Omija!: If You’re Divisible By Eleven, You’re O.K. By Me

At midnight, which is in a few short hours, my 22nd birthday arrives. If you want to get technical, since I am in Korea and 13 hours ahead, it will be at my Korean Time 1:00 PM when the day arrives on the East Coast of America, where I was born and raised, etc. However, I think one should consider a real birthday the one that arrives where you ARE at that point in time- where you exist. Should people in Dartmouth or Providence wait until THEIR midnight, thirteen hours after mine, to celebrate in the streets, so be it. But as far as I’m concerned, I have four hours left in my twenty-first year. Which brings me to an important point- If anyone out there is considering any kind of job in an Asian country…ponder this: Your birthday would arrive sooner than it will back home, as mine is about to. Once again, I have nailed a loophole to beat the system.

Of the five international teachers at our school, three of us have birthdays in October. In order to celebrate this tri-umph-arate, the crew ventured this weekend in style to a restaurant on the Intercontinental Hotel’s top floor. It is connected to the COEX Mall, Convention and Exhibition Center. Just look at the view from our private room, and by all means please feel free to be jealous.

Now I am not someone who needs exquisite food to be happy. Nor do I find that watching the Food Network for more than 5 seconds is ever worthwhile. But sometimes it’s okay to live it up. Allow me to now present the photo-worthy courses in that night’s divine meal.

<- Here is the Salmon. Divine. Perfectly Moist. Showered in Lemon. Accompanied by a streak of red pepper paste.

<- On the left side of the plate you see a long strip of ribs. On the right, steak. In the middle, veggie-things.

Now I must explain what Omija is. It’s a non-alcoholic punch-like drink that I have encountered a few times in my Korean restaurant explorations of the upscale kind. It seems to be something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory because the idea is that it stimulates all five taste buds simultaneously. It is made from some kind of berry. I’d say the dominating flavors are sweet and tart and YET it is somehow to a degree good for you. I told the staff at work how much I loved it, so they gave me directions to a place I may be able to buy some from (it’s not something you can buy in a supermarket or convenience store). Below, you see an Omija-flavored sorbet dessert thing. It was so theatrical because it was brought out in this bowl inside a bowl, the outer parameter surrounded by bubbling and rising smoke/steam: a chemical reaction made possible by dry ice and water. I thought it was wonderful for both eye and mouth.

THEN. I thought my Omija endeavors were done for the night, but the staff surprised me with a present- a bottle of Omija extract! It was made by one of the staff members, who bought the berries and crushed them down into the extract, which you mix at a ten-to-one ratio with water to create a full glass of the punch. I’ve already had a few glasses of it this weekend and I consider it one of the most thoughtful gifts of all time. It even said on the label, in Korean, “Alex Donnelly Teacher Enjoy Omija!” or something along those lines.

Then out came the cake and holy Toledo. Biggest, tastiest cake I’ve ever seen/had, complete with authentic pineapple and kiwi on the top layer. And you have to love the two message panels, written with dark chocolate on white chocolate, which bear nothing but truth. I also graciously received a new scarf which I have been wearing ever since. I currently sport it in my new Skype picture.

In 1998 I was excited to turn 11 years old because it was divisible by 11 and was the same number (one) twice. When I turned 12 I was disappointed to put that phase in the past, but looked forward with eagerness towards the next time it would happen. As Bukowski said, “And here it is.”To those who have made this birthday celebration wonderful I am greatly indebted to your kindness. You have collectively made up one reason on a list of hundreds why this is one of the best and happiest times of my life!



Long days and pleasant nights!