A Lesson in Korean Cooking

One of the great joys of returning to Laramie is being able to meet up with Korean families and individuals who have been transplanted in Laramie either for school, work or some combination of both.

One such family is composed of a husband and wife and their two darling girls. The husband is an exchange professor in the University of Wyoming Law School and kindly and fortunately, brought his sweet family with him. Thanks to Melissa's work with the school districts ELL families, she had the pleasure of meeting them early in the fall semester and now even has the great pleasure of working with the two girls one-to-two times a week at the University Lab School.

The family has helped the Harringtons to settle into American life while keeping up with Korean pop culture, pop music and most importantly food. In November, the family came over and helped Melissa prepare kimchi and made a promise to get together soon so that Melissa could learn, first hand how to make a favorite Korean dish, Japchae!

The lesson involved learning which spices are most essential (such as pork, dash-i-da, and of course vegetables) and how to test to make sure the noodles are ready. Not only did Melissa learn the fine art of preparing Japchae, but they Harringtons were also served a meal full of all that is Korean deliciousness from calamari to kimchi, to dumplings and cucumber kimchi and so, so much more.

To top off the evening, the girls performed some K-pop dances and left us clapping, smiling and remembering all the reasons we love South Korea and all the reasons we're thankful to have met this lovely family!

The Moments you Need when Your Heart Beats in Two Places

As the Harringtons have settled into Laramie/Wyoming/American life, they have been blessed to re-enter life and relationships with all the fantastic people they left behind in 2010. However, each day has also reminded the couple just how deeply they were incorporated into Korean life and community and how that place of their hearts and souls is adjusting and aching and wanting to be as full as it was just a few short months ago.

Fortunately, the inconvenience of miles and time-zones has only stifled the frequency of interactions and reminders of Korea and the Harrington's Korea family. Smart phones have brought the Harringtons numerous reminders of faces and places the couple loves. These reminders are a sure fire way to bring a smile to the faces of the Harringtons if not a few tears to their eyes.

Not only do beautiful reminders of life 'over-there' show up via Kakao Talk, but they were ready and waiting for the Harringtons here in Laramie as well. A handful of Korean middle school students, a Korean-Japanese restaurant ran by a sweet Korean family who understands our love of their foods and traditions, gifts of choco-pie from parents of Korean students and a Korean grocer a few hours away are enough to bring ease to the Harrington's hearts.

These are the ways the Harringtons remember and remain connected. The way they honor where they have been and who they've shared life with. The way the thrive in a land that feels more foreign than it ever was and than it has any right to. The way they move confidently forward, aware that forever and for-always their hearts will beat in two places.

Good-bye Namseon, It's been a good run!

After two years of faithfully serving the students and staff of Namseon Middle School, Michael Teacher had to offer his final good-bye.

From the very beginning, Namseon Middle School welcomed and embraced the Harrington duo. Taking the couple to a buffet dinner on their first night in Daejeon and even continuing to invite Melissa to a "New Principal Welcome Dinner" and a Seoul-ful Field-trip.

How to Leave a Place You Love: Favorite People, Places and Things

This post is the post that will forever and always be a place where the Harringtons come to fill their hearts both swell and break simultaneously. This post is simply a place to record the 'lasts' - the last weeks, the last coffee dates, the last dinners, the last game nights. But within these moments, these memories of 'lasts' is engraved the depth and value of numerous friendships that were formed, that were/are/will be crucial and valuable for years to come and the ever resounding truth that from now and forever more:

Our Hearts Beat in Two Places.

So how exactly do you leave the place you love? How do you balance packing and preparing with being and enjoying?

If you're the Harringtons, you choose people. Always. And you trust and know that everything will fall into place.

The Matiz meets Jeju: Rise and Shine and Asia's Best

After soaking up loads of rain camping the previous night and hiking Hallasan during the day, the evening of August 20th lead the Harringtons to set up their tent under a pavilion "just in case". With an extra layer of protection, the Harringtons remained relatively cool and had a good night's sleep which came to an end dark-and-early the morning of the 21st.

Realizing that their Korean vacation was hours from coming to a close, the Harrington's knew that their final day needed to be filled with quintessential activities, starting with a sunrise hike of Seongsan - a famous and oft depicted crater of Jeju Island. The hike was quick, easy and shared with numerous Korean tourists who were eager to shoot numerous photos of this iconic Jeju Island experience. 

the Matiz meets Jeju: Drying Out and Soaking it Up

After a night of being drenched and sent to the car to catch some zzz's, the Harrington's took their time getting their act together in the morning, enjoying donuts and coffee (for Melissa) while waiting for the sun to do it's work on drying out tents, sleeping pads and sleeping bags.

By the time caffeine was coursing though Melissa's veins, all important items had dried out sufficiently and the Harrington's opted to move forward with their plan to approach Hallasan, Korea's tallest mountain peak coming in somewhere over 6,000 feet. Taking into account their location and later-than-prescribed-starting time, the couple decided to go with the shortest of the four trails and began putting along in the Matiz, ready to tackle this island's volcano.

As the Harrington's approached the trail head they were re-introduced to the slow and steady pitter patter of raindrops that had thwarted their sleeping arrangements the night prior. Committed to the climb, Mike continued forth and opted to go for the top regardless of less than ideal weather. Melissa, however, with her distaste of being sopping wet and considering the needs of her pup which was forbidden on the trail regardless of weather took the day to sit, relax, read and charge phones and Kindles while sipping hot cups of honey citrus tea.

The Matiz meets Jeju: Waterfalls, Black Pork and Falling Water

With underwater scenes imprinted on their minds, the Harringtons were soon on the road, listening to an increasingly rowdy muffler, heading toward Seogwipo, Jeju's primary city on the southern end of the island.

Tourist maps and guidebooks for this area of the island tout numerous glorious waterfalls and previous travelers to the southern coast of Jeju had highly recommended these very falls as important to the Jeju experience. So it was, the Harringtons began their waterfall spotting, oohing and ahhing.

The Matiz Meets Jeju: Fanta Cans, Squid and Pirates

Waking up on a beautiful little knoll overlooking the ocean was nothing short of beautiful and tranquil. The Harringtons took their time walking the pup and breaking camp before loading into the Matiz and hitting the road with the goal being to end up in or near Seogwipo by evening.

Having scoured the map for unique and interesting things to do while on Jeju Island, the couple was intrigued by the possibility of taking a tour of the waters by none other than a submarine. Since there was a submersion site between their current location and the city of Seogwipo the two decided to check it out.

 Unfortunately, as the couple began their trek toward the submarine tour headquarters they were distracted by the rumble and grumble of what seemed to be a malfunctioning muffler. Unconvinced that they wanted to spend the coming days yelling over wind and muffler rumblings Mike had the bright idea to search out some 'tools' and take a go at patching up this slight nuisance.

So it was, the couple found themselves grabbing breakfast from a local 7-11 and sitting down with a Fanta can, pocket knife and electrical tape with the goal of decreasing the noise level of the sweet little Matiz for the duration of the trip (or for their days in Korea in all actuality).

Soon enough, things were patched and the noise level decreased...for a while at least.

The Matiz meets Jeju: The night of Orange Maekoli

Following a jam-packed day of famous Jeju sights and flavors, the Harringtons were eager to get some beach time in so Mike could swim and Melissa and Lady could lounge. Fortunately, island life lends itself well to finding beaches and providing exactly what it was the couple was searching for. With very little effort, the couple soon had their parasol spot paid for and staked out, Melissa lounging, Lady crashing and Mike getting ready to dive into the cool, refreshing ocean.

The Matiz meets Jeju: Arrival, Lava Tubes and Love

Successfully finding the ferry terminal, loading themselves, the car and the dog and managing to avoid seasickness, the Harringtons were thrilled to pull the Matiz off of the ferry and begin their island adventure the evening of August 17th.

First things first, the Harringtons began circumnavigating the island and looking for a supermarket in order to purchase some dog food for their three-legged companion. With adult-like responsibilities out of the way, it was simply time to roll the windows down and keep their eyes peeled for the first night's camping location.

Fortunately, it didn't take much effort for the couple to find a suitable campground near enough a small town where they could grab some dinner and begin settling in for an evening of rest set to the backdrop of cheerful camping Koreans and a few firework explosions.  

Waking in the morning well rested and ready for Jeju-Action, the couple stuffed their mouths with some Paris Baguette Cake and made their way to Jeju's famous Lava Tubes.

Our Last Matiz Road-Trip: Village Camping and Catching a Ferry

With bellies full and having enjoyed a gorgeous sunset, the Harringtons said their farewell to Mandy and the city of Busan and headed west in search of a place to camp. Being near the coast, the couple assumed that finding a beach would not be entirely difficult. As the couple neared Suncheon Bay they noticed signs for Hwapo Beach and determined that that was their destination and where they hoped to camp for the evening.

Unfortunately, the signs for Hwapo Beach suddenly disappeared and no longer offered any hope to the increasingly tired and unsure couple. So after Melissa offered her opinion on what to do, Mike did the exact opposite (because slowly but surely the couple is learning that, in terms of directions and decisions on the road, Melissa's instinct is never correct) and soon enough the couple was pulling off onto a small dirt road which showcased signs for the mysterious Hwapo Beach. Expecting to find a sandy beach near these newly discovered signs the Harringtons were a little unsure about the concrete docks which seemed to be the equivalent of Hwapo Beach. Nonetheless, sleep was coming on heavy and the docks provided an acceptable place to set up camp and so it was the Harringtons set up camp and woke up to discover they were in fact in an incredibly quaint and peaceful fishing village.

Our Last Matiz Road-trip: Temples and Beaches

Waking up on a quiet beach after a night of storms and scared pups is still waking up on a quiet beach and therefore refreshing and life-giving and absolutely perfect for vacationing. Waking up on a quiet beach and promptly grabbing an iced latte for her and a fresh lemonade for him adds to the perfection. Waking up on a quiet beach and having the perfect morning beverages in hand and making your way to a seaside Buddhist temple reassures you that life is in fact precious and beautiful and that vacations are essential to the soul.

A Seussical Summer Camp: Samcheon Elementary School

 

Having enjoyed success in previous camp seasons by using popular children's stories and author's, Melissa Teacher opted to create a camp which would focus on the works of Dr. Seuss. The camp had a small focus on rhyming as well as various aspects of stories such as The Cat in the Hat, Ten Apples up on Top, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and of course Green Eggs and Ham. While Melissa teacher focused on the use of stories to teach prepositions, free time activities, likes and dislikes and comparisons, the Korean co-teacher conveniently provided movie watching opportunities as well as cooking classes.

The previous camp season, students learned to make hamburgers and kimbap. This camp season students again made and enjoyed kimbap as well as fruit punch.  However, this fruit punch was not exactly what Melissa Teacher would have imagined a fruit punch to be. Filled with chopped fruit including bananas, un-ripe peaches, kiwi, apples, grapes and even tomatoes the liquid portion of the 'punch' was a watered down combination of lemon-lime soda and pineapple soda. Needless to say, the fruit punch from summer camp 2012 is not among the recipes Melissa Teacher feels a deep need to recreate anytime soon...or ever for that matter.

The few days Melissa Teacher spent with her camp students were her final days at Samcheon Elementary school. A better way to end her teaching days in South Korea than the regular semester had provided yet still not an entirely difficult position to leave with the taste of hard peaches, tomatoes and sprite fresh on the tongue.

Summer Camp Repeat: Namseon Middle School

With numerous tasks to occupy the weeks prior to Korea departure, Michael Teacher opted to do a camp repeat and made use of his ideas and materials from his first and perhaps most successful camp: Survivor Camp.

The camp involved students creating team names, posters, structures and even an outfit. Teams were 'banded' together by handkerchiefs. The camps included a fashion show, numerous projects and even a game of redneck/cowboy/ladder golf. Overall, the camp went over without a hitch and gave Michael Teacher another handful of good memories to carry back to the USA.

Giving and Recieving: Grateful for Namseon Middle School Students

Reader's of THT should know that Michael Teacher maintained a positive and even casual relationship with his Namseon Middle School students. Often, the Harrington couple would meet Namseon students at the OEC Cafe to enjoy green tea lattes, hot choco's and rounds of Uno (which Michael Teacher had a knack for winning). Not only did Michael Teacher offer his students the opportunity to meet up during his off hours, but multiple mornings, Michael Teacher walked a few blocks to watch his students compete in basketball tournaments.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise the Michael Teacher had a good handful of students whom he knew well and were generous in their actions toward him.

As the end of their two years in Korea came to a close, the Harringtons made their way to the OEC where Melissa would be surprised to receive original watercolor artwork from one of Michael Teacher's students. Readers may not be aware of the man's knack for romantic gestures, yet truth be told the man Harrington comes up with some all out wins in the romance department. Having one of his artistic students re-create a beautiful photo (the work of the beautiful and talented Alla Ponomareva) is just one small example.

Having received a precious gift at OEC, a few days later it came time for the Harringtons to give away a precious gift.

A Slice of the Everyday

Since landing in South Korea nearly two years ago, the Harrington's have done a number of exciting and adventurous things in Korea and in neighboring countries. They've enjoyed soccer games, road trips, amusement parks, Vietnamese beaches, Broadway Musicals and numerous other singular events.

However, as the days of their Korean life wind down, they're relishing in the everyday moments and everyday people that have made these two years indescribably perfect and beautiful.

This past weekend began with the Harrington's welcoming a slew of friends into their home for a game of Redneck Life and Cards Against Humanity while throwing back some home brews, lasagna soup and peanut butter brownies. The evening included a surprise visit from Hyunhee and Hakcheol and an unplanned sleep-over (name(s) will not be given) which left the Harrington's reflecting on just how deeply they've invested themselves and been invested in over the course of two years.

Saturday brought more of the everyday joys and everyday people beginning with a charity sports event which involved Mike playing a bit of footy with a group of men who have done their best to keep him slim and trim regardless of how often Melissa bakes or how often he grabs a brew from the kegerator.

While Mike continued sweating and playing a bit of soccer, Melissa made her way to a nearby friends house where she was able to enjoy home-made snacks (sandwiches, chocolate muffins and fresh fruit) and coffee with a young mother and sweet friend.

A Jowlin' Good Birthday

Nearly 2 years ago, the Harrington's boarded a plane bound for South Korea. On the same plane sat two gents, one Brian, one Aaron. Although the group was unaware at the time, they would soon find themselves on the same bus, to the same orientation and teaching in the same South Korean town. Brian and Aaron would boldly submit their application for friendship with the Harrington duo and soon settle into a joy-filled, laugh-out-loud, family-away-from-family set of friendships. Brian would re-locate first. The Harrington's second.

But before this next round of relocating, it was the pleasure of a few good men and women, to celebrate with brews and steak the life and times of Aaron Fitzgerald, a man of puns and jokes, musicality and amiability, a teacher, a friend, a guitarist, a lover of green beans and pat-bing-su (but not together), one who prefers stouts to wheats and laughs to tears, a caring goofball of a friend who will be sorely missed...and let's be honest, who wouldn't miss and love men who can make faces such as these?

In the Kitchen: July 2012

As August enters and the Harrington's begin their countdown to their one-way flight out of Korea it has become clear that this will be the last installment of kitchen fare from a tiny Korean kitchen.

Not to imply the Mrs. won't be cooking in August. She will. But not much. There are copious amounts of fantastic Korean foods which must be consumed and their flavors memorized before trekking back to America. There are also copious amounts of foods in the pantry and the freezer that must be used and will most often find themselves being used in old favorites such as Kimchi Bokkeumbap, Kimchi Pancakes, mini-Kimbap and so on.

So, July's kitchen goodness offers the last glimpse at conquering the Korean kitchen and is filled primarily with peanut-buttery goodness in the forms of Peanut Butter Beer Bread, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Banana (n)Ice Cream Pie and the winner of them all, Peanut Butter Brownies. The brownies, served as the 'going away treat' at Melissa's school received rave reviews from the teachers and will likely make a few more appearances in the Harrington kitchen this August before the oven is sold off and the apartment abandoned.

Two other dishes from July that are particularly noteworthy are these Broiled Plum filled Crepes:

Morning Movies: Korea's Answer to the Matinee

As a child, I remember being sent to the movie theater on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for a free matinee (at least I recall it occasionally being free, however, as a child all things appear to be essentially free thanks to the pocketbooks of one's parents). Regardless, weekend afternoons in small-town America provided cheaper-than-usual-if-not-free access to entertainment (if I recall correctly, the free show was always an older movie of sorts). 

Having now grown older, however, I generally view movies as a pricey form of entertainment especially since our small-town America still posts 'cheap-seats' at an old, run down theater. Alas, there is always an itch and a desire to head out for a movie, enjoy the smells of popcorn and lounging in expensive theater seats with surround sound and big screen action.

Yet, this Spring, after nearly two years of living in South Korea, the man and I learned about Korea's gift to the early bird in the form of Morning Movies. Most theaters will open around 8:00 or 8:30 and until roughly 10:00 am all movies are offered at the discounted price of 5,000 won! The man and I enjoyed our first morning movie on my birthday and recently headed to the theater again where we enjoyed watching The Dark Knight Rises on opening weekend in a full-theater for a discounted price!

If you're new to Korea or just arriving, be sure to drag yourself out of bed early a couple of times on the weekends because honestly, Morning Movies are just friggin' awesome and leave you the rest of the day to do as you please!

Bluegrass and a B-Boy

You already know that the Harrington's enjoyed the combination of Ballet and B-Boying and that they enjoyed their recent trip to Seoul where they watched the R-16 2012 Solo B-Boy, Popping and Locking competitions.

And perhaps you remember that they have a deep felt love for bluegrassy tunes.

And if you're real close to them, you may know that they've been wanting to make a stop motion video for some time now.

And, if you're not too critical of things that don't really go together and relatively unimpressive video editing skills, it's possible you'll enjoy the following video which is a B-Boy Stop Motion set to the tune of John Hartford's Indian War Whoop [Instrumental] from the Oh Brother Where art Thou? Soundtrack

Enjoy ^^