Pork and Beans

Today Geoff was told that we had to get an apartment off post. So we asked the KATUSA soldier to go (so he could translate for us), and we were off. We found an apartment but I don't have pictures because I haven't actually seen it. We went in one just like it, and someone was already living there. I thought it might be rude to just start snapping pictures of a strangers house. When we move in I will give ya'll the entire scoop. After wheeling and dealing with a real estate agent, we took private Jang out to lunch, and he got to pick where we ate. I don't know the name of the place, it was all in Korean. All I know is there was a little pig on the sign. Of course my pictures are out of order again. He ordered regular pork for Geoff. That is it cooking on top, with some kinchi on the bottom. It was really good. The man cooked it at our table. After the pork was cooked he cut it up with some scissors, and we would take a piece, put it on a lettuce leaf with some kimchi, a piece of garlic, and eat it. Geoff, of course would only eat the meat and cooked garlic. His breathe stunck the rest of the day. Just so you know kimchi tastes like sauerkraut with some hot pepper on it.
Jang ordered carbi for us. Of course we shared all the food. This is it above. It was pork, seasoned in something, and was really good. I was pretty full by the time we started to eat it.
This is how they bring the food out to you. They just lay before you as raw as can be. I really worry about cross contamination. I thought we were going to have to cook it like we did at that buffet, but the guy who worked there cooked it. Jang helped a little, when some of the meat started to get to done. You see those skinny metal chopsticks on the table, those are the worst to eat with. I can use wooden chopsticks pretty well, but I had a time with those little metal ones. Jang says that the more you use chopsticks, the smarter you become due to cordination. Maybe if I start using chopsticks on a regular basis I won't be so clumsy.
This is private Jang. He is 24, but looks like he 12. He is a school teacher, and wants to go to Columbia University in New York to get his masters in education. Every man in Korea has to serve as a soldier for 2 years. They can serve in the ROK Army (Republic of Korea), or as a KATUSA, a Korean soldier serving with the US Army. Evidently it is better to serve as a KATUSA, because you get treated better. The KATUSA soldiers only make $50 dollars a month, and for every stripe they get (when they move up in rank) they get $20 more. To add to that they eat and live for free.
These are the side dishes that came with our carbi. The red stuff is kimchi of course. The yellow and white things next to the kimchi were bean sprouts. They were so good. I did not try the geen stuff, and Jang couldn't really tell me what it was, and the little white things in the corner was garlic. We also had this bean soup that was really hot, and rice. I really enjoyed our meal today, because I knew what I was eating. I would really like to go back to that restaurant, but I don't think the man would know what we wanted to order. We would order, and he would prbably just smile at us and nod his head. I think I am going to look into getting a english to korean dictionary or something. Until next time!