The Seoul skyline from the top of Umyeon Mountain, behind Park Mi-Ran's house. The string of yellow lights marks the Han River (which divides Seoul into it's north and south districts). A little beyond that, the little vertical sliver of white light is Namsang Tower, Seoul's great phallic symbol, built on top of another mountain.Today was a wonderful day.
It started with sleeping in, then lounging about on the internet, then lounging to my local supermarket to pick out a nice wine to give to Park Mi-Ran as thanks.
Then, Park Mi-Ran met me at her subway stop (about 30 minutes from my place by subway), and we went grocery shopping to buy the ingredients for dinner: sweet potato noodles, finely sliced beef, fresh spinach and carrots and mushrooms, etc. Back to her place to cook dinner together and swoon over Brad Pitt (she was in the middle of watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button when she came to pick me up, so we finished watching it while making dinner).
First, we boiled water and dipped each spinach leaf in the water for a few seconds (just enough to soften it). The spinach was then squeezed dry and mixed with minced garlic.
Next, we chopped the carrots and onions and sauteed them with sesame oil and salt. Then, We thinly sliced the mushrooms and mixed them with the beef, then added salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tuna oil to the beef/mushroom bowl. Next: fry the beef/mushrooms.
Finally, we boiled the sweet potato noodles, then rinsed them with cold water. Everything was mixed together and dressed with more soy sauce for the final dish. Dinner was served with kimchi (obviously), chicken salad, beans and rice, and anchovies. I did not partake of the anchovies.
After dinner, a spot of watching America's Next Top Model with Park Mi-Ran's daughter, who is about to graduate from high school and attend industrial design school in the States. Then, off to night-hike Umyeon Mountain. We met up with her husband, who had just gotten back to the city after golfing in the suburbs all day, and they lent me a headlamp and a walking stick. Up, up, up. I was sweaty and exhausted by the top, but it was lovely, and so was the view. There was no one else on the mountain, so we got the peace and quiet all to ourselves. On the way down, there were Buddhist monks singing their evening prayers at Daesungsa temple, half-way up the mountain.
At the bottom: Seoul's version of a musical fountain, and nachos and beers with Park Mi-Ran and her husband. Discovered that Mi-Ran is a lightweight (courtesy of the title quote), and on the walk back to the subway station, shocked both of them by reading the names of buildings in Korean. Mi-Ran has proclaimed that after December, she will only speak Korean to me, and then proceeded to tell me how sincere I seem in my desire to both learn about Korea and teach English to the students.
That's all I can hope for, isn't it? My confidence is up. Am I doing well here?
My laundry machine just played me a song to let me know it was finished, so that's all for tonight. Love, peace, etc. to you all.
It started with sleeping in, then lounging about on the internet, then lounging to my local supermarket to pick out a nice wine to give to Park Mi-Ran as thanks.
Then, Park Mi-Ran met me at her subway stop (about 30 minutes from my place by subway), and we went grocery shopping to buy the ingredients for dinner: sweet potato noodles, finely sliced beef, fresh spinach and carrots and mushrooms, etc. Back to her place to cook dinner together and swoon over Brad Pitt (she was in the middle of watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button when she came to pick me up, so we finished watching it while making dinner).
First, we boiled water and dipped each spinach leaf in the water for a few seconds (just enough to soften it). The spinach was then squeezed dry and mixed with minced garlic.
Next, we chopped the carrots and onions and sauteed them with sesame oil and salt. Then, We thinly sliced the mushrooms and mixed them with the beef, then added salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tuna oil to the beef/mushroom bowl. Next: fry the beef/mushrooms.
Finally, we boiled the sweet potato noodles, then rinsed them with cold water. Everything was mixed together and dressed with more soy sauce for the final dish. Dinner was served with kimchi (obviously), chicken salad, beans and rice, and anchovies. I did not partake of the anchovies.
After dinner, a spot of watching America's Next Top Model with Park Mi-Ran's daughter, who is about to graduate from high school and attend industrial design school in the States. Then, off to night-hike Umyeon Mountain. We met up with her husband, who had just gotten back to the city after golfing in the suburbs all day, and they lent me a headlamp and a walking stick. Up, up, up. I was sweaty and exhausted by the top, but it was lovely, and so was the view. There was no one else on the mountain, so we got the peace and quiet all to ourselves. On the way down, there were Buddhist monks singing their evening prayers at Daesungsa temple, half-way up the mountain.
At the bottom: Seoul's version of a musical fountain, and nachos and beers with Park Mi-Ran and her husband. Discovered that Mi-Ran is a lightweight (courtesy of the title quote), and on the walk back to the subway station, shocked both of them by reading the names of buildings in Korean. Mi-Ran has proclaimed that after December, she will only speak Korean to me, and then proceeded to tell me how sincere I seem in my desire to both learn about Korea and teach English to the students.
That's all I can hope for, isn't it? My confidence is up. Am I doing well here?
My laundry machine just played me a song to let me know it was finished, so that's all for tonight. Love, peace, etc. to you all.
1 comment:
This post has made me so happy today. I'm gonna be sappy & say I love you and I'm really glad to hear that Korea is treating you well.
<3
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