Open Class

Whew. Open classes are done. But not like I was stressing. hehe I've been dealing with a cold since last week. It was interesting trying to teach in front of the parents when my voice is so hoarse. To sum it up: "Ms. Joanna teacher, are you sick? Your sound is different. I thought you were a man."

School Lunch

Tuesday, 4/16/2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
deep fried fish (가지마고추장강정),
mushroom and broccoli stir fry (새송이브로콜리볶음),
cubed radish kimchi (깍두기),
oranges,
beef leg bone soup with vegetables (사골우거지국),
and barley rice (보리밥)

School Lunch in Korea

Today's menu had the main dishes for a birthday meal in Korea. In the States, we eat birthday cake and the birthday girl or boy's dish of choice. But in Korea, there are traditional foods that Koreans eat on their birthdays. The ones we had for lunch today are: seaweed soup, japchae, and sticky rice.
Seaweed soup symbolizes a mother's labor pains. After giving birth, moms eat lots of seaweed soup for a speedy recovery because seaweed has high amounts of iron that help to clean the blood. Koreans eat seaweed soup on their birthdays to remember their mothers with a thankful heart.
Japchae is another birthday dish because it's served at any party or festival. Japchae noodles also symbolize long life.
Sticky rice symbolizes parents' desire for their children to be strong- like the sticky rice.

Monday, 4/15/2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
homemade meatballs (수제미트볼조림),
japchae (오색잡채),
kimchi,
pineapples,
seaweed soup with a beef base (쇠고기미역국),
and sticky rice (찹쌀밥)

Cafeteria Food at a Korean School

It's a long post today! I'm posting pictures of my school lunch from the past week and a half.

I don't need Sam Ryan's Thursday Rib Night since I got my ribs at school today!

 

Thursday, April 4th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
barbecue ribs,
cucumber kimchi (오이부추무침),
Asian pear (친환경배),
mussel seaweed soup (홍합미역국),
and brown rice (발아현미밥)


My favorites were the okonomiyaki and the bean sprout japchae. It was a deliciously spicy version of the japchae I'm normally used to. And it was nice to see a Japanese dish on the menu.

Friday, April 5th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
tofu okonomiyaki (두부오코노미야끼),
bean sprout japchae (콩나물잡채),
kimchi,
melon,
dried prawn and curled mallow soybean paste soup (건새우아욱된장국),
and sweet potato rice (고구마밥)

Monday, April 8th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish:
stir fried udon with seafood (해물볶음우동),
baby potatoes boiled in soy sauce (알감자조림),
kimchi,
grapes,
beef and radish soup (쇠고기탕국),
and corn rice (찰옥수수밥)

 

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
chicken steak (닭다리스테이크),
jellied food kimchi (묵김치무침),
cucumber kimchi (오이김치),
oriental melon (친환경참외),
dumpling and rice cake soup (물만두국),
and rice (기장밥)

Thursday, April 11th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
bibim mini mandoo (꼬마비빔만두),
dried fish fried in sweet sauce with nuts (명엽채견과류볶음),
melon,
potato and pork rib soup (감자탕),
and rice (찹쌀밥)

Friday, April 12th, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
lettuce, cucumbers, chili pepper,
ssamjang, samgyeopsal, fried onions and potatoes (삼겹살구이양파감자),
kimchi,
soybean paste soup (근대된장국),
rice (찰흑미밥),
bean sprouts marinated in spicy sauce (매운콩나물파무침),
and cherry tomatoes

We had 4 different kinds of greens to wrap the samgyeopsal.

Cafeteria Food: Korean Elementary School

The kids always go for seconds lately. The whole school is seriously going to gain weight this year if the lunches continue to be this awesome. I was craving bibimbap this week. Plus, look at that beautiful corn dog. I'm glad they didnt coat it in sugar because that's what one lady at a corn dog stand did one time! Korea puts its own twist on Western food.

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
watery kimchi (물김치),
corn dog (콘후레이크핫도그),
sweet rice drink (식혜),
tofu and winter-grown cabbage soybean paste soup (두부얼갈이된장국),
bibimbap (비빔밥)

Cute Things My Kids Say

1. Yeong-seok: "Hello, vienna teacher." (because my name kind of rhymes with Vienna) He made the connection one day when we ate Vienna sausages for lunch. Now whenever he sees me, he says, "Oh Vienna teacher~ so delicious~"

2. Sang-jun: "Can you Joanna-us?"
Our lesson title was "Can you join us?" and ever since he made the connection, he always says "Can you Joanna-us?"

3. Sae-byul: "cardiovascular disease"
We're learning about symptoms like toothache, headache, etc. I asked the kids if they knew any other words and this boy says "cardiovascular disease." My Korean co-teacher is like: ... What kind of 6th grader knows these kinds of words?

4. The same boy who said "cardiovascular disease" says "Teacher, do you go to church? Why do you believe? I don't understand." Umm... you want me to talk about faith and theology with you right now? Lol.

Cafeteria Food in Korea

It's another happy day in the cafeteria because the menu is so new, fresh, and delicious.
And yes, those are star-shaped and heart-shaped rice cakes in the soup.

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
beef, pork, and eggs boiled in soy sauce (모듬장조림),
boiled cabbage seasoned with soybean paste (봄동된장무침),
radish kimchi (총각김치),
cherry tomatoes (방울토마토),
kimchi rice cake soup (김치떡국),
and corn rice (찰옥수수밥)

Cafeteria Food in Korea

Starting from this month, the cafeteria menu was arranged by the new nutrition teacher so look out for any changes. I already noticed a few: the food is cut into bigger pieces (a little more difficult to eat, especially for the Kindergarteners~3rd graders). We've never had rice cake galbi  before! We're dining well the first day of April.

Monday, April 1st, 2013 (clockwise from top left dish):
rounded rice cake galbi (가래떡갈비),
potatoes boiled in soy sauce based seasoning (꽈리고추감자조림),
kimchi,
orange slices,
Daegu city style fish stew (대구매운탕),
and brown rice (현미밥)