Thing you do not see in the USA.

 The power of Korea...

Sold in the toy section at a amusement park.

Public safety robot and yes he moved his arms up and down.

Toilet paper roll by the bathroom entrance.

Self pour beer.

You go out to cook your dinner.

Creepy little dolls with man parts.

Stay sexy my friends.

Intresting Korean Pictures

I saw this and it made me think of Robin Williams, he will be missed.

It has been crazy busy here. School has started, new routines and still trying to make it in a new country. There have been so many amazing experiences here like going to temples, learning the culture.

Now to some of the better pictures...

We went on a walking tour of the older parts of Seoul. We also got to sit behind the bench of the Korean Supreme Court.

This is a exhibition at the Childrens Museum.

Some kind of leap frog game Korean kids play.

I have a lot more to put up here so a new post in a few days.

Pancakes

A pancake recipe that is good.
Ingredients-
2 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
1tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbl Cinnamon
1 Egg
2 Cups Milk
3 Tbl melted Butter
1 Tbl Vanilla


Directions-
1. Whisk dry ingredients into a mediem mixing bowl. Whisk wet ingredients into a mediem mixing bowl.
2. Combine bowls and whisk until mixed.
3. In a large frying pan over medium heat, using a 1/3 cup measuring cup add batter. Cook 2-3 minutes, you will see bubbles form on the cake flip when most of cake has bubbles. Cook 1-2 minutes on the other side...enjoy!

Vatos Urban Tacos

Tacos in Korea!!

We just had our 11th wedding anniversary (I do have a frickin amazing wife!!!) and for dinner I searched "fun places to eat in Seoul." The most popular place to pop up was "Vatos Urban Tacos", in Itaewon, a part of Seoul with a much more Western feel to it. The joint was packed (I took this as a good sign) so we found the host stand and were told an hour wait. Karen wanted a "big ass" margarita she had the "Grow a pear" (so many jokes here, did I mention I love my wife!), as we approached the bar two seats opened up next to a couple of guys in the military and had a fun conversation with them. So far the people we have meet here are kind and so helpful with anything you need. Once a group of us where looking for a subway station and we were lost(no big surprise there) and Megan asked this older man for directions. Well he didn't give us directions... he walked us to the subway station a good 10-15 minute walk and it was hot(like hot, salsa HOT!)this is how the Korean people are, this is everyday that we are embraced by kindness. Ok, back to Vatos, we started out with some chips and salsa the red was a little more spicy then the green. The green was more like a chimichurri sauce.  

CHECK OUT THOSE CHIPS!!!

We came here for the tacos, Karen ordered three of the Chili Lime Shrimp(see above picture with her big ass margarita) fried shrimp with red onion, pico, cilantro and a lime-cilantro sour cream. I was starving so I ordered two of each of the following Carnitas taco with cilantro, onion and hot sauce. Galbi short rib(Korean BBQ) taco with Asian slaw and last but not least the Chimichurri chicken tacos with salsa and lettuce. Karen liked hers and my favorite was the Galbi taco. As with many of the portions over here they were small (ok maybe normal compared to the US) Overall, we were very pleased with the food and experience of Vatos Urban Tacos and I will go back for more. BY the way, I love my wife!

One funny sign... (Karen is amazing!)

Bacon and Chive Hushpuppies

Who doesn't like hush puppies? Buford T. Justice doesn't that's who or he just doesn't have time for them. Anyone under 35 probable has no idea what I'm talking about, just one of the best movies ever. Smokey and the Bandit, you need to see it.

Ingredients-
4 Slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal not stone ground
1/2 Cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Whole Milk
3/4 Cup Chives thin slice
4-6 Cups Vegetable Oil

Directions-
1. In a medium sauce pot over high heat add oil until it's about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Heat until 315-320 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
3. In a small mixing bowl whisk egg and milk together. Add to flour, add bacon and chives and mix until just incorporated.
4. Using a tablespoon sccop mixture and add 5-7 hush puppies to oil cook for 2-3 per side, cook until golden brown add any sauce you like we used ranch...enjoy!

Korea

This sign cracked me up.

Well, when you need to find one or do you go to the original.

There is a trend here that younger couples wear the same clothes or matching outfits.

 The guy might have his own matching purse or carry his girlfriend's purse.

Let's all remember to be...

The street we live on

Watermelon here is super expensive, that is $18,800(on sale from $21,800) won or $18.80 US currency for a watermelon. I don't know why it cost so much or why it baffles me that a watermelon can cost $18 (another idea to learn!). We live by Gachon University it is a medical school. The main street by us, Bokjeong-ro, is about a mile and a half long and filled with stores, markets, coffee shops and two french bakeries. The first time Murphy and I walked around was at 4:00am, after our first night here. We have done a lot of walking around at weird times(2:00am, 4:30am,5:30am) getting over the jet lag.The names of restaurants are kind of funny like Donky Chicken, Pork Fork, Pizza School, Momma's Burgers, Thunder Chicken or our favorite Johnson(yes it is just Johnson). The one thing I don't know, if there are more coffee shops or pubs? There are 1-2 coffee shops on each block on each side of the street and half the restaurants call themselves pubs. There are 6-7 markets on our little street, they all carry the same things but price really varies. It was a little overwhelming at first with everything being new and not knowing what anything says or the funny looks we had at 2:00 in the morning, father and son walking down the street. We have been here a week now, we still find all sorts of new various and sundry items and it is starting to feel a little like home.