7p7GX3P2iZ-VzA3fW8ox53mkZb_au/s400/blogger-image-1844733830.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Since we had checked in and had our room and had thrown our suitcase into our room, we went off to have dinner. Eating would end up being quite a point of contention during this vacation. I get hungry while I sleep and generally wake up starving, while the husband is perfectly content to not eat until dinnertime. We generally ate once or twice a day, while I moaned and whined and had lots of beverages to tide me over. (I can be quite the whiner when I want to be, poor husband!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirumMHT8c8_tVwdEzsujpOefAwmEZch4V066YX9raOP58TtdG5BgWoqT5tz-cqmYMJGwRemJY3AsrgAsQqndhi0ie0Rii54T3A7CqpA07SNKMQwKTAwdwkD4prSpIoWnyeuKTk/s640/blogger-image-1147155358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirumMHT8c8_tVwdEzsujpOefAwmEZch4V066YX9raOP58TtdG5BgWoqT5tz-cqmYMJGwRemJY3AsrgAsQqndhi0ie0Rii54T3A7CqpA07SNKMQwKTAwdwkD4prSpIoWnyeuKTk/s400/blogger-image-1147155358.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The first restaurant we went to is called Seoul Restaurant (<a href="http://map.naver.com/local/siteview.nhn?code=19873497" target="_blank">서울식당</a>), and I was hesitant because DUDE, we're in JEJU, not SEOUL! What the heck! But the husband swore this was one of his top-three restaurants ever, and since he's an indifferent eater, I believed him when he said it was good. (An indifferent eater, to me, is different than a picky eater because they'll eat anything, but they won't say that many places are good. A picky eater won't eat much (or at all) when they don't like it.) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGaK7HJpOFzelHJfOj3rvr-nmdFpuTGw6M5fOS55AhxT4ptXo9VHz1gHGkSyCgKmhkgx-YBtpu7qv5igUKzhm6OZC264sOg0oN8glGG44Gj7QreDXUZKpQxHOSbEvCODoxVXT/s640/blogger-image--2040776655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGaK7HJpOFzelHJfOj3rvr-nmdFpuTGw6M5fOS55AhxT4ptXo9VHz1gHGkSyCgKmhkgx-YBtpu7qv5igUKzhm6OZC264sOg0oN8glGG44Gj7QreDXUZKpQxHOSbEvCODoxVXT/s400/blogger-image--2040776655.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Do you see those little black specks? That proves that this pig is a black pig (흑돼지), which is what Jeju Island is famous for. There are black pig restaurants all over the place! And you can even see the cute little piggies, rooting around and such, if you go into the countryside and drive around. Very cute, though not so cute that I can't eat them! In the photo above, that one strip of unseasoned meat is all we had of the raw black pig, while the three little riblets in the background are what we had much more of- seasoned pig rib meat. I love the meat around the bones, so those three little riblets in the back were eaten after we had the unseasoned meat. (I preferred the unseasoned 오겹살 while the husband preferred the seasoned meat, but he loves sweet things, so I wasn't surprised.) Really good! Loved Seoul Restaurant and even wanted to go back another time, though we ended up not having time. (Or perhaps it was because we only ate once a day!!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NNcyZh-C7WY644HExANAe1QPr_Ru7S2ky72XmoQmfKLwC9g95QlgBGOGyglT9Flb6y3S3RoxJUOPOUt5eRxI3Aj1KEuNuVAemnbcqiWBgJkcU6Evyuz7zZjI5Gz1pkYWtoN6/s640/blogger-image--393850425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NNcyZh-C7WY644HExANAe1QPr_Ru7S2ky72XmoQmfKLwC9g95QlgBGOGyglT9Flb6y3S3RoxJUOPOUt5eRxI3Aj1KEuNuVAemnbcqiWBgJkcU6Evyuz7zZjI5Gz1pkYWtoN6/s400/blogger-image--393850425.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The way I like to eat my grilled meat- wrapped in lettuce with grilled kimchi and some 쌈장 (sauce), which was very good at Seoul Restaurant. Yummy, yummy! On a side note, whenever we go to grilling restaurants, the husband likes to command the grill. It's a bit control-freak-y, since most Koreans expect the youngest one at the table to man the grill. I don't mind, because it means I get to eat! Hee.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqvMeSg6XwATYNIyPlh5UgdVQy1c-0sGLLUeo8E5mO31brYDYwpMUA2v_45tAIKo7_wCP13sRXk9sVZkDNFn1HoPQjjHoJ6gP8B50daemcpIdF5jABK8RVKEFLmkRJHGEkRHt/s640/blogger-image-524307457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqvMeSg6XwATYNIyPlh5UgdVQy1c-0sGLLUeo8E5mO31brYDYwpMUA2v_45tAIKo7_wCP13sRXk9sVZkDNFn1HoPQjjHoJ6gP8B50daemcpIdF5jABK8RVKEFLmkRJHGEkRHt/s400/blogger-image-524307457.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Click on the photo above for a larger version. I love the panorama feature on iPhones! This was at HamDeok SeongWooBong Beach (험덕서우봉해변) during sunset, though it was cloudy enough that we couldn't really see the sun setting. The beaches in Jeju are quite nice (though again, not at all like Hawaii, so don't compare!) and have better sand than the beaches in Busan. There were quite a few people at the beach, but not so many that I wanted to kill them or myself. (It took a lot of effort to crop out all the people!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNbiUDgmB-WzgSV4GyeKQltkK2UjeAsaeJmZN091LQYkxoSPcOOZGH55upvP25kwNbp3pNIO__FNKDGL_Bu39qJwpXRSnhIuv04GVQxPpwRJF9a-riknZSjEMdxeUGLOl_KFK/s640/blogger-image--2005338154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNbiUDgmB-WzgSV4GyeKQltkK2UjeAsaeJmZN091LQYkxoSPcOOZGH55upvP25kwNbp3pNIO__FNKDGL_Bu39qJwpXRSnhIuv04GVQxPpwRJF9a-riknZSjEMdxeUGLOl_KFK/s400/blogger-image--2005338154.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Because I had read online that mango juice was a big thing in Jeju, I wanted to try it. I love mangoes! But I'm used to the big mangoes with red and yellow and orange and green on the peels (I think the mangoes I always ate in <a href="http://www.mango.org/mango-varieties-and-availability" target="_blank">California</a> were Haden and Tommy Atkins), and the mangoes in Korea are tiny and yellow (I think they're Carabao mangoes, from the Philippines). The mango juice, however, was delicious! It wasn't juice so much as it was more like a shake or slushy, but whatever it was, it was goooood. <a href="http://mangoray.co.kr/" target="_blank">Mango Ray</a> (the website says it's for Rich Mango, but the address is Mango Ray! What the heck??), I love you so~~</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoBGcRLzUqZ_474Bid8mWrChkyy6EilbFbI-jR5L6Ef3hfTDlQ1rKKk9z7QKcZAlYy_k3KrTWx3PrzHTHjMs3iqMT9YeE2Tmf5QLexgiJVJQ_377WS-YWAydQkjodwfU2nAVo/s640/blogger-image-1097621826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoBGcRLzUqZ_474Bid8mWrChkyy6EilbFbI-jR5L6Ef3hfTDlQ1rKKk9z7QKcZAlYy_k3KrTWx3PrzHTHjMs3iqMT9YeE2Tmf5QLexgiJVJQ_377WS-YWAydQkjodwfU2nAVo/s400/blogger-image-1097621826.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
And here's the husband, holding out the mango juices. They're tiny but so filling that it took me until the next day to finish mine! They're also expensive, but since we weren't going to be having mango juice anywhere else, I didn't mind forking over the cash for the juices. (We did end up having mango juice two more times in Jeju, but it was worth it!)<br />
<br />
We drove around and took in some sights. There are so many empty and half-built buildings in Jeju, and those kinds of things always depress me a little. There were once so many hopes and dreams attached to those projects, and now they're derelict and just being ugly, ruining a nice landscape or cityscape. Sigh.<br />
<br />
We went back to the hotel pretty early, since the traveling had tuckered me out, and watched TV and played on our phones and giggled and did all the things that two traveling ninnies do. Ha. It was a great first day!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-36498978430685034912015-08-18T01:15:00.001-07:002015-08-18T01:18:05.495-07:00El Taco, Busan<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<b>El Taco</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Busan Haeundae-Gu Jung-Dong 1515-2</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Kyung-Dong Meris #103</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="tel:051.746.8358" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">051.746.8358</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Open from 12 noon - 9 p.m. (or opens at 4 p.m., not sure which!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
엘타코</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
부산광역시 해운대구 중동 1515-2번지 경동 메르빌상가 103호</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="tel:051.746.8358" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">051.746.8358</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsKdyQsIwM3HsxHUP7cX-PB6UvpopZwz_Z_cd-uZ_-2wF_VhPNcB7WTVlfTPlw6Nt9uV0tiWnBfNNuTi_gWTGDXQcbWuOUInVJ7jepTFYiFjmkx30nGeQADs4GMB4nxfeOoqD/s640/blogger-image--656809351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsKdyQsIwM3HsxHUP7cX-PB6UvpopZwz_Z_cd-uZ_-2wF_VhPNcB7WTVlfTPlw6Nt9uV0tiWnBfNNuTi_gWTGDXQcbWuOUInVJ7jepTFYiFjmkx30nGeQADs4GMB4nxfeOoqD/s400/blogger-image--656809351.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
This past weekend, the husband and I went on a little adventure. I say this because anytime we try to go anywhere in our neighborhood during the weekend, it's an adventure! We seriously have way too much traffic in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haeundae_District" target="_blank">Haeundae</a>, mostly because of all the summer tourists. (We have the nicest beach in all of Korea, apparently!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So on a drizzly and thankfully cool Sunday, off we went to E-Mart and then to go have Mexican food, because I LOVE Mexican food!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The restaurant is pictured above. It's on the non-popular side of <a href="http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264120" target="_blank">Dalmaji Road</a> (달맞이길), which is famous for its nighttime views. I've been there at night, though, and frankly? Not that much to see. It's just a hill with tons of coffeeshops, I think is what I would call it. It's hugely popular, though, so I was a bit worried about all the people ... and was pleasantly surprised! Not that many people!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHTnkzLCDZ8BaVeoUTT1R_kk8P2wnEHAZseM0oV0M5irqN9NZ9ts-MQTbvDWdXu5S8C1Gpr0ogrTqrUx80em4wGJNUEY2jX_ie3tpI4__ddlFPMO7ZlTGUpOKZf8OW8nDuOSk/s640/blogger-image--25589529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHTnkzLCDZ8BaVeoUTT1R_kk8P2wnEHAZseM0oV0M5irqN9NZ9ts-MQTbvDWdXu5S8C1Gpr0ogrTqrUx80em4wGJNUEY2jX_ie3tpI4__ddlFPMO7ZlTGUpOKZf8OW8nDuOSk/s400/blogger-image--25589529.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The menu was pretty cute, no? Except I don't think Koreans know or comprehend what "pub" means, because this place is called a pub but looks and sounds and feels like a family restaurant!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihb7qDY67kaXOq5HO_WDl22H9cSABpQgQUOHzceGkzxJZR0eiWpp86a1JzPKTDvwOvTPpTNR6dUGdx7Wf_VfgcUmCgycG3p2fccFcFc2ZX6kVLtUzUo9-bDzH1s97rdyxFVcd/s640/blogger-image-364043994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihb7qDY67kaXOq5HO_WDl22H9cSABpQgQUOHzceGkzxJZR0eiWpp86a1JzPKTDvwOvTPpTNR6dUGdx7Wf_VfgcUmCgycG3p2fccFcFc2ZX6kVLtUzUo9-bDzH1s97rdyxFVcd/s400/blogger-image-364043994.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We had nachos, of course, because I love nachos! The pickled jalapenos brought a little tear to my eye. I love them so~ Koreans like really sweet pickles, and the tangy saltiness of the jalapenos brought my childhood rushing back to me! The jarred salsa was okay; better jarred than some weird concoction that some weird Korean makes, I say! The cheese was sadly lacking, of course, but what can you do, right?? These were the Nachos Grande, which are 9,000 KRW (about $7.60).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MaI-bCBcYMlBWGlQl6-1c9jFnE2wMH79IvQghpwyFyS85XfVl98qb2BcGlmJylep7MXkBv6sJlskvx3C6qXX3sjz2G5c0GaejBM5OdyNGmIiEE0OGz-hzlWWS5D5xIyc7zVw/s640/blogger-image--464726050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MaI-bCBcYMlBWGlQl6-1c9jFnE2wMH79IvQghpwyFyS85XfVl98qb2BcGlmJylep7MXkBv6sJlskvx3C6qXX3sjz2G5c0GaejBM5OdyNGmIiEE0OGz-hzlWWS5D5xIyc7zVw/s400/blogger-image--464726050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Two beef tacos! Pretty good, I have to say. Of course there wasn't enough beef (Koreans are really cheap with meat because it's much more expensive here!) but otherwise okay! The crema / sour cream on top was a little bit odd and excessive. What the heck? And no salsa inside, but I used the extra from the nachos for the taco. A messy eat, which is the best kind of taco! Two beef tacos were 7,500 KRW (about $6.33).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3e98fItAewwgbsd9z0iUddTZA9m_DP4HJKsw8KtyrOjVSTEYSVtB8M1hA9EkBIUPwdHIAe76xh2zzfO9_RL0HqhvGXcmfEiP9wXhbSSJJ0HWdqeKtxS0KNvFI1n-0C28Nk0a/s640/blogger-image-1035992310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3e98fItAewwgbsd9z0iUddTZA9m_DP4HJKsw8KtyrOjVSTEYSVtB8M1hA9EkBIUPwdHIAe76xh2zzfO9_RL0HqhvGXcmfEiP9wXhbSSJJ0HWdqeKtxS0KNvFI1n-0C28Nk0a/s400/blogger-image-1035992310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The quesadilla was, by far, the most Koreanized thing we had. It was a sausage potato quesadilla, which I wanted to try because it just SOUNDED so Korean! It was okay, except I'm not a huge fan of refried beans, and this had a ton of them in there. Along with the soft potato, it made for a major jaw-gluer. And crema / sour cream again! What is with Koreans and their love of garnishing foreign foods?? This was the most expensive thing, I thought, in terms of quality : quantity, at 11,000 KRW (about $9.29).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBa0WQpSXAeWeQuVCa_F09iNThrJcwdAEVAE9bMlBYexsvxaA317Xtq8IPVAIakyaeGtueGULSB-2uPkrNF9nxL6T-Kzg57hpAN79nfCxLHQg3NH4nYY3VNFFUAXIYVYb28kK/s640/blogger-image-1778668697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBa0WQpSXAeWeQuVCa_F09iNThrJcwdAEVAE9bMlBYexsvxaA317Xtq8IPVAIakyaeGtueGULSB-2uPkrNF9nxL6T-Kzg57hpAN79nfCxLHQg3NH4nYY3VNFFUAXIYVYb28kK/s400/blogger-image-1778668697.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Husband perusing the menu in the tiny little hole-in-the-wall place. It had photos of America in the back of the photograph above, which I thought was cute... but slightly weird, because it had Hollywood and also New York. Where are you from, restaurant?? California or New York?? Haha!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskYEMckrovD9iLTCNYAj3swZeTZfXfDa7OgnkLl2uOeEYpcKSucobs8Cz-8T8D6l2OTtQEp_IxC-5E2bo03sLesfuiywNRQCJLjs7VPs3jAI72_pTt_X2Qi1kdN_gLIzzFtXg/s640/blogger-image--1679358267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskYEMckrovD9iLTCNYAj3swZeTZfXfDa7OgnkLl2uOeEYpcKSucobs8Cz-8T8D6l2OTtQEp_IxC-5E2bo03sLesfuiywNRQCJLjs7VPs3jAI72_pTt_X2Qi1kdN_gLIzzFtXg/s400/blogger-image--1679358267.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The menu is above. This is all that they serve, and while I've only had the three dishes shown above, I think it's a safe bet to assume that all their food pretty much tastes the same. Kind of American-Mexican but with a strong dash of Korean and an even bigger dash of store-bought. For the money we spent at this place, we'd be better off buying the store-bought ingredients and making the dishes at home! (Which I think I need to do... right??)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Still, always fun to go on an adventure! ^_^ </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-30331721599763102732015-07-31T00:28:00.000-07:002015-07-31T00:28:31.640-07:00JournalingTo me, journaling has always been something of a hobby that I return to again and again. I don't return to it because I love it so much (though I do love it!); I return to it because I have this need in my life to get things down on paper and keep them for all eternity. I think I have a weird complex about this, in a sense.<br />
<br />
My issue with journaling has always been that I invariably end up writing about things that piss me off (so, so much!) because I have a lot of anger that I hold on to (without expressing it in my everyday life, of course). When I look back on my journals, I toss a lot of them because all they seem to be is a collection of angry thoughts, written really heavy-handedly by a very angry me. I don't want my memories to all be angry! I want to remember the good AND the bad.<br />
<br />
From this article from <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling/" target="_blank">psychcentral</a>, though, I apparently did know a thing about journaling:<br />
<br />
<i>University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James
Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells,
called T-lymphocytes. Other research indicates that journaling decreases
the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Pennebaker believes
that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them,
thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.</i> <br />
<br />
Okay, but writing about <b>just</b> the stressful events can't be good, right?? I don't regret throwing out my old journals because they were just cesspools of negativity! I want to be known as having been happy, not having been sad and depressed.<br />
<br />
So my latest love is my Midori Traveler's Notebook (two of them, actually!), which I have wanted for a long, long time but didn't get previously because someone that I really didn't like has one and I didn't want anything in my life to be the same as theirs (see what I mean about the anger??). Since I haven't seen that person in years and I doubt I'll ever see them again, I asked my husband for one for my birthday this year. He bought me my brown one (the bigger one, in the back! I have no use for tiny little notebooks, which is his in the front) and I love it! My birthday is in the beginning of June, so I've had this for a while, but still adore it.<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SuVX0gXT5fFr9ORAxoWJIstq24ISqGSCevMsfwU9AwEuvrhcYjIAiWnbX7-lDuwTGpYdRTglQyDGWju91RA018D8gtb_XQ6-fihFXR4xnNChg9BJiG60WVgkcG3GcU6k0Qub/s640/blogger-image--342950522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SuVX0gXT5fFr9ORAxoWJIstq24ISqGSCevMsfwU9AwEuvrhcYjIAiWnbX7-lDuwTGpYdRTglQyDGWju91RA018D8gtb_XQ6-fihFXR4xnNChg9BJiG60WVgkcG3GcU6k0Qub/s400/blogger-image--342950522.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I love stickers (can't you tell??), and have been going all kinds of crazy buying stickers for my Midori. Sticker mania!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV6dfDsYx1q74el1HjTmdKL4KtBIBguZT3B9ZH295LdIcqgoHwo3ZGdFI3ExikCsTtKZl3KDRmy8pVTcD6PT0WWuTYbDhSr-gTqZ0NtZh9y0k0eHvYHcB3UoC7krrSlhStIx3/s640/blogger-image-1508188866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV6dfDsYx1q74el1HjTmdKL4KtBIBguZT3B9ZH295LdIcqgoHwo3ZGdFI3ExikCsTtKZl3KDRmy8pVTcD6PT0WWuTYbDhSr-gTqZ0NtZh9y0k0eHvYHcB3UoC7krrSlhStIx3/s400/blogger-image-1508188866.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The husband just laughs at me every time I buy more stickers or (washi) tape or anything, because he knows there's no stopping me! I love embellishments, and I'm not the type of person that can't use them (oh, I use them all the time!).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So recently, we bought two more (!!) Midori Travelers Notebooks, this time both in blue! This is supposedly a limited edition, but it seems to still be widely available online. These came with the little airplane charms you see below (the husband gifted me with the four-leaf clover on my brown one): </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLgWltQPfuftel92rQZsCXFKT_c6CjDalHtQlkDnmdVvLyYWvhCM8lnDjPH2qFzWYrzr45kofNyV_g9wfjb64BKCQ6T13XwFmzJ0GqyLVEKLEoTLTTCroyPajY5cNqBM7AToD/s640/blogger-image-1995046434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLgWltQPfuftel92rQZsCXFKT_c6CjDalHtQlkDnmdVvLyYWvhCM8lnDjPH2qFzWYrzr45kofNyV_g9wfjb64BKCQ6T13XwFmzJ0GqyLVEKLEoTLTTCroyPajY5cNqBM7AToD/s400/blogger-image-1995046434.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
And the blue ones are embossed! So cute! (Though I much prefer my all-lowercase embossing to my husband's all-uppercase embossing, haha!) Click on the photo below for a bigger view:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw1if7es1JbRqopKI53IwJD2HISEOdH6VHGujUblc3zWEPxJHwwQ13nrY-O0yqk1xIk7oLU1kznrsELNt_m4mhuxXEYMwfoJlE8pvRK55rfSUC6xyizTDYO-u0GzA3hmqGT7w/s640/blogger-image--239482080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw1if7es1JbRqopKI53IwJD2HISEOdH6VHGujUblc3zWEPxJHwwQ13nrY-O0yqk1xIk7oLU1kznrsELNt_m4mhuxXEYMwfoJlE8pvRK55rfSUC6xyizTDYO-u0GzA3hmqGT7w/s400/blogger-image--239482080.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
In case you didn't know (who are you, anyway??), I have been <a href="https://instagram.com/jeannybeans/" target="_blank">Instagramming</a> more frequently than blogging or Facebooking lately. I love Instagram because it's fast, it's easy, and it's just one photo per post with a short (or long) description. And it's always chronological! Facebook annoys me with its order, which seems to be what it thinks I want to see. How does it know?? And when I change it to sort by time, it re-sorts itself in a very short while! Argh...! so Instagram it is!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Out of all my journaling posts, this is the one that has the most likes:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk5Pls7-bc-abUHcUeBDDuWjOxTtLAZoGNobvA18P_T0Gsah2Op1DnSQyJUd6Z3_Z_kU6OXcBxKdS-buWGcRFBjR2jbkx2aMrbUsbTRJEY-q1iOzWARVf4l1awnZEnaw4dlHI/s640/blogger-image-217645925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk5Pls7-bc-abUHcUeBDDuWjOxTtLAZoGNobvA18P_T0Gsah2Op1DnSQyJUd6Z3_Z_kU6OXcBxKdS-buWGcRFBjR2jbkx2aMrbUsbTRJEY-q1iOzWARVf4l1awnZEnaw4dlHI/s400/blogger-image-217645925.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I think maybe it's because of the flowers? I have no idea! (The flowers are from the invitation to a co-worker's wedding. I thought including this in my journal was a nice way to commemorate the wedding, even though I don't really like said co-worker all that much!) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
And this is just one more of my journaling posts, of which there are quite a few now:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkoZ89xj_76k4-WmG0orOaZxXauFVzHAzEzzttBvEHZfRP65_oF5sj7LLRPxRJHfkH-ADtJ4MuFJXw6v2e3hxqp2hhOBTUaKzff6tonMMABPtBpzPtZpG9e0wIu1YhhlKHiw5/s640/blogger-image-2037679746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkoZ89xj_76k4-WmG0orOaZxXauFVzHAzEzzttBvEHZfRP65_oF5sj7LLRPxRJHfkH-ADtJ4MuFJXw6v2e3hxqp2hhOBTUaKzff6tonMMABPtBpzPtZpG9e0wIu1YhhlKHiw5/s400/blogger-image-2037679746.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I love writing in my journal, and I don't worry about mistakes. Who cares, right?? And mistakes are where you learn about yourself and how you grow as a person! That's what I'm telling myself, anyway!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
And this is my most recent Instagram post about journaling, which is a work-in-progress: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAGEJOpSSjJNhtN5uiYujqZ-usjd6k2WoB5kcb7JcdIR8AiPuLzz2yLGmC77RzA5lerHy8VPiqntqooMGuCVP6lfzv9dDmdWzKEfAC0NkPDouIkj8GcaiHIRveibvHf4cDkWh/s640/blogger-image-923503974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAGEJOpSSjJNhtN5uiYujqZ-usjd6k2WoB5kcb7JcdIR8AiPuLzz2yLGmC77RzA5lerHy8VPiqntqooMGuCVP6lfzv9dDmdWzKEfAC0NkPDouIkj8GcaiHIRveibvHf4cDkWh/s400/blogger-image-923503974.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
As you can see, journaling seems to have taken over my life! (It hasn't, really, I promise ... I only journal <i>maybe</i> five minutes per day.) But I do think about it a lot more, and think about what I do every day, since I write it all down. It's a good thing, I feel, but journaling (diary-keeping?) has made me think that the days really go by too quickly! Time is so fleeting. Sniffle.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The weather here in Busan has been extremely hot and muggy for the past couple weeks, which is gross and makes me want to die, so I'm happily at the office at the moment, enjoying the (overly) air-conditioned rooms!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
That's it for journaling ... for now. We'll see how long I can keep this up! I'm hoping for a really long while, since it's easy and I'm enjoying it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-65463935263453473502015-07-28T03:30:00.000-07:002015-07-28T03:32:07.276-07:00Busan Eats!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Busan is sweltering lately. Seriously, so hot and humid that it makes me want to stab someone, preferably myself, so I can get away from the heat and humidity. Gross.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So this past weekend, we went on a little date to watch "암살" ("<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_%282015_film%29" target="_blank">Assassination</a>"), which is the hot new movie lately (that our company worked on). I honestly think people are just going out to watch movies because it's so freaking hot at home... but whatever. The movie was hard for me to understand- I may speak Korean like a native, but I certainly do not understand old school Korean very well. Or at all, frankly. Hmmph. It was annoying and I nearly fell asleep in the middle of the movie, but at least it was pretty? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
After the movie, we went to have dinner. We had braised chicken, an old favorite of mine when I lived in Ilsan! Aww, I miss Ilsan...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IZLJYDe5SqTsjcYOl0CamK_5q9SVkOE3pHdRjkmydOBMFS9X5ikoNT0XH6qqoAtBoegdS6u4wiD55QEYgEs3iFoNdN31DqiEiTEnsMBXW730piv0BR074uI4tBaaeJiaPnUj/s640/blogger-image-244696343.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IZLJYDe5SqTsjcYOl0CamK_5q9SVkOE3pHdRjkmydOBMFS9X5ikoNT0XH6qqoAtBoegdS6u4wiD55QEYgEs3iFoNdN31DqiEiTEnsMBXW730piv0BR074uI4tBaaeJiaPnUj/s400/blogger-image-244696343.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The restaurant is called <a href="http://www.bongchuglobal.com/" target="_blank">BongChu Chicken</a> (website is shockingly in (bad) English!) (or <a href="http://www.bongchu.com/kr/" target="_blank">봉추찜닭</a>, the website for which is in Korean). What is braised chicken, you ask? It's this!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERniZDp1ibJdzeLhaNnLq4QdvbxmmADD6T3XfSMty7QslSC2VVXqCuPpyZosQBYfq6784mRy4loGwfxpKK-OFBTD9MCiFsvxvZs7-JHfZs8bK04B0VKVnBnUcDZaeSVhBX_uq/s640/blogger-image-46157334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERniZDp1ibJdzeLhaNnLq4QdvbxmmADD6T3XfSMty7QslSC2VVXqCuPpyZosQBYfq6784mRy4loGwfxpKK-OFBTD9MCiFsvxvZs7-JHfZs8bK04B0VKVnBnUcDZaeSVhBX_uq/s400/blogger-image-46157334.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
And it is so delicious. Mmmmm~~ Sweet and salty and chicken-y with 당면 (cellophane noodles made out of yams, which I LOVE) and carrots and, oddly, cucumbers. I know people eat cooked cucumbers, but I still think it's weird. They get all soft and mushy and weird. Anyways, YUM! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Then we went to have coffee at <a href="http://www.cafeaslan.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Aslan</a>, (website in Korean), which is a sort of frou-frou cafe quite close to our place. (We walked all day, because weekends here in Busan are TERRIBLE for traffic! Living in a tourist-y area is not good here in Korea.) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZlc6B-eJthBdABkKP86fMnPK2nMwQ8CG7zwRkzpWHdFRXF2KrR3uaozn3K_dP6hdYZcGXMmwEyDYLxr2pnzQb0yv2NkG5eq0-sN9rG2svMq2wFdNw0ZM9rIn0Wd4cfEX3lBL/s640/blogger-image--1066497246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZlc6B-eJthBdABkKP86fMnPK2nMwQ8CG7zwRkzpWHdFRXF2KrR3uaozn3K_dP6hdYZcGXMmwEyDYLxr2pnzQb0yv2NkG5eq0-sN9rG2svMq2wFdNw0ZM9rIn0Wd4cfEX3lBL/s400/blogger-image--1066497246.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Aww, it's the husband, who doesn't know I have a blog~ He'd probably kill me if he knew I had uploaded this photo anywhere online. Good thing I only have about 3 readers! Cafe Aslan is really cute and the atmosphere is great, but it's SO EXPENSIVE. It's ₩6,100 (~$5.50) for an Americano! Which is like ₩5,000 at Starbucks, which is an expensive import here! ... But what can you do. You pay for the atmosphere, I guess?? </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBhWoZSgSbAQQnl8f6PPsT3TxBqPuoH5AcmqFMEAflFUbM5nzdbZ5mZl9vZ62WzvFosB5cYLGN3AS7b2-FMa4QCiDbYPhLIbhHzR3IRZn_-ZN044Yrcswi9Qbyug8X_Hx8r7Y/s640/blogger-image-463711865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBhWoZSgSbAQQnl8f6PPsT3TxBqPuoH5AcmqFMEAflFUbM5nzdbZ5mZl9vZ62WzvFosB5cYLGN3AS7b2-FMa4QCiDbYPhLIbhHzR3IRZn_-ZN044Yrcswi9Qbyug8X_Hx8r7Y/s400/blogger-image-463711865.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
It was pretty late, so we had green tea lattes, which were horrendously sweet, unsurprisingly. Koreans love sweets! The little cupcakes or muffins were surprisingly good. I don't expect Korean bakery items labeled with "cream cheese" to actually taste like cream cheese, but these did! Yummy. We still have two at home, which I just remembered.<br />
<br />
I've been at the office for two days in a row, which is unusual for me, but it's been SO HOT at home that I am taking refuge in the air-conditioning at work!<br />
<br />
That's all for now. I have another blog post coming soon about journaling (with pen and paper!) because I've been all about that lately. ^_^Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0Busan, South Korea35.1795543 129.0756416000000434.7642763 128.43019460000005 35.5948323 129.72108860000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-31474985994107297342015-07-06T06:36:00.001-07:002015-07-06T06:36:40.796-07:00Typhoon Season ☔️<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__5PS8_Wjop_zsMGvWbAP8OnGF5C_PN2MvOsK1VSzQySZeaP1BhxJrRwLFg2zdtx33YVy6MAGOoqPbhde0uTpOhedXtweYVkIrWvu3T-7USV-CsoWBivlgpDlFKM5z4oCzHiP/s640/blogger-image-1729510648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__5PS8_Wjop_zsMGvWbAP8OnGF5C_PN2MvOsK1VSzQySZeaP1BhxJrRwLFg2zdtx33YVy6MAGOoqPbhde0uTpOhedXtweYVkIrWvu3T-7USV-CsoWBivlgpDlFKM5z4oCzHiP/s640/blogger-image-1729510648.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Typhoon season is upon us, argh! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The only good news is, it's much cooler and humid, but not as humid, as up north, in Seoul. Whew. I'm actually cold right now! I put on a hoodie and warm socks today, it's that cold. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm not excited about jangma (장마, typhoon season in Korean), but I'm not dreading it the way I used to when I lived in Ilsan or Seoul.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZXvcFIXfzpxn-21zx5a798GXxPRrLC-VfYJfE33jaFRVz1Fwnbk2k8GDDp9mbOlGYIQAYu1dO3fWctBM5Bxyo-6hV88aUFO_wDHFRlnBOIQVn9uVKAs7CBW3cdV80x3y83Tm/s640/blogger-image-10515033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZXvcFIXfzpxn-21zx5a798GXxPRrLC-VfYJfE33jaFRVz1Fwnbk2k8GDDp9mbOlGYIQAYu1dO3fWctBM5Bxyo-6hV88aUFO_wDHFRlnBOIQVn9uVKAs7CBW3cdV80x3y83Tm/s640/blogger-image-10515033.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnfJZ3_Np_xeOFxk3VwfLBBiVZSvSXo62ju4_hsUQoz9ILAjbkMo3uvpRQcb18r0aas3WutDmZFb0raDdtMz0G5EWvu7Vxatdp5wfzYcD3gpyjcBqDL0hA5P0ScD6LrLG9czn/s640/blogger-image--585429976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnfJZ3_Np_xeOFxk3VwfLBBiVZSvSXo62ju4_hsUQoz9ILAjbkMo3uvpRQcb18r0aas3WutDmZFb0raDdtMz0G5EWvu7Vxatdp5wfzYcD3gpyjcBqDL0hA5P0ScD6LrLG9czn/s640/blogger-image--585429976.jpg"></a></div><br></div>In other news, Korean ice cream bars are amazing! (For the most part, anyway.) It was summery enough last week for me to have had the two above. Yum. I'll miss these when (if??) I leave Korea...</div>Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-1055355700371980472015-06-27T23:06:00.001-07:002015-07-28T03:33:22.931-07:00야식 (Late Night Dining)There's a word in Korean that means "late-night dining," which is 야식 (ya-shik or ya-sheek). I think this is just one more point to show how much Koreans love food!<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVwNXHrs0CXLb4HqXFH8ciIYaAIMxm0jAEJLPG5jh1IImTDzIcyADFnCRsOh_SW4yVOkUn43hdXSYiCJ-jBXa3UWsCcqckYsLh2FUPBX7GwrIZamtcQy-sCsJzKp5zNmKbGDT/s640/blogger-image--310098241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVwNXHrs0CXLb4HqXFH8ciIYaAIMxm0jAEJLPG5jh1IImTDzIcyADFnCRsOh_SW4yVOkUn43hdXSYiCJ-jBXa3UWsCcqckYsLh2FUPBX7GwrIZamtcQy-sCsJzKp5zNmKbGDT/s400/blogger-image--310098241.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
The photo above shows the 24 hour boon-shik (flour-based food) restaurant that's on the first floor of our building.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAvjTTDUOwagbyE1himBvjmtkkC2Wn9th8d9Fb4fmzB5ScbNNUuq3EI4seQNJbeTBgL_0TwKI_0r1em601g3y-1PxrT-kBKLwH17dlFtkFPcCOIjOVXne9BNHTVKHfDynUabD/s640/blogger-image-2086937956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAvjTTDUOwagbyE1himBvjmtkkC2Wn9th8d9Fb4fmzB5ScbNNUuq3EI4seQNJbeTBgL_0TwKI_0r1em601g3y-1PxrT-kBKLwH17dlFtkFPcCOIjOVXne9BNHTVKHfDynUabD/s400/blogger-image-2086937956.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
And this is what they serve (or part of what they serve, anyway- they also have dumplings (mandu) and some noodles and things). On the left is deep-fried goodness, called "twigim" (튀김) in Korean, and on the right is "tteokbokki" (떡볶이), which is rice cakes in spicy red sauce. Their tteokbokki is not that good, but at 1 a.m., it's all delicious!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We had this last night and I'm all bloated from having too much salt now. The price we pay for deliciousness!</div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-32096744283766316572015-06-25T03:16:00.001-07:002015-06-25T03:16:03.102-07:00Crazy Coastal Weather!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBNDgRNsbJNeUZPFtgYYngvA5U5SIuFEclAwtVQdCf0-R_u1T_QqtPwZjcyF2SabyqZ5eNYZ9HGXsF1sgXlKYjDIjrAWQ5ZaJQn3JPSxN_BeH2kQ7ZJ3a_ocak4ZqWg1z_9Ub/s640/blogger-image--231472126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBNDgRNsbJNeUZPFtgYYngvA5U5SIuFEclAwtVQdCf0-R_u1T_QqtPwZjcyF2SabyqZ5eNYZ9HGXsF1sgXlKYjDIjrAWQ5ZaJQn3JPSxN_BeH2kQ7ZJ3a_ocak4ZqWg1z_9Ub/s640/blogger-image--231472126.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's supposedly summer here in Busan, but it's been cold and rainy lately! What's up with that?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I appreciate this English weather, though, since I grew up with insanely sunny days in LA.</div>Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-83037949730530255512015-06-21T02:11:00.001-07:002015-06-21T02:12:21.206-07:00Weekend in IncheonHello, blog!<div><br></div><div>Update on the weekend:</div><div><br></div><div>We decided earlier in the week to go to Incheon, where my parents-in-law live, because it's my father-in-law's birthday today (Sunday).</div><div><br></div><div>The confusing thing about my in-laws is that while they celebrate their sons' birthday on the day (regular solar calendar), they celebrate their own birthdays according to the Lunar calendar. Neither my dad's or mom's families use the Lunar calendar for anything, so this is completely bizarre to me.</div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, we took an afternoon KTX (the super fast train here in Korea that makes my ears hurt) yesterday, Saturday, and went up to Incheon.</div><div><br></div><div>Though his birthday is technically today, the same day (solar calendar!!) as my great-aunt, we celebrated last night. With a cake that we bought on our way to the house:<br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaTdHNT155qwLGYrEatYaMh4CLEJcmzbvMWCfFQ2mPJPR1M2UzMcUWeYJUqRbcrmBytciprZ2LRH39c9QJvF0Fwm2_UqRag-wxL8x0qLhYpR5AyV44grZYN8LxGUpWQv7ukJV/s640/blogger-image--1540881884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaTdHNT155qwLGYrEatYaMh4CLEJcmzbvMWCfFQ2mPJPR1M2UzMcUWeYJUqRbcrmBytciprZ2LRH39c9QJvF0Fwm2_UqRag-wxL8x0qLhYpR5AyV44grZYN8LxGUpWQv7ukJV/s640/blogger-image--1540881884.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div>Aww. He's so cute, even though he's 68 (Korean age)! Another funny thing is that according to the Chinese zodiac, he's a mouse and she's a snake! (My mom and mother-in-law are the same age, by the way.)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdPfTiCuTq2n5uU0wlVu2JtISxoffJtkNIkX10XcRD8VoAD3dbxockX3nsf4nUTtRz0SqGYfqpnnRpALxzj4TVO8perOsHZ4u5xyO37dYORTIiiR7fCHN7G-grpuk2Wx9FM3e/s640/blogger-image--1703253451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdPfTiCuTq2n5uU0wlVu2JtISxoffJtkNIkX10XcRD8VoAD3dbxockX3nsf4nUTtRz0SqGYfqpnnRpALxzj4TVO8perOsHZ4u5xyO37dYORTIiiR7fCHN7G-grpuk2Wx9FM3e/s640/blogger-image--1703253451.jpg"></a></div>This was dinner last night. My mother-in-law just discovered Vietnamese spring rolls and loves them, so that's what we had. Pretty dang good, actually, but no Sriracha sauce, which was a bit sad for me. I love Sriracha sauce!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVk6mVFoT6viHCIhb6lAj4HwJoTDwfyLtiiGkDwPxdzxPkpsJX3HsB-FR9wev0rhIUKsuUyGdR100zyr_vstjmtgHwgsLnF9qrNsgH0n9XtEpswDAZP0uEK8uHp5ZUYeuOlBeN/s640/blogger-image-1126386137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVk6mVFoT6viHCIhb6lAj4HwJoTDwfyLtiiGkDwPxdzxPkpsJX3HsB-FR9wev0rhIUKsuUyGdR100zyr_vstjmtgHwgsLnF9qrNsgH0n9XtEpswDAZP0uEK8uHp5ZUYeuOlBeN/s640/blogger-image-1126386137.jpg"></a></div>And here's brunch this morning. The seaweed soup (미역국) is traditional on birthdays for Koreans, so we had it and eels (that grilled stuff behind the soup). I don't much like eel because it's too soft. I have finally figured out that for me, texture is king! If something is harder, chewier, or difficult to get down your throat, I'm much likelier to like it. </div><div><br></div><div>And now we're headed back to Busan, back home. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V5hsG761Vbacl3erpnM6QAG9V9IplIY65Lc9qJLAwugz-oAip8jRxt01txIOcU_NRMbCNZbUxzzdxnF8LCcYNTBiQxm2nZVwMcjOp8jGirtLZ259ZEKupFd1JpJasgL677F7/s640/blogger-image--821053346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V5hsG761Vbacl3erpnM6QAG9V9IplIY65Lc9qJLAwugz-oAip8jRxt01txIOcU_NRMbCNZbUxzzdxnF8LCcYNTBiQxm2nZVwMcjOp8jGirtLZ259ZEKupFd1JpJasgL677F7/s640/blogger-image--821053346.jpg"></a></div>This is inside the train moments ago! I realized that I'm so used to Korea that I don't really take many photos of everyday life here, but I'm going to try to change that. </div><div><br></div><div>And! AND! Happy Father's Day!! To my dad, father-in-law, and to all dads out there, including my husband, to-be-father to our future babies ❤️</div>Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-9385941203205884022015-06-16T02:45:00.002-07:002015-06-16T02:45:46.410-07:00Catch-Up!Wow, it's been a long time. So long!<br />
<br />
So far, in 2015, I have:<br />
<br />
- Moved back to Korea.<br />
- Gotten married! (In Hawaii, to boot!)<br />
- Re-entered the job market (in my old job, no less!)<br />
- Moved to <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busan" target="_blank">Busan</a>, where my now-husband ran around like a headless chicken for the couple weeks before my arrival looking for a place to live (he had previously been living in the company barracks- er, dormitory).<br />
- Turned 33 (34 in Korea... sigh).<br />
<br />
I want to get back into blogging again, if for no other reason than because someday, when I have kids, I want them to see what their mother went through and see my life through my eyes. Which means that I need to have kids ... and that I need to teach them English! Haha.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Obligatory photo from the wedding, which my brother-in-law took:</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOinwoya8UxQSUG9um5kzAjIpZumfLHzSvCBT5te011otyln3CGX8YK0fKKEljwk2O916-AMTJlI4_tNnCD4dV3PnFaALIrUZF0jKxtyZ8G70ywH4auTjHyalqkxnulwvx4l-/s640/blogger-image-853524526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOinwoya8UxQSUG9um5kzAjIpZumfLHzSvCBT5te011otyln3CGX8YK0fKKEljwk2O916-AMTJlI4_tNnCD4dV3PnFaALIrUZF0jKxtyZ8G70ywH4auTjHyalqkxnulwvx4l-/s400/blogger-image-853524526.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
He's twins with my husband, so imagine two of those guys at the wedding and you're pretty much set!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's our house (well, officetel) here in Busan:</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2JyghKkaJJpzYTd0vLyuk9F2HCxwH3j5rrjJZ9a7yu6E6RbWhnpBkgvh7uIfYe5HbqVUapeAgn9EHjMiKam0m6uR0Qjka5EYqBgAKMM7FEklYj1_6f3HHaq6JEtgRvjR9oP/s640/blogger-image--297968919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2JyghKkaJJpzYTd0vLyuk9F2HCxwH3j5rrjJZ9a7yu6E6RbWhnpBkgvh7uIfYe5HbqVUapeAgn9EHjMiKam0m6uR0Qjka5EYqBgAKMM7FEklYj1_6f3HHaq6JEtgRvjR9oP/s400/blogger-image--297968919.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
... Okay, so it's just a wall. I haven't really taken any photos of the whole place yet, mostly because it's a weirdly shaped little home that's hard to photograph. I do have tons of photos of our veranda, which is enormous (so out of proportion with the rest of the house!) and which my husband adores, the smoker that he is. Sigh.<br />
<br />
I'm back at work, as I listed above, and it's crazy busy! I'm trying to stick to coming into the office only twice a week, but so far, it hasn't worked very well. It's only Tuesday and it's already my second day in the office this week! (Though in all fairness, I came in super late yesterday for a conference call and left after about an hour and a half in the office.)<br />
<br />
Here's hoping that I will blog more regularly~<br />
<br />
And in case you're curious as to what I'm up to, please take a look at my <a href="https://instagram.com/jeannybeans/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, where I do post more regularly! Very random things, from food to husband to planner!<br />
<br /></div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-31663891718534418972014-12-06T15:29:00.000-08:002014-12-06T15:29:23.984-08:00Arthur Gerdes Park, NorwalkNo, not Norwalk, Connecticut- Norwalk, California! Arthur Gerdes Park is a local park in my parents' neighborhood, and it's lovely, despite the alleged shooting that allegedly took place there a couple weeks ago. Allegedly. Ahem.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway, I've been walking around the neighborhood lately to get exercise and to see the sights (being a nosy neighbor!) and I frequently walk through this park. I took photos the other day because it had just finished raining and it smelled like freshly mown grass. It was lovely, something that the photos don't really convey.</div>
<div>
<img src="webkit-fake-url://6089b0fb-4200-4639-8910-242b22644ff1/imagejpeg" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<img src="webkit-fake-url://257c4be3-e9b2-410d-aa30-3d12fbd104ec/imagejpeg" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-57327847668552564532014-12-03T23:36:00.001-08:002014-12-03T23:36:41.465-08:00Hello Again!So ... I've been rather absent from this blog lately. Oops!<br /><br />This is not because I've been sent to the hospital again or have relapsed! This is simply because I'm back in LA, I'm not working, and I'm really leading a very boring life at the moment. Hee.<br /><br />Here are some random moments from my life in the past few weeks:<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115136183024579085599/QuibblingJottings03?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvuw9P4rIC6hwE#6088883202320832386'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSzAuKSqaDbTdyHO7QJZHJ62JFHyAhfSkzbX0Xp-cfk8lpdriZpjCfayj8j0meufMGn9dubefQzoHNgSATFUHaqyrDE4TtJwE7i0Oz0D5mNtgD6H0SeSfRx3gvOIfyQakFgt1/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />It's a boat! This was at San Pedro, where my family went to eat crabs (yuck!) and shrimp (yum!) and then have ice cream or coffee (coffee for me).<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115136183024579085599/QuibblingJottings03?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvuw9P4rIC6hwE#6088883209134040914'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHJFlz6AticEUKmI327zsVXCZO6JR78y2XiIVfzAGjYA1r-sMO5PsQCm2iuy0Uifu9aI4TMmOwQTdunPiB8pnjkjMTWACDRfLyDCDKXlPIqOJT1smZpX1OSmB5082p1JtiIWf/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Shrimp. Shrriiiiiiiimmmmmpppp!! So good. My cholesterol was so high this day, but it was totally worth it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115136183024579085599/QuibblingJottings03?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvuw9P4rIC6hwE#6088883216944176946'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WNTi9BzJSVCHiVnmaFkXJvhS7yDvUfRzWZRu4nQhu-xPB7pzX7KAOw5Hd4dUcEZsJhSKp6S9ueL9eJp3g7EqFnv-zzkERhLRNEUdKr8yGLFQlYwfpElF8rbh7-z0gzMw3cRm/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Little seagulls (actually, pretty dang huge seagulls!) on the roof of some teeny building. I love birds when they're all perched together like this. And when they're all far, far away from me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115136183024579085599/QuibblingJottings03?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvuw9P4rIC6hwE#6088883219405724770'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLYA4ORvCvFSM0M1NECB_EEQv-ReDt_pR18rQeLIBsUpM7cidxfbHWPx5yUWFawY6VGg6PaOa-1zo0X1QjeKHYeEk2ebU3wmO-0o7gRaWQn0JgrTyW_NvMloAiv_YOzlJ5wFe/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Thanksgiving dinner! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did! I made a pecan pie, two pumpkin pies, 33 oatmeal cookies, a green bean casserole, and a lower back ache. For some reason, when the family cooks, I always get dessert! Even though my sister's really the one with the sweet tooth and the love of baking. Bizarre.<br /><br />The turkey was delicious ... As were the ribs, made for the boys, since they don't appreciate the bird. (Isn't that weird? Why do they love chicken but hate turkey??)<br /><br />So ... That's it! I'm going to try to blog more, but only if I have things to blog about!<br />Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-64918574834220526682014-05-12T22:57:00.000-07:002014-05-12T22:57:04.074-07:00Whew!It's been a long, long, <b>long</b> time, blog!<br />
<br />
There are a lot of reasons for this, the most important of which is ... that I had a cerebral hemmorhage due to high blood pressure. This happened on March 5, and now, on May 13, I'm nearly all recovered!<br />
<br />
There are still about two weeks that I don't remember (from the afternoon on March 5 to about two weeks after that), but I don't think I really need to remember those times, which were apparently quite painful. Ick.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzw0KuAqWgpClDKSJNaezkJDKJpNoag-d2e8npBZSaNu1CmffMmdMSnrdYrq81Vg_OoN5Snj2XCRSBDXFTeXPdoeGOnYFh_WV4bwZUycNEmY55PWx7mGwI1Jz26Fc0-GimE7E/s1600/20140511_141328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzw0KuAqWgpClDKSJNaezkJDKJpNoag-d2e8npBZSaNu1CmffMmdMSnrdYrq81Vg_OoN5Snj2XCRSBDXFTeXPdoeGOnYFh_WV4bwZUycNEmY55PWx7mGwI1Jz26Fc0-GimE7E/s1600/20140511_141328.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I've got a new blog, which my sister started for me while I was in the hospital- <a href="http://jeannysbrain.wordpress.com/">jeannysbrain.wordpress.com</a>.<br />
<br />
I post on Jeanny's Brain more frequently than I post here, but not all that often, as I haven't got any news to share!<br />
<br />
I was in the hospital from March 5 to April 8, with a couple overnight breaks in between. Overnight breaks were so great! I got to leave the hospital and go back to my apartment for a night, sleeping in my own bed in my own clothes, rather than in a hospital bed in hospital clothes. Ah, the good ol' days...<br />
<br />
After leaving the hospital, I came to Jeonju, my hometown. I stayed here for three weeks, going to the hospital here three times a week, until a week before my follow-up visit to the hospital in Seoul. The week before I was to go to the hospital in Seoul, I went up to Gunpo to my great-aunt's house. (In Jeonju, I've been staying at my paternal grandmother's.)<br />
<br />
It's been so confusing and wonderful and exhausting and awesome, this strange experience to go from nothingness to full consciousness. I don't even have the words to describe the whole thing!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm okay~ I'm fine~ I'm doing great now, actually! Thank you to my family and friends for everything, including their concern and love and prayers!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-52125739858007302922013-12-29T23:41:00.000-08:002013-12-29T23:41:10.296-08:0020132013 is nearing its end, and what a weird year it's been!<br />
<br />
I was organizing my planner for 2014 by perusing my 2013 planner and fishing out pertinent events and dates, and it was a rather interesting way to look back on my year and see what's happened. Per month, this was my 2013:<br />
<br />
<b>January</b>:<br />
I spent the holidays with my family, in brisk (for California) weather, only to return to shiver-inducing cold back in Korea. Brrrr!<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
LAX (Los Angeles) to ICN (Seoul / Incheon).<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=91073" target="_blank">박수건달</a> ("<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2630028/" target="_blank">The Gangster Shaman</a>")</i>: Pretty funny, a little touching, and good fun, as long as you understand some of the more Korean / Confucian motivations behind some of the characters.<br />
<i><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=94775" target="_blank">7번방의 선물</a> ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_in_Cell_No._7" target="_blank">Miracle in Cell No. 7</a>")</i>: Though I cried buckets, even through the tears, I could feel how the movie was just contorting itself into a crying jag-inducing sobfest. Not a film that I would re-watch.<br />
<br />
<b>February:</b><br />
Cold. Ilsan is prone to bone-chilling winds, and my bones? They were thoroughly chilled. I did get to go on a lovely little trip with the staff of the film I had worked on (courtesy of the production company, as the movie did really well in the box office!). I warmed my chilled bones in Malaysia, cooked my chilled bones in the boiling humidity of Singapore, then ... had to come back to frigid Korea.<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
ICN to KUL (Kuala Lumpur) to SIN (Singapore), then back to ICN.<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=89218" target="_blank">베를린</a> ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Berlin_File" target="_blank">The Berlin File</a>")</i>: Frankly, I wanted to re-watch this movie with English subtitles. The North Korean dialect was tough for me to decipher (my Korean friends said they didn't understand a lot of it, either) and the plot was a little hazy and confusing. I didn't dislike the film, just wanted to watch it again with English subtitles. Though I haven't watched it again, and haven't even tried to find English subtitles, so ... there you go.<br />
<i><u>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Good_Day_to_Die_Hard" target="_blank">A Good Day to Die Hard</a>"</u></i>: Fun! I like Bruce Willis (I was oddly really riveted by him and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looper_(film)" target="_blank">Looper</a>"). The only thing about this one was that I found Jai Courtney's American accent a little off at times, which was distracting. He's adorable, though.<br />
<i>"<u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CZ12" target="_blank">Chinese Zodiac</a></u>" (</i>a.k.a. <i>"<u>CZ12</u>")</i>: My co-workers and I went to the Korean opening of this film, as we had worked on it. It was nice to see Jackie Chan, the producers, and the cast and crew that were able to come to Korea. I can't really comment on movies that I've worked on because I get so numb to them by the time post-production's over.<br />
<br />
<b>March:</b><br />
This was the month that I booked a trainer for three months. He put me through my paces thrice weekly, at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m. Looking back on it, I miss him and my regular exercise- it did make me feel better. I need to find a good place here in Seoul...<br />
Three girlfriends and I went to Busan (부산) to visit another girlfriend and to see the cherry blossoms. It was full of fun, food, not as much booze as one might think, and hysterical laughter as only a group of women can produce. One of the girls is married now, another's getting married next year, and it feels like the group is drifting apart. Aww...<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
Busan (부산)<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
<a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=92533" target="_blank"><i>사이코메트리</i></a> ("<i><u><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709764/" target="_blank">Psychometry</a></u></i>" or "<i><u>The Gifted Hands</u></i>"): Terrible. Just ... terrible. Waste of good-looking actors. Ugh.<br />
"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oz_the_Great_and_Powerful" target="_blank"><i>Oz The Great and Powerful</i></a>": Great visual effects (yay, Sony!) but not a spectacular movie. It's a good movie to turn on while doing other things (I constantly have movies or TV shows on while I work, putter around, clean the house, what have you).<br />
<br />
<b>April:</b><br />
This was a busy month! My mother arrived from L.A., staying with me for a while before moseying on down to Jeonju (전주), our hometown.<br />
A co-worker of mine got married, so a bunch of us carpooled all the way down to Daejeon (대전) to go to the wedding ... only we got stuck in traffic (as did a lot of other guests) so we missed the ceremony and ended up just eating lunch, seeing a bunch of people we hadn't seen in a while, and then getting back into the car for the long ride back to Ilsan.<br />
Several friends got together and we all went to <a href="http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264514" target="_blank">EulWangRi</a> (also spelled EurWangRi, what a ridiculously tough name to spell in English! 을왕리) Beach, which, don't let the pictures on that website fool you, is a crap beach. It was fun because it was a trip with a bunch of friends, but the beach portion was laughably bad. I taught my buddies how to play soju pong (beer pong with soju! higher proof = more fun!) and we (they) had lots of raw fish, which I had lots of raw beef (beef tartare is delicious in Korea).<br />
I also went on a quick trip to Hong Kong for the film awards (we lost), which was a nice few days away from work obligations.<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
Daejeon (대전)<br />
EulWangRi (을왕리)<br />
ICN to HKG (Hong Kong), back to ICN<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Joe:_Retaliation" target="_blank"><i>G.I. Joe: Retaliation</i></a>": A surprisingly fun movie. I'm partial to loud, obnoxious action movies (courtesy of my dad), and this was loud and obnoxious, but it had enough heart and oomph for me to have fun.<br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Host_(2013_film)" target="_blank">The Host</a></u></i>": Eh. I haven't watched or read the "Twilight" series, but I imagine this is what they'd be like- overly angsty, overly romanticized. I could see my fourteen-year-old self really liking this movie, but 31-year-old me wasn't very impressed.<br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_for_Marion" target="_blank">Song for Marion</a></u></i>": I watched a matinee with my mom, and we both cried. It was a great little film, touching and well acted (Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave were amazing) and a perfect movie to watch with Mom.<br />
<br />
<b>May:</b><br />
May was the first anniversary of my maternal grandfather's death (we celebrate death anniversaries in Korea), and for the first time, my entire nuclear family gathered in Korea. My dad arrived, followed by my sister, who had had a tough few weeks following the illness and death of her furry firstborn, <a href="http://jeannybeans.blogspot.kr/2009/02/gouda-bunny.html" target="_blank">Gouda</a>. I miss his fuzzy little face with his teeny little rubbery tongue.<br />
My sister and I traveled together to Jeonju, where a lot of our family met up to celebrate my grandfather's life. It was bittersweet. It was also a lot of fun, for our family to be in Korea together for the first time since my sister and I were in elementary school!<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
Jeonju (전주)<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_Into_Darkness" target="_blank">Star Trek Into Darkness</a></u></i>": Great movie, as it should be, on a $190 million production budget. Nothing much to say about it, just ... Star Trek, J.J. Abrams, etc., etc.<br />
<br />
<b>June:</b><br />
My birthday was a bit of a blur, but I was happy my sister was with me to celebrate. Yay! The sister left for L.A. first, then Dad, then Mom. It was very quiet to be home alone after months with people around.<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Steel_(film)" target="_blank">Man of Steel</a></u></i>": I thought that I had really enjoyed this film, but I haven't re-watched it, which makes me think that I didn't really like it all that much. Hmm. Henry Cavill was lovely, but needs to watch his British accent slipping into his American.<br />
<br />
<b>July:</b><br />
I got a week off of work this month, so went on a quick trip to Tokyo. All I remember from the whirlwind visit (my first to Japan!) is that it was almost unbearably hot and humid. Sticky and gross. I didn't know Japan was so much more humid than Korea, something I will not be forgetting anytime soon!<br />
It's traditional for Koreans to escape the heat of the cities during the sweltering summers, so off we went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongpyeong" target="_blank">CheongPyeong</a> (청평). It was fun, though it rained (why, Korea, why?? hot rain is so icky!), so we ended up indoors much of the time (I still managed to get sunburned, though).<br />
Perhaps the heat is why so many movies premiere in the summertime? I was actually surprised at how many films I watched in July!<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
ICN to NRT (Narita / Tokyo), back to ICN<br />
CheongPyeong (청평)<br />
<i>movies: </i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z_(film)" target="_blank">World War Z</a></u></i>": It was good, though I seem to recall that I got bored in the second act. I was wholly back into the action by the third act, though!<br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Rim_(film)" target="_blank">Pacific Rim</a></u></i>": I've never watched "Sons of Anarchy," on which I hear he's great, but Charlie Humman was terrible in this movie. Idris Elba, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman almost saved it for me, but then Rinko Kikuchi and Robert Kazinsky hammered the last nail into the coffin. This movie, though, is great for re-watching (see March's "Oz the Great and Powerful").<br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RED_2_(film)" target="_blank">RED 2</a></u></i>": Brian Lee (Byung-Hun Lee, 이병헌) was fantastic. I love that they gave the stereotypical Asian villain a twist. Anthony Hopkins was great, as well. It was a fun movie, which I enjoyed more than the first installation.<br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolverine_(film)" target="_blank">The Wolverine</a></u></i>": Hugh Jackman with epic sideburns, a wifebeater, and a snarly growl. Exactly what I expected, with more samurai swords and neon pink hair than anticipated.<br />
<br />
<b>August:</b><br />
It was my last day at my first company in Korea. I wish I could say it was touching or bittersweet, but it really wasn't. I think it was past time for me to have taken my leave, so I did it with minimal fuss. I remain on good terms with the people there, but I believe I made the right decision.<br />
I moved to Seoul (Gangnam) this month, which turned out to be quite a simple affair. Movers in Korea are fantastic! The guy had the truck loaded up and ready to go in the blink of an eye, and then had the truck unloaded and was off before I could even offer him a beverage.<br />
I watched a lot of Korean movies this month! Unusual for me, but they were the ones that seemed watch-worthy.<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
<i><u><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=62328" target="_blank">설국열차</a></u></i> ("<i><u>Snowpiercer</u></i>"): Solid. I liked it, mostly because Tilda Swinton is astoundingly, disturbingly wonderful. I thought it was a good film, and especially good considering what a tough time the Korean director had in directing his English-speaking actors.<br />
<u style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=102824" target="_blank">숨바꼭질</a></u> (<i>"<u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide_and_Seek_(2013_film)" target="_blank">Hide and Seek</a></u>"</i>): No. Just ... no. I will never be watching this one again. First of all, I didn't know it was a scary movie, so it doubly scared me. Second of all, even while I was scared witless, I could see where the plot was going and that annoyed me.<br />
<u style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=72522" target="_blank">감기</a></u> ("<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flu_(film)" target="_blank">The Flu</a></u></i>"): Good, but way too similar to "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contagion_(film)" target="_blank">Contagion</a>," which, in turn, was very similar to "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outbreak_(film)" target="_blank">Outbreak</a>." I like "Outbreak" best of the three- Dustin Hoffman was awesome and Morgan Freeman reliably Morgan Freeman-y.<br />
<br />
<b>September:</b><br />
I started working at my second company in Korea while adjusting to living in Seoul, which is surprisingly different from living in Ilsan. I'm always a little down in September because my father, mother, and sister all have birthdays this month and I wasn't there to celebrate with them.<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysium_(film)" target="_blank">Elysium</a></u></i>": I had the weirdest sense of deja vu when I watched this movie. I don't know why; I don't know what other movie it reminded me of, just that I felt that I had watched it before. I think perhaps the utopian environment reminded me of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86on_Flux_(film)" target="_blank">Aeon Flux</a>," while Matt Damon's exoskeleton reminded me of lots of other films. Not to say I didn't like it- I did! It was fun, had a good message, and I liked Jodie Foster's coolly evil character.<br />
<i><u><a href="http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=93728" target="_blank">관상</a></u></i> ("<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Face_Reader" target="_blank">The Face Reader</a></u></i>"): <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jong-suk" target="_blank">Lee Jong-Suk</a> (이종석) was a horrible casting choice. The kid is cute, I'll give him that, but he looks like he came straight out of a Seoul plastic surgery handbook, which is to say, he doesn't belong in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseon" target="_blank">Joseon</a> Dynasty. And while <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jung-suk" target="_blank">Jo Jung-Suk</a> (조정석), who doesn't look exactly as Joseon as he could, compensated with superior acting skills, the kid just doesn't have the chops to be convincing. I was distracted by him in every scene in which he appeared (him, and his oddly shaped nose). It would've been an okay movie otherwise, but man, I had a tough time with that one character-- it was a small but important role.<br />
<br />
<b>October:</b><br />
I was off to Busan, at the last minute, for BIFF (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busan_International_Film_Festival" target="_blank">Busan International Film Festival</a>). I got to see a close girlfriend, become better friends with a co-worker (who was in Busan, her hometown, for vacation), and meet some people that I rarely get to see. I love the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KTX" target="_blank">KTX</a>!<br />
<i>travel: </i><br />
Busan (부산)<br />
<i>movies: </i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(film)" target="_blank">Gravity</a></u></i>": Beautifully shot, natural 3D, and amazing sound (I watched this in a sound-enhanced theatre, which I think is called SOUNDX or something like that). I loved this film, but it was energy-sapping to watch. I was exhausted afterward!<br />
<br />
<b>November:</b><br />
Off I went to AFM (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Film_Market" target="_blank">American Film Market</a>), marking the longest I've gone without going back to L.A. (10 long months). It was an okay film market, but I really appreciated that I got to take a week off afterwards to be with my family before coming back to Korea. I didn't do much in L.A.; I barely had enough time to decompress a bit, hang out with the family and cats, and eat lots of food that I can't get in Korea before I had to get back on a plane. Sigh.<br />
<i>travel:</i><br />
ICN to LAX, back to ICN<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor:_The_Dark_World" target="_blank">Thor: The Dark World</a></u></i>": Exactly what I expected. Christopher Eccelston was great, as usual. Natalie Portman continues to confuse me in these Thor movies. Her character's so ... ungrounded. Tom Hiddleston seems to have so much fun playing Loki, it comes across so clearly. Good fun- it felt like a summer movie, though the weather outside told me that it's winter!<br />
<br />
<b>December:</b><br />
Two weddings this month (!) and one company-wide year-end dinner. One bout of tonsillitis down, one sinus-congesting cold in progress, and two more days (including today) left in the year. Whew. I'm ready to be healthy again, though I have a feeling it won't happen until the weather warms up (it hit -12 degrees Celsius this past weekend, which has to be illegal).<br />
<i>movies:</i><br />
"<i><u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/About_Time_(2013_film)" target="_blank">About Time</a></u></i>": Unexpectedly touching little British film. I had no idea <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_Gleeson" target="_blank">Domhnall Gleeson</a> was such a dorkily charming guy, having only seen him as Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter films and a tweaked out nerd in "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dredd_(film)" target="_blank">Dredd</a>." It was predictable but still sweet, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Nighy" target="_blank">Bill Nighy</a> still amazes me with his ability to overact and yet be poignant. Very nice and worth re-watching, once I can get my hands on it.<br />
<br />
<br />
24 movies (more Korean films than I've ever watched before!), 9 flights, a long overdue family reunion in Korea, countless glasses of soju, and much laughter and tears have gone into this year.<br />
<br />
Though I am turning 33 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_age_reckoning#Korean" target="_blank">Korean age reckoning</a> in just two days (eek!), I am grateful, for I feel like I am more centered, mature, and balanced than I have ever been.<br />
<br />
I have learned to take things in stride (a little more, at any rate), I have more confidence, I have figured out that I need to at least try to let the little things go, and I am (mostly) at peace with myself, shortcomings and all.<br />
<br />
This must be what it feels like to be a grown-up!<br />
<br />
Though I miss my family terribly (including the cat), I find myself thinking of Korea as home. I don't know what 2014 holds for me; I don't even know when I'm going back to the US or if I'll even go back at all (perhaps I'll be offered an exciting new job in an exciting new country??), but I'm okay with it. Not knowing is part of the fun, which I am finally coming to appreciate.<br />
<br />
So thanks, 2013, for all the memories! Here's hoping 2014 is bigger and better and funner and sweeter!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-32855687546404769232013-12-25T18:53:00.001-08:002014-04-09T04:42:36.237-07:00메리 크리스마스!Merry Christmas!!<br />
<br />
It's already the morning of the 26th here, which means I am at the office, still full from all the Mexican food I devoured very late at night last night.<br />
<br />
For some reason, I thought that perhaps Christmas day would feel more Christmassy ... but it didn't. The forecast called for the possibility of snow last night, for which I was pretty dang excited, but no snow. Boooo.<br />
<br />
Still, if one looks, one can see signs of Christmas in Korea. It's odd because stores and restaurants are all open Christmas Eve and Christmas, and it doesn't feel any different from any other days. I realized how much emphasis Americans place on Christmas- usually, when walking into a restaurant near Christmastime, Americans will greet customers will "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or something of that nature. Koreans are the same. Some of them are wearing Santa hats or antlers, but their behavior and demeanor are exactly the same.<br />
<br />
Anyway, despite it all, I sought out and found sparkly lights (though someone ought to tell Koreans that proper Christmas trees shouldn't be purple!) and some Christmas spirit. Along with Arctic weather.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyc882nm1AR6FiANTgI-5tOigiqRlhHzz5uX5n6f7JvDzL-f3cOrWzh53umq4s-5lw3-SOjqzMmsx6X5AmTDy8FAcqgCn84oHII126PEhAT_DqnW4VHl8Okot-2p9uhWK7j4jj/s1600/christmas_tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyc882nm1AR6FiANTgI-5tOigiqRlhHzz5uX5n6f7JvDzL-f3cOrWzh53umq4s-5lw3-SOjqzMmsx6X5AmTDy8FAcqgCn84oHII126PEhAT_DqnW4VHl8Okot-2p9uhWK7j4jj/s400/christmas_tree.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Though I'm still a little sad that I'm not with my family, I wasn't as disconsolate and inconsolable as I thought I would be (frankly, I thought I would be a blubbering mess!), even if I did get a little teary-eyed when I FaceTimed with my family on Christmas Day (Korean time). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm fighting to stay healthy and not succumb to the tickle in my throat, which is proving tough, what with the weather and all (high of 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the next week, ugh). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Regardless, merry, merry Christmas!!</div>
Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-4323453651407116392013-12-22T20:42:00.000-08:002013-12-22T20:43:04.193-08:00Christmas ShoppingIt's very weird not being in LA in December. And what's weirder is that it's now December 23 here in Korea, but I'm not getting that Christmassy feeling, despite the cold wintry weather. I think I need my family, my mother's wreaths and garlands and red ornaments, my father's outdoor Christmas lights edging the roof, my sister's purchasing of obscene amounts of butter, and the insistent meowing of the cat, fat with her winter coat, to feel appropriately Christmassy. Even when it snows (it's been snowing on and off for a few weeks, but nothing that sticks for long), it doesn't feel as Christmassy as it does being in LA, walking around in flip-flops, drinking iced coffee.<br />
<br />
Despite my somewhat depressed Christmas spirit, I went out and saw some Christmassy sights and did a little Christmassy window shopping (eye shopping in Konglish, which sounds disturbing to me- shopping for eyes??). I'm proud of myself for going out when it's been so dang cold that I fear my nose and ears will fall off due to frostbite before winter's over.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gSMLlP1O83N_MK9qZNY6Ozv0Tawl-yS07ad0BIuOz7FS7bRnPw0ZsTEV2DK2yiOQcvapw0PVhgaRPEZ_Cln4GuxcuLCjrZRQH6MLHvSsTHzUiUrHg2Lf5ItnNuXvhsr9JsWj/s1600/shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gSMLlP1O83N_MK9qZNY6Ozv0Tawl-yS07ad0BIuOz7FS7bRnPw0ZsTEV2DK2yiOQcvapw0PVhgaRPEZ_Cln4GuxcuLCjrZRQH6MLHvSsTHzUiUrHg2Lf5ItnNuXvhsr9JsWj/s400/shopping.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the crosswalk between <a href="http://www.galleria.co.kr/" target="_blank">The Galleria</a> East and West (Korean site, English site <a href="http://dept.galleria.co.kr/" target="_blank">here</a>). The Galleria's a department store in the Apgujeong neighborhood (압구정) of the Gangnam District (강남) in Seoul. The Galleria's on Apgujeong Rodeo street (oh, Korea, really?), a very posh street in the already very posh Apgu area.<br />
<br />
I really liked the lights and the Christmas tree-shaped stack of Christmas presents. Though the Galleria in Apgujeong is "luxury," selling designer brands and such, their food court and grocery store make me feel like I'm back home, so I love it. Their grocery store (in the basement of Galleria East) carries a lot of stuff that I can't find anywhere else, or have to travel very long distances to find. Some of the things I buy here are Sriracha sauce, tortillas, flavored salts, pasta in shapes other than spaghetti, chutney (for a country that pickles and jars vegetables like crazy, Koreans don't make chutney at all), cheese (REAL cheese! Stinky cheese!), charcuterie ... the list goes on and on. Yes, because it's the Galleria (the branch in Apgu is actually divided into and called Luxury Hall East and Luxury Hall West), prices are marked up disturbingly high, but that's supply and demand. The food court is generally bustling, but not nearly as loud as in other department stores. I think the acoustics were well-planned in the Galleria. And the food court has a Vato's Tacos, which is nice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIxQNgupDZn9UIFAbvM_5gcZQflsrrmTfFPHT14FTFBccZfwhGMzL0DxUL207O343rTIrZpJ2HflvYQE0h-q-X7A6jmFVFfTvX6ykB1h_t3rXzM8b6tyzt080lpWXJkDK6W2v/s1600/dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIxQNgupDZn9UIFAbvM_5gcZQflsrrmTfFPHT14FTFBccZfwhGMzL0DxUL207O343rTIrZpJ2HflvYQE0h-q-X7A6jmFVFfTvX6ykB1h_t3rXzM8b6tyzt080lpWXJkDK6W2v/s400/dinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
One of my favorite dishes is <a href="http://jeannybeans.blogspot.kr/2008/10/my-favorite-summer-dish-naeng-myeon.html" target="_blank">naeng-myeon</a> (냉면, also spelled naeng-myun), which, seeing as how it's an average of about 25 degrees Fahrenheit lately, is not a good idea. But I was craving naeng-myeon, so as a nod to the cold weather, I had it with grilled skirt steak (is it still called skirt steak if it's from a pig?). This is a really delicious combination, which sounds weird but tastes good and is pretty dang addictive. Yummy.<br />
<br />
This was at <a href="http://www.seoraester.co.kr/" target="_blank">SeoRae</a> (서래 갈매기살, website's in Korean and English), a chain of skirt steak (skirt meat?) restaurants. They sell other cuts of meat (pork and beef), of course, but I quite like the skirt. One of my favorite ways to eat steak in L.A. was skirt steak, Argentinian-style. It's not the same as Korean-style grill-your-own-meat, of course, but it's still good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFGDazD3k4ThV_F2jyjurwVEiZRaZ694cjWiSyOS77fOJAjMkWlIeSZ05gBpKjlGn_fHC-nLG4UIHATUKLEa6wzPQdtkqHKShGLOGAqo4ZvzzA3glnU_Ib-tJf8GwMU91oncT/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFGDazD3k4ThV_F2jyjurwVEiZRaZ694cjWiSyOS77fOJAjMkWlIeSZ05gBpKjlGn_fHC-nLG4UIHATUKLEa6wzPQdtkqHKShGLOGAqo4ZvzzA3glnU_Ib-tJf8GwMU91oncT/s400/coffee.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Coffee (yes, mine is iced, even in this weather!) at <a href="http://blog.naver.com/ssoskysora?Redirect=Log&logNo=150098941031" target="_blank">Willium Cafe</a> (links to a Korean blog with nice photos), close to my office. It's tucked away and quiet, and has teddy bears that live there. Aww. I'm a sucker for a cute teddy bear, though I don't like owning them, as their fur seems like dust traps to me. (I'm so not a romantic soul...)<br />
<br />
A very odd thing lately is that I sometimes forget that I'm in Korea. I don't know why, I don't know how, but I sometimes think I'm in LA, and that I can just get in my car and zip to my parents' house. Perhaps the cold is addling my brain.<br />
<br />
Anyway, hello from Korea and happy Christmas Eve Eve!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-16571777542950416972013-12-12T20:23:00.000-08:002013-12-12T20:23:57.419-08:00DreamscapesWow, has it been a long time since I posted!<br />
<br />
Korean winters have always kicked my butt, but this winter is particularly cold- it was apparently -8.9 degrees Celsius this morning (<a href="http://ytnscience.co.kr/weather/weather_view.php?s_mcd=1000&key=201312131140020004" target="_blank">Korean link</a>). That's 16 degrees Fahrenheit. O__O I went out with only two layers on over the past weekend, and I'm getting my punishment- a cruel cold (flu?) that came with a fever, swollen lymph nodes, a throat so scratchy and painful that I want to pull it out of myself, and the inability to breathe. Fun, huh?<br />
<br />
I miss my family constantly, but even more so during the holidays. It's starting to feel all kinds of Christmassy, with a huge downpour of snow yesterday (snow! snow! snow!), so I'm really missing the fam.<br />
<br />
Anyway, what I really wanted to share was some work by Jee Young Lee (이지영):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50OsQ3ilH8upggXVziXzY6X8QpyfGckgbHAO4o3YBrOagH5XSw65HFu1TzeSQB03daJVq65UVQj0otF36XLTWk0gKoU374Gw0sIp0BRGxEf__4tZpw9kZbS3ojc91edTlW9Ve/s1600/stage-of-mind-room-jeeyoung-lee-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50OsQ3ilH8upggXVziXzY6X8QpyfGckgbHAO4o3YBrOagH5XSw65HFu1TzeSQB03daJVq65UVQj0otF36XLTWk0gKoU374Gw0sIp0BRGxEf__4tZpw9kZbS3ojc91edTlW9Ve/s400/stage-of-mind-room-jeeyoung-lee-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hkmp2m_lU9T2ZwQJBJI9t26_yUnqwA7Ro-G1HO-9YGqAWLRITjnkknl0kH5k35F1_33Y-Qta5JELjt4Vq4ZM2G3XlwPYjMS-05SdGxK4FKoc0iNfEyaOeCxeLYMbqEZtbyZW/s1600/stage-of-mind-room-jeeyoung-lee-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hkmp2m_lU9T2ZwQJBJI9t26_yUnqwA7Ro-G1HO-9YGqAWLRITjnkknl0kH5k35F1_33Y-Qta5JELjt4Vq4ZM2G3XlwPYjMS-05SdGxK4FKoc0iNfEyaOeCxeLYMbqEZtbyZW/s400/stage-of-mind-room-jeeyoung-lee-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Two of my favorites, but there are a lot more to see <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com/stage-of-mind-surreal-photography-jee-young-lee/" target="_blank">here</a> (English) and <a href="http://terms.naver.com/relatedTheme.nhn?cid=39808&docId=1560151" target="_blank">here</a> (Korean). And she doesn't use Photoshop! That blew my mind- things are so easy to fix in post now (post-production, for you non-film people) that I feel like we've become lazy photographers and lazy filmmakers. I know that I have. I don't concern myself much with lighting or shadows because I know those things can be addressed later. Terrible.<br />
<br />
So I'll try to post more, since I've been seeing lots of Korean-style Christmassy things (some of which are hilarious) and am going to spend my first holiday season in this country (scary).<br />
<br />
The cold / flu is getting gradually better, so crossing my fingers on that...Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-68052201809794723982013-11-04T02:28:00.000-08:002013-11-04T02:28:00.251-08:00Self-Manicure (셀프 매니큐어)Ah, Korea. Always so fun with the Konglish. Like "self-manicure," for instance.<br />
<br />
"Self" in Korea means self-service. If there's a sign in a restaurant that "water is self," it means that you need to go get your water yourself- serve yourself.<br />
<br />
"Self-manicure," of course, means a manicure that you've given yourself. "Self-manicure" just sounds fancier, like an actual thing, though of course it's not. Here's my self-manicure, at any rate:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqgIIc5gtRkH2awGXjL056KBSPi5GFPtmdfzqEYiJqzLZQq2ngblNPcH2P8hYWQsUf52_rWkoqrXp74kSaaGGm0e0GWCGlA1VycDUM8Lvj1qEcji47EI6xIJQShcyHP6ypwAC/s1600/manicure1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqgIIc5gtRkH2awGXjL056KBSPi5GFPtmdfzqEYiJqzLZQq2ngblNPcH2P8hYWQsUf52_rWkoqrXp74kSaaGGm0e0GWCGlA1VycDUM8Lvj1qEcji47EI6xIJQShcyHP6ypwAC/s400/manicure1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSydlt1huOcPxeQQd1Fzg8iZFkwPqb2pv5tQTuzgP04MO0A2VKRo8xfNJ732_kXTDIPlUTHBiFSi3j4_dQlBTgnOkMy1thZcSG4L0T2-lwwm3goIxfHD66I6ceOQNsz0BAA-11/s1600/manicure2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSydlt1huOcPxeQQd1Fzg8iZFkwPqb2pv5tQTuzgP04MO0A2VKRo8xfNJ732_kXTDIPlUTHBiFSi3j4_dQlBTgnOkMy1thZcSG4L0T2-lwwm3goIxfHD66I6ceOQNsz0BAA-11/s400/manicure2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Yes, my nails are terribly long. I'm not good at shaping my own nails, so I always relied on my semi-regular manicures when I lived in Ilsan. I haven't found a nail salon in Seoul (frankly, I haven't looked), so my nails are their natural shape, rather than the rounded square shape that I prefer (the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squoval_nail#Shape" target="_blank">squoval</a>!).<br />
<br />
Supplies used:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Lacquers/Base-Coat-Top-Coat/Nail-Foundation-Flawless-Base-Coat.html" target="_blank">Butter London Nail Foundation Flawless Base Coat</a><br />
<a href="http://www.oliveyoung.co.kr/" target="_blank">Olive Young</a> nail polish<br />
<a href="http://www.etude.co.kr/product.do?method=view&prdCd=104003037" target="_blank">Etude House lace nail stickers</a> (sorry, I couldn't find a link on the American Etude House site)<br />
<a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Lacquers/Base-Coat-Top-Coat/Hardwear-P-D-Quick-Top-Coat.html" target="_blank">Butter London Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat</a><br />
<br />
I like the black lace stickers (click on the link above), but they were out when I bought these. I'll have to go back and see if the black ones are available sometime.<br />
<br />
I don't like Etude House's cosmetics all that much, but these nail stickers are pretty awesome. I applied two coats of base (I love how silky and semi-matte Butter London's basecoat looks!), dried them completely, applied two thin layers of the Olive Young polish, waited until my nails were mostly dried but not cured, then stuck the lace stickers on.<br />
<br />
The stickers are super sticky, so be careful if you use them! Especially if your nails aren't completely dried, in which case, you won't be able to reposition the stickers without wrecking your manicure. I used tweezers to get the stickers unstuck and position them over my nails.<br />
<br />
I've seen that most people cut the stickers before trying to put them on their nails, but that makes for a lot of sticker that you'll have to throw away once you trim the excess, so I didn't cut the stickers down to size first. I just peeled them about halfway off the backing, lined up the end, stuck the sticker on, and then trimmed to fit my nail. It worked out pretty well and I didn't end up throwing away any excess, so I'm counting that as a win.<br />
<br />
Because I've heard that these stickers tend to peel off if a top coat isn't applied, I slapped on my Butter London topcoat. I've had some issues with this topcoat- it dries quickly, which is great, and seems to set well and set hard, which I like, but it tends to leave the tips of nails with weird matte splotches. I have no idea why, but I'm assuming it's because my nails are super dry or the topcoat is really drying. After the topcoat's dried a bit-- not cured, but not tacky-- I put on cuticle oil all over my cuticles AND nails. That solves the matte spots on my nails and hydrates my cuticles.<br />
<br />
So there's my self-manicure! I find that I tend toward neutral colors when my nails are this long (excessively long) because anything bright, dark, or too flashy makes my nails look huge.<br />
<br />
Who knows, since I'm too lazy to find a nail salon in Seoul, maybe I'll keep giving myself self-manicures. Though I only have a few bottles of nail polish, so it'll be the same colors over and over again with different stickers!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-68174873480508481642013-10-31T02:31:00.001-07:002013-10-31T02:35:51.715-07:00Gangnam StyleYou bet I titled this post "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" target="_blank">Gangnam Style</a>"-- I live in Gangnam (강남) now, so I'm allowed to be totally cheesy ... right?<br />
<br />
It's been quite a while since I've moved, but between adjusting to the new company, adjusting to the new (tiny) apartment, and adjusting to the (awful) shift to cold weather, I'm a little discombobulated lately!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZY04jX7hXTeav-MEfEG3jrZkaSi7WPN9J1Hhte77afuQgGeE6gQUlFHMuPMxqGv_M9eOcq-UmzwfJivtkmA3_12j0oqlgYbDi06Hns-UPleMNJjYql317G3BWaqAjhajF30m/s1600/gangnam1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZY04jX7hXTeav-MEfEG3jrZkaSi7WPN9J1Hhte77afuQgGeE6gQUlFHMuPMxqGv_M9eOcq-UmzwfJivtkmA3_12j0oqlgYbDi06Hns-UPleMNJjYql317G3BWaqAjhajF30m/s400/gangnam1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8xOAq-2mKub7Dc6MIO0NKWgebIQUSJSnHWf9Z2a2MSYZRX4VOiOmj62qvJg0RBlz_5KzPeuRInDG95Ut_6vZOCjJt_FDplxfmlHxXNH59hrCR9gSMNnYoykMRTKDYrVQ1oa3/s1600/gangnam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8xOAq-2mKub7Dc6MIO0NKWgebIQUSJSnHWf9Z2a2MSYZRX4VOiOmj62qvJg0RBlz_5KzPeuRInDG95Ut_6vZOCjJt_FDplxfmlHxXNH59hrCR9gSMNnYoykMRTKDYrVQ1oa3/s400/gangnam2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrKyStcbBxK4aGK8r1gQW-dNIgJVTgjfEFSAgw9fEYqLiGVib_8z6AKgONlfrrszebcuSrLcKEfGP8vlSS_kuzzEvho-wWRYO6QEGxmVZNiAV9GgB85OaE8-NGKTXBDVn_W0x/s1600/gangnam3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrKyStcbBxK4aGK8r1gQW-dNIgJVTgjfEFSAgw9fEYqLiGVib_8z6AKgONlfrrszebcuSrLcKEfGP8vlSS_kuzzEvho-wWRYO6QEGxmVZNiAV9GgB85OaE8-NGKTXBDVn_W0x/s400/gangnam3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Really itty-bitty, right?? It's positively tiny, this apartment. I've rotated the bed and I brought with me my table and two chairs that I had bought while I was in Ilsan, so it's even more crowded than these photos. Whew.<br />
<br />
The good news is, it's super close to work. I can't live far away from work, because I don't enjoy commuting (who does?). I don't have a family, so I don't need to worry about schools or my husband's office, I don't have much stuff (the moving guy took one look at my packed-up apartment in Ilsan and was really happy because I have so little stuff!); this is really the ideal time in my life to move around, try new things, live in new places.<br />
<br />
I've realized now that I live in Seoul that when I lived in Ilsan, I really never wanted to leave Ilsan. It was so annoying to travel out to Seoul or farther. Ilsan had everything I needed, and I do still miss the convenience of living there at times. I do like that Seoul has more of a variety of things, and though I might have to trek a bit farther, I can find whatever I need (and then some) in this weird and vast city.<br />
<br />
One of the few good things about the weather getting colder (it's down to about 5 degrees Celsius at night now!) is the foliage. People keep telling me that autumn is getting shorter and shorter in Korea, and I believe it- the gap between humid summer and windy, cold winter seems to be about a week. Maybe less.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RbLfRyud7QEColxITMThPaVXpgHVKc7nrGQoUgwBQ_qCWFrAm3GfKtLSc01VEpkvy2SB9vgqTIhORWrCUyA7oxVuAu43d8s6qamuJot2wf7jZ-qxYPjl90744DrmzmGoHGGA/s1600/autumn1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RbLfRyud7QEColxITMThPaVXpgHVKc7nrGQoUgwBQ_qCWFrAm3GfKtLSc01VEpkvy2SB9vgqTIhORWrCUyA7oxVuAu43d8s6qamuJot2wf7jZ-qxYPjl90744DrmzmGoHGGA/s400/autumn1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVwVHzlVQn8gm2JBGvIXzcpwsqlGi0t9XNjfUEmXaJRXCiQGW-gm49e9y5CQH7MghxpUmy2wI8e59EPgozV_rBl_9Y8frtXxnApGGsmfH2UHaer6YK-qUPI1xDiuEU72thlF-/s1600/autumn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVwVHzlVQn8gm2JBGvIXzcpwsqlGi0t9XNjfUEmXaJRXCiQGW-gm49e9y5CQH7MghxpUmy2wI8e59EPgozV_rBl_9Y8frtXxnApGGsmfH2UHaer6YK-qUPI1xDiuEU72thlF-/s400/autumn2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
The foliage isn't as majestic as it's been in the past (according to my friends, since I've never really been able to go see the autumnal landscape in Korea before), but I still appreciate the bits and pieces that I can see. I love these colors!<br />
<br />
I'm off to LA next week for <a href="http://americanfilmmarket.com/" target="_blank">AFM</a>, followed by a week of meeting up family and friends (or possibly snuggling with the <a href="http://jeannybeans.blogspot.kr/2009/11/senior-class-portraits.html" target="_blank">cat</a> (I miss her so! Her and her whiny meows!) and not leaving my parents' house, who knows) before I come back to the wintry wonderland of Korea...<br />
<br />
It's Halloween! And unless I hoof it over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaewon" target="_blank">Itaewon</a> (이태원), there are no costumes or candy for me. Ah, Korea, you celebrate things like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepero" target="_blank">Pepero Day</a> (빼빼로 데이) but Halloween gets a pass?? Really? Sigh.Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-50211232279693819592013-09-30T23:28:00.000-07:002013-09-30T23:28:05.982-07:0063 Seaworld<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm a Seoul girl now!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was a whirlwind rush and dash, but I am now ensconced in a teeny-tiny Seoul apartment that is mercifully close (walking distance) to the new office. I think the apartment (officetel) is about half the size of my Ilsan place. Since I'm only contracted to be in Korea until the end of 2013, I'll either be moving out of the country or will find another apartment if I continue to live in Korea (much to my mother's chagrin).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been gray and gloomy and a bit rainy here, so lots of indoor activities-- I've got my second wind in Korea, since I moved to a new place. I guess I was getting a little too settled down in Ilsan. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One recent exploration was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/63_Seaworld" target="_blank">63 Building</a> (63 빌딩), so named because it has (surprise!) 63 floors above ground. We went to see the aquarium, which is, oddly enough, in one of the basement levels. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAhvLc5ps-JeDeswYk1bTKgZOgB7HNTyYNMXGlcPcTDeGYvBp2YSUO0oOmbsHp1bjxdkN4YUV1EyPFX8GXsULVJvriJq5iCv1NsZaQN7ayrath4eObeuz_dfZ7lAjodV66Faw/s1600/1379901599894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAhvLc5ps-JeDeswYk1bTKgZOgB7HNTyYNMXGlcPcTDeGYvBp2YSUO0oOmbsHp1bjxdkN4YUV1EyPFX8GXsULVJvriJq5iCv1NsZaQN7ayrath4eObeuz_dfZ7lAjodV66Faw/s400/1379901599894.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The aquarium is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/63_Seaworld" target="_blank">63 Seaworld</a>, which is ... yeah, nothing like <a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego" target="_blank">San Diego's Sea World</a> (which I love, of course). It was fun enough, but even with a leisurely strolling speed and frequent stops for picture taking, it only took about an hour to get through the whole aquarium. It's a good afternoon diversion, sure, but it's not an all-day affair, like Sea World.<br />
<br />
We also went up to the 60th floor (I think it was the 60th ... might have been the 59th??) to see the art exhibit, which is really just an excuse to see the breathtaking view of nighttime Seoul. I really need to transfer pictures and am just being really lazy at the moment. Moving and such has taken it all out of me.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty tired and need a haircut, manicure, and pedicure really badly, but haven't found places in Seoul to try, but exploring and having adventures is a big part of what I find so fun about Korea. Seoul, I'm ready for what you have to throw at me!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-22144968849933966012013-09-24T02:24:00.000-07:002013-09-24T02:24:03.830-07:00Original Pancake House, SeoulOriginal Pancake House<br />
523-20 Sinsa-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul<br />
<br />
Telephone: 02.511.7481<br />
<br />
서울시 강남구 신시동 523-20<br />
<br />
Monday - Friday: 11 am to 10 pm<br />
Saturday - Sunday: 8 am to 10 pm<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlApvgvLO3Tvs8uNEmNIKkIHI_R8HBE3hP2FMgxLJHqnDc4Kb0bLiM8xnincvfu3Xxdr3ihDh09C7tLwjOJD65UIAKSAH3F99SCUrVPCDJEI2ODBL12Lokc_aAA-BQmBWlp61d/s1600/original_pancake_house_ext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlApvgvLO3Tvs8uNEmNIKkIHI_R8HBE3hP2FMgxLJHqnDc4Kb0bLiM8xnincvfu3Xxdr3ihDh09C7tLwjOJD65UIAKSAH3F99SCUrVPCDJEI2ODBL12Lokc_aAA-BQmBWlp61d/s400/original_pancake_house_ext.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The <a href="http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/" target="_blank">Original Pancake House</a> is a restaurant chain that started in Portland, Oregon, which obviously prides itself on its pancakes. It's located in Sinsa-dong (sometimes spelled Shinsa-dong), a dong* in Seoul.<br />
<br />
I was in Seoul and have been missing American food something fierce, so a friend took pity on me and took me to have breakfast for dinner, which I always love. I have a strange love affair with eggs, I must say- my best friend hates eggs and refers to them as dead baby chickens, but even that didn't make me love eggs any less.<br />
<br />
Wow, weird tangent. This is what happens when I blog so infrequently that I forget how to keep my train of though focused. The Original Pancake House is located just off <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garosu-gil" target="_blank">Garosugil</a> ("Garosu" (가로수) means tree-lined and "gil" (길) means street, which is appropriate because Garosugil is lined with gingko trees; I can't wait to go in the autumn when the gingko trees are all golden and pretty!). It's a bit hidden, but plenty of people were there when we stopped by.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirTnP_bOObqmHp_WepmKdIsRE-Gts7FY26dKv9ByFpdiUeUoBQ4MGJp2M5Cy7Va-e_y0F4kTVHQSNR7xSRMCNPUwM1TDBWsfoIy8mrvY15D3yjRv9F4kaswIGHj1IsPB1wdE/s1600/original_pancake_house4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirTnP_bOObqmHp_WepmKdIsRE-Gts7FY26dKv9ByFpdiUeUoBQ4MGJp2M5Cy7Va-e_y0F4kTVHQSNR7xSRMCNPUwM1TDBWsfoIy8mrvY15D3yjRv9F4kaswIGHj1IsPB1wdE/s400/original_pancake_house4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I might have gotten a little carried away when I ordered (my buddy let me order, seeing as how he had no idea what to get), but we somehow still managed to eat everything on the table. The spirit of the food was American, but the execution was Korean- no pools of grease on the plates, the food arranged prettily, overly-attentive servers- very Korean.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp91TKOnwwcD2lAZFYhMjy-iRDnT5-oUmNuDYHpsCiqk2MHqDnqoYGCDAktm-PexH3kS54m2xmyiwLgoMMZwG0dbrPUiOQ2Le2QCumUvCOJiTbraYZ7JXrYtsHOAa8uGFoyr5/s1600/original_pancake_house1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp91TKOnwwcD2lAZFYhMjy-iRDnT5-oUmNuDYHpsCiqk2MHqDnqoYGCDAktm-PexH3kS54m2xmyiwLgoMMZwG0dbrPUiOQ2Le2QCumUvCOJiTbraYZ7JXrYtsHOAa8uGFoyr5/s400/original_pancake_house1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
An Italian omelette, which had garlic, onions, bell peppers, and ham wrapped around a ton of melty, oozy, gooey mozzarella cheese and topped with olives and marinara sauce. It was really good, though way too buttery for my taste. I guess they used butter to cook this thing rather than olive oil.<br />
<br />
As you can see, the omelette was ginormous. There had to be at least six eggs in it, if not eight!<br />
<br />
At the edge of the photo are buttermilk pancakes, the traditional Original Pancake House staple. They were good ... I'm not a huge pancake fan, they're just ... cooked bread. I don't know. I don't love them, I don't hate them, they're just pancakes. These were fine, they were cooked well, and I used them as a delivery system for butter and syrup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhT29Sxem8vnXqs8earqRxbdAqzV5GgQYDdLknWsMgYhpPdpmzmda5DO-pp9Mojnxogs7Tyh3OIzRvdcdYJ_V7PHX3flibur3FtF4nrQtaWNN_PSuX7BaiKpO9sybcq8jvTbSG/s1600/original_pancake_house2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhT29Sxem8vnXqs8earqRxbdAqzV5GgQYDdLknWsMgYhpPdpmzmda5DO-pp9Mojnxogs7Tyh3OIzRvdcdYJ_V7PHX3flibur3FtF4nrQtaWNN_PSuX7BaiKpO9sybcq8jvTbSG/s400/original_pancake_house2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Salami hash with two over medium eggs. I've never seen hash made of salami before, just corned beef. It tasted a lot like corned beef hash. I like corned beef hash, so I liked this salami hash, but I wished there were more crispy bits. I like my hash fried a bit more, I suppose. Those crisped, charred bits are the best, but Koreans like perfectly formed hash, I suppose. The eggs were lovely- again with my love affair with eggs!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDL7KKLd5BB2RiN2Z4ZT0__HuG4sF-taNyWRm-OXKo2NUbhpCds3dsFL8VijGBqN-w9bgaGCYLkdyxhj5RHniYSe22g1vt4IuWyXt8gMa09M_Tw6YZdHnhYVWOnX8ROFE5Ujy/s1600/original_pancake_house3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDL7KKLd5BB2RiN2Z4ZT0__HuG4sF-taNyWRm-OXKo2NUbhpCds3dsFL8VijGBqN-w9bgaGCYLkdyxhj5RHniYSe22g1vt4IuWyXt8gMa09M_Tw6YZdHnhYVWOnX8ROFE5Ujy/s400/original_pancake_house3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Potato pancakes. Really much too buttery! I know there's no such thing as too much butter, but there was too much butter here. They need to cook these things in a mix of butter and oil so it's less buttery. It was a shame, because these were otherwise really good. They came with a small dish of sour cream, which cut the butteriness a bit and which I appreciated because I really love sour cream. (The Korean friend was doubtful about the charms of sour cream, which meant more for me!)<br />
<br />
Overall, thumbs up to the Original Pancake House for giving me my American grub fix while in Korea. Yum!<br />
<br />
There are some big changes afoot for me. I'll be relocating from Ilsan to Seoul, to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam-gu" target="_blank">Gangnam</a> neighborhood (yes, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" target="_blank">Gangnam Style</a>"). I'm going to think of it as an opportunity to explore a whole new neighborhood in Korea. More Gangnam posts to come!<br />
<br />
<br />
*<i>dong</i> (동), is not pronounced the way it's spelled. The "do" portion is pronounced like the beginning of "dough"-- Korean is such a tough language to Romanize! Dongs are neighborhoods here in Korea, usually about the size of five city blocks. They're the smallest administrative divisions and are used in conversation to refer to location. In LA, when someone asked where a new restaurant was, we'd either use the neighborhood- Mar Vista- or cross streets- Overland and Venice. In Korea, dongs are used in the same way. Whew. Enough Korean geography for now!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36045738.post-81315834245729743772013-09-23T00:22:00.000-07:002013-09-24T00:28:48.241-07:00Happy Birthday, Sister!It's my baby sister's birthday!<br />
<br />
In continuing my tradition of having a meal on behalf of my birthday'ed family members, here's what I think my sister would have enjoyed had she been in Korea with me (rather than in Brazil on business):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jEnkrWRWsamEdI4PZ_tZsCWQZ7OaSEa5QUvtH7LHJOtfQSpI7ghIvGmipujJ1vLwXaCnKn5j3nnB4rFuEoLzCZsVYH-ZSxxr6PQflAfct-R5dI0zLlWP2i45mDwUVgOdhaCZ/s1600/20130825_194752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jEnkrWRWsamEdI4PZ_tZsCWQZ7OaSEa5QUvtH7LHJOtfQSpI7ghIvGmipujJ1vLwXaCnKn5j3nnB4rFuEoLzCZsVYH-ZSxxr6PQflAfct-R5dI0zLlWP2i45mDwUVgOdhaCZ/s400/20130825_194752.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Octopus! 쭈꾸미, which is rather small octopi that, in this case, is cooked in a spicy (spicy!!) sauce with bean sprouts (콩나물), which my sister loves. Yum.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCFB-AtWJeiJLSA0CWXPJ5QeGRhQEMDKFpvX-hbsYVbg2vLCM4D3BY3Mj7K_aTwFv_0tYGQJdkjPahyglXtN5UR34yxNX-WEgqUnn4h0wFgaRm6UK3XE_eNI2K5p19ldaNsQa/s1600/20130825_202533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCFB-AtWJeiJLSA0CWXPJ5QeGRhQEMDKFpvX-hbsYVbg2vLCM4D3BY3Mj7K_aTwFv_0tYGQJdkjPahyglXtN5UR34yxNX-WEgqUnn4h0wFgaRm6UK3XE_eNI2K5p19ldaNsQa/s400/20130825_202533.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
After the octopus, the remaining sauce and bits of octopus are fried up with rice and dried laver and chives, and it's delicious. And there's a little happy face made of octopus pieces!<br />
<br />
So, sister of mine, hope you're having a happy birthday in Brazil with plenty of cheese and some cake!Jeannyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13078492989661101619noreply@blogger.com0