• Doctor/OBGYN/Dentist Referrals
• How to get a car serviced
• Car insurance referrals
• Play groups
• Restaurants, esp. those that are family-friendly
• Grocery tips (esp for hard-to-find stuff)
• Local sports:  Volleyball and Tennis courts; Sports Clubs
• How to make a reservation for a cab with a company that speaks English
• Laundry facilities, esp for large items like comforters

Thanks for your help.  -amy

Just this week my Korean friend made the suggestion we go to Lotte Department Store in Sunae and AK Plaza in Seohyeon to look at their enrichment classes.  There are literally classes for everything.  Just as a sample, there is soap and cosmetics making, paper making, knitting, candle-making, cooking and more. The duration of these classes range from one-month to three-months.  They’re surprisingly inexpensive too.  I registered for a cosmetics and soap-making course at AK Plaza that runs 4-weeks, meeting once a week on Tuesdays.  The cost was just 30,000 Won or about $25USD.

I’ll be honest; I would never consider registering for a class without the assistance of my friend who is fluent in Korean.  The classes are taught in Korean.  But in a hands-on type of course such as soap-making, it would be easier to follow along.

My Korean friend tells me Bundang is synonymous with “heaven” for women whose husbands work all day.  There’s lots of shopping here.  Apparently classes are available at every department store.  Not sure if they’re also available at E-Mart or Home Plus.

I hope to post again how my class goes.

Chocolate Mousse

I love to cook.  Recently, I began sharing western recipes with my good Korean friend.  Today I made a wonderful chocolate mousse with ingredients that are quite easy to find in Bundang.  No ovens needed.  I find that Korean butter tends to have much less salt than Western butter, so when a recipe calls for unsalted butter, most any Korean butter will work.

The full recipe is found here.  Enjoy.

• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons espresso or very strong coffee (I used espresso from a local Starbucks)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Out of toilet paper in Ori Station.

Its inevitable, at some point you’ll be out and about and have to use one of Bundang’s many public restrooms.  In Korea, most restaurants don’t have their own restroom.  Instead you’ll have to poke around among the maze of hofs, bakeries, banks, hagwons, etc. until you find the WC.  When you do, don’t be surprised to find it void of soap, towels and even toilet paper.  Most times the bathrooms are a spot where women afraid to smoke in public go to get their fix.  Its not uncommon to find ashes on the seat!  These observations are consistent, even the finest areas.  I’m fortunate to live in Jeongja.  Even here, be prepared for unsanitary conditions.

Just today, the Monday of Lunar New Year my husband and I walked from Jeongja to Ori and stopped for coffee at Tom and Tom’s.  I went to use the restroom and made the mistake of not checking for toilet paper.  I went to alert the staff the bathroom was out of TP and was pointed to the public TP roll in the middle of the dining room!  Sometimes TP also serves as napkins.  So I guess the roll’s placement was two-fold.  That’s when I have to remind myself to take a deep breath and laugh.

So if you’re new to Korea, I’m writing this just so you might be prepared.  I even thought of stitching my own bathroom kits with TP and hand sanitizer and selling them on GMarket.

Basil - Oh how I wish I could find you in Bundang.

I realize the grocery front is ever-changing and seems to getting better in Bundang all the time.  Whether you’re a newcomer to Bundang, or have been here a while, you can count on missing foods that bring you home.  I love to cook.  I come from a family (in the midwest/USA) of great cooks.  I find the adjustment to Koreanized Italian and Mexican cooking so depressing.  My husband even bit into a burrito one time that was filled with spaghetti and meatballs and served with a side of whipping cream (not sour cream).  *SIGH*  If you’re anything like me, you’ll be instantly frustrated.  Tortilla chips are never fresh.  Avocado is almost non-existant and is expensive when its found.  But its only now that I’ve been in Bundang for over a year that I’m pragmatic how to find groceries I love.

I always prefer to cook with fresh herbs as opposed to dried.  Finding those herbs at your local E-Mart or HomePlus is hit and miss.  When you do find “fresh” herbs, they’re not always fresh.  They’re packaged in plastic containers similar to those found at groceries in the USA, but because these herbs aren’t used in Korean cooking, they sit on the shelves and condensation builds to make the herbs soggy or even moldy. Often times you’ll see the empty plastic containers left in place where there should be fresh herbs.  Part of me chuckles thinking some foreigner freaked out and packed all the herbs into one container and left the rest behind.  Far fetched, I know.

A good Facebook friend recently suggested http://nicedeli.com/main/.  This website offers herbs like basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, thyme, rosemary, etc.  The drag is the minimum order: 50,000 Won! They offer corn tortillas and other Mexican goodies, often not cheap (or even reasonable).  Many of the site’s items can be bought at Costco, but I understand not everyone wants to waste an entire Saturday with a chaotic Korean Costco adventure.

As a foodie, I’m still looking for a consistent, high-quality source for fresh herbs.  A good Korean friend of mine and I are planning a cooking exchange.  She will teach a small group of expats like me how to cook a Korean dish.  I will in-turn teach some of her Korean friends how to cook a western dish.  I’d really like to start with “chicken parmesan.”  Then maybe a chocolate mousse for dessert.

I’m considering just planting some seeds along the Tancheon (river) and see how it grows.  I also plan to ask my Korean friend if a local grower would consider planting some seeds for us.  When I find a consistent source, I will definitely post it here.

Mosaic English Cafe - Try a Jackaccino.

When my husband and I came to Korea in August of 2008, our social life really started to take off when we found Mosaic English Cafe.  I was craving a hearty sandwich and sweets that would satisfy me, because Dunkin’ Donuts wasn’t cutting it.  (Donuts in Korea and sweets overall have far less sugar then my Western palate is used to.)  So when Jenny Reid handed me a flyer outside the Jeongja subway station to come try this new cafe, I got excited.  I live in Jeongja and there isn’t another meet-up spot of its kind within 4 subways stops.

Mosaic is on the 4th Floor of Hana Plaza, just two blocks north of the Jeongja subway exit.  The environment is warm and friendly.  They’ve got a nice library of travel books, games (in English) and they’ve got entertainment and events throughout the week.

The owners, Jack and Jenny Reid are from Oklahoma and England respectively.  They really make an effort to greet their patrons and Jenny’s desserts…well…they’re off-the-hook!  The menu changes daily, but try to visit when they’ve got the blonde brownies.

Wednesday nights they host a Non-Denominational Christian Worship Service.  Saturday night is an open-mic or concert.  Sundays they host Fusion for young adults to hang and play music.  (Their stage and acoustics are wonderful!)  Oh…and there’s free wi-fi, which is awesome for tech-nerds like me.  The site gets updated frequently, so check back. Phone 031.716.6001.

Seoul Doula Helps Foreigners in Bundang Give Birth to a Child

Giving birth to a new son or daughter while in a foreign country doesn’t have to be as scary.  Many of my friends at Mosaic English Cafe are new parents.  Lisa Fincaryk is a doula that takes the pain away from navigating the doctors and hospitals in Bundang and Seoul.  She gave birth to her first son here in Korea and has a second child on the way in November 2009.  Lisa learned alot from that experience.  She also found that she could get more of the care she wanted just by speaking up.  If you haven’t given birth to a child here in Korea and are considering it, there’s alot other websites won’t tell you.  For instance, did you know that typical Korean birthing rooms are kept sauna-temperature hot?  Korean doctors don’t want the baby to be cold when he or she enters this world.  As a woman who’s considering becoming a first-time parent here in Korea, information like that is invaluable.  But before even entering labor, how do expectant parents find a doctor?  What Visa requirements need to happen and what is the time-table for getting all that information sorted out?  Is the child considered a Korean citizen just because they’re born here.  (The answer is no.)  Lisa has answers to all of these questions and more.  What really sets her apart is she’s fluent in Korean. She and her husband took the intense language courses offered at Seoul National University.

Lisa is a Certified Doula, Childbirth Educator and HypnoBirth® Instructor.  She offers Doula Services and teaches Childbirth and HypnoBirthing® Classes.   Her website is www.BirthingInKorea.com.

Email: birthinginkorea@gmail.com

Classes begin the first Monday of each month and run approximately 220,000 Won for the month.  New students have to pay a 20,000 Won registration fee.  Books can run from 17,000-30,000 Won depending on your level.  The good news is that one book will last through 3-months of classes or so.  Each book comes with an audio CD and workbook.  If you’re saavy, rip the audio to MP3s in iTunes and put ‘em on your iPod.  Now you can practice while you’re on the subway or bus.

Robert S. and his young staff are super nice, patient and speak excellent English.  Most of the teachers have lived in Canada, the United States or Australia.  The classes are small too (no more than 7 people), so there’s lots of individual attention.  You can learn as much as you want.  The school doesn’t push testing, unlike Seoul National University’s accelerated program.  Academy GM works well for me because its close, there’s a variety of class times and the price is right for the amount of attention.

Ironically, the contact information and phone number is not on the website.  But Robert will return your emails promptly.  His email is srobert (at) naver (dot) com.