From top to bottom: New and old neighbor’s moving, the first rainfall in weeks on my walk home tonight from our work dinner (forecasted to turn all monsoon on us), and the best kind of change…a brand new Starbucks opened this week right in our own backyard….can we say dangerous!?
I tried with all my being to fight off today’s occurrence of Rebecca leaving. I’m sure by now you realize that it didn’t matter, it was inevitable, and I just had to accept the fact she has to continue on with her journey to Israel.
When I think of Rebecca and our friendship, I’m instantly reminded of The Anne of Green Gables characters, Diana and Anne and how they become bosom friends instantaneously.
I just adore Anne! Every time I watch Anne and Diana, I get teary eyed and think of my dear friend Rebecca.
Do you have a friend like that?
You know, that friend that when you met one another you instantly connected, like you were kindred spirits?
And no amount of time or time zones between you could make you any less closer?
Gah! That’s how it is with Rebecca and I.
This week, as stated previously, was just incredible! I’m so thankful I could share my current life with her in South Korea.
So what did we do on Rebecca’s last day? Great question!
We toured the countryside up North, all courtesy of Mr. B, sipped on tasty mango smoothies and milkshakes by the water reservoir, watched the boats and water skiers go by, and picked up a Korean pizza on the way home for dinner.
Today we woke up, grabbed a bite for breakfast, Rebecca Skyped a bit, and we were out the door.
We had a Korean cooking class scheduled near Insadong at O’ngo. What was crazy about this place is that, before I moved to Korea I found this company and had plans to take it while living here. I never got around to it and the brochure still hangs on my refrigerator to this very day.
Rebecca was coming up with her itinerary before her visit and found it while notating things to do and places to see.
Rebecca, the worldly traveler she is, took a cooking class in Thailand while on a trip and loved it. So once she found this class she immediately emailed the company for more info, in the meantime asked me what I thought. This is a true story! How in sync are we?! There was no thinking about my response. Yes! Yes, what an outstanding plan!
O’ngo offers many different classes and tours. We decided on a bulgogi and cucumber kimchi course.
We took line one to Anguk station and wondered a bit more around Insadong. In search of cool postcards and food magnets. Ha Ha! Don’t ask…it’s a crazy touristy Korean thing.
We dawdled a bit, grabbed some postcards and realized quickly we were getting much closer in time to our class reservations. Sorry O’ngo! We were 7 minutes late…eek!
We found the O’ngo building location and rushed up to the third floor.
The ladies that greeted us were absolutely fabulous! They immediately offered us tea, coffee, or water. They didn’t mind a bit that we were running behind on time.
We were taken into an connecting room that had a culinary setup. One station was set up for our instructor, the other for Rebecca and myself. We were the only two in the class. Talk about one on one attention! The private atmosphere was awesome! This gave us ample opportunity to take our time and ask any pressing questions that we had.
We started off with watching our instructor prepare cucumber kimchi. I’ve got to tell you folks, I’m so excited to recreate this!
After watching the cucumber kimchi instructions we were to head back to our station and recreate what we just learned.
Rebecca was much more handy with the knife. Although I loved that she was able to show me a few new tricks of the trade. I’m thinking a knife course is in my near future.
After preparing the cucumbers we went back to the instructors station and watched her prepare the bulgogi marinade. The aroma was incredibly delicious!
We loved how the bulgogi marinade ingredients were so simple! Asian pear, garlic, onion, mushroom, soy, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper to taste. We were also delighted to learn that pineapple or kiwi in the place of the Asian pear too.
What a wonderful experience! I’m so thankful we had the opportunity to learn this course together! (Thank you grandma Mem!!)
Rebecca and I agreed that we need to continue on with this tradition and when we meet up again in the future. It’s so much fun, you learn something new, and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor with others!
After cooking, we plated our meals and sat down to enjoy.
Bon appetit!
After finishing the meal we didn’t know we were in for a special treat. We had a market tour! What fun! Again, I learned more about the Korean foods and culture. The Guide was very sweet and very patient with us. I loved that Rebecca had the opportunity to chat with an English speaking Korean.
We parted ways with our guide and set out for Lotte Hotel. We started out earlier in the week trying to book a tour to the DMZ but disappointingly due to location and subway times were not able to. Rebecca continued to do some reading in her Seoul City guidebook and was able to find two more companies offering the tour as well. Score!
We arrived at the Lotte Hotel and were instantly blown away at the classiness of the hotel. We made our way to 6th floor. The elevator doors opened and there were travel agencies upon travel agencies. We located the one we needed and were also able to book a tour for Friday! Score! What a relief! I feel much better now, this was something I knew when she visited she should experience if she could.
After booking the tour we made our way back to the subway and went home.
No rush….
What an incredible day! I can’t stop smiling when I think of how much fun I had this week, today, and knowing I still have more time and a few days left to share with Rebecca.
We all woke up around 8ish-9ish this morning. We didn’t have a real plan in place. We wanted to keep the decisions of what to do up to Rebecca and how she was feeling. Mr. B whipped up some south western egg whites and I cut up a nice fresh Korean watermelon for breakfast.
Eventually we formulated a plan to see all the marketplaces in Seoul. We got everything together and were out the door around 11:30 with the GPS set to direct us to Seoul.
Please disregard the worst farmers tan ever that I’m sporting in my photos. Come on folks, I’m trusting you now!
We hit Namdaemun Market, Dongdaemun Market, Myeongdong, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and walked down the center of Seoul as the sun went down outside of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
We spent the afternoon lunching on street vendor food, shopping, exploring a bit, snapping photos, and soaking up the sunlight. The weather was gorgeous, we traipsed our little butts about 8 miles around the city.
As the sun went down, Rebecca said the city started to really take on a different vibe. We agreed, we love Seoul during the day, but really love Seoul light up shining brightly at night too.
Even after being here for over a year, we still get the same feelings of excitement while wondering around Seoul. Needless to say we were all thoroughly enchanted.
We ended our Seoul Backpack Bees tour in Itaewon over a delightful Thai dinner. We never ate at the restaurant, My Thai, it turned out to be rather delicious! We ordered pineapple fried rice, a spicy Thai noodle dish, and pad thai with shrimp.
It was getting late, we still had to drive home, we were all pretty exhausted. An hour and a half later we arrived home at midnight and all decided to retire to bed.
It’s FRIDAY! You know what that means!!
Yes! Rebecca’s flight landed a little after 3:30PM today, Mr. B was such a doll and drove to the Incheon Airport to pick her up for me while I finished out the work day. (I know, I know, I’m so lucky!)
Within 15 minutes of each other we all arrived at home. Two words, pure bliss! As soon as I heard the code getting entered into the door, I immediately had to run over and give her a big long overdue hug! I keep having to pinch myself to make sure she’s actually here! Actually sitting at our bar, sipping her drink, chatting about life! It’s reality!
Rebecca, having the amazingly caring Seoul she has, came baring gifts. Things from back home, Tastycakes, and a copy of the Real Simple magazine. Does she know us, or does she know us?
We took it easy, had a very low key relaxing night. Rebecca unpacked, we showed her around our place, and she decided she was up for something of lighter proportions for dinner after her incredibly pork filled flight. Lol, long story.
We all decided bibimbop would serve as an excellent meal choice. Plus it was one of our favorite places that we wanted to share with her. Needless to say we were pretty excited!
The restaurant changed some of the side dishes because of the seasonal changes. It was fun getting to taste the new mix-ins.
We asked Rebecca how she liked the bibimbop, she said she really enjoyed it, however she was used to it being served directly to her with everything already in the bowl. We explained that most places do serve it that way here in Korea too. This restaurant is just a fun experience allowing you to pick what you would like in your dish.
After dinner, Rebecca could no longer keep the sleep monster at bay. We decided to call it a night and head back home so she could get some sleep and prepare herself for the rest of the week.
Life is made up of so many perfect and imperfect moments. Eventually we realize that each happens for a reason one way or another.
So here’s a run down of the perfect and not so perfect moments of our 5 year anniversary weekend happenings.
First, many people asked, what did you do for your anniversary weekend? How did you celebrate…well we went to the East coast…naturally.
Some of the new dive students said,”Mrs.B, you don’t dive”, “You are okay just hanging out for the weekend?”
The answer is, I enjoy it. Getting to watch Mr. B totally in his element, reading a good book I just downloaded, relaxing, and snapping pictures, chatting with friends, meeting new people. What a perfect gift! Hmmm well… minus the stomach bug that’s been plaguing me for the past 2 1/2 days. If you didn’t already assume, chalk that up to the not so perfect moments.
Saturday morning started off a bit rocky. We wanted to be on the road at 4:30am…however… Father time totally worked against us. Yes, that sounds about right, blaming him! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Aka.. Didn’t hit the snooze button, turned the alarm completely off. Oops….
Still made great timing, no traffic. Everything worked out rather perfectly.
Saturday afternoon the skies sort of matched my stomach. Gray. Luckily the dives were going well for the eager group of 30. Unfortunately on the opposite end of things I was still on the fence, stomach not feeling 100% like itself.
In between dives I made myself get up and take a walk. Convincing myself that the crisp beach air would do me some good. I ended up leaving my camera in the car with final thoughts of it will just be a short walk, no need to carry anything extra.
Aren’t those your famous last words? Ah! I didn’t think I’d walk around as much as I did. I really should have took the camera with me.
Again, convinced myself to go back to the car and then If I felt up to it again I’d go back and snap some photos. Eventually that is exactly what I did.
Anywho, I enjoyed my walk up…
a mini mountain that hugged the harbor area the divers were using to practice their skills. It was pretty neat to look down on the ocean below to see if I could spot them.
I stumbled upon an elderly Korean couple singing to one another and taking in the oceanic views. Also on the walk I found a temple, and laughingly watched a Korean family with two children that were being playfully teased by their father for being afraid of the metal grated pathway affixed to the mountainside. I guess you can add to my list throughly enjoyed my people watching too.
Sunday morning the sun poked right out behind the gray skies. It turned out to be an absolute perfect day for the divers. Plus while my stomach continued to remind me I wasn’t going anywhere I had ample opportunity to catch some rays.
Ahhh…What an incredibly peaceful place!
I’m convinced even though the beaches here on the East coast are bare compared to that of one stateside, a beach is a beach, the feelings of calmness, peace, and relaxation still loft in the air. Heaven on earth.
Hope you all had a truly perfect weekend!
Then stay out of the kitchen, as the old saying goes. Well bloggers I’ve got a confession! Up until very recently the kitchen and anything surrounding the subject of the kitchen, such as cookbooks, utensils, basically anything kitchen related, made my anxiety kick into full gear. It was sort of the unknown and that was frightening to me.
I was the type of girl that enjoyed the idea of cooking. I loved to stroll around the kitchen department thinking how it would be awesome to whip up a little of this and that with a little of that. The idea of things is always so much nicer in your head, right?
I guess I was fairly spoiled growing up. Someone was always around to cook me something…even my little baby sister. He-he-he. Hey! She enjoyed it! REALLY! I swear she did.
Well, these days, with many (oh so many) failed attempts and a few victories under my belt, by gosh I think I’ve finally caught the hang of it! (Or at least tonight, I feel that way)
I’ve been using Skinny Taste by Gina, she hasn’t really lead me down a dark alley yet. The recipes are very easy to follow and they are not only healthy, they are DELISH! You know it’s a good thing when Mr. B says, “I don’t think I could have made that any better myself”. You know my little Chef Ramsay. Oops, i totally forgot Mr. B tends to read and post on our blog. So, mmm scratch that last line and insert my tough, strong, throw a meal together with the bare necessities manly man.
If you like a nice spicy linguini and shrimp fra diavolo, this recipe is for you!
Taken directly from Skinnytaste: (We love the spice, we threw in a lot more crushed reds)
Ingredients:
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
6-7 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined*
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 oz crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 tbsp capers, drained
8 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced thin
12 oz whole wheat pasta
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
While the water is heating up, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden, about one minute. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes to brown but not cook through; sprinkle with salt to taste.
Transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving garlic in the pan.
Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions for al dente.
Pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and add the celery and onions; cook 2 minutes then add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer.
Lower the heat and let it simmer about 8-10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another minute or two; remove from heat. Add the capers and serve in a large bowl over pasta topped with fresh basil, fresh black pepper and Parmesan cheese on the side.
See, easy peasy! Try it out, throw in a nice glass of wine too! Afterwards show Gina some blog lovin and post your reviews.
Memorial Day! The “unofficial” beginning to the summer months! This is the day the pool opens. Gone are the worries that wearing white pants are judged. This weekend kicks off friendly Pennsylvanian neighbor lawn wars too.
Memorial Day weekend has always been one of my favorite long weekends of the year to look forward to. Not only because it gives me time to reflect on our past and current heroes, but because I get to celebrate my very own hero, my husband!
Typically, in the past this weekend meant going to the beach, eating my weight in ice-cream and fresh fruit, sand in my shoes, fireworks, long bike rides, and the smell of bar-b-que in the air.
This weekend always represents the little taste of summer before it really actually begins.
Just because we’re in Korea doesn’t mean we let the Memorial Day weekend festivities go by without getting out and enjoying ourselves.
Saturday we packed up the car and were some of the only crazies on the road at 4AM, bound for the (East Coast) Sacheon beach.
Lots of diving, cooking out, toes in the sand, and laughs all around.
Did you know Monday is also a significant Korean holiday? Yes, it’s Buddha’s birthday.
6 hours in the car…Need we say more? Ah well, totally worth it! Wonderful weekend with great friends!
How was your holiday weekend? How do you typically spend it?
….through the week and half way to vacation!
Our Bean cat lounging..what a life, huh?
The most delightful little ham and fresh mozzarella sandwich with a vanilla macaroon YUM!
Are you looking forward to anything special this week? Hang in there..They say the best things come to those who wait.
