Octopus and Feet

Hello from Korea!

So we have had a busy week this week. I guess first off, I should let you all know that I have a small fracture of my sesamoid bone. For all those non-doctors in the house, its one of the bones in your foot, more like the ball of your foot. After doing some research I think it might be more like a severe case of sesimoditis, but if I don't rest it could become worse. Take a look the picture:

I hurt it a few months ago when I was playing soccer and running everyday. I went to the hospital back then, but the doctors couldn't find anything. So I rested and just started exercising full force last week. Well it started hurting again and I went back to the hospital.

Needless to say I freaked out the ER doctor because he's English wasn't that wonderful, so he was super nervous talking to me. He thought it was just a severe case of sesamoiditis. Luckily, the nurses paged one of the orthopedic surgeons (who was not nervous around me) and he looked at my X-Rays and noticed the small crack. So for now I'm in a ghetto walking cast for two to three weeks (hence sesamoiditis versus a fractured bone--if it was really fractured I would be in a straight up cast). The doctor did say to me several times "Jennifer, please please please no more soccer," so I guess I just have to rest for now.

In other news, Ed and I were invited to one of his student's houses for dinner last night. Her English ability is growing, so a lot does get lost in translation. I guess she asked Ed if we eat 'manuel' (which we thought meant garlic) so he said yes. Well he obviously mis-heard/mis understood her because when we arrived, there was no garlic in sight. It was more like octopus, oysters, and fish for dinner.

It was a night of firsts for both of us. In order not to be rude, we had to try everything that was offered and while some of the dishes were pretty common place, others were not.

Yes there was live octopus offered. And yes, we both ate it. There was cooked octopus offered. And yes, we both ate it. Steamed oysters were offered. And we both ate it. There was even raw crab brains offered. And despite trying to cover up our rice bowls, we both had to eat it. And finally cooked octopus head (yes brains, eyes, nose; the head) was offered. Only Ed ate that one.

Overall it was a very educational evening. I ate things that I never wanted to eat. Just so you all know, live octopus tastes just like cooked octopus, tough and chewy, except it moves a bit in your mouth.

Ed said cooked octopus head isn't actually that bad if you don't think you are eating an octopus's head. He said it tasted like a giant oyster.

Raw crab brains tastes like you would think it would taste like. Vomit. It made us wonder who in their right mind ever thought to eat that, then label it a delicacy.

Oysters were very good.

I can't say that I'll be running out to eat some more octopus live or dead, and I definitely won't be eating raw crab ever again, if I can help it. Oysters on the other hand I will try again.