Had dinner with Miwha wednesday.  She made pork and I couldn’t tell if it had been roasted or stewed on the stove, and I asked her for the recipe.

She just served the meat alone, and I imagine maybe she would save the broth for soup later.  But here is what she did:

In a pot half filled with water, add:

coffee, green tea, and lemonaide

salt, pepper, and cinnamon

Pork meat on the bone (Koreans think bone marrow is very healthy and rarely ever remove bones from anything)

garlic and onions

Stew until tender and almost-but-not quite falling off the bone.

So I made this at home, but added carrots and potatoes, turning it into more of a stew.  And I used orange juice, but the lemonaide was better.

Very simple and comforting.  Korean fusion food I guess…

I told her about the tortilla soup I used to order at a Mexican restaurant all the time, and how the secret ingredient was mountain dew.  She got a kick out of that.

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Friday I was walking home from school and the squeaky voiced, bow-legged teacher from Busan that everyone makes fun of and I were leaving together, so we walked and talked.

“Do you think I’m weak?” she asked.

I didn’t know what the heck she meant, so she explained, “Oh my voice…my hair…my body…myclothes…my character.”

Omg.  Point blank.  This, actually, is why the other teachers make fun of her, because she’s constantly fretting about her image and roping them in for comments.

To make her feel better I told her that no, she just seemed a little confused is all.  For example, I told her, today your clothing is very sophisticated.  Yesterday your clothing was very sporty.  The day before your clothing was very conservative.  You don’t seem to know what you like.

“yes!  I have no sense of style!” she declared quite loudly and matter-of-fact, to which she suggested we go get food and cook it at my house.

That was kind of abrupt.  And forward.  But she’s a sweet, odd duck, why not?  Not a good night, so tried to arrange the following week, and when we found a day that worked for both of us, she was so excited.

“It will be our secret,” she said as she waved goodbye and went into E-marte.

I found it quite amusing she felt she had to see me in secret…maybe I’m embarassing to be seen with?   ha ha ha ha!

I don’t even know what her name is…