Cycle 13 – Item 1

6 (Thu) January 2022

Mul Naeng Myeon

3.5

at Bongpiyang

-Bangi, Songpa, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W

Upon its birth on 6 January 2010, GMTD’s survival beyond infancy was not promising.  Prior to GMTD, I had attempted journals of various types at various points in my life (e.g., during middle school, it was a Star Trek-inspired Captain’s Log), but none lasted longer than a few months, entries sporadic in between.  12 years later, I am astounded that GMTD has lived for 4,383 days, as featured in 4,383 consecutive posts – 4,384 as of today.

On many occasions, towards the end of the cycle, I’ve done a “to be or not to be?” tease, ultimately opting to be.  The uncertainty was always real.   Because the blog never had a true objective, a motivation for carrying on was also never clear.  The decision to forge ahead was always based simply on whether I felt like it.   

In February 2019, after an unplanned hiatus of more than 2 years (exactly 759 days), I was contemplating a reboot and reviewing the unpublished photos collected during the break.  I was surprised to find only hazy recollection of the meals depicted in the photos, as if they’d happened in dissipating dreams; in some cases, I was shocked to find zero recollection, as if they’d never happened.   By stark contrast, GMTD-documented events prior to the hiatus remained crystal clear.  In other words, if not blogged, the experience may as well not exist.

So, if for no other reason than memory retention, I’m continuing GMTD, indefinitely.  It’ll end when it ends – no more teases along the way.

Over 12 cycles, I’ve used 33% of my upload limit, so I should have enough capacity through Cycle 36.

To commemorate the inaugural post (see 1.001 Grilled Pork Galbi), GMTD tradition is to start each cycle with a meal of dweji galbi – or so I thought.  Turns out that the tradition has been upheld only 3.5 times – at the start of cycles 2, 3, kinda 4, and 12 – with nary a mention of dweji galbi in between.

Good thing, because I’m changing the tradition in light of my meatless diet.

The plan for dinner had been to eat just mul naeng myeon – yes, a meat dish, but not really about the meat.  However, the adjacent table was feasting on dweji galbi – a devil-sent temptation, if ever there was one.  So I succumbed, happily.  It was excellent.  So was the MNM.

(See also MUL NAENG MYEON)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)