Info on foreign cuisine. The good, the bad, the dried and smelly.

Seomun Market Revisited

17 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by Vicki Hamlin in Cuisine, Strange Customs

‘Tis true, I’ve got the winter doldrums. It happens to me, and millions of other people, when there’s not enough sunlight to saturate our systems. It’s called Seasonal Affect Disorder (S.A.D.). Maybe you’ve heard of it. I implore you, what kind of idiot names a depressive disorder SAD?! I’d like to have a little chat with him. Maybe pluck his eyelashes out one by one, or something equally torturous. But I can’t, and besides, I am a clever gal; one with lots of hobbies, interests, responsibilities, books to read and work to do. Surely even this blog can keep me occupied enough to keep my hands off the chocolate truffles and fresh pastries sitting on the counter. There are good coping mechanisms and then there are the ones that add ever more dimples of cellulite on one’s arse. And that, friends, explains why I’m going backward in time on our trip to South Korea, revisiting some of our favorite outings and giving them some more attention.

Wholesale, baby!

Take this photograph above — Guy’s absolute favorite of the past 6 months. We stumbled upon this sleepy fellow at Seomun Market, in downtown Daegu, a sprightly outdoor wonderland of all things traditionally Korean. Hundreds of people swarmed around vendors, each with something to offer: jewelry, handbags, pottery, clothing, cookware, wooden bowls, seafood, spices, beans, books, fabric…I could go on. Rip Van Winkle here offered peanuts, both shelled and not, along with some kind of root vegetable, squash, pumpkin, hazelnuts and dried chili peppers. It blows my mind that someone probably bought these peanuts later in the day. At least they have the shells on!

I look at the looks on the kids’ faces in this picture to the right, and I wish I could be inside their heads hearing every thought. I’m certain they won’t remember much of the time they spent here in Asia . Maybe this blog is, in some way, a letter to them, so they may have written memories where no real ones remain. And hey campers! Maybe I also just figured out the whole purpose and focus for this blog. Love Letter to My Children. Well, whaddaya know. Put down the candy, pick up the computer. Look what comes out of it!

Intestines, anyone?

Tri Hamlin buying chicken. Safe bet!

Seomun Market

International Night

15 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Vicki Hamlin in Cuisine, Strange Customs

≈ 1 Comment

In celebration of countries and cultures from all over the globe, DIS created and enjoyed International Night this past Friday night. First, students in each grade chose a country they wanted to learn about. Then, many volunteer Umas and Upas gave their time, and in some cases their expertise, to cook for our entire school population, something delicious from that country. We ate until we were bursting!

Some of the cultures represented were Ghana, Mexico, Italy, Pakistan, Korea, the US, France and China. Each class performed a song from their chosen country – including an “Achey Breaky Heart” line dance in celebration of the cowboys from the southern tip of the USA! It was a unique event for students grades K-10 to enjoy together. An awesome time!

Sally, Amy, Erica, Mellissa, Esther – 9th graders

Korean and Pakistani moms cooking together

Jerell, Luke and William singing

Ode to Java

17 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by Vicki Hamlin in Cuisine, Out in the Big World/Travel

≈ 4 Comments

I find it strange how now, more than ever, I am remembering and am tied to the smells of home. I sometimes spend days at a time without really thinking of home, and then snap! a scent takes me back into a friend’s house, onto a baseball field, under our willow tree in the rain, through time and into my childhood home…

I love coffee. When the welcome aroma wafts into my consciousness, I think of my dad. He was a Maxwell House lover – and brewed his perfect cup the color of sand on the beach, newly lapped with the tide. I like mine dark, the color of baker’s chocolate, so the light doesn’t shine through. Dad sipped his all day long, with every meal and into the evening. When I was a stay-at-home mom I did the same, but now, I drink one cup, sometimes two, and I’m done until the next morning.

At my school here in Korea, we are amply provided with instant coffee. It’s not bad. It reminds me of a cross between dad’s Maxwell House and hot cocoa, because there’s so much sugar in it. It’s called Contata – which I always thought meant ‘collection of’ – and the same name as the collection of choir music my mother sings at Christmas and Easter at her church. So coffee now makes me think of my mother, too.

The routine of morning coffee is lovely. Weekdays; sitting at my desk before students arrive, quietly sipping. Or weekends; jammies on, FB page being read, snuggled up on the couch…sipping. Are you with me coffee lovers?

So, the discovery of and consequent frequent visits to the coffee shop around the corner, “The Muffin Tree”, have provided me with short bouts of respite in a busy life. Nick, our Canadian friend who owns the place, and whom I have mentioned before, makes a superb latte, Korea Vicki’s drink of choice. His shop is warm, cozy, welcoming and smells like heaven – a combination of pastries, coffee beans and warm bagels. I told him I thought I’d devote a blog to his shop and he said ‘oh, yeah, that’s been done before.’ Which made me laugh. I’m not surprised. It’s a tiny paradise on the outskirts of a big city and is being found by more and more people every day. I just want to keep it all to myself. Not unlike a perfect cup of java.