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This blog is created to know and understand the feelings and insights of our dear Korean brothers and sisters living/lived abroad, you can also write your experiences whether good or bad in the country you have been to,visited or where you're currently in.
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Sunday, October 3, 2010

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

                     Rotating Cat
                  Image created by Pech Misfortune, via Mighty Optical Illusions

 

 

A variation on a classic illusion, this cat can be perceived as rotating in either direction. With practice, you can make it switch at will!

 





                  Bent Lines

Believe it or not, these lines are straight and parallel.

   
     Swimming FishIllusion created by Emily Knight and Arthur Shapiro

These "fish" may appear to be wiggling, but the only thing changing in this animation is the color.

 

 










Blue Spiral

Another "false spiral" -- actually a series of concentric circles, hard as it may be to believe. To prove that there's no spiral, try tracing your finger around one of the circles. You'll see that it never moves inward or outward.

























Red Balls
Via Mighty Optical Illusions

Stare at the center of this simple animation and you'll be convinced you're seeing a green circle moving around the edge. But are you?

 

 

 




 




Green and Yellow Arrows

What's your first impression of this image? Yellow arrows pointing left, or green arrows pointing right? There is no "correct" answer, but different people perceive this image differently at first.

 






Spirals
Image created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka, via Mighty Optical Illusions

Believe it or not, this image is not animated. The effect persists only in your peripheral vision; if you focus on any one of the spirals, it will stop moving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wavy Green
Via Mighty Optical Illusions

Try moving your mouse pointer down across this image, following the pointer closely with your eyes. You should see a rippling effect moving through the picture -- even though it's a completely static image!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close or Far?

Lean up close to your monitor. What does this image say?

Try stepping back a few feet. What does it say now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Grey Stripes

Stare at the red dot long enough, and the grey stripes will disappear.

 

 

 

 source:

Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers and Optical Illusions

 

Korean recipe

 

 

Kimbab – Korean Sushi Roll

Kimbab is a popular Korean fast food made from steamed white rice and various ingredients, rolled in laver and served cold in bite-size slices. Kimbab is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with danmuji(pickled radish or kimchi).
kimbab5 roasted sea laver sheets (nori in Japanese)
2 eggs
1 carrot
yellow pickled radish
ham (or sausage)
1 cucumber
salt
sesame oil
cooked rice
1. Whip eggs well. Fry the egg in a pan and make the egg stick by rolling it.
2. Cut carrot and cucumber into long thin strips. Cook carrot strips on a skillet with oil. Soak cucumber in salt and vinegar water for 20 minutes.
3. Cut ham or sausage into long thin strips and cook them in a pan.
4. Cut yellow radish into long thin strips.
5. Add 1T of sesame oil and 2 sprinkles of salt to the rice and mix them well.
6. Place a sheet of sea laver over a bamboo mat. Spread rice thinly, but covering well, up to 2/3 of the sea laver. (leave 1/3 of the space.) Place strips (carrot, cucumber, egg, yellow pickled radish..) in the middle of the spread rice, and place other things within 1/3 of the length of laver.
7. Roll sea laver with the mat firmly. If laver edge is not sticking on the surface, apply water lightly at the edge of sea laver with finger.
8. Brush the rolls with sesame oil.
9. With a sharp knife, slice roll into 1/2 inch thick kimbab pieces and serve them.

 

Samgyopsal

Samgyopsal is thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat (similar to bacon). The meat is not marinated or seasoned, and cooked at the diner’s table on gas or charcoal grills. It doesn’t require much preparation. Just get Samgyopsal meat and lettuce. You can easily Samgyopsal at any Korean grocery stores.
samgepsalSamgyopsal
Ssamjang
Lettuce
1. Cook Samgyopsal on a grill
2. Eat with lettuce and Ssamjang
3. You can serve with rice and soup

Oyster Soup (Gul Guk)

I don’t think Oyster soup is very common, but my grandma used to make it and I still love it. If you are a seafood lover, you will enjoy Oyster soup. You can feel fresh flavor of oysters.
samgepsalOysters 8-10
Radish 1/3
Chopped green onions 2T
Salt 1T
Soy sauce 1t
Pepper 1/5
1. Boil 4 cups of water with sliced radish as shown in the photo for 10 minutes.
2. Add oysters and cook another 5 mins.
3. Add sault, soy sauce, pepper and green onion to the soup and boil 2 more minutes.

 

Gol-bang-ee Muchim (Sea Snails Salad)

Gol-bang-ee Muchim is a very popular pup food in Korea. It is salad of sea snails with vegetables and thin noodles with Korean chilly sauce. Very hot & spicy!
golbangee1 can of Gol Bang Ee (Sea shells)
Cucumber 1/2
Onions 1/2
Green onion 1
Korean thin noodles (for 2)
Sauce
Vinegar 3T
Juice from Gol Bang Ee can 3T
Chili paste 2T
Chili powder 1T
Brown sugar 2T
Soy sauce 1/2T
Minced garlic 1T
Black pepper, sesame seeds and oil little bit
1. Take sea shells (moon shells) out of the can and drain a bit. Slice them in a bite size.
2. Cut green onion into 5 cm strips
3. Slice onion and cucumber.
4. Mix sea shells with the sauce.
5. Cook noodles and cool them down
6. Server noodles on the side.

Dukbokgi – Spicy Rice Cake

Dukbokgi is a very popular snack in Korea. It is spicy and a bit sweet. You can add ramen (instant noodle) and a boiled egg.
Dukbokgi - Korean Spicy Rice Cake Korea Rice Cake 2 Cups
Red Chili Paste 2T

 

 

 

Jangjorim

There are not many meat side dishes in Korea. Jangorim is one of several meat side dishes. It takes 2-3 hours to prepare and makes a whole place smell like soy sauce, but it is definitely worth it.
Jangjorim1.5 LBs shank
6 eggs
1 green onion
1 bulk of garlic
1 onion
2 halapinios
2/3 Cup soy sauce
1/3 Cup sugar
1. Soak the beer in cold water for 1 hour to drain blood
2. Boil beef, green onion, garlic, onion and halapinos in 4 cups of water for 1 hour.
3. Boil 6 eggs and peel shells off
4. Take out cooked green onion, garlic, onion, halipinos from the pot and tear the beer off into thin strips.
5. Add eggs, soy sauce, and sugar to the pot and boil them for 1 hour in low heat.
6. Cook it down a bit and serve with rice.
Red Chili Powder 1T
Oil 1t
Sugar 1T
Soy Sauce 1T
Minced garlic 1t
Sliced green onion as garnish
Water 1 Cup
Sliced Fish Cake (Oden) 1/2 Cup
1. Boil water and oil in the Pan
2. Add chilly paste, chilly powder, sugar, soy sauce to the pan and stir them for 1 minute.
3. Add garlic, rice cake and fish cake to the pan.
4. Stir them well and cook for 5-10 minutes in medium heat until rice cake is fully cooked.

Kimchi Fried Rice

kimchi fried riceChopped Kimchi 1/3 Cup
Kimchi juice 2T
Cooked Rice 1 bowl
Sesame Oil 2t
1. Put oil in the pan and heat the pan.
2. Add chopped Kimchi to the pan and cook for 2 mins
3. Add rice to the pan and mix with cooked kimchi
4. Add Kimchi juice to the pan and stir the rice on the pan until rice absorbs the juice.
5. You can serve with an fried egg.

Japchae (Chapchae)

Japchae (잡채) is a stir-fried noodle dish with mixed vegetables. The noodles are made with yam starch and look similar to vermicelli.  It is one of most served party foods. You can serve it as a side dish or a main dish. Also you can make Japchae rice by simply putting Japchat on the top of rice.
Japchae
8 oz Dangmyeon (yam starch noodles)
thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 thinly sliced carrot
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1/2 thinly sliced bell pepper
1/2 thinly sliced sesame leaves
soy sauce 3T
minced garlic 1T
sugar 1T
sesame oil 1/2T
pepper little bit
salt little bit
1. Soak Dangmyeon (noodles) in cold water for 1 hour until the noodles get softened. Drain water.
2. Stir fry sliced mushrooms and other vegetables separately except sesame leaf.
3. Stir fry the noodles and all cooked vegetables quickly.
4. Put them in a big bowl and add sesame leaves.
5. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and pepper and mix them well. If it is too blend, add salt.
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Sesame Leaf Kimchi

Sesame Leaf Kimchi (kenip kimchi, 깻잎 김치) is a good side dish in summer. If you like fresh flavor of sesame leaves, you definitely should try this.
Sesame leaves kimchiFresh sesame leaves
Minced garlic 1T
thinly sliced Korean green pepper 1T
Soy sauce 1T
Chili powder 1T
Anchovy sauce 4T (You can get a bottle of anchovy sauce from any Korean grocery store)
Sesame oil1t
Sugar 1t
1. Wash sesame leaves and drain water
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make a sauce
3. Spread the sauce on a sesame leave
4. Place one leave by one and spread the sauce between.
5. Put them in a container and keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
7. Serve them with rice.
1 Comment
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Bean Paste Soup (Dwanjang-Kuk)

Bean paste soup is very commonly served soup in Korean dining. Bean paste has protein and spinach has lots of vitamins. So it represents healthy diet of Korean food.
Dwanjang-KukSoup Base Anchovies 5
Korean Bean Paste (Dwanjang) 2 T
Minced Garlic 1t
Spinach
1. Boil 3 cups of water and add anchovy in a pot for 10 minutes and make anchovy soup
2. Take anchovies out of the pot.
3. Add 2 T of Bean Paste in to the soup and boil it for 5 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and spinach to the soup and boil it for another 3 minutes.
3 Comments
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Cucumber Kimchi

Cucumber kimchi is one of favorite summer side dish. You can enjoy fresh cucumber flavour as well as hot & sour kimchi flavour.
cucumber-kimchi
3 Cucumbers
1/2 Bundle of Chives
1T Minced Garlic
1t Minced Ginger
1T Chopped Green Onion
2/3 Cup Korean Chili Powder
1t Salt
1T Sugar
1. Cut the cucumbers into 4cm lengths.
2. Slit-cut the cucumber sections lengthwise, leaving about 1cm on end and make 4 slits.
3. Add salt to water and boil water.
4. Put the cucumbers in a bowl and pour hot salty water in it.
5. Drain water after 30 mins.
6. Chop chives into 1cm length.
7. Add minced garlic, minced ginger, chilly powder, sugar, and salt to chives and mix them well.
8. Fill the slit-cut cucumbers with the mix and stack the stuffed cucumbers in a container.
9. Keep the cucumber container outside in a room temperature for a day.
10. Move it to the refrigerator and serve it cold.
4 Comments

 

Bean Paste Soup (Dwanjang-Kuk)

Bean paste soup is very commonly served soup in Korean dining. Bean paste has protein and spinach has lots of vitamins. So it represents healthy diet of Korean food.
Dwanjang-KukSoup Base Anchovies 5
Korean Bean Paste (Dwanjang) 2 T
Minced Garlic 1t
Spinach
1. Boil 3 cups of water and add anchovy in a pot for 10 minutes and make anchovy soup
2. Take anchovies out of the pot.
3. Add 2 T of Bean Paste in to the soup and boil it for 5 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and spinach to the soup and boil it for another 3 minutes.

Seafood Pancake

Last week, I bought a bag of Korean pancake powder, a bag of frozen seafood, and some green onions and made Korean seafood pancake (Pa Jeon). I didn’t realize that using pancake powder, making Pa Jeon can get so easier.
buchimgaru 1 LB of Korean Pancake Powder
1 1/2 LB of water
1/2 LB of frozen seafood mix
Thin sliced green onions
1t salt
Soy sauce with a little bit of vinegar for dipping sauce
seafood-pancake
1. Make batter with pancake powder and water
2. Add sliced green onions, seafood mix and salt
3. Mix them well
4. Add vegetable oil to the pan and heat it
5. Place batter on the pan and cook it in medium heat
6. Once the edge turns to crispy, flip it and cook it until it thoroughly get cooked.
7. Serve with soy sauce



HyeDupBap – Korean Chirashi

Hyedupbap means rice covered with sashimi in Korean. Hyedumbap is one of my favorite Korean dishes. It has fresh vegetables, fresh sashimi, sweet and spicy sauce. It is very easy to make. All you need to do is thin-slicing all the ingredients.
chirashi.JPGCooked rice 1 bowl
Diced Tuna or Salmon 1/3 Pound
Thin Sliced Lettuce 2 leaves
Thin Sliced Sesame Leave 5 Leaves
Green Pepper 1
Thin Sliced Cucumber 1/4
Thin Sliced Carrot 1/4
Sliced Garlic 1 clove
Red Pepper Paste 1T
Sesame Oil 1t
Sugar 1/2 T
Vinegar 1/2T
Fried Sesame Seeds 1T
1. On the top of rice, place thin sliced lettuce, sesame leaves, carrot, garlic and green pepper nicely.
2. Add diced tuna or salmon to 1.
3. Make the sauce by mixing red pepper paste, sesame oil, sugar, and vinegar.
4. Serve the sauce in a small sauce dish or put it on the top of fish.
5. Add sesame seeds on the very top.



Most Commonly Used Korean Sauces

Most commonly used korean sauces are soy sauce, sesame oil, bean paste and red pepper paste.
bean-paste.jpgbean paste
Bean paste is a concentrated, savory paste made from soybeans–often mixed with a grain such as rice, barley, or wheat–that is fermented with a yeast mold and then combined with salt and water. The mixture is aged from one month to three years. While it is a good source of protein and carbohydrates, miso is, nonetheless, high in sodium and should be consumed sparingly if you are salt-sensitive.
pepper-paste.jpgred pepper paste
Red pepper paste “Kochujang” is a Korean traditional fermented soybean-rice-red pepper powder paste. It has been reported that capsaicin in red pepper shows antiobestic effect and thus Red pepper paste “Kochujang” may have antiobestic effect. Commercial Red pepper paste “Kochujang” has rather prepared mainly with fermented wheat flour and grains, and red pepper powder.
Pepper is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. Pepper paste is also a good source of Vitamin C, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Riboflavin.
soy-sauce.jpgsoy sauce
Korean soy sauce, or Joseon ganjang is a byproduct of the production of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste). Joseon ganjang, thin and dark brown in color, is made entirely of soy and brine, and has a saltiness that varies according to the producer. Wide scale use of Joseon ganjang has been somewhat superseded cheaper factory-made Japanese style soy sauce, called waeganjang. However, many Koreans continued to use the soy sauce native to their culture.
sesame-oil.jpgsesame oil
Sesame oil is an organic oil derived from sesames, noted to have the distinctive aroma and taste of its parent seed. It is often used in South Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine as a flavor enhancer, e.g. adding it to instant noodles.

lifestyle, tourism etc. 10/3/10

Hi Seoul Festival kicks off with fireworks

As the temperature dropped below 10 degrees, a hearty crowd of Seoulites gathered by the Han River for the curtain raiser of the Hi Seoul Festival in Yeouido on the eve of its opening Friday.

Lured by a cool, breezy night of festivities and the promise of an awesome fireworks display, thousands dotted the riverfront looking skyward.

Organizers delivered on their promise of a spectacle as hundreds of fireworks soared high into the nighttime sky. Crowds cheered at the sight of the sky bursting into a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors.

The following day ― the festival’s opening ― also delivered in spectacular fashion.

The 2010 Hi Seoul Festival officially kicked off Saturday under the official slogan and theme “Motion in Seoul, Emotion in Seoul,” to herald a series of non-verbal performances ― including a pair of award-winning Korean productions, “Nanta” and “Jump.”

Seoul city mayor Oh Se-hoon presided over the opening ceremonies on a brisk evening, saying: “It is my wish that this year’s focus on non-verbal performances which represent the passion and spirit of body movement, sights, sounds, rhythm and beats will create lasting memories for families, friends, and lovers.”
Fireworks light up the skyline of the Han River Park in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday on the eve of the Hi Seoul Festival. (Yonhap News)

He added, “I hope all of you, as citizens of Seoul, help the Hi Seoul Festival turn into a festival of the world by spreading positive word of mouth.”

Going into its seventh year, the city’s biggest annual cultural festival will take place at the Han River Park and Gwanghwamun Plaza from Oct. 2-10.

Organizers this year opted to roll out non-verbal performances to ensure everyone from overseas tourists to expats could get in on the festive atmosphere that will envelop the city for the next eight days.

The streets of Seoul will become the venue for these performances, and by the end of the festival, more than 200 non-verbal shows will have been performed around Gwanghwamun’s main thoroughfare in the downtown city center.

The program bill is stacked full of international troupes featuring mimes, circus acts and puppet shows by 70 companies from 13 countries.

On the last day of the festival, streetside performances at Banpo’s Han River Park will be held in addition to a parade that will go through Jamsu street underneath the Banpo Bridge.

This year’s festival will also provide the environmentally-savvy with an eco-market alongside the “good consumer campaign” which the NGO Good Neighbors will host.

As a means of consolidation in cross-promoting some 20 other cultural events nationwide, organizers have teamed up with the Jeonju International Sori Festival, the Andong Maskdance Festival, the Seoul Performing Arts Festival, the Seoul Design Fair and the Seoul Theater Olympics.

For more information, visit www.english.hiseoulfest.org

By Song Woong-ki (kws@heraldm.com)

latest news

Top seven gross Korean dishes selected by foreign staff at the Korea Herald


Fermented skate



Fermented skate is considered a main dish for big parties in Jeolla Province, southern in Korea. But, its tangy flavor doesn’t attract many to try. Some at the Korea Herald claim they have suffered from nausea just by breathing a scent of it.


Silkworm larva




Silkworm larva, a popular Korean snack called “bundegi,” is one street snack our foreign staff thinks is disgusting. The cooked caterpillar is served in a paper cup and sold cheaply on streets.


Chicken feet 




Chicken feet are the popular side dish sold at street pubs in Korea which goes well with soju. They are marinated with red peppers, garlic, and served while barbequed. Our foreign staff does not favor chicken feet because they believe eating the hands or feet of animals is just plain weird.


Live octopus




The squirming tentacles of live octopus, called “sannakji” in Korean, scare those who trying it for the first time. For our foreign staff, it is the “vilest food they have ever had,” with one describing it as a suction cup. “I suffered badly from the stickiness of sannakji. It has the same effect of adhesive. I will never try it again,” said one foreigner staff member who is not to be named.


Sundae




Sundae is a sausage-like dish favored by many in Korea. But, it is a culture shock to many foreigners. The pig intestine stuffed with blood from the animal, noodles, vegetables and spices makes foreigners hesitant to try. “Pig intestine. What more can I say?” said one unadventurous staffer.


Bosintang




Bosintang is a soup which features dog meat as its primary ingredient. It is traditionally considered a healthy dish in Korea, but has become the subject of controversy with many inside and outside of Korea because of concerns over animal rights. Dog meat is also consumed by some Asian countries such as the Philippines, China and Vietnam.


Gopchang
Gopchang refers to grilled intestines of pig or cattle mixed with vegetables, red peppers and other spices. It is not a much favored dish among foreigners. “I had it once. It tasted even worse on the way back up,” said one disgusted staffer. However, Koreans like its chewy texture and juicy taste.

 By Ryu Jeong-hyun
Intern Reporter


Seoul considering offer of talks on North Korea tours


The two Koreas may soon hold talks over resuming cross-border tours to the North’s eastern coast, which have been suspended since North Korea shot dead a South Korean tourist two years ago, officials here said over the weekend.

North Korea was first to propose talks on tours to Mount Geumgang, which had been an important source of income for the impoverished state, and Seoul is “positively considering” the issue, an official at the Unification Ministry here said.

Pyongyang’s proposal came a day after the two Koreas agreed to hold a new round of reunions of families separated by the Korean War six decades ago in the first reconciliatory agreement since South Korea blamed the North for attacking its warship and killing dozens of sailors in March.

“We received a message (from North Korea) asking to hold government-level consultations on the Mount Geumgang issue,” the South Korean official said.

In the message to Seoul’s Unification Ministry, Pyongyang asked the talks be held on Oct. 15 over the issues of South Korea-owned real estate in Mount Geumgang and resuming tours there, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency also reported.
A South Korean tourist looks at buildings in Pyongyang. (Bloomberg)

Seoul suspended the tours to the mountain resort in the North after a female tourist was shot for allegedly entering a restricted area adjacent to the resort in 2008.

Angry at the decision, which apparently deepened its economic difficulties, Pyongyang either froze or seized all South Korean facilities at Mount Geumgang earlier this year.

The North, reportedly suffering from deepening food shortages in recent months due to floods and decreasing outside assistance, has been keen to restart the stalled tours and attempted to link the issue with the family reunions during the Red Cross talks.

The move to resume cross-border tours comes amid subsiding tensions between the two Koreas for the first time since the South accused the North of torpedoing its naval vessel Cheonan, killing 46 young sailors on March 26. North Korea again denied is role in the incident during the military dialogue with Seoul last week.

The move toward talks also takes place shortly after North Korea gave its leader Kim Jong-il’s third son Jong-un key political posts, signaling a transition of power that may influence the reclusive nuclear-armed state’s future policies.

Analysts say the ongoing discussions will not only influence Seoul’s future stance toward Pyongyang, but also hold sway over the resumption of the stalled multinational talks on North Korea’s denuclearization.

While North Korea and China are keen to restart the aid-for-denuclearization talks at the earliest possible date ― to help the North secure outside assistance and help Beijing build up influence on the divided peninsula ― Seoul and Washington want Pyongyang to first come clean on sinking the Cheonan.

The two Koreas are set to hold another round of Red Cross talks on Oct. 26-27 to discuss details of the reunions of separated families, which will be held in Mount Geumgang Oct. 30 through Nov. 5.

By Shin Hae-in (hayney@heraldm.com)

Dead mouse found in loaf of bread in England

her found a dead mouse in a loaf of bread he was using to make sandwiches for his children, Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

Stephen Forse, 41-year-old man living in Oxfordshire in England, said he had already used some of the bread when he noticed “a dark-colored object embedded in the corner of three or four slices,” according to the report.

(Captured from BBC)

(Captured from BBC)

He initially thought it was just a hard spot where the dough had failed to mix.

“As I looked closer I saw that the object had fur on it,” he said.

Forse purchased the bread online, through a Tesco branch in Bicester in January, 2009.

Manufacturer Premier Foods was fined £5,500 ($8,692 in U.S. dollar) and ordered to pay £11,109.47 ($17,558 in U.S. dollar) in costs at Oxford Crown Court for failing to maintain acceptable standards, Daily Mail reported.

(Herald Online)