Another week

Well another week has past and that means we are another week closer to leaving and I still have done nothing to get organised. I think a lot has to do with this game call Boomshine that someone sent to me. Here have a play! http://www.k2xl.com/games/boomshine/ - Watch out it is highly addictive!

Well we had two birthday parties this weekend, both at the same time. So Paul went one way with Emily and I went the other with Claudia. I hit the jackpot - good food. Paul got the not so good party with little kiddy chairs and no food for grown ups. After the party Claudia and I went to the markets to get some fruit and veges. I love going to the market because you can get really fresh food and it is always such an adventure. It was cold, I mean really cold and Claudia whinged her guts out, but I had fun and just kept putting food in her mouth. Here are some shots I took (yes I take the camera everywhere).

Don't these look delicious? Wrong, as Miss Corky found out the hard way - filled with bean paste. Bean paste is the biggest disappointment of Asia. You will see this lovely looking donut or cake, you bite into it thinking you are about to taste something amazing and yuck, you get a mouth full of warm, lumpy bean flavoured goop.

These are not sticks for the fire, these are an ingredient in Korean cooking. Never been quite game to give these a go. I have no idea how you would prepare it - do you need a hammer or a saw?

Another one of my greatest frustrations in Korea - shoes that I can not buy. the biggest size you can get here is 250 and my size is 255. Trust me I have tried to squeeze my feet into them, but I always regret it after I have bought the shoes. I stand in the shop and think, "I can do this, I can handle the pain." I then wear them once home and hobble. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will never get shoes to fit me here........but they are so pretty.

Fish is such a key component to Korean cooking, I just can't cope with the taste. The fish here has a really strong taste and lots of bones.

This is crab kimchi. It is marinated in this mixture of soy, vinegar, chilli and herbs. It is raw!!!!! Paul got put on the spot at a work function and has to try this. I just looked at hime sucking this hot raw crab into his mouth. I felt for him and when he swallowed it, and smiled, I was so proud of him. Anyway they do onions the same way, and they are amazing, but crab - not thanks.

These turning symbols represent a barber in the western culture -not in Korea!!!! They are brothels. So if you are ever in Korea, don't make the mistake of thinking you will get your hair cut. The amazing thing is that they are everywhere!

Feel like some meat?