Chris' office consists of both military and Korean civilians. We were invited to dinner by some of the Korean civilians. They are very kind people who wanted to share their culture with me. They did the same with Chris when he arrived. We dined at a traditional korean restaurant, however, it wasn't traditional in the sense that you removed your shoes and sat on the floor under a low lying table. There are those, but this was not one of them. The table had a grill sort of like a hibachi table, but much smaller. Mr. Kim ordered both beef and pork bulgogi. Pork is much better than beef as it is marinaded in what seemed to be a soy sauce type marinade. It reminded me of my mom's chicken wing marinade. Yummy. You can grill garlic, mix it with the pork and wrap it in a lettuce leaf to eat. They also served peppers that looked like chili peppers, but actually tasted like green bell peppers. Several other sides were also served--a few different kinds of kim chi (soured cabbage with spice), jelly fish, spring rolls, squid, pumpkin soup, small fish (looked like minnows, eyeballs and all..I did not eat!), salad, white rice and a few other sauces for dipping. The beef bulgogi is sliced very thin, like roast beef and cooked in an au jus type sauce with many mushrooms. It was good, but not as flavorful as the pork. Our Korean friends were very kind, explaining each dish, and waiting for us to try them. They especially enjoyed watching our faces to see the reaction to their foods. I was a willing participant, trying nearly everything--kim chi, jellyfish (tasted okay, but the texture was a bit too rubbery for me to eat it again), both bulgogis, apring rolls, white rice and pepper. The kim chi was a bit too spicy for my liking. I am only able to handle mildly spicy foods. The meal was followed by plum juice, which as explained to us, is used to aid digestion. It was very yummy. I bet it would be even better with some alcohol. They serve it as a slush. Mmmmm. So good.
Here is a few cultural tidbits to share:
1. When Koreans give you something or accept something from you, they bow forward just a bit. This is a sign of respect. I just haven't figured out if I am supposed to bow forward as well.
2. When Koreans pour you a drink, you are supposed to bow when they start and bow when they finish.
3. When you are shaking the hand of a Korean who is older than you, you are suppose to hold your elbow.
We ventured to Suwon yesterday. The train station is located in and underneath a huge shopping mall. I had no intention of buying anything, but it was nice seeing "American" stores. I have a feeling I will be doing ALOT of online shopping and stocking up when I go home. I will be suffering Target withdraws. We wrapped up the day with a sushi buffet. I am open to trying almost everything, but I prefer to stick with what I know. For that reason, I have yet to leave an Asian meal feeling full. I guess that is good for my body, but it leaves me craving a good old American meal. In due time...
We just got back from the gym. We are going to a BBQ with Chris' squadron this afternoon, a going away party tomorrow for one of his supervisees, and onto a party at his Commander's home tomorrow evening. I had hoped to get to the orphanage, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen this trip. I guess I have a couple of years to make that happen.
Here is a few cultural tidbits to share:
1. When Koreans give you something or accept something from you, they bow forward just a bit. This is a sign of respect. I just haven't figured out if I am supposed to bow forward as well.
2. When Koreans pour you a drink, you are supposed to bow when they start and bow when they finish.
3. When you are shaking the hand of a Korean who is older than you, you are suppose to hold your elbow.
We ventured to Suwon yesterday. The train station is located in and underneath a huge shopping mall. I had no intention of buying anything, but it was nice seeing "American" stores. I have a feeling I will be doing ALOT of online shopping and stocking up when I go home. I will be suffering Target withdraws. We wrapped up the day with a sushi buffet. I am open to trying almost everything, but I prefer to stick with what I know. For that reason, I have yet to leave an Asian meal feeling full. I guess that is good for my body, but it leaves me craving a good old American meal. In due time...
We just got back from the gym. We are going to a BBQ with Chris' squadron this afternoon, a going away party tomorrow for one of his supervisees, and onto a party at his Commander's home tomorrow evening. I had hoped to get to the orphanage, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen this trip. I guess I have a couple of years to make that happen.
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