Author Archives: thesouplady2

Great Knees and Low Matresses


How Low can you go?

In South Korea – the answer might amaze you. Korean’s have the best knees in the world, at least as far as we can tell. They sit on the floor to eat (which totally sets my knees to flame). Chairs are low to the ground – even sofa’s are inches above the surface. And I haven’t even mentioned the beds yet.

Right now I’m sitting in our guest house kitchen – and in the living area, our host – Lex – is watching TV. He is lying on the floor – propped up on what looks like a beach chair – and the TV is set about my waist height. Low, low, low! There are 5 more ‘chairs’ in the space – all basically flat to the floor. The same thing was true at the Namu – the chairs in the living space were basically on the floor – while the chairs in the dining area were standard western height. Very interesting..

And Jill – who claimed the lower bunk – is basically on the floor – probably at most 3 inches above it. While my bunk – the top bunk – sits at my shoulder level. Easy to make, I’ll tell you.

We’ve eaten out every night so far – and 2 of the 4 restaurants have made us sit on the floor – tonight it was Korean BBQ with pork – and we sat on the floor at low tables that held the grill (Food was yummy) – and the first night in Korea we ate at a tradition soup restaurant – again sitting on the floor. We keep this up and my knees are going to be ‘bump’ ready come January.

So – I figure – to get up from the ground all the time – the Koreans must simply have the best knees in the world.

12 Unexpected (but cool) things about Seoul


1. I didn’t expect people to make a fuss about The Intrepid Traveler and myself. I mean people are constantly coming up to us – asking if we need directions, if we know where we are going, asking where we are from. We finally figured out that the issue is that we’re alone. No tour group. I gather that ladies of a certain age (ok – over 65) – just don’t wander the streets of Seoul alone. It’s not that we’re in danger – it’s amazement that we are the kinda folks that would do that.

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2. I didn’t expect there to be so few ‘North American’s’. In the Namu – our adorable hostel, there are no other North Americans. There is one guy from Edinburgh, (you are not allowed to call him English) – all the other folks are Asian or Indonesian. Interesting eh? We were waiting for a light in the Financial District – Downtown Seoul, and standing in a crowd of 30 to 40 people. Only one other person was Caucasian, and I didn’t ask where he came from.

3. I didn’t expect all the help. We went to a Korean BBQ restaurant – and they literally fed us. They spoke no English, we speak no Korean – so they gave up trying to explain how to cook the food – and did it all for us. That and wait on all the other tables. They even had to demonstrate how to take the leaves they gave us and wrap the cooked meat in them – my favorite – Mint leaves I think. And the BBQ sauce was yummy. Actually – the meal was Delicious – and would have been 5 stars if I hadn’t felt a bit like a 5 year old learning to eat!

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4. I didn’t expect everyone to be busy. In most of the other countries we’ve visited – there are always groups of people, generally male, just hanging around. Playing board games, smoking cigarettes, lounging here or there. But not in Seoul. Everyone – from 2 years old to 81 (we asked – he told us) is busy, busy, busy.

5. I didn’t expect all the food stalls. I think I should have – in Bangkok – that was one of the things I most remember. But here they take it to an entirely different level. We have seen Fish counters – with ice chests full of fresh fish – set up on the shopping street around the corner. The gal doesn’t lack for customers either. Trucks drive along playing songs and selling food – right off the truck. We saw a chain of street stalls – vendors wearing identical uniforms (beige jackets – cute hats) and pushing carts with bottles of yogurt and milk. And there is the cooked food. In many cases – they actually cook to order while you wait. Fried dough, sauteed fish, I saw one cart that had deep firers with fish on skewers. You ordered a skewer – he dunked it into the firer for you. Now that’s cooked to order. We even spotted a lady with a machine for making creme filled Doughnuts while you waited. I even saw an ‘Expresso’ Van, a Coffee House on wheels.

6. Speaking of coffee – I totally didn’t expect all the coffee houses. Reviews from a year or so ago mentioned the challenge of getting coffee in the morning – while not any more. There is at least one coffee shop a block – a smattering of Dunkin Doughnuts and Starbucks (we export the best, eh?), but mostly clearly Korean owned and operated. Signs that say ‘Best Standing Coffee’, ‘Coffee by Stand and Drip’, ‘Coffee and Bean’ speak to local control and sign making. And they are expensive – signs outside announce prices in the 2500 to 4000 Won ($2.50 to $4.00) range – pricey even by our standards.

7. I am intrigued by the gender roles. In our guest house – the cleaner is the male host – he washed the dishes and vacuumed the floors. The guides at the museums are all women, the waitresses all female, the cooks all male. I don’t know if I’m drawing a conclusion based on insufficient observation or not – but it does appear that while everyone is super busy – there are assumed roles.

8. Did you know that Koreans take off their shoes when they walk into a house, a restaurant, etc.? All the traditional places, including our guest house, provided a space for you to put your shoes before you enter the house. I’m really glad I brought my Slippers. And I went out and bought seriously cute socks to put on if I don’t feel like carrying my slippers.

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9. All (99.5% at least) of the women wear long sleeves. Now it’s fairly cool in May here – 70 degrees during the day – but the school girls are all wearing long sleeve shirts – and short short short skirts. So it’s not the weather. Even walking around downtown, we never saw a woman’s elbows. Beautiful suits, drappy skirts with uneven hemlines, plenty of short skirts with or without tights underneath – super nice fashion – but always long sleeves.

10. I didn’t expect all the English in the Museums – and the audio tours have been fantastic. All the museums and Palaces we’ve toured so far have English signs on many of the displays – and they all offered an audio tour – sometimes free. These were excellent. And they clearly post the times of English tours. We’ve taken 2 – once was just us – another was with about 20 other people – from a tour group of course. But not a ‘North American’ tour group – They were clearly Asian. So the languages here seem to be Korean – and English. I have seen signs in Chinese and Japanese – it’s easy to tell which are Korean – but always there is English.

11. The cars are amazing – not just the number of them for a city with tiny roads and NO parking – but the size. The two biggest brands are not surprisingly Hundai and Kia – but there are BMW – 7 series no less – and SUV’s. I mean there is no parking. None. People put cars everywhere – if there are rules – I couldn’t figure them out – it’s amazing. Very few bikes, not many motorcycles – just cars and buses everywhere.

12. The metro system is wonderful. It’s modern – there are elevators at every station – there are signs in English – the exits are numbered – and put on the maps – so it’s easy to figure out where you will be when you take exit 5 for example. Just Outstanding. Montreal – take a lesson. Interestingly – there is a wall of glass doors between you and the metro cars. When the metro arrives – the doors on the train line up with the doors on the station – and they both open. It’s rather like the subways in the airports. I know there is talk of doing something similar in Montreal – and frankly – I think it’s a good idea.

Ok – that’s enough cool stuff for one Post. Tomorrow I’ll continue with more cool things I’ve discovered about South Korea.

Signing off – The Soup lady and the Intrepid Traveler.
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A tale of 2 Hostels – the Namu and the Agit – Seoul, South Korea


We had originally thought to spend just 4 nights in Seoul before moving on – but our age and ability to recover from a long flight has definitely taken its toll – and we need more time here to see things properly.

So – we ended up wanting to spend 4 more nights in Seoul (it’s a fab city) – and that meant a change in sleeping locations. We had to move from the Namu in the Hongdae district to the Agit – near the Yaksu metro stop. So here-in lies the tale of 2 hostels.

The Namu is highly regarded in the hostel world – it is part of the Lee & Co ‘chain’ – and while small – just 4 rooms – it is warm, friendly, well built and extremely well located. The Hongdae district is home to a major university, and most of the student life of Seoul. It buzzes with action from 1:00 pm until late in the evening. Later than we ever made it up for sure. The Namu serves a wonderful breakfast of cereal, cakes, toast, eggs if you want, coffee (brewed – not instant) – jam, fruit – you name it – they offer it. And they prepare it for you – no fuss, no muss. It’s great.

Good things: There is a washing machine – no dryer – and people are very friendly. As reported earlier – I loved the public shared lounge area, with its tiny outdoor sitting space. We met some great fellow travellers – took fun pictures – had a great time.

Down sides – we had to share a bathroom – why do some people manage to splash water everywhere? – I really hate sharing my bathroom. Plus the room got cold at night. I ended up sleeping with socks, long-sleeve shirt, and my fuzzy travel blanket. Good news – it was an excuse to get cute socks.

But we had to leave. So we said good-bye to Sunny and Stella – our hosts – and headed out to the Agit. It is a lot less expensive for starters. Almost 1/2 the price. And we would have our own bathroom. Bad news – only room available had bunk beds. I’m getting the upper bunk – hope I can climb in – and get out without falling!

The beginning wasn’t great. We got lost. We exited at the right metro stop – but couldn’t locate ourselves – or the hostel on the map. And the killer – to exit the metro we climbed up 5 flights of stairs – with our suitcases. We were wiped. But – the kindness of strangers came to our rescue – again. A wonderful young man on a motor cycle figured out how to call the Agit – and Lex – the surprising tall and skinny host told him to tell us to stay put. He’d come and find us.

And find us he did. Plus he showed us where the elevator was to the metro – no more climbing 5 flights.

The Agit at first glance isn’t nearly as fancy as the Namu – the public space is small – and there is someone sleeping in the shared living room. I haven’t figured out who she is, but she does watch a lot of TV and Movies. And the kitchen arrangement is quite different. There is a long shared table, and Lex just opened doors and fridge explaining that everything is up for grabs. Just take what you want. He even had us fix a lunch to go. Ham and cheese sandwiches, Korean style – which means with pickles and mustard.

I had my concerns – but a little exploring showed me a fantastic outdoor space on the upper floor – tables and chairs so we can enjoy a dinner al fresco. And while our room is tiny – the advantage of having a private bathroom is huge. Plus the washing machine sits alongside a dryer! It’s clothes washing time tonight.

We slept in the Agit last night – and while it is now Sunday – still it was amazingly quiet – we slept in until 9:00. Jill admits that she hasn’t slept in that long – in well – since the last time we travelled together.

Our fellow travellers are a very quiet bunch – mostly Asians with one french gal – so that explains the sleeping in – even though our room is off the kitchen. No noisy folks to wake us up early.

And we may well be getting used to the hard beds! (Personal note – didn’t fall out of top bunk either)

So – how ends the tale of 2 hostels – both work. The location of the Namu is better, the rooms decidedly ‘fancier’, the private bathroom at the Agit trumps the nicer breakfast at the Namu, and I am really looking forward to enjoying tea on the outdoor balcony at the Agit.

Our decision – both work. So pick and enjoy.

First you pack – then you go! South Korea here we come!


Why does travel always start with frantic packing? Is this just me? Somehow, no matter how long ahead I plan – it seems that I’m tossing things in and out of my tiny carry-on suitcase as the taxi is pulling up to the door.

And another puzzle – why are the flights so long. Ok – I totally realize that it’s distance related – but 17 hours of travel. Is it really necessary? Oh – to beam me up Scotty.

But I got packed and noticed that my entire luggage is smaller than the carry-on’s of some of the other passengers. Did I forget something – of course – but that’s always the challenge. I don’t want to carry much – I have to lift it – so leaving something important at home is just expected.

And what do 2 little old ladies pack for 5 weeks in South Korea? Not much. 1 pair of pants packed, 1 pair of pants on, 3 tops packed, 1 top on, my favorite jean jacket with the big pockets, my rain jacket, PJ’s, slippers, a few pieces of underwear, my favorite warm jacket/sweater, 1 long-sleeved shirt in case it’s cold, and most importantly – books. I have an ipad – which really should be enough – but I love holding a book – so I grabbed 5 novels intending to donate them to strangers as Jill and I finish them.

And we’re off.

Flight from YUL to Detroit was uneventful. Hey – they gave us pretzels. That was nice. Then we hung around Detroit till the flight for Seoul was announced. Nice airport by the way – in case you plan trips by the quality of the airport. The Delta/Korean Air flight to Seoul was packed. Absolutely full. So much for thinking that the news would discourage visitors.

We had taken a window and an aisle, hoping that the middle would stay empty. No such luck. Our middle was a Colonel from the US Army – stationed in South Korea. Kinda reassuring actualy. He’s been here for 3 years – says it’s the safest place he’s ever been stationed. He and his wife and 2 kids are thinking of moving to South Korea when he finishes up in a year.

For meals they offer a Western and a Korean option (I take the Korean choice – it was yummy) – and we settle down for the long haul across half the US and all the Pacific Ocean. I can’t sleep – so I watch movies – Les Miserables, Coraline, Hyde Park on the Hudson, Parental guidance, Aribtrage. It was fun. My favorite – probably Les Miserables. Hard to admit – Parental guidance, while embarrassing predictable did make me cry. No one wants to be the “other” grand-parents. Coraline would give me nightmares if I was a kid, Aribitage was a waste of celluloid (but probably shot in digital – so no film was sacrificed).

We arrive in Seoul with no problems – and relying on the kindness of strangers, make our way to our adorable hostel – the Namu. It’s really an apartment that has been renovated into 4 bedrooms of various sizes – our ‘deluxe’ twin which has 3 beds, a 6 bed dorm with their own bathroom, and 2 other rooms – both with a double bed and a bunk bed. The main area has a nice comfy sofa, a lovely porch (Jill is sitting and reading as I type), a kitchen, a smallish dining table and 2 computers for everyone to use. Not a lot – but perfect for us. They even have free use of a washing machine.

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The location is the best part – on a quiet street right off a major ‘dining’ street packed with inexpensive restaurants of all types. There are at least 6 Korean BBQ places, a sushi place, and several coffee shops. We opt for a traditional Korean Restaurant – that means you sit on the floor – and get a bowl of Noodle and dried Shrimp soup to share. The soup was just $12 – and it was enough to feed at least 3 people – we left a lot. Food notes: We ordered mild – and trust me – that was spicy enough for me. And we didn’t care for the dried shrimp. Both Jill and I carefully picked out all the dried shrimp – so much for the protein part of the meal. And as you can tell – we sat on the floor – and needed help getting up!

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Back to the Namu – and to bed. One note before I go – beds in Korea are hard. Really hard. No – I mean like board hard. Beyond firm. But we are so exhausted we figure it doesn’t matter.

Good night Moon, Good night everyone!

The soup lady and the Intrepid traveler – signing off.

Doc Ford’s at Fort Myers Beach – Huge menu, Huge restaurant


We actually wanted to eat at Rib City – relatively small, not super well located, but reputed to have great ribs. Unfortunately, we had issues finding them. They recently moved – and the GPS found their original location. It would have been really nice if they had a sign on their old place – but no. There was absolutely no way to know where they had gone. Too bad – you just lost 5 customers.

Later that night – we did actually spot Rib City – in its new location in the Target parking lot. Oh well – we’ll get to try them on another trip to Fort Myers.

Since we couldn’t find Rib City – we ended up going to Doc Ford’s – a huge restaurant strategically located at the harbor. The reviews had been pretty good – and I had hope they’d be impressive. Or at least – not disappointing.

After a challenging drive around and around the parking lot – we finally found a place to leave the car, walked back to the restaurant, and got told by the very pleasant hostess that it was a 45 minute wait for a table. I hate waiting for a table – but the thought of trying to get back to the car was so discouraging, we opted to stay and just enjoy the view.

When it was our turn to eat – we were starving – which I’m sure explains why we ended up ordering way too much food.

For appetizers – we tried the Chicken Wings – both Medium and Hot. The Medium ones were outstanding. Probably some of the best I’ve ever had. On the other hand – the Hot version was mostly vinegar – not hot spice. Nope – didn’t care for those. We also tried the Seared Tuna Appetizer. Like the Medium Wings – another winner – delicious tuna, but my favorite part of the dish were the crispy Asian Vegetables. Unfortunately – the Cerviche cocktail was a loser. Just terrible, particularly compared to the fish we enjoyed at El Gaucho Inca.

For main courses – we chowed down on a variety of quite yummy entries – Texas Baby back ribs, the dry rubbed rib eye steak, the Achiote grilled Grouper and my personal selection – the Grouper Sandwich. No complaints from anyone – except that we clearly ordered too much food. Oh well – sometimes doggy bags are an unfortunate necessity.

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille on Urbanspoon

The Bridge Waterfront Restaurant on Foodio54

Fried Oysters at the Oyster Shell – Oh My!


Confession – up until last night, the best fried oysters I’d ever had were in New Orleans – and I’ve spent years trying to find fried oysters like those – plump, juicy, slightly salty, and totally no fishy flavor.

My husband, knowing my desire to try some fried oysters here in Florida, carefully picked out the Oyster Shell because other reviewers really liked it – not because it won awards, not because it was well located, not because it was large, not because of the classy view – but because it had some of the most consistent good reviews of all the seafood restaurants in Fort Myers. And he picked a winner.

Don’t be surprised by the location. The Oyster Shell is a truly for locals only – there are probably no more than 6 tables – and only one chef and one waitress. But between them – they got the job done.

And the oysters at The Oyster Shell truly impressed me. Really some of the best I’ve ever ever had. So good I ate way too many of them – so reader alert – portions are huge – go small and consider sharing. Which explains why I not only had my oysters – I got a whole soft shell crab to myself. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

Quick note about freshness – they were out of Grouper the night we ate there – why – because the chef wasn’t pleased with the quality the fisherman had brought him that day. So rather than serve fish below his standard – the waitress had to carefully explain to all the dinners that there was no Grouper. Impressive.

Also impressive – the pecan pie. It was delicious – a fabulous combination of light crust, sweet filling, and tons of pecans. Oh – I do so love a good pecan pie and this one didn’t disappoint.

Definitely a winner among so many losers here in Florida. Check it out.

Oyster Shell on Urbanspoon

Oyster Shell the on Foodio54

It’s about the view at the Captain’s Table – Charlotte Harbor Florida


Oh dear, I just can’t believe this – I’m beginning to think that every restaurant in Florida has won an award of some kind. They must give those things out like candy at Halloween. So the Captain’s Table had a wall – a total wall – full of awards. Most romantic dinner, best view, best this – best that. My problem – the only food item that seemed to be a ‘best’ was the breaded fish sandwich. That’s a tad scary, right? I mean – it’s a huge menu and you are giving prizes to the view?

But I have to give them kudos for it. It was truly outstanding. The restaurant is strangely located at the far end of a mall full of cute shops (called Fisherman’s Village) – with timeshare condo’s on the 2nd floor. You park in front, then walk the length of the ‘mall’ to get to the restaurant. Also a bit strange – the restaurant is on 2 levels – the upper level with the outdoor dining overlooking Charlotte Harbor is called the Captain’s Table on Charlotte Harbor. The restaurant on the lower level is Harpoon Harry’s – more of a bar than a restaurant.

We had lunch reservations – which was a very good thing because the majority of the restaurant was filled by large group of bankers having a buffet lunch and a talk. The good news – this didn’t seem to impact the service on the outdoor balcony where we were sitting.

My Grouper Sandwich was just ok. The fish portion was a good size, always a nice start. But I found it cut so thick that I just couldn’t get the fish and the roll into my mouth. So I ended up eating a plain grilled fish, no roll. To add insult to injury – the tomato was also sliced super thick, ending up tasteless. Really didn’t add anything to the sandwich – a shame because one would think that at least in Florida one could get yummy vegetables. One final complaint – The mandatory french fries were standard frozen chips – I passed on those. Just not worth the calories.

Bottom line – lots of awards, great view, but maybe someone ought to take a close look at what they are doing to the food. Definitely not up to the location.
 

Captain's Table Restaurant on Urbanspoon

The Captain's Table on Foodio54

Best new wine – Ever!


Best new wine – Ever!

A single glass of this new wine could mean a peaceful, uninterrupted night’s sleep. New wine for Seniors, I kid you not!

Clare Valley vintner in South Australia, which primarily produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic. It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to make to the bathroom during the night. The new wine will be marketed as

PINO MORE

Surprise – There’s a Science of Happiness! Who Knew?


Backpacks to Briefcases – Free Workshops for Concordia Students and Alumni

I don’t generally attend these workshops – the price is right (free) – but the topics generally are not that thrilling. I’m pretty sure my resume is about as good as it’s going to get, and I have a tough time getting all worried about how to be interviewed.

So imagine my surprise when I realized that one of the series was enticingly called – ‘The Art and Science of Happiness’. Interesting, eh? I didn’t know there was a science to happiness – but I’m willing to give it a listen.

The workshop – really a lecture with some audience participation – was run by Gillian Leithman – a phD student in the field of Postive physiology. Bet you didn’t even know there was a field of Positive Phycology. Well live and learn I say.

Turns out – at least according to Gillian – that our brain is hardwired for negative behaviors. We scan the world looking for issues to give us time to avoid them – and often miss seeing the positive things around us. If that sounds a bit like “Stop and smell the roses” it’s not a surprise – because that thought is one of the basic tenements of the field. We just don’t stop often enough – and spend too much time being on the alert for disaster to really be happy.

Gillian started us off by getting us to list 10 (if possible) things that make us happy. She then proceeded to explain the 3 different general types of happiness producers – pleasurable activities (like taking a hot bath), “Flow” (like losing ourselves in a book – or a blog), and Meaningful activities (like volunteering, or caring for our kids). The best is to have a mix of the different types so that you aren’t putting all your happiness eggs in one basket. I tend to “Flow” activist (writing is one of those), over Meaningful activities (I’m great at the grand-kids – but volunteering isn’t my strong suit).

At the end – her message was that you can change any behavior permanently if you can do it for 30 days. So she had us set a goal of being happier in 30 days by just picking an activity that corresponds to one of the above types of happiness (different from what you naturally do today) and just do it. To make sure you commit – it’s important to announce your intention. In my case – I’m trying to blog every day – and trust me, it is getting easier to keep it up after 30 days. In fact – this is my 54th blog. In 65 days. Pretty cool, eh?

The key question, however, is – Is writing a blog making me happier? Maybe. I am taking a more observant look at the world around me because I know I’m likely to be writing about it shortly. I love thinking about what I’m going to be saying – and I adore checking my visitor stats. So far my greatest number of visitors in one day was 111 – and that was just 2 days ago. How cool is that? And I do love writing – surprise, surprise.

So I think I’d have to say – Gillian – you were right. “Flow” activities – done regularly – do make for a happier outlook.

(Want to contribute a guest blog…. All in the name of making you happier of course… Just let me know.)

And if you want to get in touch with Gillian – her website is:
http:www.lifeskillstoolbox.ca
and her phone # is 514-824-1967

Life in a Double Wide – Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!


Some of our best friends bought into a ’55+’ community in Florida called the Brookridge Golf Community – 2500 double wides strategiclly located around a club house – an 18 house golf course – and a huge swimming pool.

And we dropped by for a visit.

Confession – while I’ve been in moblie homes before – generally at country fairs where it’s popular to set up a visitation center, I’ve never been inside a double wide. In fact, I’m not sure I knew before today what the difference was between a moble home and a double wide.

Well – I’m here to tell you – there’s a ton of difference. A double wide is a whole lot nicer and has a lot more potential than the fanciest moblie home I ever saw. Its actually really large and open inside. There’s a full size kitchen – and in my friend’s case – an island in the middle for prep work, there’s a very large, very open living room, with a proper media center (a 47″ flat screen TV for starters), 2 full sized bedrooms, 2 reasonably sized bathrooms, and 2 oversized walk in closets. In the master bedroom – which stretched across the entire width, the walk in closet even had his and her sides.

And with this comes a lani or florida room, a garage for 2 golf carts (you need 2 golf carts – this place was huge), and a covered car port.

There’s not a lot of land per home – which means little mowing or gardening, but you aren’t too close to the neigbors either. And the gated development on the whole has lots of green space with fully matured trees. Many of the streets are actually divided parkways.

The community offerings were wonderful. In addition to golf (of course) there is line dancing, arts and crafts, an RV club, even a drama group. In a community of 2500 homes – there’s a ton of variety of owners and ample opportunities to find friends. A monthly magazine is required to keep everyone up to date.

I have to admit to a touch of envy. I don’t know my neighbors – and they knew people on every corner. We even played a few holes of golf (they played – we watched) and ran into some of their buddies.

As my friend said – you have to think of it as a house on a lake – without the lake. I loved it.

Pretty cool. Next time you are doing the open house tour thing – Check out the double wides. You will be amazed.