Fish and Spice and Everything Nice

First off, a big shout out to my parents who are sunbathing in Mexico right now. They spent a small fortune sending me a box of goodies that I will treasure for the week it will probably actually last me. The gift of licorice and Lays chips is something I will treasure in my heart always. Thank you.

I've had a lot of questions about food here in Korea. Trust me, it's like nothing I've ever tasted before. I thought it would be more like other Asian foods, but it's very distinct and very spicy.

I'm quickly becoming an expert on Korean food as I eat lunch with my preschoolers every day. It hilarious watching the kids eat things that you know kids at home would rather die before eating. For instance, anchovies with eyes still attached and these strange, gooey egg things. They're favourite after school snack is fish larvae, which I have yet to try as the smell along would send most running in the opposite direction. I'll save it for another drunken adventure.

My favourite meal is Kimbap. It's rice, vegetables and ham or tuna, wrapped in seaweed. Delicious and healthy. I also enjoy mandu (tofu and minced vegetables and meat with wheat dough wrapped around them) and galbi (meals where you cook the meat on a grill in front of you, dip it in garlic and other sauces, and then wrap it in lettuce). Every meal here is served with some sort of soup and kimchi, the most famous Korean food. Kimchi is fermented vegetables cooked in red pepper sauce, garlic, anchovies and other distince flavours. It's hard to describe, and takes a while to get used to, but once you eat it every day for a month, you can't go a day without it.

There's also a lot of noodle, rice, and seafood dishes. Usually I don't know what I'm eating, and some of it, even on my most adventurous days, just look at little to ripe for eating. But I try to remember that food is part of the adventure too.

All in all, I'd recommened a Korean meal to anyone - just make sure you can handle your chop sticks as well as your spice.

A side note: you may have noticed that I haven't updated in a week. That's because when I went to buy my laptop last Saturday it was closed - damn Lunar New Years! But, don't worry, I'm trying again tomorrow. Wish me luck!