patty and the beanstalk

2010-11-21T14:24:00.000-08:00

Well...so much for my overly-eager hope of posting everyday :)

As much as veganism is incredibly important to me, I've realized that I'm not really a "foodie" at all. Yes, I absolutely enjoy food; however, I never really crave any exciting dishes to whip up. I frequently do experience Korean food cravings, which I suppose I am lazy about cooking. Yet, my excuse is that after a loooong day of teaching (and then filled with studying, various classes, etc. of my own), the last thing that ignites any interest is cooking.

What vegan foods have filled me since my last posting on Tuesday?? The same exact ones that filled me the previous week. I know, I know... borrrrring. I can not keep filling my blog with food posts about sweet potatoes, chestnuts, apples/pears, and my spinach/broccoli combo for the rest of the month.

However, Saturday night I was able to include a few things that aren't on my current rotation list.

The amazing day began with my yoga classes (obviously I don't practice at Tom & Tom's... look up)!!

Then I treated myself to getting my hair/make-up done (something I NEVER do.. AND one of the women who works here decided that she is my friend. Therefore, I received absolutely royal treatment at a ridiculously low cost!!).
*oops...no pic*

Finally I was whisked away to the COEX Intercontinental Hotel for a splendid three hours at an all you can drink/eat wine buffet. I will be honest and say that I used to enjoy wine (probably a little too much...hehe); however, now.. I really don't enjoy drinking at all (especially when I had first learned that MANY wines are NOT VEGAN!! I shall dedicate this for a later post...) (1). The company and atmosphere were both particularly lovely, but after only drinking a little over two glasses... I experienced the WORST day long headache.

I had prematurely decided that there wouldn't be any vegan options available, but I was proved very wrong!

There is always water, right? ha. I remember when I had only lived in Seoul for a couple of months... there were MANY meals of just water, rice, and soy sauce. It makes me smile when I think about my early days here (but...I also wince a little at how quickly the time has raced by). I CONSTANTLY get asked the question of, "Is it hard to be vegan in Korea?"...

My answer? Not at all. Surely it is hard if you *have* to eat things like veganized junk food, "food" that has been designed to act like and/or to taste similarly meat. Yet, if you simply take the time to learn about the food and culture, it is incredibly easy to enjoy the AMAZING cuisine offered.

(Note: The pic of my water bottle is EMPTY! I downed this 2L BEFORE even having a sip of wine, and I STILL was plagued by a headache...geesh. Full-out grandma-ness.)

I munched on these for the entire three hours (hmm...maybe I got a headache because all that I consumed were veggies dipped in samjjang (a delicious sauce/paste/dip(?) that is quite savory)...

Finally the evening had whittled itself down to the remaining 30 min, or AKA as fillyourglassesASAPdrinkandrefillpileonthefood time. Our group then ventured to a singing room, and little miss Grandma Patty took off early so that I could catch the subway home (I have not one, but TWO good excuses for being a Grandma: I had to meet my boss and a co-worker EARLY for coffee, AND I had a yoga class). Saturday night success?? Yes.

1. http://www.barnivore.com

A little overdue

2010-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, right? :)

At the end of July during my summer break (geesh..almost four months overdue), my superawesomefantabulistic co-worker and I decided to head to Jeju-do (an exquisite island off of South Korea-only an hour's flight from Seoul!). We only stayed a few days, but it was the perfect excursion to recharge our well worn and slightly burned out teaching batteries.

So what does this have to do with Vegan Mofo?

Yeon Wu Nae

I am definitely not an expert foodie (hence my frequent meals of sweet potatoes or fruit...); however, I've been fortunate to experience a wealth of vegan friendly food in Korea. This place was absolutely the best vegetarian proclaimed restaurant that I've been to so far!

Honestly, in trying to rate a restaurant, so many of the reasons that I will enjoy a specific place is based on the experience as a whole. The entire experience of Yeon Wu Nae? Amazing, the end.

After the flight and an extended bus ride, Taylor and I were ridiculously hungry. I had read of this restaurant while trying to do a little planning for our trip, and through randomly bumbling about town, he and I found ourselves somehow magically poofed at it's doorstep.

I attribute it to Korean magic. Everything from the rustically simplistic decor down to the last bites of our meal couldn't have been better.

I even loved all of the cups and bowls!

We each decided to each go with one of our usual favorites, bi bim bap, and then we added an order of Nok Cha (green tea) Sujaebi to share. Taylor also ordered padjeon (kind of like a pancake, and usually brimming with some type of squirmy seafood and veggies), but I let him enjoy that on his own since I had more than enough food that I was about to inhale.

Nok Cha Sujaebi is a soup that is made from green tea noodles. The broth is a smooth, creamy, and comforting blend made from perilla seed powder. I wish I could describe the taste... all I can say about it is that it was excellent.

According to most Koreans, I eat my bi bim bap strangely. In Korean, bi bim means to mix (or at least something similar to that), but I don't always like to mix it all up! I enjoy the individual tastes of the many vegetables that can be included... There have been SO many occasions where K-friends, restaurant owners, or even other customers will try to steal my chopsticks and mix my bi bim bap for me!! :)

(If you are unfamiliar with Korean food, bi bim bap is usually served with a fried egg nestled on top of the veggies and rice. One of the first things I learned how to say in Korean was please take out the egg...)

Taylor and I had coconuts stapled in our brains before we had even left Seoul. Since we were heading to an island...visions of palm trees covered in coconuts danced in our imaginations. We quickly grew determined to find and consume them.

On our second day, we spent an awesome afternoon of hiking, followed by heading south to check out a few waterfalls. Upon our arrival, we were greeted warmly greeted:

After being revived from the fresh coconut juice, Taylor smashed our coconuts in half (1), and like cavemen, we dug out the "meat"(2). I don't even remember the last time that I had coconut, but it was INCREDIBLE.

(1) Have you ever tried to smash a coconut? Prepare yourself for a mini-workout.
(2) I couldn't resist...

2010-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

My students are awesome.

And sometimes... their parents are awesome, too.

Today when my kindergarten class finished,

Dinosaur's (yes, I really have a student named Dinosaur) mother

brought me a

warm,

roasted,

amazing,

sweet potato.

Clearly,

this week is only going to get

better and better..

I feel so blessed to be living in such abundance...

A Bunch of BS

2010-11-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sooo...I took a little hiatus from blogging daily...

BUT... I've still been writing waaay more than I have EVER done in the past. Therefore, I feel good about my posting frequency :).

This weekend, I felt like I didn't have any down time... except on Friday night when I came home from school and absolutely crashed!! I love when you lay your head on your pillow, and sleep immediately finds you.

On Saturday night and Sunday night, I made my current favorite salad...which I have affectionately named:

A Bunch of BS.

It is a broccoli/spinach salad...so I think the name is fitting :)

(I apologize for the icky pictures-my good camera was void of a charged battery AND my apartment has awesome fluorescent lighting...)

Ingredients:

-As much spinach as you can stuff yourself with

-As much broccoli as your tummy is hungry for

-Balsamic Vinegar, to taste

-Cumin, to taste

-Korean chilli-powder powder, to taste (it is called gochu-garu

-A pinch of minced garlic

This salad is ridiculously easy to make, and it is

great for people who want something super healthy,

super fast!

-Wash the broccoli and spinach

-Chop away into desired bite-size chunks

-Mix in the desired amount of minced garlic

(I do recommend going easy on the garlic as it can

take away from the taste of the balsamic...)

-Sprinkle in the desired amount Korean

chilli-powder and toss

-Sprinkle in the desired amount of cumin

and toss

-Top the salad with the desired amount of

Balsamic Vinegar and toss

-Enjoy a spicy, tangy, bunch of bs!!

Mmm.... just thinking about it makes my mouth water!! Maybe it will be tonight's dinner as well...

A little bit of homesickness...

2010-11-11T13:46:00.001-08:00

This morning while enjoying a sturdy cup of freshly pressed coffee, I came across a Mofo-er who is blogging about her vegan traveling adventures.

Hungry Vegan Traveler

Her latest post smacked me in the face with a heavy helping of homesickness...

While she is venturing on a road-trip 'round the states, one of her recent posts is about stopping in Nashville. Normally I am not too affected from being homesick; however, when it does hit me, my heart feels as though it has been stung by a bee.

For almost two years I have happily lived on the little peninsula of South Korea. Being in Asia has completely transformed me. This entire blog could even be solely dedicated to my Asian transformation; however, this month it has pledged to be vegan.

Nashville is not my hometown; I was born a mid-westerner from the great state of Ohio. Yet after a year of trying to transition out of the college lifestyle, I was lead south.

I do not intend on making Music City my home ever again, but it will always hold a little real estate in my heart.

(I can't seem to write anything without being long winded...)

ANYWAYS...

I became vegan when I was living in Nashville.

While being away from home, I first experienced cravings for certain foods that I have been unable to have while being here. Now, I rarely (if at all..) miss anything. When I lived stateside, I worked for Whole Foods and had unlimited access to the newest and trendiest "vegan" food available. My diet practically subsisted from Lara Bars, fresh wheatgrass shots, any kind of locally roasted coffee I desired, creative and conveniently available raw food delights, a wide assortment of raw nuts, and other veganized junk food (which now..I can't even believe I consumed so much of. gross).

At first, I wanted Chipotle (well...maybe sometimes I still think about Chipotle..hehe), a peanut-butter cookie Lara Bar, one of Tom's (*sigh* a Whole Foods juice bar juicer and produce chopper aficionado) smoothies, or a PM (local restaurant) veggie burger.

Now? My tummy craves sweet potatoes, acorn squash, spinach mixed simply with red pepper and balsamic vinegar, K-bean-sprout soup (kong na-mul guk), Bi bim bap (veggies mixed with rice), Spicy bean-paste soup (dwenjjung jiggae), super-sticky, multi-grained rice, fresh fruits, and a hot cup of barley tea.

Until today...

Little Miss Happy V Traveler wrote about a few streets and restaurants that kindled warm memories. She included a few newcomers since I've lived there, but I can clearly picture the streets that they sit on...and all of the happy hearts surrounding them.

Amidst the wide collection of restaurants offering anything from gourmet cupcakes to fried oreos to legendary pancakes, there are a handful of places that make the Nash quite vegan friendly.

One place happens to be a small square of Heaven...

I've never been a big fan of ice cream, BUT.. I LOVE POPSICLES!!!!!!!

Fresh fruit crushed and blended into an icy delicacy on a stick? Yes, please (1)

Pineapple was my fav (on a rotation of course...).

"Yes I guarantee, things are sweeter in Tennessee..."

At least, I feel that that lyric holds true when concerning the likes of popsicles.

(1) I know I've been such a photo thief. BUT.. this pics are not from other bloggers. They are from Nashville publications so by swiping them, I think I am just promoting a Nashville business (excuses..excuses...). Although since I have been an excellent little blogger (blogging away every day...I'm so proud of myself), I have been motivated to start carrying my camera with me. More pictures on the way...

2010-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

However, I am well-experienced in accepting defeat in the Battle of the Broken French Press. It was a hard walk home, but I'm pleased to say that my recovery has left me better off.

I know, I know... Vegan Mofo is supposed to be about a month of FOOD, but since my monthly menu is proving to be quite mundane, I'm trying to be a little creative. If you are reading my blog, I'm assuming that you are an advocate for the vegan lifestyle (or..perhaps just enjoy food). The majority of vegans whom I have interacted with are damn good cooks; damn good cooks like gadgets, right?

My recent gadget purchase resulted from an initial bad buy.

The Bonjour Unbreakable

Three-cup French Press

Result: FAIL!

I only purchased this little guy out of convenience. Plugging in an order of deliciously magical Yerba Mate tea from Guayaki (which I will blog about later...), I viewed the option to buy this French Press thinking it would save me time and a little money.

Yes, he did his job well for about two months: happily providing pressed coffee or tea every morning. Until... he decided to quit without providing any sort of a notice.

Mr. Unbreakable broke my coffee-pressin' heart.

The spontaneous break-up had nothing to do with the glass carafe but the actual press. Without any extra stress or nagging, a primary piece from the inside plastic holder chipped off. Writing that it was a "chip" is really just sugar-coating that he became completely useless.

It was a sad morning.

A very sad, uncaffeinated morning(1)...

(On a side note, being the savvy ESL teacher that I am (ha!)...I am curious if the word uncaffeinated is grammatically ok to use in this context. It is my understanding that the word decaffeinated is referring to the actual extracting of caffeine. But.. it doesn't sound right because I can't-correctly speaking- extract caffeine from the morning, just the coffee itself. Therefore the prefix un, meaning the opposite of something, seems to be a better choice. Please... I would LOVE to be corrected. I can't find a well-supported answer.)

The rebound that is turning into Mr. Longterm:

The Bodum Kenya Coffee French Press

Unfortunately, I am a notorious impulse buyer. I was in a coffee shop, locked eyes with this attractive fellow, and somehow ended up taking him home for the night. The following morning, he made me breakfast.

I fell in love.

If you happen to be a French pressing fanatic such as me, I definitely recommend Bodum products. I should have known better (based on stellar reviews from caffeine-junky friends) and initially purchased from the Bodum company. The pot (so far..) hasn't allowed for any grind shenanigans to sneak their way into the drinkable portion of the pressed coffee, and it seems quite sturdy in comparison with the Bonjour.

If this blog entry makes a difference in even one person's potential uncaffeinated (ugh..decaffeinated??) morning, I feel that this blog entry has truly served its purpose.

Apple-Cider Vinegar

2010-11-09T11:46:00.001-08:00

Through blogging everyday, I have starkly realized that my veganhood is as culinarily interesting as a university engineering student. It isn't that I was unaware of my simple, quick, and convenient eating style, I just never fully scrutinized what I ate-just what it was made up of.

I do love food, but I am more so fascinated with how such small, daily choices can largely impact our world, body, heart, and mind. Therefore every time that I eat, I sincerely make an attempt to really listen to my body and hear what it is truly craving.

For example: I'll be teaching a class and suddenly I'll get blindsided by an overpowering craving for grapefruit.

Yes, grapefruit.

Hmm... my body is probably saying, "You need to protect your lil' vegan ass from these germ-shellacked kiddos. More vitamin C puuuhhhleeezzzz..."

Often I'll view some pretty intoxicating vegan food porn, and while it usually appeals to my eyes or briefly my stomach, I usually don't feel any lasting craving towards it (I think this could also apply to many other cravings in life...).

In light of my boring palate, today's blog is dedicated to a vegan product that I consume constantly:

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!

Alone, I think this stuff tastes like how an unwashed hiking sock would smell...sickening. However, mixed with fresh juice, honey, or other fruit-vinegar-ish type liquids (which is how I take it), it has an addicting slightly sweet, sour-apple flavor.

There are many companies that sell ACV, but I use the Braggs' brand. If you can purchase it from a store, it is quite inexpensive. However, I have to get mine shipped here through a special vitamin company.

According to the Braggs (Naturopathic doctors and loooong time health crusaders), ACV contains a wealth of nutritional benefits.

You can check out a little video and extra info here:

http://www.bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

Before moving to Korea, I worked at Whole Foods. At the cash register, I would frequently see bouncy, glowing, shiny, happy people purchasing ACV by the gallon. Since I'm nosy, I would always ask if the promised health benefits were fulfilled. EVERY customer was always eager to share his or her personal, life changing testimonial with me.

At that time, I was still skeptical of any "magic potion" and tried to focus my diet on strictly raw foods (although, Braggs' vinegar claims to be raw...). It wasn't until almost a year ago when a friend recommended that I tried it for my frustratingly blemish-prone skin. I wish that I could write that it is the best skin clearing agent available, but I've only noticed a little improvement (but.. better than nothing, right??).

I primarily take it for its internal healing properties.

Everyday I must stand before a well-conditioned and finely tuned fleet of highly-powered, small children. These little tanks bombard me with the utmost sophisticated ammunition: boogers.

The naturally occurring Malic Acid in the vinegar gives it anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-child properties. Despite my increasing insomnia, I have (*crossing fingers and knocking on wood*) been able to fend off sickness like a champion.

ACV is also supposed to help increase flexibility and strength in joints and tendons. In high-school, I had a minor knee accident, (perhaps one day I'll write of the heroic and fantastical tale...) and I try in any way that I can to give my left knee a little extra help.

(Also, I have an ardent desire to one day teach yoga and continue rock-climbing.... the joints must stay happy)

I definitely recommend this product. If for some reason you are unhappy with your purchase, you can use it topically on your scalp, skin, or to even clean with!

2010-11-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

Ok.. so this post is a product of my laziness.

I was planning to get a fun little pic or two of my school lunch adventures (have I mentioned that I teach English to small children??), and then blog about the surprisingly many vegan options that our chef offers to us. However, instead of posting just one or two pics... I am going to save this idea for a later post (I have the entire month, right?) in order to offer better lunch time viewing options!!

For today, enjoy a few pictures astounding Bukhansan beauty:

I wish I could say that I took this picture. Remember HKG that made an appearance in a previous post (SHHH!! SECRET!)?? He is the photographer.

Patty and Jin-Young. I'm assuming that she is telling me to go faster: Patty=cautious little turtle.

This hike was completed over 추석 (pronounced: Chuseok), which is a three-day holiday similar to Thanksgiving.

I know this post has nothing to do with food (note the previous mention of my mofo-laziness), but I'm proud of myself that I have continued to post EVERY DAY!!

Tomorrow... back to more mofo marvels...

2010-11-07T11:41:00.001-08:00

Soooo...after consuming a hearty helping of Vegan Mofo blogs today, I have come across this fun little survey. I am super nosy and enjoy discovering random facts (especially when they are veganized!) about most people I interact with (whether it be in a real meeting or through learning about a person from his/her blog).

If you are like me.. enjoy my share of vegan idiosyncrasies...

(There is a good chance that most people find surveys tedious. If you happen to be one of those people, you should happily skip to the next Mofo-er on the list, because in an attempt to warn you, I am long-winded..)

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?

Hmmm... buttered popcorn?? Now, I would be overly excited to eat plain, air-popped, pop corn; however, I don't have an air popper :(

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?

Easy peasy: brussel sprouts and tomatoes. Oh my goodness was I missing out when I was a kid!! I haven't had brussel sprouts since I have been in K-town, but tomatoes are (thankfully) abundant.

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?

(Get ready...1-2-3 gasp) I actually don't really like tofu. I can handle a few cubed bites mixed in with a few Korean delicacies, but other than that.. I really only enjoy the cute little drawings that people create involving tofu.

And.. I don't like "vegan" meats: Boca burgers.. chik'n... etc.

And.. let's add any kind of fake cheese to the list (I was never a fan of real cheese)

Wow. Way to be a Negative Nancy :)!!

I've decided that I'm probably the most boring vegan ever.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?

I wish that I could answer this question by writing water.

Unfortunately, the truth is black coffee *sigh*. At one point in my life I ALMOST kicked the habit,... but I absolutely love it. LOOOVE it. I am passed the "I need it to stay awake phase." I admit that I love the buzz, but I actually enjoy it more for the taste, the smell, holding the hot cup in my cold, winter frozen hands (haha.. I'll even drink it hot in the middle of a sweltering summer day!), sipping it while I read, and enjoying the wonderful compliment it provides to conversation.

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?

When I attended my university, I made damn good cookies, but at that time, I wasn't vegan. As my vegetarianism blossomed into veganism, I was working constantly and lost my passion for the kitchen... I think it would be fun to get into vegan baking, but I do not have an oven.

At gatherings, I have been known to throw together a pretty mean veggie plate!!!

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?

I am awfully picky (translation: annoying), so I'm sure that I have some weird food rules. At the moment, I can't think of any though...

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?

Trail mix. The end.

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?

Coffee. While living in Korea, I have spent too much money on finding and drinking good coffee. Also, I'll often splurge on top-shelf produce...

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?

I am definitely a snacker; I like to eat little meals all day long! hehe. I usually just snack on fruit... chestnuts (they are plentiful here) veggies, or just a little rice.

Geesh.. even my snacks are boring.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?

AHHH! When I was living in Nashville, one of my favorite places to eat at was a restaurant called the Mellow Mushroom. While I don't miss too many foods from back home, I can instantly start to drool a little when thinking of their vegan pizza!! It was topped with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, peppers, onions, AMAZING pizza sauce, and artichoke hearts. The dough was lightly brushed with olive oil making the puffy crust seem like clouds glazed with a little morning sunshine.

Oh no... cue drool.

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

Most of what I consume are fruits and vegetables; therefore, my favorites in each category are constantly changing. Currently they are as follows:

Favorite veggie: broccoli

Favorite fruit: Asian pears

What is the best salad dressing?

My own!!! It is a mix of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of apple cider vinegar, super-spicy red pepper powder, a wee bit of garlic, and a little cumin.

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Wow. No exaggerations.. it has been almost two years since I have had bread!!! It isn't that I don't want to eat bread, I just 1) don't have any craving strong enough to purchase good bread, and 2) I don't have the resources to make it myself. I also don't have a toaster... this isn't a good question for me.

BUT..

If I had access to Ezekiel bread and a kick-a toaster, I would be spreading natural peanut butter, topping with sliced bananas, and sprinkling that fine mess with a little cinnamon.

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?

Mmmm... I love a good bowl of 콩나물국!! Although, any Korean soup that I have had (veganized, of course... I have discovered that most K-soup is made with some type of seafood broth), has been wonderful. Among all of the magical skills that Koreans have, cooking ranks high on the list.

(I'm borrowing this photo from Korean Gourmet...)
(Also... sometime this month I'll put together an entry of my favorite veganized K-food!)

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?

I have a confession: Even though I have been vegan for over three years now, I have only ever had vegan cupcakes twice!! I know, I know.. what is wrong with me?!?! When I was living in Nashville, I once dined on a batch of cupcakes baked by my dear friend Lacey. The only way that I can try to describe how good they were that their taste was as astoundingly magical as the goddess Aphrodite was known for her beauty (that makes sense...right?)

Of course the recipe was from:

I'm not certain of their name, but I'm sure it is something like Oreo Heaven or Oreogasms (hehe..that was too easy, I couldn't resist).

And another Nashvillian, my dear friend and gluten-free chef extraordinaire Megan put together simple, vegan, and gluten-free chocolate cupcakes. The frosting was simple... just regular cupcake frosting? I don't know how else to write about it other than it was brightly colored and tasty??

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

While I haven't sampled a great assortment of vegan pastries, I've tried my fair share of cookies!!! I used to work at Whole Foods and we sold cookies from the Alternative Baking company.

and... I can't choose a favorite. I remember ALL of the flavors I tried being GREAT!!

Although, after seeing many of the Mofo cookie pics out there... I'm sure there are a few bakers who could put these cookies to shame!!

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

*sigh* I'm the most boring vegan ever.

If you haven't read any of my previous entries, I need to tell you that I get stuck in food ruts. MAJOR food ruts..

Right now, I'm consuming sweet potatoes as if every meal were my last (sometimes I get dangerous and I'll throw my rut off by switching to broccoli and/or spinach..)!!

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?

:( I'm the only one in my house.

When I was dating my boyfriend long ago, we had very opposite views on peppers. While I passionately love them, they made (possibly still make?) him gag (if anyone cares, that wasn't the deal-break though.. hehe).

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?

Pffftt... 15 min? Honestly, should I have even been allowed to join Mofo??

Ok... it is obvious that cooking isn't necessarily my thing. Yet, I am incredibly passionate about the food that I eat!! Every time that I eat something, I am making a choice to love others, love the earth, and to love myself. I am by NO MEANS perfect. I'm sure that some of the coffee I've consumed in the past comes from places where fair wages haven't been paid... or perhaps some of the fruits/veggies I have eaten have made nomadic travels to reach their final destination.

But..

I am attempting to live a vegan lifestyle and show as much compassion as I possibly can. My hope is that it will inspire others to "fight the good fight"-not necessarily by becoming vegan, but to simply become more aware of the daily choices that they make.

On a side-note... I have been an excellent little blogger!! *pat self on back* I went from MONTHS in between posts to writing EVERYDAY!! Woooo..way to go progress :)

2010-11-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

While I love my Grandmother dearly, I unfortunately inherited her central nervous system. Therefore in most social situations, I can be painstakingly awkward (1). My palms and armpits get sweaty, anything and everything lodges itself between my teeth, and my klutziness is magnified.

Today I attended the wedding of my Korean friend. Translation: I was one of two foreigners (the other was the brides's sister's husband), but I actually enjoy it when I'm one of the few wegooks (hehe.. k-talk for foreigner)!! Although, since my Korean language ability is dreadfully poor, this only intensified my anxiety.

THEN.. to top it off, I spent the entire wedding with HKG (handsome Korean guy) ;).

This is my long-winded way of writing that I forgot to take pics of the DELICIOUSLY fab vegan food that I enjoyed!! *sigh*

However, I was thankful that the vegan choices were plentiful. Among tons of tasty veggies, traditional Korean rice cake, and LOTS of pineapple, my favorite thing was actually an iced tea of some sort that I had never tried before (extra points are awarded to the beverage because dashing guy served me, and he seemed excited for me to try it...).

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of it!!! ARGH! I blame it on the nerves. How was I supposed to remember its name while I was focused on balancing the veggie mountain that was reigning over my plate??

I promise a name on Monday when I question my K-co-workers.

SOOOO...since I don't have any awesome wedding food pics, I'll share another picture of (cue thematic music):

chestnuts!!

After the wedding I ventured to Apgujeong, and like usual, upon finishing my yoga class, I treated myself to my current favorite delicacy! I DID take pics of the awesome little stand that I usually purchase them from, but I think the pics look lame (I'll try again tomorrow...).

****

Off of the vegan-food love and onto something amazingly beautiful that I read today:

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.
Don't try to see through
The distances.
That's not for human beings.
Move within,
But don't
Move the way
Fear makes you move.
Today, like every other day,
we wake up empty and frightened.
Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

~Rumi

To anyone who finds themselves reading my blog, have a beautiful Sunday.

1) Yet... now that I think of it, Gram is never awkward in social situations. In fact, she has mastered ultra-savvy class. Perhaps she just harbors all of her woes and then lets them later explode like a jack-in-the-box.

2010-11-05T15:02:00.001-07:00

Ahhh...Friday...

It is refreshing to reach the end of the week, but simultaneously, I have begun to find it a little bit creepy in how quickly the weeks have been passing.

Hmm... What is with this speedy-week witchcraft??

I remember something my grandfather said to me when I was a little girl:

"Patty, the days always seem so long, yet the years will quickly escape you..."

My grandfather, in all of his wise grandfatherness, was (and still is) correct. Small children can frequently make for over-stuffed minutes and fattened hours. However, the past year and a half replays in my mind as quickly as a cartoon flip-book tells a story.

(Dramatic pause for a moment of reflection...)

SOOO.. onward with the mofoing...

What was tantalizing and fascinating that entered my vegan tummy today??

I want to say my favorite food item was 1/2 of the soft, almost gooey, highly-sweetastic sweet potato that my co-worker so kindly shared with me, but.. since yesterday's topic included potatoes, I will write about another fall time favorite of mine:

ROASTED CHESTNUTS!!!!!!

(Of course my chestnut picture is disagreeing with me about becoming famous, but I will try to get a new pic tomorrow-hehe.. I will be in an area of Seoul where I know an old woman who sells them!!!)

As with sweet potatoes, my favorite way to enjoy these little guys is paired with an Americano or French Pressed coffee (my coffee snobbery will surely make its appearance soon..). Often on Saturdays or Sundays after my yoga class, I will purchase a little bag of them, choose one of the ridiculously abundant coffee shops in Apgujeong (압구정), crack open my current reading selection, or share them with whomever I'm with.

If you have never been enchanted by a chestnut eating experience, I suggest that you get ahold of some pronto!! They can be enjoyed a variety of ways (from steaming, pounding into flour for baking, they can be made into a similar soy milk-ish drink, or included in many dishes), but my FAVORITE way to enjoy them is (of course) simply roasted by themselves.

While every time I have eaten chestnuts they have been unsweetened, roasting them offers a dulcified, slightly chewy, smoky flavor. The mild sweetness that evolves is a perfect mate for the acidity of coffee...

Tomorrow, I will be attending my friend's wedding, and she repeatedly told me of the mass quantity of vegetables that will grace the buffet!!!

Easy peasy.

2010-11-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Current favorite food: The Sweet Potato

(For those of you who don't know...)
I live in Seoul, South Korea.

This is an example of a conversation that I have had approximately a billion times (One of my faults: exaggeration). EVERY time that I have to engage in this, for some reason, it never gets easier for me. Of course it is not the other person's fault... when a someone shares info about him or herself with me, I am curious to learn more about the said fact. However, I suppose due to my personal insecurities, I usually feel awkward. :)

But then again, when I trip over my feet while walking on perfectly, unadulterated pavement-I feel awkward.
Or... when I realize that I've been a complete facebook/blog stalker-I feel awkward.

Geesh.. I can never easily or briefly say/write something.

Oooo...that is another situation where I feel awkward: when engaged in conversation (or obviously, when I'm writing a story about xy or z,)it never can be conducted simply. Long winded stories tumble out of my mouth uncontrollably as an avalanche picks up speed.

On to the convo:(note...I am never frustrated by this convo, I just always feel like a big weenie explaining myself)

Random person (whether it be a foreigner or Korean): "Wow. You're vegan? Really? Like.. you don't eat any meat?"

Me: "Yes... I'm really vegan, and yes, I don't eat any meat."

RP: "But.. do you eat fish?"

Me: "Mmmm...nope. No meat (nicely stressing the no and the meat)" *smile* " And actually, I don't eat any animal byproducts." *awkward smile, accompanied by a polite, conversation-lightening laugh to emphasize that I am not trying to be rude*

RP: "What? Like...no milk, either?" (oh no, I just became weirder plus five..)

Me: "No...milk. Orrrr....ice cream/cheese/butter.... and eggs."

RP: "Oh my gosh.. I love eggs. I could never not eat eggs. So...what do you eat? Wow!! Isn't it hard to be vegan and live in Korea??"

Me: *Big smile* No..not really at all.

RP: "But...what do you actually eat?"

At this point in the convo, I am reminded of one of the many reasons why I LOVE living in Seoul. I'm grateful for how gloriously abundant the produce is (minus a few items...). EVERYWHERE that I travel, vendors have fruit/veggie stands, and frequently, regardless of time or temperature!!

There were a few dietary adjustments upon landing in Seoul:

1) Learning that most Kimchi is made with itty-bitty shrimpies and some type of anchovy/fish paste (I was informed of this after being repeatedly assured that it was animal free)

2) Most of the soups are made with fish stock

3) I don't want to generalize, but in my own experiences... most Koreans don't consider fish/chicken "meat"

But other than those few examples, being vegan in Korea is not hard.

Wait...

I take that back. I do struggle in one area..and that is the social aspect of my veganism (hence the convo). It sucks, and I always feel that I'm being a huge inconvenience (which is something that I just need to learn to get over...).

ANYWAYS.. back to food. This is supposed to be a month about vegan food blogging...

The food rut that I'm currently stuck in: sweet potatoes.

*they are delicious: sweet, soft, chewy-melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness
*there are various varieties and ways to cook them: steamed, sauteed, baked, boiled, roasted..
*they are SIMPLE to cook: 1) wash 2) put in steam pot 3) continue being a facebook/blog stalker while briefly waiting
4) finished!
*they are super convenient: sweet potatoes even have their own little protective shell!!
*they are fairly inexpensive, and since it is fall...right now, they are cheap!!

On my daily travels, I love seeing all of the produce vendors that line my neighborhood's streets. Since it is the season for sweet spuds, vendors have tons of little red baskets overflowing with potato joy!!

Today?? I enjoyed a couple of them steamed to ultimate perfection.

Again, simple veg tastebud heaven...

(eating suggestion: pair a sweet potato with coffee...)

the ultimate procrastination station...

2010-11-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog post is (unfortunately) probably the best way to describe my blog. Actually, I feel that I shouldn't even be able to call this blog address a real blog due to my lack of posts.

HOWEVER...

January-schmanuary, I have deemed November as a personal month of new resolutions and change!! The first month of the new year is cliche anyways, right?? Hordes of people claim "New Year Resolutions," but I shall take a self-changing/improving/motivated stand (translate: sitting at my desk and completing preventative carpal-tunal syndrome exercises) to make the most the dwindling year.

Patty's End of the Year Resolution(s)...ready, set, GO!

I am going to commit to an ENTIRE month of posting EVERY DAY!!!

Starting...now...

November 3, 2010

Hmm...what was my reason? What prompted me??

The official 2010 Vegan Month of Food!!!

(Check out all of the mofo-info here: www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=2638&catId=2)

Therefore as my 3rd act of New-leaf November (11/01-I completed back-to-back Bikram yoga classes and 11/02, I began an organizing rampage!! woooOOooOooo), I am committing to a writing a new blog post

every

single

day

(even if I possibly missed the official Vegan Mofo sign-up).

Everyday... I will let the world (well, probably just the few who randomly visit my blog..) in on my strange little food concoctions that are fast, easy, and as many Koreans would say, "good for your health..". Others will fill their vegan blogs with elaborate and comforting vegan cookies, cakes, curries-the ultimate assortment of veganized cuisine. BUT.. here on this little beanstalk (hopefully you caught the pun....) (1) will be growing an appreciation of food eaten simply (or.. maybe I'm just trying to justify my cooking laziness...).

Starting with my dinner last night:

I know, borrrring. BUT.. my stomach stays full and happy enjoying my ridiculously simple meal. PLUS..as an added bonus, these sweet, golden-y, lil' beauties are high in fiber, and they are a moderate source of Vitamin C, K, and E.

Dinner tonight?? A few bunches of fresh broccoli, chopped, and sprinkled with a little balsamic vinegar/hot pepper powder/cumin mix (I should also mention that while I enjoy keeping my meals simple, I get stuck in ruts. My veggies and salads have been feeling this spice mix for a good 2-3 months!!) Then, I finished my delicious dinner with another asian pear (I've gone a little pear crazy lately..hence the rut).

Have a Happy Veganbloggingtastic Month!!!

Note:
1) It probably is a pretty awful stretch being that I have to mention my own attempt at a pun.

Today... I turn three years old....

2010-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me :)

Not really. I'm actually a May baby, a Taurus...

However, today I "celebrate" being vegan for the past three years.

2010-03-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

"c'mon courage...teach me to be shy..."

2010-02-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

it has almost been one year that i have lived in this amazing, little country, and these little people have changed my heart forever:

on to another 365+ days of laughing, learning, living, loving, and of course, always (hopefully) growing....

2009-11-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

How is it Thanksgiving all ready? I can clearly remember last year:

I bumbled down the sidewalk, gazing at all of the Christmas decorations adorning the historic Victorian houses. A door creaked open at one house in particular, and a stream of children poured out onto the front lawn. My heart was instantly thumped backwards and filled me with memories of my cousins and family through various holidays. As I breathed in a swirl of cinnamon, green beans, and other Thanksgiving delicacies, I was sad.

Very sad, actually.

Being only a mere eight hours from home, I missed my family.

Now?

I am eager to spend the evening with Canadians and Koreans. Certainly I miss my family, and every once in awhile, I still get deeply nostalgic over Nashville (hence my previous post).

But...I have come to absolutely love Korea. This year, I don't have any sadness, but I'm filled with true thankfulness of where my life presently is. I'm surrounded by amazing people who I get to spend quality time with every weekend, I have an awesome job, a stellar apartment, good health... I'm SO unfathomably lucky and fortunate!!

My blog, unfortunately, has not seen so much of this love.

I have post after post of potential entries that have never fully come to fruition, but hopefully, I'll eventually become more proactive in finishing each of them (in good time..of course)

***

ps-I think the vegan turkey pic is pretty dynamite... :)

2009-09-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, Nostalgia...
please stop getting the best of me.

I randomly heard this song yesterday, and I found my head spinning around details of a Nashville night eight months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdl658l5TTQ

I wish my head and my heart could work out an agreement on which city to be in.

2009-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

As the majority of my students concentrated on their vocabulary tests, Christina pushed her finished test aside. Quietly, she pulled out books to study for a test in her following class.

I watched as she followed the foreign words with the tip of her blue highlighter. Every few moments, the highlighter would pause, and I could see her eyes narrow further in concentration. I wondered if the sentences, correctly formed on paper, could also correctly form in her mind.

Instead of stopping, the highlighter tapped against the paper. Christina casually rolled her head to meet her shoulder and lifted her eyes to the window. Suddenly I was taken back to Mrs. Zaferopolos' second grade class. My math book may as well have been written in Greek because I barely could translate fractions. Constantly my eyes would find the window, and I would daydream about what every little girl thinks on... horses, swimming, and what happened at lunch earlier. Within seconds, Mrs. Zaferopolos would summon me back to figuring out fractions. She ruined so many rides on my horse, she pulled me out of my neighbor's pool, and interrupted the replaying lunchtime conversations.

Christina's blue highlighter scribbled translucent ink onto her nails. She pressed it deep into the ridges but was careful not to stain the adjacent skin. After she painted three nails, she placed the highlighter down to admire her work.

I was caught.

She smiled to me, and I walked over to her seat.

Before I could even speak, she took my hand into her own.
"Patty teacher, at Korean school, I am the fastest in the second grade! I am even faster than all of the boys."

She refused to let me speak..

"You have the most beautiful hands, teacher. Do you think that one day I will be as beautiful as you?"

My heart instantly warmed. On more than one occasion, I've had a student touch me so deeply with their heartfelt words, that it has almost pushed out my tears.

"Teacher! Your face is so red!"

I let out a sigh and laughter.

"Oh, Christina.. you are so beautiful," I said, crouching down so that my eyes could meet her level. "How did I ever get to be so lucky that I am your teacher? I hope that one day, I can be as beautiful as you..."

She placed my hand on her folder and started to turn the nail on my index finger blue.

"Here Patty teacher, this will help," she said.

I let her fill in the rest of my nails. She was again so cautious to deeply shade them, yet concerned with not coloring the cuticles. Within my two minute manicure, I felt so loved...

While it is such a desire of mine to show all of my students how much value that each of them possess, I am constantly reaffirmed of my own.

Iron and Wine induced nostalgia..

2009-07-19T14:25:00.001-07:00

Belmont Blvd. was the most traveled road I followed on my journey through Nashville.

I can clearly remember my last run on that road before I moved to Korea:

The air was so saturated with springtime that sunshine and warmth pleaded to peek through the January mush. I gulped in the weather as I tried to trace all of my previous running paths: back and forth around Bongo coffee, tasting my last glass of Shiraz on PM's patio, and forcing my tired legs up the hill leading to Belmont's parking garage.

Pausing...

I walked to the edge of the garage, and I climbed up on the ledge overlooking Belmont's campus. People drifted in and out of my mind much heavier than as they had drifted into and back out of my life.

(Moments can often drag on like waiting for Christmas)

Danielle was picking up the last pieces of my furniture, and I needed to make my way back to my apartment.

Soon it wouldn't be my apartment anymore.

Not that it mattered.. it was just two rooms, fixed together by nails. Yet, that framework still encases many pieces of my heart.

I had to say goodbye to love in my living room...
I fell in love where the kitchen tiles connected to the carpet...

My heart still feels drippy with nostalgia when I think of all the amazing memories that that street invoked in to my life.

I can't help but to remember certain pictures:

how the pineapple popsicle bit into the nerves of my teeth on the side walk,
how my little car smashed its nose into another while turning a corner, the thick, hot Nashville summers, fingertips pressing into the centers of my palms in tree lit backyard, a lonely Thanksgiving stroll where the houses smelled of green beans, cinnamon, and coffee, running through raindrops so fat that I was blinded, stumbling home from the combination of Shiraz, dark chocolate, and laughter far too loud for the bible belt, New Year's morning and talking in my bed the entire day, having friends help me pack up my car and locking 2123 Belmont Blvd's apartment door for the last time...

***

Sometimes I speak the names of loved ones into the wind that passes me. It is my hope that the love from my heart is powerful enough to project my words over the miles and miles that separate us.

say, "kimchi!"

2009-06-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

It has been three months since I have written anything on here...so get ready to digest an out-of-order, bits and pieces account of the past 12ish weeks...

***

At a club called Volume, I walked into a packed-out, apartment-sized bathroom-oozing with intoxicated Korean women. Being the only foreigner, they all stopped what they were doing and stared at me like a herd of deer trapped in car headlights.

"You speak Korean?" one of them immediately asked.
"No," I offered with an apologetic smile.
Girl then grabbed my arms, and she pulled me so close I thought she was going to kiss me.

"You are so beautiful! So exotic! I'm so happy to meet you!"

I laughed out loud...me? exotic? I'm still fumbling with the concept that I'm the minority here. I also laughed because this amazingly beautiful woman (if you don't know or have been walking around with a bag over your head...Korean women are probably the most beautiful women in the world) who was wide-eyed, had a gaping mouth, and clinging to me... was telling me that I was beautiful.and exotic.

"You are so beautiful!" I responded back.

A volcano of laughter erupted. I blinked, and they were gone.

Magic.

***

Father: Do you know where the embassy is?

Me: Yes, Dad.

Father: Do you know how to get there in case anything happens with N.Korea...

Me: *sigh* Yes, Dad.

I've never been good at multi-tasking; therefore, I may not be an expert on how many tasks a person can adequately juggle. During my morning runs, I have seen many Korean school children on their way to school. On their bicycles, they successfully steer around chaotic traffic, listen to music, AND read a book.

North Korea?

I'm scared of getting hit by a small child.

***

Lately, I've been craving saltine crackers: the perfectly crispy, nutritionally void, salted squares of taste-bud heaven. Thankfully Seoul sports one of my random food cravings.

***

My director had warned us about consistently washing our hands, and while I adhered to her advice, I proudly announced how I rarely got sick.

Before I could cross my fingers, knock on wood, or complete any anti-jinxing witchcraft, I of course was coughing and constantly blowing my nose. Despite my valiant attempts to overdose on vitamin c, get sleep, drink gallons of water, and eat many vegetables...I quickly got worse. Thanks to the smoggy, yellow-dusted, Seoul air, I developed a pretty serious sinus infection and bronchitis, which led to an even more serious ear infection.

I begrudgingly went to the doctor's office (actually, another foreign teacher, Ashley, at my school kindly walked me there because I was not in any kind of normal functioning state).

He looked at my ear with an intricate mini-camera, and he then sent me to an ear specialist.

I was completely in a daze from the pain, and I was running a ridiculously high fever (102!!!). The map that the doctor drew for me to get to the ear doctor's office was an exact replica of a Mike Patterson map (Alliance Review edition)(1).

Even though I begged the doctor to write down the name of the ear doctor's office in Korean so that I could just hand it to a cab driver, he insisted that I would be able to find my way.

Unfortunately, he couldn't understand how much Patty Blake lacks a sense of direction.

As I bumbled down the sidewalk, the only thing I could think about was how much I probably resembled a cat my family once had. Our kitty, Nanna, had once too suffered from an inner-ear infection. Until she died many years later, she walked around void of any balance and with her head tilted to one side.

Could this potentially be my future?

I was incredibly weak and dizzy from looking up at the buildings, and trying to match the Korean Hangul letters to business signs. By the grace of God, I ended up in a bakery at the bottom of the building I was supposed to be in. I handed over my makeshift map and the kind employees took my hand, put an arm around my shoulders and ushered me upstairs.

The next sight that I saw was directly out of a bad foreign film...

The office was crammed with a sea of black heads. I towered over everyone in the room as I barely made it to the front desk. They handed me a dirty, crumpled paper with English requesting my contact information. The receptionists could see how weak I was, and one of them led me to an open seat.

It was shoulder to shoulder seating. On my left sat an Adjumma who took up most of the space with her dominating expression and to my right sat a small child reading an Anime comic book. As I drifted in and out of a dreamy sleep state, my name was finally called after an hour, and I then saw a doctor (who looked like he was 12) for five min.

He wrote me a prescription and told me to come back in three days.

I now no longer can look at children as children. All I see are slimy hands, drippy noses, and heated, fevered foreheads.

I'm lethally armed with a bottle of hand-sanitizer.

***

The man who lives in the apartment above me has an amazing ability to pee at record lengths of time. I am marveling at human anatomy-how is it possible to hold over a minute's worth of pee in your bladder?

Yes, the walls in my apartment building are that thin...

***

I've been informed by a variety of people (namely my students) that apples are not sufficient for a meal.

I beg to differ:

Apples are the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of a champion. The end.

***

Where was my life before rock climbing?

***

Kindergarten student: Teacher you look a like a beautiful princess!

Me: Thank you!!

Kindergarten student: But you are the most beautiful. Like a flower. Like a beautiful flower.

Me: Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!

Kindergarten student: So...do I get a sticker now?

Me: *sigh*

***

For anyone who really knows me well, I am pleased to inform you that I have been set free of my coffee addiction.

I just better have be able to have black tea as soon as I wake up :)

***

1. Mike Patterson Map: A drawing accompanied by (usually) spoken directions . The picture itself contains no actual road names, only arrows. Forms of shapes that are supposed to represent buildings and/or various landmarks enhance the map's visual quality but mostly do not pertain to one arriving at the correct destination. The map consists of approximately two or three post-it-notes, a scrap of newsprint, and/or a previously written on piece of paper.

Up and Down or A Climbing I Will Go...

2009-03-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

(thinking out loud)

I always try to concoct long, epic blog posts. Yet, what usually happens is that I run out of time to finish or halfway through, I decide that it sounds ridiculous and I don't post it.

Therefore...

Since it is important to me to be documenting my life here...and hopefully interesting to anyone who reads this, I'm going to try a new strategy of posting smaller bits and pieces more frequently.

***

Tomorrow I am going climbing (finally), and I couldn't be more excited!! I feel incredibly thankful to have found an online community of climbers who have made me amazingly welcomed into their circle. I haven't been climbing in a couple of months, so it will certainly be challenging.

*I promise to post pictures :)*

This is one of the walls that I will probably be climbing. The wall is about 15 meters high and unlike all of the man-made walls that I have climbed, this one is outside!

2009-03-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

While I have been experiencing a great deal of culture shock on an everyday basis, I was hit quite hard this morning:

Taylor Swift singing, "Our Song," in Korean.

Before I heard her (well...the dubbed over her... or a Korean singing and sounding EXACTLY like her), I could only hear the guitar part. In the middle of blinking, the twangy music transported me back to Nashville. Then in hearing a slew of Korean words, I was immediately brought back to Seoul. Even though my plane ride was 17ish hours long..I felt like I traveled home and back again in seconds.

*sigh*

I have really been missing home...

***

Last night, the only exciting thing that I did was buy delicious apples from the little fruit stand outside of my apartment (my fruit sellers are going to make a killing off of me this year..haha). Apples are my favorite food and having them gives me a "slice" (sorry, I couldn't resist) of home. Since the work week in Korea apparently means 50+ hours instead of a normal 40, I opted to go home....on a Friday night... in a huge, new city. I am awesome.

Since I haven't written that much, over the next few days I will TRY to re-cap what I have been experiencing...

Last weekend, all of the English teachers and I had an amazing dinner. In many of the restaurants in Seoul, you have the option of sitting on the floor.

Chopsticks+floor sitting=dining heaven

Since Koreans are awesome, they heat buildings from the floor up. What does heat do? Heat rises! Therefore, everyone takes off their shoes...gets comfy on the warm floor and is served an abundance of AMAZING Korean food.

Most of the places we have eaten at are Korean barbecue restaurants (note: I am the ONLY herbivore in our group..so I go where everyone else goes. I'm a sheep). However, the word barbecue is more than likely offering an incorrect connotation. Normally, barbecue restaurants in the US are places such as Texas Roadhouse, Logan's, etc....that serve lots of meat, french-fries, fried anything and everything, lard-cooked veggies and of course, good ole country music.

Here, the plate of whatever meat is ordered is brought out (gag-reflex) and the dining party or the server cooks it in front of everyone on the table's personal grill.

The part of the meal that I enjoy is the bottomless kimchi, HUGE romaine lettuce leaves, rice, red bean paste sauce, onions, garlic, jalapenos, bean shoot/sprout things, and sometimes jiggae (soup with tofu...and I'm counting on it being made with miso, not chicken stock).

Amazing.

Rather than to be stuck in a over-sized portion on a personal plate, the group sharing the meal is much better able to enjoy the company of one another. I have found that meals here are far better for experiencing people, as compared to meals served back home. Through the reaching, the food falling out of a chopstick grip, the messy lettuce wraps, and friends (or sometimes strangers..haha) re-filling your water glass, the focus is forced to faces, hands and conversation.

(sorry Taylor...I swiped your pic!)

heart and Seoul...

2009-03-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

Before I left for Seoul, I said that I was going to try and blog often...post pictures and videos...blah blah blah.

And now..two weeks into my Korean city-life, and I have not blogged ONCE!

So far, here are 15 things about Koreans that I have learned:

15)It is completely acceptable to be an alcoholic here.

14)If you don't watch your back, you will get hit by a bicycle.

13)While you are looking over your shoulder to dodge a possible bicycle injury, you will either walk into someone who is playing with their cell phone or listening to music.... or you will step on pigeon. '

12)When ordering something without meat, fish, eggs or dairy...you will be stared at like you ordered a salad without lettuce, vegetables or salad dressing.

11)Koreans LOVE gear. Example: If you are hiking, every Korean will have the gadgetiest backpack, the most tricked-out hiking shoes, and a walking stick.

10)If you are hiking, no matter how good of shape you are in, you will get passed by a Korean that is at least 70 years old.

9)Korean men LOVE western girls, but they will barely talk to you.

8)Korean children are not only beautiful and amazingly cute, they are also ridiculously intelligent.

7)Korean women are gorgeous. The end.

6)K-pop is bigger than Britney Spears.

5)Kimchi is magical.

4)While there are driving schools here, EVERYONE drives erratically and over-aggressively. If you have ever watched the Harry Potter movie scene of when Harry is riding in the bus, that is exactly how I feel whenever I take the bus...

3)A fire-show at a random, everyday bar is not uncommon...even on a week-night.

2)Koreans are incredibly hard-working.

1)Koreans are very sneaky...you will never know what kind of restaurant/bar/grocery store/stationary store/animal hospital/driving range that you could possibly find on a floor of a high-rise building.

So far, my experiences here have been absolutely amazing and I am so thankful that I decided to do this. While my heart is so deeply tied to Nashville (in so many ways), I fall more in love with Seoul everyday...

wtf (!)

2009-02-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

am I ready for this?

moments in the morning...

2008-12-27T05:02:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm waltzing through a fictional story where the plot continues to thicken, and the scenes are changing too rapidly for me to keep up with. As I flip through the chapters, searching for any kind of foreshadowing, I can't seem to find which page to turn to. I keep hoping that the next paragraph will have me reading that my rent is still due on the first, i'll walk down the street to get coffee in the morning, i'll run my usual route up and down and all around Belmont Blvd., I'll go to work, have all of my friends at my fingertips, and I'll continue to enjoy my favorite luxuries (such as my beloved kombucha tea). However, the rising action only has me in disbelief as I stare at photos of my new apartment in Seoul, the school where I'll be teaching, and a collection smiling Korean children. I'm starting to have my randomfreakoutcryingmooshmyfaceinapillow moments that are coupled with bouts of ridiculous excitement. It is a weird place to be in as I vacillate between such extreme highs and lows. Yet, I'm refusing to let myself drown in an emotional muddle. As the days quickly count themselves down, I'm trying to do anything that will contribute to having the best day of my life, everyday. I refuse to leave with having a single regret and therefore I have been doing anything that I would have previously held back; it has been unnerving but wildly refreshing. People in my life need to know that they have value... that they are amazing... that I admire them... and that I think the way light and warmth radiate from their hearts is beautiful. Through this process, my pride has become a little black and blue, but my heart feels as though it is beating through an endless cadence of euphoria. This isn't to say that I've left all of caution, I have only acted through certain situations where normally I would have been too scared and too shy. This is my life that I have been so richly blessed with and while everyday is a chance to add another page to my autobiography, I will not let my story be anticlimactic.

love is not what you see in the movies. although, sometimes it feels that way...

2008-11-06T05:21:00.001-08:00

(Disclaimer: Again, my enter button is broken...I'm sorry about my huge, chunk of a post). This morning while I drank my coffee and ate sticky oatmeal at Bongo, I eavesdropped intently with my eyes on a couple enjoying breakfast together. They were aged slightly older than my parents but not as far into life as my grandmother and grandfather. Minute by minute the sun slowly woke up by inching its rays up the man's face. Unaware of the eye strain the sun caused him, the woman happily sipped at her latte while he would lean in closer to carry on their conversation. Their breath puffed out sharp clouds of laughter in the brisk outside air, as they couldn't keep their eyes on the sections of the newspaper they shared. In between sentences, words, the man would break his gaze, forcing the woman to put down her paper and answer to his endless parade of wit. I can only assume they chatted over election results, how much better organic produce tastes, and the newest, crazy antic that their dog came up with last night. The picture of the two caused my own eyestrain. In the back of my mind is a memory of back home. A couple, aged perfectly to have a 24 year old daughter, sitting apart in a dimly lit room. They argue over watching Star Trek or Trading Spaces until one surrenders and goes to bed. This is how I remember them: no newspapers, no morning coffee under a ceiling of sparkling Autumn leaves, no laughter, nothing magical and nothing special...anymore. My Bongo couple finished breakfast and the woman inhaled her last espresso sip. Her husband, as I noted by his tarnished ring, grabbed her around the waist and whisked her into a goodbye kiss. In my haphazardly placed happiness to witness love but simultaneously feel slightly sick, a friend, whom I haven't seen in a few months, broke the moment. His smile was ridiculously refreshing and after a long, heavy, but great conversation, my heart felt warm and rekindled. Love, in all of its powerful forms..including friendship, is not simply important...but is a necessity, like the heart pumping blood to every facet of the body. In our goodbye, the canopy of trees rained with yellow leaves, trapping everyone sitting outside in a storm of fall weather. I was, of course, thankful to be having the best day of my life...

morning moping.

2008-10-28T05:09:00.001-07:00

i haven't written in six months. obviously. there are moments when i feel prompted by a spark of motivation to type up something read-worthy; however, i only get left with a half-dozen or so half-assed and half-written attempts. as i usually write in every sporadic blog entry, i am SERIOUSLY going to make more of an effort to update fractures of my daily journeys. i also blame my barren blog due to the recent death of my computer's enter button. May it rest in peace...and may you, dear reader, get through my long, chunk of a post. Much of what i write, whether it be in blog form, a letter, a journal entry or even a silly note-i rely heavily on spacing. there is something oddly comforting to me when i write and i can consistently break-up a page rather than fully commit to an adequately sized paragraph. there have definitely been a few interesting changes in my life-some exciting and some not so exciting. wor⋅ry
/ˈwɜri, ˈwʌri/
verb, -ried, -ry⋅ing, noun, plural -ries.
–verb (used without object)
1. to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
2. to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.
–verb (used with object)
3. to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.
4. to seize, esp. by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.
5. to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.
–noun
6. a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
7. a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
8. act of worrying.
9. Fox Hunting. the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.
—Verb phrase
10. worry along or through, Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation. (I hate not having a functioning enter button!) i wake up and everyday begins the same: my feet shuffle over to my coffee pot and i begin to prepare my internal alarm clock. the extremities of my body function on auto pilot since my brain has not plugged in the wires that connect them. when my coffee is finished, my hands automatically know the correct ratio of rice milk to swirl into the mug. i silently hope that my "borrowed" internet will grant me connection and i jump from site to site, slowly waking up. Then it happens... yesterdays worries flood my mind and my heart rate rapidly increases. The chair creaks from my shifting and squirming and i try to find anything to distract me from yesterdays mistakes... yesterdays shouldn't-have-saids... and yesterdays wish-i-would-have-saids. As the sun comes up, I peel my banana down and quickly my blood sugar spikes from the fruit's high glycemic index. the sugar pairs with the acidity of the coffee and endorphins flood my bloodstream. a calming blanket drapes over my shivering nerves; i wrap myself in it's warmth. bliss conquers worry and my anxiety transitions to thankfulness. i'm reminded, every morning as i'm given a new sunrise, that i'm ridiculously lucky and overwhelmingly blessed. then i decide... every day... over and over and over again... today will be the best day of my life.

2008-04-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

I feel strange. The feeling is somewhat like noticing sticky hands; you wonder how it is even possible to acquire a random substance that coats the delicate skin between the fingers.

The hand stretches and the fingers attempt to part from each other, peeling slowly in opposite directions. Meanwhile your eyeballs shift around all of the surfaces that the hands could have possibly touched, trying to assess what could have caused the foreign, finger-filth (sorry.. I'm a sucker for alliterations).

I don' t know what to say or do or how to even begin formulating a plan in my seemingly weak thoughts.

I feel like I've consumed cup after cup of coffee... that I slept on my neck in a contorted way... that I stubbed my toe... or that hit my elbow right on the most sensitive tip of the joint. The news came to me as a shock.. but now my heart simply feels like it has a bad head cold.

Surely this post sounds dramatic..but truly this is what I'm experiencing in my life right now and this is my small attempt to blog more often.

I do know, inside and out, that just as it is easy to wash off sticky fingers, situations always have a way of cleansing themselves...

2008-03-12T06:18:00.001-07:00

I'm not good a blogger. I suppose I'm stating the obvious considering my last post reads from Nov. 3... and it is now well into March.

The problem, I believe, lies in the blank box dedicated for one's post. It is daunting to me. I keep a personal journal where I have no problem recording my monotonous and trivial thoughts; however, when I am attempting to create a blog post, the cursor teases me, saying, "What's next? Oh..and by the way... no one will want to read this."

This blog was originally created to record my vegan transformation.

As much as becoming vegan is fascinating to me (honestly I get excited to scrutinize food packages and read aloud chemical additives in twinkies) it is assuredly a ridiculous feat to others that always prompts the question, "What in the world do you eat?", coupled with a gaping mouth and other forms of body language labeling me weird.

The question to me now is... is this blog really an outlet for myself? I guess it entirely can not be so if it is open for public viewing.

Therefore.. this is my final post strictly related to my veganism. Enjoy.

I have been vegan since September 1, 2007. It has been 6 months of growing.. changing... failing... starting over etc. Yet, it has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made for myself. Everyday I feel that I learn something new: a brand of juice I enjoyed contains dairy... a certain type of bread that I thought was vegan is made with a whey product... and the ONLY vegan thing available at Carrabba's (I don't work there anymore though...) is salad.

Let's make beef: We will need 2,500 gallons of water, 35 lbs. of topsoil,
12 lbs. of grain and the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline to produce one pound of feedlot beef! It would take a complete dumb ass not to agree with me that this is just a lil' bit wasteful.

Also, 70% of US grain production is fed to livestock. I love me some livestock (I grew up on a horse farm..yay and nay) but there are quite a few people starving in our world.

A final thought: Our country's petting zoo creates ten times the waste produced by the human population. WOW. That is a LOT of poo.

Enough of my preaching because I'm probably just as guilty as everyone else. Yet I feel that we can at least TRY to do something about all of this... which is one of the main reasons that I made my decision (I'm not even going to start on the free health benefits...).

Even though I often feel so small and I question how just little me, one person, can make any kind of a difference.

Yet, I have decided that if I just carelessly continued on without any attempt to change, then nothing will be accomplished... no matter how small of an effort or contribution it may be.
*******************************
Small update:

I have gone from Starbucks.. to Carrabba's... to Borders.. and now to...
Whole Foods.

I am so happy. I start on Saturday.
*******************************

This is what I'm currently reading:

and

Both women are amazing writers and their words are challenging me in two entirely different ways.

I think I'm done for today and hopefully I'll post again before four months go by again :)

Have a good day and don't get lost.