Pictorial of our trip to Jeju Island in Korea

Last weekend we went to Jeju so that Suzanne could speak at a conferance on building. It also gave her some great networking opportunities. We met some great people on a professional and personal level and we look forward to expanding those relationships. Below are a few pics from the trip. The video is not related to Jeju but highlights a significant issue at the Kimpo airport when using the subway.

Goings on (Tour of Korea) Part I

Can I say that life has been just a wee bit crazy over the last 3 months? Thanks for the understanding and letting me ramble on. I will break this down into several events that have been going on so you can take time to grab a beer, change the oil in your car or shave.

I want to warn you about two topics I am compelled to write about. Both are about Korea and I refuse to wear kid gloves or preface with some weak acknowledgement about my own country’s shortcomings. Korea needs to put on some bigboy pants on these two issues. I will tell you when they are coming.

Before we get started, here’re a few cooking tips:
· Do not heat lime or it’s juice and don’t add lime to recipies that are still cooking. It makes the lime very bitter.
· The same can be said for Rosemary. Wait until the end or add it when cool.

Cycling
In February I caved in and accepted an offer to ride with the Seoul Stork team in the Tour of Korea. Obviously I am not in my former shape and even then I could not hang with the real professionals. But, for people like me there is a 9 day stage race that piggybacks the UCI pro race that that covers the peninsula of Korea. It’s shorter but no less exciting for us. The date was usually in early June and provided me with enough time to scrap together some fitness. Our sponsors Korea Harley Davidson and Storck bicycles furnished our A team and B team with full custom Pearl Izumi kits, radios, and three team vans. We rolled in style that had the other teams dazzled.

In March we started to hear a rumor about a date change for the race. Not later, but sooner! Not a little but a full 6-7 weeks. WTF!? Turns out the Korean government wants to put on a “green” face and show how bike friendly they are and pairing up events with the race is just how they planned to do it. Let the bitching begin. Not only did they immediately cut out full time workers who had already applied for vacation, they moved the race into prime Yellow Dust season and they stuff is deadly for some folks. Racing in it is downright dangerous for your health. How did the UCI react to this? Pro teams plan race calendars well in advance and that includes allotment of riders, airfare and other resources. You can’t just tell a pro team and their sponsors what you are gonna do when it impacts them first. UCI refused the date change so the Korean government thought it would still be ok to have the amateur race date moved up. No problems jacking with the working man. I’ll just say that midweek racing saw half of the riders we saw on the weekend.

Aside for the scheduling clustertruck, how was the racing and how did I do? I’m glad you asked. The first two days reminded me of the terror of racing the Friday night crits under the lights in St. Louis. It was truly scary but in clear daylight. Riders and carbon fiber bits everywhere. The start list was about 210 riders. I am confident 30 crashed out that day including a good friend of mine, on his new Cannondale Cad 8, got hit from the side. He was totally without fault. The bottle cage was ripped from the frame, effectively destroying it. His thumb was sprained in the process. I would put most riders in the race at a skill level of cat 5 but a fitness level of a good category 3. We also lost contact with our team mate Pablo, nixing our goal of riding in unity. Had we taken the time to ready the radios this would not have happened. There was just too much going on.

The next day turned out far worse. Our injured rider worsened and we started without him. On a long decent after a tough climb I had my head down and was battling back. I came upon a crash with my mate Pablo propped against the median and bike bits everywhere. 20 meters of black rubber later I turned around to check him. He was a mess but hanging in. turned out he’d ran into a sudden pileup in front of him. The team van showed along with the ambulance (Note: Paramedics suck here. Ambulances are for transport and not much more). They took him to the body shop with me in the team van following. Pablo was later taken back to Seoul with a 4 point clavicle fracture. It was down to our team leader Dave and myself to finish the Tour.

The next two days were fabulous racing, maybe the best I’ve ever participated in. The weekend riders who could not get vacation went home. The field was in the low 100’s and pretty seasoned by this time. For the next two days Dave and I rode smart (to the side for escape) and slowly increased our aggressiveness. We remained committed to finishing together and helping each other. I had limited fitness and Dave was tuned for longer rides at lower intensity since he thought we would have 6 more weeks of training left. On the 3rd day several members of our A team stopped for “nature breaks” but that left them off the back. Well, if there’s one thing I am good at, it’s providing a draft for Koreans. It became customary for Dave and I to pull the A team back to the field after breaks and this did not go unnoticed. It was one of several events that brought us closer and bonded us. It felt good to do it but it felt better to see how much it was appreciated. We repeated it and the bonds strengthened.

Wednesday morning was sunny and calm. I was starting to heat up and so was Dave. We were coming on form and ready to start moving up. While waiting for the morning message and embrocation I got comfortable sitting on the tailgate of the Harley Davidson van. A staff member needed into the van and jumped up on the gate, breaking the chains, sending me directly to the pavement while tearing open a hole in my arm on the way. My ass hurt and I was sure my coccyx was broken but others ogled my bleeding arm. Yup, I had a bloody boo-boo that made Dave the Fire Chief cringe. He said there was no option but the hospital for stitches. It was 1 hour to start time and I get a trip to the body shop. All the riders of both teams stood there side by side as Jeremy drove me away. They felt bad for me and I could feel it. My chin wrinkled, my throat ached, my heart hurt.

Jeremy drove like an insane man getting me to the hospital in no time and checking me in. They irrigated the wound, stitched it and then we got to wait, and wait, and wait for the meds. Once in hand we bolted back to the race but it was already underway. My arm and ass hurt but my psych was devastated.

For the next 5 days I took on the roll as staff and was happy to help. I initially thought that I would catch the ferry back to Incheon once we got to Makpo but I could not leave. The caravan was exciting to drive in, Jeremy and I were becoming friends, Dave was racing his heart out (and doing well) and the team needed me. I was not racing but the satisfaction was there. Watching Dave roll up after the last stage, safely into the arms of his family and friends was fantastic. Having riders enjoy my cooking repaired my broken heart. I was able to see the beauty of Korea and its people. This I will never forget. I am greatful to Pablo, Harley Davidson of Korea, Storck of Korea, Jeremy and Ray, te South Korean government for providing such a great race, and especially Dave for the companionship and guidance.

Insert warning here!
Oh, so how did we do? Dave moved up nicely without me. I believe he breached the top 40. Scott Stillwagon of the A team was 6th, if I recall. He was the top finishing foreigner (Waykook) and received a special award for it...just before they erased all foreigners results. Per Wikipedia: "In 2009, reportedly, KCF will only allow international competitors with the requisite that those competitors will be ineligible for any prizes. This makes the 2009 Tour de Korea the first cycling event in history in which one group of people of a certain race and ethnicity will be eligible to win while, racing alongside that group and affecting the race, another group will not be eligible for those prizes." That's right, you can come play but don't expect that you'll more than marginalized or omitted. This is extra thick weak sauce and does not step outside of xenophobia. This is the only race that omits people based on race in the modern age. They worked hard and many others did too in supporting them. We knew waykooks cannot win the race (per the rules) but at least let the results show the effort. Nothing like winning a solo circle jerk.

Recipe for heart healthy Tomato Bisque

Below is my recipe for Tomato Bisque that I created for the American Heart Association and was printed in the Suburban Journal. The link takes you to the full article but below are the first two paragraphs. When it comes time to make this recipe, consider your personal health situation and feel free to modify the cream and broth salt levels. A little more of both really makes this baby POP! Remember, everything in moderation.

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2006/11/28/life_and_style/cooking/heart-y_bites/doc456390d491da5372275535.txt

HEART-Y Bites: Savory tomato connects to summer flavors

By Stanley Crocker Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:15 PM CST

TOMATO BISQUE

This is the time to look for new sources of warmth, but there is no reason to leave all the perks of summer behind.A tasty and nutritious reminder is canned tomatoes – especially when they are fire-roasted and part of hearty and delicious bisque. Their smoky flavor adds a warm smolder just right for leaf raking or a day on the Katy Trail.Tomatoes are technically a fruit, because they develop from the ovary in the base of a flower. Using them in savory dishes lets them work under cover of a vegetable year-round. Regardless of their alias, tomatoes are a tasty addition to a healthy lifestyle.

In processing, some fruits and vegetables can lose nutrients, but not canned tomatoes. They retain most of them, including lycopene, an antioxidant that may reduce risk of some cancers. Lycopene also gives tomatoes their brilliant red color.The tomato doesn’t stop there. One tomato provides a boost of vitamins A and C and potassium.The tomato is starting to look more like a fruit all the time.Many of the soups enjoyed today, particularly canned ones, are loaded with salt. Moderation of salt is important for those concerned with high blood pressure or kidney disease, but everyone should monitor its intake, because it is so pervasive in purchased food.Current dietary guidelines recommend limiting daily intake of sodium to 2,400 milligrams per day. Most people can achieve this by limiting processed foods and focusing on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.One serving of this lower-sodium soup leaves room for some more in other foods throughout the day. Paired with a fresh green salad and crusty bread, it makes a hearty and healthy meal.

Events and goings on

Last friday I got myslef up to Seoul and met the lads at Storck bicycles. We left at about 4 for the qualifier for the Tour of Korea Amateur race. It was quite a caravan with two teams, two team vans, and a bunch of support. The B squad and A squad loaded into their respective vans. Both teams are sponsored by Storck and Harley Davidson of Korea.

After arriving on the East coast we checked into the hotel, with well appointed rooms for a mere W40k or about $30. I bitch about a lot of stuff but this really was a sweet deal. We had some dinner that we had brought and hit the hay.

The next day we got up and readied ourselves and took a drive around the qualifier course. There was loads of debate about approaches but we all knew the pack would likely (A) crash a lot and (B) break into splinter groups. Both came true. I'll spare the details but it was required that we average 30kmh (18 mph) over the 63km. That sounds slow but the walls we climbed along the ocean front put that into perspective. I felt pretty good in the first 10-15km but then my git-up-and-go got-up-and-went. No amount of hope was gonna help my gasping. WTF? My legs felt pretty good and I managed my way up a hill or two in sight of the the wee ones. On a flat section of the second loop I realized my average was about 33kmh and I was pretty safe to roll in at my own pace while still qualifying. The rest of the team qualified as well.

After arriving at the finish I was immediately cold. I scurried back to my room to shower and refuel. Still cold. Later, on the ride home the sinuses started cracking and popping. My muscles also had a weird resistance to releasing (Mg+ deficient?). I crashed at a friend's place that night in Seoul. I woke up to a packed head of snot and bilateral earaches. "This should be fun for my 10k run in the Incheon Marathon this morning". Stranger yet, the legs felt great.

Suzanne and I ran the Incheon Marathon (she hates the pics so I'll respect that). She dusted me by 5 seconds and I have to applaud her effort put into training. It make me so proud of her when she does something good for herself like this. We then got blind drunk on beer and Chicken at my runner/bandmate friend's house. Good times. Ok, not so blind drunk. Tipsy maybe.

Now, I've been sick for 4+ days and the lungs are just disgusting. I'm off my training plan for the Tour of Korea until I feel it's safe to resume without progressing to pneumonia. So I did not do a good job of sparing the race details, I WILL spare you the lung cookie details.

Oh, I remember what that feels like...

Last 4 weeks have seen me scramble to assemble presentations on sports nutrition as well as take myself from the casual MTB racer to a training roadie. It's been rather inspiring for myself yet exhausting. My days revolve around fitting in cooking for the wife, some light cleaning, shopping, intervals, hill repeats, and long tempo rides out to the sea.

Yesterday was great. I rode with an expat friend for 80 km. The ride took us across a 12 km seawall to a series of three islands connected by bridges. The road shoulders were a bit dirty but wide. The roads on the last island wound up and down the hills and through through the rice patties. Smooth, clean and black lines with clean white paint. Few cars if any. We've been in Korea for 1 full year now and I forgot how great it was to actually ride to someplace and have the feeling that the scene changed. The boats in the water, the sea air, the funky little pensions all fulfilled that. A successful 12 hr week of riding and I'm all smiles.


Stan

Tokyo to Nagano

Day One

We made an easy trip by cab to the Incheon airport. Suzanne took off this Friday and we slept in a bit before we took off. It was nice not to get up at 4 AM for an international flight. We arrived at the airport, checked in the snowboard and luggage. The counter staff informed us that there was an upgrade performed on our tickets so we were no in the economy plus section which sports 5" extra legroom.

We and then rolled off to the lounge. We can't claim to sport much bling (bikes excepted) and seldom roll like big money but Suzanne's numerous trips to Asia for work provided access to the Star Alliance lounge and that is a fine thing indeed. Free beer, wine, spirits, food. We were set for a comfy flight.

We arrived at the Narita airport in Tokyo (tO-kyO), made our way to the train and reserved a seat. This train is pretty plush and guarantees you won't have to stand for the next hour or so. I watched the countryside roll by, short steep hills punch out of the landscape and are woven with 6' wide roads with perfect pavement and no cars. I dreamt of my road bike. Only the rice paddies reminded me of South Korea. Houses instead of high rises. The absence of burning plastic smoke rising up to the polluted sky at least in this part of Japan.

We exited at Shinjuku and made our way to the hotel. It struck me as we purposefully walked along that people walked in such an orderly fashion, not like machines but there was certainly a rythme. Signs embedded in the sidewalks warned smokers that this was not accepted on the streets. Small streets accommodated people and cars easily. Pavement was in perfect condition. Zero litter. Hybrid taxis abound.
We unloaded our gear and called our friend Miki for dinner. He met us on a corner not far from our hotel. He waved down a cab and off we went. We drove through one Ku (ward) then another until we arrived. We dined at a place Miki really enjoys. The was indeed fantastic. I think I second-hand smoked a pack of cigs during that meal. You can't smoke outside but there are no holds barred inside. Smoke ém if you got ém!

After dinner we hit a real karaoke joint. Suzanne had actually been there years ago when she lived in Tokyo for a summer. The sake was smooth but the operation of the machine was not so easy. The quality was not great either. The only saving grace was
that their systems precisely measure exactly how many calories you burn for each song. Crap-tacular! However, South Korea has done itself proud with the high quality karaoke experience know as Noraebang (노래방) or song room. Go Korea!

Day Two

Saturday we spent the entire day with Miki. He met us at the shrine and showed us more of this wonderful city.

As we walked the streets my eyes caught a small alley pub with a Belgian beer list. Tears welled up as I saw the place did not open until 5:30. Miki promised another place after we see more of the area. I would not be let down. There are at least three places in Tokyo featuring Belgian beers. One had over 300 different beers. This is how I know God loves me AND Tokyo.

During our day we had the pleasure to see a performance artist rocking to his brand of hypnotrance music and energetic art. Only 100 meters away in a quiet park setting was hundreds of young people, dressed in Alice in Wonderland style clothes and beyond. All were doing a some sort of group dance in small clusters. it was curious to say the least. You gotta take a picture right? Well that prompted a couple people to approach us and ask that we not post pictures. It was safe to assume that many of these kids do not want to be found here or found at all. The kids weren't hurting anything or anyone, only one or two seemed to have alcohol, and they were exercising. I say more power to you freak fest! The picture attached should not give away too much, I hope.


We also did a bit of clothes shopping. Japan is very hip to used clothing and fashion unlike some countries that insist on having brand new, poorly made crap. No furs were bought but admittedly they look OK and work well. The reality is a bit much though.

We ended our day in the company of Miki's parents. I should add that their energy and love was contagious. It was refreshing to see an older couple display such warmth and affection. Although our respective languages seldom matched, Miki led us through a fine evening of upscale sushi and saki. On an interesting note, Mr. Matsumura displayed a fine grasp of the Korean language which he took upon himself just for something to do. We live in Korea and can only say a few polite things and order beer.

Day Three
Sunday morning we awoke to the alarm. Actually I was already awake. I just can't handle knowing that the buzzer is going to happen at some point so my neurotic self lies there, awake, all night, waiting. It finally happened and we readied ourselves for our trip to Nagano to ski. I lugged some junk down to the lobby and looked for coffee. A man in running clothes entered the lobby and got a cup of the lobby brewed coffee that I was not keen on sampling. He slurped then "Ahhh"ed with each drink, making sure he stepped on my very last nerve. Suzanne arrived and immediately knew who was getting my goat. We enjoyed a great cup of coffee at the restaurant next door. later, outside, we stood in the calm until Mr. Slurpee joined us. He flung himself hither and yonder in an unabashed display of Raggedy Ann-takes-PE class. Flailing was accompanied by various grunts, phlegm clearing, and other sounds. The topper was his tossing of a used facial tissue into the immaculately clean bush edging the sidewalk. Those kind are everywhere, right?

The cavalry arrived in a Honda (Miki) and took us towards Nagano. Breakfast was truck stop food with the Yakuza. We bought our meal tickets from a machine then claimed our meals. I joked a bit about their presence (I mean really, where is written that if you are in the mafia you have to dress like that and comb your hair with buttered toast?) but Miki was adamant about withholding comment and kept his eyes low. I flashed some gang signs with my chop sticks, by accident, and they knew to stay clear of me. We took off and I dreamt of riding my road bike over the hills and along the streams that the highway cut through until the snowy mountains stole my attention.

We dropped the car and luggage off at the small, cozy lodge and headed for the resort base for an afternoon of boarding. Miki had a care package of food for us. It was a big box full of staples to get us through the trip without him. The man took serious care of us. He claims he appreciates the care Suzanne and Lisa gave him when he lived in Kansas going to school. Now we owe him back. I hope it never stops.

Miki brought Suzanne a board to use so could to try it out. Miki spent the entire time instructing her and proving encouragement while I went off on my own. As expected, boarding did not come naturally and the icy conditions did not help. Bruises gathered but Suzanne remained a trooper. A night at the local hot spring was in order after a genuine Chinese meal.

The meal was good but the hot springs were divine. Segregated, we showered then dipped into the rocky pools to ease our ills. An hour later we were ready to head back to the lodge and see our friend Miki off. He drove us 4 hours to Nagano, provided free boarding lessons, then drove back to Tokyo. We had stolen a long weekend from our friend but we are glad to have gotten so close. We are looking forward to spilling him in April here in Korea.
Day Four

We woke up late, grabbed some cereal and headed to the sloped bright and early, say eleven-ish. Suzanne rented some skis from a local shop and we hit the slope. The small snow from the night before offered some relief from the icy surfaces the day before. The snow continued a bit throughout the day but never made it perfect. The rains from the week before had crushed the snow and it will take a half meter of fresh stuff to fix the damage.

Day Five
More skiing of course but we moved over to a smaller mountain rumored to have better snow. The jury says the snow was no better and the layout of the mountain was horrible for boarding. Winter Park Colorado and numerous where snowboarders must dismount and dog-leg it or walk. This place had 3 such places requiring bullet train speed to cross but all of them were designated slow areas. One such place was ice ruts and narrow. This section caught a boarder's edge and landed him on his ear, separating his shoulder. Suzanne took off for the medic area and radioed me to confirm that they were coming. Two crusty skiers showed up in no time to provide med-assist. Both guys were from North America and seamed well seasoned.

The end of our ski adventures fell up on us. We turned in the skis and fancied a drink to cap it off. We hit a pub at the bottom of the lifts and perused the beer menu. Hmmm, Yona-Yona. One taste and we knew there would be more to come. A real ale with a handcrafted taste like we have at Schlaffly's in St. Louis. I don't particularly care for this flavor over something like a Trappist style ale but by-golly it was fine and a long time since I'd had similar.

The crowd at the pub was decidedly Western or English speaking and having a good raucous time, especially the snowboarding Aussies. I think I threw out a slur about some one's mom and we became fast drinking mates. They were drinking RedBull and Jeagermeister until they ran out of money...shortly after we ran out of money and begged a few Yen to buy more beers. They understood and felt our pain. One guy, Steve, was hip to mountain biking or anything off road. Suzanne mentioned that she is a fan of Crusty Demons and the boys all swooned. Aussies love Crusty Demons. The beers and drinks dried up, hugs were exchanged, and home we went to ready for the next day.

Our stay at the lodge was pleasant. The owner, Yoko, makes no bones about the place being simple. Each room was ready to sleep up to 6 people in the matt floor. Bedding was a well padded futon mattress with a massive comforter. The room was heated by it's own gas stove which is pretty common in Japan. If we left the heater off all night the room would easily be freezing in the morning making it tough to escape the bed. Yoko provided a small continental breakfast of toast and cereal with fruit. Works for us.

The best part of the lodge is the stories Yoko has to tell and that is definatly part of the charm. She lived in Steamboat Springs, Colorado while racing on the collegiate team. Look closely at the hat picture. I guessed whose it was before I looked inside. It gave me goosebumps.
Yoko has ski racing in her blood. Her father AND aunt were both slated for the Olympics but Japan's financial state was not yet recovered. Her father went on to design one of the other ski areas locally. He is also quite a legand with the town's people. Only a few nights earlier he had had a "few"and then crashed his car. His landing pad happened to be none other than his childhood friend's house. What are the odd of that. Well, I guess pretty damned good with that guy on the roads. You gotta give a hero a bit of rope occassionally. If you like to ski and you like good stories and pictures, hang with Yoko.
Yoko drove us to the bust stop were we caught the plush ride to Tokyo. We stopped every hour at truck stops and were duly reprimanded when were returned. "OVERTIME!". It became a joke with the other English speakers. I watched the snowy road turn to smooth black pavement, perfect for riding all the way back to Tokyo.

Back in Tokyo we caught the train to Narita. My neck hurt from watching out the window for the last time until the sun finally turned down and the landscape went gray. The roads were gone now.

Short summary

The good:

1. Our friend Miki
2. Cleanliness and orderlyness of Japan
3. The polite and well manored people
4. The Belgian brew pub + the local micro brew was delicious.
5. Skiing in Nagano where the Olympics were held
6. Getting to Japan was cheap ($260 RT)

The so-so:

1. Smoking inside restaurants....but not outside?
2. Getting around Japan once you are there is pretty expensive but it works well.
3. A few more fresh veggies with meals would be nice.

The bad:

1. Ski conditions were not great
2. The cost is pretty prohibitive in general due to the dimished dollar and already high prices for some items. $12 beers hurt.

Conclussion:
Do the math. We can't wait to return. Maybe we will go in the summer with the MTBs.

From the WTF files...

Living in a foreign country, any foreign country, presents one with the opportunity to experience new takes on language and culture. Without much of an intro, I present the image to the left, that of an ibuprofen brand called "FULLOPAIN". I don't know about you but merely opening the box made me nervous as I imagined a giant boxing glove on a thick coil spring flattening my nose and launching a few drops of blood. Maybe someone could have asked a native English speaker about this before taking it to market? Or not.

Dining in Korea

Lard have mercy! There is no one thing that seems to connect a culture, country, family, or others than food, that culinary binder that makes us miss home like nothing else. Suzanne and I have done pretty well in South Korea considering its distance from home. We have also done well despite being so far from places one might consider "culinary epicenters" such as New York, San Francisco, or Arnold, Missouri. However, there are certainly things that baffle us when we eat as the locals do. The point of this post is not to demean Korean food in any way but to point out differences. So don't get all bent out of shape.

• Even upper mid-level Italian restaurants provide sweet pickles at the beginning of your meal. They're not to be confused with antipasta, they are sugary sweet pickles. Don't be surprised if you also see them on your Subway sandwich too. Heck, the sweet pickles on a Subway sandwich were part of the motivation for Stanwiches International.
• Asia is home to Avian flu. Oh boy! So why is it OK to serve raw eggs on dishes like bibimbap and others? More people have died from avian flu than BSE (Mad cow disease). Several dishes are served in VERY hot ceramic bowl which is great for winter meals AND frying the egg against the side. They give me the "WTF?" look when you cook the egg against the bowl.
• Because I am a "Lazy American" I cannot yet comprehend all Korean writing. I can read some but have no idea what most of it means. Korean menus sometimes have pictures or bits of English, and this is a good thing. By no means is the the rule though, even in a town like ours which was built for the sole purpose of attracting foreign investors. Maybe they just want the investment and not the people?
• If you have an allergy to crustaceans (shellfish) it can be a tough place. I am allergic and often carry my epi-pen. However, there are stories of the careless server who has no interest in your well being. Call it carelessness or complacency, it's still a risk. Many non-seafood dishes have noodles that were boiled in the same water as the clams or shrimp.
• Vegetarian may not...DOES NOT mean there is no meat/poultry/fish in the dish. We've found bits of beef in lots of things and, like the noodles, you may get exposed to meats/shelf fish in the most unexpected places. To be fair, some restaurants are known to be vegetarian by their customers yet it's not claimed anywhere.
• Food prep is fairly extensive here since many small dishes are offered with each meal even when you don't want it. Food prep need not take up precious kitchen space since it can be done out in the public hallway on the floor. In other news, I spent the first 4-6 months in Korea having a new morning constitution experience every day.
• Chopsticks have their own history in Korea. A former leader of Korea had been on the receiving end of an assassination attempt. The vehicle for the poison was a set of wooden chopsticks. Silver chopsticks became very popular after that as they tarnish in the presence of some toxins. Today most chopsticks are stainless steel. Chopsticks have their place however and are not intended for use on rice where a spoon is the tool for the job.
• Speaking of rice, Korean rice is a short grained, glutenous white style of grain. It's shape is very much like a football with blunted ends. This rice works well when added to very wet dishes or with meat when wrapped in greens such as lettuce or sesame leaf. The markets offer many different brands, prices and package sizes but I must admit I see little difference in the actual product. When speaking strictly of a white rice there is very little in the way of options outside of this style. Basmati and jasmine rice are not to be found but in specialty stores for foreigners and the cost can run run about $10/pound. We eat very little rice so this treat is acceptable for our budget.
• There are things missing from the normal markets that I have to really hunt for or do not get at all. Limes and lime products are a no-go. You may think this is not an issue until you try to make Asian meals from other countries. Thai food depends heavily on limes and it may be our favorite food. Thai food also uses a great deal of cilantro (gosu in Korean) but the Koreans claim they dislike gosu and it gives them a headache. Hey, there may be a conspiracy here. I'll go sit on my grassy knoll and figure this one out.
• What is my favorite meal? It has to be samgeytang. Not just for flavor but for the experience that surrounds our meals that our cooked by a little old Korean woman with a gold grill (gold plated teeth). Suzanne and I like to hike at Munhak mountain near our house. We generally hike there for 2-3 hours then grab a flimsy plastic table at "Grandma's". Grandma's is a metal piped structure with canvas walls and dirt floors but features a full kitchen. Sounds questionable and it likely is outside the law but the samgyetang is amazing and downing a few crappy beers along with it makes life a little better. Samgyetang is simply a whole young chicken cooked in a pressure cooker then the juices and broth are put in a large shallow metal bowl, placed on a portable flame and then centered on the table. The bird is stuffed with Korean sticky rice, Jujubes, garlic, gensing, and ginger. The chicken sits in the juices and is surrounded by misc. veggies. The table is provided a set of scissors and tongs to take the little beast apart. There is enough for about 3 hungry people and, as ALWAYS, comes with kimchi and other goodies. Although I am careful about kimchi since it usually contains shrimp sauce, I do enjoy this one. There's never a spec of food left...EVER. if you come to Korea, you will be taken to Grandma's.

There is so much more to eating in Korea and what I wrote does not do it justice. I will do my best to write more, especially the more positive experiences.

Camping and cycling in Korea

Yuppers, that's me in my glory. I'm a picture of vitality I tell you!
Last weekend we went to central Korea and camped, rode some insanely cool trails, drank some adult beverages and tried to stay dry.

Dirt
We pushed our scooters up, and up, and up rarely stopping to do anything other than clean the blue air out of our ears that Suzanne was spouting. Girrrrrrrl was mad about the pushing. I was a little poopy-pants too until we finally hit some horizonal dirt singletrack.

When all of our groups convened we pointed our sleds down. Someone took off and practically disappeared over this cliff. I inched up behind to look over and see him wrastling a tree. At that point the spectators looked to me to be the next victim. I reluctantly dropped in down the rutted and twisty trail. Peer pressure. The rut caught the rear tire while I worked the front of the bike. The result was this kick-ass sideways skid with a change-up mid-skid for about 40-50 feet total, the first half of which was full of fear then a calm overcame me as I realized that the hill was so steep my upside hand was merely a foot or two from the ground. Totally terrorized I yelled back up the hill, "it's cool, come on down, the water's fine!".

We all met at the bottom and returned to camp. Some previously not grumpy people were now grumpy and visa-verse. Look at us sitting on the concrete. in the picture to the right. We are contemplating life after the descent.

Back at camp we regrouped and headed out for a second loop that saw us ride up a nice fire road to the top of our original push up. As we headed into the singetrack the rain came and it was getting serious. The loose rocks were a bit more stable with the moisture and provided a great ride down,. The final 1k was a freaking blast with swooping diving singltrack. Just lovely!
The party
Set up tents, beer, Jerry's Biafran stew, beer, Jeagermeister, chips, try to stay dry, sleep. Good times.
The next day
Not happy inside. Nobody rode and nobody was sad for that. We had pressed our luck the day before.

Shep-Boy-R-Dee, Orange Scruffy, Rice-A-Pony

Part of my being a registered dietitian is understanding the food culture of those I care for. Since I ain't gots no job I have the opportunity to venture out, be proactive, be adventurous. Today I went with two officials from a local marketing group to scope out some land for a new MTB trail building and education center. After we walked a bit of the land it was lunch time. One suggested, while using utmost tact, that I might try dog. Wow, just writing that makes me a little sad. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have NO aversion to eating dog, I just cannot fathom what makes a culture think that torturing an animal before it's death can improve health or be "good for man". Yes, koreans feel that the terror in the last moments of life improve the meat flavor and the nutrition. In the end, I see myself as having a responsibility to at least try it. I need not consume it again and I certainly never need to be an advocate for it especially since I know for a fact it provides no more protein than any other source.

The meat appeared to be stewed and looked much like pork. The fat and muscle were easily separated. The fat left that nasty hotdog feeling on the roof of my mouth but the meat was not as bad. The texture was stringy like beef but again the taste was similar to pork with a hint of lab...I mean lamb. It was all served with various kimchi. It was to be eaten wrapped in sesame leaves along with garlic shoots and various mixed spices.

In addition we also had various hot peppers and pastes, pickled garlic, daikon, and a soup. The soup was served in a hot bowl as demonstrated by the video. It was surprising bland despite fizz-fizz action. I was ready for a real shock to the gazilta-zoink. It was not bad, just bland. It did compliment the other foods well and thus justified it's place on the table.

Will I eat dog again? No. Today I contributed enough to cruel animal treatment and shotty nutrition science for a lifetime. Korea is "Spok-o-rink"* in many ways but this is not one of them in my opinion. Get ride of the cruelty and I have no issue with it, old wives tales be damned about the nutrition. My hosts were great and added to my experiences in Korea and for that I am grateful.

Now, where's my forklift, I have cows to move?

Spok-o-rink = Sparkling

Race number two in South Korea

A few months back I sent some family and friends updates on a race I did in Asan. Well, the monsoon season has ended and racing is back in full swing. I traveled 90 minutes to a place called dongduchong, North of Seoul. There was no lack of pageantry as the banners for the race started appearing about 5 miles before the city limit sign. The race started in a stadium on a hillside which provided a nice venue. Off we went! We started on the track and passed under the tracking system sensor.

Let the cussing begin!
I cussed at the singletrack in the first 1/3 of the 35km race. The trail and road was so steep the front wheel bobbed. The trails were new and not built with any shred of respect for the soil or vegetation. That stuff (trail dirt) will be at the bottom of the valley and unrideable after the freeze/thaw or a few rains. However, I will admit that that many of the downhills were fun even though unsustainable. Sort of like; you should not eat fried chicken but I just ate some and loved it! I was pretty frustrated and even stopped on one climb to clean my diaper/poopy pants. At one point in the beginning of the race my friend Nat and I realized that walking was significantly faster...and so I walked. (note: I never saw Nat walk, for he is far too burly for such things.) Truth be told, this race was Korean racing at it's best and I need to adapt. All races here involve brutal paved climbs followed by unrideable singletrack climbs often followed by dirt road descents. Yes, adapting is what I'll do. I just need to lose that last 55 pounds I've been trying to lose. Anyone have any good diet advise?

Hey, I smell BBQ!
I got to witness two pretty spectacular crashes. The first was in a long sweeper turn on a gravel fire road. The racer in front of me danced across the rocks with his itsy-bitsy tires until his elbow and hip hit the ground, just about the time the cheese grater concrete started. I figured I would put him out of his misery and try to roll him a little further down the concrete by pushing him with my front tire. Sing along kids "the wheel and the Korean go round and round, round and round, round and round..." The second crash was a rider "pie-ting nay-chia" after some spectators egged him on. Koreans are enthusiastic about mountain biking and that they get to do it in nature. They see it as them against nature, thus they are fighting nature. In their excitement in cheering for racers it always comes off as "pie-ting nay-chia". This is also fun to yell when you see a drunk guy peeing in an alley or whever the mood strikes. It's like yelling "FREEBIRD, DUDE!". Anyway, he attacked on a downhill paved section into a 179.9 degree turn. Bless his little heart if he didn't eat eat shit like a big boy. Off into the ditch he went, cleats up, man down. The eggers moseyed away unamused and so did I in the big ring.

You want WHAT, no drama!??
Not stopping to help the two crashers emptied my Karma box. I flatted with a sliced front sidewall. WTF!? Korean racing seldom seems to provide tire-slicing opportunities but I suppose I seized the day and took my turn. I stopped to add more air in hopes that the tubeless system would heal. Nope. I pulled the tire and inserted a tube then made sure to lose my skewer nut. Paul stood by and watched and while I made all of this happen WITHOUT any outside assist. Secrete message here! Actually, Paul had a nicer pump and helped me find my blasted skewer nut. In the meanwhile Nat rolled by, offered assist, then carried on. The only solace about the flat was that it really motivated me to hammer the last 6 miles. It probably cost me 8-10 minutes, some of which was spent looking dopier than normal and doing nothing, but it made the end fun. The ending single-track may have been the best of all with rock and roots but unfortunately, my Korean buddies leading the way. Nat was just in front of me but made a brilliant pass of our two Korean buddies, effectively ending my chances of nipping him at the line. Good job!

I initially thought my finish time was in the 2:20 zone but I forgot about my tire flat that did not register on my watch. I cannot imagine I was in the top 50% of this race either. I had hoped for top 25% but it just was not in the cards. In reality, I may have been over estimating my abilities even for a perfect day. When the race took off, I easily glided to the front 25% of the field but then did my best to act like a rolling brick midway up the first climb. I never saw most of my class field again except for my friend Nat. I suppose we will know as soon as the results are posted.

Estimated total time: 2:30:00
Avg speed: 13.8 kmh (8.56 mph!)
distance: ~33 km (20.46 miles) Was supposed to be 35km
Max speed: 62.3 kph (38.6 mph)
Elevation gain: 7,500,184,596,952,584 feet

Stanwiches International Menu

Stanwiches International
Mind-Blowing Global Foods Without the Airfare!

(010) 6354-5486 Crockpot2001@hotmail.com

Stanwiches menu items are perfect for office meetings, special functions, and when you've had just enough Kimchi for one day.

Please order 24 hours in advance via phone. Monday orders need to be in by Friday.
Minimum order is W14000. Delivery in Songdo is free.

Signature 7" Stanwiches W7000 ea.
Ham and Swiss offers lean ham with rich Swiss cheese on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, reduced fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a dill pickle, and chips.

Hot−Cha−Cha Tuna is a mixture of healthy tuna and smoky chipotle pepper on a Whole grain baguette (if available), with lettuce, tomato, reduced fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a Dill pickle, and chips.

Basil Chicken made with real Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, tomato, and reduced fat mayo on a baguette, with lettuce, a dill pickle, and chips.

Crazy Pig offers a generous serving of lean (MSG free) ham with bacon and Swiss on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, reduced fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a dill pickle, and chips.

BBQ Chicken is tender white meat cooked for hours in a smoky sauce served on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, a dill pickle, and chips. This is a great reduced fat/calorie Stanwich.

BLT is just that, crisp bacon with lettuce, tomato, and Dijon mustard on a baguette served with a dill pickle and chips.

Sidecars
Homemade Tater Salad is a creamy style salad using reduced fat mayo to keep it skinny. Minimum order is 2 orders. W3000 ea.

Deep South Tater Salad is a creamy style salad with warm spices that throw a nice twist on a classic. Minimum order is 2 orders. W3000 ea.

Extra chips just good ol’ potato chips W700 ea.

Bachelor Menu (The following items are meant for home consumption and may require additional time)
Fajita Burritos are made from white meat chicken with smoky fajita seasonings, onion, garlic, tomato, red bell peppers, and Monterrey Jack cheese in a large flour tortilla. Made with no added oils. Delivered frozen with cooking instructions. W6000

Hummus, a tasty and healthy Middle Eastern staple, is handmade from scratch using chick peas, handmade tahini, fresh garlic and other ingredients. Hummus is rich in protein, fiber, and Omega−3 fatty acids. Serve with fresh veggies or bread. Comes in a 1.25 cup serving. W4000

Coming soon to the Bachelor Menu!
Frozen homemade chicken vegetable soup
Frozen Tomato Bisque

Note: due to availability, some slight changes may be required to above menu.

Shock and Awe, bacon style

Stanwiches International is working on a nice little catering order. The key ingredient to the Chipotle-mayo bacon croissant is, well, bacon. Oh that glorious strip of salty, nitrate festooned critter! Korean bacon just does not measure up. It's too thin and poorly cured. The pork most often used here is not meant to cozy up to scrambled eggs. I had a few frozen packs of the stuff and decided to rotate them out of stock. The strips are paper thin and have very little flavor. They won't be used for the catering client. I know, I know, "the flavor comes from the stuff that will kill us all", but if you are gonna have bacon, go for the good stuff just don't live on it. I had eleven pieces this morning while cooking and I am still alive. This would be a great place to have one of those emoticons where the eyes roll.

Below are some images from the Stanwiches International bacon assembly plant. I was about halfway done at this point. There was so much ambient grease that I chose not to continue taking pictures for fear of destroying the camera. Did I ever tell you that my Great-grandmother thought she was going blind? It was just the grease coating on her glasses. They had hoped my father would turn out to be an optometrist but his experience was limited to this one procedure of degreasing her glasses. It was Like Billy Graham had cured her. Cured as in healed, not bacon. Oh snap!

MTB trails for Incheon

Korea is flush with dirt trails, I mean they are everywhere. Why not? Korea is >70% mountains and people have been walking these hills for centuries. The problem is that the trails go straight up or straight down the hill. Long, swooping trails that remind one of the Jedi warrior cycles in the woods are really rare. Here's what we're doing about it, http://mtbincheon.blogspot.com/
Support for the project has been fantastic with corporations and organizations stepping right up with all sorts of support ranging from pure manpower to offering engineering services.

When the Incheon bridge finally connects to Songdo next year it will be possible to arrive at flowing singletrack in as little as 20 minutes after you leave the airport.

Seoul Podcast with Jennifer Young and Joe McPherson

When we first arrived in Korea I read a newspaper article by a guy named Joe McPherson, a chef here in Seoul. I liked his writing style and suspected there was more to this guy than just food-babble. I dropped him a note and he responded. He later asked me if I would be interested in being a guest on his radio show featured on the Seoul Podcast network. He seemed to think that it might be interesting to have a real, live food cop make an appearance. Also included was Jennifer Young who is smart as they come and a blast to BS with. Good people, both of them. We didn't do a great job of staying on the topic of nutrition; maybe it was the booze, maybe it was the late evening discussion, whatever. It's a pretty long listen but there are some real gems of drama, mystery, social injustice, menus from a dog restaurant, and a little bit of sexxy-time!
http://www.seoulpodcast.com/archives/126

If it can happen in Texas...

A few years ago I drove the BigShark van of death solo from St. Louis to Park City, UT. I was to deliver the bicycles of the racers who went there to compete in the Master's National Championship road races. It was just me in a Speedo and cowboy hat with $40,000 worth of bicycles crossing central Wyoming. The owner of the Van of Death said the brakes worked (uphill) and the AC worked (in the winter). I crested a mountain pass to see magnificent wind farms as far as the eye could see, their giant, beautiful arms spinning in the wind. It was beautiful alright but knowing that this was providing energy without adding carbon to the air (like the Van of Death) or money to the Middle-East (like the Van of Death) gave me a bit of a lump in my throat (like driving the van of death). The U.S.A., that sleeping giant of potential, is getting off its ass and working towards some semblance of energy independence. Look who is a leader of the pack. Cue the Anthem boys and take off yer hats!

In Windy West Texas, An Economic Boom
by Ben Block on July 23, 2008
Growing up in West Texas, Larry Martin became well accustomed to the challenges of living off the land. Raised on a cotton farm outside the small town of Sweetwater, he recalls defending his family's crops from sandstorms after a hard rain. More often, he hoped the region's brutal droughts would not burn the cotton to death...

Studio Terra

Not long after arriving on Fantasy Island, I was introduced to a Korean artist named Yong-no. He spoke fantastic English and we really connected. Our conversation touched on numerous topics such as art, education and life in Korea. I made a commitment to drop by his ceramic studio in the following days. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball.

Fast forward to last night. Suz and I went for a walk and saw Yong-no leaving his studio. He was happy to give us a tour of his place and wares. We were impressed. So much of his work is multisensory, being visually appealing and pleasant to the touch. We bought a couple pieces that immediately caught our eyes. One piece, which we did not buy, sat under a shelf all by it's lonesome. It has a patina green inside and sand colored exterior. It reminded me of a gift we received for our wedding. Someone else will get to experiance that bowl, maybe you?

Yong-no can be reached at goomax@naver.com . He can ship to the West with no problems.

New Songdo City

For the last year Suzanne has risen each morning to build a new city in South Korea, West of Seoul. It's hard work but someone has to do it. Yesterday she was swinging hammers and today she'll operate a crane.

"In July, 2001 Gale International negotiated a joint venture agreement with POSCO E&C and the City of Incheon, South Korea, for the master planned development that is Songdo City. Located at the site of General MacArthur's 1950 landing, Songdo will be the first "new" city in the world designed and planned as an international business district. Songdo is rising as the "Gateway to Northeast Asia," a geographical hub just 40 miles southwest of Seoul and 25 miles from the North Korean DMZ industrial area.
Built on 1,500 Acres of reclaimed land and soon to be connected to Incheon International Airport via a new bridge, Songdo is the most ambitious undertaking of its kind..."

Full website access here.

The Sand Vista Eco-thingie

On July 5th we attended an Eco-event in an area called Sand Vista near, Taean South Korea, to bring awareness to the stress that their recent petrol tanker spill placed on the environment. In this area the sand slowly sinks into the sea, allowing for an amazing wide beach with room o'plenty for all. I cannot venture to say how many attended but might guess well over 1,000. That's just a guess folks, maybe there were more. Maybe the "Agent Secret" that drives that car that I do not see in that picture has some information on how many people attended. Very stealth.



The Eco-walk was an 8 km stroll along the beach. It was intended that people would complete the walk barefoot. It was great to feel sand between our toes for the first time in a long time. We both missed the ocean very much. I, however, was unable to take too much of the barefoot action as I am a tenderfoot. It appears that others also found the sand to be too much and donned high heals. I wish I could say that high heals are rare in South Korean nature walks but can be regularly seen on beaches and rugged mountain trails. Maybe they can make me some in size 15...


This is our son Kevin. Honest. His father, Kang Ho, gave him to us in exchange for Stanwiches Fajita Burritos. He drove a hard bargain since tortillas are wickedly expensive here and the seasonings must be imported on a swimming donkey from the mountains surrounding Mexico City. It turned out to be a good deal since he is a great kid and a good example for his country. He is extremely inquisitive, intelligent, and good natured. I may offer his folks some homemade hummus if we can take him to the U.S. with us. His father works with Suzanne, is a very successful marathon racer, and a great dad despite selling his kid for Stanwiches Mexican food. It is damned fine food if I say so myself.

Speaking of food, after the walk we went to a local place and had a traditional meal of raw seafood and hot soups along with some beer and Soju. It is unfortunate that I cannot eat shellfish due to my allergy but it still allowed for some serious gorging on raw grouper and smoked fish followed by some hiccup inducing red soup filled with the leftover fish. There actually came a time when I said "I am full", and then I was informed that there were more courses to arrive. The lesson here is to only eat small amounts of what is offered as there is almost always more coming.

Later, we stepped outside under a gazebo to enjoy the cool sea air and some watermelon. Almost all of us dozed off at some point. Kang Ho snuck off to get coffee for all. Korean coffee is not terribly strong and is laced with sugar and cream for a tasty bump. What a great way to meet new people in such a far away place; some exercise, mountains of food, some libation, and a nap with sea breezes.