Sorry for the obscure JD Salinger reference which has absolutely nothing to do with this post.  A great short story though.

Last night I had a great night out with Jee Yeun, Lonnie, Jaime, and Bridget.  Threw some darts at Sam Ryan’s, ate some wings, drank some beers (OB drafts are half price on Thursday!).  Enjoyed the good banter and camaraderie most of all.

Finished the evening with a nightcap at Bless U then taxied home to Gireum-dong.  Feelin’ so good we tipped the cabbie W5000 and made his night too.

Heading out again tonight for the Friday night tourney at Dolce Vita.  That’s the way I like it.

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I love the juxtaposition of old and new Seoul…

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So, courtesy of a kind friend I scored some comfort foods from the commissary, including hamburger patties.

And the first thing I asked Jee Yeun to make me was one of her famous “eggaburgers”.

You got your 1/3 pound hamburger patty, a fried egg, lettuce, ketchup, and cucumber on toast.  I first experienced this treat one drunken night from a street vendor in Itaewon.  Good as it was, no one makes an eggaburger quite like Jee Yeun’s.

I guess the irony is that I was enjoying this delicacy immediately after getting doctor’s orders to lose weight.  Since it doesn’t appear the diet part of the equation is likely to succeed, Jee Yeun called a second hand store in Uijongbu about a treadmill.  Actually, she calls it a “running machine”.  I don’t know if that is a literal translation from the Korean or just a “Jee Yeun-ism”, but it always cracks me up.  So, the store has three for us to choose from and we make plans to go up for a looksee today.

Last night Jee Yeun’s mom came by for a visit.  Now, we live on the 5th floor.  There are two elevators, one stops on even floors, the other odd.  For some reason Oma decided to go the the 6th floor and walk down.  And on the 6th floor landing she spots a perfectly good treadmill running machine just sitting there looking for a home.  So, Oma comes in all excited and Jee Yeun gets equally excited, makes me turn off the TV (Band of Brothers, D-Day episode) and go have a look.

Well, like I say, it looks perfectly fine but there’s still the question of ownership.  Jee Yeun puts a note on it and goes downstairs to ask the security guard.  The guard says the people in #608 didn’t have room for it and he’d be happy to see it moved out of the vestibule.  Jee Yeun confirms with the folks in #608 that the treadmill is in working condition and that we can take possession.

That turned out to be the easy part.  Because of course we still had to get this contraption from the sixth floor into our fifth floor apartment.  Now generally speaking when folks move big heavy furniture (or running machines) into high rise apartments, they bring it in through the window using one of these:

A furniture escalator not being an option, Jung bae (Jee Yeun’s daughter’s boyfriend) and I managed to wrestle the treadmill down the flight of stairs (technically two half flights, but who’s counting?) and park it at the entrance to our apartment.  That’s another thing about Korean apartments, the front doors aren’t very wide.  Which I guess is why they use the window, duh.  Well, we tried every which way to maneuver the damn thing through the door, but like OJ’s glove, it just didn’t fit.

I had two thoughts at this point–an understanding that when the folks in #608 said they didn’t have room for the treadmill they must have meant they didn’t have room to get it through the door.  And that paying to have a treadmill from Uijongbu delivered was looking like the best possible option.

Koreans love a bargain, and Jee Yeun and her mom were not about to let this freebee get away.  So Jung bae (bless his heart) removed all the screws holding the control panel in place (I supervised, which is consistent with my professional training).  Screws removed, it still took some yanking, pulling, prying and possibly breaking to get the top removed.  Once more we tried every which way to get it through the door.  It almost fit this time, but we still needed another half inch (or its metric equivalent) clearance.  Damn.

Looking back on it, it was kinda comical I suppose.  My Korean is about as good as Dong bae’s English.  In her excitement and frustration, Jee Yeun wasn’t being much help as a translator.   But in the end I was able to get across that maybe removing the motor cover would free up enough space to make it through the door.  I’m not that brilliant really,  it was just the last f’n piece that could be removed without a blow torch.  And yes, with the cover off we were able to just squeeze it through the door.

I then proceeded to relax while Jung bae reassembled the running machine.

Ain’t she a beauty?  A bargain at half the price.  Just looking at it I can feel the pounds melting away.  That’s how it works, right?

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…than I did this morning.

In order to make my doctor appointment in Hannam-dong I had to catch the subway at 7:30 a.m.  Wow.  Other than clowns in a VW or college kids in a phone booth, I had no conception that so many people could be squeezed into such a restricted space.  I literally could not move and wondered how much longer I’d be able to draw breath, but at each station stop a few more folks defied physics and somehow managed to squeeze aboard.  And then someone starting touching my junk (although I’m pretty sure it was Jee Yeun and not the crazy guy behind me who kept mumbling unintelligibly the whole ride).

Mercifully, at Dongdaemun History and Culture Park station (which is a transfer point for two lines), a tremendous surge of people flowed off the train, like a wave of pus escaping from an overripe zit.  Of course, I was standing near the front of this wave and was battered and jostled but I managed to both keep my feet under me and to avoid being forcibly ejected from the train, so I rate that a success.

Oh, the doctor says my liver is still fat and that I need to exercise.  He said my throat problem is just post nasal drip and he prescribed an antihistamine.   Actually, he prescribed some other stuff for cholesterol and some blue pill that is supposed to do what I don’t know.  But he prescribed 8 months worth of each which ran me 700 bucks at the pharmacy.  I guess I could have just had the heart attack there and then and saved the cash, but what’s the fun in that?

I haven’t been this medicated since the 1970s.  But I’m sure these pills won’t be as much fun.

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This sculpture is featured on the DMZ tour.

And this song is featured on the Hawks and Doves LP.

I’ve had a sore throat laryngitis thing going on for two weeks now.  Doctor appointment in the morning.  Hopin’ to keep it all together for awhile longer yet…

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In my lazy mode I reckon, at least if lazy can be defined is staying home on Saturday night and watching The Walking Dead.  No apologies, no worries.  The sun sets and then it rises again.

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Darts at Dolce Vita where I managed to take away some first place cash.

Lonnie and his bride joining us for a dinner of Galbi and Bulgogi at Don Valley.

Late night norebang even when I am so hoarse I can’t sing a lick.

Sweet.

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Bukhansan to be exact.

The girlfriend “suggested” in Korean fashion that we go to the mountainside for exercise.  Which is to say it wasn’t really a suggestion at all.  So, off we went.

Waiting for the bus in front of our apartment building.  After a 20 minute ride or so we were deposited a short walk from the trail head.

Let’s go!

The weather was pleasant enough for a hike, but this stream bed was still firmly in the grip of old man winter.

When we got thirsty, Jee Yeun filled our water bottle from one of the mountain spring outlets.

It wasn’t a hard hike.  Unless you are fat and out of shape…

Hey, it is steeper than it looks!  Jee patiently waited for me to catch my breath and catch up…

I took this pic around the time I was convinced I was getting ready to have a heart attack.  You can kinda sorta see the city through the trees.  Not my best work.

So, as we steadily climbed up, up, and up, I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited us at the end of our trek.  Perhaps a garden of Eden-like park setting, with hammocks, swings and rocking chairs.  Or something restful and relaxing…

Nope, what do Koreans do after a long exhausting mountain climb?  Why, they exercise of course!  They even had freakin’ volleyball courts.  No wonder most Koreans are so skinny…

Me, I found sitting on the free weight bench watching Jee Yeun hula hoop to be all the exercise I needed…

I made it down alive and that small victory seemed worthy enough of celebration…

Jee Yeun has “suggested” we go to the mountain henceforth on a weekly basis.  It looks like I picked a good time to quit smoking…

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Will be heading into the ‘twon tonight for dinner with my old friend Dennis McPeters.  Dennis and I worked together in various locations and agencies throughout most of our long federal careers, culminating in my bringing him to Korea a few years ago.  He’s still here, and I’m back.  Celebrate good times!

By the way, I took this picture on my first weekend in town back in January 2005.  Looks about the same I suppose, but really there has been an amazing transformation in Itaewon.  Gone are most of the sleazy bars, replaced with many upscale restaurants with a wide variety of international cuisines.  Still lots of good pubs (and darts!) of course.  But what you see in Itaewon now that you didn’t see much of back then is regular Korean folks out and about.

My suggested town motto:  Itaewon–it’s just not that scary anymore!

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Or more correctly, the soup is into me.  Ordered this rice and vegetable concoction up from from the restaurant downstairs.  It really hit spot.  Maybe not the cure for what ails me, but I seem to be making progress.  I really want to make it out for darts tonight, so here’s hoping…

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Whatever it is that’s got a hold on me needs to be exorcised.  It’s respiratory and intestinal.  Consequently, coughing is fraught with peril.  In a “when it rains it pours” kinda way.

Been sleeping and languishing as much as possible.  I’m ready for something else.

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…of being sick and tired!

Some bug bit Jee Yeun Monday night and by yesterday it had me too.  Jee Yeun went to the “hospital” (except it wasn’t a hospital) and got an ass injection and some pills.  Me, I declined.  I think this is a virus that has to run its course and shots and pills aren’t going to matter much.

We both still feel like crap a day later so I’d say my reckoning has proven correct.  So far.

I just wish I could pack up all my aches and pains and send them off to the hinterlands on that old reliable Grey Lion bus…

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Carrying on with the theme of the same yet different, here’s a little photo essay of our visit to the neighborhood food market:

The market is conveniently located across the highway from our apartment.  It’s an easy enough walk even on a cold day.  Like many large businesses in Korea, it’s on the basement level.  The ramp instead of stairs is a nice touch though.

Not exactly your Publix or Kroger layout, but if you look around you can usually find most of what you need…

…like the recently dead fresh fish on ice.  We didn’t buy any this week, but Jee Yeun will be frying some up one of these days soon I’m sure.

To the left is your dairy and sort of deli, although nothing that you’d expect to find in a deli back home.  To the right is stuff like snacks and dry goods.  Dry goods including seaweed of course.

The meat counter.  Beef is especially expensive in Korea and we rarely partake here.  Pork and chicken is how we swing.

Pork or chicken goes down good with a refreshing Korean brew.  You don’t often see cases of beer or even six packs.  Quarts and individual cans are more in keeping with the Korean style of pouring and sharing…

Semi-familiar breakfast cereals.  I’ve tried the Frosted Flakes and I think Tony is saying “they may not be Great but they’re still pretty darn good”.  Or something.

Paying the piper.  Those groceries plus a 20kg bag of rice cost me about 120 bucks…

The part I like best about Korean grocery shopping is the free delivery right to your doorstep!

And now you too have experienced grocery shopping in Korea…

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I think one of the things that keeps life interesting here is that nothing is exactly the same.  And those little quirks and differences never fail to amuse whenever they arise.  Which they do with enough frequency to remind me that I’m not in Kansas anymore.

The girlfriend’s new apartment has red cabinets which she despises.  So, she did the Korea-style remedy of applying decorative stickers to the cabinet faces.  And really it looks fine to me.  But this is what cracked me up:

All I can say is it’s good to be home my sweet.  Be it ever so humble.

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The return trip is now complete and it really turned out to be a pain in the ass.  Literally.  I don’t know why but my tailbone was screaming all the way across the Pacific.  It made sitting painful and sleeping impossible.  I spent quite a bit of time standing in the back of the plane, but you can only do that so much.  Anyway, I survived it and it’s over until the next time in May.

The best thing about about modern air travel is the seat back entertainment systems featuring on demand video.  The screens on the Boeing 777 were as large as my laptop.  One of the available features are cameras with a forward view and a ground view.  It was pretty cool observing the takeoff and landing with a pilot’s eye viewpoint.

Watching several movies is also a good way to fill the 14+ hours of flight time (and taking your mind off the aforementioned ass pain a little bit).  I watched Moneyball which was actually surprisingly good.  I also watched an indie flick called Another Earth.  It’s a sci-fi story of a parallel Earth that suddenly appears in the night sky.  It was an interesting concept although I kept thinking of practical considerations like impacts on gravity and rotational effects and the like.  The story was more about looking inside ourselves and such.  Anway, it was entertaining.

I usually try and catch some Korean cinema when I fly KAL and this trip was no exception.  The two I viewed this time were Blind and Mama.  Both tended to veer into melodramatic territory a little too often, but then again these ARE Korean films after all.  Blind is centered on a police investigation into a hit and run/disappearance.  The key witness is a blind woman who had once been a student at the police academy. And how often do you get to see a movie featuring a Korean serial killer/sexual sadist?  Although hardly any of that is shown (at least on the airline version).  Mama is the story of three mothers and their children with a fair amount familial tension and tragedy mixed in.  I’m a sap for this kind of story and found the movie pretty emotionally satisfying.

After landing at Incheon I got to experience the new biometric identification immigration procedures.  Basically, a fingerprint scan (both index fingers) and a digital photograph.   I can’t really complain about this since the USA has been requiring similar intrusions on foreign visitors for quite some time.  It did make the line move much slower than usual however.  The immigration officer seemed surprised I was staying for 90 days but didn’t otherwise object to my entry into this fair land.  So enter I did.

The bus ride to Gireum station took almost two hours, which my still screaming ass didn’t appreciate.  But we eventually arrived and I lugged my two heavy bags (51 and 47 pounds at weigh in) up to Jee Yeun’s new apartment (same building, same apartment floor plan, different floor).

And that my friends is the story of my second return since my first departure from the Land of the Morning Calm.

Tonight I’ll enjoy darts at Dolce Vita.  Looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces and places.

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…I’m going to feast fast!

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Amongst the things I’ll be enjoying in Korea are a cold mug of OB Lager, the traditional blow job shots, and nice neighborhood pubs like Bless U in Itaweon.

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For some reason I seem to prefer the East Sea to the West Sea.  Well, I’ve been to the East Sea several times, and the West Sea only once, if that’s an accurate measure of preference.  But truthfully speaking, they are both equally nice.  I guess I just enjoy the mountain drive to the east coast better than the somewhat shorter drive to the west.

I don’t know why, but no matter which Korean coast I’m on, it’s cloudy/raining.

The view from the room…

Jee Yeun soaks her feet in the West Sea.

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…and even though winter won’t be over when I arrive next month, I’m looking forward to that sweet Korean springtime!

Cherry blossom on Yongsan.

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