Entries in August 2009
Carbonated Jello in a Can!
Written by Kyle on Monday, August 31, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' happy
Feelin' happy
The first time I bought this, I had no idea what I was getting and almost threw the whole drink away. I was expecting some kind of soda, but instead, some clumpy jello stuff came out instead. I thought I was drinking the soda version of curdled milk. Fortunately, it was explained to me that it was supposed to be this way. I accepted it and grudginly finished off the rest of the contents of the can, swearing that once was enough.
But then something funny happened. Looking for something to drink in a convenience store, I saw the same stuff again and decided to try it once more. And now, I like it!
Spotlight On Korean Food: Naengmyeong
Written by Kyle on Monday, August 31, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' normal
"These noodles are too hot!", Momma Bear said.Feelin' normal
"These noodles are too cold!", Poppa Bear said.
"Screw it, let's eat the cold ones!", they all said.
Chicken Art Museum!
Written by Kyle on Saturday, August 29, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' excited
Walking around looking for the traditional Korean village in Seoul, we saw a sign advertising something called the Chicken Art Museum. And when you see a sign for the Chicken Art Museum, you follow.Feelin' excited
At first I thought that it might be some sort of bad translation. Mabye the word chicken has a dual meaning in Korean for "modern". Then again, maybe it is art done with the dead carcases of chickens or with buckets of fried chicken (yum!). Even better, maybe it's art made by chickens. I was hoping for that one. In reality, it turned it to be a museum full of art that had chickens it it.
"This is the Worst Tour in the Last 10 Years"
Written by Kyle on Saturday, August 29, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' confused
Those weren't my words, mind you. Those kind words came from our tour guide of Changdeokgung Palace.Feelin' confused
I'll admit that I'm not much of a tour person. I tend to like to read about the history on my own and explore places based on my own free will. In Changdeokgung Palace, though, visitors are required to have a guide with them at all times, so we had no choice in the matter. I have had some wonderful guides in the past, though, so I kept my hopes up that our guide would be worth it. Unfortunately, she was just a stick-in-the-mud.
Watching Grandparents Raise Kids and a bit about Korean Families
Written by Bessie on Thursday, August 27, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' normal
I sat out near a playground for the last hour or so catching up on NPR podcasts and people watching. It's nice to slow life down a bit, and just let it happen around you. I've been making efforts lately to focus on the advantages of living in Korean society, which will come up more in posts to follow.Feelin' normal
Something that is ever-present here is grandparents raising kids, and children seldom seeing their fathers or either of their parents. Coming from Chicago, when I think of grandparents raising kids, I think of the lower-income inner-city stereotype of grandparents taking care of kids, and the parents that are thought to be pretty negligent. Here in Korea it's a different story of families making sacrifices. I'll outline the contrasts:
