Chubby Chick Running

Going to a spa at home is pretty expensive, but you get massages, face masks and mud baths. And that is only a few of the fabulous treatments available. Going to a spa in Korea is a whole different story.

By now it is pretty obvious that I like running. What is less obvious is that, even though I love it, I suffer every time I do it.

"No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." - John Donne

Sunday was my friend, Terisha's birthday, so on Saturday night we went out for dinner. I have been trying to introduce her to new Korean meals every now and again. On Saturday night, we had Shabu-shabu and that was when I realize that I can't appreciate Korea, without appreciating the food. And I can't appreciate the food if I try and lump all of my favourite meals into one blog post. Thus, this will be the first in a series about my favourite Korean dishes.

In Episode 10, Season 1 of "How I met your Mother", Ted loses his memory spectacularly. In one of the flashbacks of the disastrous night, we see him asking a girl if she knew that "Karaoke was not invented by someone named Kerry Okie, but is Japanese for Empty Orchestra". In Korea, we have a Norebangs and norebanging is anything but an empty experience.

I haven't met many people who don't like cake..and the Koreans are no exception! In fact, they love cake so much that they give each other cake for birthdays, moving house, when they travel, when they come back, when they are sick, when they get promoted, etc. I don't blame them. Korea does great cake! They decorate it with chocolate and rich (but not sweet) cream. And the cake is always nice and moist.

Prior to coming to Korea I had a Facebook profile, but rarely used it more than once a week. I knew about blogging, but I couldn't be bothered to read someone else's or write my own and any information, inspiration or interaction I needed, could be achieved by phoning a friend (or doing some guesswork.)