Apparently the beloved quiz show, Blockbusters, is coming back to the UK--there was a casting notice posted without much comment.
I know what you're thinking--why do you care so much about a show that's coming back to the UK? Well, it was originally an American game show with a rockin' theme song, but it didn't quite have the charm of the UK show. And I've been watching some of the episodes of the UK version on YouTube, and I'm hooked. Take a look:
It's a really innovative format--and the board never allows for a tie. Not to mention the host, Bob Holness, is fantastic--you can tell he's really enjoying himself, and he has great rapport with the rather awkward kids on his show. I think it could work if it comes back to the States, but a bit like the original UK run...don't you think?
(OK, so we can't replicate the awesomeness of this theme music, but...)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
ICT: Battle Sweetfish: Michiba vs. Hanato
BATTLE DATA FILE
Japan Original Airdate: 6/10/94
Episode: 32
The Challenger: Katsumi Hanato, who began his apprenticeship at the age of 15. He is now under the wing of the infamous Toshiro Kandagawa, who defeated Iron Chef Chen Kenichi some four months earlier. Having practiced with over 40 different theme ingredients, he believes that defeating an Iron Chef is the top diploma as a professional. He wants to take down the mightiest Iron Chef of them all.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Japanese I, Rokusaburo Michiba, arguably the mightiest of them all. So far in this timeline, he's had two impressive wins...can he make it three in a row?
The Battle:
TV host Keiko Kohno joins Fukui and Hattori in the broadcast box for this match, making her first appearance.
Kaga is quite peeved by the fact that Toshiro Kandagawa "barged into my Stadium," as he puts it, after his minions defeated his Iron Chefs before, then marched into the Stadium himself anyway and blew Chen Kenichi out of the water--even after he vowed he would only do so if his men lost.
Kandagawa's designated hit man this time, Katsumi Hanato, desperately wants to take on Iron Chef Michiba--he's been preparing for this battle with over 40 possible different theme ingredients in rehearsal battles. Kaga speculates whether this is Kandagawa's plan to take down Michiba himself...
It's pretty obvious that they're using an applause track here, as the challenger's Royal Box is completely empty and applause can be heard. But no matter, Chairman Kaga enters...with a rather nasty scowl, might I add.
TV host Keiko Kohno joins Fukui and Hattori in the broadcast box for this match, making her first appearance.
Kaga is quite peeved by the fact that Toshiro Kandagawa "barged into my Stadium," as he puts it, after his minions defeated his Iron Chefs before, then marched into the Stadium himself anyway and blew Chen Kenichi out of the water--even after he vowed he would only do so if his men lost.
Kandagawa's designated hit man this time, Katsumi Hanato, desperately wants to take on Iron Chef Michiba--he's been preparing for this battle with over 40 possible different theme ingredients in rehearsal battles. Kaga speculates whether this is Kandagawa's plan to take down Michiba himself...
It's pretty obvious that they're using an applause track here, as the challenger's Royal Box is completely empty and applause can be heard. But no matter, Chairman Kaga enters...with a rather nasty scowl, might I add.
Kandagawa's right-hand man is led in by the man himself, a contingent of followers tailing him in.
"Each time you march in, the troops have grown," Kaga remarks.
"You look like you've been eating well, you look healthy!" Kandagawa replies. "You've got a glow." Whatever that means. Kaga definitely doesn't look pleased.
Nevertheless, he calls upon his Iron Chefs, and as if it's any surprise as to whom Hanato will choose..."MICHIBA! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" he shouts. (I wonder if this was the battle to which Michiba was referring when he said he told the guy "Look, when a chef asks you to be impolite, it's OK to refuse...")
"I hear that the challenger prepared for this occasion for over 6 months. I wonder how effective this strategy was," Kaga says. "I'd like to tell his fortune as a chef with a particular fish. Its Chinese character can read 'a fish of prophecy.' Yes, that fish. It's in season right now."
Well, Kaga, what is it? You've lost the American viewers on this one...nevertheless, it's SWEETFISH...and Hanato looks very pleased. Michiba...well, we can never get a read on him.
And remember with sweetfish, heed the words of Rosanjin Kitaoji: "To enjoy sweetfish, go for the innards."
6 months of preparation may pay off in a matter of seconds when Kaga calls out the familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
Sweetfish, or ayu in Japanese, is similar to trout, according to Fukui's notes. Hattori says the ones they have today are half-and-half--half raised in fish farms, then released into the wild.
Michiba has innards, or uruka, written out on his menu, and a pot of kelp broth boiling away. Hanato, meanwhile, has some smaller anchovy-like fish in a pot...and it looks like Michiba has five...no, six items on his menu.
Hanato is breaking down some pumpkins as Ohta reports that he's working on five items. Michiba pours some soy sauce in a pot full of ayu, and just like that, 15 minutes are gone...Hanato is extracting the innards, which Hattori said is the key to sweetfish, so it's very important not to damage them. And Fukui supposes Hanato's being a bit of a general with his assistants...
Michiba, meanwhile, is frying some fish heads, and simmering and stewing some innards. Fukui has no idea where he's going with that, and Hanato's clean slice through the back of a fish gets an instant replay. Keeping the natural shape of the fish, apparently, is a matter of pride with Japanese chefs.
Michiba's pouring some beaten egg into the pot where the uruka (innards) are, and he looks like he's added some leeks to that. There's a lot of repeated commentary from Hattori regarding the innards being the best part of the fish...thank you, Captain Obvious! -_-
35% of the fish, according to Hattori, has to be thrown away. But Hanato will have none of that, as he's skewering whole fish through the right eye. Rule of thumb is that the fish must be facing the left side, if it's a river fish...Japanese cuisine philosophy and all that jazz. Hanato's salting that for the grill, and a thick layer is going onto the fins and tail (to prevent charring and to preserve shape).
Michiba is chopping the fried fish heads, and scooping out some rice...Fukui speculates that he'll combine the two in some way. Meanwhile, Hanato is slicing some fillets but not all the way through the skin (plowing through that, we might add). Hattori supposes some egg might go over the top of that...and we're already halfway through!
Michiba has somen noodles out on his side (one of his items on the menu), while Ohta gets an interview with Kandagawa. Of course, the big man thinks Hanato will win, giving him some brusque encouragement. Michiba's dipping the end of the noodles in hot water, gluing that part together. Then he boils the whole bundle (which will be stuck together), which can later be pulled apart.
Hanato has corn starch in a pot, while Michiba has the "stubborn rice" on his side (that's with the fish heads mixed in, while Hanato has his skewered fish going under the salamander oven, left side up.
One of Hanato's assistants has mixed egg yolks with...something sweetfish and wrapped it in plastic. Meantime, Michiba is making what appears to be onigiri (rice balls) with his stubborn rice...Hanato is pulling the skin off the fish fillets, and a sushi roller on his board.
20 minutes left, and Michiba is doing some deep frying of fish skins (harako, Michiba says--fish roe, so everyone's wrong.) Hanato, meanwhile, is boiling the eggs wrapped in plastic, but we still don't know where he's going with that. He's making kimi-zushi as well, which is essentially sushi but with vinegared egg yolk instead of rice. Kandagawa's now spying on Michiba! And all he has to say about that: "Interesting."
Michiba's stewed ayu is done, and he's pouring that out into a small pan. It's the only one of his that has the whole fish involved...
15 minutes left now, and Hanato has tofu paste along with some small pieces of ayu (camera's straining to get that in focus), and his steamer is open, but we have no clue as to where he's going with things. Sounds like an hors d'oeuvre, says Hattori. And Michiba's rice balls are under the salamander!
Speaking of which, they're applying a miso paste over Hanato's grilled fish. Hanato himself is beginning to pick up the pace a little bit--Kandagawa, usually the loudmouth in the Stadium, is oddly relegated to kind mediator between Hanato and his assistants!
5 minutes left, and Michiba's taken out his egg yolks with sweetfish.
"Hey, what do you guys think you're doing?!" Hanato shouts at his assistants. He's sounding just a *little* cross here...
The egg yolks wrapped in broth (and plastic) are in bowls, possibly a soup. Michiba has uni and prawns on his side, and as Kohno wonders where the fish is, Fukui jokes, "Don't worry, it'll be swimming along shortly."
Meantime, on the other side, the fish has swam along in Hanato's soup, boiled and situated right on top of the egg mixture. And with three minutes left, Michiba's harako goes next to the uni and prawns.
Hanato has a very artistic presentation as he fogs up the camera with the soup, while Michiba adds grated daikon to his stewed fish.
Hanato can still heard over the rabble of the battle, while Michiba is garnishing one of his dishes with a water pepper leaf or two--that goes on top of the grated daikon he just plated.
1 minute to go, and Michiba is still slicing into some fish...Hattori notes that the challenger has been more orthodox, while Michiba has been sticking to his guns and being more adventurous, something that will work heavily in his favor in the long run. But Hanato could still very well pull it out in the end, you never know around here...
Michiba enters hurry-up-offense mode while Hanato puts the finishing touches on his dishes as the clock runs out...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Ayu Battle is OVAH!"
Hanato expresses that, despite preparing for this for a long time, it was a lot shorter than he thought it would be. Michiba rates his performance today on a 93/100, although I thought I heard him say "kyu-jyu-hachi" underneath the dub...that would be 98!
Challenger Hanato's four dishes:
--Sweetfish Hors d'oeuvre
--Sweetfish on Egg Tofu
--Sweetfish, Five Styles
--Miso-flavored Grilled Sweetfish
Iron Chef Michiba's six dishes:
--Stewed Sweetfish Innards
--Chilled Sweetfish Sashimi
--Sweetfish Noodles
--Poached Sweetfish
--Fried Sweetfish Roe
--Sweetfish Rice Ball (his "stubborn rice")
On the panel today for the Sweetfish Battle are:
--Copy writer, Shigesato Itoi (yes, he of Earthbound fame)
--TV talent, Keiko Kohno
--Rosanjin Scholar, Masaaki Hirano
Challenger, as usual, is up first...Hanato serves his hors d'oeuvre to open.
"I didn't know what the theme was, so I had several ideas in mind. Had to pick one pattern to match the ingredient."
Itoi thinks it's very clever, but he questions whether he needed the uni. Hirano says it could've been for visual effect, but it wasn't the best move.
Kohno really likes the soup. Itoi was surprised by the dried sardines Hanato used for the broth, saying it created a really powerful aroma. Combining two strong elements really paid off, it appears. A pleasant surprise, he says.
Hirano doesn't like the strong vinegar in the five-ways ayu. But Kohno likes the one-bite size of each of the preparations. Itoi thinks the sushi was overpowering in flavor.
And the grilled fish--Itoi thinks Hanato's idea was to conquer the sweetfish by overpowering it. A little tough for him to swallow, he says.
Well, mind over matter for now, as Michiba now faces the panel.
"It's a popular ingredient in summer, so we have a lot of recipes to choose from. Deciding on which one to use was the key to this battle."
Hirano thinks the identity of the sweetfish is in Michiba's opening course of innards. Itoi was proved wrong by the egg flavor...
...and he likes the match with plum in the next, but says it was almost too sweet for him because of the last dish.
The noodles are generally well-received...Itoi really likes the skin of the fish in that dish.
Kohno doesn't want to ruin the picture of the whole fish...but we don't get any comments on taste! (I think we're in hurry-up-offense mode ourselves, as we jump straight to the uni and prawn salad...and Itoi.)
Itoi thinks that dish is a very compelling story, knowing which order to serve the ingredients. Kohno was put off by the greasiness at first, but later relented when she tried everything else.
And Itoi likes Michiba's rice ball as well, although Hirano thinks it's a little too much for him to handle. Almost too perfect, too manipulative, he says. (He's been rather quiet today, oddly enough...)
But now, it is time to know...victory as sweet the fish, defeat as bitter as the innards. Who takes it? Is it the Iron Chef or Kandagawa's designated hit man? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?!
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!"
And Kandagawa isn't happy about this one...even though Hanato shakes hands with Michiba, Kandagawa stays right where he is! I think this means war...
Sweetfish, or ayu in Japanese, is similar to trout, according to Fukui's notes. Hattori says the ones they have today are half-and-half--half raised in fish farms, then released into the wild.
Michiba has innards, or uruka, written out on his menu, and a pot of kelp broth boiling away. Hanato, meanwhile, has some smaller anchovy-like fish in a pot...and it looks like Michiba has five...no, six items on his menu.
Hanato is breaking down some pumpkins as Ohta reports that he's working on five items. Michiba pours some soy sauce in a pot full of ayu, and just like that, 15 minutes are gone...Hanato is extracting the innards, which Hattori said is the key to sweetfish, so it's very important not to damage them. And Fukui supposes Hanato's being a bit of a general with his assistants...
Michiba, meanwhile, is frying some fish heads, and simmering and stewing some innards. Fukui has no idea where he's going with that, and Hanato's clean slice through the back of a fish gets an instant replay. Keeping the natural shape of the fish, apparently, is a matter of pride with Japanese chefs.
Michiba's pouring some beaten egg into the pot where the uruka (innards) are, and he looks like he's added some leeks to that. There's a lot of repeated commentary from Hattori regarding the innards being the best part of the fish...thank you, Captain Obvious! -_-
35% of the fish, according to Hattori, has to be thrown away. But Hanato will have none of that, as he's skewering whole fish through the right eye. Rule of thumb is that the fish must be facing the left side, if it's a river fish...Japanese cuisine philosophy and all that jazz. Hanato's salting that for the grill, and a thick layer is going onto the fins and tail (to prevent charring and to preserve shape).
Michiba is chopping the fried fish heads, and scooping out some rice...Fukui speculates that he'll combine the two in some way. Meanwhile, Hanato is slicing some fillets but not all the way through the skin (plowing through that, we might add). Hattori supposes some egg might go over the top of that...and we're already halfway through!
Michiba has somen noodles out on his side (one of his items on the menu), while Ohta gets an interview with Kandagawa. Of course, the big man thinks Hanato will win, giving him some brusque encouragement. Michiba's dipping the end of the noodles in hot water, gluing that part together. Then he boils the whole bundle (which will be stuck together), which can later be pulled apart.
Hanato has corn starch in a pot, while Michiba has the "stubborn rice" on his side (that's with the fish heads mixed in, while Hanato has his skewered fish going under the salamander oven, left side up.
One of Hanato's assistants has mixed egg yolks with...something sweetfish and wrapped it in plastic. Meantime, Michiba is making what appears to be onigiri (rice balls) with his stubborn rice...Hanato is pulling the skin off the fish fillets, and a sushi roller on his board.
20 minutes left, and Michiba is doing some deep frying of fish skins (harako, Michiba says--fish roe, so everyone's wrong.) Hanato, meanwhile, is boiling the eggs wrapped in plastic, but we still don't know where he's going with that. He's making kimi-zushi as well, which is essentially sushi but with vinegared egg yolk instead of rice. Kandagawa's now spying on Michiba! And all he has to say about that: "Interesting."
Michiba's stewed ayu is done, and he's pouring that out into a small pan. It's the only one of his that has the whole fish involved...
15 minutes left now, and Hanato has tofu paste along with some small pieces of ayu (camera's straining to get that in focus), and his steamer is open, but we have no clue as to where he's going with things. Sounds like an hors d'oeuvre, says Hattori. And Michiba's rice balls are under the salamander!
Speaking of which, they're applying a miso paste over Hanato's grilled fish. Hanato himself is beginning to pick up the pace a little bit--Kandagawa, usually the loudmouth in the Stadium, is oddly relegated to kind mediator between Hanato and his assistants!
5 minutes left, and Michiba's taken out his egg yolks with sweetfish.
"Hey, what do you guys think you're doing?!" Hanato shouts at his assistants. He's sounding just a *little* cross here...
The egg yolks wrapped in broth (and plastic) are in bowls, possibly a soup. Michiba has uni and prawns on his side, and as Kohno wonders where the fish is, Fukui jokes, "Don't worry, it'll be swimming along shortly."
Meantime, on the other side, the fish has swam along in Hanato's soup, boiled and situated right on top of the egg mixture. And with three minutes left, Michiba's harako goes next to the uni and prawns.
Hanato has a very artistic presentation as he fogs up the camera with the soup, while Michiba adds grated daikon to his stewed fish.
Hanato can still heard over the rabble of the battle, while Michiba is garnishing one of his dishes with a water pepper leaf or two--that goes on top of the grated daikon he just plated.
1 minute to go, and Michiba is still slicing into some fish...Hattori notes that the challenger has been more orthodox, while Michiba has been sticking to his guns and being more adventurous, something that will work heavily in his favor in the long run. But Hanato could still very well pull it out in the end, you never know around here...
Michiba enters hurry-up-offense mode while Hanato puts the finishing touches on his dishes as the clock runs out...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Ayu Battle is OVAH!"
Hanato expresses that, despite preparing for this for a long time, it was a lot shorter than he thought it would be. Michiba rates his performance today on a 93/100, although I thought I heard him say "kyu-jyu-hachi" underneath the dub...that would be 98!
Challenger Hanato's four dishes:
--Sweetfish Hors d'oeuvre
--Sweetfish on Egg Tofu
--Sweetfish, Five Styles
--Miso-flavored Grilled Sweetfish
Iron Chef Michiba's six dishes:
--Stewed Sweetfish Innards
--Chilled Sweetfish Sashimi
--Sweetfish Noodles
--Poached Sweetfish
--Fried Sweetfish Roe
--Sweetfish Rice Ball (his "stubborn rice")
On the panel today for the Sweetfish Battle are:
--Copy writer, Shigesato Itoi (yes, he of Earthbound fame)
--TV talent, Keiko Kohno
--Rosanjin Scholar, Masaaki Hirano
Challenger, as usual, is up first...Hanato serves his hors d'oeuvre to open.
"I didn't know what the theme was, so I had several ideas in mind. Had to pick one pattern to match the ingredient."
Itoi thinks it's very clever, but he questions whether he needed the uni. Hirano says it could've been for visual effect, but it wasn't the best move.
Kohno really likes the soup. Itoi was surprised by the dried sardines Hanato used for the broth, saying it created a really powerful aroma. Combining two strong elements really paid off, it appears. A pleasant surprise, he says.
Hirano doesn't like the strong vinegar in the five-ways ayu. But Kohno likes the one-bite size of each of the preparations. Itoi thinks the sushi was overpowering in flavor.
And the grilled fish--Itoi thinks Hanato's idea was to conquer the sweetfish by overpowering it. A little tough for him to swallow, he says.
Well, mind over matter for now, as Michiba now faces the panel.
"It's a popular ingredient in summer, so we have a lot of recipes to choose from. Deciding on which one to use was the key to this battle."
Hirano thinks the identity of the sweetfish is in Michiba's opening course of innards. Itoi was proved wrong by the egg flavor...
...and he likes the match with plum in the next, but says it was almost too sweet for him because of the last dish.
The noodles are generally well-received...Itoi really likes the skin of the fish in that dish.
Kohno doesn't want to ruin the picture of the whole fish...but we don't get any comments on taste! (I think we're in hurry-up-offense mode ourselves, as we jump straight to the uni and prawn salad...and Itoi.)
Itoi thinks that dish is a very compelling story, knowing which order to serve the ingredients. Kohno was put off by the greasiness at first, but later relented when she tried everything else.
And Itoi likes Michiba's rice ball as well, although Hirano thinks it's a little too much for him to handle. Almost too perfect, too manipulative, he says. (He's been rather quiet today, oddly enough...)
But now, it is time to know...victory as sweet the fish, defeat as bitter as the innards. Who takes it? Is it the Iron Chef or Kandagawa's designated hit man? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?!
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!"
And Kandagawa isn't happy about this one...even though Hanato shakes hands with Michiba, Kandagawa stays right where he is! I think this means war...
My take: Usually, if Michiba's involved, it's bad news for the challenger. While this proved no different today, I think Hanato could've given Michiba a run for his money...but if he were a little more adventurous in his approach. Then again, maybe because he's trying to uphold the tradition that Kandagawa does...maybe they were all screwed from the start.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Those Little Nights When You Can't Sleep
I'm writing this partially because I was up until 3:20 am last night on duty (hey, they never said this job was easy), but also because I've had quite a lot on my mind that's preventing me from sleeping.
Just the other day, my resident faculty member runs into me just outside the dorm and says, "You look like you're a zombie!" It didn't feel like it, but according to him, I had the tired-looking eyes and the sleepwalking shuffle. Despite that, I played it off like it was nothing.
How I have the energy I do some days (all without drinking coffee or any form of caffeine) amazes me.
Aside from the fact that I had four incidents to report last night while I was on duty (which is what kept me up at night) and that I have a throbbing headache (no doubt due to lack of sleep), there's just a few thoughts that I can't really articulate. Whatever they are, though, they're keeping me awake. Anxiety? You bet. And it sucks.
I've always presented myself well, or I'd like to think so. There are times when I get unnecessarily nervous (though I'd like to believe you'd never know it), and I completely lock up. And then I can't spit out what I want to say. Which in turn means I can't talk about what I really want to talk about.
You might be thinking, "well, jeez, it's not THAT hard..." When you get embarrassed easily, it's tough to talk about. Which is exactly why I'm beating around the bush and such and not really saying much about it.
It's the Internet, after all. Anyone can see this.
Just the other day, my resident faculty member runs into me just outside the dorm and says, "You look like you're a zombie!" It didn't feel like it, but according to him, I had the tired-looking eyes and the sleepwalking shuffle. Despite that, I played it off like it was nothing.
How I have the energy I do some days (all without drinking coffee or any form of caffeine) amazes me.
Aside from the fact that I had four incidents to report last night while I was on duty (which is what kept me up at night) and that I have a throbbing headache (no doubt due to lack of sleep), there's just a few thoughts that I can't really articulate. Whatever they are, though, they're keeping me awake. Anxiety? You bet. And it sucks.
I've always presented myself well, or I'd like to think so. There are times when I get unnecessarily nervous (though I'd like to believe you'd never know it), and I completely lock up. And then I can't spit out what I want to say. Which in turn means I can't talk about what I really want to talk about.
You might be thinking, "well, jeez, it's not THAT hard..." When you get embarrassed easily, it's tough to talk about. Which is exactly why I'm beating around the bush and such and not really saying much about it.
It's the Internet, after all. Anyone can see this.
Monday, August 22, 2011
ICT: Battle Natto: Michiba vs. Ishikawa
BATTLE DATA FILE
Japan Original Airdate: 6/3/94
Episode: 31
The challenger: Kuniyuki Ishikawa, certified Maestro of the Japanese Cuisine Seminar Group, an organization with over 20,000 members. Established in 1930, the group was founded to preserve such intangible treasures as knife skills passed on by legendary chefs. He believes chefs must stay behind the scenes, whereas Michiba rides into the limelight.
The Iron Chef: another certified Maestro and the leader of the organization, Iron Chef Japanese I, Rokusaburo Michiba. Last time he put the kibosh on commentator Yukio Hattori (and did he ever), but can he turn back another one of his colleagues as well?
The Battle:
First-timer, actress Ritsuko Tanaka joins Fukui and Hattori in the broadcast box today.
Kaga has always been interested in the Japanese Cuisine Seminar Group, and says that the challenger, if Kaga had met him first, might've been the Iron Chef Japanese instead of Michiba. Hmm, interesting. Nevertheless, the Maestro marches into Kitchen Stadium, clad in traditional attire.
"If Michiba is the sun, you may be the moon," Kaga says to Ishikawa as he greets him at kitchen level. And after some more flowery language, he summons the Iron Chefs, and as if it's any surprise as to whom Ishikawa will challenge...indeed, Michiba is the marked man today!
"Today's battle is between two men of incredible caliber. I don't want to pull any cheap tricks to spoil the occasion," Kaga begins. "They will fight it out without giving up. Yes, persistence. Ah, could be 'sticky.' Japanese cuisine...sticky...yes, that's it."
And as Kaga leaves the American viewers scratching their heads, he rips the veil off the ingredient stand and reveals--of course! NATTO! And did I see Michiba crack a smile for once?
For those of you wondering...what the heck is natto, anyway? It's basically fermented soybeans, with silky, sticky threads that contain all the flavor and texture. And remember...stir it up 15 times.
Maestro vs. maestro showdown in one hour with natto...and Kaga calls out the famous battle cry, "ALLEZ CUISINE!" Small beans on the left of the stand, and large ones on the right today. Traditionally, it's used on top of rice and flavored with soy sauce.
Michiba, of course, starts out with his menu-writing--"Mini-Full Course Natto Dinner," Hattori says he's writing. And check this out, Ishikawa's doing it as well! Fukui notes that Ishikawa's planning on abalone steamed in sake, as well as Japanese beef with Japanese flavored-soy sauce. And here's another Michiba tradition: the Broth of Vigor!
Ishikawa is rinsing the natto to get rid of the sticky strings. Ohta's first report is that they're both planning on 5 dishes. And as Michiba fillets a flatfish, Ishikawa has a bonito broth of his own on his side! 15 minutes gone already...
Michiba is curing the flatfish with konbu, and word on the floor is that he's planning to use udon noodles! Ishikawa, meanwhile, is steaming sardines.
Michiba's food processor has natto, and his cutting board has lobster! We hear Ohta report on Michiba's comments on Challenger Ishikawa, and how he appears to be mirroring him...and in a rare twist, Michiba actually gets in a dig at him! "He didn't learn everything--I wish he learned how to smile more!"
Tilefish is being broken down on Ishikawa's side, and Michiba takes the natto (to which he's added the Broth of Vigor) for a spin in the food processor. And foie gras on the challenger's side? I'm as confused as Fukui, why is Ishikawa going for foie gras in Japanese cuisine?
Michiba's added kudzu starch to his food processor and taken it for another spin, saying that's to solidify the mixture. Meanwhile, Ishikawa has yuba out on his board, to wrap the tilefish in. The mixture from the food processor has hit some small hotel pans and the steamer, while we hear of trouble on the challenger's side--he gave instructions to one of his assistants to steam some clams, but the assistant steamed the sardines instead, which Ishikawa was going to use for meat fish balls! Uh-oh. He doesn't look happy at all.
And bad news on Michiba's side! He's cut his finger handling the lobsters, and he's bleeding a little...and the thing in the steamer on his side appears to be in limbo, if Fukui's comments are any indication.
In the meantime, Michiba has an omelette in the works. And as the halfway point is announced, he's added natto to that pan. Ishikawa is wrapping the tilefish in kelp in the yuba, and that's where the foie gras ends up! But no natto yet...Hattori speculates there will be a natto-flavored sauce to accompany that.
Omu-rice is on Michiba's side, and he's shaping it in a cup. And Ishikawa's broken out the beef! And Michiba's got uni right on top of the omu-rice...sparing no expense in Kitchen Stadium! A value-enhancer, they're saying...so THAT'S how he takes our money!
And there goes the beef on the challenger's side, on skewers and being cooked over an open flame! Not long after that, it hits the ice water for a very rare inside...he also has a sauce in the works, soy sauce and natto, it appears. The yuba wraps have hit the steamer, while on the other side, Michiba's whisking a mixture of shirotama rice flour and natto. Fukui thinks it'll be a dessert...perhaps in the vein of Chinese sesame seed balls?
20 minutes left, and Ishikawa has seaweed, yams, and ham in a wrap. He'll be deep-frying that, but maybe the oil's not hot enough?
Ishikawa isn't sure he's going to make it as he works with some clams. And there goes the natto right inside the holes he just cut inside of that.
Michiba also has a sesame seed cake in the fryer, and Ishikawa's already plating those stuffed clams!
Yuba also makes an appearance on Michiba's side, and he's wrapping natto inside of that. Speaking of yuba, Ishikawa's yuba is down on the plates, awaiting a potential sauce.
10 minutes left now, and Michiba is finishing up with his flatfish. He'll be wrapping the small yuba wraps from earlier into the fish.
Ishikawa has tataki-style beef on its own, but where's the natto?
Michiba's cutting up the kudzu starch mixture from the top of the battle, while Ishikawa is plating a sauce for the beef (natto soy sauce, Hattori says). And down goes the sauce on the yuba wraps! Michiba's flatfish wraps are plated as-is in small glasses, as are his sesame-coated natto confections.
3 minutes left now, and Michiba's adding more natto to a sauce for the udon noodles. Ishikawa is putting the finishing touches on some of his dishes as the one-minute call is announced, and Michiba's omu-rice has been garnished with lobster.
They're wondering where the sardines went...but Ishikawa had to give up on that one, try as he might. Final seconds ticking down...might be a battle of sauces in this maestro vs. maestro smackdown...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Natto Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Ishikawa's 4 dishes:
--Steamed Clams Stuffed with Natto
--Japanese Beef with Natto Soy Sauce
-- Fried Natto in Beefsteak Leaves
--Tilefish and Foie Gras in Yuba with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Iron Chef Michiba's 5 dishes:
--Natto in Kudzu Starch
--Natto Rolled in Flatfish
--Natto Omelette
--Udon Noodles with Natto Miso
--Fried Sesame Seeds and Natto Biscuit
On the panel today for the Natto Battle are:
--Novelist Tamio Kageyama
--Actress Ritsuko Tanaka
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Ishikawa's up first, as always. He says he thought about the combination of natto with the other ingredients, then tried to use each one to their full potential. (Sound familiar yet?)
Kageyama thinks his first dish is very good for summer, despite thinking it would be overpowering. Hirano thinks it would've been perfect if it were chilled--Ishikawa said he had that in mind, but ran out of time..
The beef gets accolades from all the judges--Hirano describes his approach as delicate.
Of the fried wrap, Kageyama says the yam flavor appears first, then the natto comes out from the background. Hirano likes the texture.
Tanaka likes the aroma of the yuba wrap, but Hirano doesn't like the combination of tilefish and foie gras.
A bit of a sour note for Ishikawa as we move on to Iron Chef Michiba's dishes...
Kageyama's amused by the kudzu noodles' texture. "Fun to eat," he adds.
Of his second dish, Kageyama says, "Natto wins." Without the yuba, it would've been overpowering, he says. But Tanaka thinks there's too much natto...
Once again, Kageyama, ever the chatty one, says the omu-rice is very luxurious with the addition of the uni and lobster. An unusual use of natto...
Hirano comments on the use of foreign cooking techniques in the omu-rice, and says the only purely Japanese technique was the use of the lobster. Whatever that means.
Hirano would've liked to see some citrus juice to add a stimulating element. "Natto and miso is too boring," he said. I tend to agree, as it's two different things made from the same base ingredient...
The dessert gets many "mm"s from the judges, while Hirano goes on about so many different things that I can't even keep track of them all. Dubbing fail?
But as Fukui says, this verdict means more than just a hill of beans. For one Maestro, the verdict will be bitter. It's now time to know...who takes it? Is it the Iron Chef or the young Maestro? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!"
He does it again! No surprise there, but Ishikawa--even in defeat, finally cracks a small smile! Victory for the viewers as well!
My take: Natto is tough. It's got a strong taste, but it's not an easy ingredient to make the centerpiece without overpowering everything else. Having said that, both chefs did an adequate job of controlling the natto flavor. I think it essentially came down to clock mismanagement on Ishikawa's side...but then again, what battle doesn't?
This is, however, an example of some of the hilariously bad dubbing, especially during the tasting segment. I guess now we know why Hirano disappeared from the show later on in the run...he never really said anything useful!
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Episode: 31
The challenger: Kuniyuki Ishikawa, certified Maestro of the Japanese Cuisine Seminar Group, an organization with over 20,000 members. Established in 1930, the group was founded to preserve such intangible treasures as knife skills passed on by legendary chefs. He believes chefs must stay behind the scenes, whereas Michiba rides into the limelight.
The Iron Chef: another certified Maestro and the leader of the organization, Iron Chef Japanese I, Rokusaburo Michiba. Last time he put the kibosh on commentator Yukio Hattori (and did he ever), but can he turn back another one of his colleagues as well?
The Battle:
First-timer, actress Ritsuko Tanaka joins Fukui and Hattori in the broadcast box today.
Kaga has always been interested in the Japanese Cuisine Seminar Group, and says that the challenger, if Kaga had met him first, might've been the Iron Chef Japanese instead of Michiba. Hmm, interesting. Nevertheless, the Maestro marches into Kitchen Stadium, clad in traditional attire.
"If Michiba is the sun, you may be the moon," Kaga says to Ishikawa as he greets him at kitchen level. And after some more flowery language, he summons the Iron Chefs, and as if it's any surprise as to whom Ishikawa will challenge...indeed, Michiba is the marked man today!
"Today's battle is between two men of incredible caliber. I don't want to pull any cheap tricks to spoil the occasion," Kaga begins. "They will fight it out without giving up. Yes, persistence. Ah, could be 'sticky.' Japanese cuisine...sticky...yes, that's it."
And as Kaga leaves the American viewers scratching their heads, he rips the veil off the ingredient stand and reveals--of course! NATTO! And did I see Michiba crack a smile for once?
For those of you wondering...what the heck is natto, anyway? It's basically fermented soybeans, with silky, sticky threads that contain all the flavor and texture. And remember...stir it up 15 times.
Maestro vs. maestro showdown in one hour with natto...and Kaga calls out the famous battle cry, "ALLEZ CUISINE!" Small beans on the left of the stand, and large ones on the right today. Traditionally, it's used on top of rice and flavored with soy sauce.
Michiba, of course, starts out with his menu-writing--"Mini-Full Course Natto Dinner," Hattori says he's writing. And check this out, Ishikawa's doing it as well! Fukui notes that Ishikawa's planning on abalone steamed in sake, as well as Japanese beef with Japanese flavored-soy sauce. And here's another Michiba tradition: the Broth of Vigor!
Ishikawa is rinsing the natto to get rid of the sticky strings. Ohta's first report is that they're both planning on 5 dishes. And as Michiba fillets a flatfish, Ishikawa has a bonito broth of his own on his side! 15 minutes gone already...
Michiba is curing the flatfish with konbu, and word on the floor is that he's planning to use udon noodles! Ishikawa, meanwhile, is steaming sardines.
Michiba's food processor has natto, and his cutting board has lobster! We hear Ohta report on Michiba's comments on Challenger Ishikawa, and how he appears to be mirroring him...and in a rare twist, Michiba actually gets in a dig at him! "He didn't learn everything--I wish he learned how to smile more!"
Tilefish is being broken down on Ishikawa's side, and Michiba takes the natto (to which he's added the Broth of Vigor) for a spin in the food processor. And foie gras on the challenger's side? I'm as confused as Fukui, why is Ishikawa going for foie gras in Japanese cuisine?
Michiba's added kudzu starch to his food processor and taken it for another spin, saying that's to solidify the mixture. Meanwhile, Ishikawa has yuba out on his board, to wrap the tilefish in. The mixture from the food processor has hit some small hotel pans and the steamer, while we hear of trouble on the challenger's side--he gave instructions to one of his assistants to steam some clams, but the assistant steamed the sardines instead, which Ishikawa was going to use for meat fish balls! Uh-oh. He doesn't look happy at all.
And bad news on Michiba's side! He's cut his finger handling the lobsters, and he's bleeding a little...and the thing in the steamer on his side appears to be in limbo, if Fukui's comments are any indication.
In the meantime, Michiba has an omelette in the works. And as the halfway point is announced, he's added natto to that pan. Ishikawa is wrapping the tilefish in kelp in the yuba, and that's where the foie gras ends up! But no natto yet...Hattori speculates there will be a natto-flavored sauce to accompany that.
Omu-rice is on Michiba's side, and he's shaping it in a cup. And Ishikawa's broken out the beef! And Michiba's got uni right on top of the omu-rice...sparing no expense in Kitchen Stadium! A value-enhancer, they're saying...so THAT'S how he takes our money!
And there goes the beef on the challenger's side, on skewers and being cooked over an open flame! Not long after that, it hits the ice water for a very rare inside...he also has a sauce in the works, soy sauce and natto, it appears. The yuba wraps have hit the steamer, while on the other side, Michiba's whisking a mixture of shirotama rice flour and natto. Fukui thinks it'll be a dessert...perhaps in the vein of Chinese sesame seed balls?
20 minutes left, and Ishikawa has seaweed, yams, and ham in a wrap. He'll be deep-frying that, but maybe the oil's not hot enough?
Ishikawa isn't sure he's going to make it as he works with some clams. And there goes the natto right inside the holes he just cut inside of that.
Michiba also has a sesame seed cake in the fryer, and Ishikawa's already plating those stuffed clams!
Yuba also makes an appearance on Michiba's side, and he's wrapping natto inside of that. Speaking of yuba, Ishikawa's yuba is down on the plates, awaiting a potential sauce.
10 minutes left now, and Michiba is finishing up with his flatfish. He'll be wrapping the small yuba wraps from earlier into the fish.
Ishikawa has tataki-style beef on its own, but where's the natto?
Michiba's cutting up the kudzu starch mixture from the top of the battle, while Ishikawa is plating a sauce for the beef (natto soy sauce, Hattori says). And down goes the sauce on the yuba wraps! Michiba's flatfish wraps are plated as-is in small glasses, as are his sesame-coated natto confections.
3 minutes left now, and Michiba's adding more natto to a sauce for the udon noodles. Ishikawa is putting the finishing touches on some of his dishes as the one-minute call is announced, and Michiba's omu-rice has been garnished with lobster.
They're wondering where the sardines went...but Ishikawa had to give up on that one, try as he might. Final seconds ticking down...might be a battle of sauces in this maestro vs. maestro smackdown...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Natto Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Ishikawa's 4 dishes:
--Steamed Clams Stuffed with Natto
--Japanese Beef with Natto Soy Sauce
-- Fried Natto in Beefsteak Leaves
--Tilefish and Foie Gras in Yuba with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Iron Chef Michiba's 5 dishes:
--Natto in Kudzu Starch
--Natto Rolled in Flatfish
--Natto Omelette
--Udon Noodles with Natto Miso
--Fried Sesame Seeds and Natto Biscuit
On the panel today for the Natto Battle are:
--Novelist Tamio Kageyama
--Actress Ritsuko Tanaka
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Ishikawa's up first, as always. He says he thought about the combination of natto with the other ingredients, then tried to use each one to their full potential. (Sound familiar yet?)
Kageyama thinks his first dish is very good for summer, despite thinking it would be overpowering. Hirano thinks it would've been perfect if it were chilled--Ishikawa said he had that in mind, but ran out of time..
The beef gets accolades from all the judges--Hirano describes his approach as delicate.
Of the fried wrap, Kageyama says the yam flavor appears first, then the natto comes out from the background. Hirano likes the texture.
Tanaka likes the aroma of the yuba wrap, but Hirano doesn't like the combination of tilefish and foie gras.
A bit of a sour note for Ishikawa as we move on to Iron Chef Michiba's dishes...
Kageyama's amused by the kudzu noodles' texture. "Fun to eat," he adds.
Of his second dish, Kageyama says, "Natto wins." Without the yuba, it would've been overpowering, he says. But Tanaka thinks there's too much natto...
Once again, Kageyama, ever the chatty one, says the omu-rice is very luxurious with the addition of the uni and lobster. An unusual use of natto...
Hirano comments on the use of foreign cooking techniques in the omu-rice, and says the only purely Japanese technique was the use of the lobster. Whatever that means.
Hirano would've liked to see some citrus juice to add a stimulating element. "Natto and miso is too boring," he said. I tend to agree, as it's two different things made from the same base ingredient...
The dessert gets many "mm"s from the judges, while Hirano goes on about so many different things that I can't even keep track of them all. Dubbing fail?
But as Fukui says, this verdict means more than just a hill of beans. For one Maestro, the verdict will be bitter. It's now time to know...who takes it? Is it the Iron Chef or the young Maestro? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!"
He does it again! No surprise there, but Ishikawa--even in defeat, finally cracks a small smile! Victory for the viewers as well!
My take: Natto is tough. It's got a strong taste, but it's not an easy ingredient to make the centerpiece without overpowering everything else. Having said that, both chefs did an adequate job of controlling the natto flavor. I think it essentially came down to clock mismanagement on Ishikawa's side...but then again, what battle doesn't?
This is, however, an example of some of the hilariously bad dubbing, especially during the tasting segment. I guess now we know why Hirano disappeared from the show later on in the run...he never really said anything useful!
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Homeward Bound
Well, folks, this is it.
I'm writing you from Seoul Incheon International Airport on a laptop that's much too small for my giant hands, overlooking the terrible weather that's hammering the runway at the moment, and yet, despite all that, still a little over an hour away from boarding my plane home.
It's been a wonderful month here; while I wish I could say I met a whole bunch of Korean students who made this such a worthwhile experience, I guess I'll just have to settle for meeting some great people from 'SC and enjoying their company (and all the antics that came with it) for the last month. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.
My Korean has, if my ailing grandfather is to be believed, improved considerably. To that I say 다행이아 (dahengida--thank God). Although I still have a long way to go before I'm fluent--maybe even another 8 years or so--it's a small victory for me.
I've certainly enjoyed seeing the sights, sampling the tastes, and living the culture for the last month, and I've certainly enjoyed writing about it. So for those of you who stuck around to the end, I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for sticking around.
But for now, I say 내일 봐 (neh-il bwa)...I have a plane to catch.
I'm writing you from Seoul Incheon International Airport on a laptop that's much too small for my giant hands, overlooking the terrible weather that's hammering the runway at the moment, and yet, despite all that, still a little over an hour away from boarding my plane home.
It's been a wonderful month here; while I wish I could say I met a whole bunch of Korean students who made this such a worthwhile experience, I guess I'll just have to settle for meeting some great people from 'SC and enjoying their company (and all the antics that came with it) for the last month. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.
My Korean has, if my ailing grandfather is to be believed, improved considerably. To that I say 다행이아 (dahengida--thank God). Although I still have a long way to go before I'm fluent--maybe even another 8 years or so--it's a small victory for me.
I've certainly enjoyed seeing the sights, sampling the tastes, and living the culture for the last month, and I've certainly enjoyed writing about it. So for those of you who stuck around to the end, I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for sticking around.
But for now, I say 내일 봐 (neh-il bwa)...I have a plane to catch.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Korean Geek Culture
Instead of writing my final paper like I should, I have for you what might be one of the last blog entries from Korea I'll make.
Yesterday Hao-Hua's friend Travis came to visit--initially we were going to go to Namsan Tower, but Hao-Hua and Travis were both paranoid that the heavy rain would trigger a mudslide that would kill us all. So instead, we went all the way over to Sinjeong station (way the hell over west) to go see a live Starcraft match.
Yes, you're reading that right. Starcraft. And televised, to boot. We wound up going to the GOM TV studios in Sinjeong. While the outside of the building looks like a small, abandoned school, the studio itself looks a bit like this:
If I didn't know any better, I would think this looks like some kind of ESPN Sportscenter game show or something. It really does make an MMORPG look like a sporting event...and I'm told it gets even bigger for the finals. The audience seating area was only three rows of chairs here...apparently, for the finals, they get a stadium-like arena in which to compete.
As someone who's worked at a TV station before, it was really fascinating to watch the whole production aspect of the show come together. I could've cared less about how the games turned out (as I haven't played any iteration of Starcraft in many years), but it was interesting to see how each camera was preparing for each shot, how the jib camera nearly killed us with each swing, and how the commentators (who were to my immediate right) were reacting to each game. Granted, I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but it was funny whenever they started going, "Ohhhhh! OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (The text really doesn't do that justice.)
There were also a pair of English-speaking commentators who were doing their own thing independent of the Korean commentators, though I couldn't hear a word they were saying--for all I know, they weren't mic'd up at all. Apparently they do an English edition of the same broadcast, but the Korean commentators were so loud that I don't think it mattered in the end.
And then, of course, there are the players themselves. They're all little boys (there were no girls playing the day I went), and can't be any older than 18 years old. They really do take this seriously, even if it would normally earn them who-knows-how-much ridicule at an American high school. (Don't pretend it isn't true...)
And despite all this, we were all geeking out to some degree, although I bet for different reasons...
Yesterday Hao-Hua's friend Travis came to visit--initially we were going to go to Namsan Tower, but Hao-Hua and Travis were both paranoid that the heavy rain would trigger a mudslide that would kill us all. So instead, we went all the way over to Sinjeong station (way the hell over west) to go see a live Starcraft match.
Yes, you're reading that right. Starcraft. And televised, to boot. We wound up going to the GOM TV studios in Sinjeong. While the outside of the building looks like a small, abandoned school, the studio itself looks a bit like this:
 |
| Trojan Vision, eat your heart out. |
As someone who's worked at a TV station before, it was really fascinating to watch the whole production aspect of the show come together. I could've cared less about how the games turned out (as I haven't played any iteration of Starcraft in many years), but it was interesting to see how each camera was preparing for each shot, how the jib camera nearly killed us with each swing, and how the commentators (who were to my immediate right) were reacting to each game. Granted, I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but it was funny whenever they started going, "Ohhhhh! OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (The text really doesn't do that justice.)
There were also a pair of English-speaking commentators who were doing their own thing independent of the Korean commentators, though I couldn't hear a word they were saying--for all I know, they weren't mic'd up at all. Apparently they do an English edition of the same broadcast, but the Korean commentators were so loud that I don't think it mattered in the end.
And then, of course, there are the players themselves. They're all little boys (there were no girls playing the day I went), and can't be any older than 18 years old. They really do take this seriously, even if it would normally earn them who-knows-how-much ridicule at an American high school. (Don't pretend it isn't true...)
And despite all this, we were all geeking out to some degree, although I bet for different reasons...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Catching up...big time
Apologies for being away for so long--class and day trips, combined with an abnormal amount of fatigue kept me away from the blogosphere for an extended period of time. Hopefully my memory serves me right when I recount this past weekend's journey...
Last weekend we went to Jeolla-do in the southwestern part of the country, where the city of Gwangju is. We were originally going to tour the site of the Gwangju uprisings in the '80s, although when we got there, all we saw was a huge construction site and a fountain with a tacky, bright orange inflatable flower on top of it. Apparently that fountain is all that's left of the artifacts of the uprising! (I didn't bother with a picture, because there really wasn't anything to see in that area...)
This thwarted our plans for much of the day on Friday, so a lot of that day felt like a lot of walking around aimlessly, hoping to find some history along the way. We did, however, make our way over to the 5-18 cemetery (5-18 referring to the date of the Gwangju uprising). People who died in the uprisings, as well as who we presumed to be family members of the victims who died much later, are buried here. And if this doesn't take the cake as the most peaceful place in the country, I don't know what does...
We in the States don't normally associate South Korea with dictatorships, but shortly after the partition (and even as early as the '80s) their government was also very chaotic, and even though a president was elected, it eventually turned into a dictatorship because the then-incumbent wanted to keep his position of power. Korea--or at least Gwangju--was even under martial law at one point, leading to this uprising. It was a little...sobering, for lack of a better term. Quite horrifying to learn the price people paid for democracy, even if their uprising paid off in the end.
From the cemetery, we went over to the nearby city of Namwon and into Chunhyang Park, named for the eponymous folk tale. It's also a peaceful place, complete with a bridge that's supposed to bless a couple with a happy relationship if they come and cross this bridge at least once a year. Apparently this is also the park where the events of the story supposedly take place, as the government pavilion where Yi Mongryong first spots Chunhyang is in plain sight on the other side of the bridge.
Saturday (after probably one of the best nights of sleep I had gotten in a long time), we went to Independence Hall (독립기념관). While an impressive sight from the outside, the museums inside (understandably) had a Korean slant to them, one exhibit going so far as to say how other cultures--namely the Chinese and the Japanese--are distorting Korean history. I wasn't terribly impressed, although I will say they do make quite the impression on tourists. I know they mean well by their wishes of reunification and whatnot, but the journalist in me couldn't help but wince at the blatant mud-slinging against Japan and China. Then again, maybe they have a point if they're saying the other two gloss over the occupation period (~1910-1945) completely...
Having exhausted our weekend trip agenda earlier than we expected, we returned to Seoul via bus around 4 pm. The next day was completely free, but I met up with my dad's friend's daughter, Hyunji, who will be attending Pitzer College in the fall. She and I, along with a friend of hers, went to a fortune-telling café in Gangnam. While it sounded like a load of hokey to me, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the different markings the fortune teller was making on the paper. Was it bad that I started wondering whether there really was a purpose to some of the markings he was making?
Scam or not, we met up with two of Hyunji's other friends at Coex Mall. The last time I was in Korea, I complained about the cave-like feel of the underground shopping center. Except this time, it didn't feel very cave-like at all (probably because there was more stuff open this time around) and, while still crowded, was considerably less so than I remember the last time. There's a movie theater in the complex as well, and I watched HP 7.2 yet again. This time, I enjoyed it a little better, although I still have my gripes about it. (I'll spare you the details...this is already getting quite long.)
This then brings us to Monday, where we took a tour of Incheon--about an hour and a half away by subway. Shortly after getting off at the Technopark Station (what a name for a station), we were treated to this view:
Never mind the fact that our plans to take a water taxi were thwarted when we realized the taxi is closed on Mondays. What startled us the most was the modern look of this part of town (called Songdo) but the relative lack of people. Even a stroll through what I think was called Songdo Park (pictured right) didn't help matters, as we were wondering why this modern-looking city--built on reclaimed land, no less--had virtually nobody around! We suspect it has something to do with the prestige of Seoul and what status living there grants its residents. You can't be just close to Seoul, you have to be in Seoul, I suppose. Kim Yu-na, the well-known figure skater, invested in some properties in that area, and even that apparently can't attract people to come to this area. Sad, really, as it looks like this city could have potential. Apparently at night it gets a little more lively, although with what few people they have there I don't really see how much more lively it could get.
So we spent about an hour and a half walking around before we got taxis to Incheon's Chinatown, which wasn't much to write home about either. Our plans were thwarted once again when we discovered the cultural center in Chinatown was also closed on Mondays! (Monday is Korea's Sunday, I suppose.) So with most of our agenda essentially shot down, we spent another hour or so--you guessed it--aimlessly walking around, although we did find a Chinese bakery out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't so bad. I did feel, though, that our professor was trying to legitimize the trip by explaining some stuff about a statue of Confucius we found in a small pavilion...most, if not all of us, saw right through it. I suppose the fact that we were all tired--one of us was borderline passed out--didn't help matters.
I was, quite understandably, wiped out from all these events--I think I was about to fall asleep in class for the last two days. I spent most of today taking it easy (to think I wanted to hike Dobongsan with Wendy today! I would've passed out!), although I did have a nice meal with some family. And yet tomorrow, we're supposed to go on a downtown bus tour of Seoul...although whether we'll be able to go at all is still up in the air, as the rain (sadly) has returned.
5 days until my return to the States. Time certainly has flown.
Last weekend we went to Jeolla-do in the southwestern part of the country, where the city of Gwangju is. We were originally going to tour the site of the Gwangju uprisings in the '80s, although when we got there, all we saw was a huge construction site and a fountain with a tacky, bright orange inflatable flower on top of it. Apparently that fountain is all that's left of the artifacts of the uprising! (I didn't bother with a picture, because there really wasn't anything to see in that area...)
This thwarted our plans for much of the day on Friday, so a lot of that day felt like a lot of walking around aimlessly, hoping to find some history along the way. We did, however, make our way over to the 5-18 cemetery (5-18 referring to the date of the Gwangju uprising). People who died in the uprisings, as well as who we presumed to be family members of the victims who died much later, are buried here. And if this doesn't take the cake as the most peaceful place in the country, I don't know what does...
 |
| Just past the main gate |
 |
| View of the tower from the back, where the graves are |
 |
| I apparently have a morbidly artsy side as well. |
From the cemetery, we went over to the nearby city of Namwon and into Chunhyang Park, named for the eponymous folk tale. It's also a peaceful place, complete with a bridge that's supposed to bless a couple with a happy relationship if they come and cross this bridge at least once a year. Apparently this is also the park where the events of the story supposedly take place, as the government pavilion where Yi Mongryong first spots Chunhyang is in plain sight on the other side of the bridge.
Saturday (after probably one of the best nights of sleep I had gotten in a long time), we went to Independence Hall (독립기념관). While an impressive sight from the outside, the museums inside (understandably) had a Korean slant to them, one exhibit going so far as to say how other cultures--namely the Chinese and the Japanese--are distorting Korean history. I wasn't terribly impressed, although I will say they do make quite the impression on tourists. I know they mean well by their wishes of reunification and whatnot, but the journalist in me couldn't help but wince at the blatant mud-slinging against Japan and China. Then again, maybe they have a point if they're saying the other two gloss over the occupation period (~1910-1945) completely...
Having exhausted our weekend trip agenda earlier than we expected, we returned to Seoul via bus around 4 pm. The next day was completely free, but I met up with my dad's friend's daughter, Hyunji, who will be attending Pitzer College in the fall. She and I, along with a friend of hers, went to a fortune-telling café in Gangnam. While it sounded like a load of hokey to me, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the different markings the fortune teller was making on the paper. Was it bad that I started wondering whether there really was a purpose to some of the markings he was making?
Scam or not, we met up with two of Hyunji's other friends at Coex Mall. The last time I was in Korea, I complained about the cave-like feel of the underground shopping center. Except this time, it didn't feel very cave-like at all (probably because there was more stuff open this time around) and, while still crowded, was considerably less so than I remember the last time. There's a movie theater in the complex as well, and I watched HP 7.2 yet again. This time, I enjoyed it a little better, although I still have my gripes about it. (I'll spare you the details...this is already getting quite long.)
This then brings us to Monday, where we took a tour of Incheon--about an hour and a half away by subway. Shortly after getting off at the Technopark Station (what a name for a station), we were treated to this view:
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| Notice something missing? Traffic, perhaps? |
So we spent about an hour and a half walking around before we got taxis to Incheon's Chinatown, which wasn't much to write home about either. Our plans were thwarted once again when we discovered the cultural center in Chinatown was also closed on Mondays! (Monday is Korea's Sunday, I suppose.) So with most of our agenda essentially shot down, we spent another hour or so--you guessed it--aimlessly walking around, although we did find a Chinese bakery out of the deal, so I guess it wasn't so bad. I did feel, though, that our professor was trying to legitimize the trip by explaining some stuff about a statue of Confucius we found in a small pavilion...most, if not all of us, saw right through it. I suppose the fact that we were all tired--one of us was borderline passed out--didn't help matters.
I was, quite understandably, wiped out from all these events--I think I was about to fall asleep in class for the last two days. I spent most of today taking it easy (to think I wanted to hike Dobongsan with Wendy today! I would've passed out!), although I did have a nice meal with some family. And yet tomorrow, we're supposed to go on a downtown bus tour of Seoul...although whether we'll be able to go at all is still up in the air, as the rain (sadly) has returned.
5 days until my return to the States. Time certainly has flown.
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