Vanilla Extract

I've been experimenting with different ways to substitute for vanilla extract here in Korea given its scarcity. After receiving bits of advice here and there and googling my fingers raw, here's what I've come up with:

Homemade Pasta

I found an alternate use for my drying rack. The thing's been starved for attention given my repulsion of doing laundry - or anything along the lines of being more hygienic than what is socially requisite. But I do like food. Ergo. Pasta drying rack.

I used a recipe for whole wheat pasta and tossed it with a simple vodka sauce. It was so good the final dish was gobbled up by my filthy self before the thought of photographing it even crossed my mind.

Work Out on the Seoul Metro

Here's an exercise tip for those who want to exercise but have every excuse not to (valid or not). Stand on your tippy toes during your commute and to to go as long as you can stand before coming back down on your entire foot. Use the hand straps to stabilize but don't hold your weight in them. I usually go 5 stops then rest for a stop and repeat. This works really well for long commutes and jerky subway lines like Line 1.

Vivaldi Park: Ocean World

Vivaldi's Park's Ocean World is amputated to its indoor facilities during the winter from its floundering state as an aquatic metropolis during the summer months. After skiing for days in layers of dry-fit, fleece, and ski gear made to dissolve any semblence of womanly form and transform its wearer into a giant marshmallow, I wanted to wear as little as I could get away with (in Korea, that's not much). The added bulk and limited range of movement of being in ski clothes helped me to empathize with gavaged ducks fattened only to have their liver harvested for foie gras. Waddle waddle.

Vivaldi Park: Ski World

Seoul is THE city for nightlife. No curfews. No last calls. No limits. No restrictions. It's an incubator for one's innermost hedonistic seedling. And you can plant that seed any day of the week, any night of the year. Which is why I turned my nose up at the prospect of partying on New Year's Eve (ever heard of reverse psychology?). As much as I wanted to dance with a rhinestone umbrella in a shower of champagne at the W, I was determined to greet 2010 fully cognizant of events - fun events. I went skiing.

The draw of Vivaldi Park is the duality of its offerings - Ski World and Ocean World. Obviously during the winter months, Ski World trumps Ocean World. In fact, I would recommend making reservations well in advance for accommodations especially during holidays and weekends. We settled for a rustic "pension" with a panoramic view of the mountainous countryside. Quilts, pine paneling, a French press, covered private terrace, and handmade ceramic mugs - Orbis Pension is unpretentious but refined.