Out and About: Social Distancing Style

At the middle school, we had 1 week (for me, 2 days) that the cafeteria opened and made our meals (the rest of the weeks, we are to bring our own lunches). We would fill our trays, and sit every other seat, with cardboard partitions separating us all at front and side. These have been the loneliest meals I’ve ever experienced, and Ive eaten a lot of meals by myself over the years. My 2 meals contained fish, a soup, a rice entree, kimchi, fruit, and yogurt.

**I am grateful, honestly, for the partitions blocking the teachers’ view of me attempting (and failing miserably) to daintily and gracefully remove bones from the fish -with chopsticks- before I would eat it. I have much to learn about the art of chopsticks, indeed!**

The second meal was, more specifically, bibimbap. Bibimbap is a rice bowl with various toppings that you mix in together. It is usually served with a fried egg on top. As I did not take a picture of the bibimbap meal, here is a Google’d image for you:

At the elementary school, we are to provide our own lunches. I work in the Electives department, and share the office with my second English co-teacher, and the music teacher. I plan to bring my lunch 2 days of the week, and purchase a home-style Korean to-go meal with the ladies on Fridays. Both teachers purchase this meal each day of the week. The packaging of the to-go meals are in stainless steel containers. They are carried in large lunch bags (to hold 2 meals). Each meal has a container of rice, one of soup, and a third of the sides and entree. All this for 5,000 won (approximately $4.10). The cook is a local lady. She does not have a menu for customers to choose from, but instead, mass prepares 1 meal and that is what is served for the day. I look forward to these meals, because it is authentic Korean food and it is forcing me to try new things (like dried candied bone-in fish)! I also look forward to these lunches, because the three of us sit and teach each other different things about our cultures.

As always, food brings people closer together!!!

I have enjoyed taking random walks, be it mountain trails, sidewalks, or stumbling upon random parks.

Last Sunday, I walked to the local lake and reservoir Gachangho (가창호). (If you remember, this was the lake that was in view from the first mountain I hiked in my early weeks living in Daegu!) This is my new favorite place to walk around. It is a proper sidewalk on a quiet street, with very few buildings around. Not to mention, it has mountains on all sides, and the views are spectacular! It only takes about 15 minutes from my apartment to get to the north side of the lake, and another 20 to walk to the south side, where there is a town. When Coronavirus is no longer a threat, I look forward to seeing what is in the town. There is also a pottery place about 30 minutes walk beyond that I want to check out! Here are multiple pictures of the same mountains. Likes I said, its my new favorite spot!

*the last picture is of Buddhist stone stacks for prayers

This Saturday, I had planned to go grocery shopping at the Homeplus (I was craving cheese and Nutella). I took my 45 minute bus ride to the store, got out, felt the fresh air and sun on my skin, and decided to take a walk instead. After 30 minutes of walking up a mountain street, I came across Yeonam Park, which overlooks Daegu from Yeonamsan Mountain, on the north side of the city. I found a seat overlooking the futsal soccer and basketball courts. There were teenagers playing soccer and basketball, and children cruising around on their bicycles. The elderly were out walking, playing their Korean tunes on cell phones without headphones. There was also an obstacle course for children set up in a separate part of the park. The majority of people were wearing theirs masks and/or gloves, but the spirit of this park was carefree, and it made me smile. I will definitely return to this park when I am wearing proper mountain trail walking attire.