Had a nourishing breakfast of noodles in broth and spicy cabbage at a local restaurant. There is no tipping in Korea and you receive good service without tipping.

Reserved the room for another night.

Decisions, decisions...

Up until yesterday our stay and travel plans had been dictated by the success of the Irish team and where they would be playing. With Ireland now out of the competition, we had to make up our minds about our travel plans. Spent the morning investigating travel possibilities from Singapore, if I managed to change the date of the return ticket.

Discussed the possibilities with Terry, who had once travelled to Singapore from Thailand, and a Canadian I met at the hotel, Peter, who had just spent four months in Thailand.

Terry was flying back to Japan later in the afternoon, and Peter was flying back to Vancouver. With Louise and Niall we had a meal at Millenium Plaza and coffee at Starbucks (a first for me). Discussed books. Bade farewell to Terry who was getting the airport bus from the YMCA.

Korean Cuisine

Korea has its own cuisine, different from Chinese or Japanese. Rice is the staple food and a typical Korean meal consists of rice, soup, rice water and 8-20 side dishes of vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, bean-curd and sea plants. There are also many noodle dishes, served in broth with a variety of vegetable ingredients—these were my favourite. Most Korean soups and side dishes are heavily laced with red pepper. Dishes include kimchi (the national dish, highly spiced pickle of Chinese cabbage or white radish, sometimes with turnips, onions, salt, fish, chestnuts, etc.), soups (based on beef, pork, oxtail, other meat, fish, chicken and cabbage, almost all spiced), and meat dishes such as pulgogi (marinated, charcoal-broiled beef barbecue).

Oh, did I mention dogs...?

Man Bites Dog

Last year FIFA condemned the mistreatment of dogs in this country (they used to be hanged or beaten with bats to soften the flesh before slaughter). South Korea banned dog restaurants during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but spicy dog meat soup, poshintang, is still very popular in summertime. There are reckoned to be over 6,000 restaurants selling it in the country. No, I didn't try it!

The Beautiful Game

In a surprise result, USA beat Mexico 2-0, apparently against the run of play, but then it's goals that count. This will be a bitter defeat for the Mexico to swallow. The game was in Jeonju, and around 10,000 Mexicans were present, so I'm expecting to see a fair few sorry-looking Mexican supporters over the next few days.

That evening went to a Korean restaurant where the tables contain a grill, and you cook the meat, etc., on the grill. Called a golbi, I think. Niall told of their adventures crossing into Cambodia from Thailand. Louise had bought a book on Korean cooking.

Watched Brazil beat Belgium 2-0. Well, what with concentrating on the barbeque, chopsticks and beer, and chatting away good-o, we didn't manage to see a lot of the match!