Tteokbokki most popular street food among foreigners

(From the Korea Herald)
Tteokbokki was the most popular food sold on the streets among foreigners living in Korea, a survey showed.

In a survey conducted by Kyung Hee University Institute of International Education, tteokbokki (rice cakes in hot sauce) was the No. 1 street food foreigners liked to eat (31.1 percent) followed by dak-kkochi (skewered chicken grilled with spicy sauce) with 29 percent and sundae (pig’s intestine stuffed with a vegetable mixture) with 20.2 percent. Fritters placed last at 9.6 percent. The survey was conducted on 455 foreigners living in Korea from 62 different nations from March 21 to April 3.

Most of the foreigners surveyed (93.6 percent) answered that they liked Korean food. The reason for liking Korean food was because it was tasty (32.1 percent), nutritious (25 percent) and healthy (20.5 percent). Women, who have more interest in beauty and diet than men, answered that Korean food was best for health.

Fifty-nine percent of participants answered that kimchi was the food representing Korea. However, when asked what their favorite Korean food was, bulgogi (beef in a soy sauce marinade) ranked first with 32.4 percent and galbi (seasoned ribs) followed with 28.7 percent.

Side dishes most frequently consumed by foreigners were kimchi (29 percent), grilled fish (17.1 percent), seaweed (15.4 percent) and seasoned vegetables (10.9 percent).

Surveys showed foreigners also expressed their liking for not only Korean dishes, but Korean food culture as well. Oscar, a 30-year-old Ugandan, said he was surprised by the amount of side dishes offered at Korean restaurants. “I was surprised that the side dishes were given as much as you liked and was free of charge,” he said.

Over half of the foreigners surveyed answered that they had Korean dishes that they could cook well. Kimchi stew (32.3 percent), tteokbokki (26.2 percent) and kimbap (rice rolled with seasoned vegetables) (15.9 percent) were food foreigners cooked most often.

Some actually showed confidence in Korean cooking. “I learned to cook Korean food for my husband. Now I can cook sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) with ease,” Dimtian from Vietnam said.

Hockey

An indoor rink in an arena

Hockey is a fast, exciting sport that began in Canada in the 1800s. Every year many Canadians play hockey or watch the game on television.

A goalkeeper, or goalie, watching the puck

Hockey is played on a sheet of ice called a rink. Two teams compete to score points by shooting a puck into a net. Each team has six players who skate on the ice. Hockey is one of the fastest sports. When players shoot the puck, it can travel more than 160 kilometers per hour. Goalkeepers try to keep the puck out of their nets.

Players try to shoot the puck into the goal

Because hockey is a fast, rough game, the players need special clothing and equipment for protection. They wear helmets to protect their heads, as well as heavy sweaters, pants and gloves. Children who play on teams usually wear the same clothing and equipment as professional players.

Hockey is a popular winter sport for children. In the city, children often play hockey in skating rinks in the park. In the country, children can play hockey on frozen ponds, lakes or rivers. Many children play in teams and compete with other teams. They spend long hours in the arena practicing for their games.

In the past, all hockey games were played outside on frozen rivers and lakes. In the spring, there were sometimes accidents when players fell through the ice. Today most hockey games take place in indoor arenas, so they don't have to stop when the weather gets warm.

Hockey does not have to be played on ice. Sometimes all you need is a tennis ball, a hockey stick, and running shoes!

Why we have pets

hamster

For thousands of years, in every part of the world, people have kept animals as pets. Over half the families in North America today own a pet. The most popular pets are dogs, cats, fish, and birds, but rabbits, hamsters and turtles are also popular. Some people keep unusual animals, such as frogs, monkeys, and snakes. In Japan, mice are popular pets.

People first started to keep pets about 12,000 years ago. The first animal to be kept as a pet was the dog. The dog became a pet because it was useful to warn people of danger and it ate leftover food that could attract wild animals. Cats became pets when they were tamed by the Egyptians. When the Egyptians started to grow grain, mice ate it, so cats were needed to protect the grain.

Today, people keep many kinds of pets. All of these pets need care. Small animals such as birds and hamsters need people to bring them food and water and keep their cages clean. Dogs need to be walked every day, although a small dog can get most of its exercise by playing around the house. Cats are quieter and more independent than dogs, but they still need to be fed and petted.

Some people choose pets that are useful. For example, dogs can protect people's homes and can help people who are blind or deaf or who can't use their arms and legs. But most people have pets for pleasure. Pets can be good friends for people, especially for children and seniors.

Games curfew for South Korean kids

Children in South Korea are being restricted on how much time they can spend playing online games.

Some popular games will ban school kids from playing them between midnight and 8am, to stop them staying up all night. And other games will slow down people's internet connections once they've been playing them for a long time.

Just a few gaming companies are doing this now, but the government in South Korea is going to make most of the big firms agree to it soon.

The government there is also asking companies to monitor who plays their games all the time, and to make a note of their age.

Parents can also be told if their identity number is being used online - so they can keep track of what their kids are doing.

Hours
Nineteen of the most popular online games in South Korea will eventually be included in the new law, which will have a huge impact on children who play them all the time.

Online gaming is huge in South Korea, with many people playing them for hours and hours a day. The government is starting to get worried about how long some people - especially kids - are playing them for. So they've introduced these new plans to try to help the problem.