I wouldn't say it's been a 'slow' weekend, so much as one that's not quite blogworthy. Y'see, when I started this blog, I envisioned it as being based on travel/life whatnots. Which is fine! However, I don't think there's anything particularly uniquely Korean about 'I went to a friend of mine's house for a pretty chill little party.' (Or 'I took it easy the next day 'cause I was kind of hungover,' either).

But that's alright! As my sister requested some blog stuff on day-to-day living here in Korea- and so that's what you're gonna get! Hurray for backup plans. And in this case, I'm gonna talk about the most universal of human needs: food.

Besides the language, the food is probably the biggest change to get used to in Korea. I've gotten used to it, though! And don't get me wrong, Korean food can be rather tasty (also: cheap, spicy). But really, Korean food warrants its own blog post. Or several. Or whole blogs by other expats who've more refined palates than I, or...something.

Now, they say it's cheaper to eat out in Korea than it is to cook for yourself. I honestly haven't done the research on such. Still, for about 10 or 11 bucks a head (less, given exchange rates), you can get a really, really good meal on nearly any block in this city. Crappy beer included! However, many resturants are geared towards group dining- so if I'm roaming around on my own (as I often tend to do) I feel more than awkward in sitting down by myself and all that.

And thus, the grocery store! I get most of my food from three particular stores, depending on what's more convenient and/or what I need. 

The first store I often frequent is just a little grocery-mart on the corner. It's nothing fancy, but I go there when I need basic stuff: milk, beer, eggs, some produce, whatever. It's really close, and really cheap, and not much more's to be said about that.

Then there's Homeplus, which is the Korean equivalent to Wal-Mart. The grocery store is on one floor, while the other floors have other stuff. Clothes, toys, DVDs, household stuff, whatever. Including nunchucks.

I really shouldn't be so amused by this. I'm sure any Korean would be floored to see an American Wal-Mart selling guns. Still, it's entertaining. So yeah, Homeplus is pretty decent- and they also have the best beer selection I've been able to find in town.

Finally, there's a place called Kim's Club, which is a little more upscale than Homeplus. Closer, too. Kim's Club actually has a little 'foreign food' corner where one can find various goodies, ranging from Ritz crackers to a single brand of halfway decent tortillas. Kim's Club also has a bigger produce section, which gives them room for a seaweed section. Check it.

So yeah. Despite the language barrier, I've been able to manage pretty well. It's an interesting experience, being fairly illiterate in a given culture. But food is food, and easily identifiable (for the most part), so I do just fine. They've got some labels in English too, so bonus!

Now that I think of it, I could probably stand to learn how to cook seafood. Fish here are fairly cheap. I mean, less than three bucks for a whole squid? I don't know squid prices, but still. That SOUNDS good, right?