Monday, February 28, 2011

Another Reason I Love SoKo

Free dental care for foreigners.  Well, sorta. 

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It’s free for foreign workers who don’t have health insurance provided through their employers.  I have health insurance so I won’t go here for medical, but as far as I know I don’t think I have dental.  At home they are two very separate things…here, I think they are two separate things.  I should check on this.

Marisol’s Masquerade Ball

Last weekend we celebrated Marisol’s Birthday.  After a day at the salon and English Breakfast Tea lattes, we headed off to the only Mexican restaurant in Daejeon for dinner.

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The birthday girl & Emily at Taco-K

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Eric Clapton Live In Seoul

It was pretty awesome.  My pictures aren’t the greatest, but my new camera is on it’s way so you’ll just have to deal with slightly less than great video for this blog.

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    Poster: Eric Clapton Live in Seoul 2011

    Saturday, February 19, 2011

    Homelessness In Korea

    I had to create my own essay topic.  I’m not a fan of that.  It was for my 9th graders, my two oldest and smartest classes, so I decided to see just what they are capable of.  The accompanying essay in the book was housing related so I chose to continue with that theme but make it a little more thought provoking.

    Should we help people who don’t have homes? Why or why not? And if yes, provide examples of how we can help.

    Wednesday, February 16, 2011

    Red, White & Black Days of Korea

    Koreans love love.  They love being in love and wearing matching outfits, straight down to matching undies. They love having clothes, and notebooks, and pencil boxes designed in love themes. And they love celebrating love which is evident in their ridiculous amount of holidays created purely in the sake of love.

    While everyone is familiar with Valentine’s Day being February 14, Korea has a different take on it. V-Day is also known as Red Day.  This is the day when a woman is expected to give chocolates and gifts to the man in her life.  Simple enough

    The Revival of Steak Day

    Steak Day is a long lost, but very important, tradition.  It is celebrated each year on February 14 by single women everywhere.  Well, in my small social network anyway.  The concept is simple, Steak Day is the one day each year in which you celebrate the cow and all the wonderful things it brings to our lives.  After all, the cow is a vital part of our daily existence.  They provide us with wonderful groceries from milk and Babybel cheeses, to Big Macs and filet mignon.  All of which are important to survival.

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    How to Kill a Pineapple

    I love fresh pineapple. I often forget that, but when I remember… Oh my God.  Anyway, normal people would prefer to call it slicing or cutting a pineapple.  Or perhaps even “preparing” a pineapple.  But that’s boring.  I’ve heard amazing things about the quality of fresh fruit in Korea but haven’t really had much experience with it.  This pineapple was perfect.  

    Here, in photographic evidence, is my first experience in killing a pineapple.

     

    First, you need a pineapple.  I chose a mini pineapple.  He’s Amy-sized.

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    (The Korean actually reads “Mi-ni PIn-A Ple” hehe)

    Wednesday, February 9, 2011

    A Wonderful Surprise

    Around 8:45 am on Monday my phone rings.  I don’t know the number so I hit ignore and go back to sleep.  I’m in Korea, people.  Answering an unknown number never goes well.

    It immediately rings again.  Ugh.  This time I let it ring out, but I still don’t answer it.  And I go back to sleep after a solid two minutes of the world’s most annoying ringtone.

    10 minutes later it rings again.  Same number. Really people? I answer it.

    Thursday, February 3, 2011

    에이미 맥클로스키

    That’s my name in Korean…  weird, huh.   If you were to pronounce it as written you would come up with this…

    A-E-mE  Mek-Cul-LO-Su-Key   

    When I first saw it written this way I protested greatly with my limited knowledge of the Korean alphabet.  Now that I’m taking Korean classes and know the letters and the rules of how they are used, I no longer protest it.  Well, I don’t understand the A-E-mE part, but I can deal with that. 

    I’m on vacation for the next five days for the Lunar New Year.  Due to the holiday the entire city shut down today for the next three days.  And as I sit here drinking Coca-Cola out of a whiskey glass, I realize that I honestly have nothing culturally exciting to say.  Nada. 

    So instead, I thought I should make this blog educational. Enter: Lunar New Year.

    Korean Food - In Pictures

    I’ve been really bad about posting pictures lately. My apologies.  Here is a photo blog dedicated to Korean food.  Well, my three months of experience with Korean food anyway.   This is by no means a comprehensive list, it is just the stuff that I eat.  And don’t eat.

    Most popular and most important…

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    Korean BBQ - Yum.  (Not my picture.)