The Story of How to Get a Korean Oven

Our first day at our new apartment I panicked when I saw that I only had a toaster oven to fix meals. I shouldn't complain, really, but we are in a developed country so we requested an oven. To our delight they said yes! Whoopee! But was much more complicated than I thought. You see, we have a kimchee fridge. So, we thought, let's remove the kimchee fridge and put an electric oven right in it's place. It sounded like the perfect solution. But, we found out, electric ovens cost more than 3 million won! Yes, I thought that was alot too, so we opted on a gas one at 480,000 won and hooked it up to the other gas stove. So I made bread this morning, having faith that all would proceed as planned. The first man showed up and even though I said NO KOREAN he kept talking to me as if I understood--he even got louder and slower. Sorry, that didn't help. But then Brother Kim showed up, our wonderful helper from the church. And the flurry began:

Here is our space where the kimchee fridge was.

This is our stove and no that isn't the oven it is a WASHER!

Here is the kimchee fridge, selling it for cheap. Or maybe we will use it as a bedside table to keep our beverages cold.







Yes, faith works!

The Last Watermelon

If you look closely you can see Kurt carrying a watermelon in a sling. There are sidewalk stands EVERYWHERE, and I mean, EVERYWHERE. This one is outside the subway station. He is the only one I see that has watermelons even though it is not the season which means they are expensive. But I indulge because they are delicious and besides that they give you that cool looking plastic sling with handles to carry it home. But, alas, this will be the last one until next summer.

OK. Sometimes You Need to Eat Something OTHER Than Korean Food

We paid some bills (Which is a whole other funny story. You see you have to pay your bills at the bank but when you go into the bank you have to get a number. So Kurt goes to get a number and everything is in Korean and there are different numbers for different things but we don't what the different things are. So he took three numbers just in case we were at the wrong thing. But we ended up at the right thing, at least they played like it was because they don't speak enough English to tell you to go somewhere else so they just helped us) and then walked forever looking for a stationery store which we never found. But we did find some chestnuts--great big ones--to roast at home. We walked so much we decided to get some dinner but I couldn't eat Korean food tonight.
So we found this Italian place called Spaghettio Classico, or something like that. Here is what we had:

This is our Caesar Salad with yummy warm bacon on top.

This is the Gorgonzola pizza. The little dish is honey with little dried garlic chips. You drizzle the honey on the pizza. It was really yum yum!

On our way home we stopped in a book store and I saw "The Giving Tree" in Korean. You know you have made it when they publish your book in Korean.

What Are They Eating?

This is fresh corn (on the right with the pink scoop) stone ground into creamed corn below in the pot. They then proceed to make some kind of pancake out of it.

This market was huge. Everyone was doing the same thing, like this stall was meat parts, intestines, legs, everything!

These pots were all ready to cook up for the customer--tofu, enoki mushrooms, chilies, some kind of greens I don't know what they are, and the scary something at the bottom. I could not figure out what it was.

Here are the vegetable stalls. I can't quite figure them out. Some had broth and I think you can add the vegetables but other ones didn't so I needed more time to figure it out!

This market was off a stop where they have some whole wheat flour, chocolate chips, coconut milk, nuts, baking accessories, and cream cheese! Right before the food stalls were women sewing right there on the street. So Katy and Megan come on over and get a job!

Food at the Korean Folk Village

This is the the Feast of Noodles Soup. It had a yummy broth with I think some cucumbers, sea weed, and some fried egg strips.

And always, the side of kimchee.

We didn't realize they had actual tables until Kurt was settled, cross legged, sitting up to the tiny tables on these big platforms.

Ashley, I got this for you: leek pancake. It was really good but not as good as watching the lady actually make the pancakes.

Here she is making leek pancakes and also these tortilla looking pancakes FULL of vegetables and I think it must be squid.

Here is the beginning of one of those veggie/squid pancakes.
Yes, my motto contiues--it is ALL about the food!

Costo Hotdog Set!

We just finished checking these missionaries apartment. I am standing outside.....

They call it a hotdog set instead of a combo meal. The hotdogs were not the same but will have to do. We were starving so it did taste good. A lady comes along and lines up all the shopping carts of the people that are eating. This is a very orderly place. But a bag of pinenuts costs $31.00. Yes, it is true. I guess there will be some things we just won't buy!

Something's Fishy in Korea!

Can you believe these fish?

Elder K looking at all these dried barks--we think they are medicinal

We ran into this market on the way home from checking some Elder's apartment.

More silver fish

We are having a good time discovering Seoul. This is one big city and so much to see.
We had a good visit with a couple of missionaries this morning. We brought them chips and salsa and you would think we had brought them the world they were so excited!
Wish you could smell the fish!

Did You Know Jordan and Craig Were Sick?

Here's wishing them a healthy Halloween!