Chinese Food in Korea

America has it's own special brand of Chinese food (who the hell is General Tso, that's what I want to know), Mexican food (Chipotle I'm looking at you), and basically every other interesting ethnic food. Korea is pretty similar, with it's own versions of things such as pizza and hamburgers, but what I want to talk about today is, as the title probably warned you, Chinese food in Korea.



We ate everything. All...two of us.

Now, I'm no expert on Chinese food, but I've heard from a few of my Chinese friends that most American "Chinese" food can't be found in China, and the same goes for the staple dishes of the average Chinese restaurant in Korea. Now, I've had some pretty legit Chinese food, and it's amazing, but that will never change my love for the bastardized versions you can find in both America and Korea. Interesting side note: apparently, in Italy, they always serve fried gelato at Chinese restaurants, to the point where many Italians think it's an actual Chinese dessert. The world is crazy, right?

So, what I've found so far in most (if not all) Chinese restaurants in Korea is the same four staple dishes, which can all be seen in the above photo. Starting on the left and moving clockwise they are: 만두 (mandu), 짬뽕 (jjampong), 탕수육 (tangsuyuk), and 자장면 (jajangmyeon). So, what are these delightful dishes?

1. Mandu (pronounced mahndoo)

Look at that. Just look at it. Drooling yet?

These are probably the most familiar part of the meal, what you may know as a potsticker. The shape and filling varies from store to store, but they're pretty much always delicious and a great appetizer. They're fried, so the crispy outer shell gives way to a hot, savory inside, usually make up of finely chopped meat, tofu, or sometimes glass noodles and veggies. If I didn't care about healthy eating and maintaining my girlish figure, I could probably eat these every day. There are actually quite a few different types of mandu you can find in Korea, but these are proooobably my favorite. Maybe I'll do a post entirely about mandu in the future, which is totally not just an excuse to eat more mandu. I swear.

2. Jjampong, champong, champpong, spelling Korean words is exciting. (pronounced jahmpohng)

I can feel the spiciness through the picture.

One of the main entrees to choose from, jjampong is a very spicy seafood and noodle soup, a close relative of the Japanese ちゃんぽん (champon or chanpon), another soup inspired way back in the day by a Chinese dish. Unfortunately, due to a shellfish allergy, I've only been able to take small tastes of this one, but I can tell you just from that that it's delicious.

Depending on where you go, the ingredients will vary. I've seen clams, mussels, octopus, shrimp, pork, and all manner of vegetable piled in with a spicy broth and long noodles. If you like spicy food, this is a good choice, but if you're worried, I'd pass. I come from a family of hot sauce lovers, and even I've felt a serious burn from taking sips of this broth. Be warned!

 

3. Jajangmyeon, jjajangmyeon, more exciting Korean spelling. (pronounced jaw-jawng-myuhn)

 

Could anything be more perfect?

Jajangmyeon, or black bean sauce noodles, is probably my favorite of the lot. It's cheap, it's filling, and also pretty easy on the stomach, unlike the raging spiciness of jjampong. There are two main ingredients in this simple dish: jajang, the black bean sauce, and myeon, the noodles. Hence the name. Pretty slick right?

The literal meaning of jajang is "fried sauce", and that's exactly how this dish is made. Black soybean paste, onions, and either beef, pork or chopped seafood is fried together in a pan, then poured hot over the same long noodles you can find in jjampong. Often the dish is garnished with thinly sliced cucumbers, giving a nice crispy counterpoint to the slightly sweet flavor and soft texture of the sauce and noodles. This is one dish I can't recall ever seeing in America, which is really surprising to me, as it seems like it wouldn't be too foreign to a more Western palate. Anyone want to open a restaurant? I'll be your spokesperson.

 

4. Tangsuyuk (pronounced tahng-soo-yook)

I'm too hungry to look at this picture right now.

 

Tangsuyuk is probably the least healthy thing I've talked about so far, but it's just so delicious I can't bring myself to care. This is probably why I will never be skinny. Tangsuyuk is pretty similar to the American Chinese sweet and sour chicken, though here it can be made with either pork or chicken, or sometimes shrimp, though I think it goes by a different name in that case. Most often, though, it's pork, crispy fried and covered in a sweet sauce. What I especially like is how they don't completely coat the meat in sauce most of the time, so the sweetness and stickiness is not as overwhelming.

If you're an American like me and find yourself missing the familiar taste of cheap American Chinese food, tangsuyuk is a good bet. Just order up a big plate, close your eyes, and pretend you're home.

5. Bonus Round: 반찬 (banchan) or side dishes: pickled radish, raw onions, and black bean paste.

We didn't eat the scissors.

Yes, it's another picture of jajangmyeon. With three peas! This is probably the prettiest jajangmyeon I've ever eaten. However, what I want to focus on in this picture is the small dish in the center. Yeah, that one with the yellow things. So, what are the yellow things? Delicious. That's what.

A Korean meal is never complete without side dishes, and Chinese food over here is no exception. What's interesting in this case, though, is the consistency of said side dishes from shop to shop. It's always the same three things: pickled radish, raw onions, and black bean paste to dip the onions in. I've never been able to handle raw onions, but the black bean flavor is pretty great on the end of a chopstick. Radishes, though, those are my jam. The texture is not unlike a pickle, with a sweet and sharp taste that really cleanses the palate. I also feel like they can help cool your mouth after the spicy soup, but that might just be my imagination.


 As my final point, an interesting note. Since Chinese food here is really cheap, and all the shops deliver, it's more often eaten at home than in restaurants, putting it in the same category as pizza. And when I say cheap, I mean CHEAP. For example, the entire meal that I outlined here, which could easy have fed 3-4 people, cost less than $20, and this was a chain store that was a bit more expensive than the average Chinese place.


To sum it all up, Chinese food in Korea is great. Go eat some.

Coming up next: A seasonal treat- patbingsu!

How Has Korea Changed Me? Part 2: Modesty in Korean Fashion

As promised, this post will talk about modesty in Korean fashion, and how that has changed the way that I personally dress. In other words, this post is about my scarf addiction how I didn't choose the cardigan lifestyle, it chose me.




I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

Now, I am not afraid to admit that I am a pretty curvy person. My chest has knocked over water glasses (SCOUT I'M SORRY) and my butt doesn't like to fit into jeans even on a good day, at least not if I want those jeans to also fit my waist. It's an eternal struggle. Thanks to what's going on in my top half, even shirts that would be perfectly modest on someone with a smaller chest become low-cut once I put them on.



Exhibits C and A

All this to say, my tendency to have a reasonable, perfectly professional amount of cleavage showing came to a stop almost immediately once I started working in Korea. Now, part of this just comes from teaching students in the puberty age range, as I don't want any embarassing moments when I lean down to help spell the word "chicken". A bigger part is just that, at least among the people I see on a regular basis, any chest exposure is just not done. Hell, even a bare shoulder is rare enough that I'm starting to feel like a Victorian lady, shocked by the slightest suggestion of bared skin. I saw a collarbone the other day and almost fainted.

To borrow from Simon and Martina,

"There aren’t a lot of low cut tops and not a lot of cleavage being shown. Bare shoulders aren’t seen often (but it’s getting more popular, noticeably in the three years that we’ve been here) and there aren’t a lot of low-cut backs either. The policy almost seems to be “cover the tops, bottoms be damned!”

"Cover the tops, bottoms be damned!"- I couldn't have said it better myself. In a conversation with my mom recently, I mentioned this phenomenon, and she quite wisely noted that it's basically the opposite of the US. While a woman can get away with a reasonable about of chest or shoulders showing, god forbid she wear a short skirt to the office. However, at least in my school, some of the younger teachers wear skirts so short even I'm shocked. But the moment I show up in short sleeves, I'm the talk of the office. It's not just the teachers, either. Plenty of my students have shortened their uniform skirts so much I'm amazed they can sit down without having a...situation, but I've never seen them in shirts that show so much as a collarbone. For me, it's surreal.

This brings me to my cardigan and scarf addiction. While I've been able to find some shirts and dresses that I feel adequately cover the top, as evidenced by the above picture, sometimes no matter what you do, life will find a way. The solution? Cardigans and scarves.



Got a dangerous v-neck? Why not add a scarf?

Don't get me wrong, I wore plenty of scarves and light sweaters before I came to Korea, but I felt that it was more of a choice, not something that I absolutely had to do. Now, even if the weather is hot and sticky, I'll make sure my shoulders and chest are covered, even if it means sacrificing some coolness. It's gotten to the point that I actually feel weird and almost...naked if I go out without the usual amount of coverage, even on the weekends.

It doesn't help that I stick out like a zebra at a horse party no matter what I do. Maybe some people are comfortable being the odd one out, but as I've said before, I'm a chameleon- I want to fit in as best I can, and if that means living the shrug life, then so be it. At least scarves and shrugs come in so many great colors and patterns! Plus they're a great and inexpensive impuse purchase to satisfy the shopping urge.




A combo best saved for winter- long-sleeved sweater and warm scarf.

So yeah. Short skirts? A-okay. Short sleeves? Better watch out. Halter top? Are you even kidding me right now?

Stay tuned for How Korea Has Changed Me? Part 3: Slow Motion Teacher Talk


Beauty Review: Etude House Rich Butter Foot Mask

As I've already admitted to the horrible things I've subjected my hair to, I guess my feet are fair game. Only that they aren't. Fair, that is. I walk everywhere, so the poor things take a beating on a daily basis. Sometimes I wear good shoes, but more often than not I slump around in my ratty old broken sneakers, flats with absolutely no support, or heels. I'm not quite a hobbit, but my feet will win no beauty contests. If that's even a thing.

Anyways! So digression. Much sidetracked. Wow.

In hopes of bringing my feet back from the hell I've subjected them to, I picked up (from Etude House, where else?) the Rich Butter Foot Mask shown in the picture.




WHY IS ETUDE STUFF SO CUTE??

As always, half of what makes Etude House stuff so great is the packaging. So much pink! And flowers! What's not to love?

The process for this was pretty fun, too. As you can see on the package, there are 2 steps. First you apply what is basically a sheet mask, same as you would use for your face, except in more of a foot shape. Then, to quote the instructions "wear footsies...[and]...secure with adhesive tape." FOOTSIES. Footsies. Say it with me. Footsies. Best thing ever.




Footsie-clad feets. Feet. Feetsies?

The great thing about the footsies is that even with the foot mask on, you aren't trapped in one spot while the goo works its magic. It's probably not the best idea to say, go for a run, but you can at least grab a glass of water or answer the phone or whatever it is you have to do. Also, as an added bonus, the tape that comes in the kit is pink. Because Etude House. The other thing I really loved about this mask was the instructions about pressure points on your feet, where to massage for a headache or digestion or eye fatigue.

Result? I certainly liked how pampered I felt after doing this treatment, but I can't say how much it was able to change my horrible feet.

Would I recommend this product: Yes~ The results weren't huge, but it wasn't expensive, and it's nice to feel pampered once in a while. Also, footsies.

Where to buy: If you live in a place with Etude House stores, then you can just drop by. If not, I'm sure it's on the Etude House gmarket store or the like.

 

And finally...

 

FOOTSIES!

Beauty Review: Etude House Silk Scarf Double Care Hair Mask

I have done some unholy things to my hair, from heat styling to bleaching to multiple dye jobs in one week, so when I saw the Etude House Silk Scarf Double Care Hair Mask in my local Etude House, I knew I had to try it.



Etude House will forever have the best packaging.

As you may be able to tell from the picture, the Silk Scarf Double Care Hair Mask not only has the longest name in the universe, it also has two parts to its magical hair treatment system.

1. Hair treatment: a very nice conditioning formula
2. Essence Hair cap: a shower cap blessed by unicorns

The treatment seems pretty standard at first. It's a nice formula, not too heavy, and the smell is really nice. I usually shampoo and condition my hair before doing treatments, but this one said to just apply after shampoo, so I decided to trust the directions and take my chances.

Apply mask, wear cap, become happy. 

Now, what helps this hair treatment stand out from the millions of treatments out there is the "Essence Hair Cap" that comes in the second pouch. It basically looks like a shower cap, but the whole thing is coated in a sort of hair renewing essence, so it adds another layer of help to the system. I also like it because I can never remember to get a shower cap, so it's hard to do the sort of hair treatments that need to be left on for a long time without dripping goo all over my apartment. Not that that ever happened. Honest.

Hashtag no makeup

I don't have any before/after pictures of my hair, so you'll have to take my word for the fact that this was a miracle of modern hair science. I have a lot of trouble with intensive hair treatments because I have very fine hair that likes to be greasy, so a lot of the treatments I've tried just leave me feeling less like a princess and more like Snape. Minus the chip on my shoulder. The SCDCHM (damn the name is even long as an acronym) had all the benefit of an intensive treatment with none of the greasiness. If you've got seriously damaged hair you might needs something more intense, but I liked the lightweight feel of this. It's a treatment you can do and go out afterwards without worrying about slimy hair. 

Would I recommend this product: Yes yes yes! Not only does it work well, it gives you that nice feeling of an at-home spa day.

Where to buy: If you live in a place with Etude House stores, then you can just drop by. If not, here it is on the Etude House gmarket store. Happy shopping~

How Has Korea Changed Me? Part 1

I recently passed the six month marker since coming to Korea, and it got me thinking. How have I changed since I came to Korea? Did Korea change me, or were these changes going to happen one way or another? And if I have changed, is it for the better?

These questions have been bumping around in my brain, and this is my attempt to answer them.
How has Korea changed me? Well, the most visible change is definitely…

Fashion!

For the past couple years, as I felt adulthood looming toward me, I began to feel the urge to dress the part. I figured that, even if I didn’t know how to act like a grownup, I could at least dress like one! As it turns out, that’s harder than it looks, especially in a city like Seattle, where “nice clothes” tends to mean your newest fleece jacket and rain boots in a festive color.



For all your ugly clothing needs. This is an actual Korean store.

I always wanted to be the sort of person who never left the house without looking, if not dressed up, at least well put together and not like the latest model for the Derelicte line. However, between my hectic schedule, the low fashion standard of Seattle, and my sequence of less than elegant jobs, it never really happened. I looked on in envy as smartly dressed people passed me on the street, and tried to pretend that I was happy in my dirty sneakers and faded hoodie. Don’t get me wrong. If you genuinely are happy in dirty sneakers and a faded hoodie, more power to you—you’re also on that list of people I envy.
As a teacher, I have a certain image to present to the world. As a foreign English teacher in Korea, that image is even more important to cultivate. My apartment is a mere 15 minute walk from my school, so no matter where I go, and seemingly no matter what time of day or night I go there, odds are I will meet students, their parents, other teachers or, if I’m very unlucky, the principal of my school. (It was a harrowing experience—I’m just grateful he didn’t look in my grocery basket because it was just ramen and soju). I’m beginning to understand why celebrities hate the paparazzi.



They will find you, and they will take selcas with you.

Also, I don’t live in a central area of my small city—I’m on the edge, and I’m almost positive that I am the only foreigner in the neighborhood. That means that, unlike people living in bigger cities or in a more central area, there’s a good chance that I’m the only American, the only foreigner, that some of my neighbors will meet or have a chance to talk to. As far as I’m concerned, that puts a burden of responsibility on my head; what kind of impression can I give to these people? Will it be the lazy, slovenly American? The young, flighty foreign teacher just here to party? Or can I be better?

If you know me, you know my answer. I want to be better. It’s entirely narcissistic, I know, but I want every rumor about me to be positive. I want parents to remember that I seemed professional and friendly. I want my students to believe that I’m the sort of person who always looks put-together, even if it’s 10 PM and I’m walking to the convenience store to buy yogurt. Which I never do. That would be ridiculous. As a representative of my school, and my country, I feel that I’m held to a higher standard—and as far as I’m concerned, why not embrace it?


I went on that horribly long, tangential rant to say, basically, why my fashion has changed since I came to Korea. Now, I suppose, you’ll want to know how? For the sake of your attention spans, dear readers, I’ll continue this in a second post. Tune in next time for a thrilling tale of scarves, cardigans, and modesty in Korean fashion.

How To: Get Along With Your Korean Coworkers

Before I write a single word, I want to preface this with my awareness that my advice is based only on my own experience- I am not, by a long shot, the expert on cross-cultural office relations. However, I do get along quite well with everyone in my office, so if that's proof enough for you, please read on!



Step 1: Eat delicious food together.

If you've spent any time at all on waygook.org, you've probably run across plenty of posts about strained NET/CT relationships, chilly behavior of Korean teachers toward foreign teachers in the office, and all manner of difficulties arising out of everything from deep-seated cultural differences to simple miscommunication.

Seeing as I'm lucky enough to consider many of my coworkers (not just coteachers) to be friends, here are my personal tips for getting along with coworkers in Korean public school. As I've never worked in a hagwon, I'm can't say if the same rules apply.

note: this post is targeted more toward coworkers other than coteachers. I'll write a post about getting along with your coteachers next!

1. Your culture, their culture: know the difference!

So here you are, settling into your new job in lovely South Korea. You came from the US, from Ireland, from South Africa, Australia, wherever. Now, my first advice, and something that I admittedly tend to harp on about, is this: South Korea is not your native country. It's not the US, or Ireland, or South Africa, or even Australia. Really. I promise. The sooner you remember this, the happier you and everyone around you will be.

Not to rag on waygook.org again, but the "What Do You Refuse To Do?" thread just illustrates my point so well, I can't avoid mentioning it. Some refusals are reasonable, such as "wear a surgical mask [while sick]" or "eat dog" or even "care about Dokdo." Some complaints, on the other hand, ramp up my crankiness level at a worrying rate. Refusals include "sitting on the floor in restaurants," "learning Korean," going to work dinners, and in another post that I can't find at this moment, a poster complained about students constantly greeting him in the hall and having to respond. Oh the horror. Friendliness. How will you ever survive?

As The Korean wrote in a post about ESL teachers in Korea:

Even when ESL teachers come to Korea with best intentions, they often come strikingly uneducated about Korean history and culture. Korea is a unique place; no other country in the world brought itself out of utter poverty to a leading economic power within a few decades while surviving two devastating wars under two different countries' occupation. Many things about Korea require a radically different mindset from any other country’s mindset to understand properly – which is really what being exposed to a different culture is all about.

This is exactly the point I am constantly trying to make. There is an arrogance that comes with speaking the global lingua franca. In the majority of the world, speaking English will be enough to get by on. Sure, that's fine if you're just vacationing (though personally I believe that even tourists should learn basic greetings in the native language), but living/work and visiting for a week or two are entirely different animals. In the one case, you're merely on the outside looking in- take a few pictures, try some food, then go home. However, living and working in a foreign country entails quite a lot more, as I like to call it, cultural chameleon...ing. I need to work on that one.



Guys am I Korean enough yet??

To circle back around to my point, try to understand the culture you're in. Greet your coworkers in the morning, and when you see them in the hall. Do a bit of research, try to understand where they're coming from. Before you take offense at a comment or action, stop and consider the intention. Plenty of things that would be considered incredibly rude in the US are completely normal in Korea; comments about physical appearance/weight come to mind first. This is not to say that explaining to someone that, in your own country, such and such thing is not done/done differently is a no go. Just remember, before you get all butthurt and rant your feelings on waygook, that not everyone has the same background as you.

On a related note...

2. Learn Korean!

I cannot stress enough how important this is. The amount you want to learn is up to you, but please, please, for the love of...something, learn some Korean.

Maybe it's just greetings. You'd be surprised how far a couple of 안녕하세요's will get you (for the as-of-yet uneducated, 'annyeonghaseyo basically means hello). Kick it up a notch with 잘 먹어습니다 (enjoy your meal) and 반갑습니다 (pleased to meet you) and you'll be in good graces for the rest of eternity, barring some horrible social faux pas.

Also, hangul (the Korean alphabet), is actually super easy to learn. I know, I know, it looks complicated and scary, but it's actually (according to some) one of the most linguistically perfect alphabets in the world. The shapes of the characters are modeled after the shape of your mouth when you say them! Maybe that's only exciting to a linguistics nerd like me, but I stand by my excitement. It's certainly very logical, once you get the hang of it, and believe me, being able to read the menu in a restaurant on the names of bus stops on a map is the most wonderful feeling.



The secrets of this manuscript could be yours for the taking!

It's also pretty fun to buck foreigner stereotypes. If I had a nickel for every time someone responded to my basic Korean with "Omg your Korean is so good! Most foreigners never learn Korean. It's so hard/they're lazy/etc", I could build my own school out of nickels! Maybe. Probably not. My Korean is not good enough to warrant this response, believe me, but it feels good all the same.

Now, learning even the most basic Korean phrases will help with my next piece of advice, which is...

3. Try to Be Involved

If you've read anything about having a job in Korea, it's likely that you've come across the famed work dinners, or 회식. These gatherings usually involve lots of food, drink, and most importantly, a relaxation of social boundaries and a chance to bond outside of the office environment.




Bulgogi marinated in peach sauce, all on the company card.

It may sound like a pain, having to attend a work event outside of normal hours that you don't get paid for, but unless your coworkers are actually straight up mean to you, these things can be pretty fun. Even if you don't drink, it's a great chance to talk to different people and see a more relaxed side of the people you share a stuffy office with every day. Plus, free food.

Beyond the company dinners, always offer to help out with events. Odds are, you'll be assured that no, they don't need any help, but the mere fact that you offered means a lot. For instance, at the end of the school year, right around Christmas, there was a big school festival, with everything from an art show to various dance and music performances by students and teachers. I'd mentioned earlier in the year that I played the violin, but thought nothing of that fact until the music teacher approached me one day with the idea of us playing a duet at the festival. I was flattered, and thanks to his charming smile, I agreed.

The whole experience was really great. Even though the ladies in my office refused to let me help them with the setup, possibly because explaining what needed to be done to the clumsy foreigner was more trouble than it was worth, I still had something that drew me in to the spirit of the event. We practiced constantly, well aware that we had an audience of roughly 900 bored middle school students to impress. Despite my fears, the whole thing went off without a hitch, and 5 months later people still bring up my performance in conversation at lunch.

Anyways, that whole long ramble was just to illustrate my point; get involved! It won't suck, I promise! In fact, it usually ends up being really fun, even if you don't always know exactly what you're agreeing to participate in.

4. Go the extra mile

My explanations are getting shorter as my list gets longer. This one is pretty basic, and probably applies to jobs in any country, but I wanted my list to have 5 points, don't judge me.

If you're working in public school, I'm going to assume you're on a contract like me, which means that technically you only have to be in school from 8:30-4:30, and anything extra is overtime. "That's great!" you think, right? That means I can leave at 4:30 every day and have glorious long evenings all to myself.

Technically, this is true. However, most of your coworkers are likely going to be coming in earlier and/or staying later (whether or not this is a good practice is a debate for another time), and while I don't have any evidence to back this up, I imagine that seeing the young foreigner constantly arriving last and leaving first would not sit well.

So, my advice? Come in early once in a while. Stay a little late on days when you have a bit more to do, organize your classroom, chat over a cup of coffee with the person you sit next to, anything that strikes your fancy. If you're magically on top of your lesson plans, bring your Korean homework and do it at work!

I know this is probably controversial, since this is technically working overtime without getting paid for overtime, but let's be honest, will the odd half hour once or twice a week really kill you?

This also applies to helping out with stuff beyond teaching your classes. I've helped the IT guy understand difficult metaphors in Jason Mraz songs. I once read a speech aloud for a teacher's husband while he recorded me, so he could practice his English pronunciation before a big speech at his company. On a memorable day during Winter break, I teamed up with my office mates to rearrange and clean our entire office, much to the surprise of everyone who came in the next day.

5. Bring Food

Look, this one is really easy. Everyone likes food. Except people on diets maybe? But I'm not counting them because they secretly like food, they're just pretending they don't for the sake of health or beauty whatever. There's a rumor that my office is cursed; stay here long, and you're bound to gain weight, thanks to all the snacks everyone brings in.



The irresistible charm of eggplants.

Guaranteed to make you fat: baked sweet potatoes and rice cakes.

Seeing as I neither own a farm nor have a real kitchen, I usually go for an easier route. Seasonal fruit is always a safe bet. When mandarin oranges were cheap, I would grab a bag of those once a week or so, mostly out of a selfish desire to eat lots of tiny oranges, but it also meant that I had an office of people beholden to me for my generous citrusy benevolence. Honestly, you'd be amazed how far a small gesture can get you.

Guess which one is me?



So there they are, my 5 suggestions for getting along happily with your Korean coworkers. As I said before, I'm not a cultural expert, an expert on how to make friends, an expert on Korean schools...can you see a trend?

What I do know is that I consider many of my fellow teachers to be friends, and some even feel like family, so I must be doing something right.

Do you work in a Korean school? Any more tips for happy office relations? Think my advice is dumb? I'd love to hear from you in the comments~!