Bittersweet happiness!

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. I dreamed I was in Korea with old friends during a teacher training workshop session.  We were laughing with [no, not at] our leaders and teachers and then we frolicked through a maze-like field of tall grasses and beautiful flowers. I have no recollection of our exact location. In fact, it could have been in the middle of nowhere or a place that I created in my imagination. All I know, it created within me a nostalgic and happy bittersweet feeling.  As far as I know now, I will not be returning to the motherland for at least one more year if not many more!  There is peace knowing that I have the most wonderful opportunity to move forward with my goals and plans for the future  as well as time to invest in amazing new friendships here in America.  This year has been a growth-filled year watching friends get married, meeting new people, and re evaluating where I plan to go next.  I will try my best to think about Korea and write about Korea related things near my "community" at least until I promised-the end of the year.  Don't forget the state I live in equals 3 South Koreas in one and I live about one South Korea away from Korea town in LA! Not particularly small, now is it?

Speaking of nostalgia, I also opened up an old blog post from another mostly non-Korea related blog I attempted to keep earlier in the year and saw this pic:

Korea, you're in my heart!

Reminded me of all the adorable children in my life.  As challenging as it is to work with children at times, they are such joys and blessings.  I love kids!  You don't even have to see this kid's face to think he's adorable. Just look at how he carries himself and walks with that confidence. aww: )

A tea lovers omijacha tea house journeys

This week I awoke with an intense tea-craving for which I have not yet fulfilled!  I was in Trader Joes, a health foods store here in America, with my mom and walked by the tea section. I saw a box of pomegranate white tea! It looked delicious, but right now I'm on a no caffeine kick. Although I now know it has less caffeine than natural green tea, I'm trying to hold strong to the no caffeine.  Pomegranate is delicious and white tea is loaded with antioxidants, all the good stuff that helps you fight off illness and bad things in your body! The combination is difficult to beat. Pick some up if you have the chance.

The color of pomegranate white tea reminded me of one of my favorite Korean teas: omijacha.  It literally means five-flavored tea and is supposed to satisfy the five distinct tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent).  This tea, often slightly bitter to first time tea drinkers, is made of a berry from the schisandra chinensis vine originating from China and is used in herbal medicine. The red berries have healing properties that can open up the airways of asthmatic individuals or soothe the raspiest cough. They're also known for keeping the liver healthy and helping digestion among other properties.  Don't take my complete word for it! You'll have to try it yourself!  No one individual reacts the same way. If it doesn't work for you, just enjoy knowing you're filling your body with something tasty and healthy! I'm down for a cup of omijacha any day.

With the thought of omijacha comes the flooding memories of my first experience drinking it  at a cultural village in a tea house in South Korea.  I remember traveling with a group of new friends in 2008 in the Joellanamdo province. After a day of touring the cultural site, learning about pottery, and creating some traditional Korean crafts, we sat down for a refreshing cup of tea. I had no idea what to expect and was a little afraid the tea house would be too formal for my tastes. However, the ambiance and oriental feel of the tea house were both comfortable and relaxing. We had the option of sitting at a table or in a room with special mats. We had a large group of individuals and therefore sat at the table with benches. It did not necessarily retract from the tea house ambiance as we had cute little tea cups. Personally speaking, and many others would agree, the environment and ambiance are a huge part of the experience!
Once I was settled, I browsed the menu. Because it was my first time ordering tea in Korea, I chose something that sounded flavorful and looked pretty. Of course I don't judge a book by it's cover or a person by his looks! I just have a peculiar interest and obsession with the presentation of food and beverage. Presentation is half the taste. If it looks good, it should taste [at least a little] good! All that to say I chose the iced omijacha to soothe my soul and cool down on a day of humid delight. How was it? Delightful! A little sweet, bitter, pungent, sour, and salty! Well, honestly speaking I couldn't make out all of the flavors. If you sip it slowly you may just sample them all!
You could say my first, and definitely not my last, tea experience was amazing!  It didn't hurt to be in the presence of some fun friends. I knew I loved tea. However, this experience developed a long-lasting relationship and devotion to Korean tea houses not to mention omijacha.  Ultimately, the omijacha sampling experience sent my taste buds into a heightened sense of happy joy and me on a journey to sampling omijacha at as many venues and in as many forms as possible. I even purchased those tasteless instant packages from the Lotte supermarket more than once!

my first cup of omijacha on a very hot day
pure bliss:)

This brings me to a final significant memory of drinking omijacha with a special friend!
Two years after my first experience, a Japanese friend came to visit me in South Korea.  It was February '10, the dead of winter-one of the coldest winters Korea experienced in a long while!  After a freezing day trip to Nami Island, a beautiful island in the Gangwando province, known to be a great place for lovers and the site of the drama filming, "Winter Sonata" we found our way back to Seoul.  A warm tea house and a hot cup of tea were the only things that made sense!. We found our way into a special tea house hidden away up a flight of stairs in Insadong. Insadong is a more traditional part of Seoul packed with tourists looking for the ultimate Korean experience.  Although seemingly quaint and small from the outside, the room was well lit and very comfortable. It had the perfect mix of traditional and modern tea-house styles.  I happily ordered my omijacha. Without question, my friend and I ordered it hot on that frigid day.  Another cup of pure bliss to satisfy the senses.  For non omijacha drinkers, there are many other options such as yujacha (citrus), insamcha, (ginger), oksusucha (corn), etc. Be adventurous and dive into the selection of other traditional and herbal teas!

a much needed hot cup of omijacha

By now you've realized I love omijacha and tea houses!

For more information on tea drinking spots you can read an article at http://mattbites.com about a few tea houses in Seoul including one similar to the one my friend and I visited in Insadong. Matt is passionate about food and knows how to make it look good, too!  He and his partner were traveling in Korea and happened to explore a little bit of the tea scene in Seoul. Check out their take on tea in Seoul!

What is your favorite tea and where are your favorite tea houses?
Happy tea drinking my fellow tea lovers!

McDonald's: A sweet treat or trick?

I was Skyping with a friend in Taiwan. She showed me this nifty little treat card from McDonald's in her country. I've already come to the conclusion as I think many others have, that fast food for some odd reason tastes better in other countries (other than the US). It could be A) you miss your home countries "delicacies" and cuisines so much that any fast food often tastes delicious abroad. B) they sincerely put more effort into creating quality food [in Japan and Korea the food actually looks like the picture. Perfect. No joke.] and or C) they just have plain awesome things on their menu like bulgogi burgers in Korea.

Back to the treat card. The sweet card only increases my confidence in marketing and McDonald's options abroad.  The card, in one single purchase for the equivalent of one US dollar gets you free goodies and treats all summer long.  Here's how it works [see pic]: Buy any one item in the blue section and receive any one item for free in the bottom pink section.  There is no time window during the day and no limit to the use (as far as I was told.  I would guess that it may limit to one per day at each location.)  

Sounds like this McDonald's is out to super-size it's country or at least up its profits and increase number of consumers.  I was amazed by this little card, but it really does do the trick.  My friend is a testament to the marketing. She has significantly increased the amount of times she frequents the nearby McDonald's in her neighborhood.  I haven't worked up the nerve to ask if she has gained any weight, though.  

As for American McDonald's, they may or may not have changed their menu.  However, they're currently getting makeovers and serious face lifts.  McDonald's in the US is going for the Starbucks-esque feel.  Keep the customers for longer periods of time and therefore potentially increase their food intake. Also, by creating the comfortable environment people are more willing to want to take advantage of McD's as a hang out location.  Sorry kids, Ronald no more.  Again, in many other countries, McDonald's is like the Starbucks. Students up all hours of the night studying or enjoying a few laughs with friends. Let's see what the US can pull off.

so....why not jump on the bandwagon and feed the marketer's egos, giving your local golden arches some business! Take advantage of your nearest McDonald's and enjoy something tasty today! 

Happy fast food eating!    

"Korea block" and floods

Writer's block? The inability to produce new work or think creatively. You may lose your thoughts, you may lose the ability to think and the words you need to say, they may just not come to you easily. Well, I feel like I am at a loss for words and therefore thinking I may have a "Korea block."  Korea is not far from my mind. In fact, it is really close. however, I'm far from anything Korean whether it be food, culture, education or Korean people themselves.  I have to promise myself that from today this "block" or distance will not block me from creatively thinking about ways to portray Korea from my little shigol town.

I've been keeping up with the flood stories.  Really sad to see how damaging the monsoon rains are this year. In one month alone Korea reached its average full year's worth of rainfall! Can you believe it?  A mudslide also took several individuals' lives in Seoul.  College students on a trip doing volunteer service in Chuncheon were also affected by the heavy rains that set off mudslides. Tragic mother nature taking over!

Keeping Korea in thought and prayer.  Travelers need to keep busy and avoid driving in the rain as much as possible.  Here are 5 things you can do on a rainy in Korea.  Although the post is targeting those enduring the typhoon -ish weather it most certainly does not address how to fight the floods.  Maybe you have some suggestions? This weather definitely calls for  thigh high rain boots!!!

Check out some of the popular youtube videos floating around.  (Literally everything is floating around!)  Be safe everyone!

Exiting the subway: You could always be like the individuals seen here.  Standby and be amazed!

In the subway station and around town:

Dramatic video of the slides and rescue efforts:

Collection: Canned beverages in Korea

Here is the start to a collection of photos of can drinks.  Korea is full of fun delicious canned beverages. Just find the nearest vending machine at the train, subway, or bus stations or venture through some alleys or markets. Find a machine, plop some small won coins in, and select your choice of various tasty drinks. Here are few pics I could find.  There are more creative can designs out there, but the small cans are really cute and the perfect size to quench a thirst on a very humid warm summer day.

Aloe juice                          Pomegranate juice                     Plum drink

*NOTE: The bottom row contains some of my favorite juice/health drinks: aloe, pomegranate, and plum. They're all tasty in their own way and have lots of health benefits.  They're in order of increasing sweetness.  The aloe doesn't have much of a flavor other than something very unique. Most foreigners will probably make a face gulping down their first can.  You'll have to try it yourself.  I love anything all things pomegranate (from my soap and body spray to lip gloss) so I need not say much more other than I am biased and like it.  Maeshil (plum) is probably the sweetest of the three in my opinion.  I wasn't sure of this beverage the first time I sampled it. However, upon finishing my first glass of maeshil, I was very satisfied and ready for more.  Be careful not to drink too much and risk a stomach ache.

Cool things happening at the "local" Korean Culture Center in LA

Kimchi Chronicles showing of episode 2

No, I am not in LA right now, but I would like to promote the Kimchi Chronicles. If you are in the area go catch a sneak peak of the 2nd and 3rd episodes in a 13 episode series to air on PBS about Korean culture and food! Made in high definition with some meaningful fun clips.

Day:  Thursday, July 14
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Where: Korean Culture Center LA

Moon Tides: The Women Divers of Jeju Island.


Attend this book session and meet the photojournalist/author Brenda Paik Sunsoo.  She will be presenting images and stories from Moon Tides. The haenyo or women of Jeju search the seas to harvest seaweed, shells, urchins, abalone among other things.  They dive deep into the waters holding their breaths for long periods of time to complete their task and work well into their 80s. Yeah, those ahjummas and halmonis are tough. Don't think about crossing them for a minute.

Peggy Myo Young Choi will also be a guest dance performer. You won't want to miss it.  Check out all the details and find out how to make reservations here.  You won't want to miss it.

Quick details:
Day: Friday, July 15, 2011
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Korean Culture Center LA, 3rd Floor Ari Hall.

Collection: Sulwhasoo cosmetic product

While in Korea, I received this cute sample set of Sulwhasoo products from a kind woman that I met through her daughter. They are an 'oriental' cosmetic clarifying water and cream products that are widely used in Korea among a slightly older (possibly middle age) generation.  People that sell and use this product claim that it makes you look 10 years younger. As for me, I tend to have the opposite problem and would prefer to look about 5 to 10 years older. However, this product did make my skin very smooth and clear. 

I thought these bottles were adorable.  The full-sized bottles are even nicer.  They also have the oriental or scent of products and medicines used in the past.  You can still visit oriental medicine doctors or shops and take in a bit of this smell. I believe Sulwhasoo products are made of some natural more medicinal herbs - hence the more medicinal scent. 

full set
photo courtesy of google

Anyways, I was cleaning out the junk in my closet and life and wanted to remember these sweet products or at least the people that gifted them to me. Little things that I hold onto, I must let go... but the memory of them shall not be lost. 

I might start a collection of containers or pictures of containers  or anything I find cute, happy, or even inspiring.  I'm really weird for liking shopping bags, cosmetic containers, pop cans, and all things with a flare of foreign or art in them more for the wrapping than the item itself. I usually try to maintain a frugal lifestyle but enjoy eye-shopping for all such products and people watching those that purchase them.  Maybe it's because I love aesthetically pleasing and pretty things?