No, do bring food in the sack.

Eating is enormously important in Korea. Despite people's frantic work schedules, it seems that when they do sit, no moment nor bite is wasted. I should liken it to the way French or Italians obsess over their meals, but with less wine and carbohydrates.

I learn something new at every Korean meal I sit for. The most interesting stuff I pick up has to do with the relationship of certain foods and the body. For example, there's a whole battery of eats that directly effect one's "stamina." Or, as a Korean once told my friend, "this will help your cock." Erection-facilitating treats include eel, spiced shoots, and dog soup. I've yet to give the eel a go, but credible sources have assured me that it works... perhaps too well.

I'm lucky. I like the food here, and I like it a lot. It would be very difficult to live here and not enjoy what's on your plate. You would have to stick with the western food they serve, which is expensive and fatty (read: western.) That's the thing, despite the massive rice intake, you rarely see an overweight Korean. They are a very health conscious people.

I can never tell because so many of the convos fly over my head, but the little I've seen has shown me that Koreans are very intentional about the things they eat. Everything consumed has a purpose. The same can be said for things left uneaten. For example, last night I had some hard boiled eggs with a Korean man who refused to eat the yolk. He claimed there was too much cholesterol. This guy could not be in better shape, and now I see why he stays that way. But he's nothing out of the ordinary. Just last week I saw my co-teacher eat a green pepper like it was a carrot. When asked how she could handle it, she simply replied that it was very important for her vitamin levels. My sense is that most Koreans would have answered the same way.

I do miss aspects of western dining, for sure. I can't tell you how excited I will be to have an American burrito. That said, I hope I never forget the care and reverence Koreans put into their meals. It's something to behold.