Content in Court!

I have to admit that I am a curiously busy creature. Taekwondo, Music, Soccer, UNESCO presentations, avid reading, blogging, attempts at learning foreign languages, struggling to write a decent children's book in time before the coming millennium, and not to mention my job, are all activities that I partake in with some frequency during my weekly routine. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I am able to eat-and sleep to boot! Yet, Despite my ability to survive under these relatively hectic circumstances, I must emphasize that it comes with some difficulty.


Oftentimes I will have the notion that what I am doing is rewarding, and my actions are helping me grow as a human. Moreover I find that all of the activities I do are endearing, and the mere actions of doing these things are gratifying. Who wouldn't like to to learn a martial art? What person would frown upon the good, honest exercise of kicking a soccer ball around? Wouldn't any normal person want to get that book idea on paper? Maybe my music, and blogging makes me a bit of a narcissist, but nonetheless I enjoy it and therefore continue with it. The only hurdle I face week in and week out of doing all of the things I enjoy of course is the hurdle of time. Time is one of life's great enemy's.


Since there is only so much of this precious thing called time, which Warren Buffet couldn't even afford to purchase, then we need to make the most of it. In order to do the things we want in life, we initially need to be ace time managers. It isn't easy for anyone, especially someone like myself-who also believes excess sleep is a healthy pursuit that should also be practiced by everyone. In addition I also believe in taking the time to eat at least one decent meal in a day. For this reason alone; it's good that I live in Korea. Now you might turn your nose up and say tut tut at what I am about to impart to you, but in Korea they actually have really tasty food courts, which offer cheap, healthy options.


From many years of experience of being an American, I have learned that one of the quintessential things about life in America is that there is a readily available supply of convenient cheap food. Like Koreans, American lives are proven to be just as busy, if not busier. So to attempt to shave off a few minutes, many of us Yanks will eat greasy fast food. It's the same cheap, greasy fast food that is offered daily at countless food courts across America. If you venture to a shopping mall in America you will see for yourself the array of time saving, calorie adding options that are readily available. Hot dogs on sticks with french fries, pizza slices with enough grease to clog several arteries, fried chicken, with fried cheesy sticks, and even more fried, cheesy type dishes. Despite the fact that this stuff ironically tastes pretty darn good, I think it is no secret that if you eat this kind of garbage every day, it will kill you. What's the use of saving time, if you are going to spend those remaining days in a hospital bed? Coincidentally, in Korea, their food courts have healthy time saving options. You'll spend more time doing the things you want, while eating quick healthy meals.



For example, at Kim's Club, which is conveniently located next to my apartment building, offers at least three or four dishes where the majority of the calories will be in the rice. In less than five minutes you can have a semi-spicy kinchi jigae (which is like a kimchi stew) for less than four dollars. You could also enjoy a semi-sweet bulgogi stew, which is like a beef stew. If you like spicy, or even really frigging spicy, sample the fiery tofu stew at about the same price. By the way your eyes aren't deceiving you. I really did say tofu. Tofu is astonishingly healthy, and it's readily available in many dishes in all food courts across Korea.



In Suncheon, I can immediately name four establishments that have food courts. It's not a large city, but there are plenty of dining options. Kim's Club is my top choice because it's the most accessible to me, and moreover I think the industrious cooks there give more of a personal touch to the dishes. Kim's Club is smaller and is frequented by less customers. Home Plus, E-Mart, and Home Ever all have food courts as well, but are busier, so the cooks there seem to just lash out meals faster with out paying too much attention to the details. Anyway, Each food court does has it's own unique atmosphere, yet the bottom line; like any food court is to save time. So if you come to Korea, and you find yourself in a food court here's some tips to make your order more successful.



First of all, you won't be approached by a waiter. This is fast food rules, so if you can't wait, no one will wait on you. You have to go to the main counter, which is usually located in front of where the informal seating area is. There is a large array of convenient displays of all the food dishes that offer help for anyone unable to read in Hangul. Once you have made your selection point at your dish, hand over your money and keep your receipt. The clerk will then inform you where to pick up your food. There are usually four or five restaurants in the food court area, and each one prepares a different style of food. On your receipt will be a little number. This will be the number of your order. Once your number comes up, go over and retrieve your food. Remember to say thank you too to the gracious hardworking woman who prepared it. If you get thirsty, just grab a metal cup from the water cooler, and pour yourself all the water you can drink. You'll need it, if the food's spicy.



So if you are a busy soul like myself, and you feel like you are always running from one point to another, remember that eating fast food indeed will save time. A stitch in time does save nine, but a stitch in time eating unhealthy fast food will require stitches to re-attach your broken buttons. If you aren't in Korea, and you are lured by unhealthy food courts then for your own health resist the temptation and find a supermarket.