Waffles are a popular snack/dessert in Korea. The basic waffle is thin and smeared with cream and jam, then folded in half. Ice cream is a popular addition to the cream and jam, and some places even sell waffles with fried fish, chicken, or pork cutlets. Basic waffle + jam + cream = 1000 won ($0.75) and the fancier meal waffle is 2500 won ($2.75).
My friend Remi and I went to a cute cafe called "Mr. Bean" in Shinchon. Mr. Bean sells traditional waffles (not folded and very thick), but they come in sets with ice cream and fruit. We were surprised when a waiter came to our table and brewed the coffee in front of us. He didn't use a french press, but slowly poured hot water over the freshly ground coffee beans and waited for the water to finish draining. It was almost like a tea ceremony, as his movements were precise and with definite purpose. We were first invited to smell the coffee grounds, then he poured a small amount of hot water over them, then presented the "cake" and motioned for us to smell it again. It took a little over 5 minutes for the entire brewing process, and when he finished, he quietly bowed.
Our waffle, ice cream, and fruit plate was glorious. The waffle was fluffy, with a perfect crunch to the outer edges. It was sliced in half, the insides buttered, and cut into quarters. The fruit (strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, and banana) were perfect and the sweet cream freshly whipped. Why doesn't America have cafes like this?!
I thought I was going to loose weight here, but I eat all the time. Food is cheap, delicious, and available everywhere. Family Marts, 7/11's, and other convenience stores have sandwiches, rice balls, instant ramen, and shelves stuffed with cookies, crackers, and chips. There are two cafeterias next to the I-house that sell whole meals for under 4000 won ($3.75) and the closest restaurant is a 2 minute walk downhill. Even the vending machines in the I-house promote gluttony. Who wouldn't want hot instant coffee or hot chocolate for only 250 won ($0.25)? Soju (rice liquor) and maekju (Korean beer) are the cheapest and most common alcoholic drinks...both are carbohydrate rich!
I am cutting out instant ramen and cookies. Also, I am going to make sure I eat an apple or orange every day. It's harder than it sounds because fruit is expensive in Korea.
I am enrolled in three regular classes and a 6 credit Korean language course. Mondays and Wednesdays I have Intercultural Communication; Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Politics of North and South Korea and East Asian Cinema and Cultural Crossing. Korean class is Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm. All of my courses are taught by Korean professors with extensive international travel and work experience, feature student presentations every week, fairly reading heavy, and discussion based. The positive aspect of student presentations is that we get a chance to interact with our classmates from a different perspective. The downside is that not all students are particularly skilled at presenting and printing handouts for the entire class is expensive. Many students read straight off the powerpoint slides because the majority of presentations are summaries of the weekly readings. My intercultural communication professor is a harsh grader, and announced that she will deduct points for "unprofessional" presentations; she went as far as giving us a 15 minute lecture on proper powerpoint slide formatting yesterday.
My politics class is still covering the historical and cultural background of Korea, so we haven't actually started discussing politics. The professor is very intelligent and a talented lecturer, but sometimes he seems a little flaky and is HIGHLY susceptible to brown nosers. My cinema professor is very soft-spoken and hardly lectures, as the class is composed of student presentations, discussion, and movie screenings.
A shoe store in Idae
Yonsei is truly a school of the elite. Middle and high school students' lives are consumed by 6 day school weeks, evening cram school, and extracurricular clubs. The standardized college admissions test determines the rest of a Korean student's life; the prestige of the high school and university are huge factors in determining the types of jobs and salaries a graduate can expect. Most of the students in my cinema class are Korean-Koreans with flawless English and excellent discussion points. The readings are complex and I had difficulty deciphering the "academic" language of some, but the Koreans seemed to have little trouble throwing around complex concepts and discourse...it was very intimidating. The disparity of my American public school education is even more pronounced when I talk with European students who seem to know more about world history and current events than most adult Americans. It seems like the rest of the world is very much self-aware and in the "in-crowd" of globalism.
Today is St. Patrick's Day and all the international students want to go drinking...it's Tuesday! It is virtually impossible to have privacy in this dorm. The rooms are tiny and people are EVERYWHERE. I don't usually mind it, but as an introvert, my tolerance for socializing is tested far more than recommended. Everyone here is nice and looking to have fun, but I haven't been able to get a lounge room to myself to kick back and drown in tv for an hour or two. I am fortunate to have met some great people, and my roommate is awesome.
So far, Korea is fun. I need to get out of the Shinchon area and do something different. Touristy activities sound ok, but I want to experience more unique things, like going to a jazz club or live music venue or see a traditional fan dance or even a modern Korean play. I haven't made it down to my adoption agency yet, but some of the other adoptees are interested in making a trip to Pyong-taek to the orphanage. I might visit a nonprofit agency that aids Korean adoptees visiting Korea. I tell myself I have plenty of time, but I've been here for almost a month and I have accomplished very little besides experiencing Seoul's bars and few clubs. This week I PROMISE I will find a more enriching or cultural experience.
EXTRA:
I saw Dragon Ball Evolution on Saturday and the movie theatre was amazing. The seats were luxuriously comfortable and roomy (no stains!), the floors were trash/food free, and NO ONE talked during the movie. This video is of a the escalator leading up to the theatre.
1 comment:
VERY Cool!
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