Korean Baseball

On Sunday, we went to a Korean baseball game (Samsung Lions v. LG Twins).  Samsung got destroyed, but it was a beautiful day, and we had a lot of fun!  The game itself is the same as the US sport, but that's pretty much where the similarities ended.  For instance:

* Korean baseball has a sixth inning (not seventh inning) stretch, where all the players come onto the field and actually stretch. And lunge.
* Gameday snacks include five different flavors of fried chicken, dried squid, kimbop sushi, rice cake soup, hot dogs on a stick (no bun)…and caramel popcorn imported from Pennsylvania, USA.
* There are cheerleaders, and multiple costume changes. And there are entire cheer sections where fans chant. They chant to the beat of drums, led by a boisterous male cheerleader, the entire time their team is at bat. This includes singing "na na na, hey hey, goodbye" to their own players?
* Beer is cheap. As in, the cheapest we have seen anywhere in the city. Can you imagine going to an MLB game and paying $1.90 for a tall boy? Or, if you prefer draft beer, there is a man walking around with a mini-keg on his back, pouring at your seat. Or, you can bring in your own alcohol!
* Thunder sticks. Also known as, two inflatable plastic tubes that you hit against each other to make a loud noise. Ashley sat next to a pretty active pair of thundersticks.
* When you buy tickets, they ask who you are rooting for. This is because fans are seated together. All of the home team fans sit on the first base line, all of the visiting team fans sit on the third base line.

In some ways, it made me nostalgic for the American version.  In other ways, I think Korea does it better.  Their fans are so active! But they really should look into nachos...

Happy Chuseok!

Happy Chuseok (추석), or Korean Thanksgiving!  Everyone heads to their hometown, to celebrate with family and perform ancestral rites.  And give each other expensive gift basket of spam and canola oil?

The whole city feels very empty.  It's both eerie and cool.  For the holiday, several of the Palaces were open for free, showcasing traditional Chuseok music and dance.  We explored Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine.  Jonhmyo Shrine was my favorite of all our tourist stops so far.  It was calm, without all the normal foot traffic, and very peaceful.  It's a UNESCO site, since Korea is the only Confucian area that preserved its royal shrine and continues to conduct ancestral rites.

We also went bike riding with friends along the Han river.  Tandem bike riding.  Because that's normal here.

Our Apartment

We, and our seven suitcases, are moved in to our Seoul apartment!

We live near COEX, which is a big shopping and convention center.  The thing we love most is the view.  We can see skyscrapers, mountains and a famous Buddhist temple all at the same time!  Another example of the old+new contrast in Seoul.  So far, we've been really happy with the area - lots of shops, corner bodegas, restaurants and bars.

We are still getting settled - we had a mattress and bed frame delivered, and we've made several runs to HomePlus to stock up on home wares.  Imagine us boarding a crowded subway with backpacks full of hangers, cleaning products and kitchenware, plus an ironing board and a swiffer under arm.

To celebrate moving in to our first married apartment, we had a picnic on the floor rug.  Because we don't have a couch or any chairs.  Like all good picnics, it included champagne that exploded when opened, overpriced cheese, paper cups that feature a sheep saying "enjoy your day~" and a brief history of Metallica.

At 10:45pm, our doorbell rang.  It was our bedding being delivered!  Who knew you could get a duvet hand delivered at almost 11:00pm?  This city really doesn't sleep.

Goodbye Temporary Housing!

Tomorrow morning, we move out of temporary housing into our new apartment!  Hooray!  It was great that Samsung provided this hotel for us while we went apartment hunting, but we are ready to unpack and get settled in.

Andrew will miss the "American" breakfast favorites: chicken wings and spaghetti. I assume he will not miss accidentally putting soy sauce on his pancakes.

Goodbye you gaudy, gilded room.

We're Aliens!

[There is a comfort to the fact that all government offices the world over look, and feel, like the DMV.]

We are officially Alien Residents! And we have the paperwork to prove it.

Samsung took us out to the Immigration office on a long bus ride. But, the trip was great because we got to meet Andrew's new co-workers!

And then we all went out for tacos and beer.

I like them already.

Finding Our Bearings

With the jet-lag wearing off, we've started to explore a bit. Our good friends from Michigan, Alan and Ashley, are also here in Seoul. It's been wonderful for us to have a built-in friendship in an unfamiliar place. Alan and Ashley moved over at the end of July, and are a wealth of information! Ashley is totally crushing it - she knows so much about the language, food, and bus routes already!

We met up and walked around Namsangol Hanok Village. No one lives there (the houses were restored and relocated from other parts of the city) but it was neat to see traditional Korean hanoks.

To escape the heat, we ordered bingsu. It's a mound of shaved ice, topped with sweet red beans, and scoops of green tea ice cream. The four of us couldn't finish it - they are enormous.  Please see Andrew's head as reference.

As we walked around the markets, we stumbled across the Sungnyemun Gate. I love the contrast between modern and ancient. There are beautiful examples of this all over the city.

The next morning, we walked in the monthly "Turtle Marathon". The word marathon is a bit generous since it's actually a 4.5 mile walk up Namsam mountain to N.Seoul tower. The whole experience was hysterical. The theme of the event was "including foreign tourists", and oh…they did. Andrew (being a tall, blonde, white guy and an obvious foreigner) was interviewed, photographed and pulled up to dance. He even made the paper. At the end of the walk, all participants were entered into a raffle…with a separate raffle box for foreigners. Considering there were about 30 foreigners there, the odds were completely stacked in our favor.

Three out of four won a prize. If that's not incentive to exercise, I don't know what is!

Korea Bound

Exactly ten years ago, I met Andrew as we moved in to our college dorm. And today, we're moving to Seoul. 

Life is crazy, unpredictable and wonderful.

Engaged

In an attempt to revive this blog for our upcoming move, we need some catch up posts.

Consider this my first "Throwback Thursday". 

On New Year’s Eve, Andrew got down on one knee, said a lot of sweet things
and asked me to marry him.  I said, “I’d love to!”
I was totally surprised, and it was wonderful.

In March, we went down to North Carolina for some wedding planning, and met with our photographer, Robyn, to take engagement photos.

I absolutely love them.  (And that guy.)

[All photos by the phenomenal Robyn Van Dyke]

We’re getting married! And moving overseas!

My updates from the Midwest have been few.  But they were focused on some very important topics: Key West, doughnuts…and sharknado.

So, it only seems right to update about the big stuff too.  We’re getting married!

And then we’re moving to South Korea!

[photo by Robyn Van Dyke Photography]

Lots of adventures ahead.  We’re so excited!

Blueberry Pie & Sharks

Want to make a ridiculously runny pie?  Accidentally use corn syrup instead of corn starch!

To remedy the mistake, use a turkey baster to suck out the blueberry soup.  Then, put on stretchy pants, invite over a friend, and eat the soup pie while watching the hit sensation film, Sharknado.

Discuss the scientific impossibilities of wind propelled sharks falling from the sky.  Eat more pie.