A Night Out

For the first week or so Caroline and I have had to rely on PC cafes in order to make contact with one another.  On our second night in Daegu we were able to meet at an Emart.  (Emarts are giant department stores and they exist all over the city.  Think Wal-Mart but with higher priced options as well).  We picked the one that looked like middle ground and both made our way there.  The plan was for each of us to just circle the building until our paths crossed.  (No cell phones.  Once you leave the PC Cafe you're basically just hoping for the best).  All goes swimmingly and we soon realize that our apartments are only about 2 miles apart.

The next night we decide to meet in my neighborhood for dinner.  There is a BBQ place on my street with outdoor seating, (probably a rarity here where everything is so crammed together).  We walk over and fumble our way through ordering food.  The food is good and cheap and I'm lucky enough to try some Beondegi.  Beondegi is boiled silkworm larvae.  It's then tossed in chili and garlic and served cold.  I found it quite tasty and I've been looking for it ever since.

Bugolgi

Beondegi

Just in case you think I'm fibbing, here's some photographic proof to my claims:

After dinner, we set out to explore a supermarket.  I have about 6 or 7 markets in my neighborhood but I only visit two.  My favorite is the 007 Mart, or the Bond Mark as I've affectionately named it.  The other market is called Power Mart.  Power Mart has more options and is more organized than the Bond Mart.  Shopping in South Korea is the only time I find myself feeling completely lost.  The larger markets are way too overwhelming and the smaller ones are difficult because I can't read Korean.  It becomes a guessing game and so far I've done alright, (that's not saying much though, I've been sticking to rice, noodles and other things that I can easily identify).

Caroline's new friend

$10!!! Disgust...

What's even more rotten than the price of peanut butter?  The bread situation here in Korean would make it almost impossible to eat the peanut butter anyway.  I've only seen white bread being enjoyed as a snack or dessert here.  They sell slices of it in places like the PC Cafe and the 7-11.  I've even witnessed half loaves of bread (not sliced) sitting in the center of a table while hungry diners tear through it with forks (not chopsticks). 

Bread may be a treat here in Korea but pastries of all kinds can be found in the cafes and bakeries.  We've even seen a gourmet doughnut shop while wandering around downtown.  I have two bakeries on my block, each one offering everything from traditional Korean rice cakes to loaves of white bread.  This leads me to my next experiment: The Korean Hot Dog Craze!  By craze I mean I've seen hot dogs in the craziest places and I am making it my goal to try each and every one of them. 

First up, the hot dog danish, courtesy of Paris Baguette.

Don't scoff at me

This thing tasted just the way it looks; weird and pretty gross.  I think that was cheese on the top, but it tasted similar to mayonnaise and I hate mayonnaise.  The dough was flaky and sweet.  The hot dog tasted like a hot dog.  The middle was full of corn.  After only one hot dog I'm ready to throw in the towel on my culinary adventure but I've made a commitment and I'm a man of my word.