Korean Conversations - Ashleigh Johnson, USA

My name is Ashleigh Johnson. I'm from Akron, Ohio and currently live and teach in Busan, South Korea.

How long have you lived in Korea?

 I've lived in Korea for a year and a half and am savoring the last 6 months.

What do you do in your spare time?

 I enjoy meeting up with friends, hiking, crocheting, crafting, and photography.

What is some interesting trivia about you?

 I swam on a team year-round for 16 years of my life. 

What is your favorite blog to follow?

 I follow aholyexperience.com. It inspires me spiritually, creatively, and gives me truth to meditate upon. 

What is your favorite thing to cook?

 Recently, I've been on a Curry and Naan Indian kick. 

What is your easy “go to” dinner?

 Chili, It's is quick, hearty and I could never get tired of it. 

What is your favorite part of your house?

 my couch-on it I read, pray, craft, and watch the sun rise over the ocean. 

What do you miss the most from your home country?

Besides my family, Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. 

What is your blog?
 www.johnsonadventure.blogspot.com 

Describe your worst shopping experience in Korea.

 When looking for an outdoor jacket for my husband, the worker quickly looked at me, crossed her arms and said "BIG SIZA, NO." How did she know what size my husband is?

What is one question you still have about Korea?

 Why is it okay to say "look there's a foreigner"? Shouldn't kids be taught that it's rude?

Most important Korean phrase?
 Guen Chen Ayo--i'm okay, no thank you, don't worry about it

What advice would you give another homemaker in Korea?

When I first arrived in Korea, I was often frustrated by deciding upon a recipe to try, only to be left on the verge of tears when there were 3 or 4 main ingredients that were a) unavailable or b) rediculously expensive. Until you figure out what ingredients are available in Korea, I would recommend that you go to the grocery store, buy some ingredients that are available, and then try to find a recipe that uses those ingredients. Allrecipes.com is great because it has a "search by ingredient" tab. You just have to come to grips with the fact that you can't cook the same things that you can back home. On the bright side, I've learned to be super creative and make a lot of things from scratch.