Expo-sure

My first exposure (sorry) to a World Exposition was at age of five years when my family went to Expo '67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I remember well the crowds and biosphere building that still stands in Montreal today. And who can forget being confined to the backseat with my brother for the 8 hour drive from Toronto to Montreal. Needless to say we got a lot of jabbing and teasing accomplished in those hours... to the point where I'm surprised my parents didn't leave us in Montreal when they had the chance =)



Then came Expo '86 in Vancouver when I was living in nearby Clearbrook British Columbia. Those were interesting times living an hour away from a city that was hosting an international event. I remember particularly the barrage of advertising (on everything from milk cartons to license plates) and dealing with congested traffic on the one major highway leading in and out of Vancouver. I must admit it was a beautiful location for Expo '86 and a wonderful event to attend, but I was sure glad when the advertising stopped and the traffic went back to normal.

Now I am experiencing Expo again here in Daejon South Korea, only this time not the event itself but from a nearby neighborhood where Expo '93 was held. This is the second year I am living in the Expo Apartments, a complex of 60 high-rise buildings housing approximately 25,000 residents; in essence, the size of a small city living in approximately one square mile. Employees of Expo '93 lived in these apartments during the international fair and since that time my apartment complex houses a concentration of families from the tech industry. Science and technology is big business here, in fact Daejon is known as the Silicon Valley of Korea.

During my first week at TCIS in 2007, I met a wonderful Korean lady who used to live in Canada (including Waterloo and Ottawa Ontario) for seven years! I remember thinking how ironic it is that I should meet people half way around the world who lived in my home town. Long story short, her family decided to move to Thailand in the fall of 2008 for two years and asked if I wanted to stay in their 4 bedroom condo. Needless to say, I am thrilled for the opportunity to look after their home while they are gone.



I really enjoy living on this side of the city, about 20 minutes away from the school. Now that I am outside the TCIS 'bubble' I have opportunity to integrate into the typical Korean neighborhood having to communicate with those who speak little-to-no English, such as the dry cleaners, vendors, bus drivers, neighbors and building security guards. Add to this the close proximity to many parks and access to the 'river walk' from our parking lot. I recently bought a bike and am thoroughly enjoying my rides come rain or shine!



In the center of this apartment complex is a six story shopping center called Expo Core (pronounced Eksepo Coa) which has hundreds of shops selling everything from imported foods to furniture to clothes. Walking around this center you would think you're in an enclosed fair ground -- an open area with individual booths all lined up row upon row. Nice to be able to pick up dinner, like mandu and kimbap, on my way home from work.






Daejon is surrounded by mountains and from my apartment in Expo I can be on a mountain trail within a 10 minute walk. In many ways, living in this area reminds me of living in Clearbrook BC which is also surrounded by mountains and nature... only it's a lot sunnier around here!

Cicadas

One of my early memories of Korea in 2007 is incredible high-pitched sounds coming from trees during the hot summer months. I first noticed this when walking under the huge Zelkova trees on our campus. I still don't know if it's my imagination, but I find the insect noise-makers often start up when a person approaches a tree... then good luck trying to carry on a conversation with your neighbor as you pass by!

I have since learned these bugs occupying trees in this part of the world are called Cicadas and they can produce sounds up to 120 dB at close range and are among the loudest of all insect-produced sounds. I am now so familiar with this sound that I associate it with summer, like the sound of crickets on a warm summer evening back home. In fact, I'm sitting here at the computer with the windows open listening to the waves of sound as I write this.

Interesting creatures these Cicadas. Apparently they live underground for seventeen years and then come out during their last summer to live only one week. While living underground they feed on root juice and have strong front legs for digging. When ready, they then construct an exit tunnel to the surface and emerge.

Not to worry if you come to visit South Korea because Cicadas are benign to humans and do not bite or sting. On the contrary, many people around the world eat Cicadas with the female as the prized catch because they are (apparently) meatier. Cicadas are often deep fried and dipped in a sauce like a hot mustard or cocktail sauce and, nice to know, roasted Cicadas have a "nutty" flavor. You may want to add this recipe I found to your collection =)


I haven't seen or been offered Cicadas as an entree here in Korea but it wouldn't surprise me if I were at some time. During and after the war years in the 1950s, Koreans truly lived off the land and many of these food sources are still enjoyed today. In fact, bugs such as silk worm in larvae and grasshoppers are considered a delicacy. I took this picture in an outdoor market in Seoul which is about as close as I'll get to the silk worm.