Jello fun!

One of my student's favourite songs from Beeline Plus (the English book we are currently using) is a celebratory ode to the joys of lemon Jell-O. I was shocked to find out that Jell-O is an unknown commodity here in Korea. After trying to explain what Jell-O was, I made an off-handed comment that I would have to bring some back from my trip to Canada at Christmas. Well, they never let me forget that commitment, and reminded me at least twice each day leading up to my Christmas vacation.

Following the recipe for Jell-O Jigglers, I whipped up a few batches of Jell-O which were enthusiastically received!


It is a good thing I know Jell-O is so delicious, because after reading the following Wikipedia description of where it comes from, I'm not sure I would be willing to try it:

Animal rendering is a key step in the manufacture of gelatin desserts. The production of gelatin starts with the boiling of bones, skins, and hides of cows and pigs, in 70-foot vats to remove collagen, which is then soaked and filtered. The extract is then dried and ground to form a powder, and is mixed with sugar, adipic acid, fumaric acid, sodium citrate, and artificial flavorings and food colors.

What some more interesting Jell-O trivia? Did you know that Jell-O is reportedly the favourite snack of Mormons? In fact, Jell-O is the official state snack food of Utah, which is reported to have the highest per capita sales of green gelatin dessert of any U.S. state. This has earned Utah and the surrounding areas the label "Jello Belt".

Never-ending winter

As a born and bred Vancouverite, I'm accustomed to winter being a minor inconvenience that comes around for a couple weeks each year. Unfortunately, winter is serious business here in Seoul. I awoke this morning to yet another light dusting of fresh snow and bone-chillingly cold winds. The weather seems all the more unbearable when you consider the cruel irony that only a few short months ago I was complaining bitterly about how sweltering hot it was!

Back in the ROK

Regular readers (believe it or not, there actually are a few!) will have noticed that my posting has dropped off the last month or so. One of the main reasons for that is I was busy during the lead up to Christmas getting ready to fly home for the holidays. The two weeks I enjoyed back in the Western hemisphere were blissful, and confirmed for me (as if there was any doubt) that Vancouver is indeed the best place on earth.

To be fair, a Seoul/Vancouver comparison is a little unbalanced. With 10 million less people roaming the streets, it is no wonder Vancouver seems so much more livable! While there is definitely no place like home, landing at Incheon International this time felt very familiar, and it has been very easy to settle back into my daily routine. With only three months remaining in my teaching contract, my time in Korea is quickly coming to an end. I plan on blogging more regularly during the next few months as I try to get to all the items on my "Seoul to-do" list. Stay tuned...