Lunch-e time

This is my lunch. Everyday it looks different and everyday it is delicious! The portions are just right and so are the variety of flavors. On the right, you have bibimbap. It is a mix of vegetables and lettuce over rice. This one had meat and you take your spoon and mix everything together. Jinju (where I live) is famous for it's bibimbap. In restaurants it comes in a hot bowl with a raw egg on top. As you mix everything together, the egg fries against the hot walls of the bowl. It makes my mouth water thinking about it. There is a little spiciness to it, but you can tone it down. Just ask the waiter or waitress not to put too much red sauce. As you can see, I also have soup with my meal. No meal in Korea is right without some sort of soup. Today was a delicate soybean and scallion soup. The brother is slightly cloudy (with a chance of rain) and the flavor isn't biting at all. There is a sweetness to it; a sweetness due partially to the simpleness of it. So I have my spicy (bibimbap) and my sweet (soup). The top left is half of a sweet potato. What I love about this is that there is no need to be shy. You pick up the potato with your hands and you choose weather you want to peel the outside off. And viola! You eat it with your hands. I feel so close to my food when I don't have to use any utensils.

Next is the juice. This was my first time seeing this. I was looking for the straw, but there was none. Apparently, you just have to rip the top open a little and drink. I recalled doing this only a few times when I didn't have my straw to my CapriSun sippie. I hope you remember these wonderful delights. But if you ever lost your straw, you will know how much of a savage you felt like squeezing the juice into your mouth. Not wanting you waste anything, you ended up crushing the sippie to something beyond recognition while the juice was all over the place. Then again, maybe I am the only savage and you have never experienced this. Lastly, my huge bowl of bibimbap was covering the classic addition to any Korean meal- KIMCHI. The first day I took some, I took a lot and my co-teacher said not to take as much next time. She was right. I didn't need all of it.

No, this is not my lunch lady. I have yet to put them on the spot for a close up. This is my principal! I teach her English every Thursday and Friday from 3:30 - 4:00. We had a good conversation today. It went like this:

Me: ummm. Do you like bibimbap?Principal: (with a confused look) Do you like bibimbap?
Me: Do you like kimchi? (pointing to kimchi)
Principal: Do you like kimchi? (pointing to kimchi)
Me: No, no. Do you like kimchi?
Principal: No, no. Do you like kimchi?
Me: (laughing to myself I just continue) Do you like sweet potato?
Principal: Oh, potato. I like potato

(Yes, success!)

Me: Do you like soup?
Principal: Yes, I like soup.
(the distant screams of students vibrates through the lunchroom. Next, the hard steps of the mob grow louder and louder. Now, the teachers are trying to get in before the students.)
To the other teachers
Principal: Do you like bibimbap?
Other teachers: hahaha. Hanguelmal? (Korean language)
Principal: Do you like potato?
Me: (just nodding and smiling. what I do best)

Finally, I got in good.