Yesterday I escaped for awhile into the fantasy world of CivIII. Put a whuppin’ on the Iroquois. They fought bravely but ultimately their infantry was no match for my tanks, not to mention my flawless strategic planning.

I don’t know why it always seems to be the coldest here on days I’m not working. Yesterday was no exception. It was in the low 20s and the wind was blowing. Still, I needed to get out of this hotel room so I took a walk into Itaewon (pronounced E/tay/wawn). Thought I would walk by my apartment. So I get on that twisty narrow road (about as wide as an alley really) and discover that I don’t remember exactly where it is. One thing for sure, after hiking up that hillside and wandering around, I was no longer feeling the cold. Anyway, I never did find the place, but one of the roads led me back down into mainstreet Itaewon, so I decided to just see what was going on there.

First time I had actually been in town when the sun was out. How would I describe it? Hmmm, not exactly charming, but interesting. Like a faded beauty who is wrinkled and sagging, and tries to compensate with too much make-up and skirts too short for a woman her age. Well, maybe that’s harsh. There is an undercurrent of sleaze (it is a military town), but the streets are clean and safe. And the houses and apartments are built up on the hillsides surrounding the town, sort of like in San Francisco. That has some visual appeal. And it is winter. I understand the springtime is especially nice when the cherry trees bloom. So I am just relating a first impression, I will reserve final judgment until I have spent more time here.

Yesterday was the last day of a three day Korean holiday celebrating the Seol-nal, or Lunar New Year. It is a real big deal (like Christmas in the States) and most of the businesses were closed. The street vendors were still there, although there were fewer than normal. So, it was a good opportunity to walk the streets. Did I mention it was cold? Eventually, I needed a restroom but I couldn’t find an open restaurant or bar for awhile (it was early afternoon, bars didn’t open until 4:oo). Ah, Outback Steakhouse was open. I felt obligated to have a beer in exchange for restroom privalages, so I sat at the bar. The waitress brought me a loaf of bread, so I figured I had to order something from the menu, even though I had already eaten at the hotel. The Clam Chowder was actually delicious, and I enjoyed watching a Korean infomercial on the bar TV. I don’t have a clue about Hangul (the written language) nor do I understand much Korean (other than hello and thank-you), so it is really strange being an observor of the surrounding environment under those conditions.

Here are a couple of pictures I took along the way:

Itaewon street scene

A bar called Frog. It was closed but I might have to go check it out someday.

I have no idea what’s up with this. Nazi party headquarters? Not likely, but since I don’t read Hangul I can’t imagine what the nature of this business is.

Another ambiguous sign. I can’t tell if this is a comedy club or a strip joint. I didn’t go in to find out…..

And I will leave you with this Seoul sunset.