Random Post

As I mentioned briefly in my last post, I have been eating lots of new types of food. Everything has been editable but I often feel like I am on an episode of Bizarre Foods that is 11 months long. This is most evident when we walk thourgh the markets. Yesterday we went back to the open air market near the train station. It is fun to walk through and see what people are selling, but the smells alone can be overwhelming. My favorite is the smells of the bakeries with their fresh goods out taunting you as you walk by. But more often than not the smells were of dried fish (the things with eyes I would still prefer to avoid) or unrecognizable meats. We wandered up and down the market mostly taking it all in but partly looking for food that we knew how to prepare and eat. There were plenty of strange spices and leafy vegetables and exotic fruits but very few that we recognized much less know how to cook. Unfortunately what we do recognize is sold at the bigger stores and come at a price. This makes the free dinner three times a week at the children center a nice break. Even if the food is questionable. I have learned to eat anchovies which I would never have touched back in the States (and probably won't once I am back), squid, indistinguishable meat, and even enjoyed a few meals. My taste buds will stand spicier foods now even if the experience is not exactly enjoyable. Basically, Mom's picky little eater now takes what she can get and learns to deal with it. I wouldn't say I have complete adjusted, I would just almost rather not be told what the indistinguishable meat is (ignorance is bliss) but I will eat it anyway.

A little about Daejeon: I have been living in this city for over a month now and I am starting to learn a few tidbits about it. Daejeon is know as the Big Rice Field, it is basically the valley surrounded by mountains. Daejeon is also becoming know as the science center of Korea. There are many college campuses in and around Daejeon as well as ample museums and even a science expo park. Still a lot of exploring remains to be done.

With that my Korean classes are still going well. I am not sure how the test results have been going because it isn't important, but I am learning bits and pieces. One day maybe I will understand what the people are yelling at me when I walk through the market. Till then...