Do not feel safe at night? Tips & Get a Police Escort at night to take you home

Only applicable to Won-Hyo-dong (Yonsan-area) right now, but will be implemented throughout Seoul starting in May.

tv caption : call the number for more info

You can dial the number and a policeman will pick you up, drop you off, and even walk you to your door.

I think the time is after 10pm - please call for more details to be sure.

This police escort will be implemented throughout Seoul starting in May 2013.



*There have been increasing cases of street crimes against women at night.   To combat this growing problem - Seoul is implementing this service - and it's just one of them.

Tips for night safety:

• Do not wear earphones while walking at night.
• Be alert of your surroundings.
• Look back once in a while to see if anyone is following you.
• Avoid getting "too drunk not to be able to walk" - crimes against drunk women alone or in groups are targeted.

I hate to acknowledge that Seoul (Korea) is not what it used to be...  You can no longer trust your cellphone(or bags) to be left alone in public places any longer.

I used to feel safe walking at night 6 years ago - I can't say the same now.

I miss the good old days when there was trust.

One clear case is the problem with Korean rental system, "jeonse"(rental money).  You put a hefty down payment(upto 60% of the value of the property) down for 2 years that will be given back when contract ends.  This is one of the major ways people rent and still do now, but this rental system is being questioned and cautioned such as having the first lien and checking for owners debt..etc.  This new attitude towards renting is being taken after increasing cases of owners running away with this money and not giving it back - I'm talking about a huge sum of money averaging $100,000(more or less) and  just simply disappearing out of sight leaving the tenants broke and sometimes homeless. The real estate crisis in korea is just unraveling and we're bound to see what kind of mess it brings.


Korea is changing fast.






photo credit: tuis via photopin cc
photo credit: Kim Hanwool via photopin cc

City Hall Festival - Spring "namul" & local specialty goods

Today was another library day.

It was drizzling a bit and was hurrying my way to the building, then saw the "Spring Namul & local specialty goods festival" taking place.

They were putting things together as the sun came out. 

There were a few huts selling specialty goods, from kimchi, health food, honey..etc.   About 2~3 vendors were selling "sweet goodies" like sweet potato baked goods.


But most of the vendors were of "health goods" from veggies to kimchi.

But how much?

a scene after the rain

It wasn't as exciting as it looks - most of the local goods are "special" - meaning on the pricier side.
But it also had a few huts that were selling bundles of "namul", veggies, and plants.

The festival is good until the 28th this month.






FYI:  The City Hall library where PSY filmed a scene in his new single, "Gentleman".

the "stairway case & reading spot" in City Hall Library

But please do not imitate this scene there, you most definitely get "shhh"ed...
Even today - on a rather quieter day at the library- they had an announcement on "to be quiet and respectable" and a few staff were walking around to "shhh" the noisy ones.

I wonder how hard they have to work on the weekends to keep the place quieter - because the last time I visited it on a weekend - it definietly was not a "library quiet", but was a day care/couple on dates/study groups/friend meet ups - all taking place.

Mapo Galbi & cherry blossoms at "Mapo Restaurant Street"

After volunteering at the orphanage on Sunday, we headed out to grab an early dinner at our town near Mapo station.  We always have a huge appetite afterwards.

We ordered 2 servings of pork galbi and two "bibim nengmyun".  We can't have meat with out topping it with the cold spicy noodles - it's a great combo :)


To start it off, the banchan spread...

good looking and tasty banchan

tangy sauce and veggies and "mool kimchi"

veggies for "ssam" (wrap)

After enjoying a little bit of everything from the banchan spread - our 2 orders of galbi came!

2 servings of galbi

grilling away

yumm

"bibim nengmyun" - spicy vinegary sweet cold noodles

It was such a yummy dinner!

It wasn't overwhelmingly heavy in marinade that you could actually taste the meat.
The banchan and service was also very good.  Very attentive and clean restaurant.





For good digestion(?), we walked around the "Mapo Restaurant Street" for the pretty cherry blossoms.

walking the mapo restaurant street

pretty cherry blossoms

There is a cute little elementary school in the area.  We walked around to enjoy the "school scenery".

I find that Korean schools can be so cute - especially the "garden" area - where trees, flowers, and sometimes, ponds to pretty up the school.

magnolia flower

Looking at the cute school reminded me of my younger days in Korea.. ^^



After the nice long stroll around the neighborhood with the pretty blossoms and trees - we grabbed some hot coffee.

hot Americano

Americanos for only 2500won!

It was a nice way to finish up the day~




Directions to MAPO WANG GALBI:
  - Get off Exit 1 of Mapo station (line 5, purple color), walk towards the first right corner, keep walking up towards a small uphill.  It will be on your left - refer to photos below.

- "Mapo Restaurant Street" is a rather short street with restaurants, especially grilled meat.  When you get off exit 1 and turn to the first right street, you will turn right again to the right and you will see a nice road with trees and restaurants on both sides.

view of restaurant on left

look for this big sign

Almost there~ street to the restaurant on your left

New soju models

My husband told me a funny bit while he was out with his friends.


His Korean friend went on a rant while looking at the soju bottle ("chu-eum-chu-rom"),

new models; girls from girl groups..

"Who are these?!  Call girls?!!"

"Why did they have to take Lee Hyori out?!"

"These are call girls!!!"

"Who are these on the bottle, do you know?!"

"No!"  While peeling away the label to see if it was a "sticker ad(?)"..


And so they went on ranting about the call girls on the bottle and their disapproval of it...


Conclusion:
Grown men do not approve of "skanky looking models" on soju bottles - at least Lee Hyori had some class, so they say.

Spinach & garlic banchan - easy recipe

I got a hold of "wild organic" spinach at the market!
I love the pinkish roots!   There's so much nutrition in them and tastes so sweet.

1. Soak organic spinach in water (preferably filtered) to loosen up dirt and soak up some water back (about 30 minutes~).
2. Rinse off remaining dirt over running water.  Clean the roots, but do not cut it off.
3. Half the spinach from the roots.
4. Saute 1tsp(or more) of mashed garlic on heated pan with oil (olive or grape oil) until fragrant.
5. Add spinach.
6. Mix and saute while seasoning with a dash of salt - flip well and don't let it "wilt" too much.
7. Cook enough until it's half wilted (don't let it get too "watery" by letting it cook too long.)
8. Remove from pan and serve.

Spinach is awesome for everything!

Spinach is great brain food

All those flavonoids that help prevent cancer also act as potent antioxidants that slow the effects of aging on the brain. Researchers have found that spinach helps protect the brain from free radical damage and slow age-related declines in brain power.

Spinach is packed with high quality nutrition

Spinach is one of the best sources of Vitamin K, which functions in retaining calcium in the bone matrix where it promotes bone mineralization. Other minerals in spinach include manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. This combination makes spinach a great fighter of osteoporosis. It's an excellent source of Vitamin B1, B2, and B6, and a good source of B3. Spinach is also rich in mood relaxing tryptophan, and cancer fighting fiber. One cup of boiled spinach contains over 5 grams of protein, and a decent amount of omega 3 fatty acids. And of course a load of Vitamin A.

What else you need to know about spinach

Spinach is among the 12 foods on which pesticides have been most frequently found. If you want to avoid the health risks posed by pesticides, buy only organic spinach.

 http://www.naturalnews.com/026273_spinach_cancer_brain.html