Long Island- Part I

I have been waiting for a quiet moment to sit down and write about my recent trip to Long Island. And now here I am in a moment of solitude and I can't find my camera! Where could it be? When did I have it last? I usually carry it everywhere I go. It is not in my bag. It will turn up. Eventually. So all you get are two pics that Sophia took:

I love Sophia. We were in mission school together, and although we lived  100 yards from each other I really didn't get to know her well. I sat with her once when we both went up to visit with the older girls in the Children's Center and she made popcorn and it was really good. Little did I know this girl is a professional. She is a real Foodie. She loves food and she can eat. She is tiny, tiny, but can eat like no one else I know...although someone comes to mind. Sophia is Korean and wanted me to experience authentic Korean Cuisine. So we drove through downtown Flushing and Queens until she found the perfect spot, a little Korean dive. I love dives.


The places where the locals eat. Except for BBQ dives, those are just gross. But Asian food dives with yummy fresh vegetables in fresh spices and crunchy rolls of amazingness. So good. Sophia ordered for me and I could not tell you what we had, but it was good. Really, really good. We got these gooey pumpkin cake things to go. It's called DDUK in Korean. However you say that. I like the texture of Asian foods. We went to the Korean Market and I bought candy for the kids. The best gummy candies you have ever put in your mouth. Ugh! I took pictures of all that too. Will put them here when the camera appears. Where could it be? Oh, I pray I have not lost it. Surely not.

But after the market we went into all these delightful Korean shops that all looked like Hello Kitty Sanrio stores that were so colorful and fun and you could stay in there for hours. Tiny intricate key chains in every shape and design you can imagine. Slim little notebooks and pencils and candies and all sorts of treasures in pink. The notebooks had poorly translated English written on the covers that made no sense whatsoever and we laughed hard at them. Kinda like the "Jesus Save You" t-shirt I saw in Africa, but funnier than that even.

Then we had Bubble Tea. Sophia got one flavor and I got another so that I could taste different kinds. That's what good friends are for. Mine was almost like a hazelnut flavor and Sophia's was fruity. They were served cold in big clear plastic cups with the biggest straws you have ever seen. The Bubbles are huge round dark tapioca. It is a sweet iced beverage with a chewy treat at the bottom. Strange I know. But good. Not something you would want every day, but absolutely something you must try. I have heard you can get them on Buford Highway in Atlanta. But don't go alone.

Sophia has invited me back and I am checking AirTran flights. Maybe it's on the kitchen counter? Or in the trunk? Part II coming soon....