Shabu-Shabu.... VERY interesting foods!

Top: Me, Sonia (my KT), Christina, Kelly, Allie
Bottom: Vicky, Grace, Lisa (fellow English Teacher)

Picture a long table set for 22 people, 5 steaming pots of seaweed and anchovy broth strategically boiling along the center, mounds off vegetables, raw meat, raw seafood, and noodles piled on plates, bottles and bottles of beer, Soju, and Sansachun, and a large group full of laughter. That is the scene from last night's going away/welcoming dinner hosted by my school.

I don't know if you've heard of the shabu-shabu style of restaurant (and I may be butchering the spelling there). It's a Japanese creation that's somewhat like there version of Korean Barbeque (where the food is cooked right at your table). The big difference is that it's a big pot of extremely hot broth into which you put your food, and you go to a buffet to choose the ingredients for the meal. Also, you cook it yourself! It's a great party atmosphere! I can't even describe the massive amounts of food that were cooked or the vast array of TYPES of food! Let's just say that I saw my share of baby octopus, squid, tentacles, whole shrimp, and many other interesting pieces of seafood laying out.

I am proud to say how adventurous I was last night, though - and this was even BEFORE having anything to drink! I tried sushi for the first time - real sushi with raw tuna.... Yes, RAW TUNA. And, it was delicious! (I think I'm going to go to a restaurant within the next few weeks in which you sit at a bar-like area and they serve all-you-can-eat raw tuna.... don't know about that one, but it would be worth the experience) Also, get ready for it.... I ate jellyfish... yes, JELLYFISH. My new Korean teacher, Sonia, is absolutely wonderful, and she kept putting things on my plate to try! I felt obligated to try them, but I did admit to her that I had to muster the courage! I actually really enjoyed the jellyfish, too - it was mixed with veggies in a vinegar-y sauce.... pretty sour, but yummy! I had fishcakes and ate a clam, too! The clam was after I'd had a few cups (can't really say glasses because they're more like juice-sized cups) of beer (yes, I know I've never been a beer drinker, but this was actually good beer - again, it was poured for me, so I had to drink it at first).

Plate of Jellyfish... a bit blurry, look for the brownish noodle-looking things.

I have been introduced to my new favorite drink: Sansachun! It's almost like wine... I think it's made from rice, and you drink it in small glasses the size of shot glasses, but they look like little rice bowls. If you like wine, you'll like Sansachun! The big bonus is that it's quite inexpensive to purchase in the store - I was told it's about 2000-3000 Won (between $2-3) a bottle. I will keep my eyes peeled for it when I go grocery shopping this week.

Sansachun bottle... took the picture so I can find it in the store!

We had a great time, and I really hope to continue to go out! I learned some new Korean words (which I've forgotten, but I will recall the next time I hear them). AND, I've mastered the chopsticks after banning myself from using a fork at home! No more embarrassing situations in restaurants that include splasing red sauce all over my shirt while trying to eat slippery noodles with chopsticks!

Onto the next adventure.....