This weekend, my friends and I planned our own cultural trip to Gwangju. First, Nari, her sister (Yuri), Joanne, and I ate Indian/Nepalese food at First Nepal. That restaurant serves the most flavorful curries, vindaloos, and paneer butter masalas, which we always order with basmati rice and garlic nan. The owner is very friendly and recognizes me every time. I can't help but imagine what it would be like to teach English in India or Nepal and eat that sort of food every day. One one hand, my palette would be swimming in wonderful spices; on the other hand, my stomach and digestive system would regularly curdle in on itself. What a dilemma.
We took a trip to the Gwangju National Museum and met Shirley there. The exhibits weren't exceptional, but it felt good to explore more of Gwangju than the shopping area for once. Here are some old relics that we saw:
 |
| Coffins made pottery. Adult + baby size |
 |
| Printmaking: I think this was carved into a slab of wood |
 |
| Colors for painting were made from minerals and glue sticks |
 |
| Placenta jars of Crown Prince Muhno |
We nearly suffocated in the warmth and humidity. The sun shows no mercy these days. The museum preemptively provided large umbrellas for the walk between the main entrance and the museum.
 |
| Nari + Yuri |
 |
| Shirley + Joanne |
 |
| Mok + Po |
|
In front of the Gwangju National Museum
 |
| We split a patbingsu (팥빙수): ice-cream, cereal, almond flakes, & mochi over shaved ice |
We returned to the downtown area after the museum and indulged in some shopping -- well, some of us did. Joanne and I refrained from buying anything because we know we'll have to carry it home soon in suitcases that are already overweight. But a little window shopping never hurt.
For dinner, we ate at a popular restaurant for foreigners called "Tequilaz." It's a pretty good Mexican restaurant (for Korea) near the bar district of downtown Gwangju. Shirley and I shared a bean burrito and a Mexican pizza with chicken. The bean burrito is made with refried beans and decently sized. The Mexican pizza is cooked on a thin, crispy crust and topped with guacamole. Definitely a good item to share with a friend or two. Can't wait to go home and eat more of the same, but better!
 |
The bartender makes the best Bloody Mary's
I'm sold on the hot sauce, dill pickles & Spanish olives |
 |
| Bean burrito + Mexican pizza ... Deliciosos! |
 |
| Ready to dig in |
------------------------------------------------
MEANWHILE ... as the brilliant yellow flowers start to wilt away, these yellow and maroon flowers have begun to bloom. Here are some photos taken from my daily walk to school:
No comments:
Post a Comment