bits of good food are showing up!

So I figured out food is not all that great here, but I've managed to have some pretty decent things--thank goodness they have peanut butter and cheese for sandwiches! :)

On Friday our boss paid for all of us to go out for a traditional Korean barbecue. He never managed to show up, but we had a great time! Here is everyone we work with, including the 5 Korean ladies on the right who work at the front desk (like the secretaries I guess). We had to sit shoe-less on floor cushions and the metal table had these round holes cut out and they would pull those long metal tubes you see down to ventilate the smoke, and put a grate over hot coals in the hole, and cook the meat on there. Think it was pork or something. Anyway those of you who know me well, know my take on meat--but it was delicious! As was the many side dishes and beers that accompanied us-which is shown in the next photo! :) Actually known here as mek-ju.

The first Korean food I tried that I was pretty sure I'd like was Gimbop. Pretty much their take on sushi rolls without any raw fish--right up my alley! Some have tunafish in them (like straight out of the can--not actual spicy tuna). I usually get them sans tuna, but they are just as good. The rest of the stuff is just veggies. You can get usually between 12-24 rolls for only $3.00 so it's a good, cheap meal!




The next authentic dish I had was Bibimbap. The kind I like comes in a scorching hot pot-bowl filled with rice that's cooking on the bottom of the pot, all kinds of veggies like peppers, bean sprouts, cabbage, and topped off with an egg (kinda random but they put egg on EVERYTHING) and a splat of this spicy hot chili sauce...which is also the spice they put on everything. When all mixed up it tastes great!






This here is the ever famous Kimchi. The look of it leaves a bit to be desired, but it's just pickled cabbage and red peppers. It's the staple side dish, but can be made numerous different ways. (I know it looks like squares of raw meat, but it's just big squares of cabbage!)







And finally the most popular, biggest seller of them all: ramyan...or also known as every college kid's diet: raamen noodles. Still cheap and delicious and extremely un-healthy!

I'm sure I'll have much more I'd like to try while I'm here, but when I come home 40 lbs. lighter, you'll all know why! Oh yeah and I'm like Mr.Miyagi with the chop sticks now...I could totally catch flies!