Leaving On a Jet Plane

At Incheon airport, where I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had been upgraded to First Class. That means I get to use the Star Alliance lounge and use free computers for as long as I want. There is a great place to eat, and I'm also going to be doing some relaxing before I get on the airplane. Hopefully I'll have some leg room, as last time I had none. For those who travel long distances, I'm now believing in spending the extra cash if you can, to get a good seat in Business or First Class. You get a lot of cool perks. So for all those who read, thank you. I'll keep posting thoughts here, but since none of you posted thoughts, I wasn't sure you were actually reading.

Miguk!

Will be heading back to America tomorrow. I leave Incheon at 1:50pm and arrive in San Fran at 8:30 am the same day. That's right. I've gained back all that time I "lost" here in Korea. But then I have a long lay over and arrive back in Florida at 12:28am (next day). Oh well, you win some and you lose some. If you don't hear from me, I'll be flying.

Last Minute Tourism

I decided that my last day in Seoul would be used to see as much as I could. I tried to see some palaces, but then forgot my camera, so I went back to the apartment, and then decided to go see the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. That was well worth the trip, and only 2,000 won admission fee. They had a great layout, interesting displays, and priceless cultural artifacts. They also had a special exhibit of ancient treasures. The museum shop was good, but expensive, and so I decided to test my Korean bargaining skills once more in Insa-dong. Once there, I realized it was packed with tourists, since it is tagged as a special tourism zone. That was okay, as you could still bargain with people. I had a great lunch of bimbimbap and then took time shopping. I finally ended up buying a gift for Didi, and bargained the price significantly down. Here is where it got interesting. After I bought the item, the woman said, "Arrigato" to me, and thought I was Japanese. This isn't the first time for a Korean to ask if I'm Japanese. I explained to her that no, I was Korean (long story), and that I was from America. She seemed to giggle and aplogize. It was okay, since I didn't tell her I was part Japanese (1/4). Oh well, that's the price you pay for being a foreigner in your own land. I then had to go by Dongdaemun just to remember how loud and obnoxious it was. Then I rushed over to see the Cheonggyecheon Park and Stream. It was pretty. It's kind of neat to see how this once poorly polluted stream has now been restored and turned into a public park. This is a popular tourist stop amongst the city bus tours and you can find lots of foreigners here taking pictures. Of course, my camera once again ran out of batteries, so I have to leave and charge it before I can post pictures again.

KTX Kicks

I decided to take the bus down to Busan as most of you have read. Once there, I stepped onto the beach, said, "Okay, now I've seen pretty much sea to sea of Korea." Then, I got a taxi, drove around a bit to see some quick sights, and made it to Busan Station to take the KTX back to Seoul. For those who haven't taken a speed train, I highly recommend. For the first two stops, it was only going about 200km/h. But once we got on the main stretch into Seoul we topped out at 301.3km/h. You didn't really feel like you were going that fast, and the noise wasn't very loud at all, in fact, it was much quieter and smoother than riding an airplane. The cost of the ticket? 44,800 won. Not bad considering it was cross country. To prevent you from being afraid of going to the wrong destination, the train station had an English ticket counter, and also has modern self-ticketing machines. It's a great system. I could probably just take rides on it next time I'm here.

Gyeongju and Pusan

I decided to drive down to Pusan with the group. We stopped at Pohang High School in a planned community of POSCO. There we met with a group of high school girls who were practicing conversational English. When they found out I taught English they giggled. They talked about many different things such as movies, free time (none), and school. One girl actually lived in Indiana for two years while her father, a professor, worked in the states. Now I am in Pusan and in the train station waiting my speed train back to Seoul. Wish me luck!

Rainy Day

Gyeongju Day 1 was rained out. We arrived a bit late anyway, but still didn't get to see the Silla kingdom artifacts at the Gyeongju National Museum. Day 2 started a bit hazy and damp, with fog rolling off the mountains and through the valley, but once we arrived at Cheonmachong, the fog seemed to lift and we were able to get great pictures all day. 1. Cheonmachong (Flying or Heavenly Horse Tomb) was beautiful. It is located in an area that has nearly 150 tombs of its kind. Many are holding ancient kings or even great generals. 2. Cheomseongdae - The oldest astronomical observatory in all of Asia. It is a bit small, only something like 20 stones tall, but it is phenomonal that it was built nearly 1400 yrs ago and is still standing. 3. Anapji Pond - Unfortunately the pond was the only original part. The buildings had to be rebuilt since after the Japanese occupation, they tried to burn down most of the cultural assests of Korea. The Anapji Pond represents the three kingdoms unified under one kingdom and is supposed to be balance and harmony. 4. Bulguksa (Temple) - One of the most famous in Korea. It is cited as being the most popular and therefore receives the most money. 5. Sokguram Grotto - This houses the supposedly most beautiful Buddha in all of Asia. Unfortunately again, this Buddha was partially destroyed and so was the grotto by the Japanese. It is now housed beneath a glass wall to keep it from deteriorating. It is located in the west side of Tohamsan (Mt.). 6. Gyeongju Folk Village - Traditional folk crafts including pottery and such. Very expensive. Day was busy and we ended with a traditional Korean dinner at the hotel with Korean folk dance. Post pictures as soon as I get back to Seoul

Gyeongju

No posting of pictures since I don't have my camera (its charging from a long day of snapping photos) and nothing new to tell. We saw the tombs of ancient kings of the Silla kingdom and we also saw the largest cast bell in Korea. We saw the oldest astronomical obsertavory in all of Asia, (small, but dating from 600 A.C.E.) and it was kind of neat just being around something so ancient. I will post more once I get back to Seoul, and more once I get back to the states. Till then, kongbae!

My Day With Adoptees

Shopping again. This time I joined my friend who is here helping leading a group of adoptees and families on a homeland tour. They all wanted to go shopping and so for some reason the tour guide took them to Itaewon. Probably for the English speaking Koreans that work there. What I tried to explain to them is that this place was sort of like a tourist trap. In general you don't find Koreans shopping here. Why would they? The open air markets and small markets have better deals. However, some of the parents wanted to look around. So I went with them. At one stop on the street an ajoshi wanted to sell them World Cup shirts (the same I had just bought the day before for 10,000 won in Namdaemun) for 15,000 won. The parents were going to pay until I quickly stepped in and asked the ajoshi (who clearly didn't speak any English) how much the shirts were. He told me and I argued with him until he dropped the price to 12,000 won. After this happened, the parents of the kids quickly latched on to me and seemed to follow me. One parent didn't seem to want any help and ended up paying 24,000 won in the Hamilton Shopping Mall in Itaewon for the same exact shirt. I didn't say anything to him, since he seemed to be off to himself. I'm going to head toward Gyeongju with them for a couple days, and so we'll see how it is hanging out with a bunch of Korean adoptee kids (from like 6 - 14) and their parents. One of them came with my friend today to get a haircut from Omoni. She was a bit hyperactive, and hypersensitive (the kid, not Omoni) but got a great haircut despite her resistance. I entertained her by showing her a real Korean back street market and taking her to an anime book store where she seemed in heaven. My friend got a great haircut! I will post if she lets me put her pic up.

Are Asians Good at Math?

Yes the are. So in order to combat this stereotype Koreans have been using this toothpaste to not only make their teeth strong, but make their minds numb.

Doll for Noodle

This is what I bought for the Noodle. Hope she likes it. Had to bargain the price down!

Myeong Dong

Fashion District for shopping in Korea...sort of a hip place. In general you'll find a lot of younger people here. A lot of American brands, but also a lot of Korean and European brands. A good deal can still be had here...although not as good as the open air markets. Last time I was in Korea I went to Apgujeong, which is the high fashion district. Most of the brands are names like Armani, Gucci, Prada, etc. There is even a street called "Rodeo." This is supposed to Rodeo Drive, but actually probably has more charm.

Omoni Hair Cut

My birth mother giving me a haircut.

1.7 Million People

They estimated 660,000 alone in Seoul were outside watching the game. The pictures are from City Hall area, where fans began gathering nearly 12 hours before the match. Afterwards, the city was quiet. The fans were very unhappy with the result, but also very proud of the sportsmanship and play of the Korean team. I'm still not sure what was wrong with the ref when there were clearly two missed hand balls in the box by the Suisse, and also the offsides call that seemed to go completely unnoticed. For some reason though, I can't find any coverage of it in American news (oh, right...no one cares).

Which Korean Am I?

I went to Hongik to find my friend and the lone adoptee kid who wanted to experience the World Cup action. We took him to City Hall (big mistake) and nearly lost him in the crowd. You know, finding a Korean in a crowd of people in Florida isn't hard. Finding one you just met in a crowd of a 660,000 people in Korea is impossible. Since everyone was wearing red, I could've picked any kid I saw and figured it was him. Once we got him out of the writhing sea of red, we walked around Seoul (this is now 2:00am) until we got to Gwahangmum and saw even more people gathered there. We decided to pick a beer HOF (does anyone know what HOF stands for?) where we got excellent seats in front of the 50" plasma HD TV. The beer HOF was clean, relatively quiet, and had decent food. No maekchu for the kid! After the game was over, we left and went to sleep. I think I got back to Omoni's at something like 6:30am, and didn't wake up until around noon. The enitre town is back to normal, and now you can even find World Cup shirts for cheaper. Anyone want one?

Infamous Cattle Intestine Restaurant

Nap Time

It's 8pm here Friday night in Seoul. I'm off to take a nap so I can get up and watch World Cup. I thought I'd be slick and go at midnight to World Cup stadium, but it's already getting filled, and the subway to both City Hall and World Cup are so full you can't even get on. As the train passes, all you see is silver metal and red shirts. It's pretty neat here. Unlike America. Sorry, but the American team has only themselves to blame. They lost their first game embarassingly, and played even worse against Ghana. If you don't see me for a while, I've been lost in a Sea of Red. Daehaeminguk!

Korean Touching

Not a weird massage, but rather the way people interact. Hugging is pretty much a no-no. So is kissing in public. Even rubbing someone's head is considered rude unless doing it to a young baby or kid. For example, In the days since I've arrived, I've been hugged twice. Once by Omoni, and once by Imu (aunt). Besides that, only hand shakes. However, the kids these days don't seem to have a problem with touching. Boys and men alike will be seen walking down the street touching each other, arm in arm, or with their arms around each other. Girls will be seen walking holding hands, or linked by pinkies. This is totally different than America. But for example, in America, most people will hold the door for you. Here, no one does. If you drop something on the street in Florida, someone is likely to at least say something. Here, no one does. If you're in line in Florida, generally people don't crowd you or push you. Here, if you're in line, but there is a small space between you and the person in front of you, you'll get cut. Also, they'll push you to go when it's your turn. The men are often rude and aggressive and gruff and without patience. But at the same time, these people will warmly welcome you into their house, treat you to dinner, give you things, and show you a good time. Strange world.

YESAN FUTURE

OLD YESAN.... NEW YESAN... These are right next to each other.

Lunch Time

For only 3,500 won (about $3.50) you can eat this for lunch

Feels Like Home

Our hand towels from Target ended up in an apartment showroom in Yesan.

Update on Pics

I've finally got pics updated! This PC Bahng allows me to use my USB so I am able to post pics on the old posts. Go down and see the pics you missed, and I'll keep posting new ones. Annyonghi Kyeseyo!

Namdaemun

Shopping in Namdaemun is crazy! Today I went to look for chopsticks and spoon sets, and also bowls. I finally found the right place but found that everything was very expensive, until I realized I was actually in the "tourist" zone of Namdaemun (the glossy shops) and then I found the right spot...the buildings where all the men sit around and ask you to look at their goods (not that kind of goods). Anyway, I found the chopsticks and spoons I wanted and thought they'll probably be around $50 for a set of ten. When I asked, he said 30,000 won. So when asked for the discount he said 25,000. I had enough, but I only had four 1000 won bills, so I handed it to him and he accepted. The bowls were another matter. I got wooden special handcarved bowls with chopsticks and a platter. Now, these would cost over $200 in America at a retail store. But in Namdaemun, you bargain down. So it went from being 206,000 won to 145,000 won. When I handed the guy 140,000 won and said it was too expensive, he just handed me the bags and I went on my way. Now, this is the way it is here, and man, can the men be a bit gruff, but in reality, they want your business and if you buy several items, they'll tend to be more willing to give you the discount. So now I need to find room in my bags to bring this stuff back. Thank goodness I am free of the 30 pounds of makeup and the dozen Polo shirts I brought with me.

American Songs

This is a list of songs or groups I've heard on TV, in bus stations, or elsewhere. John Denver The Killers James Taylor The Cardigans Frank Sinatra "Wonderful World" "She's a Maniac" "Desperado" Cher and Sonny's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" remix Just thought you'd find it interesting.

English Cafe

For those who've never been to Korea, nearly everyone here knows at least a little English. But what's crazy is this show called "English Cafe" They yell, "We Love EnCa!" Then, the host has two people practice English with him, as the teacher and Lisa (the other host) explain the English words and how to use them. Why this show caught my attention is that Lisa is clearly Hapa. She give a very dramatic interpretation of how to say things like "Oh! Thank you so much!" A crowd sits around and watches and practices with them as everyone claps their hands to the sing-song way the teacher makes them practice the phrases. Then, suddenly, the doorbell rings and in comes some famous Korean pop group singing the phrase to a beatbox guy and a few drum beats. They repeat the phrase "This is on the house" about 20 times and then cheer when the band is done. Afterwards, the two guests go to a challenge where they must interpret a scene in both English and Korean where two white actors play out the scene rehearsed during the show, using the same phrases they practiced. The teacher "grades" the two guests and the winner gets a.... bouquet of flowers. Play that funky music white boy.

Day 2 Adventure with Samchon

Rice Fields at Asan Oeam Folk Village My uncle (Oma's younger brother) came to pick me up again the next day (after our first long day of adventure). This day we visited and saw the following places. Asan City Asan Oeam Folk Village Hyeonchungsa Temple Seolwha San Asanho (Lake) Sapgyoho (Lake) Seohae Grand Bridge Onyang Folk Museum We didn't have strange eating experiences this day, which I am grateful for. However, Oma's older brother took us out to eat at a galbi restaurant in the mountains of Yesan. It's tucked away and resembles an old Korean village. Each "hut" is actually an airconditioned room in which you sit around a big table and get served food from the main house. It's a wonderful experience, mosquito free, and private. Mashisissoyo!

Why Didi Is Always Right

When I was packing for my two week trip we went to Target to buy some toiletries. I bought toothpaste, shampoo, hand sanitizer, and butt wipes. Oh yes, don't forget that some of the public toilets here don't have T.P. and that you should carry some around in your purse. If you're a guy, and you don't have any, just hold it until you get home. However, I have yet to actually use any of the wipes. The hand sanitizer is a good idea, especially considering the lack of soap in public toilets, and the lack of paper (so carry around a handkerchief). Anyway, why is Didi right? When we were buying the toiletries, I said, I'll probably need two of each thing of toothpaste and shampoo. She said, I'd only need one each for my trip. But I insisted that I go through so much shampoo (my really long hair!) and toothpaste (my super strong teeth), that I would definitely go through two. So far, I'm barely halfway through the first bottle of shampoo and barely into the tube of toothpaste. How did I know they could pack so much toothpaste into a tiny little plastic tube! So Didi was right. But, my stubborness has kicked in, and just to prove her wrong...I'm going to take two showers a day, and brush my teeth after every meal (when possible).

Dogs in Korea

It seems that small dogs, probably thanks to the international fame of Paris Hilton and Co., have become fashionable here in Seoul. People can buy accessories, purses, and all those other things you see in Manhatten, South Beach, and in Hollywood. There are stores and veternarians here now everywhere. I'm not sure these were here two years ago, but now they seem more prominent to me. This is mostly a small dog place, especially considering the size of houses/apartments people are living in. However, in Yesan, which is sort of the countryside, bigger dogs are still kept. They are used as guard dogs, family pets, and are quite the part of the family. They even get the good table scraps, and not just crumbs. Now I know what you're thinking. You're saying, so do Koreans really eat dog? In short, the answer is yes. From what I can ascertain, sacholtang (dog soup) is still served in certain parts of the country, but rarely in the metropolitan areas. Driving around through the small villages in Taean province, I saw several village houses that seemed to have dog cages about the size of a rabbit cage in America. There were so many cages and dogs in each one, I could only surmise that these were the infamous dog farms that Korea tried to usher out of favor during the Olympics and last World Cup to make Korea seem more "western" and friendly to foreigners. Of course, I could be wrong, but knowing this culture...I'm sure of what I saw.

Cool Phrase of the Day

Euopi? I'm pretty sure this is what my nuna said (older sister) when it began raining. In literal translation it means "fox rain." It's something like a quick light shower.

Housekeeping Post

I changed the blog settings so that you can leave comments without having to create a Blogger account, so please feel free to leave comments!

The One Day Trek

Halmoni and Haraboji at Sunset Map of what I covered in one day Is Korea Big? No. It's roughly the size of Virginia. That's South Korea! But boy, does it take a while to go around the entire place. I mean, just one province took us 10 hours. Of course we stopped at many places. Here is what we did from 10 am - 8 pm. Drove around Yesan and Seosan. Drove to Sudoksa Buddhist Temple. Climbed Temple mountain to see stoned carved Buddha. Hiked down mountain. (this took a long time to go up and down). Drove to Daecheon Beach. Walked Around Daecheon Fish Market. Ate Sushi. Watched people fish. Drove South. Drove South. Drove South. Stopped at every beach. Stopped at every site. Drove farther South. Saw Halmoni and Haraboji (two cool looking rock formations) Drove farther South. Fished off a bridge with uncle. Stopped at farthest southern point of Teaen. Drove North. Stopped at Ocean Castle Resort. Saw Boryeong Mud Center (Miss Universe 2004 will be there sponsoring this festival). Drove around some more. Ended up at the strange Octopus restaurant. End of story. This took 10 hours. Why? Because this is Korea, I don't speak the language, and they never told me where we were going. They just drove. Adventures are good.

Nokchae?

Octopus, I think. Here's why going Vegan is a good idea. You should not read this if you are faint of heart...rated PG - Meat! We went to eat after a long day traveling up and down the coast of Teaen. We finally ended up just outside of Yesan at a restaurant. I had no idea what we were going to eat, but once the meal arrived, I realized that it was Octopus. Now, I'm generally not one to shy away from seafood. In fact, it's the hardest thing to give up since Didi has gone vegan. But let me tell you..this experience was rough. (This came after a long day at the docks in Deacheon eating raw fish cut fresh in front of you). They bring a dish with a stove and a live octopus in it. It's sitting in water and sauce with vegetables and writhing in front of you. It looks like it wants to get out. There is a glass lid preventing it from getting out, allowing you to watch the "food" cook. It does want to get out. They then turn the flame (a table top stove) and it begins writhing more and more until slowly, slowly, it dies and is cooked alive. Then, just as it is last wriggling around, the ajumma comes and cuts it up with scissors. First, she cuts off its head, then its tentacles, then takes the tentacles and cuts those up. By this time, I've lost my appetite for any food, and tell my Uncle and Oma that this is not for me. I say no, and they just eat. I eat kimchi and radish and some other anju (side dishes). They don't like the food either, because we get up and walk out suddenly. I don't think we paid. I'm sure we didn't pay. But they just got up and left and complained about the food. We end up going to another food place and stop to eat Ramen with bean paste. This is good. Vegetarian, I think, though I'm sure it has some sort of fish sauce. Anyway...another post from the vegan inside (although I'm not vegan here). Sorry!

Why Korean BBQ beats Miguk anyday!!!!

The 18th of June Yesan is relatively big for a country area. Yesan area is actually the size of Broward county, but Yesan city is probably the size of Davie, FL, but just set in mountains and with 20 story apartments. So why is this important? You'd think these small towns don't have much, but on the contrary they are very sophisticated. We went to the lake (reservoir) in Yesan today and had a BBQ picnic. I mean, a real BBQ. They bring about 50 or 60 pounds worth of food and drinks. This isn't any typical American BBQ. You sit around and talk and drink and eat. That's for the first hour. Then you go walk around the lake, hike up the mountains, rest in the temples, watch the large animated fountains, then head back to the picnic shelter to find your Uncles and Aunts still eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing. Once they see you, they insist that you need to eat more. So they light up the BBQ again and start cooking more food. (This has now been several hours past your last meal). You figure, why not...but once you show that you are hungry, they begin to cook more and more. This becomes dangerous, and other people, not of your family, just stop by to talk and eat food. It is a very interesting thing. You also watch agoshi play paduk and gamble on cards. They are very animated because by now they are drunk and have had so much soju and maekchu that they don't really care who wins or loses. So you've now eaten enough food to feed a small army of people in a starving nation, but instead of packing up to leave, they insist you nap. So you sleep on the blankets (actually more like padded sheets) and then wake up to find they're brewing coffee for you and cooking ramen noodles. Now you insist you're full, but again, they don't care, and make you eat at least a little bit. Once you are done, you go down to the water and skip stones against samchon (older uncle) who is freakin good at it. But the last stone you throw is a wicked flat one and even the ajumma who are watching from the hillside applaud with pleasure as my last stone skips 11 times and flies fifty or so yards. They scream "Yi!" and when I flex my muscles they giggle and say "kamsahamnida!" This is s strange but beautiful country.

My first Vegan meal

At the Hahgwan...the place my uncle owns with his wife. So today for lunch we actually ate something vegan (at least, vegetarian). Noodle soup with cucumbers, kimchi, and onions. Very good, especially considering the meals I had lately. So Didi and Dino can rest easy. I've done a fairly good job of not eating the things I could help. Koreans still think not eating meat is a bit weird. Most of the young men now are huge (okay, let me rephrase that...bigger), and it's because of the rich meat diet and better nutrition. You also see that most of the meat here is locally produced and therefore not as prone to all the chemicals that we get in the states. I think in fact you see cows in regular pens, and not locked up. It's an interesting thing, but definetly not yet a vegetarian friendly place. At least, not so far. I'll try to find more place, but I doubt it'll get that way. See other posts on my diet and eating adventures! I'll post pictures once I get my cable!

Why PC rooms are weird

So get this. In both PC Bahngs in Seoul, they didn't have USB ports to allow you to load up pictures. I come to Yesan, and there is a great PC Bahng with high performance servers and great USB ports. Unfortunately, since I didn't think Yesan would have good PC Bahngs, it being the countryside (think small town North Carolina), I'd figure that I'd leave my camera USB in Seoul at Omoni's house. Big mistake. I've got decent pictures and nothing to do with them. So you'll have to wait again until I get to find another PC bahng that allows me to upload pictures in Seoul. I leave tomorrow. Otherwise, read the posts on how my days in Yesan went.

In Yesan

Stone Carved Buddha at Seoduksa Mountain Top Seoduksa Temple Gate Seoduksa Temple If you are keeping track, I've been several days without internet. I will post more later but have finally found a PC bang in Yesan that is clean and relatively smoke free. We have been traveling the entire province of Teaen - do and Cheungchungnam - do. I saw great beaches (through intense fog), saw the ocean at the south point of the province, and saw the Seohan Gyo (bridge). I have also seen lots of wonderful mountains and temples. I will post more later. Wish me luck on my return by train to Seoul.

Not Vegan Friendly

I thought Florida was tough to live in and be vegan. I'm not necessarily vegan, but I sure do put on a good try. I mean, I'll break down and eat meat once in a while, but that means like once a month. Didi and Noodle are vegan completely. I know they'd love to come to Korea, but it is not vegan friendly, nor is it even vegetarian friendly. Now, I know that there are plenty of Korean dishes that don't have "meat" in it. But then you have to be careful about fish sauce, or fish juice, or oyster juice, or chicken broth, or even eggs and milk and mayo. I mean, even the sushi has mayo on it...with fish eggs...and, oh yeah...fish! But for those who haven't been here, each restaurant specializes in one particular area. For example, galbi, bulgogi, or whatever. As I was wandering the streets of Mapo-gu today, I saw a restaurant advertising pork, with a happy pink pig. I saw a restaurant advertising octopus. So all this restaurant serves is dishes with octopus. Now you can get your standard Starbucks "kopi" here, and also get McDonalds (not vegan anyway) and even get Olive Garden. But you pretty much can't get Korean vegetarian food unless all you want to eat is kimchi, pickles, plain rice, seaweed, or bread. Now, that may be an exaggeration, but it is very difficult to make sure you are only eating vegetables when sometimes you don't know what it is that is being served to you. You also don't know because you probably don't speak the language, and the only way to tell is to smell it or taste it. Trust me, some of the stuff smells nasty. Don't get me wrong, the food here is delicious! I love it, and I have loved it since I began eating it years ago. But it is a bit meat heavy. And I already feel a bit different eating it. I'm trying to load up on the rice and kimchi, but it's hard when it's considered rude to refuse food pushed in your direction. Plus, meat is considered a way to show appreciation and hospitality. Either way, what I saw today belongs in "The Sexual Politics of Meat" or any of those other books that the Didi made me look at to convince me that eating meat is bad. I saw a sign, and you'll get a picture as soon as I can get them uploaded (either when I arrive home, or find a PC bahng that lets me upload), that was disturbing. It said in American translation "Steamed Intestine of Cattle." It had a happy cow smiling on one end of the sign, and also had a nice plate of steaming hot cow intestine on the other end. Now, that is enough to make me vomit. But, alas, it was at 7am and I hadn't had breakfast (a'chim) yet and so I had nothing to puke. Plus, I was too busy trying to find a bank, but you already know that story.

So why did it take so long, dude?

Banks here don't open until 11am. I thought at first that was maybe because of time difference with European or American banks...but when I did the time zone differential, I realized that couldn't be the reason. I finally decided it was because everyone stays up so late drinking Jinro soju or OB at the local HOF that no one can make it to work on time. I mean, even the young ladies at the bank looked tired, and they had only been open for 30 minutes when I walked in. Again, this is probably why Korea isn't the world's most productive country in the world. If they could concentrate all their energy that they spend on rooting for World Cup Soccer at 4:00am, then they could probably build about 5,000 Hyundai cars in the same time. KBS is broadcasting the soccer games, and man, it is nuts here. They have a Korean soccer fight song, and even a Korean soccer dance. Wow, what organization, what aptitude, what determination. But damn if they'll get up at 7am to open a bank so us "Miguk" can use our money!

Korean Customs

I'm not talking cultural customs. I'm talking airport customs. You walk right through. There are people bringing in boxes of goods, and are clearly over the "legal" limit, and yet nothing is said to them. I think that perhaps the customs declaration form is just a way to spend the government money and make people feel like they're supposed to comply. I don't know. I could have probably smuggled in some illegal plants and fruits and not had anyone say anything. That is probably why foreign plants and animals get into our country just as easily. I remember the last time I returned from Korea and the US Customs agent looked at me and sent me on my way. Oh well. So much for border security. Dear, George Bush...I don't think a terrorist is going to climb over the Mexican border. But I bet a deadly snakehead fish might come in a backpack from Japan and eat all those lovely fish in your neighborhood Potomac! If I mention George Bush, do you think my blog will be monitored by the FBI or CIA or NSA? Anyone, anyone?

In San Francisco

I'm in San Fran. Just got to my bro's apt. Ken, Tracey, if you thought I'd call, I apologize! I figured you'd be sleeping. I should be sleeping, but as you can tell, and as some of you may know, I am a night owl. So even though it's past 2am EST, It's only 11:36pm here. So thoughts? Flying sucks. I mean, when you fly across the country, try to get business, first or what they now call "Economy Plus." Plus what, you may ask? Plus $78 bucks according to the website. However, when I checked in on the flight this morning, I didn't upgrade, because I noticed the flight was only half full. That means, once the flight gets underway, you can pretty much sit anywhere you like. So from Denver to Oakland I got an entire row to myself in that Economy Plus section, and I didn't have to pay for it. Technically I think that means that United Airlines lost $234 to me. The reason they charge you extra is so you get 5 more inches of leg room. Now, when I read about this 5 inches of leg room online this morning when I checked in, I wasn't impressed. Five inches of leg room for $78 is a rip-off. However, when you are 6' tall like me, one extra inch of leg room is worth it. Now I realize I should've tried to get a business class ticket to Seoul. Twelve hours on a plane in coach isn't going to pretty. Xanax, take me away!

World Cup

I'm hoping when I arrive in Korea, I'll be able to watch World Cup. I was rooting for the US and Korea. But US lost badly yesterday. I mean, they looked embarassing. Right now, Korea is losing to Togo. Togo? 1 - 0 at half. Well, maybe if Korea loses in first round I'll get cheap World Cup jerseys.

Packing

How much underwear does one take to Korea? Enough. Now, last time I probably only needed like 3 pairs for the 3 weeks I was there. This was because my relatives took my dirty clothes practically every night and hand washed my underwear and socks and then folded them up once they were dry and packed them back into my bag. Invasion of privacy? Not to them. This is just a normal hospitable thing to do. And let me tell you, having fresh underwear is important. You sweat a lot in Korea, and having fresh clean undies sure does make a big difference in life. But, I did feel strange having women I didn't know go through my stuff and wash it all to make sure it was clean. So how much underwear do I take this time? Enough to last me a week in case they don't want to wash it this time.

Syoping

I'm trying to learn some Korean. I already know how to say things like "I'm from America" and "I'm sorry, but I don't speak Korean very well, yet." These two phrases are sure to confuse anyone that I say this to considering the small fact that I, yes indeed, look Korean. I said, "I don't speak Korean" once last time I was in Seoul and the ajoshi (old man) stared at me totally confused. This was a major mistake, because then he said a slew of words that spit out of his mouth so fast I could actually see his tongue drumming. "I'm sorry," was all I could muster to say, of course in English, and I felt guilty. In fact, I felt real guilty. This came after Halmoni (grandmother) had already chided me for not knowing how to say anything in Korean except "hello" "goodbye" "thank you" "yes" "no" and "what?" I thought, well that's easy for you to give me a hard time! But then she said she had to learn Korean fast when she was younger. Halmoni came from Japan, and was discriminated against in Korea. Koreans hated the Japanese because of the horrible occupation of Korea until after WWII. Stories of Comfort Women and other war crimes abounded. Halmoni, fearing rejection and discrimation, learned Korean quickly, within a matter of months. Now, from what I think I understood from my translator and Oma (mother), she owns several businesses and real estate ventures and seems to make a pretty penny. So for me to learn a few phrases in Korean shouldn't be hard, right? Here's the problem. I'm lazy. I'm so lazy that I nearly failed French I in college. Why? Because I never showed up for the class. It was such a joke. On the first day I realized I knew more French than every other student in the class, but for some reason I had to take this language class to graduate from UF. Oh well, I took it, passed, and didn't learn a damn thing except that I could pass it with trying very little. Now as I get older, I realize I probably should have studied harder in all my subjects. As a teacher, I realize that! Anyway, back to Korean. This language is hard to pick up because there doesn't yet seem to be a standard translation of sounds. "P" or "B" and "G" or "K" are so close in sound, and even may be the same thing. Forget it, I'll just wing it. So I bought some CDs and am listening to them and came across "syoping." What is "syoping." It's Shopping. Yes, that's right. The thing I just did yesterday for several hours until I was broke and tired and carrying around what seemed like 30 pounds of makeup. It is sort of like saying "T-shirt" in French as "Tey-Shirt." Yuck! So I continue to drag my feet through the muddy translations on the CDs and hope that when I say "Hwangjangshili odieyo" (where's the toilet), I don't end up on a train to China.

Shopping....Eolmaeyo

For those who don't know, gift giving is big in Korea. Don't ever try to "out-gift" someone, because you will lose. This is quite a paradox, and I'm sure there are many embarassing gift giving moments. Also, something else I learned several years ago, which didn't really seem to apply to those older...don't open your gift in front of the person. However, if you are older, then it doesn't seem to matter if you are receiving the gift. Often times, as I was leaving a family member, they would shove an envelope in my hand and hurry me out the door before I could open it. It was always money, and always too much. But you always say thank you (kamsahamnida) and say they are too generous, no matter what it is (especially since you don't know) and go on your way! Anyway, I didn't take much with me in the way of gifts the last time I was in Korea, so this time I promised myself to get everyone something small. However, something small in America can actually be quite expensive for Koreans. In Korea, a small powder concealer of Estee Lauder may run 7000 won, or just around $65 dollars. However, here in the great land of discount stores you can pick one up for $30. But, then you have to consider that you are potentially buying for, as in my case, 17 women, and suddenly you are broke. Ralph Lauren Polo is huge in Korea, or so they say. But only if you get the shirts or shorts or socks with the actual embroidered polo horse. This costs money. And again, I have 13 men to potentially buy for. In reality, I will most likely meet with only 10 - 12 women (Omoni, Halmoni, aunts and cousins) and 5 - 8 men (Uncles and cousins). But considering there is always the potential to meet more than expected, you often buy more than needed. So the Sawgrass Mills Mall has an amazing selection of stores to buy anything and everything. They sell high end ($350 Kate Spade handbags) and low end ($5 Jungle print ties). I spent a small fortune shopping there. I spent quite a bit of time looking at Estee Lauder and Clinique products in SAKS 5th Avenue. The old ladies there (one whom bought almost $300 dollars worth of facial creme for herself - and she needed it) stared at me endlessly, as if I was lost. And I was. I couldn't decide if I should get the Plaster Your Face White creme or get the more subtle You're Not Old creme. I got enough Clinque and Estee Lauder to slather my whole body for a year. I felt awkward, but sipping my Starbucks, I felt right at home. They just imagined I was married to a younger version of them. But now I have to transport all this liquid gold to Korea in a suitcase. And man, does makeup weigh a ton. It's going to take one suitcase just to pack all this stuff up as gifts. Another word of advice. Don't wrap gifts before you go, because they may check your bag and ask you to open the things. And also, try to walk through customs like you know what you're doing. That way they don't check you. Last time, I handed the guy my declaration sheet that said, "nothing to declare" (except my sanity), and just kept walking. He didn't stop me or even say anything to me. After that though, I was completely lost. I'm hoping this time, I won't be.

Not Ready

I'm not ready for the trip. But off I'll go in five days to Korea to visit Omoni and the rest of my family. I'm not even really sure what I'll accomplish this trip, other than more information on my life in Korea, and perhaps fodder for a book. But you can read about it all right here. I'm hoping this works, considering South Korea is the most wired DSL country in the world. I really should have no problem updating from a PCbang anywhere in the country. My uncle's family lives in a rice field without any toilet, but they have a widescreen TV and broadband internet access. Different culture, here I come!