Korean BBQ...And Flights

Last night I had my first Korean BBQ dinner (in Korea, at least). I went with my roommate, some of her work friends, and a few of their friends. This extended bunch turned out to be a great dinner group. I was sitting next to two Spanish guys--I'm not sure why, but Spanish guys always seem to have a great sense of humor and are very friendly. Throw some beer into the mix and you've got a great conversation. Anyhow, the food was pretty decent, but I actually didn't think the overall meal was as tasty as the Korean BBQ I've had in Chicago (especially at Cho Sun Oak--that place is very solid). Some of the differences I noticed included:

1) The grill didn't work quite as well, which was a bit annoying.
2) They didn't serve panchan (which is the name for the collection of side dishes you often get at Korean restaurants). Instead, were just had a couple side dishes: onions and a kimchee derivative (of which, I'm starting to gather, there are thousands).
3) The portions were much smaller. If we would have ordered the same dishes at Cho Sun Oak, we would have been buried under the food. Here we were all satisfied by the end, but nobody was stuffed.

At any rate, while not quite as tasty as other Korean BBQ I've had, it was still tasty and a good group. After dinner we went to a jazz club nearby, which was an interesting experience. They didn't charge a cover, but instead had very pricey drinks (about $14 a drink, which from what I've seen so far is very expensive). Aside from the pricey drinks, it was a pretty cool place--surprisingly large, dark, and smokey. The band, which was all Koreans, was pretty decent. Although, I got the impression that the female lead singer didn't really know what she was singing about. I think she had just memorized the words and maybe listened to tapes of English-speakers singing the songs so she would know what to do. Maybe I'm wrong on that, and it doesn't really matter either way I guess, but it was the impression I got from her singing. We called it a night after the jazz club and I got home around 12:30, so not too late of a night.

Today has been very relaxed. Somehow, I slept until 11 this morning. I've been exercising a lot this week and not sleeping more than 6 hours a night. I assume this combination made my body want some extra rest. Surprisingly, I've still been very tired all day. So I went to the gym and then did a few things around the apartment. This afternoon, I finalized my flights for the coming big trip. I'll fly from Seoul to Hanoi for a week touring Vietnam (can't wait to take pictures--it looks pretty cool there). I then fly from Hanoi to Koh Samui, to spend a month at a kickboxing camp there. Afterward, I'll fly back to Seoul and then maybe go to Japan and China before flying back to the US in mid-March. I can't wait to see Vietnam and am super-psyched about the kickboxing camp. I wanted to go to a camp like this between work and business school, but couldn't make the schedule work. I assumed that opportunity was gone, but now that I have the chance again I'm jumping at it. I just hope I am in good enough shape when I arrive to take advantage of the full experience. Aside from working out and trying to get my cardio up, I've been hitting my shins with a belt--yes, true--to try and numb them before the camp. I realize that sounds crazy, but it is what happens when you kick pads anyhow. If I'm able to take care of it before I go then it will mean much less pain when I'm there. I wouldn't normally care too much, but when I've only got one month, I don't want to be slowed down by overly-sore shins.

Tonight I think I am going to meet some of my roommates work buddies at a bar in an expat part of town to watch the college football championship. The game has already happened (and I know who wins) but I don't have any other plans, so I can deal with that I guess. Go Alabama!