Simplest tuna kimchi soup ever 참치 김치 찌개 in pictures

When you only have kimchi and tuna what can you do? Put it in a pot and expect something tasty? Try this tuna kimchi jjigae.

Grab a cup of kimchi, a can of tuna, two or more cups of water, some gochu garu (red pepper powder) and a bit of sesame oil for other flavor and there you have it!

I would suggest adding other meat, tofu, and veggies if you have it within arm's reach! This was definitely a last attempt to nourish the stomach with nothing fresh in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Artistic Observations: Meeting Yim Choon Lee, A Contemporary South Korean Artist.

Last month, a friend and I attended an artist's solo art exhibition in La Jolla (San Diego), California.  I received the opportunity to meet Yim Choon Lee, a South Korean contemporary artist still gaining exposure to the world today. In the short time I spent walking around gazing at the artwork and admiring the mind of the artist, I was surprised more than once or twice.  I visited art galleries in the past, but never attended a special artist reception with the artist present.  This was a first.

[Disclaimer: I do not have a professional background in art. I am only the lay viewer of art that on rare occasion peruses a gallery with fairly complex art designs and themes.] 

As I entered the Salazaar Contemporary Gallery, the location of the exhibition in La Jolla, I found myself walking into a small crowd of art lovers, photographers, and gallery owners. It was a classy event with wine readily available to sip on to enhance your viewing experience.  I was immediately drawn to the left where I saw a blue piece of art. The piece had an open space with large sections along the side and one in the center full of intricate designs behind what appeared to be twisted pieces on the canvas.  Upon closer viewing, I found painted Chinese characters and other unique designs along the twists.

Small section of the art piece. Notice the twists and detailed paint. 

What I observed was the result of the Yim Choon Lee’s process, “Tearing Art.”  He paints both sides of a canvas.  On one side, Korean traditional papers are placed on the surface and painted over, creating a total of three surfaces. Then, the linen on one side is cut to reveal the backside. The pieces are torn and folded to create an elaborate, beautiful piece of art.

 His information page and website as quoted says:  

“Three surfaces of the painting represent the past (traditional paper surface), present (back of canvas linen), and future (front of canvas linen). In tearing art, one painting glues together past, present and future in three dimension.” 

I continued to move around the room thinking about my own past and present glued to and molding my future, as I admired each of the pieces of art. The art was amazing in all of its three-dimensional forms. This is art I could observe with multiple senses. I stepped back to see the piece and feel the presence of the work as I soaked in the colors and design. Later, I moved in closer while I envisioned (no, I did not touch) following the twisted pieces with my finger.  I imagined hearing the artist tearing and folding the pieces of linen in a studio in his home. I was enamored by the simple yet complex works - some happened to be only black and white. [You can see them on the website. Photo not posted here.] Moving towards the back of the room, I viewed more complex pieces with very vibrant shades of color.

Viewed from a different perspective. The colors move from lighter to darker on the far end.  

Eventually, I met Katherine Kim, Yim Choon Lee’s agent. She was busy making her rounds meeting other important people.  Despite being busy with potential buyers and viewers, she still stopped to speak with me. I was greeted with her bubbly nature, a gentle touch and lots of enthusiasm.  She began to take me to some of his bigger works and answer a few of my questions.  Eager to meet the artist himself, she brought me to Yim Choon Lee, where he also warmly welcomed me with a large grin as he showed off some of his art. I greeted him in Korean, though he was shy to reply and speak in English. Our brief communication was powerful nonetheless. I immediately felt comfortable and close to Yim Choon Lee and his agent, Katherine Kim.  While looking at one piece, Yim approached me with his large grin and what felt like the innocence of a proud child, motioning me to follow him. He pointed to the detailed twists of his blue painting saying, “these Chinese characters. Painted.”  It made me smile.  The artist certainly has a lot to be proud of.

Surface details. 

As I viewed the art and spoke with Katherine, I was even more surprised to learn that the artist is a police officer by day.  By night, he uncovers the artist within. He has a college education and studied in Taiwan during his younger years. Katherine proudly mentions his many talents.  Does Yim ever sleep? 

Where did this brilliant man get the time and inspiration to do his work? Yim Choon Lee, born in 1965 on Geoje Island where he still lives today, comes from several generations of Korean traditional bamboo and paper artists.  As a child, he traveled with his father throughout the beautiful countryside collecting bamboo for his father’s art. Katherine shared that his experience learning the bamboo techniques and viewing the beautiful country as a child were a large inspiration and influence for his artwork today. Observing the colors and twists, I can see many elements of bamboo and nature forming images in my head.   

My mind was baffled by his work.

I looked around some more and returned to the artist, asking him to name his favorite piece. He likes them all, but points to the Black Hole piece and names the Black Hole series [four paintings] his favorite.  As seen on the artist statement of “Destruction and Creation,” Yim creates new art by destroying the canvas. New social norms are created by changing the old social idioms.  He beautifully bridges the gap from traditional to more contemporary art. 

            “Black Hole series portrays the human heart’s desire to express itself independently from  societal references. As a policeman in Korea, I have seen life and death circumstances which could have evolved differently. If these victims were allowed to express their feelings of frustration and overwhelming circumstances, they would not need to end their precious life.”- from the Artist Statement Page.

Black Hole (1 in the series of four pieces)

Many people can identify with this art.  The human heart in all its complexity desires to be known and expressed in some form.  Take a peek at the art yourself and enjoy the “awe” moment as you let the art help you dive deep into your own soul. What feelings and emotions stir in you?  As I think about my internship year in San Diego soon drawing to a close, I begin to process the past and present as I prepare for the future.  

So, what if you decide you want to see the art? Where can you catch some of Yim Choon Lee’s work?  You can view his art at his coming exhibition in Seoul, South Korea in September.  After observation, I presume you will be interested in meeting the artist and seeing it up close yourself.  Yim is still a newer artist and has only held exhibitions in Istanbul, Florida, and South Korea. Feel free to spread the word about his work and check out his next exhibition. You won't regret it.

You will find the exhibit in the Insadong region of Seoul. Insadong is known for its cute shops, art, craftsmen, traditional goods, and souvenirs. It has a traditional feel enjoyed by both native Koreans and foreigners. The art lover is sure to find him or herself in Insadong on trip to Seoul.  Subway stations near Insadong are Jonggak Station (Line 1), Jongno 3-ga Station (Line 1, Line 3, Line 5), and Anguk Station also serviced by Line 3. 

You also have a few weeks left to view it in San Diego. The exhibition gained so much attention and interest that the gallery extended the exhibition through August. If you're in San Diego or La Jolla, please stop by and take a look.  You can see it at: 

Salazar Fine-Art Gallery
1162 Prospect
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 551 - 8453

Find Yim Choon Lee’s page on Facebook and check out his website. 

Here are the friendly faces!    

The artist: Yim Choon Lee, The Business Manger/Agent: Katherine Kim

Thank you for sharing your art and introducing yourself to us, Yim. Katherine, thank you for playing a large part in sharing Yim's "Tearing Art" with the world.  You have opened my eyes to a new world of art.  

~~~~~~

Sources: 

Site: http://yimchoonlee.com/

    including the Artist's Statement

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yimchoon.lee

Lee's Agent: Katherine Kim. 

Sriracha: It's delicious. It's good for your health.

Do you like to spice up your food? Do you like sauce?  I always love a little gochujang added to my Korean dishes. A bit of Sriracha for added spice and saucy flavor when gochujang isn't readily available never hurt either. In fact, sriracha has many health benefits. Cookingschools.net created this infographic and asked to spread the word. Check out the benefits of sriracha and be sure to add some to your next meal whether it be your leftover plain rice, tasty meat dish, or even a bowl of ramyon. Eat up and enjoy the health benefits!



Created by: CookingSchools.net

A night of K-pop and flash mob moves

What do k-pop, hallyu, flash mobs, and San Diego all have in common?
You can find them all in one place right here in San Diego.

Last week I learned of a Korean Culture event at The Sejong Institute of Language and Culture (SILC) of the California International Business University (CIBU) through a group posting on Facebook and some online advertisement. Though I had other plans set aside for that Tuesday, I was not able to attend to them. This became an ideal opportunity to inquire about the event. I hadn't heard of SILC or CIBU and was eager to learn more about it and the events/programs it had to offer.  Don't forget I'm quite busy volunteering my time, but in my few moments of free time I do try to keep an open ear for Korea related events. I also discovered that my new Korean friend was going to be attending the event with her English tutor.  The title of the event was K-Pop.  By attending the event I thought I would learn a little bit about kpop.  After calling the receptionist at SILC, I was told the agenda consisted of a presentation on K-Pop and Hallyu (Korean wave), a dance performance and some light refreshments to follow. I envisioned I might hear an interesting lecture on history and culture. What did I have to lose? I figured this would be a great opportunity to network with some professors and or other young professionals or students in the area interested in Korean culture and history.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a young eclectic crowd of high school-aged somethings, fun individuals in their early 20s intermixed with a few international students, professors and Koreans that run the SILC. We listened to a presentation about Kpop and the Korean hallyu. Korea's pop music has rapidly picked up popularity all over the world. Hallyu refers to the rapid spread of Korean culture and popularity across the world. The term originated in China after journalists observed the rapid growth and popularity of Korean culture in China. Many Kpop groups travel to put on shows and meet their loyal and dedicated fans halfway across the globe.  I was surprised to hear that a kpop channel has received over 700 million hits! However, after briefly thinking about it, many loyal fans are probably responsible for multiple clicks! Everyone can use a little kpop in their life!  Popular  groups such as 2PM, Big Bang, SNSD, and 2NE1 were named.

After the brief history of Kpop and short video, the real hoppin' fun began. We were introduced to the San Diego Kpop Flash Mob group started by young individuals with a new found interest in Kpop and love for dance. The group of individuals goes by the acronym SDKFM. They're definitely an interesting crowd of individuals as we can see by their Facebook page description: "SDKFM is a group of crazy (borderline clinically insane) San Diegan individuals who love Kpop and dance. We aim to spread the love of Korean pop culture in our city and have fun." As their opening statement suggests, they know how to do just that: have fun! I admire the group for their passion and desire to share their love of Korean pop and culture.  They're doing their part to spread hallyu and make it even bigger right here in San Diego. Wherever you go, you're bound to find a Korean loving soul somewhere. Check out SDKFM's Facebook page here.  SDKFM definitely got their dance on in their performances!  I only got a brief video from the "sidelines" on my cell phone, but you can hear and see the crowd joining in with a rhythmic clapping.

Fortunately, some of the videos from members went up on youtube last night. You can get a clearer picture of their moves and popping beat.  Here is one of the videos I found: 

Following SDKFM's performance to a few Kpop mixes, members of the crowd came up to show off a few of their own moves. The crowd went a little wild for an extended period of laughter and dancing.

The evening was an informative and interesting night. I learned something and met an enthusiast group of Kpop loving individuals. We were quickly pushed out of the room due to building policies and I was not able to meet any of the Sejong Institute's staff personally, but I know that I will return for the next event in May and maybe even before then for a little tour. I have a feeling I'll walk into the next event with no expectations because they'll probably be blown away by exposure to more fun local San Diegans!

If you missed any of the links above check them out again here below:

California International Business University (CIBU) : http://cibu.edu/

The Sejong Institute of Language and Culture (SILC): http://cibu.edu/category/sejong-institute-of-language-and-culture-events/

San Diego Kpop Flash Mob (SDKFM):  https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoKpopFlashMob

Fun with Food: simple kimchi fried rice (김치 볶음밥 )

I was in a bit of frantic rush to make triangle kimbap for my lunch the other day. It was already approaching 3pm and I had a schedule to keep. This was about to become a linner (lunch and dinner) combo. I made rice the night before with my delicious bulgogi (yumm yumm marinated meat) meal and packaged the leftovers into the refrigerator to be used the following day. I wasn't worried if the rice didn't turn out for my kimbap because I bought a fresh bag of rice earlier in the week.  It would be no biggie to heat up a new pot while preparing for the day.  (No rice cooker here folks. I've been house sitting for a week. This is where crafty improv skills come in handy.  Since I could not find a pot cover either, I used another pot to cover the larger pot. It didn't completely seal the rice cooking pot, but we got some decent rice.)

Back to that no-big-deal-because-I-had-more-rice situation. What I failed to clearly think about was my house and pet sitting responsibility to care for cats.  I set the rice on the higher counter top hidden away in the corner. Maybe I just forgot the sly nature of cats.]  Despite my good intentions to keep the house clean, the next morning I woke to a little surprise.  The cats clawed through the bag of rice and you can guess what I was sweeping up for the next several minutes.  so... I open the fridge take out the leftover box of rice and separate the plastic wrap on the seaweed for my triangle kimbap. The spoon goes into the rice and out comes a crumbly mess of rice allover my lovely laver (seaweed).  I guess the missing cover on the pot created an interesting rice consistency and texture.  No sticky rice and no more fresh rice to cook.

Now what?  I pull open the fridge and look in.  Fantastic! There are approximately two servings of kimchi left in a small plastic container. Perfect timing because I've got to clear the fridge of any suspicious (aka interesting ethnic or slightly odorous) items before the home owners return. (They're not Korean or Asian for that matter.) At this point, I'm a hungry hippo. What do you make with old rice and kimchi? Well, kimchi fried rice I tell ya!  Let's do this, I tell myself.  There's a can of tuna sitting on the counter.  What else? It seems we have nothing else, so we'll make do. 

How do you (or I) make kimchi fried rice? Here's a quick and very simple Americanized version of fried rice. 

Some basics you'll need: 

• your old rice (밥) [1 cup?]*
• kimchi (김치) [1/2 a cup?]*
• sesame oil  (참깨 기름)

Some optional add ins:

• tuna (참치), or
• bacon, or
• other meaty source such as chopped up spam
• other veggies
• peppers
• green onion
• take your pick here. 

*Mix and match. Choose your portions according to total serving size. 

And to top it off the proper way let's add a tasty fried egg. 

Here is a photo story of my scramble to make kimchi fried rice: 

Get your kimchi. Chop it all up. Then heat up your frying pan. Use a dab of sesame oil to prevent food from sticking to the pan.  Toss in the kimchi.  Warm up. Fry. Stir up. Warm up, fry, and stir some more.

Toss in your extras such as tuna, spam, or veggies.  Stir and fry some more. Add your rice.
Fry some more. Add some water and oil to preference if necessary and don't forget to pour the extra kimchi juice in the pan for extra color and spicy flavor!  Pack up your fried rice into a nice little mound and set it aside.
Prepare the pan and fry the egg!

And wallah.  I'll admit I was hungry and although I go for presentation this tasted just fine in my mouth and ravenous belly. Sadly, that's the same egg. Sunny side down.  No worries the sun will come out and shine again tomorrow. :  )

There you have it.  A crazy spin on kimchi fried rice.   The next one will be better, but this one is difficult to beat.  It tasted just fine in the heat of the hungry moment! 

[Photos uploaded from phone with less than 3 megapixel quality. Excuse the quality of the photos please.]

Until next time! 

Simply Yujacha

With winter creeping in like a thick fog and creating a frigid chill in the air, a hot beverage to soothe the mind and body sounds just about right.  What? You say you have a slight cough or sore throat, too?  It's that time of year isn't it?

I know the beverage for you. Yujacha (유자차) or citron tea.  Yujacha is similar to what most people know as marmalade. It is made of the citron fruit. Unlike the lemon or orange, the citron fruit is a smaller somewhat longer shaped fruit with little tasty juicy fruit to be eaten. The fruit is thinly sliced and made into a jelly-like preservable substance with the addition of honey or sugar.

In November (yes, this post is getting up a bit late), I received some citron tea from someone at a small company, Dalhae Trading, in exchange for some information and quotable remarks from my post about my love for tea and omijacha. To say the least, I was very excited to receive this package in the mail!  I absolutely love tea and yujacha is great during the winter cold season.

What do I do next? I grab a pot and boil up some water. I dish two spoon fulls of this delightful substance into the mug and I pour in some boiling water. Stir it up and give it a second to flavor up the water. Then, down my throat it goes all in one smooth relaxing move.  You'll notice, if inspecting the citron tea part of the fruit or pulp is used to make the substance. This makes reaching the bottom of the mug fun because now you have a chewy bittersweet treat awaiting you.  You've gotta like the pulpy-ness to enjoy the bottom of the mug and I certainly do!

Why do I drink this? 

1. It tastes good.
2. It's loaded with vitamin C-like healthiness and used as an herbal remedy to fight off winter illnesses.
3. It soothes a sore throat and a cough.
4. Did I say, it tastes good? Yes! You should try some.

Where can I find some of this goodness in a jar? 

You can find this in most Asian markets like the tea aisles of Korean or Japanese stores.
Or you could be adventurous and try to make some yourself.  Many cultures have their own version of the citron tea used to treat the common cold.

Where can fellow San Diegans find this? 
Well, I'm still working on answering this question. However, the Vietnamese and Chinese markets both sell the Korean version of the yujacha even with pretty Korean labels.
Writing on my love for all things Korea, I'm going to be biased and say that the Korean market/store Zion Market is the best place to shop, even for tea. Granted, I've only been there once as I'm still making time to get out and explore, but it was very large and fun to explore.  Look for more on that store later.

What other creative things can you do with your yujacha/citron tea/marmalade mix? 

The sky is the limit on this one folks.  Personally, I've used jelly and or this yujacha in chicken and salmon marinades. I've also used it as a sweetener on my morning toast.
How have others used it? And what ideas have I thought of or am I going to steal and recreate on my own?
One could make rolls, cake, muffins, cheesecake, mixed beverages, and so much more. Let your imagination run wild.  Check back in the next month for some of my crazy ideas.

This tea is simply delicious and may find itself marinading and glazing multiple treats of yours. Enjoy brainstorming the many things you can do with it while sipping on a hot mug of yujacha in order to stay warm and healthy this winter!


HK

What to do on a typhoon-errific day in Korea! AKA it's monsoon season.

Last night I was serenaded to sleep by the music of whistling winds blowing and the pouring rains pounding outside my window.  This is very atypical weather for someone that lives in the central to northern part of California, USA. Here we are used to temperatures ranging in the mid to high 30 and sometime 40 Celsius range!  For those of us Americans not on the same system as the rest of the world, that’s a range in the 90s and 100s Fahrenheit! Ridiculous!  Thankfully we have very dry heat patterns as opposed to the 90+ percent humidity during a summer in northeast Asia.  

This rain storm reminded me of the torrential downpours and rains I experienced in South Korea the past few summers. Strangely, I actually miss the humid rainy days and was calmed by the reminiscent thoughts of Korea’s rains flowing through my head. [Crazy, right? Yeh, I think I miss Korea a lot!] I’m sure most anyone reading this and experiencing Asia’s typhoons and monsoon season for the first time does not agree with my pleasant thoughts and would rather seek ways to avoid this weather pronto. Puddles to your knees, drenched shirts, useless umbrellas, and sticky wet feet – sound familiar anyone?  Right now is Korea’s monsoon (장마 - changma) season. This season usually lasts from late June to mid August!  For anyone from a dry non-humid climate it’s like a hell with rain instead of fire on earth.  You can never escape the moisture. If you shower don’t bother toweling off. You’re going to be sticky 30 seconds later and you’re likely to walk right outside into your second or third shower.

So what if you’re one of those adventure-loving but rain fearing types and have nothing to do on a rainy day in Korea? What are you to do?  First, gear up for the rain! Then, embrace the weather, take a skip through a typhoon blowing by and find something to do!  Need an idea? Here are five things to consider on a rainy day in Korea. Sorry folks, for many of these you’ll have to be traveling through Seoul.

Let’s gear up first!  

1.  Umbrella!  The Number 1 thing you will need if you are to live in Korea during monsoon season is an umbrella! That’s common sense, isn’t it?  Well, of course it is, but for people like me [who thought they were immune to rain but are NOT immune to Korea’s monsoon season] an umbrella seems like a waste of a hand that could be used for holding a cool drink or shopping bag. Koreans insist on holding umbrellas because of the acid rain.  There is a myth (could it be true?) that you will lose your hair because of the acidity of the rain if you do not protect yourself.  I’ve begun to side more with this statement as truth in order to avoid any nervous comments at my lack of umbrella use.  If you forget your umbrella or find a typhoon taking you by surprise you can be sure to find one anywhere in Korea at this time of year. They’re at almost all of the major subway stops or street markets and even cute shops-especially if you are in the cities such as Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, etc. 

gmarket.com

If you're carrying an umbrella you'll have to look out for the umbrella bag stand placed near the entrance of buildings. Because Koreans know this weather so well, they were smart enough to create the bag stand  - a contraption that allows you to place your umbrella in a bag and pull it out covered, ready to enter a building.  Be sure to utilize the bag stand before entering any of the venues you’ll visit. Umbrella bags maintain drier indoor environments by preventing water from dripping everywhere.  

bag stand (minus the bags)

 The other rainy day items are optional and also very common sense. They don’t hurt to have if fashion isn’t your number one priority! Although, the rainy day fashion can be pretty cute-at least on children!  

Cute korean children's rain gear
courtesy of gmarket.com

2.  Raincoat! You can remove it once you enter the store or work place! This is a great addition to an umbrella. With winds blowing the rain east and west, to and fro you’re bound to get soaked without one.  

3.  Rain boots! Puddles to your mid-calf? Rain boots to the rescue. There are lots of trendy colors and styles, too!  Just look at how T-ara wears them!

kpop group, T-ara sporting their trendy rain boots.
en.korea.com (2010)

Now, let’s go! 5 things to do on a rainy day in Korea. 

1.  Lotte World! Lotte World is the world’s largest indoor theme park located in the Jamsil (east side) region of Seoul.  On a rainy day could you find anything better to do than go for spin on the indoor ice rink or a roller coaster ride through the indoor park?  Lotte World is open year around and is home to museums such as the Folk Museum and delicious international cuisines. When it’s not raining you can enjoy its outdoor park themed “Magic Island” and on the gloomy wet days you can enjoy the indoor “Adventure” park.  You can access Lotte World from Line 2 and 8 of the subway system. 

www.destination360.com

2.  Jimjilbang/Sauna! (찜질방/사우나) Aren’t you trying to escape the wet humidity?  Going to a sauna or jimjilbang may defeat the purpose of staying dry-at least you’ll be out of the acid rain and wind!  At a bathhouse you can enjoy a warm shower, a nice sweat in a hot room, a chill in a cold room and partake in the singing or game rooms with friends. Not to mention there’s always some refreshing shikhye (rice drink) or maeshil (plum drink) commonly sipped on in a Korean sauna.  You can also enjoy some ramyon (라면) and boiled eggs with your friends. You can find a bathhouse in any town in Korea, but the biggest ones are in Seoul. My favorite sauna is Siloam at Seoul Station Line 1.  The most famous sauna is Dragon Hill Spa at Yongsan Station off of Line 1 or Line 4. It's large and beautiful with many facilities! You can check out my post on jimjilbangs and saunas answering a few questions for first-timers here.

3.  Noraebang (노래방- translated -> singing room) Noraebangs, private karaoke rooms to be enjoyed with friends or alone, are extremely popular in Korea! The noraebang experience is one of the most well-known pastimes almost all Koreans enjoy!  Once you’ve found a nice room filled with fun friends and luscious couches you’re sure to pass the rainy day and sometimes even the whole night away! In the room you will find a book full of songs to choose from.  Don’t worry there are even some English, Japanese and Chinese selections! You’ll grab a remote, follow the directions on the screen and enter your selections. Once you get the words up on the screen, take a microphone and start singing your heart away! You’ll be pretty famous among the locals if you find a kpop favorite of the year and try to learn that too! If anything, learn to dance to a song and you’ll be loved forever.  Many Koreans have good voices (they get enough practice in noreabangs!) but for those of us with subpar voices you’re likely to make a little fool of yourself! Even with a great voice there’s always a lot of crazy to go around inside the walls of a singing room. So don’t worry! Have fun!

4.  Fun at COEX Mall in Seoul! Korea is full of shopping malls from the sky scrapers such as Migliore (in Dongdaemun and Myeongdong shopping districts) or Shinsegae Department store to the large shopping centers acting as a one- stop shops for cosmetics, food, and designer fashion such as the I’Park Mall in Yongsan!  They’re all known for something different and will keep you busy on a bad weather day!  However, COEX, the largest underground shopping mall in all of Asia, is a “one-stop shop” for everything and more! If you’re traveling through Seoul, you’ll have to set aside a few hours (maybe even days) to fully partake in all of the available attractions. It is located in Gangnam at Samsung station (Green Line 2 of the subway). 

tripadvisor.com

COEX attractions:: 

a.     The Kimchi Field Museum- Here you’ll learn about Korea’s staple food item, kimchi. The museum contains several different exhibits that explain and display the history of kimchi as well as the process of kimchi making.

b.    COEX Aquarium- The only theme-based aquarium in Korea, the COEX Aquarium, holds several hundred species and approximately 40,000 fish swimming around the tanks! It’s a very beautiful sight to see.

c.    Megabox Cineplex Tired of all the walking and shopping?  Take a nice break and kick back for a movie at COEX’s Megabox Theater.

d.    International Cuisine- After sightseeing, shopping and a movie you're probably getting hungry!  The COEX food court is home to endless options such as Burger King and McDonalds or T.G.I Fridays and On The Border. Seafood lovers have the option of dining at Todai Restaurant while others with more specific tastes can choose from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines. Already eaten and want something a little lighter? Options such as Pascucci, Coffee Bean, and Dunkin Donuts are just a few of the coffee shops you can enjoy.

5.   Museums- This may be the last resort for some, but if you’re in Korea to learn about the culture and its history, visiting a museum or two will be very informative!  There are several museums throughout the major cities of Korea – each with a different focus.  I would suggest visiting the largest museum in Korea, the National Museum of Korea, a museum of art and history located in the Yongsan region of Seoul. There are six exhibition galleries as well as special exhibition halls and a children’s museum. After the rains let up move outside to enjoy the interesting sculptures and outdoor exhibits. Admission? Free!  A  day of culture, history, and sightseeing for free! Sign me up!

If you’re looking for something a little softer on the eyes head over to N Seoul Tower for the Teddy Bear Museum!  Although this museum will cost a couple of won, it is a unique way to see Seoul’s past, present, and future creatively exhibited with cute little teddy bears adorned in Korea's traditional wear! 

www.visitkorea.co.kr

I hope this gives you a bigger taste of Korea and a few ideas of things you can do on a typhoon-errific kind of a day!  Now go frolic in some puddles!