Sorry to get all pretentious on you, but I've been wondering about the font choices used in most Korean signs.
So after living in Korea for about 4 months now, I figure I'm not horrible at reading the language. However, when I walk around the streets, I have the hardest time deciphering all the postings and billboards. It's kind of crazy. I don't know how anyone can find anything with the different colors, fonts, and sizing. I usually ask people for really specific directions because it's nearly impossible for me to find anything by reading its sign.
I'll admit to only having watched half of that movie "Helvetica", but it definitely talks about the universal appeal of the titled font. I'm no font expert either, but it seems like Korea uses its equivalent. Is it the spacing of the characters? Maybe just the overwhelming number of signs? Any thoughts from the crowd?
Rounding out my checklist for Korea, my uncle, aunt, and I had dog stew for lunch. Hm... yeah, there's no other name that can make it sound better. Sorry. The restaurant we went to specializes in dog meat, and so on the menu it just says "stew". The dog is assumed.
Don't tell the puppies, but it tasted great. The soup was flavorful and had such an interesting mix of vegetables. It was the kind of spicy that doesn't necessarily burn you but just makes you sweat. The soju my uncle insisted we drink probably also helped to diversify the flavors. Oh, and it was definitely 12 PM in the afternoon. My uncle is legit.
The meat? Extremely different from beef, chicken, or pork. I haven't had venison in a long time but for some reason I think they're kind of similar. Now, I know it won't make a difference for most people, but the breed used for meat in Korea is pretty obscure. It's definitely only raised for consumption because of its size, so don't think Koreans are cooking up a golden retriever or even a jindo.
Anyways, direct all hate mail to the above establishment!
A few weeks ago I went back to Daegu for my cousin's wedding. He and his wife looked so happy, and it was great to meet their friends and family. I was a real idiot and forgot my camera when I was running out of the apt, so I had to get pictures from Young Joon's friend. Anyway, I just thought the family back in the States would like to see these!
Young Joon and his parents (my uncle and aunt).
The wedding ceremony was pretty much exactly like weddings in the United States. Just no bridesmaids and groomsmen. The rest of the celebration is a bit anticlimatic. There's food, but that's it. No dancing, no DJ, no YMCA. Still, I've been told that the young ones usually collect together at a bar after. And you know Koreans, the drunkeness will then ensue.
Again, I'm a huge idiot for forgetting my camera because I could have shown you their Pebeck, the traditional Korean wedding ceremony. The bride and groom get dressed up in their hamboks (traditional Korean clothes), and officially receive the blessings from their respective families. I've told my friend Bryan about it, and he's pretty excited for the part when the parents throw chestnuts at the bride and groom. For each chestnut caught in the couple's blanket, there's supposed to be a baby. Bryan swears that my future wife will bear 30 children. Another interesting thing I learned was that when the groom's sisters are paying respect to the new couple, they are given sticky rice candy. This is supposed to prevent the sisters-in-law from saying all the negative things they probably want to direct at their new sister.
The family picture. I'm the prep amongst the Korean gangsters in the back.
The friends picture. I'm pretty sure this is right after the bouquet toss. Young Joon tells me that the lucky girl wanted my contact info. Uh, I'm not so sure I like the timing...
This past weekend I met up with my oldest cousin on my mother's side. She and her family are hilarious. It's one big gigglefest. Anyway, they wanted to take me to the big market for fresh fish and seafood.
We got there around closing time, so most of the produce vendors were shutting down. It was kind of cool to see the stands all lit up in the darkness of the massive building.
I'm guessing since you can't really pack up live fish, the seafood section stays open much longer. My cousin's husband had a good time choosing the fish and bargaining on the price.
Look at all that octopus! We actually ended up getting live octopus again.
Knuckle cracker on the bottom right.
Delicious. If you shook the plate on the left, all the arms would start writhing and pulling themselves out every which way. The maroon plate in the far back was really slick and I kept on dropping them in my lap. I looked like a real chump.
This soup is literally called, "spicy stew". I was sweating like a beast and of course everyone was laughing at me.
Not yet in high school but almost my size.
Fast talker.
Mr. Giggles himself. Besides all the laughing, he's the consummate Korean man.
My cousin. All smiles and peace signs when you're buying fruit at the market!
I had one last lunch with my aunt on Friday (don't worry, I have dinner with her on Thursday!), and she wanted to take me somewhere new. We drove about 20 minutes outside of Seoul to this restaurant by the highway.
Right next to the dining area is this garden. There's no question of where their Ssam is coming from.
When it gets warmer, they open up their outdoor patio. There were probably 15 huts, and each hut could accommodate about two parties. I'm guessing this place is very popular.
This was the first time I've ever had this dish. Basically, they prepare the fish during the winter by hooking it through the eyes and hanging them out to dry. Since the fish is really oily, that's all they really do to it until they serve it in the spring and summer.
Like many other Korean foods, you eat it wrapped in various vegetable configurations. In the picture, I have wet seaweed with some greens, pepper, and spicy bean paste. Overall, it was really good. Not as salty as I expected. I would say that if you ever try this, don't eat too much. My stomach wasn't in the best shape after eating 2/3 of the plate. I think it was from all the oil in the fish.
I don't think I ever mentioned this, but as my friend Drew liked to point out after his visit to Korea, all restaurants have service bells! Ring the bell, and the waitress comes over to serve you. This place is extra special and has direct buttons for soju and beer. Awesome.
After we ate, we marveled at all the kimchi pots in front of the garden. To give you some perspective, the smallest pots are about 4 feet tall. This place churns it out!
A few weekends ago my friend Woosang and I went shopping, and found ourselves in the middle of a confrontation between some protesters and the police.
While every once in a while things like this appear on the news, it's easy to come to Korea and think that everything is just kpop and marinated beef. Korea is a relatively new country and has struggled with democracy and corruption. The current president has come under fire several times for unpopular trade policies with the United States, and his former job as Seoul's mayor didn't exactly make him everyone's hero. His drive to modernize and beautify the city has left many of the poor pushed out of their homes and businesses.
Since my grasp of the Korean language doesn't really extend into politics and protest rhetoric, it was a bit difficult for me to understand what exactly was being protested. I think it was a combination of the the issues I mentioned above. However, I did clearly understand when they were calling the riot police bastards and dogs.
Of course, the location and timing of the protest was quite strategic. First, we were in Myeongdong, which is one of the most popular places to shop for foreigners. The few times I've been there, I heard just as much Japanese and Chinese as Korean. Second, it was a holiday weekend when most Koreans get a 4 day vacation. If people don't travel out of the city, you can bet that most will go shopping.
Woosang told me that lately, riot police have been dispatched too quickly. As you can see from the video below, they're pretty frightening.
The protesters all seemed to either be college students or old street vendors. Many of the older guys looked like they were drunk, but Korean men have a way of sounding and acting drunk when they're angry. Or maybe when they're drunk they naturally become angry? I'm sure it's a little of both.
As for the riot police, many of the men looked about my age. I'm not exactly sure, but I think the majority of the force is chosen from the young men who are performing their mandatory army service. They all seemed well trained and regimented. I was watching a group that was waiting to the side, and there is definitely a specific order where they all remove their hats in unison to fan themselves down.
This picture was on the side of the mobile prison a few blocks away.
Loud speakers to tell the crowds to disperse. The young woman's voice probably a deliberate choice.
From the back of the action, there were tons of these older guys speaking into their walkie-talkies. I can imagine they're pretty tough.
I teach kids and adults, and go figure, the kids are the most tiring to handle. Still, I've realized that I do have a gift when it comes to connecting to children. I think it comes from having a good memory of my childhood, and how I felt during those times. Besides my cousins' boys, I meet with two other elementary students.
Wonwoo and the 9 year-old-me have the same interests: planes and dinosaurs. I recently taught him the phrase, "silent, but deadly." Wonwoo lived in the US and UK for most of his childhood, so our conversations are actually extremely lively and challenging. He usually asks me a very complicated question about jet engines, and I usually reply, "Uhhh, let me look it up on google."
Wonwoo has a little brother who is probably the happiest baby I've ever met. He likes to do this thing where he eats something really slimy and then comes running towards me. He's a really funny baby.
Jenny is my other student. She's really sweet, and has a good sense of humor. The other day I was telling her how I know how to cook pasta, and she goes, "OOOh, like Mrs. Doubtfire!" Jenny's accent when speaking english is actually the best I've heard on a Korean (French is French, not prench), but of course, her mom doesn't think it's enough. She likes to "observe others", so I've been teaching her how to conduct interviews and take notes.
Jenny is also a pretty good artist. The blue nose is a nice touch.
Thanks to my sister Janet and my friend Woosang, I'm all up to speed on that mystery refrigerator girl. Here's the commercial:
Yeah, there's not much to it, but when you see that commercial over and over again, you become a fan.
I figure I'd give a quick round up of other commercials I've seen way too many times. This next one is for another diet drink. The featured singer is pretty popular in Korea and she's in a bunch of other commercials.
I think in the United States, "cute" is used a lot as a general description for a good looking girl. However, in Korea, there's "cute", and there's "sexy". Many of my older students use this girl as the model for "sexy". I think she's kind of boring to tell you the truth.
Like I said before, Girls' Generation is everywhere. Here they are selling chicken.
If this commercial is accurate and they all live and eat fried chicken together, I would love to come over and hang out. Girls' Generation, call me. I will seduce you with a bucket of Popeye's.
For ever Girls' Generation commercial, there's also a lame commercial with this guy in it.
I bet you're .....ing right now. Shame on you Dunkin Donuts for changing your image. I liked you better as that place with stale donuts and cheap coffee. The guy in the commercial is actually the biggest male actor right now. He should stay in Korea because I think if he tried to make it in the United States, this and the following commercial will haunt him and ruin his career.
Remember I kept on saying Korean men are really feminine? Yup. This guy is what all the girls fiend for... I'm coming back to the US soon... will I come back wearing a pink blazer and a stuffed kitten on my shoulder?! I'm sure you're waiting in suspense.
So yeah, that last one was pretty bad, so here's another video to cleanse the palate.
Every once in a while, I meet up with my aunt for dinner after basketball. A good place to eat if you don't want people to notice you covered in sweat and smelly is bbq. Everyone leaves smelling like cooked meat anyway, and the focus is on the grill, not the people around you.
It's a bit strange. In the US, bulgolgi, kalbi, and marinated pork are the meat of choice for Korean bbq. However, most koreans enjoy eating samgyupsal, which is unmarinated pork. I'm not exactly sure why. My guess is that it's less messy; you don't have juices running everywhere. Also, it pairs extremely well with soju and beer.
My aunt and uncle are the most laid back Koreans I've ever met. They work hard, but their attitude is pretty carefree. I'm sure it has something to do with their kids both out of the house and married. Anyway, they really wanted to take me on a boat cruise along the Han river. Our boat was decked out in plastic flowers.
We're standing in the special couples section in this picture. There was this sad looking heart altar made of flowers right in front of us.
I wouldn't say the Han river is the most beautiful city space I've ever been to, but it definitely serves as a small sanctuary from the rest of the hustle. It's not like HK, where corporate buildings are front and center and you feel like you're floating next to a waterfront Vegas. Basically, the Han river cuts the city in half and so there has been major development to make it an area for biking, jogging, and other outdoor recreation.
After playing basketball, eating too much, and drinking with my uncle, the breeze off the water was really pleasant. Haha... sports, meat, alcohol, and family. I must sound like a broken record.
