In the land of Kimchi

I’ve been in a hype since I arrived here in Korea last Sunday. Hence, I couldn’t wait to share the simple yet superb experiences and feelings I’ve had since then.
We are staying here with a Korean family. With my broken Korean words coupled with really nice body languages, Loida and I were able to communicate with the host family’s mom. She in turn, would always grab her Korean-english dictionary and show us the things she wanted to say.. Now you could imagine the plight we are going through when it comes to using English in the land of Kimchi.

But these things I don’t really mind coz beyond the awkwardness in communication, I am still on cloud 9. Here, I could eat as much Kimchi as I want to, I could drink as many cups of Nuk Tza (Korean green tea) as I wish. My body shivers everytime I go out of the building but it’s just alright. The array of yellow, red and brown Gingko and mulberry trees along the strees of Seoul is a sight to behold I want to keep in my mind for as long as I can. The city lights I saw as we rode the boat along Han river was one of the highlights of my short visit. The busy streets of Nagdaemun market, the sweet aroma of Mandu (siopao), the hot noodles, the street food we had in Gwangnaru subway station, those are just a few of the things I would miss after I leave the land of Kimchi.

Talking about noodles, I thought it’s kind of strange coz it seems to me Korean food are on both extremes. They like to eat food while it is literally cooking in front of them. It’s a mixture of a flammable hotness and spiciness that my tummy still ached 2 days after we’ve eaten that very spicy food. Just the other day, our friends ordered for us Neng Myon. It is a kind of cold noodles eaten with literally blocks of ice on it. It was a strange food but it tasted really good.

We’ve also met our friends from way back 2003 here. It’s interesting to learn how their lives have been. Some have already gotten married, some are still singles, some have gone abroad, some we couldn’t get in touch with anymore. I will still meet some of my Korean friends this week. I’m excited to share stories and gossips with them about our lives. Wahhhh… I am indeed blessed.

I still have a week to savor the flavors of korean food and discover the best kept secret of Asia, as one of Korea’s battle cry says. On the second day of my stay here, I’ve haphazardly written my goals in coming here. I hope I could accomplish them all so I could go back to the middle east with a refreshed mind and body.