A typical meal and more photos

Here is the bibimbap as served at the campus Korean restaurant next to the language center where I work. Very typical of a meal here- you get the main dish and a bunch of side dishes. If the side dishes get empty you can ask for more free of charge. Also- no tipping and fantastic service.

Front and center is bibimbap, served sizzling in a hot hot pot. This is bulgogi (beef) bibimbap to be exact. It's the only thing I know how to order if no-one else is with me (and I'm always worried I'll get squid if I just point). Bottom right is a soup like hot liquid- basically sprouts, green onion, and hot water. Three different kinds of kimchee- upper left is the classic cabbage, upper right is my favorite- green onion, middle right is, um, I'm not sure. It's sorta chewy.

I'm also not sure what the vegetable below the cabbage kimchi on the left is, but I like it. Sort of pasta-like in a sweet brown sauce with sesame seeds. Yummy. Top middle is squid. Blech, I don't like it but I rarely like squid. A lot of other people like it.

Here's some more pics-
http://www.facebook.com/JodyO.thecrashbaby?ref=profile#!/album.php?aid=203199&id=552100812&ref=mf

We had a dinner party on Saturday at Marc and Nicole's. They have a swanky 3 room apt because they're a couple. Doug cooked, barefoot, he knows his place. Seafood. It was delicious! We drank many bottles of wine- French, Chilean, and Australian wine costs about the same here as it does in the states. California wines are about twice as expensive.

Sunday we walked to another Buddhist temple- the watermelon temple. The monk invited us in and fed us. This monk was watching the news (last time they were watching soap operas). The big story right now is a ship that sank from an explosion- it may or may not have hit a N Korean mine.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/03/29/201003290038.asp

At any rate, the monk gave us candy, grapes, and coffee and stuffed our pockets full of candy as we left. She had pictures on the wall of herself at Niagara Falls, the UN headquarters in NYC- plus her diplomas, inc a PhD in Philosophy. She was very chatty but unfortunately- I don't speak Korean. Yet. Chris does but he won't translate. He says we need to learn how to speak it ourselves.

I really love the temples, besides the fact they feed me, they are also incredibly beautiful and peaceful, and there are tons of them around. This one is only about a 20 minute walk (straight UP a steep hill) from my house so I'm sure I'll be back.