Gulf Oil Leak

I honestly think this oil spill in unbelievable. I have a few things that make me angry.

1. Who puts into place something that has the potential to damage the environment on a colossal scale with no proper safety measures in place??? I mean, honestly?? If you don't know how to fix a potential oil leak, then why are you drilling in the ocean in the first place? I think this should be a wake up call for the large drilling companies.

2. Who approved off-shore drilling with no proper safety precautions in place? Whoever signed the dotted line and allowed this company to drill in a healthy, well-established ecosystem should be held accountable for the damage thus far.

I personally think that this company should pay for all the clean-ups, plus fines, and possibly criminal charges. The buck is not more important than our world, people.

Check out the live footage of their latest attempt to stop this leak.. btw, I just want to point out that this is 5 1/2 weeks after it started to leak AND this method may make it worse......

Chicka-dee-dee-dee

I love going to the local conservation area on a nice day and feeding the chickadees. They're naturally friendly and will never say no to crushed walnuts!

Isn't he cute?

Kimbap

Korean sushi is good. At first taste, I thought it was pretty plain.. but it's actually very filling and good for you.

Regular kimbap is composed of seaweed, rice, and various vegetables: spinach, carrot, cooked egg, and picked radish. You can get other variations of it such as tuna.

It's also very cheap. Most places will sell you a roll for 1000 won. Because of this amazing price, I ended up eating it quite often :)

What blood type are you?

Prepare to be asked this when you meet people in Korea. Everyone here knows what their blood type is and will be very confused if you say you don't know. I mean, WHY DON'T YOU KNOW??

hehe. I had to call my Dr's office and find out.

There is still a little bit of superstition surrounding blood types. I believe the practice originated in Japan but it has a firm holding in Korea as well. It is believed that your blood type controls your personality to some extent.

For example: I am "A". Therefore I am a worrier. I also let little things get under my skin. The smallest slight is not forgotten for a long time. I am conscientious and get easily stressed. But, I am also artistic and creative. I am shy and seek harmony with others.. preferring to avoid confrontations.
Whether this is all true.. well.. ok, most of it fits really really well. But I'm not saying I believe it!
As for my husband, he is a "B". B's are relaxed and go with the flow. They like adventure and are often travelers. They are ruled by their impulses, love to solve problems, and are specialists in what they do.
This kinda fits too. Hmm..

So, what are you??

Who loves makeup?!

I do! :D

I just found this awesome online makeup store called "A Pop of Kawaii". AND, they're having a draw for 6 winners!! Who doesn't like being kawaii?!? :)

Check it out here!!

North America is so far behind..

well, technologically, anyway.
Honestly.
It's very annoying to look in the newspaper and see a combination washer/dryer for just under $5000. That is sooooo expensive. AND, it's not even new technology!!

I remember being shocked and amazed when I got my first apartment in Korea. I thought it was unbelievably amazing to have a combo machine.. until I realized that everyone had one.

I personally think that greed is the reason for our technology delay. The companies wish to bleed every penny from the older models before switching to a "newer" model. How sad!
I might not be correct in this thinking, but I can't think of any other reason to wait forever to release newer machines.

Oh, and don't even get me started on cellphones......

Happy Victoria Day!

I know I'm a few minutes late but I just got in.

Can you say "Happy Victoria Day!"? Is that something you say to people??

We bought a bunch of fireworks tonight with some friends. And a paper lantern. All legal. We even brought a bucket and shovel to bury them in to make sure they wouldn't tip over.

Well, the lantern caught fire soon after it took off. We were a little afraid that it would cause some damage. Why are those things legal???

The fireworks were going well until we got to a couple small cakes. The fuses were on the bottom so they couldn't be buried. Well, the first one tipped over and started shooting all over the place. So, we decided to try to bury the second one. That one tipped over too!!

Then the police showed up.

But we weren't doing anything bad, so all was well :)

All in all, a good night.

:)

Fishing

Today was such a beautiful day that my husband and I decided to go fishing. It's early in the season so we didn't expect to catch much. But, on the second cast we pulled in a largemouth bass! Being out of season, we had to throw it back, but I really really wish I could've kept it. They're super tasty :)

Looking forward to many more days spent fishing :)

A blast from the past - aicha aicha

I remember when I thought this video was the coolest thing ever :)

Yellow Smog

Those are mountains in the background.. yeah, behind the first one :)

A warning to all those who are new to Korea. Every spring brings yellow smog. Smog, you say? I can handle smog. Ah, but no. This is different.

I was getting ready to go to work a couple years ago in the spring when my husband called to warn me that it was a smog day. He told me to wear a good mask and only go outside to get to work.. no shopping, etc.
I had heard about this yellow cloud, but hadn't seen it for myself.

This cloud of smog travels over from China on the wind currents. As it travels, it picks up pollutants from cities and factories, dust from the desert, and grows it's own brand of bacteria along the way. People that carelessly breathe it in can develop respiratory problems. As I'm asthmatic, I thought the mask would be a good idea.

Fortunately, masks are considered a fashion item as well as a necessity in Korea. So if you don't want to look like you just escaped from a hospital, you can find a funny one to wear instead :)

An "aww" moment

Charlie is the cutest thing ever :)
Did you know that owning a dog lowers your blood pressure?

Jejudo - Honeymoon Central

If you have a weekend off and don't want to leave the country, then consider Jeju island as a place to visit.

Jejudo, "do" meaning "island", is a volcanic island located south of the mainland. It has a semi-tropical climate, so it's a lot warmer and more humid than the rest of Korea. At the centre of the island is Halla-san (mountain), a dormant volcano and also the highest peak in the entire country.

The Jeju people lived in relative isolation for many years, resulting in a unique culture and dialect. Even Koreans sometimes have a hard time understanding them! Women have traditionally been the heads of their families, passing on generations worth of knowledge to their daughters. The "sea women" of Jeju went diving in all seasons for the family's food and income, diving for abalone, shellfish, and various other sea life.

One thing you'll notice all over the island is the presence of "stone grandfathers". These carved men are dotted all over the island. Miniature grandfathers carved from volcanic rock can be purchased virtually anywhere for souveniers (I know.. I have several.. hehe) There are several theories as to the purpose of these statues, but no one knows their real origin. ooOOOoo.. I love a good mystery!

Jeju island is also famous for it's oranges. The jeju orange is a type of mandarin orange. They are very pricey, but make a nice gift for someone you wish to impress!

My husband and I went here for our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We took a tour that let us experience many things such as horseback riding, ATV'ing, a submarine ride, visiting orange and ginseng farms, visiting a few Jeju island history museums, a botanical garden, and much more. It was a fairly inexpensive way to see the whole island in a few days.

I highly suggest it!

Love is in the air

We were hiking up the mountain near Beomeosa when we found this :)

Perfect photo opportunity? Or really just a chance to catch my breath? hehe.

Green Tea Farms

If you have nothing to do on a beautiful, sunny day.. then I suggest taking a day trip to a green tea farm.
We went to Beoseong and it was absolutely wonderful. The farms are immaculate, with well manicured lawns, and winding tree paths. You can hike to the top of one of the hills to get a glimpse of the view.
Also, I would stock up on the tea, because I don't think I've ever tasted better! It has a really nice nutty flavour and keeps fresh for a long time. They sell both the tea packets and the loose leaves.

Ahh.. wish I was there right now :)

Go fly a kite!

My husband said that all Korean kids grow up with a kite in their hands. They can construct them, and then fly them all in the same day. Smart little guys. I remember making them in elementary school, but I don't remember any of them actually flying..

The other day my friends and I went kite flying. We were going to build out own, but ended up buying some cheap ones from the dollarstore.

I felt like a kid again :)

Keyless doors

When I asked for the keys to my first apartment, I was told that there weren't any.
Keyless locks are amazing for the simple fact that I never have to scramble for a key in a dark hallway.
You just slide the upper plate up, type in your four digit code, listen for the chime that means it's correct, wait for the tumblers to slide open, then tada! You're inside :)

One con: If you are home alone, you should deactivate the power. This way it'll act like a deadbolt, and no one can try to get in. I had a couple random "service" men try to get inside on a couple occasions. So to get around this, I would just turn it off.

Anyway, it's a good thing for those who hate juggling keys (like me!)

A cool treat on a hot day

If you're hot and you want a cool treat, head to the patbingsu vendors. You can usually find them by their big, colourful umbrellas and the sound of ice being shaved.

The original version is very simply composed of shaved ice and sweetened, red azuki beans (known as pat). Red beans are what makes it happen, according to a friend of mine.

However, if you're not into the ever-present red beans (I'm not crazy about them), then there are many other varieties to choose from now. You can get green tea or fruit bingsu. Coffee is also another alternative seeing as Koreans love all things coffee or mocha flavoured.

Take me out to the ballgame!

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm not much of a baseball fan. I've visited the Skydome (sorry, Roger's Centre) in Toronto a couple times for games, but I found it lacklustre at best. The fans were bored, the seats were empty, and the game was uninteresting. So when my husband asked me if I wanted to go to a baseball game, I declined...
...
I got a look. It was a look of pure shock and horror that I would ever say no to such a thing. In fact, I got the exact same look from his brother when he repeated my answer to him. So my curiosity was peaked ever so slightly. Was this just because they are die-hard fans? Or am I missing something??

Well, to make a long story short, I agreed to go. We were armed with umbrellas to protect our delicate faces, whole roast chickens from a street vendor, and 1000 won kimbap rolls. We were ready. Except we weren't. We didn't have newspapers.

I was confused.

They were adamant about the newspapers. We had to search high and low for them. I suggested playing a Korean game instead of reading newspapers. This was rejected.
So, we got the newspapers and headed into the stadium. It filled up FAST. By the time the game was about to start, the place was packed. There wasn't even any standing room anymore. I was starting to feel excited.

So the newspapers: they shredded them and made pom-poms! And everyone had one :)

The game started and it was one of the best times I had in Korea. Everyone was dancing, shaking their pom-poms, and sing one of about 20 different songs and chants. It was FUN!

Most random part of the day: When the stadium staff handed out orange garbage bags, everyone immediately inflated them and put them on their heads. I'm not lying. It was the strangest thing ever. Suddenly I was in a sea of orange bags :)

I highly recommend going to a Giant's game in Busan. I've heard that it's not quite the same in the other cities. Let me know if it's just as good!

Galbi - Korean BBQ at it's best

I'm absolutely addicted to samgeopsal (pork belly bbq) but that's a story for a different day :)

I love these restaurants with the raised, heated floors. You can eat and chat for hours on end!
And the whole concept of cooking your own food is fun.. which I suppose you could do at home, but it just wouldn't be as fun now, would it?? And you and your friends can take turns cooking. Although, if you're invited out for dinner by a Korean, they will expect to do the cooking for you because you are their guest.

A tip for the kitchen: Having a pair of "kitchen" scissors kicking around is so handy! I use them for meat (as seen in the picture), or cutting up chives/green onions, cutting up gim (dried seaweed), etc! I don't know why we don't routinely use them in Canada!

But anyway! Back to the topic on hand.
Galbi is marinated beef ribs (apparently it can also be pork ribs, but I don't think that's as common). They are marinated in a soy sauce base with garlic and sugar and then grilled to delicious perfection.
One of the best parts is wrapping a piece of meat with rice and ssamjang (a sauce made from fermented bean paste and red pepper paste). Things tend to get very awkward at this point when you try to stuff it all in your mouth at the same time! :)

As you'll notice in the picture above, the people are not wearing shoes. Remember to take your shoes off either in the restaurant entranceway (they usually have cubbyholes for them), or before you step up into the eating area. At this particular restaurant, the shoes are tucked neatly under the doorway where you see my husband in purple standing.
It would be considered very impolite and embarrassing if you were to wear them into the dining area.

If you're out and about and looking for something to do, I highly recommend galbi bbq. Grab some friends and eat until you're stuffed! :)

I'm back!

A million apologies for not maintaining this blog! chae-song-hamnida!!!

Now that my husband and I are fairly settled, I can now get back into this blog again.
AND, I now know more about Korea than ever before.. so it'll be a bonus for all :)

If you want me to answer a specific question, or fill you in on something you don't know.. just ask!