Fried Cabbage in the Kyomushil: A Poem
a poem written and read by Victoria Su, ETA ’15-’16 I wrote a poem on the eve of Thanksgiving. That morning I was still suffering from the hurricane of homesickness that had struck me all of a sudden the night before. My host family’s extended family had been visiting, and while they were friendly and warm, I couldn’t help but feel like an outsider in the midst of this joyful family reunion. I thought about how I had spent all my past Thanksgivings surrounded by family, friends, and the irresistible smell of my mother’s candied yams, and how this year I would just be alone in my room staring at my computer screen, worrying about how to make the Lesson 9 “target language” interesting for my middle schoolers. The simultaneous thoughts of missing Thanksgiving this year and how far away Christmas (when I would go home) was, mixed with feelings of guilt and regret for wishing away the precious time that remained between me and my third graders hit me hard, and I cried silently in my room all night. There is a famous Chinese poem that goes like this: 独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。 Roughly translated, it means “Alone in a foreign place, I am a foreign guest; every holiday season brings a double measure of longing for my family.” When I learned this poem in middle school I didn’t really understand it. Who knew that it would be in middle school again that I would experience this poem’s core sentiment as reality? The next morning (Thanksgiving Eve), when I had finished my first class of the day, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the teachers cooking paechu jeon (배추전), which is a cabbage pancake (basically just sheets of cabbage dipped in a flour-water mixture and fried). Korean cabbage tastes pretty similar to Chinese cabbage, so even though we never eat it in pancake form like this, it reminded me of home. The warmth of the smells, the sounds, and the taste of the food and more importantly, the inviting mirth of my fellow teachers filled me with an unexpected joy and inspired me to write this poem in the little time I had before my next class. Fried Cabbage in the Kyomushil (teachers’ office) Eager noses pressed up against doors and windows, peering in, breath fogging up the glass What is it? What is it? I can’t see! Smells good— Here comes Teacher, will she take pity? it’s cold outside— oh! Time for class. Kids scurry off—still, a few noses and sighs Linger in the corridor. A chuckle slides opens the door: Welcome. Step into the room now, another world— Warmth. tips of Ears, Nose and Fingers suddenly aglow the hearty crackling of grease permeates the air, paechu jeon sizzling in a pan. The room is bright with anticipation as six or so surround the expert hand— flip! crack! sizzle… a steady buzz of chatter and cheer complement the spitter-spattering of the prize— Do you have cabbage in America? —a deft motion, deference (or maybe preference) to the delicacy at hand and—flip! crack! startled! for a split second by the flying object momentarily poised to wreak havoc break—disrupt, disturb, suspend—our heady expectation of perfect satisfaction to come then, swiftly as it came, summoned back as if by magic SNAP! Perfect landing. sizzle, crack, sizzle… back to the same simmering state, just sizzling, sizzling, smelling of simplicity And common grace fills the room. Soon—a Feast! It’s not quite Thanksgiving, but the spirit is here Chopsticks separate at lightning speed Dip, drip, devour Crispy cabbage with a kick of spice Flavor of delight.
D. Queens (디 퀸즈)
Review by Kristen O’Brien, ETA 2014-2016 City: Seoul Restaurant Name: D. Queens (디 퀸즈) Food Served: Brunch, Italian Restaurant Address: 1) Coex Mall (1st floor, I-104) 서울시 강남구 삼성동 159 코엑스몰 지하 1층 I-104호 2) Hannam Branch 서울시 용산구 한남동 273-2 View Map Directions: I went to the Coex location! Take the subway to Line 2, Samseong Station exit 5 or 6. The mall is directly connected. Cost: 15,000+ won This restaurant is pricey with meals starting at 15,000 won and up. Salad starts around 11,000 won, and the portion sizes are very small. Despite all that, this restaurant has the most legitimate spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever tasted in Korea. They are juicy, tender, herby, and meaty. It was served with perfectly al dente pasta in a mini skillet, coated in a warm tomato sauce. I was licking the sauce off the plate once I finished. I also had the ricotta salad, and then carrot cake cheesecake for dessert. The ricotta salad…I can only rave about it. They have mixed nuts, a big helping of creamy ricotta cheese scooped on top, cranberries, and a delicious glaze-like dressing. I’ve had a lot of ricotta salads, and despite being small, this is the best ricotta salad ever. Unlike the other dishes, the cake was a generous slice. It was a large slice of carrot cake, with thin layers of cheese cake in between. Service was average, but the restaurant was also bustling. It was very busy. The restaurant was clean, and had a bistro-like feel to it. If you have some extra money to spend, I highly recommend you check out D.Queens! It also has a cafe section, and the brunch looks really delicious as well (for a much more modest price during regular lunch hours I believe).
The Wine House
City: Seoul Shop Name: The Wine House Merchandise type: Liqueur, Cognac, Brandy, Whiskey, Wine Restaurant Address: Seoul-teukbyeol-si Jung-gu Euljiro 6-ga 18-187 (서울특별시 중구 을지로6가 18-187) Link for the location on Naver Maps: http://map.naver.com/local/siteview.nhn?code=18001571 Directions: Take the subway to Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station Exit 2. Exit straight and walk three blocks toward Cheongye Stream (청계전) along the main road. Turn left onto Dadong Road (다동길) and walk one block. The store will be on your left. Living in Seoul this year, it’s been nice to see good craft beer, wine shops, and other varieties of alcoholic beverages becoming more commonplace. Most of the cheaper choices can be found in E-Mart or Costco (for the hard to find imports). The Wine House, though adjacent to the discount clothing stalls of Myeongdong, is not a shop to find cheap deals. This shop caters primarily to the liqueur connoisseurs and wine enthusiasts. Ranging in price from 40,000 won to 600,000 won, The Wine House’s selection of whiskeys, wines, and liqueurs are a marvel. Some of the lower priced items are reasonable if you’re looking for that special gift for your principal, boss, or host family that says “I care enough to buy you a really expensive bottle of wine.” The vast array of designer decanters, glasses, and limited edition bottles definitely makes this a worthwhile stop in your Myeongdong meanderings. The owner, Mrs. Huh is very nice, and if you’re looking for any particular vintage, vintner, or taste pairings, she’s extremely knowledgable. Even if you don’t expect to make a purchase, the shop has the atmosphere of a fine liqueur museum. It is highly recommended, and definitely a 5-star stop in your Seoul window-shopping adventures.