When we were in South Korea, we were
invited to stay with a rice-farmer a couple of hundred kilometres from Seoul,
the capital city.
Our friend – the farmer – fetched us
from our hotel in Seoul. The drive from the city first ended in a large village
restaurant. The food was truly local Korean fare which included a few items new
to me - small chilled, raw crabs in a kind
of dark sauce, fresh slices of skate in a tasty sauce, sliced pieces
of duck which tasted a bit like salami, a creamy, soft, white tofu
curd and jelly made from acorn powder (the items were translated to
me on the iPhone by my host when I enquired what they were). We were,
then, shown round the village before ending up at the host's.
At his home, there was another meal
waiting for us! It was prepared by his wife. This time, the food was something
different; among the dishes was a dish of raw salmon and tuna.
Korean beer, home-brewed rice wine, ginseng wine and home-made apple
and plum cider were passed round as we sat on the floor - dining around a low table. I had been a
teetotaler for years but to be polite to the host family, I opted for the
low-alcoholic cider!
The double-storey farm house was
very modern. It was centrally-heated but the heat could be adjusted for every
room individually. I found the heat too warm for me, so I had it turned off in
my room. I had the window slightly ajar and I found it very comfortable
with a cold draught blowing in.
It was a most enjoyable stay in the
countryside as the farmer and his family were most hospitable to us.
ltbs
Similarity
of outlook creates friendship.
Democritus
