A hookah lounge, two shots and a dance floor.

A hookah lounge, two shots and a dance floor.  A great evening spent with friends!!

We danced the night away in Gangnam and then caught the morning bus at dawn, destined for home, our feet thanking us for finally relenting and ending our all-night groove fest.

Our night began at the dark and dingy Rainbow bar, where we sat shoeless and lounged on the floor, indulging in hookah and sharing a bucket cocktail between the three of us.  The atmosphere was super cozy and relaxing, a place where you could just chill for hours, listening to great mixes by the DJ. Rad.

Then we headed to Club N.B. and danced til our feet felt numb.  Not drinking very much these days, I just had two shots the entire evening...so I guess you could say it was an evening of sober dancing, but it was still amazing.  Going to this club was like taking a trip backwards in a time machine.  Everything looked and felt like it was 1999, from the fog machines, people smoking inside, current music mixed with '90s house vibes, clothing styles, ...and the dancing! People were rockin out doing the running man and macarena hand jives.  I even saw someone doing the Humpty Dance to some random song.  In sync dancing tends to be pretty popular as well, which I secretly loved :)  The dancing scene is best described using this video.

I've been clubbing here before, but didn't notice the 90s vibe.  Fantastic.

While doing the running man, we witnessed "a strange happening" as my coteacher would say.  There was this dude who was dancing near us and we noticed he kept going up to people while dancing, shining a flashlight in his backpack. People would look in and then take something out.  He finally came over to us, shined the light in his bag, encouraging us to look in. It was a bag filled with nothing but lollipops.  Awesome.

An all-nighter on the town meant I was pretty useless today.  Luckily, it poured rain all day loooong, so I wasn't left feeling guilty for wasting a beauty day.

I woke up in the afternoon, headed to Starbucks for a Cocoa Cappuccino and began my search for some Korean comfort food.  I ended up walking around for two hours as there are so many cool things to discover in the Gangdong.  I went to a couple outdoor markets (nothing stops just because it's raining) and stumbled upon this really pretty house while traveling down one of the winding alleyways.

I guess I just really loved all the pots everywhere.  It kind of reminded me of my mom, with all her crazy potted plants strewn around the house, which drives my dad mad.

Upon entering my building, I am greeted by the security/maintenance man.  I love how he doesn't even pretend to secure the building.  He sits, beer in hand, watching his favourite TV shows and basically greets everyone upon arrival.  He always greets me by singing the words, "You are soooo beautiful" and then makes a curvy outline with his hands, which I think is supposed to signify my body shape.  Every time he does this I can't help but laugh because he looks like such a fool...but I appreciate his daily compliment and how he tries to speak English.  He always laughs, too, and pats my back...sometimes a little too hard, and says, "Good Night".  I need to mention how he says "good night" any time of day.  If I see him first thing in the morning, I'll get a jolly "Good Night".  I don't have the heart to correct him and I say good night right back.

During my two hour walk, I found some of my favourite SK comfort foods at the market and had a relaxing and indulgent rainy afternoon, while watching some Korean films. Today's menu was dduk buki, mandu, and jumeok bap.  Delicious.

I love watching sub-titled movies. Lately, it's been all about Korean and Bollywood films.  

 If interested, you can find full length subtitled Korean movies on youtube.  Luckily, they aren't in pieces, which makes for an enjoyable view.  I recommend The Host, Daisy, and You're My Pet.  For Bollywood films, watch Three Idiots.

Another great start to the weekend here in Seoul :)

Do you know Brad? He is from Canada...

After lunch at school yesterday, I headed to the ladies room to quickly brush away my kimchi dragon breath and had the following conversation with an eight year old.  She was brushing her teeth as well, but this didn’t stop her from talking to me with a mouth full of toothpaste.  I followed suit (when in Rome lol…)

Girlie: Hi. How old are you?

Me: Thirty-one.

Girlie: hahahah. You are old.

Me: Yes, thanks.

Girlie: My mom is forty-four and my dad is forty-one.

Me: Wow. Awesome.

Girlie: Where are you from?

Me: Canada.

Girlie: Do you know Brad? He is from Canada.

Me: Nope, I don’t know Brad.

Girlie: He is handsome. Are you married?

Me: No.

Girlie: Why not?

Me: I don’t know.

Girlie: I taught myself how to speak English.  I have never been to Canada or America.  I am only from Korea.

Me: You speak English really well.

Girlie: Thanks. You have big eyes.

Me: Yes, I do.

Girlie: I think Brad would like you.  Let's finish brushing our teeth.

Me: Okay.

Only in Korea are children concerned about martial status haha

"Harmonizing body and mind..."

"Harmonizing body and mind in breath awareness. Awakening to your True nature." ~ Sunmudo Grandmaster, Jeog Un.

 

For those coming to live in Korea, or those just wandering through, I feel no visit is complete until you’ve experienced a temple stay.  It really is such a unique opportunity as you can learn about Korean Buddhist culture and participate in various activities promoting your own well being.  And to top it all off, you get to hang out with monks! How cool is that??!! 

Haha…okay, I’m sure some of you can think of better things to do on your Saturday night…like hanging in a club, gin in one hand, a menthol in the other, flirting with that dude that can’t speak English very well...followed by sweaty grinding to Gaga’s love games/disco stick…all…night…looooooooooonggggg. Sighhhhhh. Sorry…just reliving a past life I think…
…but seriously, you can sweat it out at the temple, too…I promise ;)

A few weekends ago, Aran and I stayed at Golgulsa which is a temple in Gyeongju in Gyeongsanbuk Province.  The program was for two days, one night, so we departed Seoul early Saturday morning and arrived at Golgulsa five hours later.  It’s a long bus ride for just a weekend excursion, but it was well worth it.  The countryside air felt fresh and the landscape was amazing!

Scenery & Landscape.  Golgulsa is located at the foot of Mt. Hamwol and has a unique Buddhist history that dates back to the 6th century.  It’s home to a stone Buddha carving dating over 1500 years ago, surrounded by limestone caves used for meditation and prayer.  The area surrounding the temple is covered in trees, and a trail winds around and climbs up the forested area, leading to a breathtaking view of the grounds.  The temples have all been restored and stand tall, looking beautiful and mystical against the sky.

 Sleeping.  I’ve had the pleasure to stay at two temples and for both experiences, accommodations meant sleeping on the heated, wooden floors.  No mattress, just two comforters and a pillow and the cozy warmth of the floor heating to snuggle with.  Aran and I shared a room, which contained two large storage cabinets, a fridge and a bathroom.  Having our own bathroom was a luxury, as our last temple stay we had to use the communal bath and shower room, which was on another floor far from where we slept.  Sleeping on the floor for an evening or two isn’t so bad, and I’ve actually felt quite comfortable and slept pretty well considering.

Temple Food.  Nothing makes me happier than indulging at the temple.  Being vegetarian, Aran and I are in bliss at every meal.  The temple really looks after you during your stay with a solid three meals a day.  But beware.  Never take more than you can eat because wasting food is not an option.  It is encouraged to only take what you think you can eat and if you are still hungry, you may go up for seconds.  Monks on the other hand, have a different view. They only eat enough to sustain themselves, which I noticed is very little food compared to the portions Aran and I were taking to sustain ourselves…oops!

Meditation & Bowing.  Waking before dawn in order to practice proper meditation and bowing is usually the norm of any temple stay program.  We both set our alarm for 4 a.m. as temple was to begin at 4:30.  A quick rinse of the face and brush of the teeth and we were off, bundled in our winter gear, making our way up the steep incline to the temple located at the very top of the hill.  We were told that the top temple was our location for meditation, but the path leading there was pitch black and looked very scary, so we decided to head to a closer temple where we saw lights on and the walk seemed less treacherous.  When we arrived, bowing had already begun, so we took our place along the women’s side of the temple and kneeled on our mats.  Looking around, I didn’t see any familiar faces of those who were in our program, just Korean people who looked like they knew what they were doing.  It would seem that we had stumbled into an actual session of worship.  We looked at each other, shrugged and decided to stay.  Already knowing how to properly bow and having practiced meditation, made staying a possibility for us.  We just followed along with everyone else and successfully bowed and meditated.  This really made for an authentic temple experience and one I’ll never forget.

Sunmudo.  Sunmudo is an ancient Buddhist martial art, now used to promote peaceful meditation and yoga.  We were lucky enough to be able to learn some moves and practice with one of the monks.  It ended up being quite the workout for us, but the monk barely broke a sweat.  He also called me out while practicing as I was cheating on one of the moves, making it easier on myself.  He kindly took notice by looking at me and making a little announcement of what NOT to do while kicking.  Although quite strenuous and feeling like death while learning some basics, this was a once in a lifetime experience.  Golgulsa is known worldwide for this practice and people come from all over to learn Sunmudo here.

Tea Time and Monk Talks.  Our temple stay ended with a tea ceremony and a question & answer period with one of the monks.  Our monk considered himself a ‘Baby Monk’, which explained his fancy cell phone and quick fingers when using the Korean/English translation application.  He could speak English quite well, but often used his app on his phone when at a loss for words.  The best moment for me came when Aran posed one simple question for Baby Monk.  She asked what he believed to be the best advice he could give us to take home, and use in our daily lives.  He pondered her question for what seemed an eternity and I thought she had stumped him. 

Finally, he replied, “Pay attention to your breath.  We breathe every day and never pay attention to this, but worry about everything else”.  He went on to explain what he meant, and I sat there, listening intently...just letting it all sink in…listening to only his words, in that moment.  I wasn’t thinking about anything or anyone.  My mind was completely in tune and open. I was relaxed and taking notice of my breath.  It really was a great moment. 

Hold the bulgogi, please!

Hold the bulgogi, please! The veg scene in Korea is alive and well...

Before coming here, I'd heard/read that it was pretty much impossible to maintain a vegetarian and/or vegan diet, but I've been living here for almost eight months now and I've discovered many resources and made a few VegHead friends that make this lifestyle possible.  We've shared blogs, documentaries, books, websites...and have even made the effort hosting veg potlucks, trekking dishes on the train from one end of Seoul to the other.  We've been veganizing jjigae, kimbab, bibimbap, and mandu either by inventing recipes or seeking out veg cafes, restaurants, and temples around Seoul and other parts of Korea.

As for myself, I've been cooking up a storm in my little kitchen.  I am constantly creating new dishes and inviting friends over to indulge.  Usually I try recreating Korean dishes, but tonight I did something a little different.  This time a reworked my favourite Indian dish, Palak Paneer.

First, I searched the web looking for non-veg recipes so I could familiarize myself with the basic ingredients.  Then, I 'Connified' the recipes into something unique and veggie appropriate.  There isn't one animal product used in this recipe and it turned out Ahhhhhh-Mazing!

Ingredients for Palak Tofu: spinach, firm tofu, soy milk, leeks, onion, fresh garlic and ginger, hot pepper, cherry tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and soybean oil.  Accompanied with German rye bread (vegan) and hummus from the Foreign Food Mart in SH-Itaewon.

I know what I'm bringin to the next potluck :)