Years ago I was in love with a Korean girl but was cautious. I had been dating her for a few months and had considered getting her a ring or some jewelry but I was worried this might scare her off. So prior to Christmas I had found out through various ways things that she was interested in. I found out she was really into health and holistic stuff, German calligraphy pens, staying warm and some other stuff. So I put together a Santa's bag worth of many little presents that I thought she would enjoy. Most of the stuff was practical or cute. I recall included in the bag was a pink rock salt candle thing because she said she liked the color, a scarf, a Lamy calligraphy pen set, a moleskine notebook (she said she liked writing), and a few other things. Christmas morning she opened everything and she was noticeably disappointed. What I failed to realize is that (I am an idiot) and she was looking for some sort of romantic gift like a ring or necklace or something like that. Let me cla...

Paper Lantern Christmas Tree On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 7 Paper Lantern Christmas Trees 6 L ocks for a fence 5 Christmas Cakes! 4 pairs of socks, 3 doggy outfits 2 Silly hats And a Santa that bows at me.  See the other days of Christmas here: 12 Days of Christmas: Day 6: Locks 12 Days of Christmas: Day 5: Christmas Cakes 12 Days of Christmas: Day 4: Animal Cellphone cases 12 Days of Christmas: Day 3: Outfits to Humiliate your Dog 12 Days of Christmas: Day 2: Silly Christmas Hats 12 Days of Korean Christmas: Day 1: Bowing Korean Christmas Santa Dan

Hmmm...a new era has passed and I wonder what that means. Six years ago when I was first going to come to Korea, I was under the impression that the country was still at war. I was warned countless times that I should always carry my "American passport and get out of the country if the North Koreans came attackin." That's what my Tennessean father told me. Being a rebel, in the December of 2004, I seriously considered coming to Korea. But then the tragic Daegu fires happened and countless videos of suitrd South Korean politicians fighting during the law making sessions aired in America. I put my plans to come here aside. After a year of working to pay off a car and student loan, the itch to travel to Korea returned. This time being overworked, stressed and unhealthy was the push I needed to pack up and head to Korea. I was a bit scared but I had gotten rid of my worldly possessions and jumped on a plane to Korea. I had little to lose. I mean I had maxed out my ...

On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 6 locks for a fence Add caption 5 Christmas Cakes! 4 pairs of socks, 3 doggy outfits 2 Silly hats And a Santa that bows at me. See the other days of Christmas here: 12 Days of Christmas: Day 5: Christmas Cakes 12 Days of Christmas: Day 4: Animal Cellphone cases 12 Days of Christmas: Day 3: Outfits to Humiliate your Dog 12 Days of Christmas: Day 2: Silly Christmas Hats 12 Days of Korean Christmas: Day 1: Bowing Korean Christmas Santa

The Korean Street Truck Adventures TCS, SOP, HACCP,MSDS, FAT TOM... If I hear another acronym this week I’m going to scream. TCS, SOP, HACCP,MSDS, FAT TOM, and the list goes on and on. I’ve been swimming in a veritable alphabet soup this week all because of one issue that no foodservice operation can ignore. Sanitation. Why the alphabet soup and concern with sanitation this week? ServSafe. ServSafe is a program from the National Restaurant Association that certifies a person in sanitation and safety issues and is nationally recognized. While ServSafe isn’t required for mobile operations by my local health department I decided to renew (you have to re-up every five years) my certification. The material is pretty extensive, not just your garden variety “wash your hands and watch out for salmonella”. It has not been fun to study, for example, look up Anisakis or any other seafood toxin and you will understand why I’ve gone almost borderline vegan this week. Ick . ...

This guest post was written and photographed by Paula Lee, who is new to Korea and is currently studying Korean and exploring the landscape. You can follow her adventures at :  http://paulainseoul.tumblr.com . If you would like to contribute to Seouleats shoot me an email at seouleats at gmail dot com. It has only been a few weeks since I moved to Korea from the States and it just so happens that I arrived right smack in the middle of the holiday season. This is my very first Christmas here in South Korea and so far I have found Korean Christmas to be quite festive and mouth watering. Its impossible to avoid Christmas back in the States. Drive by a residential street and you are bound to spot a few Christmas trees through living room windows or hear Mariah Carey is singing about how she wants you for Christmas on the radio. Every mall has a miniature North Pole where kids can share their wish list with Santa. So when I arrived to Seoul my initial thoughts were that Christmas i...

On the fifth day of Christmas, My True Love gave to me: 5 Christmas Cakes! 4 pairs of socks, 3 doggy outfits 2 Silly hats And a Santa that bows at me. Korean Christmas Cake Korean Christmas Cake Come take a cooking class or take a Culinary Tour in Seoul! http://www.ongofood.com Join the Seoul Eats Facebook Group Page to keep to date with the latest events.