Yesterday I walked into a shop at the bus terminal I go to every morning that made breakfast sandwiches. I immediately became regretful that I hadn't discovered it sooner. How wonderful it would have been to stop into this place every morning and get myself a warm, toasty, hearty breakfast, just the perfect way to start my day.
My regret quickly turned to relief, and then, eventually, dismay. After receiving my order of an egg, sausage and cheese on toast, I found that by sausage they meant "hot dog" and someone decided it would be a good idea to dress the whole monstrosity up with honey mustard sauce.
Not all that glitters is gold, I suppose.
I met a couple of Americans on the bus into the park, and we got to talking. One of the gentlemen told me this was his 11th Olympics (there's definitely, I guess what you'd call, a cult of people who live and die for the Olympics and will travel anywhere in the world to attend them...they come off as a little sad and pathetic, but it's their "thing" and they groove on it, so who am I to judge?), and he told me he'd brought his daughter to the Winter Games in Salt Lake City when they were there in 2002. He said she still considers it one of her greatest memories. It's a sappy anecdote, but it does show the power that the Olympics hold. Los Angeles is hosting the Summer Games in 2028, and wouldn't that just make for the perfect family vacation? We'll talk about I when I get home, honey.
The figure skating competition ended yesterday, and I'm headed out soon. Overall, my experience in Korea has been an overwhelmingly positive one. I'm proud of the work we did here. I'm glad I got to go watch a new sport (aerials) and was in the building for the signature event of these Games (women's hockey gold-medal game). I wish I'd gotten to see more, but with how spread out the venues are, you really have to set aside a good chunk of your day if you want to go to an event outside of the cluster you're in, and with the figure skating schedule being what it is, that's not usually a realistic option.
The food was outstanding. The people were gracious and helpful. My hotel was clean and quiet and convenient. I really have very little to complain about.
But I am ready to come home. This is a long time to be away from your family, and I miss them a lot, and I think, maybe, just maybe, they miss me, too. The long trek from Gangneung to Waldwick awaits.
But first, one last snack review.
This one, unfortunately, is a boring one, and I don't even have a picture to go with it. It was a bag of potato chips with, what I thought was, a buffalo drumstick on it, so I was expecting to get something spicy, but it turned out it was just a regular barbecue chicken drumstick, and these ended up being boring, old barbecue potato chips. Nothing to see here (literally).
Rating: 5.0
Friday, February 23, 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
If you're ever in Korea, don't drink this
It's called soju, it's the most popular type of liquor in Korea, and it tastes like shit. Avoid it at all costs.
That is all.
Hitting the Olympic wall...and then not (but still kinda)
I was all ready to write a blog about how I'd hit the Olympic wall, how I'd gotten to the point in these Games where I was sick and tired of going through the same routine every day, eating the same food, seeing the same people (this happens every time I go to the Olympics...I'm pretty sure I've written about it in previous blogs)...and then I went to the USA-Canada women's hockey gold-medal game.
If you didn't stay up to watch it, the U.S. was losing 2-1 after two periods (we got there midway through the second), and then scored a goal in the third to tie it up. No one else scored in the rest of regulation, and the game went to sudden-death overtime.
The two teams played a hard-fought -- albeit scoreless -- OT period, and it was on to a shootout to decide the winner.
After five rounds of back-and-forth shootout attempts, the game was still tied. Jocelyne Lamoreaux-Davidson was up next for Team USA, and she did this...
https://twitter.com/CBJFrontLine/status/966571980790038528
What a deke (that's a hockey term for when you feint to one side and then go to the other)! The Americans then needed a save from their goalie, and they'd be the gold medalists.
And Maddie Rooney came up huge!
https://twitter.com/OneFanView/status/966573530258296832
Then, it was celebration time.
They're calling it the most exciting event at these Games, and I can't disagree (although I hear the finals of the team sprint free were RIVETING). It sure is the best thing I've seen since I've been here.
I'll admit, I wasn't that excited to go to the game in the first place. To be honest, I don't find women's hockey all that entertaining -- it's too slow, the passing isn't very crisp, there isn't much flow to the game -- but when the two best teams in the world are going toe to toe, with an Olympic gold medal on the line no less, you tend to forgot about your biases and get swept up in the emotion of it all. I know I did.
It doesn't change the fact that I'm still kind of Olympic'd out and I'm very ready to come home, but for a couple of hours at least, I was happy I was still here.
Snack Review
How could I pass these up? For goodness sakes, they have a WHALE on them! Luckily, they weren't flavored like humpback (not that I would know what that tastes like), only shaped like it.
When I opened the bag and smelled these, I immediately thought of ketchup, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They only tasted faintly like ketchup, though...in fact, I couldn't really tell you what they tasted like. With every bite, I kept trying to come up with something to compare them to, and I kept coming up empty. The best I can do is, they were a little ketchup-y, a little vegetable-y, and reminded me a little of seasoning you'd put on chicken. That probably doesn't sound very appetizing, but these were actually very good, one of my favorite snacks I've had since I've been here.
The only downside was that they left kind of a funny aftertaste, but I won't let that affect the score too much.
Rating: 8.5
If you didn't stay up to watch it, the U.S. was losing 2-1 after two periods (we got there midway through the second), and then scored a goal in the third to tie it up. No one else scored in the rest of regulation, and the game went to sudden-death overtime.
The two teams played a hard-fought -- albeit scoreless -- OT period, and it was on to a shootout to decide the winner.
After five rounds of back-and-forth shootout attempts, the game was still tied. Jocelyne Lamoreaux-Davidson was up next for Team USA, and she did this...
https://twitter.com/CBJFrontLine/status/966571980790038528
What a deke (that's a hockey term for when you feint to one side and then go to the other)! The Americans then needed a save from their goalie, and they'd be the gold medalists.
And Maddie Rooney came up huge!
https://twitter.com/OneFanView/status/966573530258296832
Then, it was celebration time.
They're calling it the most exciting event at these Games, and I can't disagree (although I hear the finals of the team sprint free were RIVETING). It sure is the best thing I've seen since I've been here.
I'll admit, I wasn't that excited to go to the game in the first place. To be honest, I don't find women's hockey all that entertaining -- it's too slow, the passing isn't very crisp, there isn't much flow to the game -- but when the two best teams in the world are going toe to toe, with an Olympic gold medal on the line no less, you tend to forgot about your biases and get swept up in the emotion of it all. I know I did.
It doesn't change the fact that I'm still kind of Olympic'd out and I'm very ready to come home, but for a couple of hours at least, I was happy I was still here.
Snack Review
How could I pass these up? For goodness sakes, they have a WHALE on them! Luckily, they weren't flavored like humpback (not that I would know what that tastes like), only shaped like it.
When I opened the bag and smelled these, I immediately thought of ketchup, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They only tasted faintly like ketchup, though...in fact, I couldn't really tell you what they tasted like. With every bite, I kept trying to come up with something to compare them to, and I kept coming up empty. The best I can do is, they were a little ketchup-y, a little vegetable-y, and reminded me a little of seasoning you'd put on chicken. That probably doesn't sound very appetizing, but these were actually very good, one of my favorite snacks I've had since I've been here.
The only downside was that they left kind of a funny aftertaste, but I won't let that affect the score too much.
Rating: 8.5
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Not-so-sweet merch
There's no other way to put it: The merchandise situation here is abysmal.
Even with just these basic, plain sweatshirts and T-shirts, they made no effort to make them look visually appealing. I wouldn't be caught dead in either of those.
I went back to the Super Store today to see if I missed anything my first time through. The answer I was left with was a resounding "no."
I meant to take pictures of some of the more hideous items available for purchase, but I forgot, so here are some images I downloaded from the store's official website...
Look, I get that styles and tastes vary from place to place. Not to generalize here, but Asians seem to veer toward more child-like themes (Hello Kitty!), but when you're making apparel for a worldwide audience, you need to come up with designs that have a broader appeal and at least make an attempt at incorporating some fashion elements into your clothing. And these miss the mark on both counts.
Even with just these basic, plain sweatshirts and T-shirts, they made no effort to make them look visually appealing. I wouldn't be caught dead in either of those.
As sad as it is, this plain white T-shirt is the best thing I could find in the store. Simple, clean, wearable.
It's just a sad state of affairs, and there's only one man I know who can fix the situation...
Make it work, people!
Odds and ends
This blog will consist of a few quick-hitters because I really haven't gotten to do anything these last couple of days other than work. Today will be different, as we're off and I'm planning on going to the Olympic Park to watch some stuff (women's hockey gold-medal game?) and maybe do some more shopping (women be shopping).
Here is the text from a press release I received yesterday. Read it and tell me what sport you think it's talking about...
BREAKING NEWS: Randall and Diggins Win Team Sprint Free Semifinal to Advance
Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins have advanced to the final in women's team sprint free by winning their semifinal with the fastest time Wednesday evening at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Center.
The duo combined for a time of 16:22.56, finishing 0.72 seconds ahead of Sweden.
Norway won the first semifinal with a time of 16:33.28, 10.72 seconds slower than the Americans' time.
The women's sprint free final is scheduled to begin todfay at 7 p.m. KT/5 a.m. ET.
You can't! I still don't know. Is it skiing? Snowboarding? A sport where they race across a sheet of ice on foot? It's a total mystery to me.
But way to go Randall and Diggins, you two team sprint free athletes, and best of luck in the finals!
Last night we returned to the Korean barbecue restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we tried to go to this dessert place we've been hearing a lot about. Unfortunately, when we got there, we were greeted by this sign...
If I must say, this comes off as a little arrogant. Hey, Dessert 39, you don't need to brag about how scrumptious your stock is...you've already lured us here with your enticing window display (not pictured, but trust me, it was enticing).
I'm going back there today, and if they haven't re-stocked their delicios drinks and desserts, I'm gonna be livid.
Snack Review
These are called Turtle chips or Turtle bites or something. There's a short story on the bag about what goes into corn soup, which I guess is what these are made with. If that sounds unappetizing, that's because it is.
See that facial expression on the turtle on the bag? That's what I looked like when I tried these. Disgusting on every level. There was some semblance of sweetness, probably from the corn soup, and maybe even a touch of vanilla flavor somewhere in there. Overall, these were vile and wretched and should never be consumed by a living soul.
Rating: 0.0
Here is the text from a press release I received yesterday. Read it and tell me what sport you think it's talking about...
Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins have advanced to the final in women's team sprint free by winning their semifinal with the fastest time Wednesday evening at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Center.
The duo combined for a time of 16:22.56, finishing 0.72 seconds ahead of Sweden.
Norway won the first semifinal with a time of 16:33.28, 10.72 seconds slower than the Americans' time.
The women's sprint free final is scheduled to begin todfay at 7 p.m. KT/5 a.m. ET.
You can't! I still don't know. Is it skiing? Snowboarding? A sport where they race across a sheet of ice on foot? It's a total mystery to me.
But way to go Randall and Diggins, you two team sprint free athletes, and best of luck in the finals!
Last night we returned to the Korean barbecue restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we tried to go to this dessert place we've been hearing a lot about. Unfortunately, when we got there, we were greeted by this sign...
If I must say, this comes off as a little arrogant. Hey, Dessert 39, you don't need to brag about how scrumptious your stock is...you've already lured us here with your enticing window display (not pictured, but trust me, it was enticing).
I'm going back there today, and if they haven't re-stocked their delicios drinks and desserts, I'm gonna be livid.
Snack Review
These are called Turtle chips or Turtle bites or something. There's a short story on the bag about what goes into corn soup, which I guess is what these are made with. If that sounds unappetizing, that's because it is.
See that facial expression on the turtle on the bag? That's what I looked like when I tried these. Disgusting on every level. There was some semblance of sweetness, probably from the corn soup, and maybe even a touch of vanilla flavor somewhere in there. Overall, these were vile and wretched and should never be consumed by a living soul.
Rating: 0.0
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Food reviews (and not much else)
I haven't had much time to do much else other than work these last couple of days, so you're just going to get a series of snack reviews in this post (I know that's the only reason ya'll are reading my blog anyway).
Snack #1
Wasabi crab crisps. At first bite, I thought these lacked potency, but upon further consumption, they provided a good amount of kick. The wasabi flavor really came through. I could have used a little more crab, and they weren't super crispy, but overall, an enjoyable snack.
Rating: 8.3
Snack #2
I'd seen these in the store every time I went in there and was always tempted to buy them, but I kept passing on them because they looked too sweet. In fact, they were the opposite. They're actually peanut-flavored, which came as a surprise. However, they're not peanut-y enough, and they're definitely sweet enough, and they have an almost stale texture when you bite into them. Overall, edible but disappointing.
Rating: 5.7
Snack #3
These are squid bites (I made that up). These bring my count of cephalopod-/crustacean-/fish-flavored snacks to five: octopus, crab, shrimp, tuna and squid. When they bury me, I want that to go on my tombstone.
Anyway, these were a bit underwhelming. Not very squid-y, decent crunch, not much else going on.
Rating: 6.1
On a related note, remember these?
I was a little harsh on them a little in my initial review (https://gangneungstyle.blogspot.kr/2018/02/i-lost-something-cool-today.html). I kept them around in my room after the day I bought them, and every day when I would get back to my hotel, before I'd go to bed, I'd eat a few, and they started to grow on me. In an unprecedented move, I'm going to amend my initial rating and bump them up to a 7.7.
I hope you all are enjoying watching the Games back home. How's the coverage been? What's been your favorite thing to watch? How perfect a couple would Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir make? Totes perf, right???!!!
If you would be so kind, please leave your feedback in the comments section.
MB signing off!
Snack #1
Wasabi crab crisps. At first bite, I thought these lacked potency, but upon further consumption, they provided a good amount of kick. The wasabi flavor really came through. I could have used a little more crab, and they weren't super crispy, but overall, an enjoyable snack.
Rating: 8.3
Snack #2
Rating: 5.7
Snack #3
These are squid bites (I made that up). These bring my count of cephalopod-/crustacean-/fish-flavored snacks to five: octopus, crab, shrimp, tuna and squid. When they bury me, I want that to go on my tombstone.
Anyway, these were a bit underwhelming. Not very squid-y, decent crunch, not much else going on.
Rating: 6.1
On a related note, remember these?
I was a little harsh on them a little in my initial review (https://gangneungstyle.blogspot.kr/2018/02/i-lost-something-cool-today.html). I kept them around in my room after the day I bought them, and every day when I would get back to my hotel, before I'd go to bed, I'd eat a few, and they started to grow on me. In an unprecedented move, I'm going to amend my initial rating and bump them up to a 7.7.
I hope you all are enjoying watching the Games back home. How's the coverage been? What's been your favorite thing to watch? How perfect a couple would Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir make? Totes perf, right???!!!
If you would be so kind, please leave your feedback in the comments section.
MB signing off!
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