Tall Tales From A Short Canadian

Greetings from Fishtown,

Been awhile, been a long while. It’s been a long while since I been a supa chile. Well, what’s new? From what I heard, the Habs kicked the big, dumb Leafs around the rink again! I think the leafs may be eyeing their golf bags by now. Check out the news here. Alongside the typical North Korea talk haunting all of the news broadcasts here, this headline caught my eye: 35 Injured in Lotte World Stampede. I’m sorry. It’s never funny when someone gets hurt. But this story just seemed so fitting for a place like this, I had to laugh a bit. Lotte World, as a way of apologizing to the public for having a man die on its roller coaster, offered free admission last weekend. The place, at maximum, entertains up to 35,000 people at one time. About 110,000 people showed up both days to get in to the place. Man, I’ve seen dangerous stampedes centered around noodle stands here, never mind free entry into one of Korea’s most popular family theme parks. I’m actually really surprised that more people aren’t injured or killed in stampedes here more often. Settle down, people! As you may have guessed, that’s what the picture below is all about. I think that’s what the beach in front of my apartment looks like in July, give or take a few garments.

Anyway, Nic and I are doing well, aside from my ongoing health roller coaster, which right now has me racing through a black tunnel at a steep incline, clumsily smearing bubble-gum ice-cream all over my clean shirt as I yack and urinate. Nah, just some ongoing digestive difficulties. A new grab-bag of enigmatic horse-pills. More medical bills. I think it might be all the spice… which brings me to my next subject: Korean Food.

All things said, I’d have to say that Korean food is among the best food in the world. I like it nearly as much as Greek food, and about the same as Japanese… and way more than your standard North American fare. The variety here is unbelievable, and the prices are usually quite reasonable. For example, we went out with some friends and colleagues on Friday to an Octopus BBQ. We ate Seom Gyup Sal, which is essentially bacon, as well as extremely spicy, extremely fresh baby octopus, called Nakkji here. I loved it (although my stomach had a few complaints… I poured beer on it until it shut up!). We had a huge feed, drank several bottles of both beer and soju, and in the end, we had spent $10 each! Not bad, eh? Anything from the ocean makes me drool. Unfortunately, vegetables aren’t that common here. I think Koreans believe that a pack of cigarettes covers the body’s daily required vegetable intake. Nicole and I have been walking the traditional market behind our apartment quite frequently. It’s this long, narrow alley filled with street vendors selling all kinds of fresh produce, monster zucchinis, a variety of living and dead sea creatures, as well as tons of unrecognisible stuff. It has become a handy way to save money and look after our bodies. Also, it’s kind of fun. But damn, I love Korean food! Here’s a small list of some common dishes that we regularly eat:

Donkass- Don’t let the name fool you. This is basically a breaded pork cutlet smothered in a deep red sweet sauce, served with salad and rice. A staple for nearly everyone. Tastes good.

Tcheegae- A soup variety, generally made with soy bean paste, tofu, veg, mushrooms, and often with seafood. Cheap, spicy, healthy, and delicious.

Dukk Bokki- This is kind of like the kraft dinner of Korea. Fat rice noodles, with boiled eggs, kimchi, and processed cheese, covered in a rich, spicy, sweet chili sauce. We love having it for breakfast.

Bibim Mandu- Basically, a Korean-style salad served with chili sauce and fresh perogy-like pastries. Roll the veg into the pastry and eat. Awwwwwwwwesome.

Pajjeon- Korean pancakes (or pizza) made with potato flour, and usually containing squid, green onions, and a handful of other stuff. Dip it in soy sauce. Unreal, if it’s made right. Nicole makes it occasionally.

Fuck, I’m getting really hungry. I had a ton more I wanted to write about, but the thought of food has drawn my intelligence south. More later… Maybe a critique on Korean music or something. Spring is here. The temperature is approaching the 20’s and the beach is gggreat. The cherry blossoms are coming out now. Beautiful! Expect some photos. Or not…

Love,

Su Tee Bun