Ahaha, I’m trying really hard to hang in there.

I want to try more Chinese food, but I’m not big on soups or tofu or vegetables so…. that makes it hard. I like meat >.< But none of my college students are ever really free to go for dinner with me, so I can't even really ask them for help.
I feel really awkward taking in my phrasebook with the meals + their characters, but I have to do it. Just kinda sucks being independent – though it's a double edged sword, because I don't want people watching me fail with chopsticks (though I'm getting better).

I miss cooking ;__; No oven to bake either.

Hang in there!! This may sound silly but have you tried writing the names of chinese food you like and taking that to the restaurant? It might help until you feel more confident ordering. Then if you recognize the characters on the menu you can just point?
I feel your pain on the right ingredients/cuts of meat. I’ve had to modify lots of recipes because of that.

I don’t think it’s so much strict as Nic not wanting to offend. I always feel the same way when I stay with somebody, like I should eat their food their way.
And if your MIL always cooks you don’t want to look/feel like you’re “taking over her spot”. Probably the easiest would be what somebody else suggested…offer to cook for everybody and make what you want to eat.

We will be here until the 15th. Going to Sorak San next weekend, but will be in Seoul from 7-9 and then again probably Oct 14 and 15. PS HoeDuk is kind of like pancakes, but tastier =)

How long are you here for? Not sure when we will go to Seoul next 🙁

Ive only been living in China for a month and… I have no oven, I have one pan, one wok… I had no chopsticks or knives or forks, so I had to go get all that myself and it’s still not enough. Finding even seasoning for food I want to cook is difficult.

I have to go into the nearest city (which takes about 2hrs on the bus + subway) to an international supermarket, which even then doesn’t have all the ingredients or cuts of meat I want or need. I’m basically living off pasta right now, and Dicos chicken. And the occasional sweet + sour or gongbao jiding when I have the guts to go into a restaurant and order food.

I don’t really have anyone looking out for me here though (which is kinda driving me nuts and might be part of why I go home soon if things don’t shape up), so on the plus side, you do have your husband and his family keeping their eye on you. But yeah… food cravings. Ugh. Even the pizza and the bread and the fast food here is different, and I can’t make any of that myself. I really like Chinese food too but asking for it and ordering it is so hard TT__TT

I don’t usually have food dreams though. I just dream about my family – even the members I don’t get on with! So I wake up thinking “I miss —- no, wait, no I don’t…” >.>

It is always especially hard being in a situation where you are not the cook. My solution was to hang out in the kitchen and snack on the raw ingredients before they got cooked. They thought I was very odd, but they didn’t mind. And I got the little change in taste that I needed.