A somewhat traditional Korean house. This is outside of 대전 (Daejeon) during our tour of a village. Notice the mud bricks and how large they are.

명동 Myeongdong 明洞

A small, shopping area at the foot of Namsan. I am told that it was a center of Japanese commerce during the colonial period. Now, Japanese tourists flock here to buy consumer goods. If you enjoy neon, hawkers, crowds and consumerism, Myeongdong is the place for you!

갈비 (Galbi) is a popular food in Korea. "Galbi" means "rib." Back home, we might just call it Korean BBQ. In most places in Korea, including butcher shops, beef and pork are very expensive, but also very delicious. Does this mean that it is a higher-quality than most American meat? I'm not sure, but I'd like to think it is better for you than our corn-fed livestock.

My Living Quarters

The apartment across from mine...don't worry, it looks exactly the same as mine. In fact, there are 16 blocks of these apartments. My school, which is about a 30-minute walk away, is near apartment block number 2. Each block has 5-6 apartment complexes. Are you getting the idea?

My kitchen. Please notice the lack of counter space and a stove. My apartment is rather spacious for one person, so I like that.

My bedroom. Ahhh, I remember the days when my radio worked and I would wake up every morning to English lessons in Korean. I lived for 1 month without internet or a phone. Although it sounds strange, I miss those days already. I was a little bit lonely when I came home, but there was a simpleness to my life that I now miss. Hey, without internet at my home, I wouldn't be writing this, would I?

찜닭

찜닭=Steamed Chicken; one of my first meals in a restaurant in Korea.

Here is a wikipedia link, if you are curious:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andong_jjimdak

Girls tend to like it because it is low in calories and is delicious (I think).

Pictures

My desk and my office at Nowon Middle School, circa March, 2011.

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Mic Check...This is Michael. Over the next few posts, I will try to explain my experience here in Seoul. I arrived on March 1st and began working as a Guest English Teacher at a public school. This blog will be your portal into my world and my thoughts on various things that I find interesting, scary, delicious and pertinent. Thanks for reading~

MPT