The Marmot’s Hole links to this story in the Chosun Ilbo regarding the controversy surrounding the quest to identify the 10 most beautiful women in Korea.

I’m not touching this one with a ten foot pole. But you can see for yourself here.

I walk to the office most days, which is generally more pleasant than driving and certainly better for my health. Of course it was raining when I walked home tonight and my umbrella was safely in my hall closet. Oh well, I needed a shower anyway.

So, come on, let’s go for a walk…..

I exit the apartment walk past the elevator and go down two flights of stairs….

…into the basement parking garage. That’s my lonely car in the corner…..

Then out of the garage and onto my street…..

and past my neighborhood market. Picked up some small items there on a couple of occasions…

…then it is up this hill which is steeper than it appears….

….then I climb these stairs. There are sixty steps but some mornings it feels like more…

…but at the top I turn around and am rewarded with a nice vista of the Seoul skyline…

…but work beckons, so I walk on past the Turkish restaurant which I haven’t tried…

….and walk past this Mosque (which is responsible for my wake up calls on weekends when the call the faithful to prayer. Its just background noise to me though….

…turning right onto this road….

….and then I turn right again onto the bar drag. This street has a lot of raunchy bars with expensive “drinky girls” who try to tempt you into their lair with scantily clad bodies. But none of them are up this early in the morning so I have no temptations to deal with. Which by the way I do not succumb to in the dark of night either…..

…anyway, after a couple of blocks I turn left down this alley. In the evening it is packed with food vendors, but somehow seeing unrefridgerated food exposed to the elements does not whet my appetite….

…after crossing a major intersection (and dodging city buses and taxis) I continue down this alley….

…then I climb these stairs….

…and encounter a vendor setting up for breakfast. By the way, this is right in front of my home away from home, Sweet Caroline’s….

….and the main drag through Itaewon. It is nice and quiet in the morning. By afternoon it is so packed with street vendors and tourists it is difficult to walk….plus you have to fend off the guys wanting to sell you a custom made suit. Just as irratating as the drinky girls but not nearly as good looking….

…then I stroll past Mickey D’s (and no I have not had any desire to eat a quarter pounder or whatever they call them here. Too much good food to spend time and money in there)

Ah, the Itaewon arch….gateway to sleaze and decadence. That’s not fair, it is not really so bad, you just have to know which places to avoid and I have been quite successful at that….

They have this display of kimchi pots in the median. Man, to Koreans kimchi is the staff of life. They eat it with every meal (they literally reek of it). But hey, most of them are in good shape so maybe they are on to something. I don’t love kimchi, but it is quite tasty as a side dish….

…waiting for the light to change so I can cross this monster intersection in rush hour traffic….

I have seen no graffiti in this city, but somehow this mural strikes me as worse. I don’t know why, it just gives me the willies….

….walking on I pass the subway line I have ridden all of one time….

…I encounter a glimpse of spring’s promised arrival….

…almost there now. That bridge connects Main Post from South Post. My entry gate is at the base of the bridge. Sorry, I was a bit uncomfortable taking a picture of the Korean police who provide security at the gate. There are usually 20 or so of them and they carry these BIG sticks. Also, I don’t think we are supposed to take photos on post, so the last mile of my walk you will just have to imagine. Sorry ’bout that….

Objective achieved. Here I am safely at my desk ready for another day of doing the government’s work. All told, it is just over 30 minutes door to door.

Now, don’t you feel better for the exercise? Let’s go grab a beer…..

Kevin at Big Hominid has a great photo essay today. First he prepares a virtual meal then shares his daily constitutional up Namsan to the Seoul tower. That is the hike I am planning for this weekend. Great photos and commentary. So if you want to experience Seoul vicariously through Kevin’s eyes, you are invited to take the tour here.

I had actually intended to entitle this post “Good intentions gone wrong” but apparently I have used that already on another long-forgotten post. Is this getting to be a trend? I did have a post in mind for yesterday about the UN scandal. Was going to call it UNforgivable. The corruption at the UN is almost legendary these days, but for Kofi to claim he was exonerated and for our diligent media to perpetuate this lie, seemed worthy of comment. Since I didn’t get around to it, I hope you will go read Roger L. Simon’s take here. He has been a major driver in keeping the oil-for-food fiasco on the radar screen. I’m actually torn. I don’t know which scandal sickens me most, the stealing of money from the people of Iraq or the epidemic of UN personnel using the children of Africa as their sex toys. It is time for either a major house cleaning at the UN or better yet, a dismantling.

Instead of doing my duty and posting yesterday, I goofed off. Except at work. Busy day and it looks like it is going to stay that way for awhile. I don’t know when, how, or if this disagreement between the USA and ROK on funding support for USFK will be resolved. I guess my position is you get what you pay for. So, if ROK does not want to pony up the dough to keep things as they are, we will downsize to fit their pocketbook. As a COL mentioned yesterday, they should take a look at the price of a carrier battle group then they would see what a bargain they are getting. Right now we appear to have a Mexican stand-off between the two governments. It is just a matter of who blinks first I guess. But I have no doubt that these reductions are not an idle threat.

Anyway, I didn’t post yesterday morning because I slept a little late. I had taken a two hour hike along the Han river on an absolutely gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Guess my body said “whoa dude, I ain’t getting up now so you can go post on the UN.” Figured I would do my posting last night, but instead I watched Lonesome Dove. I’ve seen it several times over the years, but I guess I was just in the mood for something totally American. It did the trick.

Tomorrow I hope to carry my camera to work and photoblog my commute on foot. I saw some signs of spring yesterday, and it is going be cherry blossom season in a couple of weeks from the looks of things. I’m told springtime is the best time in the ROK and I am so looking forward to it.

So that’s my story this morning. Time to get ready for work. And I am back to my Korean lessons tonight. I really need to buckle down and practice, practice, practice. I have no illusions about speaking fluently, but damn I would love to understand what is being said when Koreans look at me and laugh…..

Sunday morning here and its raining. It is rather irksome because all week the weather has been great, highs in the low 60s and very pleasant. I had hoped to go down by the Han River today and I still might if the rain stops by early afternoon as predicated by the weather forcast on AFN.

Yesterday was a good day. Started with a breakfast of bacon and biscuits, and then pampered my feet (one of the issues that led me to the doctor last week). Then I went on post to do some shopping at the PX and commissary.

When I flew over here way back in January I only packed winter clothes. So the recent warm weather has left me in a bit of a bind. The clothes I left behind are enroute but are not scheduled to arrive until 8 May. Plus I needed to replace some worn-out looking work clothes. They had a big sale on Dockers slacks (half price) so I bought 3 pair. The big news is I’m “down” to a 36″ inch waist. So I am slowly walking off my some of my unsightly spare tire. I also got a couple of short sleeve knit shirts to wear on these warm weekends. Hopefully this will hold me over till my summer wardrobe arrives. Looking forward to wearing shorts and sandals again.

Later in the afternoon I walked into town for a bowl of raman. It is cheap and one of my favorite dishes, and when I can use wooden chopsticks I am able to get most of it in my mouth (as opposed to my shirt). I am still a total klutz at using those metal chopsticks that the Koreans prefer. I haven’t been practicing so I have no one to blame but myself.

Last night I ventured out to Sweet Caroline’s. It’s payday weekend and the place was packed with young soldiers. They were having a great time and I enjoyed watching them. Sometimes I envy youth. I got to talking to one of them, a guy named Matt. He’s an E-4 from Tulsa, Oklahoma and so we were able to chat about our shared experiences in that wonderful state. He’s 22 and is finishing his tour in Korea in 47 days, then it’s off to FT Hood, Texas. He introduced me to his fiancee, a beautiful Korean woman who went to college in New York. He was an impressive young man, very gung-ho about the Army and is actually looking forward to his next deployment in Iraq.

Later when they were leaving I bought us all a round of soju and we toasted the USA. These guys were a lotta fun and I was glad to have partied with them for awhile. I expect that they fight as hard as they play, and that should make our enemies very nervous.

And that’s about it. It is almost embarassing that my life is so devoid of adventure that these updates are reduced to discussing mundane details like my waist size. But things are what they are and I am not complaining. Living and working here has been an amazing experience. I expect there will eventually be some adventures, but until then I’m just taking it a day at a time.

Thanks to everyone for bearing with me.

I seem to be on a roll this week with photos of Korean women. So on one extreme we have the transgendered pop group Lady, and on the other Unit 707, ROK female special forces. I think they are likely a quite effective fighting force. I for one would do WHATEVER they told me. But then, I’m a firm believer in international cooperation and understanding…..

Just sayin’.

Via The Asia Pages

Oh yeah, I actually watched this soccer game last night. Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-1. I know NOTHING about this sport, but Koreans are pretty fanatical about thier team. Even in my ignorance of the game, I thought ROK played very poorly against an overmatched opponent. Which is why this account from The Lost Nomad was vindication for my opinion.

The game against Uzbekistan has to be one of the worst soccer games I’ve watched in a while. Yes, the Korean team pulled it out with a win in the second half, but if they want to do anything at all in the 2006 world cup, they have a long, long way to go.

The score should have been at least 10 to 0. The Uzbek team had zero skills – they couldn’t dribble, pass, shoot, defend, or mount anything that remotely looked like offense. The Koreans had ball control at least 75% of the game (I think it was a lot more) yet it took them till the 2nd half to score against a team that played like it was their first time out on the field.

That FIFA ranking isn’t undeserved or unfair, as I’ve heard some of the local soccer fans say and the boys in red better do some serious practicing or it’ll be a very short world cup indeed.

Anyway, I think seeing a soccer match in person is going on my list of things to do while I’m here. That and Korean baseball.

Ok, last time I posted a photo of a Korean pop singer I took some undeserved heat about whether my motives were truly innocent. Nevertheless I feel compelled to brave those waters once again by offering this image of the group known as Lady:

Ok fellas, when you are done admiring these young women, I invite you to read why this particular group is in the news.

Continue reading →

Had a very quiet night last night. Took a nap as soon as I got home from work trying to escape from a pretty serious case of the blahs. Woke around 7:30, made some dinner, and listened to a Neil Young CD. Then I watched “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” on DVD. Caught an episode of “The Simpsons” with Hangul subtitles (I wonder how much gets lost in translation?) then it was back to bed and the peace one finds in sleep.

This morning as I pondered what might be of interest to post on my blog I realized that after just two months in Korea I am beginning to feel a disconnect with the day-to-day politics in my homeland. I imagine this is just a temporary phenomenon (at least I hope so). Right now, I’m feeling somewhat like Mr. Young sang “well all those headlines they just bore me now, I’m deep inside myself, but I’ll get out somehow…”

Anyway, I decided to read some blogs from other expats in Korea this morning. I’m curious about Korea, it’s politics and its people, so I think I may start sharing some of what’s going on here with y’all on a more regular basis. No time this morning, as work beckons.

I did come across a blog called “Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms”, which I have occasionally read but not as regularly as he deserves. Excellent writer and some pretty deep insights into the world we share as Americans living in the ROK. I invite you to go have a read.

His Good Friday post really resonated with me for some reason. And I thought I might share some of the wisdom of his words with you this morning:

Since I and a few people I know are all going through a painful period, each of us for various reasons, I thought it might be good to write about “putting it down.”

In Zen Buddhism, the maxim is “don’t make anything.” Your mind is so often the source of your troubles. You choose to face the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune either negatively or positively. Often, at the beginning of a troublesome period in your life, it is difficult to realize how responsible you are for your own choices. It’s easier to shift blame to your surroundings. But ultimately, the healthiest route out of the forest of troubles is to start by looking in a mirror. Behold what’s actually there; don’t needlessly manufacture problems for yourself and others.

I’m not a scriptural literalist, so I don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead. But the story of the passion and resurrection nevertheless holds power for me, because it’s a story about a man who put everything down, including his own life, for the sake of love. How many of us can claim to be ready and willing to do something like that? Not many, I suspect.

Most of us, like little children, cling desperately to our cherished notions, preconceptions, and delusions, unwilling to countenance truth and change. We face the world with fear, and create clever rationales for our spiritual cowardice. In a crisis period, this instinct intensifies. The ego swells to enormous size– everything is about getting hurt, everything is about me, me, me. The world doesn’t understand my pain, and only I am in pain!

I’ve felt like that before. I’ve looked out at a street full of people and wondered why they didn’t see my agony, which was plain as day to me. The world kept right on turning, resisting my egocentric interpretation of it.

And there’s a lesson in that. Life is change, ceaseless change. All we have is this moment. If we try to keep the past with us, we merely create more suffering for ourselves. If we try to hold on to our anger, or our hurt, or whatever it is we’re feeling, we poison ourselves.

It’s better simply to put it all down.

People need time to do this. It can’t be done immediately. If, for example, you’ve just experienced a family tragedy, you can’t be expected to act like the Taoist writer Chuang-tzu, banging on pots and celebrating your wife’s death. No; most of us need time to mourn, grieve, recover. But after that period, we should be ready and willing to move on with our lives, to follow the constant flow of the river.

You can’t see the new life of Easter if you’re always looking backward. Easter points simultaneously to the present and to the future, to hope and happiness and fulfillment. Think positively. Embrace goodness where you find it. Actively seek the good, don’t wait passively for it.

Good advice for us all and certainly words to live by. I feel better already.

Well it looks like I broke my promise to post something here everyday, but I think it depends on how you define “day”. After all, it is still Saturday in the USA! Lame excuses aside, I was pretty busy yesterday and missed my window of opportunity for posting.

I started the day by sleeping in. It was well after eight before I drug my sorry behind outta bed (I’m usually up at 6, even on weekends). Then I made scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and it was actually quite good (you would have to have seen my failed attempts at getting the bacon right and the eggs not scorched to understand why that is newsworthy). Did some housecleaning and laundry and next thing I knew it was noon.

The weather was pretty nice yesterday. Overcast and hazy, but warm enough to where I only needed my windbreaker, which is a first since I’ve been in country. So I took a walk into town to check out the furniture stores. I’ve been looking for a chair or bench to put in my entry alcove. You know, I’m down with this no shoes in the house tradition but I find it a real inconvenience to be bending over all the time tying and untying shoes. Anyway, I saw some chairs I liked that cost more than I cared to spend, so I settled for a stool like thing. I bought it in an antique store but of course that does not mean that it is an antique. What I liked about it, besides its functionality for the purpose intended, was it is solid. A lot of Korean furniture I looked at does not appear designed to withstand the daily onslaught of my American-sized ass. But I think my new stool will stand the test of time. It is kinda interesting visually, with a slightly curved seat. Rather than describe it, here’s a picture:

After carrying my treasure home, I took a drive to the commissary to restock my larder. You know, driving here is a real pain in the rear. I am not freaked out anymore, but you definitely have to maintain a heightened sense of situational awareness. Koreans are masters of offensive driving, so you have to keep on your toes. Common courtesy is non-existent, and in fact practicing it will result in horn blowing and get you pegged as a foreigner or wimp or both. So in my estimation the hierarchy of danger goes like this: 1. bus drivers (They go where they want, when they want to go there. Your choices are to get out of their way, or not. They have the size advantage and use it. I am convinced they don’t care and would just as soon hit you as not. In other words, they are not bluffing!) 2. Taxi drivers. (They are much like the bus drivers attitude wise, but don’t have as much steel to back up their bravado. So, if you return their aggression, they will sometimes back off). 3. Motorbikes. (These guys are more of a nuisance than anything else. They observe NO traffic laws. Wrong side of the street, red lights, sidewalks, they just drive like maniacs. They are pretty masterful at it and I give them credit for that. They will normally avoid you, so you don’t have to take much evasive action where they are concerned. Still, it’s like having a bunch of pesky mosquitoes buzzing around which can be annoying). 4. Everyone else. (I am still getting used to the whole your lane is my lane attitude and that fact that more than two or three inches between cars, front, rear, and sides, is simply wasted space). I had no incidents on yesterday’s drive though and made it safely home with my groceries.

After putting the food away, it was time to get ready for dinner at my second-level supervisor’s home. They gave me a map written in Hangul so it should have been an easy enough thing to hand it to the cab driver and have him take me there. Since I had never been there and my only point of reference was that it was in the vicinity of the US Embassy, I decided to walk to the base and catch an AAFES cab (where the driver’s speak English). That turned out to be a mistake. What should have been a 15 minute drive took 45 as the driver repeatedly got lost and managed to find the most gridlocked roads in the city. I did get a nice tour of downtown Seoul though. I eventually arrived within the window that would keep me in the “fashionably late” category, as opposed to being rude.

Sharon and Bruce have a wonderful place which is much larger and nicer than mine (I paid a premium for my proximity to the base). Sharon is originally from Texas and she prepared a Texas style meal. Grilled steaks, pork ribs, chicken. Potato salad, and the best baked beans I have ever tasted (sorry Carol). My boss and his new Korean wife also joined us and we had a great time. I miss being with Mrs. LTG often, but never so much as when I am at a social function with other couples. Carol is the extrovert and conversationalist so I have to really polish my small talk skills to be a good guest. I did alright I suppose, but I do feel like the guy who can’t get a date at these functions.

It is also my turn now to host a get-together. I think waiting until the Mrs. visits in October might be pushing it, but my cooking skills are rudimentary at best. Hmm, maybe I can fix one of her great meals by proxy. She can talk me through it step-by-step on the phone or something. We shall see.

So, I got home just before midnight, watched TV till I fell asleep on the couch (which is pretty much my normal routine these days), then made my way to bed around 3 a.m. Woke up, made my coffee, and came here to bore y’all with stories like this.

Today is suppose to be in the 60s, so I am thinking of taking a nice walk along the Han River. They have a walking path that I understand is really nice and I could use a change of scenery. It’s also my cooking day, and since my repertoire consists of only three or four items, it looks like burritos are next up in rotation. I bought some Korean bananas (well, not grown here, but you know what I mean) and I am going to make a banana cream pudding for my Sunday dessert. Yum!

Alright then, sorry I missed you yesterday but now you at least know what I was up to. I will be back later and maybe even have a political rant or two.

Not wanting to be accused of sexism by posting a gratuitous photo of a Korean lovely, I will note for the record that this person is a popular singer here who has launched a new line of lipsticks which will be marketed in 67 countries. Her name is Lee Hyolee. See, this is newsworthy. Really.

Via The Lost Nomad

Everything is well here with me in Korea. Just not much going on. My focus is mostly work these days. I am trying to recruit someone to fill a critical vacancy, and we are in the midst of a military exercise so our office hours have been extended.

I treated myself to dinner last night at Gecko’s Terrace, a place run by a Canadian as I understand it. Had beef tenderloin which was quite good, but also too expensive. What with the dollar being so weak and all, good deals are hard to find these days off post.

Weather has turned pretty nice. Highs in the mid-50s yesterday. Won’t be long now till the cherry blossoms come out. I understand this part of Korea is very beautiful in the spring.

So that’s about it on the personal front. I’m starting to regain my feet here on the blog, although I am not satisfied with the quality of my posts. The laziness shines through, but I figure getting words on paper is the best cure for writer’s block. Profound words on paper is a bit tougher, but I will keep plugging away.

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there.

Greetings, patient and faithful readers! It is Saturday morning here in the Land of the Morning Calm and I am going to spend part of it with you.

Let me begin by offering an apology for my selfishness. It is an aspect of my character that I always have to work hard at keeping in check, but living alone really seems to exacerbate this flaw. I used to think this blog was just my plaything to do with what I will and you folks who cared to were welcome to come along for the ride, or not. But I have come to realize that I also have a duty and obligation to each of you who pays me the honor of visiting here. So I am resolved to rededicate myself to sharing something with you here everyday. I can’t promise that it will always be worthy of your time, but at least you will know I am making the effort to stay in touch.

So what has been going on in my world? I have fallen into a pretty uninteresting routine which is compounded by a general malaise. It is not just the blog, it is everything that I used to enjoy that I have not been motivated to pursue. CIV III, fantasy baseball, reading blogs, responding to email, posting here; all have suffered from my neglect and lack of interest. I’m not exactly sure why this is, but I suspect it is a manifestation of some pretty deep loneliness. All of those activities also remind me of my life in the States, so perhaps my disconnect is a defense mechanism against homesickness. Who knows and who cares. It is a problem I have to work through and the first step is to get back into the routine of communicating through this blog.

Having said that, let me assure you that I am in fact enjoying my Korean experience. I am meeting people, Koreans and other expats. I am a regular at Sweet Caroline’s and it is nice to have a place “to go where everyone knows your name”. Still, I don’t want a life that revolves around bars and drinking, so I’m looking for other ways to fill the hours. It is finally beginning to warm up enough where I can walk around and do some exploring outside of Itaewon. I also plan to take some weekend trips into the countryside to see the “real” Korea. One of my new Korean acquaintances, Mr. Park, has invited me to his hometown (sorry, the name escapes me this morning). It is in the mountains about 3 hours south of here and I am looking forward to taking him up on the offer. I wish my Korean language skills were better, because communication is quite difficult without an interpreter. Day by day I am increasing my vocabulary and I’m told my pronunciation is pretty good, but I still lack confidence and I know my sentence structure is still bass ackwards.

I am going to buy a gas grill later this month (already have one picked out at the PX) and my plan is to invite my small circle of newly met friends (Americans Jeff and Rob, the sisters from Sweet Caroline’s, and Mr. Chun and Mr. Park) over to my place for a little taste of America. Steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, baked beans, etc. Everyone says they are looking forward to doing that and they have the mistaken impression that I actually know how to cook. Which is really quite funny if you have ever seen my kitchen work. I usually bake something for dessert on Sunday’s (brownies, carrot cake, cookies) and carry the left overs to the bar (I have no self control, and a plate of brownies would more than counteract my daily walks to work). Hell, it is just using the packaged ingredients but they are always quite impressed. I’m told that cooking is considered women’s work in Korean culture, so I guess I’m striking a blow for male liberation.

Anyway, when I’m not hanging out at Sweet Caroline’s I’m usually just sitting around the house listening to music or watching Korean television. I am getting addicted to some of the melodramas. Don’t have a clue as to what is being said, but I just sit there mesmerized anyway. Go figure.

Work has actually been a good respite from my otherwise mundane existence. I have been reassigned into a supervisory position (same pay, more responsibility), but I agreed to do it because I prefer being the boss and I like the challenge. I am trying to recruit someone to fill the job I just left, and I hope to get some good candidates to select from in two weeks. We are dealing with some interesting issues, and one in particular has been in the headlines of Stars and Stripes this week. The union wants employees to be paid for the hours they were confined to quarters during the curfew, the Army says they are not entitled to additional compensation. I’m with the Army on this one (actually, since I represent the Army, I’m ALWAYS with the Army, but I personally agree with the Army’s position in this case). We shall see soon how it plays out, but this is the kind of issue that makes my job so enjoyable (even after 20+ years of labor relations work).

I guess by now you are thinking, “first this guy doesn’t write a substantative post for weeks, then he comes back and tries to bore us to death with the insignificant details of his life”. Hey, what can I say? What you see is what you get. Think of it this way, if you keep coming back the law of averages dictates that I will eventually have SOMETHING interesting to say. Kind of like an auto race. Lots of cars going in circles, then all of the sudden there is a big crash and lots of excitement. Hmm, scratch that, using a car crash as an analogy for my life is not what I had in mind. You get my meaning though.

Speaking of which, I had a bad driving experience Thursday evening. Traffic was real bad and I couldn’t turn left where I normally do, so I went up to the first place I could and planned to circle back. I had done that before in daylight, but at night I missed my street and got lost. Which was bad enough, but I got on the worst street I have ever seen. It was not really a street, more like an alley. Or a wide sidewalk. It was so narrow, my mirrors were brushing the trash cans on either side, and I drive a small car. If I had been in my Jeep there is no way I could have made it. And then I came to the steepest hill I have ever seen (including that famous street in San Francisco). I’m not sure if I was even on a road at that point, but there was no way I could back up so I plunged (literally) ahead. Scared the hell out of me, and the front of my car was scraping ground at the bottom. But I made it down and eventually found my way home. I would go back and get you a picture, but I still have no clue how I got myself into that situation, and doing it once was enough if you get my meaning.

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions to get me out of my blog funk. Be careful what you ask for, because look what I have spewed out here this morning!

TJ: I did not mean to imply there was nothing interesting going on in the world, just that I felt I had nothing to add to the discussion. But that never stopped me before, right? So yes, I am going to be going political on this blog again real soon. Thanks for your kind words. I do enjoy sharing my perspective and it is good to know you have an interest in that.

Mom: You made me feel guilty like only a mother can! 🙂 Thinking of you and Dad anxiously logging on each morning to see what I have to say only to be disappointed should be plenty of motivation for a good son like me not to let you down. I will do better, promise.

Ashley suggests that I make note that our soldier is home on leave from her tour in Afghanistan. Welcome home Hillary! I know you will have a good time and I’m sorry I can’t be there to give you a big hug. You have made me so proud. I am looking forward to you coming to visit me in Korea. I’ll make sure you have a blast.

Carol wants photographic evidence that Seoul really is a shopping Mecca. Look for that soon. I am in the market for a chair or a bench to put in my entry way. As I mentioned, shoes in the house is an unforgivable faux pas in Korean culture. Plus since I have to do my own cleaning it is a tradition that makes perfect sense from a practicality standpoint. Most Koreans wear shoes that are easily slipped on and off. Mine all have shoelaces. My belly being what it is, I find it to be somewhat of a chore to bend over repeatedly to tie my shoes. Hence, my quest for a chair. I will photoblog that “adventure”.

Leslie says don’t forget March Madness. Hmm, if you have made it this far into this post you might surmise that I have indeed succumbed to some form of madness this March.

Baltimore wants clever puns and jokes. Other than my so-called life being somewhat of a joke these days, the title to this post is about as clever as I feel this morning. But who knows, I might get inspired one day soon.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen. A classic LTG ramble. Lots of content, no substance. But I hope I have re-primed the pump and some good work will follow. I am committed to renewing my dedication to this blog and to you my loyal readers. Thank you for hanging in there, I will try hard to be worthy.

Well, what started as a pretty mundane Saturday ended with a bang.

I spent the afternoon being all domestic–laundry, grocery shopping. I did have a nice Korean lunch of cheese Raman and kimchi. Here’s a tip: Unless you have mastered using Korean chopsticks DO NOT wear a white shirt when eating Raman. I was all over the place and once I got a noodle anywhere near my mouth I sucked it up like spaghetti. I’m sure I was quite the spectacle, especially when I gave in and finished my bowl with the spoon. It was damn good and I have the evidence on my shirt to prove it!

Anyway I come home and I’m watching a little TV. There is something mysterious about my couch. It induces sleep. When I opened my eyes it was a little past 8:00. So it being Saturday night and all, I figured I would wander down to Sweet Caroline’s to quaff a brew or two. It was really cold last night and I was alone in the bar until about 10:30. The three sisters were really lamenting the slow night, because like most bars they rely on the weekend to turn a profit. I was not being much help in that regard because I drink draft beers at 3000 WON a pop, and I was drinking slow last night.

As I was saying, around 10:30 Rob comes in. I had seen him there before but never really talked to him until last night. He’s Army and has been in country about 3 months. So, Rob proceeds to buy a round for the house. As he noted, it’s all about timing and counting me and the sisters, it was only 5 drinks. About that time three Korean gentlemen arrived and the party began. I had met Mr. Chun previously and was introduced to his friends, something that sounded like Mr. Bob and the other name is lost in the fog of intoxication. Mr. Chun has just opened a gambling house (video poker and slots) and has invited me to visit, I promised I would. So we carried on a very friendly conversation with Mi Soon serving as interpreter. He asked my age (which is always a very important piece of information to Koreans. Has to do with status and respect and all that). Turns out I am three years older than him. So he goes on and on about how honored he is to have made my acquaintance and I of course responded in kind. Then he bought me a beer. Which gave me three in front of me. So, I had to get busy but after a series of toasts, I was pretty much caught up and I was starting to feel the glow of camaraderie (or the cumulative effects of the beers I had consumed). A group of Japanese tourists came in and filled up some of the tables in back, so the place was really jumping.

The Koreans (or at least the Koreans who frequent Sweet Caroline’s) are really into American music, especially classic rock and to a lesser extent country. I mean they KNOW the groups and songs and can sing along even if they have no idea what the words mean. For example, I had to explain the concept of seeing the world through rose colored glasses . Not sure how successful I was, but I got the obligatory head nod and “ne, ne” (yes, yes). Actually, the two best things about Sweet Caroline’s is the music they play and the popcorn. They have an extensive collection of CDs and vinyl and just about anything you want to hear they can and will play. I let them make copies of my Beach Boys, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Meatloaf CDs to add to their collection (hmm, was that illegal?). Sister (the oldest of the three, and everyone calls her Sister out of respect) makes popcorn the way grandma used to do it. In a cast iron skillet on the stove. Smells and tastes wonderful. Microwave popcorn is easy and quick, but good ol’ stove top popcorn can’t be beat.

Anyway, the Koreans were choosing songs from The Allman Brothers, Moody Blues, and Doobie Brothers. The place was rockin’. Then Rob buys a round of Soju. Soju is the national drink from what I gather. I have previously tried it in small doses. It reminds me of vodka, clear and pretty much tasteless. You drink it in shots. It goes down smooth enough, but kind of explodes when it hits your stomach. So then Mr. Chun buys a round of Soju shots. And of course, the only polite thing to do was for me to buy a round. And I am nothing if not polite.

Shortly thereafter the Korean gentlemen departed after handshakes and bows all around. The Japanese had left earlier unnoticed by me. So, it is back to me, Rob and the sisters. Rob somehow convinced me that another round of Soju was in order. And so it was done. Now, I will admit to being pretty much lit like a Christmas tree at this point. But if I had stopped then things would have been ok. Instead, sister Tami wanted to repay the generosity Rob and I had shown by buying a round of boilermakers.

I know of boilermakers (a shot glass of whiskey dropped into a beer glass and guzzled) , but have never been inclined to try one. First off, I don’t like whiskey and I see no point in ruining a perfectly good beer by dropping a shot glass of whiskey into it. But in the spirit of the moment I agreed to participate. Big mistake. I could only chug about half the beer, and when the whiskey went down my throat, it immediately came back up. With the semi-digested food from dinner that was lingering in my stomach. So I am standing at the bar with a mouth full of yuck with everyone staring at me. Now, the manly thing to do would have been to re-swallow. But gawd, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The restroom is outside the front door and as I made a beeline for it, some MPs were walking in. I blew past them and deposited the contents of my mouth into the sink. When I came back into the bar the MPs were gone. Rob was laughing and said that they took one look at me, turned around and left. Which is a good thing because it was now 1:30 am and the curfew still applies to Rob. He said I am so obviously a civilian that they must have assumed Rob was too (he was wearing a wool cap that covered the GI cut).

Anyway, sister Mi Soon gently suggested that perhaps I should think about going home. I took her advice, bundled up against the cold (which oddly enough I barely noticed) and did the 15 minute trek back to my place. Was able to put in the security access code for the front door in only two tries! I even managed to undress before I hit the bed. Woke up around 7:00, drank some OJ, took some aspirin, and went back to bed until 10:00.

And now I feel just fine. Well, the soju has a lingering effect on the stomach, so I have, um, been spending some time in the bathroom but otherwise everything is good.

I am now going to do some vacuuming and cleaning. My Sunday dinner will be spaghetti and garlic bread and a little Merlot. I am baking a carrot cake for dessert. And I think tonight will be a great night for sitting quietly in front of the TV. And napping on my sofa.

So, that’s my story from Korea for today. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it at least half as much as I enjoyed living it.

Yes, I am overdue for an update. I keep waiting for something interesting to happen, but alas, my life is devoid of thrills right now. So bear with me.

My Korean language lessons are going pretty well. I don’t speak or comprehend much better than before, but I am learning to read and write Hangul (well, my written English is illegible, you should see my Hangul!). I don’t have all the vowels and consonants memorized yet, but I’m getting there. I find myself able to decipher some of the “letters” on signs and I can make the sound, but I still don’t know what the hell I’m reading. But considering it’s only week 3 of a twelve week program I guess I’m doing alright. I need to study harder.

Yesterday I had my dental appointment. I thought I was getting a cleaning. They called it “scaling” which is something different (at least for me). It felt like they took a layer of enamel off with some foul tasting compound and an industrial buffer. It was pretty close to intolerable, even with the lovely Dr. Kwon doing the mouth work. Her assistant was pretty much worthless (I think she was new or nervous or something). She squirted me with water and kept gagging me with the aspirator thing. Anyway, it was not pleasant and it cost me 80,000 WON to boot.

I had walked over from work, and it took almost an hour. Yeah, I am really getting into walking these days. Partly for my fitness, partly because I really don’t like driving here. You have got to be on your toes because the people here are all over the place. I had another close call at the dreaded intersection exiting my villa. This time the cab driver rolled down his window and cussed me out in Korean. So that was a first.

I came home and made myself a tuna sandwich on toast and fell asleep watching a Korean melodrama. I don’t understand anything they say (other than anyonghaseo and anyongheegaseo, hello/goodbye) but I really do kind of enjoy them anyway. This one last night was actually funny even without dialog. A young man is courting a sweet thing and I guess love is the same all over the world. It was two steps forward, one back but he kept on trying. In one scene he goes into a bar to drown his sorrows and hooks up with a “drinky” girl (I thought they only targeted foreigners). Anyway, he agrees to by her drink and the waitress brings over a tray with like 20 beers on it. So then they show them laughing and having a good time amongst the empty beer bottles and the girl gets up to go to the bathroom. After a few minutes, he gets up to go too. So he is standing at the urinal and glances over to the next urinal and there’s the drinky “girl” standing there taking a leak. Pretty funny and a good lesson for me, although I was not inclined to consorting with the bar girls anyway. Too expensive and Carol does not approve. The other funny scene is when he meets his girlfriends mom and dad. The father is getting smashed on soju and grilling the boy while the mother appears just mortified that he wants to date her darling daughter. So for some reason the father makes the boy empty his pockets, and in one of them he has a condom. The mother goes nuts and the father is really giving him hell and drinking more soju until he finally passes out. Hmm, maybe you had to see it….

So, if the highlight of my Friday night was a Korean TV show you get the idea of my current state of affairs. But it really is alright. After I woke up I decided to put that big Jacuzzi tub to work and it was very nice.

Today I am doing laundry and will go to the commissary to stock up on groceries. I had thought of going back to the electronics market to browse, but it has turned cold again (40’s earlier this week, 19 this morning).

You know, I feel almost guilty about having subjected y’all to a post so devoid of anything interesting. But then I feel guilty when I don’t post because if you make the effort to visit me here, I should at least have something new to read. I guess the solution is for me to get a life so I can regale you stories of adventure and peril. I will get to work on that.

As soon as I finish the laundry.

In today’s news, I paid the rent. Two years in advance. In cash. $94,000. Here’s what it looked like:

That’s the most cold hard cash I have ever had in my hands at one time. I could get used to that kinda walkin’ around money. Alas, it was not to be. Handed it all over to the landlord tonight. Easy come, easy go I suppose. Or pehaps I should just say “your tax dollars at work!” Thank you everyone for providing me such a fine place to live!

I’ve been working hard, so I rewarded myself with a haircut today. It was good. Very good.

I took my camera to work today for that money shot, so I took advantage of the opportunity to photograph my co-workers. Let me introduce you:

Three of our Korean employees. L-R are Ms. Yi, Ms. Kim and Ms. Choe. None of them report to me, but they are all kind and friendly. In fact, Ms. Kim rode in the taxi with me to the Yongsan electronics market to get a part for my cell phone. She handled interpratation. Unfortunately, the part was not in stock, but it has been ordered.

Ms. Yi (another one, no relation) and Carl. Both direct reports to me. Ms. Yi is a very efficient administrative person who is always very pleasant and a joy to work with. She is smiling, cheerful and helpful and you can’t ask for more than that. Carl will be leaving me soon, but he is quite the character. He is very good at what he does and I am going to be hurting in a big way once he is gone.

Another one of my employees, Mr. Yi (again, no relation to the other Yi’s). I have been working this man like a dog. Never complains, just keeps on keeping on. A very nice man.

This is Lori, admin support for the Director of Civilian Personnel. She is married to an Army sergeant.

This is my counterpoint and fellow Chief, Arceilia. A great person who is very knowledgable and is someone I feel comfortable enough with to pick her brain about the issues I’m dealing with. Great part of the team.

And finally, on the left is Mr. Kim, a 50 year USFK employee and the most valuable member of my staff. This guys oozes intelligence and he is both very wise and soft spoken. He is our representative for the Korean Employees Union (KEU). On the right is Mr. Kang. He is the President of KEU and one of the more powerful labor leaders in the ROK. He has friends in high places and uses those contacts to benefit his membership but also to be a voice for USFK interests on many issues. A very impressive man, powerful, well spoken, but humble. He is extremely effective, and has earned the respect of the top generals and brass here in Korea.

Alright, y’all must be bored silly by now. I will do penance by stopping here and devoting the remainder of the evening to my Korean language homework.

More tomorrow.

The Lost Nomad links to this article in which it is reported that 71% of Korean women are unhappy with their appearance. I found that quite interesting because I had a Korean woman tell me the same thing. She said I hate the way my face looks with these high cheekbones. I just shook my head, because I think Korean women are generally incredibly attractive. Their facial features are quite lovely in my opinion. I suspect they compare themselves to some Western ideal of beauty (as displayed in magazines and movies), but I think Asians in general, and Koreans in particular, should celebrate their own unique features and style. As a casual observor (just an observer folks, I’m old, fat, and married) I would rank them high on the sexy scale.

Don’t take my word for it, judge for yourself. The Marmot’s Hole (another Korea blog) has this link to a photo shoot of some Korean lovelies playing in the snow. NOT WORK SAFE.

Nowhere. I’m just adjusting to my new surroundings and trying to find my feet. Everything’s cool though, so not to worry. Saturday I did some grocery shopping then went out for a couple of beers at Sweet Caroline’s. It’s gettin’ kind of old to be honest. I need to find more productive ways to entertain myself. I’m not that big on bars to begin with and its gotten to be about the only thing I do when I go out. Still I am looking forward to warmer weather which will make it a lot easier to explore.

Sunday I did the housekeeping chores, cleaning and washing clothes. So unlike me, but I’ve noticed that things don’t automatically get down around here like they did back home. Go figure. I also make it a point to cook myself a meal on Sunday (as opposed to using the microwave to thaw something out). Last week was burritos, this week beans and weenies, with biscuits, cheese and apples, and brownies for dessert. Hey, I never claimed I could actually cook anything to write home about (which obviously has not stopped me from doing so!).

Tonight I had my Korean language class. We are putting those consonants and vowels together now, and it is a little more difficult. I really need to focus on practicing at home.

I got a nice welcome card from my new dentist. My first mail delivered to the villa (my mail from the USA goes to the APO address). Here’s the envelope:

Pretty cool, huh? Just copy down that address and drop me a line anytime! Speaking of the dentist, I have my cleaning Friday afternoon. I am trying hard not to look forward to it. Maybe I will develop a life by then.

Things are busy at work but good. I will have some work-related news in the next week or two, but until its announced I will just have to hold my tongue.

Sorry I don’t have anything wonderful and exciting to report tonight, but real life gets like that sometimes. I just didn’t want y’all to think I had forgotten about you.