Day 17: Saturday, September 10

Grocery Shopping in Gwacheon

The first night I was in Gwacheon, I was taking to the nearby grocery story, Kim’s Club.  At the time, I was with my “guardian” Mr. Cho, who is the co-principal of Wonderland, and the items he pointed out weren’t the most appetizing.  I saw some viable food options here and there, but overall, I found myself getting lost in the aisle of oils without any English label in sight.  I was able to find one jar of Peter Pan peanut butter, one bunch of bananas, a ten-pack of yogurt and a big bottle of water.  While the store seemed overwhelming and the options seemed to be few at the time, I had hoped that it was first day jitters that had me concerned about my local mart. 

This is the entrance to Kim's Club, once you've stepped off the escalator.  On the left there are animals you can buy like mice, Guinea pigs, bunnies, turtles and fish for pets.  On the right there is Hilary.

Hilary suggested that she give me a tour of the place one night on our way home from work, and I’m so glad she did.  Not only did she seem to expertly dodge the places of the grocery store that looked and smelled unfamiliar, she led me straight to the goods that would appear on the good ol’ Canadian Food Guide... and some goodies that wouldn’t make the nutritional cut –yum!  I was quickly putting meals together in my head –mostly pasta and rice dishes with some appearances from vegetables –keeping in mind that I am working with a double-burner hot plate.  In 2009-2010, I had the fortunate opportunity to live in a basement apartment with a simple kitchenette, so I more than experienced in the creative cooking department.  Unlike the apartment in the basement, I do not have a microwave or a toaster oven in my current apartment, so it’s just me and my beloved friend hot plate.

My ol' pal, the stove. Joined here by his friend, the drying rack.

Anywho, I shall return to the telling of my most recent Kim’s Club experience.  As I have previously mentioned this weekend is leading into the Chuseok holiday, so there is a lot of preparation taking place in Korean homes.  Part of the Chuseok festivities is a ritual of giving; a gift pack of tuna or spam, a case of fruit (since fruit is expensive, particularly when it is imported), a bundle of rice cake treats, or a set of wine and/or pastries are all excellent presents for Chuseok.  And, that being said, all grocery stores and shops that regularly sell food are packed with Chuseok gift sets.

Rice cake-y treats :D

Just within the entrance to Kim’s Club, there is a Pizza Mart where you can buy whole pizzas for 11,900won (almost $12); I did that in the first week that I was here since I was staying in the motel, but this time, Hilary and I had decided to share a Half & Half Pizza (half Combination Pizza and half Cheese).  You put in an order and about 30 minutes later, your 18inch pizza is all ready to go, wrapped with a bow for easy handling when you opt for takeout.  So, with the extra 30 minutes that Hilary and I have, we tour around Kim’s Club, looking at the stationary section called Morning Glory and I took a couple of photos of the places within Kim’s Club that entertain me the most.

The Pizza Mart

 

 

On the left is the edge of the candy aisle and beverages just a wee bit beyond on the right.  Although Ginger Ale is not available, there is a delightful cider that tastes like the offspring of Ginger Ale and Sprite.

Only $1.40 for a pre-breaded crab, that's still alive and crawls around just as you are walking past.  They are sneaky, particularly when they know you're afraid of them.