I went to a "dinner party" Sunday night at my friends apartment, it was a pretty interesting afair.
A couple from England hosted the dinner - we ate fajitas, quacamole, couscous, and cookies (I brought them) - in Korea.
It was a very global affair, though all this is beside the point. The point is my friends Ric and Sydney have begun making their own cheese, because if you have ever been to Korea the cheese here is pretty much garbage unless you are in love with Kraft Singles type, or can afford to spend an arm, and a leg to get the real deal. And, if you have ever been to any western country we are pretty much addicted to the stuff.
I didn't realize how much cheese Americans really consume until I started looking on Pinterest for recipes one night...EVERYTHING HAD CHEESE! It was very frustrating to say the least.
While I was trying to decide what to bring to share with everyone I wondered if Steph and Ric had spent a small fortune to buy cheese for the evening because I had been informed they had some already. Upon arrival I found that Ric had actually made the cheese himself with a recipe our mutual friend Sydney gave him. It was pretty deliscious so I decided to make some myself.
After a little research I found a simple recipe myself and decided to make a small batch for my first attempt with things I had around my apartment - Milk and Rice Wine Vinegar. That's all you need! There are a lot of recipes that say you need a thermometer, rennet, blah, blah, and blah...and yeah I am sure you do if you want to get fancy, but lets not get crazy here, alright? I mean I am trying to make this stuff in an apartment that is actually smaller than my closet was in my apartment back in Michigan!
It took about an hour in total, mostly because I realized I didn't have anything to drain the cheese with, and had to do a load of laundry in order to have a clean non-terrycloth towel to drain the curds from the way.
After it was all finished cooking, and seperating I put it in a old butter container, and stuck it in the fridge over night. This morning I tried it...it turned out pretty well. Much better than I had anticipated.
Next...I'm going to make yogurt!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Oh Politics
I have to admit sometimes I miss hearing about all the political nonsense that happens during an election year...
Just had to share this with all of you :)
Monday, October 15, 2012
Cooking in Korea
This weekend I decided I was going to cook some real food from scratch, and it's been a real adventure.
I decided I really wanted some good old fashioned Chicken N' Dumplings, not Korean dumpling, but American ones...the noodle type. The way I learned to make dumplings was to use Bisquick batter, but this time I had to make them from scratch...I thought if I am going to do that I might as well make everything from scratch.
Here in Korea you have to buy special trash bags for different parts of your garbage so anytime I have food waste I just keep a bag in the freezer and throw it in there until its full, and I can take it out. (Don't tell anyone, but I never buy the correct kind of bag...my korean is terrible so I don't even know how to ask for the right colored bag...people are just going to sort through it anyway) Any who...I have started buying whole chickens and dismembering them at home then throwing the parts in the freezer because 1. its cheaper, and 2. its not that hard.
So...I already had all the bones and skin needed to make my own stock or broth, I had chicken in the freezer, all I needed was some flour for the dumplings.
It took about 8 hours to make the whole thing, but considering I made it all from scratch I had to say I think it turned out amazingly well. It's not as good as my Grandma's, but hey she has been making it for 50 years. I took some small bowls to Roy, and Sugar at Kokomo and asked them to take it home, try it, and tell me what they think. I don't think they have ever had anything quite the same before so my fingers are crossed that it was good. I liked it when I ate it, but for me it's good home comfort food.
The jury is still out on whether Sugar and Roy liked it because I haven't been there since I took them the food on Saturday, but I will let you know as soon as I do.
I also made some snickers chip cookies this weekend, and took them to a dinner party Sunday evening. I used my friends convection oven/microwave (yes, its one machine) to make them. The first batch turned out pretty crisp, and funky looking because we had never used it before, and weren't sure what we were doing. The 2nd batch turned out a little better, at least we could get the cookies off the bottom of the pan. The 3rd batch was the best, we figured out the machine, and I was able to keep the cookies from sticking by buttering the pan then covering it with flour. The cookies tasted amazing, but could have used more of the rising agent because they turned out pretty flat, and gooey.
I guess now I know what to do for next time, and this experimentation process isn't too bad when you get lots of good cookies out of the deal!
I decided I really wanted some good old fashioned Chicken N' Dumplings, not Korean dumpling, but American ones...the noodle type. The way I learned to make dumplings was to use Bisquick batter, but this time I had to make them from scratch...I thought if I am going to do that I might as well make everything from scratch.
Here in Korea you have to buy special trash bags for different parts of your garbage so anytime I have food waste I just keep a bag in the freezer and throw it in there until its full, and I can take it out. (Don't tell anyone, but I never buy the correct kind of bag...my korean is terrible so I don't even know how to ask for the right colored bag...people are just going to sort through it anyway) Any who...I have started buying whole chickens and dismembering them at home then throwing the parts in the freezer because 1. its cheaper, and 2. its not that hard.
So...I already had all the bones and skin needed to make my own stock or broth, I had chicken in the freezer, all I needed was some flour for the dumplings.
It took about 8 hours to make the whole thing, but considering I made it all from scratch I had to say I think it turned out amazingly well. It's not as good as my Grandma's, but hey she has been making it for 50 years. I took some small bowls to Roy, and Sugar at Kokomo and asked them to take it home, try it, and tell me what they think. I don't think they have ever had anything quite the same before so my fingers are crossed that it was good. I liked it when I ate it, but for me it's good home comfort food.
The jury is still out on whether Sugar and Roy liked it because I haven't been there since I took them the food on Saturday, but I will let you know as soon as I do.
I also made some snickers chip cookies this weekend, and took them to a dinner party Sunday evening. I used my friends convection oven/microwave (yes, its one machine) to make them. The first batch turned out pretty crisp, and funky looking because we had never used it before, and weren't sure what we were doing. The 2nd batch turned out a little better, at least we could get the cookies off the bottom of the pan. The 3rd batch was the best, we figured out the machine, and I was able to keep the cookies from sticking by buttering the pan then covering it with flour. The cookies tasted amazing, but could have used more of the rising agent because they turned out pretty flat, and gooey.
I guess now I know what to do for next time, and this experimentation process isn't too bad when you get lots of good cookies out of the deal!
Kokomo - Fire, Flair, and Fantastic People
Oh Kokomo...my home away from home.
It's a local bar here in Doojeong-dong, Cheonan, South Korea. The majority of my friends here in Korea are here at least once a week, and many of them are more than willing to meet me there anytime...I am friends with the bartenders, and a good number of the Korean regulars.
First, small introductions:
Maro - He is a spectacular bar tender, one of less than 20 professional flair bar tenders in the entire country. He sets things on fire, is always welcoming to new people, and speaks English well. He is actually one of the people I went to Lotte World with.
Sugar - She is pretty awesome as well. She is really tiny, super cute, and has tons of attitude (always the good kind). She also does flair bar tending, but not to the same obsessive capacity as Maro. Her English isn't the greatest, but it's not bad by any means.
Roy - He is the youngest bar tender at Kokomo, and probably the one I talk to most although I can't say we have every hung out away from the bar. He is also studying engineering at a local university. When he isn't in school he works, or practices flair with his mentor, Maro.
Max and Kris - The two white cats that live at the bar. They look pretty much identical, but you can tell which is which because Max usually hides from people, and Kris is a little more social.
There's nothing really special about the way Kokomo looks. It's pretty much just a local hole in the wall with a lot of old movie posters on the walls, but the people are what make it great. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, they have pretty decent prices compared to other bars in the area, and new people are always welcome. If you ever come to Cheonan it's worth a visit.
Jared chillin at the Kokomo after Lotte World
^^^Jared and Maro^^^
(I have a video I made of Maro's flair and fire show, but I can't get it to post on the site. As soon as it is working I will have it up here.)
Lotte World
What can I say about Lotte World...
It's like a small indoor/outdoor Korean version of Disney Land. It's a cute. If you are like me and grew up an hour away from Cedar Point it won't have much to offer you in they way of exciting rides, but it has some other cute things.
My favorite part was the wall of 3D effect paintings. They aren't 3D of course, but you can stand next to them and take some funny pictures with your friends.
It's like a small indoor/outdoor Korean version of Disney Land. It's a cute. If you are like me and grew up an hour away from Cedar Point it won't have much to offer you in they way of exciting rides, but it has some other cute things.
My favorite part was the wall of 3D effect paintings. They aren't 3D of course, but you can stand next to them and take some funny pictures with your friends.
Here I am saving Jared from a man eating King!
My experience in the Lotte World Jail :(
Its a pretty cute way to spend the day, and it's alway fun to do some people watching.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Korean Baseball
Since I have been here I have travelled to Seoul several times...my first adventure up there was with a friend I made the previous evening through other people, and convinced me to go to a Baseball game in Seoul. Ok, there wasn't really any convincing involved, you tell me sports, beer, and western food, and I am in!
Before the game we wondered around Itaewon for a little while, window shopping, and eating. We stopped to ask the information girls for help finding a decent Mexican restaurant, and they were really nice, their English was pretty good, but their opinion of a good Mexican restaurant was a little lacking. All the ones they told us weren't open yet :( We were able to find one that was open, and we had some half decent margeritas, and food. The rest of my group really enjoyed their food. I am not sure if it was because they hadn't had Mexican in such a long time or if it was really good. I can only say that my tacos were pretty soggy. They did however have this really cool board where people can pin up post-it notes, so of course I posted one! ( I will have to post it later because for whatever reason my phone won't pick up wifi)
The trip all in all was a total blast! I love baseball, and to see a real Korean game was really interesting. We saw the Kia Tigers play some other team...I sported my Prince Fielder t-shirt of course!!! Though, I have to admit I was barely able to watch the game because I was so distracted by the fans! They really get into choreographed cheering! They have cheerleaders, and guys all dressed up leading songs, and they have specific songs and motions they do...it's madness. It was hilarious to watch my guy friends change teams they were cheering on according to which team had the prettier cheerleaders! Needless to say their minds changed frequently. Unfortunately the Tigers lost, but it was a great game either way. It went all they way to 12 innings!
The greatest thing about Korean sports stadiums is that they have marts on the main level, chicken restaurants, and hotdog stands that are all extremely affordable. You don't have to worry about spending a small fortune when attending the games like in the US. The beer and food are the same prices as you would find anywhere else. I don't know why they prices aren't higher, but I am certainly greatful.
After the game we went made our way back to Cheonan because we had pretty much been eating and drinking all day! Also...I had plans to go back to Seoul the next day and visit LOTTE WORLD!
Rockin' my support for Prince Fielder!
Before the game we wondered around Itaewon for a little while, window shopping, and eating. We stopped to ask the information girls for help finding a decent Mexican restaurant, and they were really nice, their English was pretty good, but their opinion of a good Mexican restaurant was a little lacking. All the ones they told us weren't open yet :( We were able to find one that was open, and we had some half decent margeritas, and food. The rest of my group really enjoyed their food. I am not sure if it was because they hadn't had Mexican in such a long time or if it was really good. I can only say that my tacos were pretty soggy. They did however have this really cool board where people can pin up post-it notes, so of course I posted one! ( I will have to post it later because for whatever reason my phone won't pick up wifi)
The trip all in all was a total blast! I love baseball, and to see a real Korean game was really interesting. We saw the Kia Tigers play some other team...I sported my Prince Fielder t-shirt of course!!! Though, I have to admit I was barely able to watch the game because I was so distracted by the fans! They really get into choreographed cheering! They have cheerleaders, and guys all dressed up leading songs, and they have specific songs and motions they do...it's madness. It was hilarious to watch my guy friends change teams they were cheering on according to which team had the prettier cheerleaders! Needless to say their minds changed frequently. Unfortunately the Tigers lost, but it was a great game either way. It went all they way to 12 innings!
The greatest thing about Korean sports stadiums is that they have marts on the main level, chicken restaurants, and hotdog stands that are all extremely affordable. You don't have to worry about spending a small fortune when attending the games like in the US. The beer and food are the same prices as you would find anywhere else. I don't know why they prices aren't higher, but I am certainly greatful.
After the game we went made our way back to Cheonan because we had pretty much been eating and drinking all day! Also...I had plans to go back to Seoul the next day and visit LOTTE WORLD!
A lot to update!
My apologies for not posting in such a long time!
I am not very good at keeping people in the loop about my life. I hope it's because I just keep myself that busy! I have so much to tell people about because I haven't posted in almost two months so I will try and divide things up according to the different adventures!
I am not very good at keeping people in the loop about my life. I hope it's because I just keep myself that busy! I have so much to tell people about because I haven't posted in almost two months so I will try and divide things up according to the different adventures!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Korean Medical Examination for Foreigners
All foreigners living and working in Korea have to pass a medical examination before they are given their Alien Registration Card, which is probably a lot like a green card in the US. It basically tells Korean officials who you are, proves you have registered, and are allowed to be in the country for "x" period of time.
You medical exam must be completed within the first 10 days of being in the country. I arrived last Sunday, and had my medical examination done on Thursday while my students were on a field trip. It is your employers responsibility to make sure you have this done. If not, they have you working there illegally and can get in a lot of trouble.
My medical exam consisted of:
A basic eye test
Weight
Height
Tape measure around my chest
Color blindness test
Blood pressure test
A blood test
A urine test
A chest x-ray
I think that is everything. It's hard to remember because almost no one at the hospital spoke english, except one man when I first arrived. My schools president doesn't even speak english so it was a really quiet car ride there.
It's not bad though. I was in and out of the hospital, and back to school in under two hours. They are highly efficient. The hospital was very similar to hospitals in the US. They are clean, well lit, and everyone was very friendly. Best hospital trip I have ever had to be honest!
I hope that was informative and helpful!
Cheers!
You medical exam must be completed within the first 10 days of being in the country. I arrived last Sunday, and had my medical examination done on Thursday while my students were on a field trip. It is your employers responsibility to make sure you have this done. If not, they have you working there illegally and can get in a lot of trouble.
My medical exam consisted of:
A basic eye test
Weight
Height
Tape measure around my chest
Color blindness test
Blood pressure test
A blood test
A urine test
A chest x-ray
I think that is everything. It's hard to remember because almost no one at the hospital spoke english, except one man when I first arrived. My schools president doesn't even speak english so it was a really quiet car ride there.
It's not bad though. I was in and out of the hospital, and back to school in under two hours. They are highly efficient. The hospital was very similar to hospitals in the US. They are clean, well lit, and everyone was very friendly. Best hospital trip I have ever had to be honest!
I hope that was informative and helpful!
Cheers!
Hello from Cheonan!
Hey Everyone!
Big News!!! I made it two Korea! I actually arrived a little over a week ago. So far I have met a ton of people, and have been to a lot of new places. I love the food so far, though I am not a fan of Kimchi in any form...yet. I have been told it will grow on me.
My students are wonderful. I teach kids from 5-15 years old. This is nice because their skill levels are all different, and the classes are all different. I don't spend an entire day with 5 year olds running around screaming and hitting each other, and I don't have all classes of 15 year olds who don't want to be there, and therefore refuse to speak at all.
I am living in the Deojung neighborhood, which is really great because there is a lot of stuff to do. There are a lot of restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. There are mostly Koreans here, but there are plenty of foreigners. I am glad not to be living in Seoul, too many foreigners. I don't think it would truly feel like being in Korea.
Tomorrow a Typhoon is going to hit the city, my school has already announced they will be closed. I think the government may have issued a statement telling all schools around here to close because it is too dangerous for students to leave their homes. I am excited to see what it will be like. I am a little upset I don't have the internet working in my apartment yet, but I have so many movies I won't be bored. There are several English channels on TV here. That is nice as well.
So far since I have been here is has rained every day except for 2, today and yesterday. Sometimes it storms pretty hard here. I am interested to find out what this typhoon is going to be like.
Big News!!! I made it two Korea! I actually arrived a little over a week ago. So far I have met a ton of people, and have been to a lot of new places. I love the food so far, though I am not a fan of Kimchi in any form...yet. I have been told it will grow on me.
My students are wonderful. I teach kids from 5-15 years old. This is nice because their skill levels are all different, and the classes are all different. I don't spend an entire day with 5 year olds running around screaming and hitting each other, and I don't have all classes of 15 year olds who don't want to be there, and therefore refuse to speak at all.
I am living in the Deojung neighborhood, which is really great because there is a lot of stuff to do. There are a lot of restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. There are mostly Koreans here, but there are plenty of foreigners. I am glad not to be living in Seoul, too many foreigners. I don't think it would truly feel like being in Korea.
Tomorrow a Typhoon is going to hit the city, my school has already announced they will be closed. I think the government may have issued a statement telling all schools around here to close because it is too dangerous for students to leave their homes. I am excited to see what it will be like. I am a little upset I don't have the internet working in my apartment yet, but I have so many movies I won't be bored. There are several English channels on TV here. That is nice as well.
So far since I have been here is has rained every day except for 2, today and yesterday. Sometimes it storms pretty hard here. I am interested to find out what this typhoon is going to be like.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
In the Beginning...
This is my first post on this site so I will begin with a little info about me:
I am currently residing in Small Town, Michigan, USA, but any day now that is going to change. I am about to move to Cheonan, South Korea where I will teach English as a second language. If you know anything about younger Americans moving to Korea I bet you saw that job description coming from a mile away.
I have been working on this move for months, and it is finally coming to fruition. Although strangely enough I don't know when I am actually leaving. As soon as my passport returns from it's extended stay at the Korean Consulate in Chicago I will leave, literally the next day. I just don't know when it is coming back.
This whole idea of being gone for a year didn't quit seem real until I received an email from my recruiter this week stating that she had booked a flight for me at 6am the following morning, just in case my passport arrived that day...YIKES!
Ever since then I have been busy packing, unpacking, rearranging, packing, and weighing my suitcases over and over just to make sure I have everything perfect. Though, I am not sure why I worry so much...it all seems to work out in the end.
Before I go I want to share something that I thought was really cool. On Saturday I went to lunch with a good friend of mine at a Chinese restaurant. At which time I received the greatest fortune cookie of all time. It said, and I quote "You are about to embark on a wonderful journey." Hahaha how awesome is that?
Lots of Love!
Claire
I am currently residing in Small Town, Michigan, USA, but any day now that is going to change. I am about to move to Cheonan, South Korea where I will teach English as a second language. If you know anything about younger Americans moving to Korea I bet you saw that job description coming from a mile away.
I have been working on this move for months, and it is finally coming to fruition. Although strangely enough I don't know when I am actually leaving. As soon as my passport returns from it's extended stay at the Korean Consulate in Chicago I will leave, literally the next day. I just don't know when it is coming back.
This whole idea of being gone for a year didn't quit seem real until I received an email from my recruiter this week stating that she had booked a flight for me at 6am the following morning, just in case my passport arrived that day...YIKES!
Ever since then I have been busy packing, unpacking, rearranging, packing, and weighing my suitcases over and over just to make sure I have everything perfect. Though, I am not sure why I worry so much...it all seems to work out in the end.
Before I go I want to share something that I thought was really cool. On Saturday I went to lunch with a good friend of mine at a Chinese restaurant. At which time I received the greatest fortune cookie of all time. It said, and I quote "You are about to embark on a wonderful journey." Hahaha how awesome is that?
Lots of Love!
Claire
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