The first weekend here, I had a new group of friends that invited me to join with them to eat "the original" Korean BBQ, celebrate the New Year in Korea and show me how the transportation system works here.
KOREAN BBQ
At noon on the Friday after touching down my coworker Mark and his beautiful fiance Lys met up with me to eat the infamous Korean BBQ. Let me start by saying, it is better than Gyu-Kaku. Upon meeting Mark and Lys I knew we would hit it off and enjoy this first great experience together. As we walked from my home to the BBQ restaurant in Isu we discussed our family, their experience here in Korea and my reasons for coming to Korea. Lys and Mark both have blogs that I followed before choosing to come to Korea. Their blogs did a wonderful job at coercing me to make my decision and I think anyone who is thinking about moving here should check it out. Lys blog name is Sans Borders, check it out. As we walked, the aroma of all the street food made my mouth water. At every corner along the main street there are food vendors who set up carts with warm Korean treats. If you have a sweet tooth you can order Fish bread; a pancake like pastry with bean paste in the center and shaped in the shape of a fish. Another sweet street is called Ho Ddeok, a special type of pancake-like bread with cinnamon, Lys and Mark introduced me to both as we walked down the boulevard and suggested we try some after lunch. If you're in the mood for something salty or spicy you may choose from Fish cakes (served on a stick and boiled in rice stalk), Mandu (Korean dumplings), corn dogs, corn on the cob, Ddeokbokki (a rice and fish cake soup that is spicy and extremely popular) and sausage (served on a stick) The street vendors are hospitable and you may sit on a stool next to the oven to eat your food. There are tents covering the oven and food which is especially important during the winter because the temperature is not suitable for sitting outside.
Ho Ddeok, a special type of pancake-like bread with cinnamon:
When we finally arrived at the BBQ restaurant I was ready to eat! Lys and Mark explained to me that tipping is not allowed, side dishes such as cabbage kimchi, spiced radishes and spinach kimchi are free with your meal and that iinstead of waiting for a server to pass by, so that you can make a request, you yell "Yeo-gi-yo". It was very odd for me to yell but in the korean culture it is totally acceptable. Lys and Mark had me yell just to try it. I was very uncomfortable but I think I'm getting used to it. There is also a button on each table that may be pressed to get their attention.
Mark and Lys ordered for us all. We had pork that we barbecued together. This barbecue was far better than the usual American places I've been to. The meat tastes like it been marinated for weeks because the flavor is so intense. The tenderness of the meat is spectacular. The smell of charcoal was embedded in my hair and clothing. I had the best egg dish I've ever had. It is called steamed egg. It is 1,500 won (approx. $1.50). The steamed egg is served in this black bowl and the egg has been infused with green onions & red pepper, almost like an omelet. We were stuffed after lunch but Mark and Ly's insisted I check out the open market near my house. The open Market is a place outdoors, sort of like a flea market but it's all year long, even in the freezing winter. I tried the Ho Ddeok as we walked and talked back to the subway to drop them off. As we parted we discussed New Years and they gave me direction of how to buy a T-money card (the card used to get on the subway) and which exits to take in order to get to the city where the New Years festivities would begin. I was so excited!
The Open Market
New Years Eve
Getting ready for the celebration
Lys and Mark:
The next day, New Year's Eve, I woke up and went for a run at a park close to the school. The weather was freezing and I learned that day I must layer to stay warm. My legs were numb after the run but It felt great to be in a new place. That evening I got dressed and met Lys, Mark, Jamie (Lys' best friend), Leeann (Jamie's petite friend from North Carolina) and Michael (Leeann's tall, slender boyfriend) and Leeann and Michael's apartment on the 23rd floor of the complex. As I entered, the girls were making New Year's eve tiara's from supplies they had picked up from an arts and crafts store earlier that day. Everyone was so hospitable. The girls and I painted our nails as the boys helped Leeann and Lys decide what they should do with their tiara's to make them stand out at the concert. Lys designed a beautiful, neat black tiara with a glittering 2012 in front. Leeann asked that I help her with her tiara. She purchased feathers and gold parchment paper that I thought would look beautiful. I love artsy things so I worked my magic as she got dressed. Leeann's tiara was a semi-duplication of Mad Hatter's hat from Alice and Wonderland -- 2012 Style! I had a blast and we all hit it off.
And then came the embarrassment...
In Los Angeles, I 'm used to wearing tall heels when I'm going out to celebrate a special occasion. I rarely wear heels now that I'm older but I felt like that night would be the best night to wear a beautiful platform shoe. IT"S NEW YEAR"S FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Boy, was I wrong! In Korea, it is not abnormal to see women walking to the subway with high heels and they look comfortable. They walk gracefully and they make commuting look easy, even in heels. I consider myself one who can walk well in heels but this night I don't think anyone believed me. As we rode the elevator downstairs the girls gawked at my shoes complimenting me and telling me I was brave to wear them. Brave I was but smart? I don't think so. As we walked on cobble stone briskly to catch the subway to the huge 5 story mall where the concert was, I stumbled many times praying to God that I wouldn't fall. As I picked up my pace I could feel my ankles, quads and calves shaking in an effort to keep me afloat. Just as we approached the Subway building there was an area that had a blanket-like covering on the ground due to construction as I walked over the area....guess what happened?
....I fell....BAM!!!
It was like a cartoon, all I remember is my heel feeling like it was sinking into the ground and there was a huge blur, everything happened so fast. As I shuffled to get up, all I could think was, "It would be awesome if someone got this on camera". As I stood up I wanted my shoes off and so I asked the girls if it would be bad to walk without the shoes in the station but they convinced me that this kind of behavior is not acceptable in Korea. Luckily, at most subway stops, there are shoe and clothes vendors that sell great clothing. Not very cheap, but cute. Jamie, bless her heart, looked for someone who could sell me a pair of shoes that fit. She found a vendor she could bargain with and I bought a cute, trendy pair of ankle boots that were comfortable. I walked out much happier and we carried on into a perfect night.
CARRYING ON....
I’ve never been to such large mall in my life. It was 4 or 5 stories high and the concert was held on the first floor. We were able to ride the escalators up and down the building to get better views from the balconies above and each DJ/ band was awesome. Break Bots, a famous French DJ, famous in Korea made an appearance as well as UV, a famous K Pop band from Korea whose most recent hit is Itaewon Freedom. And a group called Housse of Racket.
We had an awesome time together. On the 3rd floor there was a game zone where we could test out wii games. Michael and I joined in and danced to Dance Revolution. I can’t remember how high we scored but it was fun. On the top floor there was a food court where you could order just about anything to eat. There was a “green-room” where the event staff took pictures of us in little New Year’s Eve hats.
Dance Revolution:
The Food Court
We stayed out until 2:30 am and we left a not-yet-empty mall to carry on in the festivities. Young people in Seoul are known for staying out until 5:00 am; It’s like no one sleeps here. I live in a lively environment, perfect for me.
Even Minnie Mouse Can't Hang with the Youth of Seoul!
Kristin sounds like so far your having a blast I'm so happy for you! Don't throw away those stockings, I've noticed the ripped stocking trend is back, you started the year off right, ahead of the trend.
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