Catch What You Eat

I don't know about anybody else, but I have a serious issue eating anything that was either alive 30 seconds before, or has the ability to look at me from the plate.


This past week there was a festival in Sorae. Sorae is a suberb right next to ours and is literally a 3 minute walk from our school. The festival started off with a parade (sorry, no pics, I watched from the 6th floor right before class ...and I won't lie - you aren't missing much, there were 10 times the amount of people in the parade as there were watching it) and was (from what I have been told, and from what I saw for myself) all about fresh fish. Which is pretty much my nemesis since I have come here. Not really the fish themselves, but the smells that come from them and turn me green.


Anyways, the first night hosted fireworks (again - no pics, I apologize, I watched from the cafeteria while I ate my dinner ...maybe I should start carrying my camera everywhere!) and the festival lasted for 4 days - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. We meant to go on Sunday afternoon and to leisurely walk around it, but I have been feeling really crummy and we were up late Saturday night at the concert, so we didn't make it too far that day. But just as we were leaving work on Monday evening (9ish) one of our coworkers called us and asked us if we wanted to grab some soju at the festival with them.


We are never ones to turn down soju. But I may have rethought had I known that the soju would be accompanied by things with legs and eyes. Kidding ...everything is an experience ...at least I keep telling myself that:)


So we headed back up to the office and waited the classic Korean 60 and then were off for the festival. The festival had calmed down considerably, and it had been raining for the better part of the evening, so things were looking a little desolate, but we did manage to find a restaurant for some tasty treats.


If you ask me if I like seafood in Canada, I will say "Absolutely!" However, (and this is a warning to all those that come to visit) if you ask me in Korea, I will be extremely hesitant to be any more affirmative than to nod and say, "ummmmm ..a little bit." Seafood at home, and seafood here - extremely different. I am sure that a true seafood lover would argue that seafood is incredible here, it's completely fresh (right off the boat and then out of the tank before your very eyes) and cooked right in front of you. But honestly, I love the creamy butter and yummy cocktail sauces that accompany our seafood at home ...that, (as I am beginning to realize) make it a lot less like fish, and more like something Westernly edible.

But hey - when in Rome. I figured I would try it out. So I said, "sure, bring on the seafood, I love shrimp!" Ummmmmmm ...did you know that shrimp have legs? I sure didn't. And I will be honest here, I'm not even sure that I was aware that in one state shrimp even have eyes. I took one look at the plate handed to me and said, "never, ever will I eat that." And if Wayne didn't stop naming them and making them talk to me, I think I was going to vomit right on that table.

I managed to successfully get down a clam. Not sure how much I enjoyed it, but I put on a happy face for all those watching expectantly. I even ate my first oyster. But that was about the extend of it. While my Korean counterparts, and even my very white boyfriend consumed a great deal of fresh fish, cooked on the grill right in front of us ...I drank down that soju and firmly shook my head every time something was offered to me! But no one can say that I didn't try it.

More pics ...

I told you he was naming the fish and making them talk to me, I believe this one was named Cindy. Disgusting.

I'm not even honestly sure that I know what that is in the pot ...it came out of the hugest shell I have ever seen.  But this gives you a good idea of how we cooked everything.

That's a shrimp with spicey sauce on it ...Cathy eats the heads right off them! Eyes, brains and all. That's hardcore, the majority of Koreans/fish loves won't even go near the head.

My coworker Cathy & my boss Betty ...very happy about the fish outting! The bottles in front of them: one large bottle of hot, hot, hot sauce (enough to kill me) and a bottle of soy sauce ...2 necessities in Korean culture.