Adaptation - T'Giving, the DMZ, Seoul

There comes a moment when you realize your life is changing. Change happens so slowly and so sneakily...and since we're ever constantly present in our own lives it's almost imperceptible on the day to day. One, maybe two things become habit---become familiar, but we don't notice them among the hundreds, thousands of other things that have stayed the same.

And then suddenly, one day you realize that you just successfully used Naver Map without a word of English,  or that you knew exactly where you were going when you stepped off the subway, or that you ordered street food like a champ without even thinking about it beforehand. Or maybe even that you're okay with acknowledging when you're wrong...or when you're clinging to something that is no longer. And that you're much better at meeting new people than you used to be, but also much better at being alone. It's almost a scary feeling...exhilarating and so new.  It's what I love about traveling...especially traveling alone. When everything is so new, it is easier to notice when something changes. Or when you get good at something. The downside is there's so much time to examine yourself it can become a neurotic exercise in masochism. But that's where the self-praise comes in handy. Trying hard to notice those moments when things become familiar and you adapt.

This past week has been full of those little moments! Here comes the laundry list:





1. Thanksgiving in a tiny tiny kitchen:

The batter looks like normal batter! Success!

On Thursday I invited over a few friends and rushed home after work to make my first real stab at home cooking with my, eh hem, limited resources. I cheated a bit, and stopped at HomePlus on the way home to pick up a Roast Chicken (let's face it, cooking a whole turkey or chicken without an oven is a task beyond my means). At home I tried to organize my cooking as best as possible to make use of my 1 pot, 1 pan, and 1 large bowl. The thing I was most interested in was the pumpkin cheesecake baked in the rice cooker. I was following a few recipes from various food blogs, but my problems started immediately. As I tasted the small package of sugar I'd bought to put in the cake, I realized it wasn't quite sugar at all. It was labeled "New Sugar", which I assumed meant some kind of fancy processed sugar. Nope. Artificial Sweetener, which when you think about it, makes some sense to be labeled "New Sugar". But I carried on with it anyway, with no time to get to the store. The actual cooking process was...iffy, to say the least. I had to force the rice cooker to stay on by rigging up a little setup with a spatula and a plate, and after about 10 minutes I started to smell burning crust...but there wasn't much I could do, so I let it carry on!

Cooking away!

 I started on other things (stuffing and mashed potatoes), and let the cheesecake cook (singe) happily trying to air out the burnt smell. After about 15 minutes it looked like the top of the cake wasn't too jiggly anymore, so I took it out carefully and let it cool on the floor (counter space is primo real estate here) for about half an hour...when it finally came out of the pan and was tasted later in the evening, honestly I think the biggest problem was the artificial sweetener! If you scrape off the burnt part...it wasn't too bad. For a first attempt at rice cooker baking...I'm saying it was a moderate success. Of course, most of it went in the trash because "New Sugar" is not the best choice...but, next time we'll try something different.

Everything else turned out great...my stovetop stuffing, made from white bread, butter, celery, onions, carrots, and chicken broth turned out surprisingly delicious! And the mashed potatoes were a treat. And most importantly it felt like I was at least giving a little nod to a home tradition...which helped a bit with the homesickies, which I imagine will unfortunately only get worse as the holidays approach. But it was a meals well spent with friends and it gave me the confidence to try out more home-cooking.

Burnt...but reminiscent of cheesecake!

Please note my creative use of space. 

Mmm, stuffing

 2. DMZ Trip

I was lucky enough to have a DMZ trip organized and paid for by the recruiting organization I got a job through, so I set off to Seoul on Friday night to meet up with a few other people from the group (who I'd never met before) where we'd stay at a hostel before our 7am departure time on Saturday. I met a few people at the hostel and we grabbed Mexican food in Itaewon (which is an area known for the number of foreigners who populate it, and the amount of foreigner food). It was pretty good...considering I haven't had anything resembling Mexican food for a month and a half, it was a nice little treat. Staying a the hostel reminded me other things that I love about actually traveling...meeting these people so spontaneously and yet so effectively is exhilarating! You're all just travelers in a strange land and so there's an instant shared interest and a legitimate way to approach strangers. It was nice.

Saturday morning we set off bright and early with a group of about 10 people, all English teachers at various institutions in Korea. Of course, as is usually the case, everyone was legitimately kind and friendly and it was quite pleasant company.

In the plaza above the entrance to the 3rd Tunnel.

The tour consists of four main parts. First, they take you on a long, steep climb down what is called the "Third Tunnel of Agression". Four total tunnels were found that the North Koreans had dug, ostensibly to make a surprise attack on South Korea. This one was discovered in 1978 based on information given by a defector from the North. They only let you get to the first of the three barricades that have since been put in place. You can't take pictures, but there is a tiny window in the barricade that looks on to a gray, long tunnel ahead...very creepy, very bizarre. Although only 4 tunnels have been found, there are believed to be many more. The soldiers on the South regularly drill in the DMZ in hopes of finding more. 

Next, they take you to a lookout point where you can see into North Korea. Pictures are strictly prohibited here, so I have nothing good to show you...but it is fascinating to look out into this land that is so totally unknown. They point out a few major landmarks that you can see without a telescope or binoculars. The first is a huge industrial complex called Kaesong Industrial Region. It is an attempt to foster economic development with South Korea. It provides work for North Koreans (who are poverty stricken) and some South Koreans work as managers there, as well. Personal talk is strictly prohibited, and the South Koreans are not allowed to bring newspapers, phones, anything that might provide access to the rest of the world into work. Scary. 

They also point out Propoganda Village as it is often referred to, which is a town near the Military Demarcation Line that was built purely for show in the 50s to encourage defection from the South to the North. While you can't see much very well, through a telescope it turns out that the town is most likely completely uninhabited and that even the buildings, which are wired for electricity are just concrete shells. This concept...of a ghost town built purely for the purposes of covering up something awful creeps me out to the extreme.

Next up, we headed to Doraesan Station, which once connected trains between the North and the South and has been restored as a hopeful hub for trans-peninsular travel when reunification occurs. From what I understand, no trains actually travel here currently, it is more a symbol of hope that one day trains will return to travel here and beyond.

"... the first station towards the North."

Finally, they take you to the Joint Security Area, where the South and the North come face to face. There is heavy military protection for all tour groups, as scuffles between sides have happened more than a few times in the past. They warn you quite seriously where and when you can take pictures, and to not make any gestures or sounds when in sight of the North Koreans. It seems so strange that a people who are so unknown and so cut off from the world can stand and watch tour groups pass by in front of them. The North has tour groups as well, from time to time, but the soldier leading our group said for every 30 tour groups on the South, the North has maybe 1. People can barely afford food, so it's difficult to afford a trip to the border. They take you inside one of the armistice conference rooms that bisects the actual Military Demarcation Line and with two very serious South Korean soldiers inside, you are allowed to wander through the room, in and out of North Korea. Something so intangible as an imaginary line inside a building and yet it felt very dangerous.

These are statues.

This is a real soldier.

There it is...

On the way back, they drive you by what is called "Bridge of No Return". It was used for prisoner exchanges in the past, but has been defunct since the 60s due to a number of attempted attacks by North Koreans over the bridge. The name comes from the story that many prisoners from North Korea, captured by the US did not want to return home. They were given the choice to stay or go, but they could not return if they left. 

3. Sunday in Seoul

I spent Sunday just exploring on my own...I'd go into detail, but I'm getting tired so I'll do the quick rundown. I saw a lovely palace, a village full of traditional Korean houses, a modern art museum...and I drank bubble tea and took the turns I wanted to and stopped when I felt like it! It was nice to have some time to myself, and it was especially nice to get back home and sleep in my own bed!

Changdeokgung Palace

Little Lion Man

And with that, I leave you! Unfortunately, a winter cold hit me this morning with a vengeance and I'm taking this Friday evening to dose up on Tylenol Cold and sleep it off. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back to close to 100% for a fun night in Hongdae! I can't believe it is almost December...it's been said a million times before, I know, but time really does fly. My life is taking a pleasant turn for the busier...I joined a gym and a Korean class which take up most of my evenings. And weekends I've spent exploring close to home, but I think I'm going to start taking small trips soon to regions beyond! I've also started challenging myself to try something new everyday. It usually turns out to be a new restaurant on the way home (I've had some delicious stuff...) but it could also be hopping on the subway and checking out a new part of town one night, or trying to barter over a pair of tights (failed, but I have a new pair of tights...), or whatever. It's helping me stay curious, I think...and goodness knows, I want to be as curious as possible this year!