I perhaps have a new love...

Restaurant that is! This particular restaurant has been closed since I got here, but according to my sources in the last year has reopened four times. You can tell when it reopens as the street corner is a buzz with dancing beauties and bad loud music (by the beauties). I haven't eaten here yet, but
it looks like another Korean BBQ restaurant. Now if the waitresses look anything like this on the inside, I got a feeling it might become a place to frequent; as long as the price is right.

On another note, I have been told that having dancing girls on street corners began a several years ago and were called the bikini wars. Bikini clad Korean girls would dance and sing for customers of gas stations so they could steal business form their competitors. Unfortunately I got this from the 1995 edition of the LP and you all know how I feel about it's accuracy. Either way, this picture was a great source of entertainment on my walk back to work after lunch today.

Galbi (BBQ pork ribs)

The infamous Galbi (bbqed pork ribs). You get a bunch of plates of kimchi, cabbage salad, three different soups, pickled onions, lettuce, mushrooms, garlic, and some other stuff to throw on the grill and feast to your hearts desire. No need to worry about not finishing as you get more food than one person could possibly eat. Just cook at the table and enjoy. Mmmm..... Galbi!

Why all of the metal bowls and chopsticks you ask? It's a tradition dating back to the Joseon dynasty when the ever diligent kings, concerned about security, insisted on using silver bowls and chopsticks as silver tarnished in the presence of poisons used in those days. The custom was then passed down to the commoners and stuck. The problem is that the common people could only afford baser metals. I wonder if they tarnished in the presence of poisons too? It really doesn't matter now as most local restaurants use stainless steel dishes. Sanitized and chilled the water cups keep the water cold on a hot day and this is a bonus!

Gu Gong Tan Restaurant (Korean BBQ)

Here is a picture of the infamous Gu Gong Tan Restaurant around the corner from my house. This is where I first was introduced to Korean food on my first day of landing here in Korea. Since then I have eaten here with my two Canadian co-workers, now we eat here at least 3 to 4 times a week. They know us so well that they give us freebies. We also ate the crab and spicy noodle soup for breakfast the night that my friend Alex's chicken restaurant closed. If this place closes I'm gonna have to either have my ni-Van friends send me some kava or pack my bags and throw in the towel...Just kidding!

Spicy Noodles and Crab

Breakfast at 3:30AM on Saturday. The chicken was deflated and the restaurant closed so we wandered into the restaurant next door for some Spicy noodles and crab. A good breakfast, but the heartburn is killing me. The spices come from the mass amounts of red chili pepper they cook with. It goes on pretty much everything except the breaded pork cutlet, which has a sweet and sour type sauce on it.

No More Tandori Chicken

This is my friend Alex. I met him by walking in his restaurant on my third day here. He was the owner of this nice little Tandoori Chicken franchise that recently shut down the entire chain putting him out of business. On Friday night I attended the after/closing party with some of his other Korean friends. We stayed until the inflatable chicken was deflated. Fun was had by all, but the place will be missed. At around 3:30AM we ate "breakfast"of crab and spicy noodle soup at the restaurant next door then deflated the chicken, packed up, and shut the doors. Without this place my neighborhood just went downhill a notch.

Socks, trucks, mobile market

While there are some nice outdoor market houses in Seoul, one cannot get away from the random street vendors that sell anything from tasty deep fried mandu to socks. Most have some kind of tape they play on the stereo in the vehicle, and others drive around with ice cream truck music playing loudly until they find a good corner to park on.

This guy just quietly sells socks. Plain ones cost about USD 50 cents and designer (Nike, Addidas, Ping) socks sell for USD one dollar. I now have two pair of designer socks and two pair of plain socks. I pass this truck every day on my way to work.

Korean Celadon Earthenware

Korean pottery has been around for over 10,000 years, but the 12th Century is when skilled artisans developed and churned out celadon earthenware with the infamous green tint. In later years as artisans in China played with the temperatures of the kilns and the materials used they developed blue tints and colors that rapidly spread across Asia and eventually found there way to Europe.

Ìnsadong Traditional Crafts

This a picture of the facinating traditional sculptures dating back hundreds of years and are now on sale in this very trendy and artsy suburb of Seoul. As I walked through the maze of street vendors and shops I found this one to be one of the most well displayed. To bring out the definition of each piece the shop owner sprays them with a water bottle. Eventhough China is well known for their porcelean pottrey, it can be found here too. It gives one a clear picture of the melding of local and Chinese influences.

Jogyesa Temple

While on my way to Insadong I found this temple just a few short blocks away. The outside was very interesting, but I had to peer on the inside to get a glimpse of what everyone else was kneeling to. If I understood a local who gave me some insight correctly, there are murals painted on the outside depicting the many different gods one can pray to; one for prosperity, one for luck, health, etc. When someone is praying to these gods it is to address an issue or concern in their life at the moment. I only wish he would have explained the big golden dude inside the temple...

Buddhism came to Korea from China around the fourth Century. The temple was built in 1937. In 1954 the Buddhist Purification movement started at Jogyesa Temple with the intent on eliminating residual Japanese influence and preventing further invasions. There are influences of indigenous shamanist beliefs. Many of the mountain temples have sections dedicated to shamanist dieties that date back over a thousand years.

Tasty Goodness...

One may find it hard to believe, but I do eat pretty healthy here. The day usually begins with eggs, toast, and coffee. Lunch consists of either Korean BBQ, cold noodles, or some other Korean type dish I can't spell yet. Dinner is more of the aforementioned. So on this particular Sunday I decided to take a friends advice and head into Insadong (famous for it's traditional crafts and pottery) to do some window shopping. Of course I found golden arches before the porcelain. I am not sure what the sign says, but I want it supersized!