Sunday 14 November 2010

Kimchi Making @ Seoul Station & Cheonggyecheon Light Up!


Thanks to 언니, she is always giving me ideas on how to spend the weekend.

This weekend was really fun cos there was a huge gathering at Seoul Station to promote Kimchi-making. 
This event was only entitled to foreigners, without charges. All you need is to sign-up for it.
 (As part of the Korean Culture) 

 

We were assigned to our designated table once we registered our attendance. 
Each table was covered with HUGE cabbages and other kimchi-making ingredients.
The ladies in hanbok where our designated kimchi-making instructors.

We need to quickly take a picture before our hands got dirty!

And the kimchi-making began!

As the ingredients were all pre-packed, the process seems simple. 

 Everything was big. Big pots. Big cabbages.

Me cutting the radish as the instructor supervised me!

Then, it was just putting all the ingredients together in the big pot.
Work the ingredients in altogether and ensure all the radish has been coated with the paste!

Super chili red.! I can already feel the spice!
 
Time to add the big cabbages into the paste.

According to our instructor, every layer of the cabbage was to be well-coated. You need to spread the paste evenly to ensure a consistency. 

We coated them layer after layer.

Almost done!
 
All we need was a group picture to claim credit & pack them separately for take home!

We had to have a feast before the day ends & were sponsored with Maekgoli! 

Alas! All the participants were to form a huge circle in the big field, holding hands and singing "Arirang" - a classic Korean folk song. The feeling of camaraderie was really strong. 

As a foreigner, you feel accepted and integrated into their culture. It was a warm and homely feeling. Possibly also because the Korean instructor was like a mum - guiding you how to make, holding your hand and leading you along the way. Oh - I miss home! 

Final group shot before the session ended.

Since Cheonggyecheon was nearby, we hung out for dinner and were pleasantly surprised to see the stream lit up with colorful floats and lanterns. 


It was like Ching-gay parade on the water!

It was extremely crowded. People were packed both sides of the stream from the stream level to the ground level. (Stream was 1 level lower than the ground level, like a basement?)

I don't think romantic would be the right word to describe this. 
But it would have been nice for dating couples to hang out here.


I want to go for more of such outings!

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