Daeya Old Women's Market

Date: 3/11/2011

I was a little nervous last Friday after leaving my country school because I wasn't sure that my new co-teacher, Sue, really liked me.  She was pretty reserved, and though she offered me a ride to school the next week, I really thought she was doing it because if I took the bus, I would arrive 20 minutes after class had started.  But I was picked up today and she was much more talkative and then at lunch, she invited me on a walk.  She phrases things a little funny, saying that she wants to invite me on a walk because "she can't ask any of the other teachers...they are older.  So she has to ask me."  Which doesn't exactly make one feel the warm and fuzzies, but she is perfectly nice and if you put on your "she's speaking in 2nd language" glasses, you see that she really is quiet friendly.

The thing that clinched it though, was that she showed me around Daeya--the city...town...village (?) that my country school is in.  She told me that there was a "Old Women's Market" going on and she wanted to know if I minded if she stopped on the way home and picked up a few things.

I had absolutely no problem with going to a market.  They are so different from anything we have at home that I love going to them.  I think the closest thing I can imagine from home is a "Farmer's Market" but that is too posh of a word for the little markets that are held on the sides of streets in Daeya or other remote parts of Korea.

The first great thing about Markets is that they are super cheap.  I didn't see anything over 3000 won--except strawberries (but those are always expensive--and at 7000 won they were a steal compared to Lotte Mart's 11-13000 won).  (Remember, 1000 won is roughly $1 US).

Second, I finally found where Ajamma's shop!  I cannot ever figure out where the older women in Gunsan buy their ... ridiculous...frumpy....severally fashion descent clothing.  But I found it on the tiny corners of this market.

Ajamma Fashion Sense--leaves much to be desired!

There were some beautiful fruit stalls and some other interesting produce to buy.

A lady selling odds and ends for cooking.  

Such beautiful fruit.  It was such vivid colors.

Oranges...out of the back of a pick-up truck.

Garlic, anyone?  

These are some sort of crispy waffer candy/snack/chip thing.  I just through they were pretty.

The real reason Sue wanted to come to the market was to buy some plants.  She has quiet the green thumb--even if she says she just kills things.  But she was on a mission to buy some cacti so we went hunting--and had success!

The flower shop

Sue asking about cacti-caring techniques.

Some pretty cool cacti, ne?!

My limited opinion of cacti was just green and spike-y.  But, nope, they come in all shapes and sizes and colors. 

Kimchi Sue! 

Sue was super sweet and she actually got me a cactus.  I now have a little plant in my apartment so I feel like I have officially moved in.  Even if my plant only needs to be watered once a month--it still depends on me to take care of it!  

Finally, we ended the shopping trip off with a little snack called Odang.  (Odong? Odon? Something close to that...)  The type of Odang we had was Noodle Odang.  Basically, they take some glass noodles, wrap them in seaweed, and then coat it in this paste, and it gets dunked for a fry.  The paste resembles egg salad (without the yellow egg part--so it is just white with little specks in it).  I later found out that it is not egg--but is made from fish.  It is like some sort of fish puree.  After describing this street food, I realize it sounds MUCH worse than it actually tastes.  Something about glass noodles, seaweed, and fish puree all deep fried really doesn't sound appetizing, but it wasn't bad!  Quiet yummy for street food! 

The lady coating the glass noodles and seaweed in a fish puree, and then rolling them into the fryer. 

Our Odang!  Mine has mustard.  Sue's is plain.

We wrap up our shopping trip and head back towards Gunsan.  Sue points to me where her house/apartment is being built.  When the road splits I tell her the bus goes right (we go left) and thus it takes me about 90 minutes to get home.  She finds this absolutely ridiculous and says she is glad to take me.  Only a short way away and I generally think that our trip to the market has help quell any fears she has that I am one of "those" foreigners.  

I get back to my apartment and set my little cactus--who I need to name--up in a nice sunny spot in my apartment.  He looks very happy sitting on my counter and I am glad to have another living thing in my place.  It makes it feel like home!