Hail and Farewell

This weekend we attended a military social event called a Hail and Farewell.  It's a party at which new arrivals are hailed (welcomed and introduced) and the soon-to-depart are farewelled (thanked and said goodbye to).  This Hail and Farewell was bigger and more elaborate than most we've been to because some high-ranking individuals were involved.  It was held in the banquet hall of a large hotel in town and there were over 100 people there.  It was a fun night out and a chance to dress up a little!

Johnnie was one of the MC's of the night!  He and another officer took turns talking about the people being farewelled.  Johnnie is great at speaking in front of crowds!

They had a slide show of funny things to go along with their dialogue :)

The Korean Air Force Band provided the music.  They started out with slow older songs but during dinner they started rocking out!  They did a great instrumental rendition of Higher Ground featuring the bass player.  A female vocalist sang a couple songs that she must have thought were popular American songs because she yelled "Sing along!" but no one knew the words.

There were buffets set up with a fairly large selection of Korean food.

A Korean meal isn't complete without kimchi!

I love these!  They are rice cake balls (tteok) with a sweet bean paste in the center, rolled in various toppings such as green tea and seasame seeds.

After the party we headed to a club where a friend was DJing.  Fun times :)

*******

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.  A farewell

is necessary before you can meet again.  

And meeting again, after moments or lifetime,

is certain for those who are friends."

~Richard Bach

Rice Cookers

Rice, along with kimchi, is a staple in most meals eaten by Koreans.  One of the easiest ways to cook rice is in a rice cooker.  We have a small rice cooker that Johnnie bought the last time he lived here in Korea.  It's a simple appliance that you plug in, add water and rice, and turn on.  It tends to splatter water and steam from the edges of the glass lid resting on top but it does make perfect rice every time.

While we were in Home Plus (a Korean Wal-Mart type store), we decided to look at the rice cookers thinking that maybe it was time to upgrade to a slightly larger and nicer version.  There were rows upon rows of rice cookers available in all different colors, sizes, and styles.  The prices shocked us the most!  There were no "cheap" rice cookers and some of the most expensive ones were in the $400 range.  Really?  $400 for a rice cooker?!  At that price, it better do a lot more than simply cook rice!

These rice cookers are equivalent to $247.00 and $302.00

These rice cookers are equivalent to $385.00 and $440.00

Ultimately, we decided against purchasing a new one simply because the buttons and instructions were all written in Hangul and looked too complicated to figure out.  Our simple little rice cooker is just fine for now :)

*******

"Always start out with a larger pot

than what you think you'll need."

~Julia Child

Work It!

The fitness center in our apartment complex is open!  The fitness center was one of the reasons I was looking forward to living in this apartment but when we moved in, it wasn't open yet.  The room was there and everything was in it, but it was always locked and management kept saying it would open "next month."  I am beyond excited that the center is finally open!  It is located off of the parking garage below our building which means I don't even have to go outside to get there!  I know that the convenience of this is going to spoil me for life :)

The center is bright with lots of windows and big enough to be comfortable with plenty of space for working out.  There is a nice variety of equipment for cardio and weight training.  The equipment is all brand new, very comfortable and easy to use, and all in English!  As a bonus, each treadmill and elliptical has its own little TV attached to it with a remote control.  It will be hard not to spend all my extra free time here :)

Treadmills and bikes

The machines are all in English :)

Ellipticals

Platforms for ab work and the ab twisty circle thing :)

Weight machines

Free weights

And the most entertaining equipment in the center - vibrating belt machines!  Weren't these popular in the 1950's?  I'm not sure they actually do anything for your fitness level but they are fun to watch people use!

*******

"Fitness - if it came in a bottle,

everybody would have a great body."

~Cher

Dog Days

We are dog sitting two dogs for our friends while they're on an amazing week-long vacation.  Dulce has had play dates with Zeus and Fritz many times but this is her first slumber party with them!  They're getting along great and wear themselves out everyday playing together.

Fritz, the guard dog.  He will let you know about every noise he hears.  This is Dulce's favorite wrestling buddy :)

Zeus, the sweet shadow.  He quietly follows me everywhere I go, never making a sound.  He stays away from the antics of the other two dogs.

Dulce is funny to watch with these two boys!  She tries to hide her toys from them, she climbs on my lap if they get too close to me, and she lets them know who the alpha dog is in the house!  She and Fritz wrestle often but all in good fun.  Neither of them are too rough but Dulce has an edge since she's a little bigger then he is.

Hours of rest are needed after play time :)

*******

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures 

because they give unconditional love.  For me

they are the role model for being alive."

~Gilda Radner

Portable Elevators

High-rise apartment buildings are everywhere here.  Not only in the larger cities, as would be expected, but also in the small "country" towns like the one we live in.  From the latest census information that I can find on the internet, well over 50% of Korea's population live in apartments.  Many apartment complexes here have private security, great amenities, and are in close proximity to public transportation, work, and shopping.   It's no wonder that the majority of Koreans would prefer to live in one versus a house.

With so many people living in apartments, someone is always moving in or out.  Moving companies show up with 2 to 4 men and 2 vehicles: the truck for personal belongings and the truck with the portable elevator.  The portable elevators are mesmerizing to watch.  Things are loaded onto a platform and moved quickly up and down the lift, through the sliding glass windows of the apartments.  It's such an efficient way to get the job done!

*******

"Necessity is the mother of all invention."

~Plato

'From In' Coffee Shop

Johnnie and I stumbled upon a great little coffee shop called From In while walking through the Sinjang last weekend.  It has a cozy atmosphere with some walls that slide open to the street.  They have a nice variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, and juice.  They also had some baked goodies for sale and a little bookshelf of books to read.  One of the friendly baristas was Korean-American and spoke perfect English which earns the place extra points in my book :)

I ordered an Americano hot coffee and it was honestly one of the best I've had here yet, plus it came with a little cinnamon biscuit cookie :)  After talking with the barista, I found out that they have soy milk available to mix in the drinks!  Finding a coffee shop that has soy milk is surprisingly difficult here in Korea, resulting in my new fondness for black coffee.

We had Dulce with us and she was allowed to lay next to our table.  She got her own cup of water to drink and it was good practice for her to stay in the 'down' position despite people walking past in the street.

I give this place two thumbs up and will be returning :)

*******

"You never had enough coffee until you can

thread a sewing machine while it's running."

~Jeff Bezos

Hangang Cycling Trail

The Hangang, or Han River, is the major river that runs through Seoul.  There is an amazing cycling trail along the river that is about 40km (or 25 miles) long on each side.  The path is flat, wide, paved, and has two lanes.  There is also a pedestrian walkway.  All along the path there are bike rental shops, convenience stores for drinks and snacks, restrooms, shaded rest areas, parks, some cafes and restaurants, random exercise equipment, and even water skiing and wind surfing centers.

Johnnie and I spent a Sunday afternoon here with some friends.  It was a beautiful day and there were tons of people out enjoying it.  We ended up cycling 18 miles of the path, crossing the river twice.

*******

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  In order to

keep your balance, you must keep moving."

~Albert Einstein