Jo's Miscellany

After a year in Germany and spending much of that year going to a Korean church with walterka I got completely hooked on Korean food. The ladies in that church made lunch for everyone (a small congregation, but still) every week. Worship together, eat together. Whoever was hosting our small group for Bible study each week had something to eat there too, usually quite a substantial dinner -- always a boon for poor college students.

So last Tuesday, my dear sweet husband called me, and spake thusly:

"Hey, I heard there's a new Korean restaurant here... Wanna go?"

And I thought thusly:

'Sweet goodness, he really REALLY loves me.'

I had been jonesing for some good Korean food for the better part of eighteen months. We had gone to a place in OP that was... okay. But no kim bab. At all. Not having my favorite thing means I won't bother to drive 30 minutes to go there. We went once, and never went back.

Now, this place opens up three blocks FROM MY HOUSE. No kidding.

So we went. And they had kim bab. And that was my dinner.

And I was in heaven.

It's a clean but slightly shabby place, that apparently used to be the best Italian restaurant in this town, 20 years ago. Then it was a place called "Campus Hideaway" or some such. Then it was an anarchist bookstore.

Now, it's my favorite place in the world.

The dishes look like a lower/middle-class grandmas: in good condition, but obviously not new and obviously not expensive, and the patterns don't all match. There are the obligatory red checkered tablecloths, and the cooks and wait staff all wear cute little old-fashioned aprons over whatever else. It has its charming oddities, and some rather basically presented niceties (cold water is on the drinks table in an old perculator coffee pot, and, incidentally, does not taste like coffee in the least).

It is also extremely affordable. I can get my favorite food in the world for under $5, and they bring you complimentary kimchi, as much as you can eat.

(Note: My husband and I got a cereal-bowl with about a 1/4 cup of kimchi in it with our meals. When I polished that off in about 60 seconds, alone, the nice young lady brought out a refilled bowl, this time with about 4 times as much kimchi in it.)

We're going there again tonight. I have committed myself to going at least one a week. This is a restaurant I want to succeed, for a long, long time.

Oh, and for you locals? It's the Campus Hideaway Roll Cafe.

Yes, it's true. The layout changes gave it away: I'm actually on LiveJournal again, and this time, I'm posting.

It should go without saying that during graduate school I spend little time on this, and this is my last semester, and therefore the one during which I am Most Likely to Forget About Everything Except The Exam in January.

A quick update, for those who came in late. ;)

I did, in fact, get married on July 22 (the day after the next most-recent post, if you can call it 'recent' at all). The ceremony was lovely (ask bluecanarykit, she was there) and my husband is still the most wonderful man in the world. I'm not settling into Wifey per se, but I have been enjoying the pure, simple mundanity that is Sharing a Life Together.

Also, I turned 29 a few weeks ago. I am no longer under any obligation to get older. I may choose to do so, but that is entirely my option. ;)

Other than that, I'm working in the library again, designing a few sites here and there, and generally enjoying myself.

In this generous spirit, I offer you some online, free, and (mostly) highly artistic entertainment of the webcomic variety:

• Tales of Pylea
• Talismen
• Legostar Galactica
• War of Winds

Enjoy.

I am privileged to be witness to the creativity that is Cup O' Joel. This week's installation is particularly good, and, pending approval of the parties mentioned, you'll get to read it too.

My dad ain't Fonzie at Cup O' Joel

Enjoy.

*p.s. He took a BSG quiz somewhere on the web somewhen, and came out as Chief Tyrol; hence the userpic. :)

--

I rock. No, really.

I got my midterm back from Dr. Taleghani today, the take-home one that I dreaded for a few days, then got over and finally, wrote.

I'm sitting here with a mad grin, just 'cause I done good.

Needless to say, the general academic outlook is on the upswing, so of course I'm thinking of the post-semester pleasures that await:

• catching up on Sinfest
• reading for fun again*
• sleeping past 6:30
• getting back to the gig
• getting back on the Gigcast
• getting out of Wescoe
• spend more time with joel that doesn't involve me reading for class
• having a clean apartment
• having time to actually cook
• naptime, anytime!
• working on Blue Canary with Kit (inasmuch as I help anyway)
• playing around with random languages (this this or this) because I CAN!

That should do it. For now. I could go on and on (really) but unfortunately, there's a lot left to be accomplished before I get started on that particular to-do list. Hopefully this will serve as a motivator, instead of a procrastinator.

I was almost on the radio this morning.

I got on the 7:50 edition of the number 6, as usual, and just one stop later, three more passengers boarded. One was an older gentleman (he talked about a newborn great-grandchild, I can say that) who was apparently interviewing the two others that boarded with him about the Lawrence bus system. It was the 25th anniversary of the company, so public transit was both free and news.

After the first radio spot (transmitted live via cell phone) he asked the rest of us on the bus how long we'd been riding, etc. I was apparently the most experienced aboard (strange, that!) and when I mentioned I'd lived in Germany and gotten used to the transit there, he looked all interested, and wanted to chat with me for the next spot.

Unfortunately, the next spot was due up about 1 minute after I had to depart the No. 6 to transfer to the No. 8.

Bummer. I laughed about and half-regretted not being able to participate just because I had a class to teach at 8:30.

Along these lines is ranked hanging out with Joel. We went to coffee last night, and within 15 minutes two people had talked to him, the first about an article he wrote, and the second was a personal acquaintance who just happened to run into us. I can't imagine what it must be like to be stopped on the street and be told what a good job you're doing, or that someone enjoyed a piece you wrote. It's not fame per se, but it is recognition (and public visibility) of a sort.

A familiar experience, in a way: it hearkens back to our days in Mississippi, where I was known only as "the new music minister's daughter". It wasn't through my own merits that I 'achieved' this recognition. It was simply by virtue of being the new girl in a small town. It brings up some interesting memories, which are more positive than I expected, considering the tumultuousness of our stay in that southern state.

I am missing out on hearing a famous person tonight as well -- author Salman Rushdie is giving a talk at the Lied Center tonight, and I was too slow in getting tickets. It has been 'sold out' (the tickets were free) since September 30. (Joel, however, managed to score one randomly last week -- I'll be getting the full report from an actual reporter. *g*)

I missed out on both James Brown and Bobby McFerrin while I was in Stuttgart (due to low fundage, as usual). The last (and only) person of any widespread reputation that I heard was Sherman Alexie, author and screenwriter (remember the movie Smoke Signals? That's his stuff.) I went with Becca (another Lied Center event) and it was delightful. I truly enjoy getting to hear people whose works I've either read or listened to... to get a glimpse of the human being.

Okay, so I did get to hear the King's Singers in Heidelberg in November. One individual, and one group.

The best part of that was sitting in on rehearsal pre-concert. It was refreshing to hear a professional music group practicing, spot-checking in much the same manner as we did for college choir quartet exams.

finally, the plug: Kit (bluecanarykit) has been working on the rewrite of Blue Canary, creating history and storyline, changing the format (from daily strip to graphic novel) and I got to see the first 11 pages! Other than Ken, I'm the only person who's gotten to see more than the related sketches and sneak peeks that she has posted to the LJ already.

It's coming along nicely, folks. I'm looking forward to this.