Hanging Out in Seoul

I like hanging out in Seoul, eating some good western food that isn't available where I live (not the "good" part, anyway).

But tell me, does drinking Honey Brown beer give you such dry skin that you need some lotion to go along with it? We couldn't quite figure that one out and stayed away from the advertised brew . . .

. . . and, yes, that pizza was tasty!

Everland 2

Yes, Korea sometimes gets rather cold in the winter, especially last Saturday night in Seoul. I've lived in colder places in the U.S., however, and I find that the heat in the summer bothers me more than the cold in the winter. On an especially cold day, I usually know that it will warm up a bit in a day or two, but on a hot, humid summer day I bemoan the fact that I might have several more months of the same sweaty days to look forward to.

Monday, when I went to Everland amusement park with some friends, I was told at the ticket booth that there was a 40 % discount for foreigners that day, and if I scooted on over to the main ticket office I could receive my discount (as I was quite clearly a foreigner; I found it amusing that no id checks were required; everything was done on a visual scan basis). So I saved 15,000 won, no small thing.

That made me think that we would see quite a few other foreigners in the park. Indeed, there had been a number on our bus.

And we did find them--some were quite clearly used to warmer climates, as this pic of a small group worshipping a heater shows . . .

Everland

My friends in Seoul wanted to take their 2-year-old daughter to Everland amusement park on Monday. Since that was lunar new year's day, we assumed (correctly) that few people would be visiting the park. Millions of people left Seoul over the weekend, and those who stayed behind were engaged in family celebrations, so only a trickle found their way to the cold location on the outskirts of the city.

We went sledding, rode a few rollercoasters (not with the young girl, of course), watched some zoo animals, etc. All around it was an entertaining day, especially for me, since I have not been to a large amusement park in several years.

Hello Wednesday

I had a great four days in Seoul for lunar new year's vacation, but yesterday I woke up at my hotel with signs of a cold and this morning it's a bit worse. I'm going to do a bit of exercise, drink some tea, eat some healthy food, and maybe tonight I'll start posting some vacation pics. Here's one of a wee snowman I saw while walking to the Seocho subway station in Seoul (it snowed a bit last Friday night and was quite cold) . . .

Lunar New Year's Holiday

This weekend is extended a bit--Yeah!--as it is the Lunar New Year, or Seolnal. We get Monday and Tuesday off as national holidays (which means a 4-day weekend followed by a 3-day work week). This holiday, officially Jan. 26th, is bigger than the Jan 1st holiday, at least here in Korea (but also in China, where, I have recently read, it marks one of the biggest yearly migrations of people in the world). Many people return to their grandparents'/family home for traditional food, games, acknowledgement of family ties, etc. To get partly into the spirit of things, I am traveling to Seoul to visit friends. Supposedly I will not run into too much traffic with my buses as I am going against the flow; apparently several million people will be leaving Seoul as I am heading there, and then they will be returning as I am leaving. Since I hate getting stuck in traffic (Duh! Who doesn't?), I can only hope for the best . . . So, Happy Seolnal!

North Korean Saber-Rattling

Harsh words again from N. Korea, declaring an "all-out confrontational posture" against South Korea. Would be just another blip in the news, especially given that NK issues such declarations of fire and destruction on a fairly regular basis, except for one thing: I live in South Korea.

Usually I don't even think about the fact that I live in a country that has the most heavily armed border in the world. Especially now that I live 6 hours or so south of the border.

When I lived in Gangneung, on the northeast coast, maybe 2 hours from the border, I was reminded of the tensions between the two countries on a regular basis, as Gangneung has a military airport; at the beach, in the summer, where I spend a lot of time, I saw fighter jets taking off every 15 minutes or so for patrols or training. The noise of the jets became a part of life there, but their visual effect--along with the barbed wire strung along the beaches in the north--did make me think about where I was living.

I remember my first visit to Anmok beach in Gangneung quite clearly. A friend and I were sitting outside Family Mart, a popular convenience store chain, drinking beers and talking, just enjoying the spring air. Two young Korean conscripts--all Korean males must serve app. 2 years in the armed forces--walked by in camouflage uniforms. One was carring an automatic rifle, the other a heavy machine gun and an ammunition case. I was shocked at the stark contrast between the peaceful beach atmosphere and the soldiers carrying weapons meant for killing.

Some cities in SK still have air raid drills; a siren sounds off and you are supposed to clear the streets, duck into a store or something. Happened in Sokcho when I was there in 2007. Tours of the demilitarized zone, DMZ, are popular; you can visit some of the tunnels that NK built in secret (later discovered) to allow tanks and soldiers to cross the border and pour into the South. North and South Korea are, after all, technically still at war.

The latest threats from the North, however, are probably just preliminary ploys meant to help strengthen their bargaining position with the new U.S. administration. I hope so, anyway.

Locking Down the Internet

The South Korean government recently arrested "Minerva", a blogger famous for his sometimes accurate predictions about the world/local economy. Apparently the SK government is so sensitive to national economic matters that they will detain a person who states--perahps accurately--that things are rather shitty. Wow! And I thought this was a democratic society. Guess not . . .

Ocean Sounds

Gangneung, South korea, beach . . . ocean sounds (with a few air force jets overhead, protecting us from the North).

Cold Inside

It has been cold in my apartment for the last week; I'm waiting for the current utilities bill to see exactly how much gas heat is costing before I crank it up. I may have to go buy an electric heater. Meanwhile, sometimes the only thing one can do is to pile on the covers . . .

(this is a pic of my friends' cat, when I took care of it (them) for a few months; I don't have any pets)

Kitchen+Laundry

I like my apartment in some ways. It is new, for one thing, just about a year old. I have lived in some truly scummy Korean apartments, so it is quite nice to be in a new one. I actually have a sink in my bathroom, which is a first for me (I'm on my 5th apt.), though that may not be so much due to the newness of this place as to poor design factors.

But one thing that bothers me is that my washing machine is in my kitchen, and there is an installed drying rack (good idea) attached to the kitchen ceiling (horrible idea).

Perhaps if I didn't like to cook it wouldn't matter so much, but I do steam and fry and other stress-relieving tastebud-tingling things, and, after going through last summer--a long hot and humid period--without cooking any meat or fish, I have found myself eating more of both.

Obviously I don't want my clean, fresh clothes to soak up the various oils and smells that float through the air, so when I am cooking I have to temporarily remove my drying garments from the rack and put them on my bed until I get the kitchen aired out.

An alternative would be to purchase a drying rack and put it in the living room+bedroom, which has been my normal past practice (as if I had a choice, clothes dryers being non-existent in Korea). Yeah, I could do that. But then I see other new buildings near mine that have a separate clothes drying area next to the kitchen, and I think, "Hey, why can't that be me?"

I try to avoid the 'grass is always greener' mentality, but sometimes it kicks in . . . but, hey, if that is all I have to complain about (today) then life is pretty good.

Gangneung Vacation

I spent a few days in Gangneung, a city on the east coast of Korea, a place where I used to live/teach and a place that I miss. I went there (after being in Seoul) to visit friends and stay for two nights in a beachfront hotel. While I live just as close to the ocean now, it's not even remotely the same, as there is no beach, crashing sea, or even much of a salty ocean breeze.

Gangneung was cold, frigid, but the beach and ocean were beautiful and relaxing. We ate some shrimp for lunch, followed by grilled meat for dinner, followed by drinks and a cigar on my hotel balcony.

I miss that place.

Some Seoul Shopping Places

I spent 4 days in Seoul over my vacation period. One of the things that I wanted to see was more of the shopping culture; I'm not a big shopper myself, but I enjoy watching people go about it, both the customers and the salespeople.

Seoul offers an interesting variety of shopping venues. There are, of course, your standard department stores, but there are also a number of underground shopping centers and outdoor markets.

The underground market in Hoehyeon-dong (next to Myeong-dong) was nearly deserted at about 10 am; the shopkeepers were just beginning to open up. I found a variety of clothing, camera, coin/bill collector, hiking apparel, and other shops, all of them quite small. There is also a basement entrance to Shinsegae dept. store, along with a subway entrance.

Also, two pics of the edge of Namdaemun market, which is next to Hoehyeon-dong and close to Namsan park. This market offers clothing, touristy goods, bags, shoes, etc., and has a series of camera shops along one side. When I went there on a weekday morning it was crowded, sometimes uncomfortably so.

The outdoor market was definitely more interesting than the underground one, though both were quite different from the department store shopping that was going on not far away. It's natural to have shops selling similar items grouped together, as happens so often in Korea, yet it seems a bit strange to have high-end stores located so close to low-end markets. I spent hours wandering around all of the shopping areas, and had some interesting "conversations" with store owners; many speak a bit of English (as well as Chinese and Japanese) as tourists are rather common.

Vacation Is Over

I returned this evening from a week in Seoul and Gangneung and am a bit wiped out after 7 hours on two buses. I hope to post some vacation thoughts over the next few days but am not up to it right now. However, here are a few pics taken from a rooftop garden (13th floor, I think, Shinsegae building, Myeong-dong) in Seoul . . .

The Year of White: January 1st, 2009

So, it is a new year. 2009. Wow! Seems heady in some ways, so let's deal with the big stuff first.

There are so many American hopes being pinned on Barack Obama that, for me, most things I could wish for on a grand scale--such as an improved economy, thoughtful global relationships, more respect for the environment, etc.--are already in motion. That is, the possibilities are being considered by the new administration, and we just have to wait to see how new policies are managed.

Take, for example, the area of science. Obama agrees with many people that the Bush administration has used science--the knowledge that is scientifically produced--as a political tool, to be accepted or rejected according to political goals. And he says he will change that.

I believe that this assertion concerning the manipulation of scientific data/knowledge is true, and I hope that there are improvements in the way science is funded, moderated, presented, discussed, and used.

And the list goes on.

I, and perhaps many other Americans like me, am content to allow Obama a while to work and try to achieve the many things that he has promised. I think he will make a huge impact, but the difference in his short-term achievements and the long-term ones will prove to be a decisive factor in how he is viewed by the public and in what effect his team has on the American, and global, life. That's just common sense, I know, but what the next six months to one year brings will be so important.

On to the less grand.

Here's a wish: outlaw food coloring.

Think about it. We know that most food coloring is unhealthy; we do not need such chemicals added to our bodies or even passed through our systems when we ingest food.

I don't buy certain cheeses in the U.S. because they are orange. I know that such a color is not natural (I certainly don't see any orange cows or orange milk). And while I admit that there is a certain appreciation to be had in the multiple colors of M & M chocolate peanut candies (one of my favs), I could live without the chemicals as long as the taste remains the same.

So what would change? Food companies would be worried about their bottom line, about how customers would respond to things like clear/white soda, but I think we would see a surge in people shopping for health and taste, versus appearance. Salmon, for example, get their named pinkish color from eating shellfish in the wild, but, becuase they are an increasingly farmed fish (and thus don't grow on the same wild diet), they are fed a chemical coloring because consumers--you and me--supposedly don't want to eat white salmon. That's crap. Give us a year or two and we'll adapt (maybe).

White salmon, white cheese, white soda.

Maybe I should wish for the year of white.

Whatever happens, Happy New Year!