Cycle 5 – Item 1

6 (Mon) January 2014

Galbi Tang

3.0

from Samwon Garden

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

So, obviously, I have decided to continue GMTD into Cycle 5.

For several reasons, I had contemplated shutting it down.  First, writing the blog is exhausting.  Second, in light of my plans to be in Manila for much of the year, three months at a minimum, I was concerned that the unfamiliarity of the environment, essentially living there for an extended period as a citizen, would prevent me from writing with the same tone of confidence/authority characterizing most of the opinions/observations/explanations/instructions offered thus far, predominantly within a Korean context; I couldn’t imagine what I could offer as an expat in the Philippines.  And finally, I have an OCD compulsion towards numbers divisible by 4, particularly 4, so ending the blog at 4 cycles would’ve been kinda nice.

But then, the reasons in favor of continuation won out.  Although difficult, writing GMTD is the most fun/cathartic/artistic(?) personal activity that I’ve ever engaged in, so cool/gratifying/practical to have a photographic/documented record of the past 1462 dinners in a row.  Whether anybody else cares to read about my fumbling experiences away from home, I still want to write about them, if only for myself, the only person that really matters, as I’ve always maintained.  Then again, the occasional words of encouragement from readers make me suspect that at least a few people might care (see most recently comments under 4.362 How I Earned a Free Bowl of Mul Naeng Myeon) – thanks Austin and SKIM!!  I suppose that, now, I’ll just have to maintain the blog through Cycle 8.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)