한국 음식

Today's post is about our adventure with Korean food. First as a disclaimer, we really haven't been all that adventurous yet. Baby steps! Almost all of our excursions into Korean cuisine have been accompanied by a guide who could read, speak and understand Korean. Neither one of us is brave enough to order without assistance. Consider it training wheels. Those of you who know Fred know he will try almost anything. His resistance is due to the fact that food here tends to be very spicy. A Korean friend told us that Daegu is known for its spicy food...well, and fried chicken! My fear comes more from concern about what I might be eating than how spicy it might be. I don't like to eat food that resembles the creature from which it came. In other words, I don't like body parts to look like body parts! I especially don't like eyes to be looking up at me from my dinner plate. So maybe this will be the first part of a two part post. Maybe I will update you on our experiences with Korean food again toward the end of our mission. Of course that is making an assumption that we will get a little braver as time goes on.


Korean King meal.
 

A young Korean friend  took us to a very traditional restaurant. We sat on cushions on the floor. You do not order from a menu. They just bring the same food for everyone, with one exception. People of honor (in our case old people) receive a special main dish. The meal begins with lots of appetizers/side dishes. I mean LOTS. The small serving dishes you see are for everyone to share. If you empty one they will bring another with the same amount. The dishes included dried fish, anchovies, kimchi and more. Our special main dish was rice porridge, which had no flavor whatsoever. Oh to be a kid again!

Sister missionaries at Ashley's Buffet.

Beef and Leaf

We took these two missionaries to lunch at the place of their choice. The Korean sister picked her favorite, an American food buffet. It was a very nice place but I think promoting it as an American food buffet is false advertising. I didn't recognize most of the food. The sweet Korean sister put away about 4 full plates of food. She loved it, until she accidentally got something that was super hot. You should have seen her eyes roll back as she frantically waved her hand in front of her mouth. I am so glad we didn't try that dish. If it was that hot for her, we would have cried.  She was fine after downing a few glasses of soda.



This was a very nice downtown restaurant, a Korean barbeque. The Americans have nicknamed these kinds of restaurants beef and leaf. This is also a buffet, except you fill your plates with raw meats, greens and other veggies. You cook your own meat on a small stove in the center of your table. You grill the meat and any veggies you want to include.  When they are done you wrap them in a green leaf (lettuce or mint), spread bean paste on it and dip it in a sauce. They also have rice, bread and some fruit. It's all you can eat and boy did those missionaries eat.


Zone conference! (This is held every six weeks when we meet with missionaries in our area for training) I knew for sure we were in Korea when we were served a delicious meal of bulgogi, kimchi and rice for our lunch. Bulgogi is thin sliced meat, usually beef or pork. It is marinated in pear juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, diced green onions and sesame oil. Then it is grilled. Kimchi is simply raw vegetables (most often cabbage) soaked in salt water and seasoned with spices before fermenting. It is usually served cold. I have tried it several times and like it, though it can be a bit spicy.


Saturday evening was so beautiful and cool. We decided to go for a walk down town. We also decided to bravely order our own dinner from a real Korean restaurant. In a narrow alley behind our apartment complex are several very small places to eat or to order food. So at the end of our walk, we decided to get some take-out close to home. We bravely ordered.... fried chicken. Sorry for the let down. It was quite an experience even then. In fact it was pretty comical. We couldn't read the menu, there were no pictures, the cook didn't speak English and as you know our Korean is less than limited. Finally an English speaking Korean customer came to our rescue. Fifteen minutes later we left with our box of fried chicken and a side of pickled radish.

This is a picture of  a common menu board you see outside restaurants.
Next time we will find a place where we can just point! Baby steps!!

"Home is the nicest word there is.”

I love this Laura Ingalls Wilder quote. Today I have home on my mind. Homes of the past and present. Home means so many things, the least of which have anything to do with the house itself. Home is memories, familiarity, safety and more. I love our home in Montana. Over the last six years we temporarily lived elsewhere three times. Each time I wondered how much I would miss my home. The first two times we lived in Colorado. I don't recall missing my home much, if at all. Living here is different. I do miss my home a little. But I also know that a few personal touches help to make a living space a home. Then over time you have experiences and create memories and the house becomes home, even if its temporary. I have been known to say, "Where ever you live. What ever you live in. You have an obligation to make your house a home." I know, I know.... its not necessary to use quotation marks to quote yourself. But really now, who else is going to quote me! Besides it just looks more profound in quotation marks.
We've added a few personal touches to this apartment. We came with two suitcases each and that's what we go home with, so we can't get too carried away with personal touches. More importantly we have had experiences that will become fond memories. So, though I miss our Montana home some days, I can enjoy a sense of home right here in Daegu for now.  Ready for a virtual tour of our home in Korea? I couldn't really get in position to take very good pictures, but hopefully this will give you an idea.


When you get off the elevator, you  see
 our front door. One of the two  apartments
 on this landing. The heart wreath was a surprise
 from two sweet sister missionaries.

The guest bedroom. The curtains cover
the glass wall/sliding door out onto one of
three "ante" rooms.

The little kitchen that could!
I have cooked about 30 meals for others
 here, as of today! Learning to cook in Celsius
 ovens  has been interesting.

























This "ante" room runs the length of the
apartment bordering the guest room, our
bedroom and the living room. At the far end is a
 garden room We can open up the wall
in the living room and make it much bigger.



















 

The room off the kitchen. It has a washer, a clothes drying rack which raises and lowers with a remote control and an extra oven. It also has two refrigerated kimchee drawers which we use for produce.

***mystery device????














Our office. 2 desks & glass wall/sliding
door to a room with an extra fridge & freezer.
 The fridge full of soft drinks for visitors.


 





Looking through the living room into
the kitchen/dining area. You can see
 another glass wall/sliding door. It also leads
to an  "ante" room. Note the wallpaper-
all the rage here.















Our bedroom. To the left is a glass
 wall/window that looks out onto our small
 indoor garden. To the right is a walk
through closet/dressing room then a bath.




 









That's it.  A glimpse into our home away from home. We express our gratitude every day for the favorable circumstances we have been provided. For the next 16 months we will have experiences that will create the memories of a life time!

***the mystery device is a foot pedal that operates the kitchen faucet. No kidding. I just press down with my foot and the water pours out. I love it! I want to take it home!









Sanctuary

 Fred took us on another amazing adventure Monday. We finished our morning "chores" and had a full day without any specific assignments. So with some free time, and a desire to see more of this amazing place -he got out a map of Daegu, found Apsan Park, and said let's go! So off we went.
Side note: Fred is an amazing navigator. He can look at a map and know exactly which way to go. Believe me that's not easy here. I am very grateful he is willing to drive because I have made a solemn vow never to drive in Korea. For our safety and those of everyone on the road! Besides that, its really hard to drive with your eyes closed- which is what I do when the traffic gets scary.


Pressured air house to blow the sand
off your shoes . Brilliant!

Oh how I loved this adventure. We found a beautiful forested park, an oasis in the middle of this huge city. It was a bit of a hike, but well worth the effort. A small part of the path was rock, the rest was well groomed dirt. I loved the smell of pine and the crunch of mountain soil under my feet. I loved the chirping birds and the canopy of green above. It was a sanctuary to me. Something about this beautiful environment is restorative, calming and invigorating all at the same time.  After a hike of about a mile, we came to a cable car station. For 8,000 won each ($8) we could ride even farther up the mountain. The panoramic view was breath taking. The stark difference between the city and the park was obvious. The feeling of being in a sanctuary was magnified even more. We spent about thirty minutes up top before riding the cable car back down. As we hiked down to our car, I felt such a sense of gratitude. Being close to God's creations in their natural state draws me closer to the Creator.

Even the outhouse had an
Asian flare.

I have been thinking about our need for sanctuary, an escape from the sometimes chaotic world around us. We crave relief from the constant noise and intrusion. We can find sanctuary in beautiful natural environments, in our churches or other places of worship. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we often find sanctuary in our temples. Yet, sometimes it is not possible to retreat to such places. So we need to make our homes sanctuaries. Places of respite. Places of love, peace, service and devotion to God. Making our home a sanctuary can bless our lives, and we can share that peace as we invite others in.










The Great Imposter

During our first few days here we noticed red swastikas in windows or on signs during our morning walks. We found it a curiosity and also a little unsettling. So a couple of weeks ago we asked our friends in our Korean class if they knew what that was about. They explained it was a symbol used by Buddhists. I had somehow missed that bit of history, but it certainly peaked my interest. So I did a little Internet search to see what I could find. I read several entries and they were all very similar. I have cut and pasted a little of the entry from Wikipedia below.
 The swastika 卐… dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Mediterranean Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world including China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal and Southern Europe. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism… The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika…  The swastika literally means "to be good". Or another translation can be made… "being with higher self".



I was amazed. I had no idea that the swastika had originally represented something of beauty. Something desirable. Then later we came across this beautiful Buddhist temple as we were walking to the market.  There on its fence was a red swastika. I suddenly looked at this symbol with a different perspective.

How could something beautiful and spiritual become the icon for the vilest of human atrocities? The answer lies in a fundamental truth, Evil is the Great Imposter! Had Hitler created a flag with images of emaciated Jews or the horrors of the gas chambers, no right minded person would have followed him. So he did what evil always does. He took something of worth and twisted it. He took a symbol of goodness and rotated it slightly then led his armies to unthinkable acts of genocide.  Oh how we must watch and avoid this Great Imposter. Evil comes in subtleties. It snares those who are not watchful and careful by twisting truth and goodness until many people are fooled. Until they have become so focused on the fraudulent version they can no longer recognize the goodness in the  authentic version.  Evil thrives in darkness, it can not bear the light of truth. Darkness and light can not co-exist. They can not be in the same place at the same time, for the light always casts out the darkness. Our safety is found in the light. Some people call it our conscience. It is the light of Christ. A gift given to all of God's children. When the light of Christ opens our understanding, evil retreats. Let us all turn to the light of Christ. Let us cast out that Great Imposter.


The world needs us to stand up for truth and to bravely shine its light on those who promote evil.  Let's reclaim our symbols of good. Let's honor truth, cherish our families, nourish charity, in short let us follow Christ.





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Seoman Market

 

Here's another Korean adventure to document. Monday we walked more than three miles to a traditional Korean market. I have been in traditional markets in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Johannesburg, South Africa; Maputo, Mozambique; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have also enjoyed outdoor markets in several areas of our own country. I was really looking forward to this adventure. I put on my hiking shoes and grabbed my 50,000 won (approximately $50) and we hit the bricks. It must have been 90 degrees with 90% humidity, maybe not the best time to start this little trek.

Nothing I had experienced before prepared me for this. The pictures don't even tell the story. This is a real, honest to goodness, Korean market. I didn't see many people that looked like tourists. Just lots AND lots of Koreans with their bags and small carts doing real life shopping. Narrow streets and alleyways filled with tables and shelves which were stacked with food, clothing, accessories and... well everything you can think of. Every direction we turned there was another alley or another doorway leading to more shops or street side vendors. I couldn't look around very much because I was afraid I would run into someone if I didn't keep my eyes focused directly in front of me. It seemed like a population equivalent to the whole state of Montana had decided to go to market on Monday.

So here's a little secret about me. I get claustrophobic. Heat and humidity trigger that closed in feeling. Crowds also kick that nasty little phobia into gear. Then if you add piles and piles of merchandise you have the trifecta of anxiety. Sadly I really didn't give the market a chance before I was practically dragging Elder Fairhurst out of there.

 I know it's silly. So I will try again. I will take a deep breath. I will go on a cooler day, at a less busy time, with one of our friends who speak Korean. I will buy something at a traditional Korean market. It probably won't be the cooked intestines or the squid. But I will buy something.

Amazing Mission Math

Some things just don't add up when you are serving a full time mission. We discovered this during our first mission, and it has proven true again in Korea. Let me give you a few examples.

I don't like heat or humidity + I have never wanted to live in a big city or in a high rise apartment=

I love living here in Daegu.

 

OR:

extra utilities + additional housing costs + a higher cost of living =

putting more money in our savings each month

 

OR

days pass by slowly + some weeks drag by =

months fly by and 18 months seemingly evaporates

 

I confess that math is not my strongest skill. Okay, I stink at math. Still the two sides of the equations just don't balance. Why? I have my own theory. Our Heavenly Father evens the sides of the equation. As we serve him by serving his children, he makes our weaknesses strengths. He fills in where we just can't do it on our own. This isn't true on a mission only. This  is the foundational principle of Christianity. This is the great miracle of the Plan of Happiness. We can not do it alone. No, not ever. Our Savior atoned for our sins to empower us. Through and with him the equations all balance. Our lives are blessed. We are strengthened. We are forgiven. We are cleansed. He only asks that we follow him. That we serve others. That we repent when we fall short.

 

This glorious message is the reason we are here in Daegu. In the heat, the big city, spending our own money, missing our family. This is the reason we love Korea and the people here, that we are happy every morning, that we are excited and energized, that our family bonds are strengthened.

 

Although I may never fully understand this miracle, I have faith in it's promise. I gain strength from my belief Heavenly Father lives and loves us. I know that he sent Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, to pay our debt so we can return to him. By that same power, our Savior will strengthen us in all circumstances if we do our best to follow him. That is the Gospel, the "Good News"!
 

How do you say popcorn in Korean?

On Saturdays we participate in two language classes held at our church building. The first is a Korean class. The young missionaries teach American members of our branch basic Korean. We attend this class to try to increase our own Korean Skills. The missionaries do a great job of teaching. We learn a little each week, but basically our most useful phrases still are:

--"Hangook mal chogum bak-geh mot habneeedah. (Korean language little only can't do)

--"Chun-chunhee mal hae-jusaeyo". (Slowly speak do please.)

I love the Korean language. It is fascinating to me. I love the written alphabet. The symbols are attractive and mostly easy to use. It's really a case of  "the mind is willing..." but the hearing, tongue and memory are weak! Often after we have attended class I let my discouragement take over. I usually say I need to pray to see if Heavenly Father really wants me to learn Korean! Well, this last Saturday I took a big step forward. I didn't let myself get discouraged. I will continue to study and learn what I can. I will stumble my way through conversations using whatever Korean words I can. I want to demonstrate to those I meet my willingness to learn their language in their country. I hope it will be a show of respect to them. I have also noticed they laugh a lot when I talk, so if nothing else I am a source of entertainment.

The second class of the day is English. Missionaries throughout our entire mission offer English classes as a service to the Korean people. The classes are free. The classes may help them with college, with employment or just fulfill a desire to learn English. Each class also includes a short spiritual thought. We hope to introduce them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its message of peace and love. Elder Fairhurst and I really enjoy helping with the English class.

Last Saturday our lesson was on food. We gathered a few American foods we could share to help reinforce English words describing foods. It was a blast. We had mac & cheese, jerky, popcorn, chocolate cookies and other treats. We also had root beer and lemonade. We taught the words for the food and some polite words you would use at a meal. I think it was a huge success. The most popular foods were the macaroni and beef jerky. Not everyone liked the food, but they were all good sports. The funniest  comment came at the end of sampling lots of food, which included mostly junk food. In typical broken English, a young Korean man asked if we ate all of this at each meal. YIKES!!! Something got lost in the introduction where we tried to explain this was just a sampling of common American foods. We tried very hard to correct his misunderstanding. I am afraid he may still believe
Americans have chips, skittles and M&M's at every meal! By the way, the Korean word for popcorn is... popcorn. What else would it be?