Life in Korea – Hospital Days (3 – The Food)

One thing I remember about missions with Americans in Romania is the breakfast. The Americans liked Romanian breakfast, but after a while they had enough. It was too repetitive – almost every day we had branza (cheese = usually feta), pita (bread) si rosii (and tomatoes). [That does not mean that Romanians do not have other options for breakfast, but usually that is what we had during the summer]. This has a slight parallel to the food here in this Korean hospital. I do not know how hospital food is in other countries, but here it is very predictable.

[All I remember about the food in Romanian hospitals comes from my mother. She was always bringing me the best possible food, and that was not easy during communism when stores were mostly empty. I was drinking peach juice (nectar) etc. From all I remember, there was no food provided by the hospital. You had to bring your own!?]

There are three meals a day here and all of them have rice and kimchi. It does not matter if it is morning or evening, rice (mostly white) and kimchi are always on my plate. They always have a soup (and this is usually different every day), and two other small side dishes. There is a lot of variety for the side dishes!

Most of the food is quite spicy and real flavor (except the spiciness) is not to be found in this hospital Korean cuisine. Thank God for the food my wife brings me etc.

One thing is for certain – I am looking forward to go back home to some outstanding home cooking! But then again, like my mother, my wife is no regular cook! J