food!

one of the most interesting and fun things about foreign countries and their culture is the food, right? so i'm still in my first week in korea, and i've only just begun to dabble in this category. i eat lunch w/ the kids every day at school, which is always exciting to see what will be inside the black box every day.....one day fish, one day pork, one day octopus, one day crab....always w/ a variation of kimchi and some other spicy, pickled and colorful mystery vegetables...and always with a side of rice and soup (usually a miso soup w/ seaweed or onions). i do plan to maintain a vegetarian diet here, which i hear will be difficult, but i'm pretty sure i can survive....i love kimchi and all of the interesting vegetables and spicy-sweet sauces.

i've gone out to eat only twice so far...the first time to a burrito place, dos tacos (and boy, am i excited that i can get a good burrito in this city!), followed by dessert at one of the gazillion coffee/tea parlours around town. the dessert (pictured) was also pretty amazing....a warm gooey brownie w/ haagen dazs ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and truffles (YUM). tonight i met up w/ my friend, smilja, for dinner at a great korean bbq joint. there's a grill at the table where you can cook up some fresh meat and garlic and there is a self serve bar of all kinds of goodies: lettuce leaves, green onion strips, kimchi, sprouts, sliced garlic, and yummy sauces. i helped myself to lots of salad, kimchi and roasted garlic and i also ordered a noodle soup (pictured) which is served cold. it was really tasty. it was a very social atmosphere, especially w/ a few beers. ;)

more food to be featured in the future, no doubt. =)