Buddha's Birthday in Korea...

Buddha's Birthday celebration has begun as of April 24th this year. This year, the actual birthday falls on May 2nd, but the celebrations begin about a week before. Lotus lanterns are hung, parades are organized and temples are crowded as this huge celebration takes way.
One of the biggest celebrations takes place at Jogyesa temple near Jongno station. Go to Jonggak station and walk straight out of exit 1. (Another efficient station to try is Anguk from exit 6). At this time it's hard to miss the festivities. The hundreds of multi-colored lotus lanterns will guide your way.Buddhism is longstanding in Korean history. Jogyesa temple is the only standing temple within the city walls and it was built by the Jogyesa order of Buddhists in the first half of the 20th century. There are other monuments dedicated to other Buddhas behind the temple as well.
During the festival, many temples offer free food to visitors. The temples are covered in bright lotus lanterns. Many activities take place at this time as well. Ice carving, wood engraving, calligraphy; just to name a few of them.
Don't miss out on this year's celebration of Buddha's arrival!


Sources :
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/43059
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_Birthday
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/South_Korea/Soul_tukpyolsi/Seoul-1058426/Things_To_Do-Seoul-Jogyesa_Buddhist_Temple-BR-1.html

Getting to know Korea : Table Etiquette

Table etiquette

Eating out in a Korean restaurant in Korea may seem like a new experience to you even if you eat in a restaurant every day back home. It may seem like there are a lot of "rules" in order to eat in Korea,but it is all based from tradition and respect. Here are some rules that will will help you leave your first Korean dining experience in tact and well fed.
~ Korean traditional cuisine is generally not served in courses. It will usually be all laid out at one time and many dishes will be shared with those seated at the table. Don't expect an individual plate to be already dished up and served to you. Help yourself!
~ Nearly all main dishes are served with side dishes such as kimchi. You may encounter the occasional soup and more often than not, a bowl of rice. Your weapons of choice : chopsticks (usually metal) and a spoon. Side dishes take chopsticks, while rice and soup take a spoon. If you ask for a knife, you may get a strange look and most likely end up without what you asked for. Knives are generally only used in the preparation of food and with practice, you'll realize that you never needed that silly knife to begin with!
~ Just as it probably is custom in your culture, it is not a good idea to "pick" at things at the dinner table. (Food, nose, scabs, etc.) Also not a good idea to blow your nose at the table and a BAD idea to do it with food in your mouth! I'm not sure if this is a Korean custom, or more of a don't gross out your friends custom.
~ If there are no chopsticks, spoon or napkin already placed on the table, there are usually containers on the table where you can find your utensils. It's not a bad idea to try to pass them out or even try to place them for your fellow diners. If you're not quick enough on the draw, there'll surely be another person there to do it for you.
~ In a group of people of varying ages, it is typical to allow the eldest person at the table to eat first. Then...it's a free for all. In addition, stay put until everyone is finished eating and the witty conversation has come to a lull. Soon enough, people will begin to start the soju flowing or head home for the night.
You thought that was something to remember? Stay tuned for our next "Getting to know Korea..." blog entry on drinking etiquette!

Source :
http://www.koreanrestaurantguide.com/atr/atr_etiq.htm

Food in Korea -- Samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) is another popular traditional Korean dish and one of my personal favorites. It is a pork dish and is similar in appearance to the bacon you eat for breakfast. However, in Korea, it's a meal in itself.
Samgyeopsal is thickly cut slices of pork belly and comes on a plate to your table raw. It is then cooked on a grill at the table where you are also served with various sides and usually accompanied with rice. Two sauces are also typically served with this meal. First is a combination of sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. The second is a mixture of chili paste and soybean paste. Addtionally, you will almost always receive a bowl of spring onion salad with a chili-based sauce.
The "way" to eat samgyeopsal is up for interpretation. I tend to fix it according to my personal taste. First and foremost, you should probably begin by grilling the samgyeopsal. Place it carefully on the grill. (Be careful, the grease may splash up and it IS extremely HOT...as hot oil tends to be.) Let it grill and after about 5 minutes, use the tongs to tug gently at the slices. If there is little resistance, it is ready to be flipped. The reverse side will take less time to brown. Using your best judgement -- it will come with time -- about one minute before the meat is fully cooked, take the scissors to it and cut it up in bite size pieces. Don't forget to add the other garnishments meant for the grill. They vary, but sometimes include onions, mushrooms, and of course...GARLIC! Pick and choose your "toppings" and place it all on a leaf of lettuce. Shove it in your mouth and chew. Try it with a side of rice and enjoy! (Soju optional!)

HSK Restaurant Review : Chez Meili

The editor (me!) of this blog happens to be a German/Austrian food fanatic. So you could imagine my surprise when I came across an Austrian deli and restaurant in Itaewon (in Seoul.) It goes by the name of "Chez Meili" after the owner and head chef, Christian Meilinger. Herr Meilinger hails from Salzburg, Austria and runs the privately owned business with his Korean wife.
My first time there was a warm afternoon with some friends. Despite the warm weather, I was ready for some heavy duty eating, knowing very well what to expect on this Austrian's menu. I opted for the rich and hearty Goulash (an Eastern European stew like dish traditionally consisting of a tomato based sauce with potatoes, carrots, onions, stewed beef and pork) with spaetzle (an egg noodle). My friends on the other hand decided to go with cold cut sandwiches made with imported salami and emmental cheese...weaklings!
On other visits, I went with the kaesespaetzle and on a separate occasion, wiener schnitzel. (Similar to the Korean donkasseu, but in my humble opinion, 100 times better!) There was also one time when Chantrelle mushrooms were in season and Meili offered a special menu that included these tasty fungi. Be on the look out for his specials including kaiserschmarrn (fig pancakes chopped up into big chunks served with a cranberry or apple compote.) DELICIOUS!
Look for Herr Meilinger's restaurant out of exit 4 of Itaewon station, just beyond Gecko's Bar and Terrace. Mahlzeit!

Korean blog connection...

Due to the growing demand of English education, there has been a significant rise in native English speakers in South Korea. In turn, the blogger community has expanded and there are now a vast amount of resources of all things to do with South Korea. Bloggers write about anything from politics to restaurant reviews to crazy nights out.

Some topics tend to be quite controversial because of their nature. Many have open forums for discussion and provide useful information for new and returning English teachers. The Korean Bloglist provides a good amount of blogs in English from English speaking expatriates.

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Here are some of this blog's editor's favorite blogs. I refer to them regularly for the hot gossip and going ons in the Republic of Korea.

KissMyKimchi -- A cornucopia of topics are addressed in this blog. He is a personal friend to HSK and has a fun design to his blog. Check out the recent Konglish photo contest!

FatManSeoul -- This one deals with food and drink in Korea. A guide to cafes, bakeries, restaurants, teahouses and much more all over the Korean peninsula.

Life in a Suitcase -- This gal writes about anything and everything. (Korea and not Korea related.) She presents many fun things to do in Seoul including hashing, a favorite past-time of many expats in Korea.

Ask a Korean! -- Made by Koreans living in Korea aimed towards anyone that's interested. It's a question and answer type deal and answers many potential questions you may have before coming to Korea.

Scribblings of the Metropolitician -- This guy's got a really interesting point of view on a wide variety of subjects. They range from the fun and exciting to the not so fun and exciting. He is also a gifted photographer and offers photography classes.

The Original Yangpa -- A satirical and humorous blog on current events in Korea. Puts a light and unserious spin on otherwise sometimes dull and serious topics.

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These are just some of my personal favorite blogs, but feel free to search around and find your faves!

Around the world in 1 afternoon...

Have you been to Times Square, Red Square and Tiananmen Square...all in one day? Your answer was "yes"? Well how about Atlantis? Visit the real and unreal at Aiins World. It is an attraction park containing 109 infamous sites from all over the world in miniature version. It is a featured tourist attraction on the official site of Korean tourism.

Aiins World is located in Bucheon, a suburb in between Seoul and Incheon. To get there from Seoul, use the subway to get to Songnae Station (on the blue line 1) and take exit 2. Find the nearest bus stop (it is a relatively large bus stop for multiple bus lines) and hop on bus 5-2 or 90. After about 15 minutes, you should descend at the "Aiins World" bus stop. You will have to cross the street in order to access it. It's not hard to miss. If you see the Eiffel Tower, you'll know you're at the right place.

HSK took a day trip to Aiins World to have some fun and of course for research purposes first and foremost. Enjoy :D

Baseball in Korea...

As you saw in the previous post on basketball in Korea, there is no shortage of sporting events in Korea. A favorite Korean sport is baseball. South Korea has produced many talented baseball players who have made it over to the American MLB. (Cha Seung-Baek, Kim Sun-Woo, Park Chan-Ho, and the list goes on.) It was just a matter of time before Korea decided to develop its own league known as the Korean Baseball Organization or the KBO.
The KBO's website is in Korean, but here's a breakdown of the current league teams. They hail from Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan and Incheon. Each team has a stadium in which they play in their respective home turfs. To see the team names and stadiums, click here.
A Korean baseball game, like many other things in Korea, is quite different than what you have probably already seen in your home country. There are your standard team memorabilia, beer, snacks, souvenirs, programs, etc. There are also a couple of differences. Be sure to pick up your noise makers (two large plastic rods that you hit together.) Aside from your typical pretzel, popcorn, and nachos, there are also gimbap, dried squid and soju for purchase within and outside the confines of the stadium.
Be prepared for cheerleaders in scandalously short skirts and cute little dances to cheer on their home team players. A man with a pony keg on his back also makes his rounds to offer not so cool and refreshing beer. From my experience, Korean baseball games are much more entertaining than any MLB baseball game that I have attended. The atmosphere is VERY lively and it is a great afternoon spent with friends!
Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_players_from_South_Korea_in_Major_League_Baseball

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_Baseball_Organization