The Chosun Ilbo Tip of the Day

Since the last couple of days have consisted of nothing more than cups of lemon-verbena tea and Benedryl for me and late nights at the office accompanied by a very unwanted Saturday at the office for RCP, we haven't been gallivanting around Seoul this weekend, as expected by probably everyone who reads this...We do have plans to go to Costco today, so stay tuned.

So instead of posting another outing to a restaurant in the neighborhood (we did have fantastic thin crust pizza last night) I thought I'd write about a great website I've discovered this morning called The Chosun Illbo, a news website kind of like CNN with all the goings-on in all of South Korea with the occasional story about something going on in North Korea. The site covers everything from national news, business and politics to arts and entertainment, sci-tech, travel and events. The articles are short and concise which makes it quick and easy reading so Dad, you might want to add this to your Bookmarks if you really want to keep up with us.

Perhaps the most informative portion of the site is the Tip of the Day. Since this was my first visit to the site I scrolled through quite a bit of Tip of the Day history and have posted my favorites and what I think are the most helpful tips below. I think I might include the daily tip to each day's posting, because who knows, you may be cooking smelly fish and need to get rid of the odor or you might need to know how to get rid of mold in soy sauce. Anything I can do to help. That, and the illustrations accompanying each tip are simply delightful.

The Chosun Ilbo's Tips of the Day (a sampling)

To get rid of mold in soy sauce, filter it through a used coffee filter.

To boost the flavor of a pineapple, store it upside down.
 

To prevent mold growth in gochujang or Korean red pepper paste, put dried seaweed on top of it.

To get rid of the chemical odor from new furniture, wipe it with soju.

To get rid of odor in shoes, put crumpled newspaper inside them.

To eliminate underarm odor, rub the area with a cloth soaked with vinegar water.

To use up expired milk, shine the floor with it.

To relieve sore throat, eat radish soaked in honey.

To avoid hurting your hand when hammering a nail, use chopsticks to hold the nail.

To swallow fish bones that get stuck in the throat, gargle with vinegar water two or three times.

O'Taco, we love you!

When you're 7,000 miles (or 11,000 kilometers) away from home and the comfort of Mexican food, it's incredibly exciting when across the street from your apartment is a tiny one room establishment called O'Taco.

Yes. Mexican food. In South Korea. Across the street. You're wondering what South Korean Mexican food must be like? By the standards of a Texan, it was delicious and authentic! The real kicker? The margaritas were on sale.

The menu was quite extensive but we went for basic. RCP had a chicken burrito, I had a chicken quesadilla, we shared a bowl of tortilla soup and we splurged on two margaritas, a beer and a Coke. Everything about it was authentic: the presentation, the flavors, the assembly of ingredients. In Korea, when a dish is ready they bring it out and you're supposed to start eating, not waiting for everyone else. So first came the burrito, then the quesadilla, then the soup, THEN the margaritas. The margaritas were cocktail size, by Texas standards, and somewhat of a cocktail consistency, but the flavor was there. The only thing missing was the bottomless baskets of chips and salsa. But that's okay, too many calories anyway.

I also need to find out where they get they're sour creme, because I brought from home a couple packets of that Hidden Valley Ranch powder that you mix with sour creme to make vegetable dip. I just haven't been able to find the sour creme.

(Sandi Appelt, this post is for you.)

They have take-out AND delivery!?

When I get a phone I will be able to experience these two services.

Looks authentic from the pictures!

Margarita Sale! $4.00 of savings.

Heaven...

and a little healthier when chips are used only as a garnish.
 

4 Slices of Heaven...

and as good as any quesadilla I've had back home.

Tortilla soup...

almost as good as mine.

Always practice your Korean!

Even when you know it says Coca Cola.

The Deal-Master always procures a punch card for discounts.

Inspiration from the Couch

I've been under the weather and on the couch for the last two days, probably a result of either over exposure to nature on Mt. Namsan (see previous post) or a virus from the airplane, contracted during my 24 hour odyssey to get here. As a result, I discovered these wonderfully inspirational videos by independent film maker Rick Mereki. They so beautifully show the art of travel and living abroad.

I should be feeling up to par tomorrow and will be back out in the field. In the mean time, be inspired!
Move, Eat and Learn!

 

 MOVE by Rick Mereki

 

EAT by Rick Mereki

 LEARN by Rick Mereki

The Heart of Seoul

If you stand on our balcony off of our living room and look right, you'll see two landmarks nestled in the near distance on Mt. Namsan: the Grand Hyatt and N Seoul Tower. The operative word is near.

I had planned on a simple day of exploring our immediate area of Hannam and the very close, very Western area of Itaewon. However, these two beacons up on the mountain have been calling my name ever since I arrived. "Come see us before you see anything else in Seoul!" "We're not that far!" "I'm the symbol of Seoul, see me first!"  So I heeded the calls, opened up my map, circled our house, made sure my address was in my wallet in the event of a wrong turn and needing to tell a cab driver where I live and I was off. Couldn't be more than half an hour walk, right?

 View from balcony.

Should be a cake walk.

Note to reader: This is a one-sided view of Namsan Mountain, literally. I only went up the south side. When RCP has time to do some hiking, we will re-visit and provide more details as there is a significant amount of history associated with the mountain along with temples and ruins that are nestled on some part of it. I figured it best to stay on the main road on this inaugural excursion.

Two hours later, I still wasn't at my point of interest. Not because I tend to be directionally challenged. Actually, my Seoul tourist map and I are getting along quite well. Mt. Namsan is just a tad taller than I thought.  I ended up just kind of happening upon the park, after taking a right off of a main road, when I realized I was headed for one of the tunnels that goes through the mountain and is closed to pedestrians. After wandering up (literally on a 90 degree incline) and through a neighborhood,  I came to what looked like lots of government maintained flora and fauna and crossed the street. Sure enough Namsan Park!

The park gives a wide patch of green to the downtown Seoul area and has several hiking trails leading to the 262-meter peak where N Seoul Tower is located. There are also several exercise areas, making the park very popular among Seoulites for early morning exercise. Gyms outside in the middle of a forest. Genius. Complete with those national park wooden markers pointing you in the direction of various sights and landmarks I found one labeled: "N Seoul Tower 850 meters".....Oh right, they use the metric system here....Is that far?

Forget joining a gym; Namsan park is free, has a path padded with rubber that accompanies the road up to the summit, has exercise areas for resistance training (also free), mineral water stations, wooden lounge chairs in the middle of the Pine Forest and the most gorgeous public restrooms ever encountered (that play classical music when you enter).  Equinox, LA Sports Club or anything of the like in the Western hemisphere? You've met your match.

Half-way there? Maybe.

Seoul Tower opened in 1975 as a radio and transmission tower.

It opened to the public in 1981 and in 2005 was renovated and renamed

N Seoul Tower, "N" meaning "New Look"

For the directionally challenged...

...and in English! What a treat.

I've found the Park, now I just have to find the Tower.

The foliage is so heavy, there are no sights or sounds 

of a city down below.

Nature's stair-master.

A public restroom one could live in.

The Pine Forest

There are 49,300 pine trees on Mt. Namsam, 

covering 17.7% of the forest.

 Enjoy nature's canopy.

"Safety equipment to be used in case of fire."

Always be prepared.

On a "photo island" at the South point.

.

All vehicle traffic stays to the right and hikers

get a nice strip of rubber lined road.

Mission accomplished.

Tower is MUCH further from home than expected.

The "Seoul Athletes Club"

Outside, next to the tower, like a tree house.

No kidding.

No monthly membership fee.

And this my friends, is Seoul!

See that big black rectangle in the second picture below? That's the Grand Hyatt....where I entered the park...and hiked from to get to the 360 degree view. The map was just a tad deceiving regarding distance between the two.

Inside the heart of Seoul

Seoulites must like to frequent their own tourist attractions.

Can't think of a better place to have a conversation.

For just $12.00 you can purchase a block of wood from the gift shop, 

write a message, and stick on the circular round center wall.

Waiting for RCP to make the hike with me then we'll leave our mark.

Love is in the air!

I haven't quite figured out the reason behind the abundant displays and symbols of love surrounding the outside deck, but it must be THE place in Seoul to profess you love to someone. Perhaps similar to the Empire State Building's role in numerous movies?

Keys to someone's heart? Locks of Love?

So many interpretations of this fence 

with hearts and locks attached to it.

Even trees of love.

 

Not only can one find love up on the mountain but apparently

the best best burger in town.

 

"There's a what?"

After this first excursion to the geographical center of Seoul my legs were a little tired but I was definitely full of new perspective and appreciation for the beauty of this city, that can't always be seen from the concrete jungle below. Love is definitely contagious up at that altitude and I can't wait to explore more of Seoul...a little closer to sea level.

 

Later on I learned two things from RCP: 

1. I had unknowingly wandered into the Chairman of Samsung's neighborhood...that explains the security.

2. There's a cable car all the way to the top. (!!!??!?!?!)

Dude, do you know there's a cable car?

We're not in Texas anymore.

I've been here for about a week and until two nights ago and had yet to try Korean BBQ.
Korean BBQ is one of those cuisines that has made it's way West and that we used to enjoy in NY when we wanted something super ethnic, completely out of the ordinary and an interactive dining experience. Needless to say, I've only had Korean BBQ twice in my life; one time at an over-priced, too-cool-for-school establishment in Soho (complete with male models as waiters) and the second at a slightly more authentic place in the heart of Koreatown. Here in Seoul, bbq restaurants are as abundant as McDonald's are at home.

For those of  you reading from Texas, Korean bbq resembles nothing of our state's signature dish. It's completely different, absolutely delicious and a meat lover's ideal meal. I consider myself a true meat lover and have always claimed steak as my all-time favorite food. I could probably eat it every day if I didn't know the health effects of eating too much red meat. Needless to say I was extremely excited about going out for Korean bbq.

What is Korean bbq?

Korean bbq, or gogi gui, refers to the Korean method of grilling beef, pork, chicken, or other types of meat. Such dishes are often prepared at the diner's table on gas or charcoal grills that are built into the center of the table itself. The most typical form of Korean bbq is galbi made from marinated beef short ribs. Korean bbq also includes many other kinds of marinated and non-marinated meat dishes, and "sides" such as bean sprouts and salad.

This particular bbq joint was about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, on a busy little side street, somewhat resembling the streets of the East Village back in NY. Sort of. The Korean dining culture and the culture in general is very social and group oriented. You never really see individuals dining alone so the atmosphere is full of long tables to accommodate for this very social activity. The diversity of the crowd was fantastic! Elderly women, couples, large groups of 20-something's, expats, all enjoying this fun and delicious cuisine. We might be here once a week.

Interior is somewhat similar to some Texas bbq joints with casual benches and simple wood tables.

The alien-like, retractable nozzles above the tables are for the suction of the smoke from the bbq.

You pull them down while cooking and push them up out of the way when done.

Very thoughtful, so you don't leave smelling TOO much like smoke.

 

RCP has been here one other time and smartly logged what he had into his Blackberry.

So we just showed the phone to our waiter to order.

 

 We have fire....

 

...beer and a grill. Just like Texas.

 The raw meat and all the fixin's. 

Sliced onion, bean sprouts, salad and dipping sauce.

The sauce is a soy sauce/vinegar like mixture that you dip the cooked meat in.

In Texas, bean sprouts wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near a plate of bbq.

No Texan would consume them together either.

Perhaps they should, as it might help counteract the effects of too much bbq

that some of us fall victim too.

Pork. Love pork.

After we had neatly placed the desired amount we wanted to grill, our waiter

came over and proceeded to lump them all together and grilled them the way

you saute, continuously moving them around with the tongs.

Beef. Love beef more than pork.

These were outrageously tender cuts of beef.

Koreans grill everything from cheap cuts to filet.

I prefer not to sweat and smell like smoke when enjoying a nice filet.