Hmm, where to start?

Although usually I have no excuse for not updating this blog, I actually have a good one this time: I just finished up my solo vacation this past Sunday. My entire vacation consisted of one week of WWOOFing on Jeju island, followed by two weeks learning how to make Korean Buddhist dishes from the cook at a temple in in south Chungcheong province (충청남도). Both trips were transforming and revelatory in many ways, and there's much that I want to share on this blog (in addition to getting back to posting Thailand and Malaysia stories, that adds up to a lot...).

Working on my knife skills (no match for hers!)

However, it's M's birthday and I'm headed out to celebrate with him (Japanese style ramen; we're going to try a place near Sangsu station mentioned in this article), so I will have to stop here for now, but I promise to write more soon!

In the meantime, here are some highlights:

-Hiking snowy Hallasan
-Participating in the early stages of making dongdongju (hint: it involves lots of stomping)
-Watching the sunrise from the top of Yeonam mountain
-Meditating daily in a room where Kyeong Heo Sunim stayed for a time after attaining enlightenment

Election Day update

It's election day here in Seoul and I figured I'd update a bit. I'm back after a month abroad (Hong Kong for a week, and then three weeks in the U.S. visiting family and friends). The weather changed noticeably while I was gone; it's now getting balmy and slightly sticky and there's that familiar slightly sweet smell in the air that I recognize from Shanghai, Tokyo, and Thailand - not sure what the origin is, but it makes me feel pleasantly nostalgic.

Before I left on vacation, I was in a bit of a cooking and food rut. After a month of sampling Hong Kong treats and my parents' cooking, I feel inspired and back on track, with lots of ideas for recipes bouncing around in my head.

Seeing the fruit and vegetable sellers out on the streets has also inspired me. On Monday night I made beef and barley soup, along with a salad consisting of cherry tomatoes from a vendor around the Grand Mart at Sinchon Rotary, in addition to zucchini and lots of celery leaves in a lemon, soy sauce and sesame oil dressing. Here's a photo: