My Sundae Afternoon

I got Coldstone Creamed on a "sundae." When you break a low-sugar diet, you might as smash it into bits and stomp on them, grinding them bits into fine, chalky dust. That's about what my Apple Pie sunday did to my efforts to keep my blood sugar down, along with my risk of type-II diabetes. Oh, well – I'm pretty good most of the week. But I slapped myself silly with sugar, cinnamon, and sweet, evil syrups.

And I don't even have a sweet tooth. It was my friend's fault. Not mine. Hehe.

Coldstone Creamery's been in Korea for a bit, but I thought I'd spread the love with pictures, anyway. The one I hit was right outside the Ehwa Women's University front gate.

Happy Monday morning, everyone.

Comments

[Jinwon]

Hey Michael, do they sing funny songs if you tip them, like in America?
I actually don't like going there because every little kid thinks it's funny to make them sing, so it gets kinda annoying after a while.

I just can't imagine working there and singing all the time.

[pm]

Aw, the guy looks cute and "sparkling". If you had one without the cool blur, it would make a great publicity shot for Coldstone.

[BK]

Happy Monday.

[Sonagi]

Oh, you got more than a good dose of sugar. Go to Cold Stone's website and read for yourself the long, unpronounceable list of ingredients that go into Cold Stone's 'natural' ice cream.

If you're really serious about keeping your blood sugar down and have a sweet tooth, try using Stevia or xylitol. Stevia is an herb from Brazil that is 600x sweeter than sugar, is calorie-free and does not raise blood sugar. Xylitol is called a sugar alcohol but it is neither a sugar nor an alcohol. Its chemical configuration is slightly different from sugar. It has half the calories and a much weaker effect on blood sugar. The taste of xylitol is closer to sugar than that of stevia, which has a slightly funny taste. I bake with xylitol and put stevia in my coffee. Both are truly natural products, completely safe for human consumption with no known risks. Neither is available in Korea, to my knowledge.

[Sonagi]

I forgot to mention that xylitol, unlike sugar, is actually good for your teeth. The harmful bacteria in your mouth mistake it for sugar, eat it, but cannot digest it. When I eat lunch away from home and cannot brush, I chew gum sweetened with xylitol.

[pm]

Actually, when it comes to glycemic load, something like bread or rice (even whole grain bread and brown rice) has much more impact on blood sugar levels than ice cream, in which the high fat content slows the absorption rate of the sugar. Not to say ice cream is an ideal food for any kind of a diet. Its high caloric content shouldn't be ignored.

But, as an occasional splurge food, you do better with ice cream than something like low-fat sweets if your concern is the impact on blood sugar levels. In fact, eating 400 calories worth of ice cream would spike your blood sugar less than eating 400 calories worth of saltines, for instance (though that's probably a ridiculous number of saltines). Of course, this doesn't address the issue of quantity, since, in the US at least, what you're getting in a serving of Coldstone is probably much more than a 400 calorie splurge. And with a place like Coldstone, the toppings and mixin's probably skew the fat/carb balance to our disadvantage.

Whatever. Looks good. I prefer Haagen-Dazs myself, but I'm somewhat of an ice cream purist--I don't like lots of chunks of stuff in my ice cream.

[EFL Geek]

walking distance to my house. They make a kick ass ice cream cake.

[Cheerbeet]

Hello, this is Cheerbeet, known formerly as Beechtree. The only reason I am posting here is to clear up a false and craven accusation that Mr. Hurt has made about me. Apologies that it is non-related to this thread, but I don't want to bury this ignominious lie. Mr. Hurt's dastardly tactic is to accuse Beechtree of 'impersonating' him. See the post pasted here in which he frames me:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Beechtree, writing as me. Now do you see why he is a troll? And why is he coming back for more?

----------Begin Metropolitician Impersonation----------

Calm down Beerteach, I never said that you don’t have the right to argue your case, but quoting Barthes and Sontag is just childish, blatant trolling that I refuse (like candy) to react to. Enough said, you are banned, never to appear on this blog again. If you do not know what a pig is I suggest you look it up in a dictionary.
Terms like ontological homicide are too obviously mediocre attempts to lower the level of discussion, and USE UP MY BANDWIDTH. It is not a case of you disagreeing with me, it is that you are wrong and cannot accept it, and in your defeat you turn to ridiculous name slinging and other forms of huffery.
And that, my dear sir, makes you a coward.
And I doubt, beerteach, we will meet, nor travel in the same circles. I am a university graduate, am heavily involved in media production in Seoul, and work in a voluntary capacity to perpetuate misconceptions of Korean identity and race.
Basicly, I am a Mac User.
And I do no feed trolls.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the first place, I wouldn't waste my time on such meaningless posts, nor do impersonate half-wits. In the second-place, posting under his name, would I assume, involve signing in as him, and I'm neither a hacker nor a home-invader. He then uses this dim-witted ploy to justify calling me a troll. Mr. Hurt has definitely lost his cool.

I don't wish to post here anymore, but I do wish to clear up a brazen piece of smearing. In fact, I respect Mr. Hurt's decision to ban Beechtree, since afterall, its his site. What I find base, is his proclaimed rationale for doing so. For merely dissenting I have been labelled a troll, framed, and banned. I have never engaged in racism, promotion of hate, vulgar explitives, or any of the legitimate reasons for banning. In fact I have used language no more contentious and insulting than Mr. Hurt himself has employed on occasion.
Enough said. See for yourselves, dear readers of this blog, the chicanery, chauvinism, and outright hypocrasy of cream-puff-eating Academics and their scoundrel side-kicks. Adieu, dear friends. A few have spoken-up in my defence, and to you, I say thanks. As to the liars and scamps who operate here, I say, let them wallow in their stool.

Beechtree.

[Fantasy]

"I have never engaged in racism, promotion of hate, vulgar explitives, or any of the legitimate reasons for banning."

As I've said before, Beechtree definitely has got a valid point here.

Since Michael and Beechtree clearly will not find common ground any more, one of them will have to yield. Since "SCRIBBLINGS OF THE METROPOLITICIAN" is Michael's blog and not Beechtree's, it's clear who will prevail.

Please join me in saying farewell to Beechtree and wishing him well !

[Fantasy]

On the other hand let us not forget to thank Michael for his excellent work in providing us with his thoughtful posts, thereby giving us additional insight into the Korean and American societies. I am, as I clearly stated on various occasions, not always in agreement with him, but nevertheless wouldn't want to miss the blog...

[Christian]

I like reading Michael's blog daily. Sometimes he shows a short temper, but to be criticised by strangers, anonymously, is not easy for everyone. Nevertheless, critics help. If not due to their contents, at least by their shape or kind. It is like a syndrome: the disease may be imaginary but the patient's claims in itself always have some meaning.

Personally, I don't think Beechtree was a troll. I wish him well, and I am sorry he leaves.

[nappunsaram]

As a type 1 diabetic with a deep seated love for ice cream, I am thankful that Baskin Robbins at least tries to make some decent low sugar stuff. I've never been to Coldstone, but I'll try to check it out next time I'm in Seoul. Nice pics

[bluepillow]

that's the apple crumble something right?
good choice~!

[Jolly Good]

Late, very late, I discovered your weblog on Korea. I downloded three parts of your essay, printed them and started reading non-stop. I have not finished yet. EXCELENT.

Your work touches many strings in my soul. First, I like photography as hobby. Second, and more important, I have left home two times to study (just like you) in the same coutry. I made my MSc in the UK and then returned home (Venezuela) and then returned again to the UK for a longer period of research to gain my PhD. What is more my first course was in a small scotish town (Aberdeen), while my second stay took me to a London suburb. Like you I moved from the country side to the big city.

I understand very much your "two stages" inmersion process in Korean culture. I had mine but in the UK.

I am really impressed with your work and specially the writting. Not just the fotos. I find you perceptive, deep, almost a poet.

One detail: The treatment you give to the fetish thing is excelent. Actually, I stopped in your weblog just to look (glance) at the foto of the lady in the bus moving his foot with the hanging shoe.

Reading the accompanying text, I felt "cougth" because at that moment I "discovered"in your words that I was acting as a "voyeur".

What is more, in that moment I "understood" that rather common asians women do not show much skin but atttract our sight showing a combination of grace and movement.

I wondered if it is a morbid thing in my head or you agree with me on this: Naked feets and legs attract our attention to otherwise rather common women.

Are you still in Korea?

Did you married to a Korean?

I may write again when I had finished reading your text and all the readers commnents (some as silly and lengthy as mine.... )

Congratulations!!!

PS: Have you published a "Part IV" of your korean essay I am not aware of?