Daytime
So far, so good! Today, after having breakfast and working out on the outside gym, I got an email from one of my students in Korea and she rescheduled for tomorrow. That left me with nothing to do for the day and I was so glad. Rather than venture downtown to the touristy areas, I walked several kilometers around Olivia’s neighborhood. It is a great neighborhood with so many stores and restaurants…it is almost identical to Elmhurst or Woodside, Queens, except everything is in Korean. There’s a “Queens Boulevard” with everything you can imagine, and dozens of side streets teeming with shops and fruit stands and street vendors.
I wanted to buy Olivia and her mom a small gift so I decided to stop at the first flower shop I saw. But I saw one almost immediately, and was unsure if I would run into one again, so I bought a small “mindolea” (daisy) plant. It cost 2000 won, or about $1.40. So there I was, walking around these busy streets of Seoul, with a backpack and a daisy plant. It was quite strange walking around this way for two hours…I got a few strange glances from the locals (but then again, people stare at me in the States, too). Honestly, walking around this area made me feel nostalgic for Queens, NY, and all its hustle and bustle and thousands of people and the little bodegas and green grocers and neighborhood restaurants. Despite being busy, everything was accessible and prices are cheap because close proximity forces competition. For example, I went to a Korean restaurant [for many of the places I describe, see the photos above] and a large tray of food cost only 5,000 won. Why? Because I can get the exact same food at three other places on the same block!
The food, by the way, was great. It was served on a traditional pabsang and I sat on the floor and ate with silver chopsticks. You might think it is uncomfortable to sit and eat on the floor but actually, it is really comfortable. Remember, the floors are heated; so between that and the pillow it is really nice. I had tofu soup with clams and rice and kimchi and some other side dishes that were very good. In case you don’t know, it is not common to order a plate of food in a traditional Korean restaurant. Instead, you get 5 or 10 small plates, and you sort of eat a little bit of this and that as you please. It is a great way too eat!
So far, so good! Today, after having breakfast and working out on the outside gym, I got an email from one of my students in Korea and she rescheduled for tomorrow. That left me with nothing to do for the day and I was so glad. Rather than venture downtown to the touristy areas, I walked several kilometers around Olivia’s neighborhood. It is a great neighborhood with so many stores and restaurants…it is almost identical to Elmhurst or Woodside, Queens, except everything is in Korean. There’s a “Queens Boulevard” with everything you can imagine, and dozens of side streets teeming with shops and fruit stands and street vendors.
I wanted to buy Olivia and her mom a small gift so I decided to stop at the first flower shop I saw. But I saw one almost immediately, and was unsure if I would run into one again, so I bought a small “mindolea” (daisy) plant. It cost 2000 won, or about $1.40. So there I was, walking around these busy streets of Seoul, with a backpack and a daisy plant. It was quite strange walking around this way for two hours…I got a few strange glances from the locals (but then again, people stare at me in the States, too). Honestly, walking around this area made me feel nostalgic for Queens, NY, and all its hustle and bustle and thousands of people and the little bodegas and green grocers and neighborhood restaurants. Despite being busy, everything was accessible and prices are cheap because close proximity forces competition. For example, I went to a Korean restaurant [for many of the places I describe, see the photos above] and a large tray of food cost only 5,000 won. Why? Because I can get the exact same food at three other places on the same block!
The food, by the way, was great. It was served on a traditional pabsang and I sat on the floor and ate with silver chopsticks. You might think it is uncomfortable to sit and eat on the floor but actually, it is really comfortable. Remember, the floors are heated; so between that and the pillow it is really nice. I had tofu soup with clams and rice and kimchi and some other side dishes that were very good. In case you don’t know, it is not common to order a plate of food in a traditional Korean restaurant. Instead, you get 5 or 10 small plates, and you sort of eat a little bit of this and that as you please. It is a great way too eat!
Wow, you already became a Korean, I think. I'm glad you liked the foods at the Korean restaurant. Try more and more.... : )
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