Today I spent a lot of my morning looking up the various tours I had wanted to go on. Like I mentioned to my mom earlier, it looks like I'll be going on a lot less than I thought I would. I'm doing a pretty decent job trucking around Seoul to a bunch of famous places all on my own I think haha. I've sent emails off to ask about available days for 4 that include palaces or famous markets/streets I haven't been to or know how to get to.
I made a quick trip back to Itaewon today to pick up some gifts to bring back. I took a new subway line today, the Orange (3) line. If you recall in my previous Itaewon post, I said how I took the longer subway route since it involved less transfers lol. I finally feel relatively comfortable traveling by subway lines around here! But I'm leaving Gangnam in a week...gosh darn it. Anyways, this way I went from Green line to Orange line to Brown line to get to Itaewon and shaved like 20 minutes off my transit time. And for anyone who's wondering, the average train fare 1,050 won is about 0.94 cents. As your ride + various transfers gets longer and longer, it will add another 100 won (about 10 cents) or 200 won if you've really been riding awhile when you eventually check out at the end of your ride on your way back up to the street.
I made a quick trip back to Itaewon today to pick up some gifts to bring back. I took a new subway line today, the Orange (3) line. If you recall in my previous Itaewon post, I said how I took the longer subway route since it involved less transfers lol. I finally feel relatively comfortable traveling by subway lines around here! But I'm leaving Gangnam in a week...gosh darn it. Anyways, this way I went from Green line to Orange line to Brown line to get to Itaewon and shaved like 20 minutes off my transit time. And for anyone who's wondering, the average train fare 1,050 won is about 0.94 cents. As your ride + various transfers gets longer and longer, it will add another 100 won (about 10 cents) or 200 won if you've really been riding awhile when you eventually check out at the end of your ride on your way back up to the street.
Today I also saw a blind man navigating the subways...HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE. I have two good eyes and two good legs and one moderately normal brain and I was terrified by the subway. I still hold that it is impossible to transfer and get from subway line to subway line without seeing. How do you know where to go?? There's announcements on the actual subway about which stop is which but once in a station you literally are following color-coded and lettered signs and arrows to get from one end to the other, going up and down staircases and escalators and back and forth until you reach your desired actual subway train. I am in serious awe of this man.
I ate a late lunch at a place called Omuto Tomato that I've been eyeing for awhile. I've seen a few around so it must be somewhat popular around here. They specialize in what they call "omurice", which turned out to be a rolled up omelette with delicious seasoned rice pilaf-like rice inside. They have meats, omurices, curry, spaghetti, and salads. I ordered the Beomuri Omurice, having no idea what was in it or what it was haha, but it looked appetizing on the menu.
While waiting for my food I did a little staring around me. I've noticed they fold the napkins really cool in all restaurants here, usually in a small wooden box and folded in a neat V shape stacked on either side. A small touch, but pretty. I've gotten used to them bringing out random vegetable side dishes right after I sit down; it's like their version of bread and butter! Unfortunately I still can't eat most of them...or rather wont because they are so bright red in color they are practically glowing -.-
While waiting for my food I did a little staring around me. I've noticed they fold the napkins really cool in all restaurants here, usually in a small wooden box and folded in a neat V shape stacked on either side. A small touch, but pretty. I've gotten used to them bringing out random vegetable side dishes right after I sit down; it's like their version of bread and butter! Unfortunately I still can't eat most of them...or rather wont because they are so bright red in color they are practically glowing -.-
It indeed looked amazing, all sizzling and hot still when it arrived to the table (as usual with most restaurants here since they cook it in the stone cookware). I had no idea however, how to actually eat this gigantic (and it was MASSIVE, the pictures don't do it justice) bowl of deliciously wafting smells. I ate some of the tofu and meat with my fork then asked the waitress if I was supposed to mix it all up like bibimbap. Having mastered the small talk and necessaries in Korean for eating in a restaurant, I had managed to fool the manager, 2 waitresses and busboy that I was indeed Korean and fluently spoke Korean. I feel like this is a daily game for me lol; I either spend it wishing people knew I was not Korean so they'd stop staring when I speak English, or I speak Korean and see how long I can last until I have to admit defeat and speak English :D
The waitress kindly tried for a good 5 minutes to explain something about the little sauce boat next to me (which looked a hell of a lot like Tabasco mixed with Sriracha so I stayed the heck away from it). She wanted me to put it ALL in my bowl of food O.O She also indicated for me to drop my wimpy little fork and pick up the giant (standard Korean) spoon and eat like a real Korean haha. She didn't actually say that but that's what I ended up feeling like. They like to literally stuff their faces with rice and delicious food and stuff for those of you who aren't familiar with Korean culture, it's awesome. That's why their spoons are huge, way bigger than soup spoons. Anyway, the sauce turned out not to be that spicy at all, just mildly so and really tasty. So the waitress knew what she was doing after all! It was sooo good, and so filling. Definitely one of the more satisfying meals I've had since I came here in terms of being stuffed.
It's a small thing but it really made me happy; when I was paying at the register the owner-adjusshi was talking to me. I got stuck on something he said and had to say "Sorry, my Korean is not good" in Korean. He looked surprised and asked if I was a foreigner, then told me my Korean was really good and authentic sounding! WOO DOES THAT MEAN I DON'T HAVE A GRINGO ACCENT?! :) I've heard other foreigners (weigook-een) speaking bits of Korean and it doesn't sound pretty lol. One of my friends also said that mannerisms (how you hand off or accept things, when you bow, etc) and how fast you talk (Koreans take speed-talking to a whole new level; it's practically a different language from Korean altogether) are also how people can tell you are not native.
The waitress kindly tried for a good 5 minutes to explain something about the little sauce boat next to me (which looked a hell of a lot like Tabasco mixed with Sriracha so I stayed the heck away from it). She wanted me to put it ALL in my bowl of food O.O She also indicated for me to drop my wimpy little fork and pick up the giant (standard Korean) spoon and eat like a real Korean haha. She didn't actually say that but that's what I ended up feeling like. They like to literally stuff their faces with rice and delicious food and stuff for those of you who aren't familiar with Korean culture, it's awesome. That's why their spoons are huge, way bigger than soup spoons. Anyway, the sauce turned out not to be that spicy at all, just mildly so and really tasty. So the waitress knew what she was doing after all! It was sooo good, and so filling. Definitely one of the more satisfying meals I've had since I came here in terms of being stuffed.
It's a small thing but it really made me happy; when I was paying at the register the owner-adjusshi was talking to me. I got stuck on something he said and had to say "Sorry, my Korean is not good" in Korean. He looked surprised and asked if I was a foreigner, then told me my Korean was really good and authentic sounding! WOO DOES THAT MEAN I DON'T HAVE A GRINGO ACCENT?! :) I've heard other foreigners (weigook-een) speaking bits of Korean and it doesn't sound pretty lol. One of my friends also said that mannerisms (how you hand off or accept things, when you bow, etc) and how fast you talk (Koreans take speed-talking to a whole new level; it's practically a different language from Korean altogether) are also how people can tell you are not native.