Most American young adults (we still qualify) live for Saturday nights. They've had Friday night to recover from their work week, they don't have to be anywhere too early Sunday morning - Saturday night is the night of freedom. All over the world, people look forward to spending Saturday nights out on the town - in one form or another - with at least one person they like, and if they're lucky, love. Some enjoy the movies, others romantic dinners, live music, coffee shops, dancing, dinner at friends houses, drinks, the ballet, a comedy show, window shopping, etc.
But we're a little different. We don't like the weekends much, as there are more people in the woods, at the crags and on the roads (and somehow they've forgotten how to drive in the snow since last week when it snowed).
Our Saturday was spent running some errands and then running one of our favorite trails. Brandon was disappointed that his adrenaline was only elevated slightly today by an encounter with a thorn bush. The testimony of his legs lead me to believe the bush won. Our Saturday evening has consisted of leftover BBQ ribs, eaten around 5pm - an appropriate geriatric hour. I'm certain I've killed a fair amount of time doing something. And Brandon, is sharpening things.
Brandon Sharpening Things
For the past hour and a half he has sat on the living room floor with a file and the crampons, making a noise akin to nails on a chalkboard and the wail of a dying baby bunny.
Brandon Almost Finished with his Front Point
This ladies and gentleman, is our standard, geriatric Saturday night. I can't tell you how much I love it!!
Brandon has to report a new age today. Yesterday we celebrated another year of his being around on this earth - and considering what we do for fun, for this we are grateful. For his birthday we engaged in his most recent favorite perilous activity - ice climbing.
Brandon Schooling Hidden Falls in RMNP
We were planning on checking out a new area of RMNP, however this choice would have required a 5:30am start. You see, as a young, financially frugal couple - we have not purchased a National Park pass. The wonderful National Park service, does not open the pay booth until a reasonable hour in the morning - meaning that if you are an early bird, with intention, you don't have to pay the entrance fee. Thank you American Government. Well, to be frank, a 5:30 start time seemed a bit overwhelming to the old man and his couch potato. We opted for the 9am wake up and Not So Hidden Falls.
Brandon Through the Delicate Section
The day was beautiful, clear and cold - perfect for ice climbing, uncomfortable for me. The wind was howling for the first half of the day, but we managed to stay warm enough. What we have struggled with is how to manage hand warmth while ice climbing. I have accepted the fact that I get the screaming barfies every time we go out. I figure its good practice for increasing pain tolerance. For a complete description of this phenomena see earlier post. We have tested a fair number of different glove choices, different liners, different weights, different materials, and neither of us have found THE Gloves.
Brandon and I made a trip to WalMart after a friend had suggested to him cheap acrylic liners and receiving gloves. The receiving gloves became slippery when wet - not gonna work when you are climbing a major pillar of slow moving water. The WalMart specials were simply not ok. I tried double layering them, then I just sucked it up. Today the barfies were different. The barfies brought me to my knees.
Brandon bought new ice axes for his birthday present (Black Diamond Fusions), and then he bought new pics for the new ice axes. This was his first day out and about to use them. He was excited about their performance and climbed well throughout the day.
We had a great time, enjoying the outdoors, the ice and each other. Until next time....
I am a terrible cyclist. It's really true. I lack some fundamental cerebellar function that makes riding a bicycle a natural thing to do. I learned how when I was young, I rode about throughout my youth - a little, but riding my bike has never been easy. I had a time where I was earthy and rode my bike to and from work, but even then I was first blind date awkward. It's just the reality. I drive around the Boulder area and watch pro cyclists, children and yes even old men gracefully cycle past. I am a far cry from graceful. And I've grown comfortable with this.
This state of awkward is compounded by the relatively recent edition of clip-less pedals to my spinning get up. I can understand why an athlete would want to be intimate with their equipment, feel one with the bike. I also recognize that cycling is much easier when attached, cutting the overall workload. But there is something all together awful about not being able to put my foot down when confronted with any sort of bicycle instability.
Getting Equipped and Fit to the Bicycle...I Love the Comfort of the Living Room
I can't get my feet into the things, resulting in my riding down the street, legs pushing the pedals over and over madly to get up enough momentum to fight my feet into the pedals. I coast along, swerving this way and that, pressing my poor shoes against their metal counterparts - "go into the hole, make that click sound, come on!" I will the two metal bits together. My momentum fades, and again I am left to awkwardly flail, feet out of the pedals. Fail.
I finally get the suckers matched and clicked, however this triumph is short lived. In the time it has taken me to clip in to my bike, I now realize I am barely moving, completely unstable and swerving in and out of the bike lane causing traffic diversions that could be better described as detours. Again, fail.
Now that I'm clipped into my bike, it should be easy right? Not so much, for the rest of the ride I am focused. From negotiating traffic, praying traffic lights will remain green and staying upright in the gravel, every cell in my being is deadpan set on staying alive. Sometimes I question whether it is adrenaline or hypoxia that is the greater cause of my increased heart rate.
Awkward, but Clipped in!!!
Brandon is a pro cyclist. And I'm not being hyperbolic. He spent last fall in practices with some of the elite cyclists and kept up with the big boys - without much training. When we go on our rider, he rides his fat tire bike (cross bike) so he doesn't get too bored, and I don't fall too far behind. I've gotten over the fundamental embarrassment.
Brandon Riding a Cross Race in the Fall
I appreciate his company when I ride. Not only will I have someone to bear witness to any spectacular demise, he tells me when there's a car coming, and what gear I am in. 2 details that I tend to lose track of as I fend for me life.
Despite all of the trials and tribulations of this sport, there is an element that I truly enjoy. The views of the flatirons are magnificent, the enjoyment of riding when everything does click is awesome, the time spent with Brandon - all of these things make it worth the while.
Brandon keeps telling me that I will get it, he encourages and supports. He has also says that he doesn't know what's more stressful - going out together, or when I go alone...not certain what he means by that.
If I decide to sign up for a triathlon, I best get my butt into gear and figure out how to clip in, negotiate traffic, and handle the two-wheeled monster (I call her Big Red). For now, I approach Big Red with respect and trepidation.
Travel is one of the greatest gifts. The opportunity to travel awakens something deep in oneself and simultaneously opens one's eyes and mind. Travel can open other less enjoyable parts of oneself as well, but this is a minor setback in comparison to what one gleans.
However there is a monster that lurks behind the corner of travel. Once one is safely home, feeling the comfort and familiarity of the American soil, this demon comes out and snatches away sanity. This beast is known to many as jet-lag.
Despite all of my traveling, I only recall experiencing jet-lag once, when I was very young, my mother took my sister and me to Germany. I recall awaking, starving, in the wee hours of the morn and unable to return to sleep. That's been my experience hencetofore with this notorious beast.
Wendy Helping Out Peter
Brandon and I have been entangled in an all out war with jet-lag. Nights laying awake until 6am, when finally sleep engulfs us and we awaken at....1pm. We're hungry at all the wrong times.
My father has told me it's because it takes a little while for our souls to catch up with us. You see, our souls just can't fly as quickly as the airplane. Well I'm about to start playing Peter Pan and look for Wendy to sew my soul to the soles of my feet.
Despite this drawback, we are getting along fine. The refrigerator is filled with food, we continue to seek gainful employment in our respective field of career ambition (which at times has been horrendously stressful) and we continue to play in our beautiful home.
We have been ice climbing four times since we've returned home....well thrice we have succeeded in our ambition. We spent a sleepless night climbing near Golden, CO. It was fun to be back on the ice, and Brandon was sated....albeit brief. You see, Brandon bought new ice axes, which were causing him to itch to get out and use them. The BD fusions have found a space in our apartment. This new addition increases his need to get out to the ice.
Last Friday we spent the afternoon and into the dark evening climbing at the very picked out Hidden Falls (NOT so hidden) in Rocky Mountain National Park. The ice was very brittle, causing the falls to fracture often. Fun to watch my spouse lead up the falls, as large chunks of ice rained down upon me. Brandon had a bad case of the 'One-more-sies' a phenomena all wives and mothers hate - why do we have to become the bad guy, the spoiler of good times? Its dark, we've been here for hours, I can no longer feel my appendages and my muscles ache....
Brandon Putting in the First Screw on Hidden Falls
We did have a go at dry tooling and mixed climbing, which I actually enjoy a lot more than Ice climbing (although it's more challenging - serious strength required).
Saturday we went on a reconnaissance mission into Dream Canyon outside of Boulder. Our hope was to find that ice had formed on the ever popular Boulder Falls. The Open Space Board closes Boulder Falls during the winter (somehow contradicting their namesake). Our plan was to approach the falls from above. Getting into the canyon was a scrambling challenge, but did not phase us. The thin ice creek on the other hand.....
Dream Canyon and the Thin Ice Creek
Brandon decided that all we needed was a big stick to determine whether or not the ice would hold. And he triumphantly marched up and down the banks of the river prodding through the snow to the ice. He only fell through half a dozen times. Call me timid, or effeminate, but I was less interested in getting wet.
Brandon and his Big Stick
As dusk fell, we retreated up the canyon, only to discover that we covered almost no ground at all on the canyon floor. I'm certain that the attempt will be repeated - or we'll just risk trespassing violations when the itch for new ice gets too great. Which will likely be soon....
As the man is addicted. We spent this morning climbing several different falls, but he is still wandering the apartment in his long johns, hooking his ice ax to shelves and complaining to me about how he "just wants to swing them....break things, make them shatter." He has set up a pull-up system on our little deck - that has seemed to distract him...briefly.
Yes another cooking blog. As it is a part of my daily routine (at least once a day), I find myself often cooking, or planning on what to cook, or buying food in order to cook it, or simply eating.
I have several recipes memorized – you know the ones, the weekly rotating few, and I prefer to cook from memory or make it up. I often find myself perusing the cooking book aisle at Borders for ideas that I then attempt to make faster and less expensively – sometimes to the detriment of flavor and edible nature. Oh well, sorry Brandon.
When I do use a recipe, I am often terrified. This is because if I use a recipe and it tastes terrible its all my fault. I can’t use an excuse like, “must have forgotten an ingredient” or “that didn’t work the way I expected,” a failed recipe is a personal affront on my literacy.
Thus brings me to my least favorite words in cooking: adjust the seasoning. Often I have just added a long list of spices I am not honestly all that familiar with and I’m supposed to somehow know how to adjust to taste? I struggle with adjusting salt and pepper – which has led me to often omit both and resolve to do it yourself seasoning adjustment.
Last evening I decided to attempt a Moroccan stew recipe my mother in law made for us while we were in Bend. I figured, stew, it must be pretty straightforward. Little did I know… I found myself day two on a three day process.
I did modify the list of spices a bit (hoping ground spices are equal in worth to the seeds, and hoping that saffron doesn’t add too much to a dish). As I added the spices to the pot, browning them alongside their friend’s onion and garlic, I added a heaping teaspoon of cayenne. Brandon immediately said, “something’s wrong, have you cooked with all these spices before, I feel funny.”
Yes, we are both sitting in our little apartment, throats itchy, eyes watering, an increased frequency in both cough and sneeze from the two of us. I turned back to the recipe, had I done something wrong?!?! No, recipe called for 2 heaping teaspoons cayenne, I halved it because I know Brandon is sensitive to spice. Next step. And then those dreaded words: adjust seasoning.
Well, let me tell you that the seasoning that the recipe originally called for is what exists in that stew pot, and is what is stewing. Perhaps I should lie out the sleuth of spices alongside the salt and pepper tomorrow for the ever popular do it yourself seasoning adjustment.
Now that we are back stateside, I feel a need to chronicle our final adventurous days. Beware: this is going to be a long one! I have broken it into sections, so scroll down to the section that may interest you specifically. There you have it: my caveat.
Our Reflection in City Art Along Anneliese's Street
THE CHALLENGES OF EATING CONTINUED...
I am happy to report that our GI systems reached a symbiotic relationship with the local microbes. The battle was won, but that being said, the war to find things to eat was an ongoing feud.
Eating Mussels
Food in Korea is fascinating! There is something to be assumed I am sure about a culture that has no distinction between what food is eaten at different meals - kimchi and noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also something to be said about a culture where ovens do not exist. Fry much?
Dumplings for Lunch!!!
I am happy to try just about anything, and throughout my world travels I have been hard pressed to find a culture where I don't like anything. Korea has impressed me, I can passionately report that Korean food does not settle well.
Historically I have found that eating street food is the best bet when traveling - it's fun, entertaining and often the best and cheapest food to be found. Korea is different. The street food is all fried and generally unappealing. I did try Hoddeuk, a fried dough filled with cinnamon sugar and rolled in nuts. Its tasty - but a ticking gut bomb. Brandon neglected to partake - probably a wise decision on his part.
Frying Hoddeuk
Poor Brandon spent the trip even more weary of food since his near death experience. He tends to eat the things he recognizes and that smell ok. Korean food does not smell ok. But we managed and subsisted on a balance between scouting out American food and timidly trying new things. Gorilla Burger - a decent joint downtown fulfilled his needs and this meal was perhaps the happiest he was. Its reasonable for American food - and the portions are HUGE! 2 burgers fed the 2 of us til we popped and was Anneliese 's dinner (we took the rest home). We also discovered decent pizza at Mr. Pizza. Interesting, Mr. Pizza's motto is "Made for Women" yet another idiosyncrasy that I don't entirely understand.
BBQ Burger at Gorilla Burger
But we also sought out the Korean and indulged in cultural experiences, for example Bondaegi. For your entertainment....the tasting of Bondaegi - fried silk worm larvae. They are crunchy and salty and have the unfortunate tendency to get stuck between your teeth. yummy.
NO PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED: The Trip to the Jimjilbong (Korean Bathhouse)
Anneliese and I spent a morning in the jimjilbong, or Korean bathhouse. It was an incredible experience - one that I would recommend to anyone who visits Korea. When you enter the bathhouse you are given a pair of big shorts and a big t-shirt. You promptly remove your shoes - then all of your clothing.
There are 2 parts of the bathhouse - downstairs is a gender separated shower room. Here women come to get as clean as humanly possible. Well as clean as you can be without any sterilization processes (I chose not to think too much about it). There are tubs of water of varying temperatures (freezing to HOT), showers you stand under, showers you sit in front of, basins for splashing water, removable shower heads to get all those hard to get places.
The entire place is filled with naked women trying to get clean - scrubbing. You can also pay to have a professional scrub down. I neglected to do this, something about a middle-aged Korean woman in hot pink lacy panties scrubbing my skin from my body in the name of vain beauty wasn't too motivating - call me bashful. Anneliese, and her co-workers swear by this treatment, stating that their skin was so smooth in the end. Personally - not interested.
It was very cool to see women of all ages together, scrubbing. Little girls, teenage girls, middle aged women, elderly women. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, old friends, young friends, and then the two Americans. The two Americans not scrubbing.
The upstairs is a series of saunas. Varying again in temperature from cool (the 'ice' room) to HOT (68C or 154F). There is a pine room, herb room, clay room, salt room, and in all of them you nap. Its a culture of sleeping. That being said, there are also separate male and female bedrooms (dark with padded floors) and the jimjilbong is open 24 hours a day. If I was younger, singler, and traveling - this is where I would sleep at night. There are several restaurants near the nap rooms and it is the safest place in the city (they strip you to your naked self and give you pj's for the night).
GATBAWI
We did do some "cultural" excursions while in Daegu, one of the highlights was a trek up to Gatbawi. Gatbawi is a large Buddha carved from granite on top of a mountain. Its a serious uphill walk to reach the thousand plus stairs to reach the summit. The number of stairs is undetermined - local lore says there are 1700. The number chalked onto some of the steps is roughly 1300. We didn't bother counting.
The start of the steps
This temple has quite the draw as it is believed that this Buddha hears and answers at least one prayer a day. We were the only foreign people on the hike, and were rewardedby wonderful prayer at the top.
Buddha peaking from behind the rocks
Getting to the temple is an easy bus ride from downtown area. Its the best as it will pick you up at the subway station by a large bridge with an odd sculpture (hard to miss), and Gatbawi is the last stop on the route. It's hard to mess this one up, even when you can't read or speak the language.
That is our trip in highlighted summary. We are now back in Broomfield, facing the realities that are this life. I already want to get back on an airplane, I've heard Bangladesh is beautiful this time of year. Brandon is happy to be ice climbing again. We are both grateful for an oven.
Just wanted to post a few things regarding our trip to South Korea. We have been here now for 5 days, so here are 5 things that we have found to appreciate about this foreign land....
1. ANNELIESE!!! She's beautiful and impressive here in her new home! We have been starting our days with a ritualistic hot chocolate at her favorite coffee shop, Angel in Us - a Korean chain. Today the barista (is it barister if it is a man?) gave her a free pastry, which embarrassed her in a cute sort of way :)
Isn't She Just the Best?!?
2. Brandon Swinging on South Korean Swings. I still am laughing from this!!! Brandon and I wandered looking for a climbing wall that is open for bouldering in the Beomeo park close to Anneliese's apartment. While searching for the climbing wall we came across a playground. Here are the choice antics from our play time.
3. The before and after shots at the local market. Corey, Anneliese's good friend here tried to tell us that they sell the little dogs for pets in the cages. It could be possible...anything is possible. But these dogs are in the cages next to the chickens they behead for you to take home for dinner. And its hard to believe such things when the stall across the way is selling dog carcass. But it's possible....anything is possible.
On a side note, when I took these photos I was yelled at by an angry Korean women with a large knife....the only time I wasn't given a big smile and a peace sign when taking a photo so far in Korea. My thoughts - if you're going to eat dogs, that's fine, but embrace it don't hide it!
4. The homogeneous nature of this culture is amazing. Daegu is a city of 2.6 million people and we are stared at everywhere we go. People cross the street in order to say hello to us. It's a challenge for those who long to be a wallflower, or simply fit in. On a positive note, at least we look cool in our puffy coats and jeans. Brandon is upset that he left his mountaineering pants at home, if he had those, he could just blend....
Find the Whitey!!!
5. There is something awesome about the climbing community.... no matter where you go in the world, there are climbers. It is in some way soothing to know you will always have a subculture, a community no matter where you are. In Daegu, we haven't met any climbers, but we know they're out there. Here is a wall we spent the sunny afternoon enjoying.
Outdoor Climbing Wall at Bomeo Park
Brandon trained and practiced figure 4 moves in anticipation of his mixed climbing when we return stateside. I learned how to do such a thing - although my climbing escapades will probably never result in needing such a thing.
Learning the Figure 4 Move
We continue to have a grand adventure and enjoy our time with "tee-cha" Anneliese.
Brandon is specific about what he eats. Some people would call this quality picky - I like to think that he just knows what he likes. However, this can make foreign travel a challenge. This is not helped by the fact that Brandon has a knack for picking the worst thing on the menu - regardless of where in the world we are.
So, here we are in Korea, a place where they call silk worm larva, fermented cabbage and fish stock soup common everyday foods, with dog and live octopus as the delicacies. Anneliese has informed me on the importance of adequately chewing the live octopus before swallowing, as there have been deaths reported from suction cups of still living octopus sticking to the back of the throat. Frankly, its weird.
Kimchi (pic stolen from the Internet)
Brandon just wants McDonalds, but he's quite the trooper. Yesterday we started the day with stuffed doughnuts - stuffed with sweet potato and ham, rice, red beans, vegetable/mystery meat medley. An error in our ways. Not only profound gut bombs that sat in our stomachs like ticking grenades, they are currently under suspicion as the most likely cause of the runs.
By dinner, my poor husband was desperately seeking something substantive, but basic. Fried rice seemed like a reasonable bet. Until it came with a healthy seasoning of roe. Actually Brandon doesn't mind roe, but at this point his stomach had declared enough and had gone to war against microbial friends with a mass exodus...of sorts.
Bondaegi (Silk Worm Larva)
Honestly, the food here is harsh. Anneliese and I went to the market and found delightful things....crispy fish carcasses, spam gift packs, a variety of mushrooms that would make fungi lovers swoon....but when searching for something familiar and simple, Korea is not where I would recommend looking to first. It's a fun adventure, one that may cause the emaciation of Brandon over the next week, but will push both of us to new food levels before unfathomed.
Beef stomach at the market
Today our meals have consisted of a delicious soup made by Anneliese using beef shavings (don't think about it too much) and veggies and fungi from the local supermarket. Stir fried and accompanied by mystery sauces. It was actually delicious. Brandon's meal has consisted of Gatorade. He says even that tastes different.
Brandon and I departed for South Korea on Tuesday to visit my sister, Anneliese who is here teaching english for a year. After spending an incredible week with family in Bend, we boarded a plane for Portland at 4pm (PST), flew to PDX, and arrived in DIA at 9pm (MST). We moseyed about the airport until 11pm when we found a quiet dark corner, and a delux memory foam mattress (the standing mat behind the check in counter) and put on every layer of clothing we had for warmth. You see, sleeping by the window of Denver when its -13 degrees outside is chilly.
After an uncomfortable night with little sleep we returned our mattress to the check-in counter and boarded a plane at 6am (MST) to SFO, a little breakfast in lovely green San Fran and finally we boarded our 11.5 hour flight to Seoul, South Korea. Where we arrived at 4:30pm on Thursday (17 hours ahead of MST). We then boarded a bus for 5 hours that took us to Daegu where Anneliese is living.
Our circadian rhythms have declared mutiny.
Aside from the traveling, it was so wonderful to see Anneliese waiting at the bus station! She looks great and is impressively managing living in this strange place. Its a different world here, I still can't remember how to say hello or thank you or two tickets (fundamental sayings I like to master before entering any community). There is English in some areas, but in the less touristy sections of city or country - good luck. Anneliese is maneuvering the city like a professional, and has made great friends. Which is wonderful to see.
Daegu - On the street where Anneliese lives
The first thing that we have noticed about South Korea is the fashion. Believe it or not, we are fashionable! This is not because we suddenly gained a keen sense of anything - this is because Koreans dress in mountain expedition garb (sometimes with hiking poles) to stroll the city streets. None of these people actually hike or mountaineer, its expensive, therefore cool. We were hopeful (the first woman to climb each continent's highest peak was from South Korea), but in reality it all comes back to he who spends the most money, is most fashionable. Walking out of my sisters apartment we come across every US and European brand outlet - and its all more expensive than in the States. My personal favorite is the Ugg boots, black tights, short shorts and expedition jacket on top of a tight sweater - ready for the clubs! Fascinating.
Korean Fashion - note the advertising campaign
We have also noticed the smog. We went for a hike to Soekguram Grotto, a temple in the mountains of Gyeongju a little ways outside of Daegu. This area is beautiful, with mountains surrounding - unfortunately you can't see very far because of the smog. It's like LA in the summer time. Anneliese was telling us that it gets worse particularly in the spring when the yellow dust stirred up from Mongolia and added to by the pollution of China and dumped onto Korea. The mask is an essential commodity - and you can get them scented, patterned, and in any fabric, color, style you can imagine.
Smog above Daegu
The Buddha in the Grotto was very impressive. It was made an World Heritage Sight in 1995 and is worthy of such honor. Its an impressive granite Buddha inside of a cave. Anneliese felt it to be a deeply spiritual in this place and compares the idole to Michaelangelo's David.
