Kimchi Evil Eyes

In just over a month I will be leaving Korea. How am I to exist without kimchi - the fermented spicy cabbage dish - that I eat every day? I clearly need some kimchi making skills to keep the H1N1 virus at bay. So on Sunday I headed with Sam to the O'Ngo cookery school to learn how to make the dish that I have become seriously attached to. As a tasty extra, they also taught us how make bulgogi.

Read, steady....COOK! (Please note the demonic eyes)

Hye-jin, our lovely instructor

Kimchi ingredients: brined cabbage, spring onion, chilli powder, garlic ginger and shrimp sauce....

....and radish (MU!)

After stuffing the cabbage with the other ingredients, and throwing half of the ingredients down yourself and on the floor (it's traditional), you bundle it up and...

TA-DAA!

Eating the food along with another student from Japan and her instructor (Again, please not the evil eyes)

Feeling very pleased with myself I couldn't believe at the time that my kimchi had actually given me demonic eyes. Until I went to get a photo taken for a job application today. The lady in the shop snapped my picture, I went home to wait for the email. I opened up the file and this demonic teacher greeted me:

I like to think that my perfect skin is another result of the home-made kimchi, rather than just very liberal use of photoshop. But, just incase my skin really is getting that good, I'm going to go make myself a kimchi smoothie. I'll just have to put up with the demonic eyes.

Hanbok

Winter has officially hit, and so what are you to do in the wee hours, miles away from home in freezing temperature when you need a warm place to curl up and sleep? Go to the public bath house, of course.

Unfortunately, when Anna and I arrived after her farewell party, we were not the only ones to have thought of this. After a quick shower and bath, we went to the women's sleeping room - a large dark room with mats and blocks for pillows and about 30 sleeping women. Once the seven year old next to me stopped elbowing me in the ribs, I actually had quite a pleasant nights sleep.

Anna getting into the public bath house.

The spring of eternal youth?

It works!

But Baby it's cold outside

The next day, after sweating all the impurities out in the sauna, we went over to Julie's for the best shabu-shabu in the world (FACT). Julie was kind enough to let me try on her hanbok - traditional Korean costume made out two dresses and a jacket. Julie helped me get dressed. Oddly the dress is actually green. I like to think this photo also misrepresents the length of my face (thanks, Naomi, for telling everyone at school that my face is so long because of an accident involving a heavy articulated lorry)

The dress is very tight across the chest, but with lots of netting on the petticoat.

Practising a full Korean bow.

This bow-wow wanted in on my bow

Sexy Back

No, I don't have the world's worst case of bacne.

These are the side effects of having your chi warmed up with a traditional cupping therapy.

Last weekend, I went with Jess and Jess to Dragon hill spa, a huge public bath house with seven floors of facilities. Once you get into your pajamas you are free to use the internet cafe, swimming pool, saunas, karaoke rooms, arcade games, restaurants, snack bars, beauticians and massage parlours. You swipe your wrist band if you have to buy a service, and then pay as you leave. Families, couples and groups of friends often spend the whole day there together as there is so much to do.

Jess and I in the large family room.

If you want to use the baths you go to the female only area, strip down and scrub yourself fiercely before dipping in. In the outdoor courtyard you can choose from the ginseng bath, the kids rainbow bath, a bath made of a special wood, and a salt water bath. Indoor there are more baths of different temperatures, some with salt water. There is also a steam room and sauna. Obviously, there didn't take any pictures of this area, but you can see some here.

I went to one of the massage areas, and decided to get the cupping with a meridian massage - deciding against "face reduction management". The massage therapist seemed to magically straighten out my body, by twisting my arms and legs. Then, she got a torch and a lot of small ceramic cups. She put the flame into the cups and this caused a vacuum so they could be stuck along my meridian lines. It was more uncomfortable than painful, with the places with more muscle being the most painful. When they were removed I had shocking red swollen circle on my back, but very little pain.

Cups on my back

A second round on my back

On my stomach. It felt like my organ were being sucked in.

Since then I will occasionally be reminded of the experience when my back hits the back of a chair with a slight shock of pain. It is probably the most extreme form of massage I've had (which is saying something - I was once covered in chocolate mud). Maybe next time I'll gather the courage to get my face reduced.

Not a nail-phile

I'm a nailphobe. I always keep them short. I was unfortunaly born with abnormally large knuckels and my hands seem to have aged prematurely. So when I grow them long I look like I should be giving poisoned apples to royal runaways. Or, even worse, like Madonna.

It's so bad that I actually HATE having long nails. It makes me feel nauseous. But today, for you, my dear reader, I faced my fears and braved a nail shop.

Everything in Korea happens fast. Dinner is served in seconds, fads come and go in the blink of an eye, and skyscrapers go up in minutes. 'Bali Bali' (quickly quickly) is a way of life here. Except for with nails. My lovely manicurist filed, pinched, scraped and rubbed my nails until they transformed from splinted talons (I'd been growing them for a couple of weeks) to perfectly pruned fingers. It took so long I got to see a whole episode of an amazing Korean drama (Our handsome hero is hooked on painkillers and so is treating all the women in his life so badly they cry a single beautiful tear while looking out of a window).

Due to budgetary cuts, I was unable to get one of the more outrageous designs, such as cats, paw prints, the chanel logo, or a christmas tree complete with tinstle. So I opted for the low key option of a dark blue base with white flowers with a jewel in the middle. As I look down at my typing hands as I can't help but chuckle.

And shudder.

Daisy, Daisy.....

Is it too early to start feeling nostalgic about yesterday? It was the first of the winter weather, so Maureen and I decided to spend the day freezing our knuckles off on a tandem bike by the Han river.

A wobbly start, during which Maureen screamed so much I paniced and almost took us on a detour into the river.

You'd look sweet upon the seat

(I'm not wearing white sock, that is my ankle you can see)

When two girls ride a bike together....

Don't so this:

Unless you want to end up like this:

We were unable to get couples' t-shirts, but we did manage to match enough that Maureen could camoflage herself into me. Can you spot her?

The List!

Huzzah! The list is finished! Please sweep your beautiful eyes to the right to see. If anyone has any more ideas, then please feel free to comment.

Below are some photos I took today on my jog. You have to wonder how much jogging was was involved in taking so many photos....

Foot walky thingy....

A Provisional List

So you've heard of a 'bucket list', a list of things you want to do before you die? Well, I have no intention of dieing anytime soon. But I am leaving Korea early next year. And may not be coming back. And as much as Korea has provided me with great experiences and opportunities, I've found it a more and more frustrating place to live. I need something to curtail my foreigner fatigue, and sooth my ajoshi allergies. Hence my marvellous idea: The kimshi pot list. A list of things I want to do before I leave Korea. Things that celebrate this quirky country and it's culture.

Please read my provisional list. Can you think of anything to add it? If you live in Korea, would you like to join me for some of these activities? All suggestions and volunteers are welcome!

1. Learn how to make kimchi.
2. Wear a hanbok (the traditional garment of Korea).
3. Go to a Korean style nightclub / cabaret.
   
4. Wear a couples outfit with some one and cycle a tandem bike along the Han river.
5. Get cupping done at a public bath house.
6. Take part in a Korean tea ceremony.
   
7. Get some crazy nail art.
8. Learn to dance k-pop style.
9. Meet Rain, my original reason for moving here.
   

The Grand Finale

Today I received a CD of photos from the lovely Avril, documenting the last couple of weeks of my summer fun. Here are some of the best bits.

The BEST shop ever.

Outside Gyeongju

At the entrance of Bulguksa temple, you are confronted by the guards that stop evil spirits from entering. Avril pushes through, just.

The Dharma was wushing off that drum.

Couples outfits.

Couples shoes

We've got the enthusiasm

But Avril.....

A BREEZE!

Night time in the ancient capital

Ancient tombs

Vanda's picking up good Vibrations

The roofs of Gyeongju

Cute face

Cute angry face

You can call her flower if you want to

We arrived in Busan in perfect weather for the Beach

Cooking on Kimchi pots, Vanda shows us her skillz

Drinks for the evening

They effect different people in different ways

As time went on it was hard to see what they were

Walking it off the next day

The lobby of a hotel we couldn't afford. I felt like I was on Deep Space Nine

Top of Mount Hala, South Korea's highest mountain

Back in Anyang

In Gyeongbok palace

I was so glad they were able to come all the way over to Korea. We had a great time and they helped me make the decision to move to Germany. A decision partly inspired by a guy who look looks a lot like this.