Indy House Hostel: Busan, South Korea

Joseph and I recently spent a relaxing weekend in Busan.  We stayed at Indy House which is a hostel located in the Haeuende Beach area.  The hostel is about 5 minutes walking distance from the beach.  Super easy to find and around a variety of restaurants and other stimuli.

 Indy House was clean, inviting and well maintained.  The staff we met were the owners and they were delightful.  Polite, helpful and if they didn't know something they pointed us in the direction of someone who did.  Well done Indy House.  Joseph and I will be coming back!

Enjoy the pictures of Indy House and if you are ever staying in Busan and need a place close to the beach, they are it.

We paid 90,000W (slightly less than $90USD) for 2 nights in a room for 6 people.  Upon reflection this was perhaps not the way to go for ourselves (a private room next time), but we had a fine time.  The other people kept to themselves but were not unfriendly.  If you have any questions about Indy House go to their link:
here

Entry way
there is a door code after 10pm. if you will be coming in after that time,
check the back of your room key

wall decorations. :)

wall art

wall art

easy to read signs pointing you in the right direction

our room. every bed has its own locker to store personals

our room. our bunk beds were in the middle

top floor. smoking area as well

we did not see a washing machine but if you have laundry to hang you can hang it here

one of the refrigerators in the kitchen.

top floor common area. it is large and cozy

still top floor common area

poster on the wall in the common area. funny!

in the common area Sunday morning watching the UF/UT game:
Go Gators!! Go Vols!!

Indy House has wifi all over.

kitchen/common area
everything is self serve and there is even a coffee grinder/espresso machine!

residents can place a pin where they are from if they choose
(common area)

common area
there is a lot of seating in the common area. you can have a private conversation
or a large group going on

Cooking Korean

Our first home cooked Korean meal.

Joseph and I decided to try our hand at cooking Korean.

After asking a few of our Korean friends we decided upon the spicy stew: 닭도리탕 (Dokduri tang) and 김치전, kimchijeon (kimchi pancake).

our traditional side dishes included kimchi (aged) and the yellow radish (sweet)
delicious home cooked Korean meal!

A Korean friend gave me his mothers recipes for both dishes and for our first try they turned out very well.

The only thing I would change next time around for the spicy stew is add less spice.  If you like your food spicy this is a fine amount (per the recipe) but if you are not a spicy food person or just prefer to try it first to see how spicy it is, only use 1 spoonful of the hot pepper paste.  It is plenty hot and spicy with that 1 spoonful (normally you would add 2 spoonfuls of hot pepper paste).

Dokduri tang: Spicy chicken stew

1.) make the sauce: 2:4:1 ratio  (normal cereal or soup spoon)
        *2 spoonfuls of hot pepper paste, 4 spoonfuls of soy sauce, 1 spoonful of sesame oil (if you don't have it, olive oil works)  the sauce will not be thin.
stir everything together in a bowl and set it aside

this is the sauce. only add 1 spoonful if you don't like a lot of spice
this hot pepper paste must be added to give the soup its flavor

2.) get a medium large pot out and fill with water.  put it to boil.

3.)  when the water is boiling add 1 whole chicken cut up (if you want to take the skin off and the bones, it's up to your personal preference)

4.) wait about 3 or 4 minutes then add the potatoes (about 4 or 5 roughly cut in inch or 2 inch chunks)

5.) after you add the chicken and potatoes you can add the remaining ingredients as they are ready in any order:

6.) add the sauce (number 1 above)

7.) add onions (about 4 or so cut in rough pieces--not small)

8.) add scallions if you have them (no worries if you don't)

9.) if you would like to add 1 tsp. of chili powder, add it last.  I did not add this and it was spicy enough.  I was told this was for flavor but I thought it had enough flavor so I didn't add.  Joseph and I didn't even miss it...personal preference in my mind.















 10.) let this simmer and cook until it looks right.  It won't look too thick but it will look cooked down a bit and just look delicious.  Taste often.  It took me about an hour for it to look and taste like it should on med-low heat after if boiled about 10 minutes.

-------------------------------------------

Kimchi Pancakes:

These are easy to make, just a bit of prep to get going.

It will take you about 30 minutes or so to prep everything then about 20 or 40 minutes to make in the frying pan--depending on how much batter and how large or small you make each one.  Usually the Korean people make them large and thin.  I made these large and thick because we have a small frying pan and I didn't want to stand there for longer than necessary. 

Play around with it and see what you like.  Add a little soy sauce on the side for dipping if you like.

Combine everything in a mixing bowl:

*2 egg yolks
*2 1/2 cups of flour (튀김가루 fried flour) if you don't have this, just use white flour
*aged kimchi: you will need more than you think you will.  there wasn't a specific amount my friend's mom said but I ended up putting in about 3 cups of the aged kimchi.  Use scissors and cut it into bite sized pieces.  
*1 small green pumpkin pealed and cut up into small bits (the entire pumpkin)
*water: just enough for a cookie batter consistency

**mix everything together

After you have everything prepared take your frying pan and a bit of oil or butter and put a smidge in the pan to help it not stick and then proceed to make your pancakes.

Remember, the Korean people usually make them very thin and large.  If you are using a large frying pan your mixture should fill most of the pan with enough room to flip it.  Just wait until it is solid enough to flip.  It should be a bit brown but not burned on the other side.  It may take a few to get the hang of it.

The kimchi will give it a spicy flavor but it isn't overpowering or too spicy.  Just enough kick to put a smile on your face.

This recipe made more than Joseph and I could eat so I brought the remainder to work the next day and the Korean's liked them and ate them up very quickly so they were either hungry or they actually liked them. 
 

mixture before I began cooking it.

this is the first one. I should have cooked it a bit longer.

let's see if it tastes good!

I filled this large pot about 3/4 of the way
and it cooked down to approximately half a pot

they should be thinner than this. about half the thickness

delicious dinner!  yummy!

Three Couples and a Pug Named Shiloh

Another first in Korea:  Joseph and I went camping.

Roughing it.

Peeing in the woods, bathing in the river kind of camping.

It was fantastic. 

Joseph and I have met really great people at our new school and in our new neighborhood.  Chris and Danielle along with Chien and Ray are two great couples and one night an idea was had:  let's go camping tomorrow.

2 tiny tents for 6 adults
hahahaha

Chris, Ray and Joseph

the water was cold!

Shiloh!!!

At the time it sounded like a great idea.  It really did.  9am the next morning was another story.  We scheduled to meet at 10am to head out and that was pushed back to about 11or 11:30.  At least one of us in the group was secretly hoping one of us would cancel.  Fortunately no one did.

We set out.  The 6 of us and a pug named Shiloh in the smallest car Hyundai makes.  Are you laughing yet?

twilight

First stop, Home Plus, to get everything 6 people and a pug would need for 24 hours of camping bliss: steaks, mushrooms, garlic, eggs and bread for the morning and lots and lots of beverages.  Lots and lots of beverages.

the river was quite deep

Back on the road, we drove about 2 hours away from Daejeon to the secret spot by the most picturesque river.  Not a soul.  Not a sound, save the rushing sounds of the river.  It was absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way.

We set up camp (in Korea you can literally camp where ever you want whenever you want.  No fee.)
and I should mention here Joseph and I brought along 1 bag of stuff: bathing suits, sunscreen, money (for food, of course) and the clothes on our back.  We've never been camping before and there were 6 of us in a car so we didn't want to take up much space.  Not even a tent.  We found one in Home Plus but it was $400 and we said no thank you to that.

We plopped in the river wearing our suits and got a show at the same time (thanks Joseph!!) and laughed our way to sunset.

The boys went off to hunt for firewood--it's a tradition you know.  The girls wondered if the boys would actually find firewood and how long it would take them and got things ready for dinner.

Campfire set up and us all sitting around it in the dark smelling the mushrooms and garlic in the foil cooking over the coals.  Next is the steak and we accidentally did not get enough for all of us so each couple shared.  Each of us secretly wished for more steak to magically appear, alas...

dinner

our campfire. all of us were proud of it

We were sitting around the campfire on the stones the boys put around for us (as we did not have chairs--took up too much room in the car) and we each had 1 marshmallow to roast on a stick. 

Chris and Danielle were kind enough to let Joseph and I share their 2 person tent (laughing yet?) and we all fell into a sleep that woke us up about 6:30am.

our sleeping quarters for the night.I slept to the left of Jospeh. hahaha

breakfast

Somehow the campfire had not quite burnt out so we got it going again and made egg sandwiches.  Packed up everything and went on our way back again.


Not bad for an impromptu camping trip roughing it in the wilderness.  We didn't see one person while we were there except the next morning a Korean man came wandering our way and when he realized we were not Korean, he turned around and left.

early morning

It was an adventure and a great time with great people.
Another great 'first' for Joseph and I living in Korea.

Joseph and I can't wait to do it again.  Perhaps with a tent next time around and maybe a chair or two. 

At least we had plenty of toilet paper!! Thanks Chien!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

early morning

Mom, you would have hated every minute of it.  :-(

Car: 0 Me: 1 9/18/12

So it has finally happened.


After further reflection and observation of my bruises I thought this deserved a few sentences on this blog.

I got hit by a car.

Yes, you read that correctly.  A car hit me.  I was in the crosswalk riding my bike on my way home from work.

It is a fairly busy crosswalk/street.  It is a one way area and all traffic goes one way.  The car revved up to turn right and plowed into me on the left side of the car near the side mirror.  I went from that position to up and over the car hood and landed in the road right in front of the car. My bike came along for the ride with me. Still under me.  I estimate the car was going approximately 5-10mph.

It seemed to happen in slow motion and all I was thinking was, "I'm in korea getting hit by a car...weird." I sat on the road for a minute with my bike under me and the driver and his wife got out of the car and I can actually speak better Korean than I thought. Haha.

I checked myself and nothing broken or even scratched. My bike is fine, the only thing wrong with it was the chain fell off and the driver fixed it. I was very shaky but otherwise fine.

In Korea you exchange phone numbers with whoever is involved with the crash and you contact each other if you go to the hospital or anything like that so the at fault party can pay for damages.  No courts or suing people (usually).  Cash is always exchanged in some way or another.  The couple wanted my cell phone number but since I really wasn't hurt I didn't think they needed it.  They tried to give me  some money but I said no.  In the end they shoved some bills into my bike basket which I thought was unnecessary but very kind of them.  I really just wanted to get out of there.

Anyway, I am fine, just a bit shaken up from everything.  I have a lot of bruises on my legs and a small area that is scraped from my bike pedal.  It didn't even sting when I washed it.  I didn't hit my head or anything serious like that either thank goodness.

Upon waking up the next day the only thing that was sore were my knees when I went to kneel on the carpet at school.

Joseph wasn't there---he had gone on ahead home already because I had to stay and test a few kids but when I got home and told him he was super concerned and worried and wanted to take me to the hospital but since I didn't hit my head and nothing was hurting more than a bruise I asked him not to take me.



So there it is.  I got hit by a car.  A Hyundai to be exact.  Thank goodness it wasn't a good quality car or else I might not have made it!  Hahaha.

Korea still rocks and the next day I got on the bike and rode to work.

So who is first to come visit?  :-)

Ye Old Squatty

Yes. 

I finally did it:

Used the squatter toilets in Korea.


Was it gross?  No.  Was it scary?  No.  

It was fine.  It doesn't take but a minute to figure it out once you realize that's all there is.

A special 'thank you' to Danielle for teaching me how!  

I have successfully avoided this area of Korea since Joseph and I moved here over a year ago.  No longer! 

Would I choose to use it over a western toilet?  Nope...I'd even wait for a western toilet if they were side by side.  However, I am no longer adverse to the idea and in fact they are very easy to use and not at all like I thought it would be.

do you see the flusher and the top of the bowl? 
face that direction. always.

Okay...when you come to visit Joseph and I in Korea you will most likely have plenty of western toilets to choose from depending on how rural your visit gets--we also know where they all are.  If you visit China or other areas of the Asian countries you may not be so lucky.  

Some pointers?


1.  While first getting used to this, take at least one pants (or shorts) leg OFF
2.  If you take your pants all the way off, hold them.
3.  If you only take one leg off, hold onto your pants or shorts--don't let them touch the floor 
4.  Skirts are much better
5.  It is not necesssary to keep your knees together, just squat
6.  Make sure you are FACING the flusher or the top part of the bowl (sometimes the flusher is a chain on the wall)
7.  If you don't face the top part of the bowl you might get wet
8.  Make sure you giggle a lot because it is really funny once you are there and actually in that situation that you just have to laugh
9. Don't forget to check for TP before you go into the stall (always have some wet wipes with you just in case)

Check out the picture of what not to do with a western toilet.  This image is actually a poster that is quite popular on the inside of the stall door in some public restrooms in Korea (and other parts of Asia).

Almost fell over laughing when I first saw this. 
 

Okay so one last tip:

Always face the top of the bowl of flusher:  ALWAYS!

do you notice there is no flusher?  it is a chain above your head.
Face the top of the bowl.

Just in case you did not get your fill of information check this out.