Tag Archives: Pain au Levain

Ice, ice, baby

The Cheat Day that almost wasn’t

1 Reply

As you know, Sundays are important to me.

Not just because it’s Cheat Day, but back in Cayman it used to be Brunch With Friends Day.  (Which is why it was my Cheat Day vs Saturdays like most other people on the Four Hour Body protocol — they call it Faturday.)

Brunch With Friends Day is not to be confused with Words With Friends, although for some there is a competitive angle (I’m looking at you, Elle).

I’ve tried to do a similar thing here in Korea but it’s been slow getting off the ground.  Not because of anything specific, but seven years of brunching the way we did in Cayman is a tough habit to break.  Jenn & I have a list of the places that we want to check out that allegedly do a brunch we can be fond of and we’ve made some progress.  Butterfinger Pancakes is running slightly hotter than Suji’s at this point.

This past Sunday we were invited over to a neighbor’s place for a in-house potluck brunch.  Jenn had made an egg casserole, and the hostess was making French Toast.  Just as more people were arriving, I felt a slight itch in my right eye, and excused myself to grab something from our apartment.  When I walked in, I went to the sink, washed my hands and then rinsed out my eye.  Or at least I thought I did.

Check out what happened next.  Note the time stamps…

Crazy, right?

At first I thought I had an allergic reaction to something in the neighbor’s apartment, and I took two antihistamines to stop the swelling and then three ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.

And then I did what any other grown up does in this situation: I called my mommy.

We spoke for a little while, during which time I put an ice pack on my face and waited.

Ice, ice, baby

Ice, ice, baby

As I inspected the eye again, I noticed a little white particle in there and with the way it was reacting I thought that maybe, just maybe, something else had happened instead of an allergic reaction.

I went to the sink, turned the hose upside down and rinsed what I thought could have been soap out of my eyeball.

The swelling started to go down and after a little while resting, I ventured out for some Visine.  Of course they don’t have Visine in Korea but they did have this:

Korean Visine

Korean Visine

And after squeezing five or six drops into the eyeball, it looked like this:

2013-09-01-12.35.29

2013-09-01-12.35.29

Crisis averted.

And since it was Cheat Day, I rewarded myself thusly:

Baskin Robbins Quarterback Crunch

Baskin Robbins Quarterback Crunch

After another hour or so of R&R, Jenn and I decided to make the most out of the rest of the day.

I started with some of this:

Finally got to enjoy these Pain au Levain lovely cookies, Madelines, and cupcakes.

Finally got to enjoy these Pain au Levain lovely cookies, Madelines, and cupcakes.

We then joined up with that neighbor for a trip out to find the I Love Cookie (foreign food mart) closer to us in Suji-gu (which was closed) and something called CostCo Seconds, which is a storefront that sells returned merch from the wholesaler.  After parting ways at the Lotte Department Store in Suji-gu, Jenn & I walked to Jukjeon to the Shinsegae Department Store for some food.

And of course after scarfing our spicy veggies, noodles, and chicken, we perused the grocery store and food court area.

We cabbed home and called it a night…

This weekend is still up in the air but Friday is looking like an Itaewon kinda day/eve.

The Sky Garden on the roof of the Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong.

Another few days, another few pics

1 Reply

Over the past couple of days I’ve managed to walk around southern Suji, switched up some late afternoon Jukjeon plans to go to Jeongja to meet the recently-arrived boyfriend of one of Jenn’s colleagues Thursday, and Friday, went into Seoul to see the Hyundai Department Store’s Sky Garden (lovely review from Seoulsome), and then hang with my friend Nicole.

One thing of note: the illy Art Collection espresso cups.  These Kentridges are my favorite of all the cups they’ve produced in collaboration with various artists over the years.  They’re magic.  And Kentridge is a genius.  I own my second favorite, the Anish Kapoor cups from 2011.  They were a last minute gift to myself on my way out of Cayman.

My old Francis Francis X7 behind two Anish Kapoor 2011 illy Art Collection espresso cups.

My old Francis Francis X7 behind two Anish Kapoor 2011 illy Art Collection espresso cups.

I’ll get into the specifics of how and why I became a fan of the brand someday, but suffice it to say that the fact that they are still on the shelf there speaks volumes.

The afternoon wrapped up at an excellent Mexican place, Julio’s that Nicole took me to.  Excellent fajitas.  Will have to come back with Jennifer so she can try the tacos and/or burritos, because they looked amazing as they came out of the kitchen.

And the experience, at least for Friday, wouldn’t have been complete without witnessing a verbal altercation between a few older men and women on the subway.  Always a fun time to listen in on a conversation that you both don’t understand and completely understand at the same time.

The bloke in the center there was very angry at this woman sitting to the right of the man on the right. There was a shouting match as she exited the subway car. Fun.

The bloke in the center there was very angry at this woman sitting to the right of the man on the right. There was a shouting match as she exited the subway car. Fun.

Tomorrow is the school’s Fantasy Football Draft.  I don’t know if that should be capitalized, but from what I understand, it’s some serious business.  I’m making a chili.

Will let you know how that works out.

 

One more day until Cheat Day… Wish me luck.

 

 

Suji-gu storm grate

One month down

5 Replies

Jenn & I have been in The Republic of Korea for slightly over one month.

I joked that we left the Rock for the RoK.

I don’t remember what 24 August 2006 was like in Cayman after a month had elapsed, but I will remember 28 August 2013.  And not just because of this blog.  I went for a walk through the same area that Jennifer and I visited the night before for dinner at a Korean BBQ place with a colleague and his fiancee.

So many coffee and cake places it’s truly staggering.

While on the way to that Lotte Department Store, I had interesting experience with a random older Korean man.  I was waiting to cross the street and I knelt down to stretch my leg muscles.  All the walking I’ve been doing has definitely taken a toll and my body is adjusting the best it can… By tightening up.  So as I was going thru the motions to loosen up, this gentleman says, “Tired?”  I look up and smile and reply, “Tight.”  He smiles and we cross the street.  As I walked out of the store with my backpack on, another older man starts speaking to me, and I shake my head in a ‘I don’t understand.”  He sticks his hand out, and I reciprocate.  With an iron grip this little Korean man asks, “Where you from?”  I say, “Philadelphia.”  He says, “America?!”  I say, “America.”  He says, “Good to meet you.”  Pointing to myself, I say, “Ben.”  He told me his name, but the grasp this man has on my hand is the only other thing I remember from that trip to Lotte.

And this:

Good Day Carebian Nut - Konglish at work

Good Day Carebian Nut – Konglish at work