African Food

On Tuesday our school allowed us to leave early from school, so Brooke and I headed to Seoul. We planned to go to What the Book in Itaewon and have dinner there since there is such a large selection of foreign food.

When we left Pyeongtaek it was sunny, but not too hot. We took a bus to the bus station in Seoul. Booth Brooke and I took a nap on the bus, and when we woke up it was so dark and gloomy. We took the subway to Itaewon and by the time we got to see outside, the rain definitely started to fall. When we arrived to Itaewon you could hear the rain outside the station and people where in side waiting for it to pass. We didn't bring any umbrellas since the weather was so nice before we left. We left the station because we where meeting with a friend for dinner who had something latter to do that day and we did not have the luxury to wait for the rain to settle, which was good because I don't think the rain ever settled while we were there.

I quickly purchased an umbrella when we left the station because I had a white t-shirt. Brooke did not get one and was just going to stick it out. We were looking for Thai or Mexican food, but settled for some African food out desperation because of the rain. The restaurant was located next to hooker hill and definitely had a shady feeling to it. We all decided to get something different and share. I got plantains, Dermot had beef fried rice and Brooke was adventures and had some kind of soup dish.

For all of those who know me, know I love to try new foods. Well this was defiantly new to me, but unfortunately did not look appetizing. I tried the plantains first and then the rice. Finally I got to Brooke's dish, which was served with a white ball. The ball was starchy and I know it contained rice but other then that I don't know what it was. So we had to get some of the white stuff and dip it into the soup and eat it. The soup was not really soup. It had meat and fish inside and I am not really sure what else was in there but the flavor was not that good. It was gooey and had the consistency of snot. I tried it a few times and tried the rice and plantains, but ultimately was so grossed out by it that I couldn't eat any more. I have never been so disgusted over food in my life, but if you would have seen of gooey this was when you lifted your fork out of it and the way it separated like thick saliva or snot I am sure you would have not been able to eat too.

The rain continue to fall heavily all evening. I have never been in the rain when it falls this hard and actually I don't think I have ever seen it rain so hard for so long. There was even a point my new umbrella was leaking.  By the time we headed back home, poor Brooke looked like she was pushed in a pool as she was drenched with water.

I found this video of Seoul which was taken on Wednesday (a day later)

As a result of the rain there were deadly landslides in Seoul and chaos with the trains and subway as many stations where closed due to flooding. It has been said that this the most rain they have ever gotten in summer and because of it it is unusually cool for July. It is still forecasted to rain for the next week.

Japan

Saturday

I arrived to Narita airport at 4:00 pm. I got to my hostel by 7:00 pm. I dropped off my stuff and went off to look for some dinner. I finally chose a place that they were grilling the fish in the front window and had this amazing meal for under $10! I headed back to my hostel and got ready for Sunday.

The hostel I stayed at is Khaosan Samuri Hostel. The hostel was recommend by Brooke and really was a nice place to stay. There was free wifi, a kitchen, and lounge area, and everything was really clean.

My first impressions of Japan were that they are dog friendly. Not just the cutesy dogs like in Korea but all kind of dogs. They also drive on the other side of the street. I was not aware of this until I noticed something was different when I crossed the street. Also, everyone really goes out of their way to help you. Whenever I was trying to figure something out, out of nowhere someone always appears asking me if I need help. People also don’t gawk at me like they do in Korea.  People also seamed genuinely happy. It’s hard to explain but they are just happy.

Sunday

I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. I think I had the best sleep since I have left California. The room was pretty dark and the AC was on all night!!!  I also had a memory foam bed. It was simply amazing!

I went to Denny’s for breakfast. Although I would not eat this back at home it is difficult to find breakfast food in Japan (and in Korea) Even at Denny’s they had mostly meals which consisted of fish, rice, soup, and salad. They did have a meal with eggs, toast, and salad. I settled for French toast and coffee. When I ordered, the waitress asked if I wanted half an order or a full order by showing me the calories. I like this method! I chose half an order. I think this should be implemented back at home. Things in Japan are also a lot smaller. I saw the smallest bag of M&M’s at a liquor store. I also noticed a lot of people were ordering ice cream after their meal! I love that they were eating ice cream so early in the day.

I started Monday by going to Asakusa Temple, which was right next to my hostel. There was a huge row of shops in front of the temple selling all sorts of stuff.

I started to notice people where walking around with towels around their neck. I thought it was odd as it wasn’t that hot. Little did I know! When I got out of the temple I purchased this candy that was sitting on ice. It was strawberry on a stick and it was covered in this hard clear candy. With the heat the candy started to melt. It was nice to have fresh fruit and candy together.

I purchased an all day metro pas for $10. I first went Ameyoko Market from Ueno Station. This market had all sort of street shopping. For lunch I ate at a stand and had Takoyaki, octopus balls.

I then went to Ueno Park. This was a huge park and had a zoo and museums. I just walked around for a little bit. By noon I think was going into some sort of heat stroke. I was dripping sweat all morning (disgusting I know) and I was really hot. I was drinking everything I could find: water, juice, shaved ice, and ice cream but I just couldn't keep hydrated. I really started to feel ill.

After Ueno, I went to Akihabara, which is known for electronics. There was so much to see here! All sorts of electronics such as stuff to make electronic stuff with such as wires plugs and everything you expect to see if you open your computer tower, there were also phones, computers and video games, and some of the cartoons/games looked like it was for adults. So I got a little lost here trying to get back to the subway, and a kind man walked me to the metro. I am sure I was looking distressed.

I then went to Odaiba. First to an outlet store where there was a Toyota museum. I purchased some earrings and a watch there.

This reminded me of Bellagio 

I then went to the other side and there was a beach there! It was such a shame I  didn’t have more time since it was a beautiful day and would have been a good day for the beach.

Then I went to Seibu-Shinjuku. This area is known for shopping,and from what I gathered it was some upscale shopping. I went to the Isetan Department store and there was a food hall in the basement. It was Amazing! There was everything you could imagine. Cheeses, wines, fish every type of cuisine (well almost no Mexican). I have never seen a selection of food in Korea like this. I purchased an ell roll for $10. The only down side was that the food was to take home and there was no place to eat it at.

Then I went to Harajuku another place known for shopping. I walked around for a little and found this thrift store that was really unique had all sorts of Japanese things. Stores started to close by 8:00 so I decided to head back to my hostel and come back the following day.

That day turned out to be a very unexpected shopping day filled with yummy food and I really got to see a lot of different areas all, which had a unique feel. I also got sunburn on my face and regretted not buying a hat.

Monday

I started my day early because I wanted to go see the Tsukiji Fish Market in action. Unfortunately, it was closed. This was supposed to be the highlight of my trip. Apparently it was a holiday. Most the little shops around the market were also closed. I decided to come back in the afternoon for lunch since I didn’t want fish for breakfast.

So I went Tokyo Station to see the Imperial Palace. There was a long walk to the palace from the station and it was so hot. It was defiantly cooler then it was on Sunday and it was forecasted rain. Everything around was just dead. I took a few pictures of the outside of the palace and headed back to the Tsukiji for lunch.

I found this sushi place that had a good deal for a set. The sushi was amazing I got to try a little of everything. The one difference from the sushi at home is that this set was made fresh to order and you can eat it at the sushi bar.

I went back to Harajuku for some more shopping (i really just walked around) I did find some little side streets that was Harajuku Street and it was filled with a bunch of thrift stores. They all seemed that they where trying to have clothes from the states and calling the stores names like Chicago and New York but they were wall had a very unique selection.

I then went to Shibuya (more shopping) and theses streets were filled with people maybe because of the vacation.

I planned on going to Ginza but my travel book said to go at night. So I headed back to my hostel for some rest. I fell asleep on the metro way back and then rested for 30 minuets at my hostel. You may think its weird to sleep on the Metro, but that’s what people do in Japan (and Korea), so when in Rome…

Before Dinner I walked around Asakusa Temple and walked around and bought this pumpkin ball that was really yummy.

I then went back to Tsukiji for dinner and had sushi at this restaurant. The sushi was not as good as the one for lunch but the lady out side was really nice. Her name was Yuko Suzuki. She worked outside of the restaurant trying to get people to come in and she also worked as a caretaker for Alzheimer patients. She went to Korea for one month 5 years ago to study Korean. She also knows English and now she is studying Chinese. She gave me sushi candy before I left.

I then headed to Ginza and looked for the San`ai Building. After some help I (apparently was right in front of it) I found it. The building looked nothing like the picture in the book. It no longer has the Coca Cola logo on top and didn’t it look as nice. It was a little disappointing. I then went back to the hostel and prepared for the next day.

Tuesday

I chose to do a day trip to Kasmakura. The decision was between Kasamkura and Nikkio. I really wanted to go to Nikkio because it sounded beautiful and it was more outdoorsy and had waterfalls. Kasmakura was more about temples. There were a few hikes in Kasmakura though. I choose kasmakura because of the weather. It appears the rain followed me from Korea. So that’s how I made my decision.

I left the hostel at 7:00 am. I decided to go to the fish market one more time because I would regret that I went to Tokyo and never saw the fish market. It was so crazy inside. They’re where cars people, carts everything just going by so fast. From the outside I could smell the sweet aroma of the fresh fish. Inside the market there was tiny aisles all selling some type of fish or shellfish. A few times I would hear some fluttering and water flying. Every time I looked there was someone hacking at a live fish! The market lived up to my expectations and I wish I could have purchased something to cook.

I then headed to Kasmakura. It took about an hour and a half to get there. I took bus 6 to the Great Buddha and then I went back to the station.

I walked around the main street and saw another temple. The rain was off and on all day. I had tempura for lunch at a nice restaurant.

There wasn’t too much street food or cheap food for that matter. It cost me almost as much as my sushi lunch from the day before. By then I was wet enough from the rain and decided to go home. It was about 780 yen each way.

Wednesday

Before heading to Kyoto I went to Tokyo station and left my luggage in a locker. I then head to Hakone. Now I knew that I would not get to view Mt. Fuji because of the weather but what I did not expect that everything would be closed because of the typhoon. That's right no cable cars, no park, nothing. I decided to walk around the city since I was already there. This city was made up of the station many hotels and one main street filled with restaurants and shops geared towards tourist.

I had lunch at a restaurant and had soba a buckwheat noodle that was served hot or cold. I got it hot. The waitress informed me that it was supposed to represent a fish’s head.

The egg is supposed to be the nose, the bread is the forehead, the green stuff is the mouth,  the side stuff is the cheek, and the stuff on top is the eyes. I really have to use your imagination. 

I headed back to the station and went back to Tokyo station. I had a hard time finding where I left my stuff. Apparently there are many lockers at Tokyo station. Luckily I got a map when I asked about the lockers that morning, so I went to the information desk and they told me how to get there. I then took the bullet train to Kyoto. It took 2 1/2 hours. I got to Kyoto by 6 pm. Kyoto had a different feel to it then Tokyo. Everyone looks more natural and clothing is not as stylish. I found this restaurant that they were making Japanese pancake I sat at the bar and watch the cook make it. Kind of like teppan style, and it kind of tasted like the batter and toppings of the Takoyaki I had earlier in my trip.

Thursday

I decieded rented a bike for the day. I wasn't sure if the weather was going to allow it, but I took a chance. I went to Nijojo Castle and walked around looking at the paintings and gardens.

What I really liked was the floors. It sounded like birds chirping when you walked on it this was to let people know if there were intruders. When I was done the weather looked like it was going to hold hope so I rode my bike to Arahiyama it was about an hour away. I went through the path of bamboo and had lunch at a restaurant near by.

I had cold soba this time. I got to grind sesame seeds and poured it to my cup then I added wasabi and green onions. Then I took my noodles and dipped it in he cup there was so much flavor from the sesame seeds.

After lunch I went to Iwatayama Monkey Park home to 120 Japanese monkeys. I hiked up the mountain and at the top found a nice view of Kyoto and a hut I was able to feed the monkeys. I could have of stayed there all day.

I rode my bike from way out there

I wanted to also experience a tea ceremony. I was trying to make it there by 4 but had a hard time finding it. Eventually I did find it and was able to attend the 5 pm ceremony. The tea ceremony of composed of four aspects. The whole ceremony was so thought out and she explained it was compared to meditating. Theses usually last 2 to 3 hours but involves a meal, a break, and then something sweet and a strong green tea is drank and then a lighter green tea. The tea was a powder green tea that had to be whisked to make a foam on top. You could really taste the green tea.

Then I headed to Shimogamo-jinja shrine for the Mitarashi festival. The festival involves people putting their feet in the stream running through the shrine and praying for a healthy life.

It was so neat to be apart of this ritual. I then walked through the main entrance where they were selling food and had games, cotton candy, and fish and turtles kind of like a fair. I ate dinner and headed back to the hostel, as I needed to return the bike by 9 pm.

Friday

I spent my last full day in Japan by going to Nara. It took about 70 min to get there by the local train. The rapid train would have only taken 30 min but I would have needed to wait another 30 min to take it. It was about a 15 to 20 min walk to Nara Park. I was looking for my first temple when I noticed deer droppings. This place is known for the deers but I didn't think they would be roaming around. I looked to see if I could see a dear but nothing. Then I saw a male deer and then I looked further ahead and found a whole bunch of deers. I was fascinated and took several pictures I could get as close as I wanted but wad still careful because I know they can cause real harm if they wanted to.

I first went to Todai-ji temple. It is the biggest wooden building in the world even though it is not as big as it used to be. There I saw the great Buddha Vairocana it's the biggest bronze Buddha in the world.

 I then walked through the deer enclosure and saw many baby deers with there mom they were all very cautious with me. They were not at all like the other deer that hang out with the people.

I walked to Kasuga grand shrine. The walkway leading up to the shrine was filled with 3,000 lanterns. This place really did feel magical. You could almost feel how it would be to walk down the road back when this was a way of life and not a tourist location.

I then headed back to the station I found a shabu shabu place and settled there for lunch. It was kind of pricy maybe because of the meat but there was no vegetarian option. The sauces tasted more vinegary then the ones I have had and the flavor was not as strong as the ones I have had. Nonetheless it was delicious.

When I got back to Kyoto I walked on the philosophers walk. This walkway was nestled by the side of the mountain and a stream ran by the path. The walkway was lined with cherry trees but they where not in bloom. It was a peaceful walk and there where many neat shops and specialty cafés along the way.

I then walked to the handicraft center that was supposed to have craft products but was mostly “made in chain” stuff. Then I walked to Gion Corner and attend a show of tea ceremony, Japanese harp, flower arrangement, court music, a traditional play, and a puppet play. Gion Corner is famous for being a geisha district. 

I then walked to Pontocho Street that was filled with restaurants. I had a snack of mochi dipped in sweet sauce. The mochi was grilled on the grill and then the sauce was put on top.

I then headed to Nishiki market that sells ingredients to chefs but this was closed by the time I got there, which was 8:00 pm, so I walked back to the hostel and found a restaurant that they were grilling skewers and had dinner there.

Saturday

My flight was scheduled to depart at 3:45, which meant I had to be at the airport by 2:00 pm. I had planned on going to Osaka before heading to the airport, but I felt I would loose too much time traveling and decided to day in Kyoto. I spent the morning by walking around Gion Corner and Nishiki Market. I then checked out of the hostel and headed towards the airport.

My whole trip was amazing. The only thing I would have done differently is that there is a night bus I could have taken from Tokyo to Kyoto and it would have been $70 cheaper and I would have not needed to pay for somewhere to stay for the night. I also wish I would have had more time to stay in Japan. At least 2 more days would have been enough to experience Nikko and Hiroshima. I hope I will be able to return soon. 

A Wrong Turn

So the other night, I was walking home from downtown Pyeongtaek. I turned on the wrong street, but I knew where I was, and where the street I wanted to take was at. I decided to keep walking and make a left on the next street to get back on the path I wanted to take home. Now I have to say that Korea is very safe. I love that I can walk on the streets at night, and I never feel scared. 


Anyways, I was on my way home and the street I decided to turn on did not feel quite right. First of all, there was a lady just standing outside a fortune teller's shop and the narrow street seemed a little too dark. Since I thought I knew where I was going, I decided to keep walking since it was a short distance away. So the more and more I walked into the dark tiny street the more odd it felt. There was no one walking on the street, and there were also no cars going through. As I kept walking, I noticed some bright pink neon lights up ahead, and then I notice some ladies standing outside. Theses ladies were wearing white skimpy outfits. 


If you haven't guess by now, I was the the red light district. I have heard of this areas before but didn't really know where it was. I actually still don't know where I was at or where it's at. The girls did turn to look at me but then looked away. I did see a van drive by and the girls where trying to hail it down but were unsuccessful. It seemed like it was a really slow day for them. I started to panic, and every street i tried to turn on was just covered with girls, windows, and pink lights. I was definitely not going the right way. I had no choice but to turn around. The lady I saw outside the the fortune teller's shop was still there when I finally made it out. I pretty sure she had something to do with the red light district. When I got back on the main street, I was so turned around. 

I couldn't help but laugh at what had happened. This by far has been the funniest thing that has happened to me in Korea. My only regret is that I didn't take video or pictures. If I get the opportunity again, I will definitely be capturing it on film. 

In case you were worried, I did make it back home. I eventually found the outdoor market and knew I just had to walk straight though and would get back home. 

Teacher Trip

My school had its semi annual teacher trip this weekend. We left the school at 12:50 p.m. on Friday. The weeks leading up to the trip I had no idea what to expect and had no idea as to where we were going mostly due to the language barrier, so everything was a big surprise. The bus was a very Korean bus. Inside was covered in purple and was equipped for karaoke.

As soon as the bus started moving, the beer and the goodie bags started to be disbursed. We then played bingo. Once the game was done they put on a movie and the guys moved to the back of the bus to drink soju and eat pork.

It took 2 hours to get to our first destination, which was The Garden of Morning Calm in Hanghyunni. We were given a little over an hour to tour the gardens.

We then headed to a lake to ride a speedboat.

We had dinner at Chuncheon and had dak galbi (a spicy chicken dish) that the city was known for.

After dinner we headed to a pension that we would be spending the night. Our room was covered in color. Each wall had a different kind of wallpaper. Our evening was ended with Karaoke.

We started Saturday with breakfast at 8:00 am. Our breakfast consisted of side dishes, rice, and soup. In our agenda, we were supposed to go bike ridding but this was canceled due to the rain. We were also supposed to go to Gugok Falls, but that was canceled because it was under construction. I am not sure how waterfalls would be ‘under construction’, but they where. Instead we went to a dam.

We had lunch at ansong and then headed back to school.

Korean Baseball Fight

I heard about this video a while ago, and I just wanted to share. It is the funniest thing I have seen in baseball.

Walk to School

Here is a short video of my walk to school. It took me 16 minutes to walk to school but I had to shorten it for you. However, this has made it a little hard to view. Sorry if it makes you dizzy. Hope you enjoy it!

One Month Down

I have been in Korea for a month now! I can’t believe it! It’s weird because I feel I have been here a long time. Maybe that is because I have done so much in the little time I have been here and because I feel settled in. I thought by now I would have some kind of routine down, but instead I am just going with the flow. The only thing that is pretty consistent is my morning routine. I work out by the river (if it is not raining), I make breakfast and clean a little. Then I go to school. When I don’t have anything planned in the evenings, I go wonder the streets and find a café with free Internet.

I am so happy I made the decision to come. This was a dream for so many years and I finally made it into reality. Homesickness and culture shock have still not found me. I heard after the honeymoon stage with Korea, which is approximately 3 months I may experience something. We will see if that happens in 2 months from now. 

Summer Vacation

I originally was going to be off from August 8^th through August 19^th, but this week I was informed that not all the schools get off the week our school gets off, which means I have to split my vacation. I would have preferred to be off two weeks in a row, but having two weeks off in the summer and then another two weeks in the winter is nothing to complain about.

So what am I going to do this summer vacation? The first week I want to travel. My first plan was China. Mainly, because there is a huge restriction for us living Korea when applying for our visa and I rather go somewhere warm in the wintertime (like Thailand and Indonesia). For the Americans with a Visa in Korea we need at least 6 months left on our visa when we apply for the visa to enter china. On interesting fact is that we don’t need a visa for Hong Kong or Taiwan.

I found a recruiter that would help me apply for the visa and I would not have to loose time from work. I worked with them to find flights, tours, and hotels. After all that work I was ready to pay and found out I needed my ARC card to apply for my visa. There is that pesty alien card again. So no China trip for me. I am currently working on an alternative trip.

As for the second week I have off, my parents are supposed to visit me. I can’t wait to see them! I have also been informed my sister has accepted a job to teach in Korea, I am not sure when she starts, but I cant wait to see her too!

There is a lot to look forward to in summer, but the only thing I am not looking forward to is the heat! It is so hot now and they say it will get warmer. I might just purchase an AC unit. I sleep with the fan directly at me but it is still HOT. It is not supposed to be a good temperature until September. LOL I hope I survive this summer!