Regarding Itaewon

Posted on 15/October/2009 by John McCrarey

The Chosun Bimbo has a post/survey up concerning what should be done about/with Itaewon. Go check it out.

I left this comment which is explains how I see and feel about Itaewon:

You know, I really think Itaewon gets a bad rap, perhaps an unfair legacy of its more sordid past. I’ve been here 5 years now and even it that short period of time I’ve witnessed some pretty signifcant changes for the better.

Yeah, they did the new sidewalks and gave vendors those standardized carts. But beyond the purely cosmetic changes has been a pretty dynamic shift in, for lack of a better word, attitude. Gone are a lot of the more sleazy bars catering to horny GIs and English teachers. These have been replaced by some really nice restaurants, many with street side dining. I think a good example of this transformation is the alley behind Hamilton Hotel.

Here’s the biggest change I’ve noted: Koreans are coming out to Itaewon in numbers that would have been unimaginable a few short years ago. The upscale restuarants make Itaewon a dining destination for more and more “natives”. Hell, I expect they enjoy the food almost as much as watching us waeguks passing by on the street.

Several great western-style bars and pubs have opened recently (check out Sam Ryan’s above 3 Alley Pub next time you are in town). What is truly amazing is that Korean-folk are venturing into these bars on a more and more frequent basis. I think it is pretty cool to see this intermingling (kinda like I’m actually living in foreign country!).

Anyway, Hooker Hill, Gay Hill, the tranny and juicy bars are all still there, but that scene is not so much “in your face” these days. I think they add flavor to a rather eccletic mix and would hate to see that eliminated.

Funny thing, last week I was quaffing a brew at Goldfish (a friendly Filipino owned streetside bar) and some tourists asked about how to find Hooker Hill (it’s actually right across the street from Goldfish). I had to laugh, because even at its sleaziest, Itaewon is apparently a tourist destination.

Cheers!

Juicy bars and prostitution

Posted on 09/September/2009 by John McCrarey

I thought I’d take a break from politics and talk a little bit about a story in the Stars and Stripes on “juicy bars” being a conduit for prostitution. The Stripes story covers the scene up in Dongducheon near Camp Casey in Area I. I don’t have any first hand knowledge of that bar district, but GI Korea at ROKdrop offers his take here.

My perspectives are based on what I have observed in Itaewon and also what I saw during my travels to the Philippines. I admit up front to being somewhat conflicted on the issues raised in this story. I certainly understand and adhere to the DoD prohibitions regarding prostitution. However, I’m not at all convinced that the “human trafficing” aspect is as widespread as this story would lead you to believe. For me at least there is a huge difference in a woman choosing to be a prostitute as opposed to being forced to do so. While that may sound obvious, the line can sometimes get fuzzy. Now, I have never met anyone working in the bars in Itaewon or the Philippineswho wasn’t doing so by choice. On the other hand, I’ve met more than a few who were working in the bars because they had no other choice. Yes, you could choose not to work the bars but for some that means choosing not to feed your family. Some choice, huh?

As I mentioned above my experience is limited to Itaewon. And I think the bars like those mentioned in the Stripes article probably only exist here up on “hooker hill”. And those are all off limits to DoD personnel and regulary patrolled by the MPs and Korean police. I expect some soldiers break the rules of course, but I’m guessing that’s not the clientele keeping these joints in business. So, I don’t think you can fault the actions taken or otherwise blame USFK for whatever overt prostitution still taking place in Itaewon.

Before we get into my critique of the Stripes article, let’s begin with some definitions and a caveat. A juicy bar is a bar where a young woman (degrees of attractiveness vary) will sit and keep you company as long as you are buying her drinks. These drinks are expensive (at least W10,000 but usually W20,000 in Itaewon) and normally consists of juice and little or no alcohol. So, you meet juicy girls in juicy bars. Some juicy bars also provide sex for a price (either on or off premises), others do not. I am not aware of any bar openly selling sex in addition to juice that is not on the off limits list for Itaewon.

Which is not to say that a juicy girl in a “legit” bar won’t engage in sex, but it would be more along the lines of a personal transaction without the knowledge or participation of the bar. I don’t know if that makes it anymore prostitution than does spending lots of money on a traditional date with a “regular” girl that ends in lovemaking. Perhaps we all have our price in that regard.

Not all juicy bars are created equal. Some are sleazy like those pictured in the Stripes article. Others are quite upscale with very attractive women elegantly dressed (meaning sexy, not slutty). I’d say there are more of the latter type in Itaewon. Also, at most Itaewon bars and pubs the staff will gladly accept a drink offer from a customer. Some (like Dolce Vita) charge the regular price, others charge W10,000. I make a distinction here because these bars aren’t selling juice and generally the bargirl stays on her side of the bar. For example, I sometimes buy the bartender a drink in lieu of a tip.

The caveat is that I’m no expert in that I rarely visit “juicy bars”, usually only in a “boys night out” setting, and I never buy W20,000 drinks which puts me in the unpopular “cheap Charlie” category. So, since I won’t pop for an expensive drink it is unlikely that I would be solicited for anything more pricey on the “menu” if you get my meaning. Having said that, I have lived here almost 5 years and have friends and acquaintences more well versed in the juicy scene than I, so I also speak with the benefit of that vicarious experience.

Ok then, on to the article:

Prostitution and indentured servitude are everyday realities at many of these popular hangouts for American soldiers, according to past and present bar girls, many of whom were enticed from the Philippines to work in the South Korean bars with false promises that they could earn legitimate incomes as singers and entertainers.

“If you don’t sell a lot of drinks, [the bar owners] are going to push you to go out with a customer to make money,” said Jenny, a former bar girl who asked not to be fully identified. “I was shocked the first night I worked there.”

Ok, well at least in Itaewon all the legit juicy bars I’ve seen (not off limits) employ Koreans. The only exploited Filipinas I’ve met here are the ones who came to Korea as “mail order” brides to Korean men. I’ve heard some real horror stories about that.

Almost every Filipina I encountered in the Philippines was looking for a way out. Many, after the briefest acquaintance, were asking me to “sponsor” them to come to Korea, no strings attached. Of course I declined to help someone circumvent Korean immigration laws, but I question if these folks so desperate to escape the crushing poverty and hopelessness of their lives really don’t know what being an “entertainer” in Korea entails. Again, acknowledging that there are exceptions, I don’t believe the majority of these young women are being forced into sexual slavery.

And it’s all happening right under the noses of U.S. military officials and the South Korean and Philippine governments, women’s advocacy groups assert.

“Three governments are to be blamed for their irresponsibility,” said Yu Young-nim, director of My Sister’s Place, a social service agency that helps Philippine bar girls forced into prostitution in South Korea. “The Philippine government for not working hard to create job opportunities for its poor people, the Korean government for not managing and controlling jobs [given to immigrants] and the U.S. government for neglecting its responsibility to supervise its soldiers and for not helping these victims.”

Sorry, I think that is an unfair burden to lay at the doorstep of government. Hell, most of the “progressive” governments in Europe have thrown in the towel and legalized/regulated the prostitution industry. I certainly don’t think that closing all juicy bars is going to solve anything. USFK does a decent job monitoring the bars for illicit activites and places those found in violation of DoD regualtions off limits. Korea is a soveriegn nation and is responsible for enforcing its own immigration and anti-prostitution laws. Well, they are about as good at doing so as the USA is within its own borders. Most of the Filipinas I know in Korea are here illegally. And prostitution is rampant throughout Korea, not just around U.S. military bases. Hell, it’s not even that well hidden. You have the notorious glass houses, the double pole barber shops, and the room salons pretty much everywhere you go. And most of these are catering to Korean men, not foreigners.

And then there is the Philippines. Prostitution, although technically illegal, is big business there. And yeah, 20 years ago it was centered around the big U.S. military complexes at Clark and Subic Bay. Guess what, those places are still thriving long after Uncle Sam departed by serving sex tourists from around the globe. And a whole lot of those tourists are Koreans. So here’s the thing. If a Filipina in her desperation chooses a life of prostitution (again, it may be the only viable option, but still a choice if you will) should she sell herself for $30 in Angeles City, or 5 times that in Seoul? To be clear, I am not saying that trafficing does not exist. I am saying that the vast majority are choosing to use the only real asset they own (their body) to support themselves and their family. The smart ones come to Korea (and Japan and the USA) to maximum the value of that asset.

Do I feel good about that? No, not at all. I spent some time in the bars in the Philippines talking with the girls. And it was depressing as hell. So, at first I thought these young women are being exploited. But then I thought, if they didn’t have this they would have nothing. It seems to me that if a man can “sell his body” doing back breaking work as a laborer, it should be a woman’s choice to utilize her body as best meets her needs and circumstances.

So, close all the juicy bars in Korea and send the girls home. Be assured you will not be improving the circumstances of those unfortunates one iota.

U.S. military representatives say they believe most of the juicy bars stick to selling juice — and the few minutes of female companionship that each $10 glass can buy a servicemember. That is why they say they have not put all the juicy bars categorically off-limits.

“There is a constant review, all the time, of all these places,” said Charles Johnson, an action officer with the USFK working group. “A decision was made years ago that glass houses were off limits because … the thought is it is probably an unhealthy or immoral area that lends itself to prostitution. With the other establishments, it’s a case-by-case basis.”

I think that’s the right approach and all that can be reasonably expected.

Once the women secure their visas, the 300 or so promoters in South Korea who pay to import them essentially rent the women out to clubs on a monthly basis. According to a variety of sources, the women sign contracts ranging from three months to a year that entitle them to free room and board, and a salary (not including tips) ranging from about 700,000 to 900,000 won — or about $560 to $725 — per month.

Club owner Cho said their jobs “simply speaking … are to drink together and chat with the soldiers.” In exchange, soldiers are asked to buy them drinks, usually starting at $10 for a small glass of juice. The more money the soldier spends on drinks, the longer the woman sits with him, Cho said, adding that the club and the women split the juice money 50-50.

Well, you know what? That’s pretty good wages comparitively speaking. The bargirls in the Philippines I spoke with might make 10,000 pesos ($200) in a good month. The girls with legit jobs, like working at the mall make half that. And you can’t get a mall job without at least two years of college which is beyond the reach of poor families in the provinces. Again, I have tons of empathy for these girls and the harshness of their lives, but I don’t see any real advantage to taking away the only means of a viable income. I pay my Filipina maid $320 a month and she sends most of that home to support her family. So, these juicy girls are doing exceptionally well, relatively speaking.

“If you do not sell enough juice, the mama-san who controls the women in the clubs, they force the women to go to the ‘bar fine,’ ” Yu said. “ ‘Bar fine’ means prostitution.”

The former juicy bar employees said soldiers and other customers usually paid $150 to bring them from the bar to a hotel room for sex, with the women getting $40 of that money.

First of all, any bar that allows “bar fines” is immediately subject to being placed off limits. In the Philippines, a “bar fine” is called an EWR–Early Work Release. The way that works is the customer pays the bar a set sum, usually around $30. This entitles the bargirl to leave work early. The bar normally gives the girl half the barfine. What happens after that is contingent on what two consenting adults agree to do.

Now, I am not so naive as to not understand that the EWR concept is a convienent workaround to the prostitution laws. Still, at least in the Philippines, the bargirls can refuse an EWR request. They only go with the customers they choose to be with. Sometimes the EWR involves bar hopping or dinner or lounging at the pool. And yes, I am sure that in some (most?) cases it ends up with sexual intercourse.

Would these girls do this sort of work if they had better options? Some may, I suspect most would not. But it strikes me as being disingenuous to claim they are being exploited. Again, I have not ever witnessed any case of someone being forced into prostitution. I have however heard many sad tales about being the only means of support for children and family. Many of these girls hate what they do, but hate the alternative more.

I just can’t accept the premise that putting these people out of the only work that pays enough to provide food and shelter is making the world a better place.

Yes, let’s castrate anyone who enslaves or otherwise forces these young women into prostitution. But don’t take away one of the few options available in a desperate life for those who choose it.

A very special Labor Day

Posted on 07/September/2009 by John McCrarey

So today I’m celebrating the Labor Day holiday with a quiet day at home and then a doubles dart tourney tonight. But this day is much more special than that. Let me tell you why.

I recall a September 7th way back in 1975. I was playing in a softball game in Orange County, California. Around the 3rd inning or so, Bridget (my former wife) complained about not feeling well. Of course, I was all about the game and I advised her to just relax in the bleachers until the game was finished. At the beginning of the 5th inning, my sister-in-law Kathy who happens to be an RN told me I really needed to take Bridget home so she could lay down. So, in frustration I relented and told the guys I had to leave mid-game. I wasn’t happy about it, I remember that.

Yeah, I know. At 20 I was not the sensitive, caring, emotionally grounded individual that you see today. You see, Bridget was 8 months pregnant at the time. On the drive home she kept moaning about “the pain”. It seemed to come and go every several minutes. She said she might be going into labor. Of course, I knew better than that seeing as how she wasn’t due until October. Being 20 years old and wise to the ways of the world, I confidently told her that she was experiencing what is known as “false labor”. Despite my reassurances, Bridget continued with her moaning. So, just to prove my point and said “fine, let’s go by the hospital they’ll tell you the same thing.”

Which I then proceeded to do. And where two hours later my first born daughter came into this world.

Happy Birthday Renee! I love you.

Dave New’s last hurrah

Posted on 26/August/2009 by John McCrarey

No, he didn’t die or anything that dramatic, but this chapter of his life in Korea has drawn to a close. As Dave says, his 12+ years here were a nice run.

As is our tradition, we honored Dave with a going away darts tournament. And did not let him win it (I think that would be back luck or something). I can attest to the fact that it was a good time and Dave had many friends and well-wishers present from both his darting and photography worlds.

Dave holding court with some of his buds..

It was good to see Jeese, his wife Kyung Mi and Grant out for the festivaties.

And of course two of my favorite Canucks of the female persuasion, Margaret and Becky. You know, I don’t know if my fat fingers are blocking the flash or what. Anyway, sorry for the poor quality of these shots.

Dave and Alisteir the Scot talking over darts strategy. Hell, I don’t know what the really really discussing, but its a nice lead-in for this “incident” that occurred during the tourney.

So, to begin, Alisteir is currently the top ranked player in SIDL, and deservedly so. But his cricket strategy is considered by most somewhat unorthodox. I mean, obviously it works for him but he catches a fair amount of flack about it. An example was during our first meeting on Saturday.

Here’s the situation: I had foolishly left 20s open by throwing a 2 mark. My partner had closed 19s, so when Alisteir stepped up to the oche they had 20s closed and zero 19s. His first dart was at the 20 for points which is a smart dart. He hit a triple which is all the better. His next dart was another triple 20, which gave them a 120 point lead. Alisteir’s third dart was another triple 20–a ton-80 for points.

Ok, I was somewhat irked, maybe even a bit miffed, and perhaps a little peeved at this turn of events. As much at myself for leaving 20s open to begin with as I was at Alisteir for rubbing my nose in it. Conventional wisdom would be to take one dart for points and then work the open 19. But that’s not the way Alisteir plays, and he made the point afterwards that when he’s on a number, he prefers to stay there.

Well, my partner and I fought back the best we could and closed the gap, but that 180 points proved to be insurmountable. So, we exchanged some words after the match and I made some comments that were clearly out of line, because I took it personal. Alisteir correctly noted that he plays that way against everyone and if anything I should take it as a sign of respect. He pointed out that I’m the only one who’s swept him 3-0 in a league match. He was right of course, and I apologized. I don’t agree with his strategy, but if you fail to close a number, you are responsible for the consequences. Anyway, I don’t usually let emotions flare up like that and I felt bad about it afterwards. I certainly bear no grudge and hope Alisteir does not as well.

Anyway, the night was all about Dave anyway and I did have a good time. Even took a second place in the follow-up tourney (losing out again to Alisteir, but there is no shame in that).

Dave will certainly not be forgotten:

This wall at Dolce Vita is devoted to photographs Dave took of some of Dolce’s regulars. To really appreciate his talent with the camera, go here.

I guess his cake expresses the sentiments we all feel as Dave moves on to new challenges:

Farewell and good luck. Hope our paths cross again someday.

What a difference a day makes…

Posted on 10/July/2009 by John McCrarey

Back home in Seoul. Took a redeye flight under a Bali full moon and landed in the middle of a Korean monsoon. Welcome back to the real world I suppose.

Just a couple of final reflections on my Bali experience. Some things really stand out, probably first among them was just how inexpensive it is to experience a taste of paradise. We had a personal driver/tour guide that cost us 50,000 rupees per hour ($5 U.S.). We stayed in nice hotels that cost $60 or less, including a full breakfast. There were also many bargains to be found in the shopping arena. I’m not much of a shopper myself, but the womenfolk bought a load of sarangs as gifts ($2.50 each after hard bargaining), gold jewelry and other items at a bargain basement prices. I bought a stack of DVDs of American TV shows I had been coveting (Deadwood, The Office, South Park) at $1 each and with every purchase of 20, you get nine additional for free! For the record, I don’t think these are bootlegs, the quality is 100% and the DVD’s have the studio images on them, something I’ve never seen on a bootleg. Oh, and a carton of cigarettes could be found for $8 to $10.

Y’all have seen the pictures, so I don’t have to tell you just how beautiful and varied the magical land of Bali truly is. From the beaches to the jungles to the mountains, it’s all outstanding.

I was also impressed by the kindness of the Balinese people that we met. Although most would be considered poor by Western standards, they seem truly happy and content without the trappings of material wealth. Everyone I encountered greeted me with a warm and sincere smile. Even the street vendors were gracious when you rejected their entreaties to make a purchase, smiling and saying “ok, have a good day boss”.

Although you could observe some poverty out in the countryside, Bali is surprisingly clean. In the Philippines, I would often be saddend by the harsh reality of substandard living conditions and the desperation of the people I encountered. I never felt that at all in Bali.

Commenter Dennis asked about Balinese women. To be honest, I wasn’t paying that much attention. We were staying in resort areas versus the entertainment districts, so other than wait staff and regular citizens walking the streets (generally in sarangs) there wasn’t much to see. Most of the guests in the hotels were from Australia, India, and China. I guess my observation would be that the women of Bali tend to be dark skinned (reminded me of Filipinas in that regard) full-lipped, and tend to be full figured. That’s about all I can say about.

Anyway, Bali had been totally off my radar and I don’t know that I would have made the trip without the encouragement of Tom and Yuli. I’m really glad I did and I expect that there will be more Bali in my future. It is such a bargain compared to other tropical resort venues. If anyone is planning a trip there, let me know and I will set you up with our driver Daewa. You will be in good hands.

On the beach in Bali

Posted on 07/July/2009 by John McCrarey

Friday we left the jungles of central Bali and moved to the coast for some beachside fun.

The last night in Ubud we celebrated Yuli’s birthday at her favorite restuarant, the Dirty Duck.

Where not surpisingly Fried Duck is the specialty. I had seafood.

The obligatory birthday cake ceremony.

Ji Yeon did some souvenir shopping at a beachside stall. That carving appears to be some kind of lewd act…

The entrance to our hotel, the Villa Kind Bintang Resort. Rack rate here is $95, but Yuli’s friend Yoeman got us in for a sweet 50 bucks a night.

The lobby. Open air as is typical of most buildings here. Ah, life on the equator…

The view from my room. You can kinda sorta see the ocean in the distance.

The pool, complete with bar.

Where I enjoyed my share of refreshing Bintang beer.

Yuli enjoying the water. I think she is part fish.

Ji Yeon tried to adopt this little German girl without success…

The Indian Ocean.

The beach in front of our hotel complex.

On the 4th of July we dined beachside…

Ji Yeon, Tom and Yeoman’s son Yoda enjoying the ambiance…

Watching the sunset while waiting for dinner to be served.

We purchased some roasted corn from this vendor as an appetizer. It was sweet and delicious…

Sundown.

Dinner is served. A feast fit for a king…

Dinner for seven came to rupee 700,000. Including several large Bintang beers, a coconut cocktail, and juice drinks. Folks, that is $70. Unbelievable. And everything was delicious.

The island of Bali. We are beaching on that small peninsula at the bottom. Ubud and jungle environs are about 30 KMs north. The volcanos at the top are where we took the road trip.

Sunday was watersports day. I’m a keep my feet on the ground kind of guy, but Yuli enjoyed the parasailing experience.

The banana boat was more my speed.

Woo Hoo!

We survived, wet but happy.

I also had my first jet ski experience, which was really a blast.

Ok, back to my vacation.

Kecak Fire and Trance Dance

Posted on 04/July/2009 by John McCrarey

Wednesday night we say an amazing performance of the Kecak dance. I had never seen anything quite like it. Well, the Whirling Dervishes in Instanbul were pretty awesome, but this was more theatre than religious ceremony.

The dance depicts a fragment of the Hindu epic Ramyana. You can learn everything I know about it from Wikipedia. Even though I couldn’t follow the story, it was an impressive and entertaining performance. Here’s some photos:

The Hindu Temple where the performance took place.

Tradition is you where a flower in your hair here (at least they gave me one when we entered the temple. I was feeling a little gay again.

So, it started with this guy lighting the flames on an alter…

And then 100 guys come out chanting, gyrating, and dancing in a fascinating display.

Then they sat down in a circle and provided the music through voice…

So, our first characters appear…

Those gals could dance!

There’s a story being told here. Unfortnately, I can’t explain it.

I think this monkey dancer was one of the good guys…

Captured….

A battle ensues…

Justice and good ultimately prevail…

And I am out of time for now. Later, the Fire Dance!

Out in the country

Posted on 02/July/2009 by John McCrarey

Here’s the day 2 report from Bali…

Typical Balinese fare. This was good…

Dining room in the hotel. Pretty cool, eh?

There are statues and shrines like this all over the hotel property. I assume this one has something to do with fertility…

Tom and Yuli purchased some property. A fairly complicated process given that Tom is a foriegner. The lawyers worked out all the deatails and the deed was done. I still can’t resist puns…

Ye olde goldfish pond…

Another shot of the cottages in which I currently reside…

I think I mentioned the hotel is built into a jungle hillside…

And that little river at the bottom gurgles me to sleep each night…

One of the two pools on the property. Had some excitement here. Turns out Ji Yeon is not much of a swimmer and she didn’t realize how deep this water was until she was smack dab in the middle of the pool. She went into a bit of panic and latched onto me, pulling me under as well. Scared the hell out of me, because I’m not a strong enough swimmer to carry us both. I gave her a mighty shove towards the side of the pool, but still out of her reach. She went under again, but by now Yuli and Joeko were able to pull her the rest of the way to the side. Definitely got my adreniline pumping…

It was definetly more relaxing laying flat on my back on the poolside lounge chair. This was my view from that vantage point…

Later we went into town for a bite of lunch. Don’t remember what this is called, but damn, it was spicy. Made me sweat behind the ears spicy. Luckily, I had a large bottle of Bintang, the local brew, to was it down…

Yuli, Tom, and Yuli’s brother Joeko were unfazed by spicy lunch and cleaned their plates. I did not and took a fair amount of razzing about it…

We headed out to view Tom and Yuli’s new property and encountered a Hindu ceremony in progress…

Village street scene…

Tom’s new property…

Ji Yeon obviously preferred the rice paddy to the swimming pool….

Working the land. Someday Tom’s house will overlook this area…

Tom was quick to make friends with the local neighborhood kids…

The street in front of Tom’s property…

A gateway I fancied…

Almost all the residences have a Hindu shrine on the property.

Ok, time to get on with the vacation. More to come.

Hanging out in the jungle

Posted on 30/June/2009 by John McCrarey

Starting my first full day in Bali here in the hotel restuarant taking advantage of the wireless internet.

It is really a beautiful location. Food is good and things are really cheap here. Paradise for sure.

This guys hangs outside my room. I’m not sure what the symbolism is intended to represent or why it was erected. Heh. Actually, you remove the penis and strike the statue on the back and it makes a “gong” sound. A couple of minutes later someone shows up from the hotel asking what it is you need. Felt bad about that, because this place is a series of hillside cottages, and getting around requires traversing numerous stairs. So, I’ll be leaving the penis inserted for the rest of the trip!

A river runs through it. The view from my patio.

The entrance to my room. This resort was built in 1928 and in some ways is showing its age. But, it is a nice throwback to the golden era of travel and it really quite pleasant.

This perhaps gives you a little idea of how the cottages are built into the hillside. Very quaint, is it not?

Had this great western-style breakfast delivered to the room and enjoyed it on the patio surrounded by the wonderful Bali ambiance. It tasted even better than it looks. Oh, breakfast is included in the price of the room. Which is about $60 US. Dinner for six last night was $24, including beer and plates and plates of Indonesia goodness. I cashed out $500 at the airport exchange and the challenge may be finding a way to spend that much in ten days.

Did I mention this is paradise?

Blowin’ in the wind…

Posted on 28/June/2009 by John McCrarey

I got bored yesterday afternoon so I went out for a cold draft beer. Most of my regular haunts don’t open until 1800 or so, but I dropped into this little open bar (meaning no aircon, but with nice street views for people watching) run by some nice Filipinas. Most bars play current music and rap, and I’m still stuck in the 70s for the most part when it comes to stuff I like. For whatever reason, as I nursed my beer a folk set came up in the rotation. I heard “500 Miles” by what I think were The Brothers Four and decided I prefer the Peter, Paul, and Mary version. Then there was Joan Baez doing “Diamonds and Rust”, which is a great tune. I was wondering if Bob Dylan might be next, and sure enough, up came “Blowin’ in the Wind”.

You know, I hadn’t actually really listened to that song for quite some time. Although as a young person I rather fancied it, of late I had just written it off as another naiive anti-war rag. But upon further consideration after contemplating the lyrics, I think it is really a powerful reminder that some things, including freedom, are worth fighting for. Stay with me on this while I digress.

I recently became active on Facebook. Yeah, I know, welcome to the 21st century and all that. It’s actually pretty cool making connections and “finding” old friends. I actually hooked up with a high school bud via Facebook. Chris and I were editors on the school newspaper together and were of like minds politically (leftist/radical). Chris pursued the dream to become a journalist and currently works for a large newspaper in the Pacific Northwest. I devoted my life to government service, which is pretty funny when I look back on just how anti-government I once was. Anyway, in response to my invite to be a Facebook friend, I got a nice message filling me in on his life and lamenting the sad state of affairs in print jounalism these days as newspapers are going bankrupt with increasing frequency. I responded in part:

Hey Chris. Hopefully you’ve got access now.

As I’ve watched the print media whither away I wondered how you were faring. I had it in my head that you worked for the Seattle PI which recently moved to the online version as well. I’m not clear how that business model will generate enough revenue to support a newsgathering operation, but time will tell. Good luck to you.

You know Chris, we could have a long chat about what has brought “traditional” media to this sorry state of affairs. Obviously, competition for ads from Craig’s List hurts the bottom line, but that does not explain the loss of readership. I think what has hurt the press in that regard is a loss of credibility. For years I relied on the Washington Post as my primary news source. Post 9/11, I started looking at other sources on the Internet and I was frankly surprised to find just how much of the story I was not getting. I guess I am firmly in the camp of those who believe that the MSM reports with an agenda, rather than striving for balance. I certainly saw that in the Iraq reporting, and last year’s election coverage was a farce. Love him or hate him, Obama did not face the scrutiny of Sarah Palin or even “Joe the plumber”. Unless and until the press is either up front with their bias or gets back to reporting “just the facts”, I see no hope for recovery. I’m curious what you thought of ABC’s infomercial for nationalized health care this week.

Anyway, as you might have gathered my view of the world has evolved since my “radical” high school days. Although I think I still have my core “liberal” values and beliefs, the left wing in America seems to side with those who have no love for freedom and justice. We fight about issues like Gay marriage, while homosexuals are stoned to death in much of the world with nary a protest. What’s up with that?

I’ve not as yet heard back from Chris and I’m thinking I may have scared him away. I guess most folks think of me as a neocon these days, and hell, they might be right. I’m sure my views must strike my old friend as being as radical as they once were, but to the other extreme. But as Joe Walsh once sang “everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed”. I believe that I didn’t leave the left, the left left me, so to speak. Or maybe I always had it wrong. I certainly always believed that the oppressed in the world had a God-given right to drink from the cup of liberty. And if you stand up for human rights, be it women or gays or just freedom from tyranny, how can you turn your head to what was happening in Iraq and Afghanistan? Or North Korea and Iran? So, if that makes me a neocon, I will wear the mantle proudly and without apology.

This is the kind of “liberal” I was and remain today:

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge and more.

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do — for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.

To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom — and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.

To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required, not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge — to convert our good words into good deeds in a new alliance for progress — to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request — that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.

We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.

Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah — to “undo the heavy burdens…and let the oppressed go free.”

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.

Now the trumpet summons us again — not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need — not as a call to battle, though embattled we are — but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” — a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

–John F. Kennedy – January 20, 1961

So, I think this is the proper context for considering the words of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”.

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

OK, we all can agree that war is unspeakably horrible. No one hates wars more than the soldiers who fight them. BUT, Dylan is not saying war is never necessary or justified. Like all of us, he instead wishes for and dreams of a day when mankind puts such foolishness behind us forever.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it’s washed to the sea?
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Now, this verse really struck me yesterday. Dylan is stating unequivocably that freedom is not just some ideal, but a birthright of all people. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to have been born free, it reminds that we have an obligation not to turn our backs on the oppressed of the world.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Here’s the thing. The left is quick to note that many have died as a result of our interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. And yet, there is little mention of the deaths perpetuated by Saddam and the Taliban. Brutal massacres and heinous acts like rape, torture and oppression. You can debate whether our intervention was warranted as a matter of national interest, but you lose me when you argue that only deaths caused by the USA are bad.

And so it goes. We are witnessing the depravity of the mullahs in Iran. It is no secret about Kim Jong Il’s death camps. How many ears must we have to hear their cries? How many deaths is too many? How long will they exist without being free?

The answer is blowing in the wind.

Crossing Over

Posted on 22/June/2009 by John McCrarey

No, I am not crossing over to the dark side, wherever that might be. Last night was movie night, and as the title of this post foreshadows, the film I watched was called Crossing Over.

As regular readers know it’s kinda hit and miss with me and movies as I am pretty much out of touch with popular American culture. Netflix has helped a little (although I tend to order Korean movies from there, go figure), but I still occasionally pick up “street movies” which is always a bit of crap shoot in all respects (quality of the DVD and quality of the content).

Which is a long way to say I had never heard of Crossing Over. I picked it up because I recognized members of the cast–Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, and Ray Liotta. No clue what the movie was going to be about story-wise, but I liked my odds since it came with a talented cast.

Alright, so the actors acted at least up to expected standards. And the story revolves around an interesting and topical issue–immigration. But as the opening credits rolled and I saw the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detention facility in L.A., well, I pretty much guessed what I was in for–a heapin’ helpin’ of pungent Hollywood propoganda. And that’s what I got.

Let’s see how many ~~illegal aliens~~ undocumented workers were being oppressed by those meanies at DHS. Young Mexican mother and countless other helpless immigrants doing factory work Americans won’t do? Of course. We also had the sad tales of a young Australian actress, a Jewish atheist from the UK, an orphaned girl from Nigeria, and a family from Bangladesh all at the mercy of those evil immigration agents. And oh, just to round out the stew (heh, in the melting pot!) we had storylines involving legal Iranian and Korean immigrants.

Are you with me so far? Good that was the easy part!

So, of course the villians in the story are those thankless rubes charged with enforcing U.S. immigration law. Now, Harrison Ford’s character is somewhat sypathetic to the plight of the illegals and is roundly castigated for his kindness by his peers. The opening scene sets the tone, as Ford inquires about the health of one of the capturees as is given a ration of sh*t about it. Then we move on to a clothing factory raid where Ford finds a young woman hiding. He appears ready to pretend he doesn’t see her until another ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent happens along and asks what he’s waiting for “a marriage proposal”? So, of course Ford hauls her out to the waiting bus. But the women has a child staying with friends and begs Ford to take her pay there so the boy won’t be put out on the street. Ford responds that he can’t help her, and she continues pleading and just before being placed on the bus she shoves a piece of paper into his hands. His cronies ridicule him and he throws the paper on the ground telling them to lay off. Of course, that night he goes back to the factory and searches the parking lot with a flashlight until he finds the paper and rescues the child. Nice guy in the wrong job apparently.

Next up is Ray Liotta playing an immigration official responsible for approving green card applications. He’s involved in a traffic accident with the illegal Australian actress. And of course he tells her he can get her a green card in exchange for two months of sex. She agrees, but feels lousy about it. Go figure.

It gets worse. We are then introduced to a teenage girl from Bangladesh, giving a presentation to her school classmates all decked out in the Keffiyeh headwear. She is talking about the courageous 9/11 terrorists and how their motives were misunderstood. She said that these poor oppressed people were only trying to be heard, and since all anyone talks about since the attacks are Islamic extremists, they were successful. Oh she goes on and on with graphic descriptions of being “heard” above “roaring jet engines” slamming into steel buildings. Disgusting. Her classmates are going wild calling her all sorts of names (like sand monkey) and finally the teacher makes her sit down. Now, I have to admit I was just about as pissed as her classmates yelling at the TV to get her ass out of the country. But what really got my goat was that these Hollywood pukes actually tried to make this girl a sympathetic character. The failed miserably I believe in attempting to justify the senseless murder of 3000 innocents. But oh did they try!

Which brings us to the next depiction of the big baddies from DHS. See, the school principle gave a copy of the girl’s report to the folks at Homeland Security. And that night there was the proverbial knocking on the door by government thugs. Turns out the girl’s family was in the country illegally, except for two siblings who were born in the USA (no relation to Bruce Springsteen I’m sure). So, the girl is questioned harshly about her remarks and she responds with the old “I thought there was free speech in this country” routine. People tend to foget about the consequences of expressing unpopular viewpoints. Ask the Dixie ~~Bitches~~ Chicks. Say what you want, but take responsibility for your words, don’t whine about it. The DHS agent in charge is similarly unimpressed with this line of argument. Other agents search the room and find her diary expressing suicidal ideations and her computer showed she was a frequent visitor to jihadi websites. Somehow these misguided government agents put 2+2 together and came up with the ridiculous conclusion that the girl was a potential threat to America. Duh! The girl pleads that she only said she understood why the terrorists wanted to be “heard”, not that she agreed with their methods. The cold hearted DHS folks weren’t buying it and hauled her off to the ~~detention facility~~ gulag in San Pedro. Bastards.

So then we meet Ashley Judd’s character, an immigration lawyer who won’t countenance this paranoid nonsense from DHS, calling it “ridiculous” that the government would consider this girl a threat based on the most “circumstantial evidence”. Only problem was since the girl was an illegal she had no due process rights and Judd was told she would be deported. Just to prove the government wasn’t totally heartless, Judd was told that if the girl went quietly with one of her parents the other could remain behind with the two natural born Americans, provided they didn’t make any trouble. Judd was outraged but powerless to do more than rage against the machine. So we are then treated to a tearful scene in the detention facility when the girl learns she must depart the country she so recently gleefully justified being attacked by sick, cowardly bastards. Funny how that worked out.

Sorry for the spoilers, but damn, I’m still pretty pissed at what this movie was trying to “sell” to the American people.

The Korean immigrants had a son who got involved with some local Korean gang bangers, and the Iranians murdered a daugher for disrepecting the family by becoming to Western in her world view (she was sleeping with a Mexican-American boyfriend, ~~God~~ Allah forbid. Funny thing about that was when I looked this film up on Wikipedia I discovered this bit: “The film originally featured a scene in which an Iranian character is murdered by her brother in an honor killing, but the National Iranian American Council opposed the plotline as being unrealistic and offensive, and the killing was rewritten as a crime of passion to remove all reference to “family honor”. Heh, that didn’t work out to well either. I knew right away it was in fact an “honor” killing.

Ok, other than that I really liked this movie. Seriously. I thought it was well made, pretty well written, and entertaining. And the best thing is I think it had the opposite impact from the one intended. I believe most people would agree after seeing this movie that people who come to the USA illegally had best mind their P’s and Q’s. Americans are not sympathetic to scofflaws, especially those who think crashing airliners into buildings is a cool way to be “heard”.

Watch it yourself and see what you think. I didn’t spoil *all* the good parts. Promise.

A day in the life

Posted on 21/June/2009 by John McCrarey

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head…

Well, actually I didn’t comb my hair. It was Saturday and that’s what ball caps are made for.

Did my weekly grocery shopping at the commissary, got home and put the stuff away, then settled in for a relaxing play of CIV IV.

Loaded the game to my new Sony Notebook. Pretty cool, eh?

After suffering a frustrating defeat, I showered up and headed out to Manila Bar, the venue for my friend Becky’s birthday celebration.

The birthday girl, a nice gal from Canada.

Natalie gave the darts a throw…

While Margaret, another Canuck, stylishly smoked a cigarette.

Becky and her main squeeze Mike, a nice guy from the Philippines.

That’s Teddy, owner of Manila Bar in the middle. I don’t know the name of the cute Korean gal (I should).

A couple of sweet Filipinas, Jovie on the right is Teddy’s wife. The other is Jovie’s sister. But I don’t recall her name either (I should).

Happy partiers!

The Korean on the left used to tend bar at Bless U, but I hadn’t seen her around for the last year or so. Guess what? I don’t remember either of their names.

Anyway, it was a nice time. I always give Becky a half dozen bottles of Blue Cheese dressing as a birthday gift. Apparently she eats it with just about everything. And she is always pleased with her present, which makes it easy for me.

So, it was time to head over to Dolce Vita for the International Dart Tournament. We had a rather disappointing turnout with only six teams participating. I was really sorry that none of the outstanding Filipino players turned out to play for national pride. I think most of them were hanging out in Manila Bar for Becky’s party.

So, with only six teams we played a round robin format with the total number of legs won determining the champion.

Dave and Alisteir represented Great Britain.

Dustin and Jay proudly represented Canada sporting Maple Leaf flights.

Seung Youb and YS played for the Republic of Korea.

We also had three American teams turn out:

Me and Colonel Dan waved Old Glory…

Lonnie and Jim, a couple of fine Americans.

Dave and Rod were the other Team America entrant.

So, there was a lot of darts to be played and we commenced to play them. As it turned out, it took ten legs won to play for the championship. Dan and I struggled all night for consistency, but we had our moments of greatness and won some tough legs. We also let a couple slip away, and that made the difference as our 9 wins was one short of what we needed.

This was perhaps our high water moment, taking a clutch leg from the Canadians. As you can perhaps tell, it was a point war. For some reason, I lost my ability to hit a bullseye and Dustin and Jay took full advantage. We matched their bulls with points on the open 20 in a seesaw battle until we finally got up and closed the bulls for a win. Unfortunately, the Koreans took us down 2-1 ruining our hopes for a money finish.

Turns out the Brits and Yanks (Dave and Rod) both had ten legs won, so it was a playoff for the championship. Kind of a replay of 1776 (without the bloodshed) and the outcome was the same, with the Americans victorious! We couldn’t resist a raucous chant of USA! USA! at the conclusion of the match.

Dolce Vita closed after the match for renovations. So I will have to find a new home for the next few days. I live for Bali in a week though and when I return it should be back to business as usual in the new and improved Dolce Vita.

Finished the night with a dinner of samgyapsal and bulgogi at Don Valley with Dan and his wife.

And yes, by the end of the day I was feeling no pain.

Had a Ball!

Posted on 14/June/2009 by John McCrarey

Friday night I attended the U.S. Army Birthday Ball in celebration of the Army’s founding 234 years ago today. You can read all about that glorious history here.

This was my first time attending an event of this nature, and it was pretty cool. All the military folks dressed out in their formal uniforms and the civilian contingent in our tuxedos. I had my tux tailor made three years ago for my last formal event, the Commader’s Mess. I didn’t need a scale to tell me I’ve gained a few pounds since then. So, it will be back to the tailor for some alterations before my next ball!

Anyway, the event was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul. A great venue and convienent as well. We started with a cocktail hour where I mingled with the brass, which was my real motivation for attending. You know, showing “the flag” and demonstrating that our civilian workforce is part of the formation and supportive of our brothers and sisters in arms and all that.

Then the signal was given to enter the dining hall and we all took our assigned seats. Now, if I had known better I would have arranged to get assigned to sit with some folks I actually know. Instead I was seated with some Korean civilians there to show support. Which is all good, but we didn’t have much dinner conversation if you know what I mean.

I never had the privalage to serve in the military, but I never fail to be impressed with the traditions and pomp and circumstance. We began with the presentation of colors, singing of the ROK and USA national anthems, and assorted toasts. Then something I had never seen but found fascinating to witness was the placement of campaign streamers on the Army flag. Army streamers ave been awarded for participation in the various wars and military engagements throughout the Army’s history. The had soldiers dressed in period uniforms solemnly presenting each streamer from that era to be attached to the Army flag. Good stuff, and a reminder of the debt we owe those who have served honorably in defense of our nation. Here’s what the flag looks like with streamers:

We then sang the Army song, which I always enjoy:

First to fight for the right,

And to build the Nation’s might,

And The Army Goes Rolling Along

Proud of all we have done,

Fighting till the battle’s won,

And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey!

The Army’s on its way.

Count off the cadence loud and strong

For where e’er we go,

You will always know

That The Army Goes Rolling Along.

Then we had a speech by the 8th Army commanding general, Joseph F. Fil. Dinner was served and I departed shortly afterwards, avoiding the dancing but having fulfilled my mission for the evening.

Oh, I met a traditional Korean woman at the event and she even consented to have her photo taken with me. She didn’t have much to say however.

I guess you could call that a good night. Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army!

Organization Day

Posted on 26/May/2009 by John McCrarey

No, I didn’t get organized. We had a little staff outing today. Although there was not much “out” involved, we utilized the little picnic area directly across the street from the office. Still, it was a nice afternoon. Everybody participated in the pot luck thing. My contribution was a banana pudding.

Before the festivities I had some work related business to attend to. Namely, putting signatures on the recently completed labor-management agreement with the Korean Employees Union. That’s Mr. Chi, KEU President.

Then we got down to the real business of the day, chowing down!

Burgers, flank stank, and hot dogs plus on the usual sides and the Korean contributions, including the ubiquitous kimchee.

Corine had her grandson Wyatt stop by for a visit as well.

Had a little badmitton and horeshoes too. That’s In Suk demonstrating her rather unique style pitching the shoe.

The folks most responsible for my success, the staff of the USFK/8th Army Directorate of Human Resources.

So there you have a slice of a day in the life.

There’s a new kid in town…

Posted on 03/May/2009 by John McCrarey

Well, he’s not exactly a kid seeing as how he is even older than me!

I picked up my new employee Dennis from the airport yesterday without a hitch. Traffic was relatively light given that this is a holiday weekend and all. Made it there and back in less than an hour each way. And didn’t get lost this time. Owing mostly to my refusal to listen to my navigator (and Deputy) Corine.

There was a slight problem at the gate getting on post however. See, it is supposed to be with two IDs and a copy of your PCS (permanent change of station) orders you can access the base without being signed on/escorted. It was a no go last night however and that’s something I will address with the Provost Marshall tomorrow. Seems one of the IDs has to be DoD issued. The problem is, you can’t get a DoD ID until you have been in-processed. Which you can’t do until you get on post and the CPAC opens Monday morning. A classic military Catch-22. The work around was signing Dennis on as a guest, but that is a pain in the rear because that’s only good for 24 hours. Which means a Sunday trip to the base. Of course, I delegated that responsibility to my Deputy, but still. The other problem is you are technically required to escort the individual with the guest pass at all times. That’s not really possible in this circumstance unless I spent the night with him at Dragon Hill Lodge. I was pretty pissed about the situation last night as it was quite an embarrassment and not a good first impression of life as an Army civilian for Dennis. Ah well.

Anyway, as is my tradition I took my new arrival out on the town (read: Itaewon). I’ve found that the best way to adjust to the new zone is to stay up late that first night. This tends to get you back in the right sleeping pattern quicker. So, we started with some drinks at Dolce Vita, then headed over to Don Valley for Dennis’ introduction to Korean food. It’s kinda fun to watch and relive the experience of discovering all that Korean goodness. We did samgyapsal and bulgogi and of course Dennis loved it all.

Afterwards we hit the norebang and shared some songs. I do believe Dennis enjoyed himself. I know I did.

And so ends one more mindless post that cannot possibly hold anyone’s interest but my own. But then, that’s what this blog is all about, right?

No swine flew on my plane

Posted on 02/May/2009 by John McCrarey

Back home, safe and sound. No problems on the return flight, although there was an interesting twist as we deboarded. The Korean authorities took each passenger’s temperature. Which is kinda funny when you think about it. I mean, we all spent the past 14 hours breathing each others recirculated air, so I suppose if one of us had the flu, we all do now. Anyway, I’m not one to let a little pandemic get me down. Hopefully, those aren’t my famous last words.

I’ve got a few pictures to share of my darting adventures with Duke and Ji Young. I really had a good time visiting them and I sure do miss having them around here in Korea. Perhaps one day we will be reunited. They were great hosts, and even treated me and my co-worker Mr. Kim, Yong-tae do a nice Korean dinner on Sunday in Annandale, which is Northern Virginia’s Korea town. It was kinda funny because the name of the restaurant was Han Gang. So, I traveled 7000 miles to eat at the Han river. Nice place for traditional Korean barbeque by the way.

Saturday night Duke and Ji Young took me out to the Hard Times Cafe for some darts, beer, and wings. It was all good.

We had some fun chuckin’ the darts at the cork. Duke as my darts mentor must have been especially pleased that he taught me well, although, perhaps he was thinking that he taught me too well. Or as he put it, he was just takin’ it easy on the old man.

Tuesday night we played a tourney at Duke’s home bar in Manassas, Addy’s. Jim and YJ should be pleased that we dressed up in our Dolce Vita livery for the occasion.

As mentioned in an earlier post, my partner Howard and I walked away with the victory. It wasn’t a cake walk by any means (we even had to overcome a 9-mark on 15s at one point), but we did go through the winners bracket undefeated. A little bit different format than I’m used to–one leg of cricket only. Doesn’t leave much margin for error. It’s also a requirement that you chalk your darts before pulling them. A good rule to be sure, but one I’m not accustomed to following. Also, you don’t diddle in NOVA, you cork. Otherwise, it was not too different.

Everybody loves a winner!

On Saturday night, Duke’s team, aka “Mom’s Brats” won the DC area “C” division championship. They were all pretty jazzed about that.

Speaking of which, back in Itaewon during my absence the Blue Bulls took out XOX in the first round of the playoffs. I was very pleased to hear that as I felt bad about missing a key match. So, our championship dream is still alive. Next up is Eberhardt, the first place team from Scrooge Pub. Looking forward to that one as we are bearing a small grudge about their refusal to reschedule a match, resulting in a forfeit for us. Come Monday, the best team will be decided at the oche, as it should be. It will be tough as they have some great players, but I think the Bulls enjoy playing as the underdog.

That’s about it from here. I’m fixin’ to drive out to the airport in Incheon to pick up a new employee. This will be his first time in Korea, but I’m thinking if he likes it half as much as me he will be one happy camper. Even if he doesn’t like it, I’ve filled my last critical vacancy so I’m feelin’ good about it.

Peace out.

Back from Busan

Posted on 19/April/2009 by John McCrarey

Well, I survived my first team MT (management training) trip. I guess my general feeling is I’m getting too old for this sh*t. Not that I didn’t have a good time, but I couldn’t take many weekends like this one and remain amongst the living. So, here’s the story in 25 pictures:

Started at Seoul Station at 1300. The KTX to Busan is about a 3 hour ride. Seung Youb overslept and missed the train. Luckily, trains run every 30 minutes or so, so Koichi and Wan Jun waited for him and took the next train down.

As always, we had a nice ride on the “Iron Silk-Road”, and at 300 km per hour, the miles (er, kilometers) just flew by. To entertain ourselves during the journey, Craig taught us the game of Euchre. I brought along some beef jerky and mixed nuts for snacks. Scott brought a couple of quarts of beer, and when that ran out we ordered more from the train concessionaire.

Tae Hun and Scott enjoying the ride.

As were me and Craig.

Did I mention we drank some beer along the way?

We arrived at our destination, the beautiful port city of Busan.

This is the promenade in front of Busan Station. It was a fine, warm, sunny afternoon in Korea’s second city. When the other team members arrived, we cabbed to the Commodore Hotel, dropped off our gear, and headed out to start our night.

Our evening activities centered around a local dart venue named Metro Bar. The owner, Johnny Jung, graciously met us where our cab dropped us and escorted us to a nice restaurant near his bar.

That’s Johnny on the far left. On the menu: galbi, samgyapsal, soju, and beer.

Tae Hun handled grill duties.

After our meal was completed, it was off to Metro for what else, darts! Metro has a nice set-up with four electronic boards and a token steel tip board for us die hards.

Scott and Craig throwing a game…

While Wan Jun shot some pool.

The local darters were out throwing as well, and they made us all feel welcome. Can’t beat that Busan hospitality…

A live action shot of darts in progress. I guess there’s a reason it isn’t much of a spectator sport. Now, you may have noticed that all the photos inside Metro appear blurry and out of focus. Well, funny thing is, that is just how things were beginning to appear through my eyes as well. There was some serious drinking going on. The boys were hitting the Jack Daniels really hard. I stuck with beer because hard experience has taught me that Jack Daniels ain’t no friend of mine…

The highlight of the night for me was participating in the doubles soft tip tourney. I’m not much for that version of the game, but when in Busan do as the Busanonians do I suppose. I drew Seung Youb as my partner. Given our state of inebriation and my lack of familarity with the game, it was a struggle. Somehow we managed to make it to the championship round where we met Johnny (the second ranked player in Busan) and his partner. It was a see-saw battle, but in the end Seung Youb and I pulled out the victory and shared the W50,000 prize money. The lovely lass pictured above was Wan Jun’s partner and we met them in the first round. She throws as good as she looks and it took a minor miracle for us to eek out the win against them.

Here’s Tae Hun, Seung Youb, and a local named Q, taking a breather and enjoying liquid refreshment between games. Before the night at Metro was over, the Blue Bulls had consumed 3 bottles of Jack and more beer than I could count. Plus two platters of chicken wings.

After saying our goodnights at Metro, we cabbed back to the hotel. Lacking the good sense to call it a night, we hit an after hours club across the street and had LOTS more beer and whiskey. Butchered a few songs with Karaoke as well. Things started getting a little crazy after that and the owner suggested that it was time for us to leave. But what happens in Busan, stays in Busan, so the story will remain untold.

I stumbled into my rack a little after 0300 and slept the sleep of the dead. Brain dead, no doubt.

We had a 1300 train to Seoul today, and I was up and around by 1100. So, I decided to snap a few photos of my surroundings.

This was the window covering in my room. I thought it was pretty cool.

The lobby at the Hotel Commodore. What a nice place. I enjoyed the very few hours I spent here and was quite comfortable. Koichi is in the travel business and he got me a W48,000 rate. I’m sure it would normally cost at least twice that.

The hotel is beautiful on the outside as well, don’t you think?

The view from my room. Not to shabby, eh? Busan is a beautiful city. I’ve heard it compared to San Francisco of Rio de Janiero. Not sure I would go that far, but I’ve always enjoyed spending time here.

So, it was back to the train station. They had this dragon out front. Breathed smoke and everything. And the tail and legs moved.

We all survived, none to worse for the wear. L-R is Tae Hun, Seung Youb, Scott, Wan Jun, me, Koichi, and Craig.

Thanks for having me along guys!

Walkin’ around Itaewon

Posted on 14/April/2009 by John McCrarey

It’s not news that I spend a fair amount of my time hanging around in Itaewon. Although lately, it is just a couple of my bar hangouts and favorite restaurants. Things are changing pretty fast, with upscale restuarants moving in and sleazy juicy bars shutting down. That’s a change for the better in my opinion.

Anyway, I was cleaning up some of my photo files and found some pictures I took last year when I was out and about in daylight (which is unusual for me). Quality is poor (I can tell a big difference with my new Samsung camera). So far better or worse, here they are:

There are several dress store selling bizarre fashions like these. Who the hell buys them? I have never seen anyone actually wearing anything similiar. One of those great unsolved mysteries I suppose.

Shoes galore. I’ve actually never bought shoes on the economy as the PX has served my purposes just fine. I’ve been considering getting a pair of custom shoes made however. Next time I’m out in the daytime hours perhaps.

A particularly crappy photo, even by my low standards. Manila Bar is a place I visit on a semi-regular basis. As the name suggests, it is owned by a very nice Filipino couple, Teddy and Jovie. Teddy plays guitar and piano and is a fine singer as well. They also do Karaoke and it is in this bar that I became (in)famous for my rendition of the Marty Robbins classic “El Paso”.

A bag lady’s paradise for sure.

This is the alley that leads from Dolce Vita Pub/Bless U Pub to the aforementioned Manila Bar. It’s more foreboding at night, but really there is no danger. One of the most amazing things about Seoul is the low rate of crime and street violence. This is also one of the 3 alleys from which 3 Alley Pub draws its name. I don’t get out to 3 Alley Pub that much, and when I do it is generally for the food. Their German goulash is outstanding and they have about the best wings I’ve found in Korea. Well, Western-style wings anyway.

Continental Custom Tailor is where I get my suits made. Don’t pay the quoted price, you have to bargain with the guy. He’ll usually come down W50,000 or so, but I imagine I’m still paying a waeguk premium.

They opened a Hard Rock Cafe a year or so ago. I’ve never been in the restaurant though. For the past few weeks its been closed due to “electrical problems”. I suspect it is probably an economic problem though. The gift shop is still open for those wishing to purchase overpriced souvieneers.

You can also find many shops selling tourist trinkets like these.

More funky dresses. These stores are everywhere, so they must have a market.

One of the newer restuarants in town. Nice to sit outside when the weather is nice and people gaze. Foods not bad either.

What can I say? One of the more interesting names for a woman’s fashion outlet I’ve seen.

Street scene taken in front of the Cheil Building. This is right up the street from my house. The Seoul Tower and Hyatt Hotel are nice landmarks to find your way back home. When I drive in Seoul I try to stay within sight of the tower so I don’t get lost.

Korea is renowned for being “wired”. Somehow I don’t think this is what they mean. Taken in the alley behind my apartment.

Finally, this is the little store near my residence. It’s where I buy my smokes and late night snacks. The ajumma who runs the place is very kind and even helps me with my Korean. Well, she taught me to say “dulgae Ultra chuseyo” anyway. Beats holding up two fingers and pointing, right?

Ok, well I hoped you enjoyed this virtual tour of Itaewon. I know, I know. You wanted to see the famous prostitution bars, transgender clubs, and gay hill, right? Hmmm, if I ever get the courage maybe I’ll take some for you. Probably not though. Maybe I’ll do the dart league venues instead. Fair enough?

Naksan Trip Report

Posted on 11/April/2009 by John McCrarey

I’m back from my short but sweet trip to the beautiful east coast of Korea!

I don’t tend to drive much in Korea, because frankly you don’t need to. Subways, cabs, and sometimes busses get you anywhere you need to go in the city. And the KTX has taken me just about everywhere else I wanted to go. Consequently, my last real road trip was when I went to the USA in 2007 and did a San Francisco-Las Vegas-San Francisco driving tour.

I define “road trip” as having an ultimate destination, but the real joy is the journey in getting there. This trip did not disappoint in that regard, as I saw some amazing countryside along the way. There really are two Koreas (yeah, well I’m not talkin’ North and South here): the city and the rural. Although I guess that sounds obvious, I’ve been so Seoul-centric that I had forgotten that a wild and wonderful world existed right outside the city limits. And driving that two-lane blacktop is really the only way to really see it. Let’s go!

This was the circuituous route I took, outbound through Yangpyeon-Hongcheon-Seoraksan-Naksan, returning through Sokcho-Chuncheon-Seoul. If you like driving through mountains as much as I do (a lot!) you will love this trip. It wasn’t quite the Rockies, but still quite nice and a helluva lot closer. Lots of twists and turns, but my old right hand drive Nissan BlueBird handled the road quite well. I’ll say this for Korean highway engineers–they are tunnel building fools. I couldn’t help but think of Gimli the Dwarf from Lord of the Rings as I drove underneath the mountains. Some of these were quite long, including the Misiryeong tunnel at over 3500 meters.

I took a hwajangsil (toilet) break just outside Yangpyeong. No, I’m not going to get into that level of detail about what I did, so relax. They don’t have traditional rest stops like you see along U.S. highways, but they have service areas (gas station, restuarant, bathrooms) at frequent intervals along the way. Just look for the big yellow sign. Anyway, this particular service area had a little domestic zoo like thing going around back. Rabbits, chickens, dogs, etc.

The were very friendly and happy to be showed some attention. I felt kinda sorry for them though. Hope they weren’t slated to be on the menu. I chose not to eat there just to be on the safe side.

Typical highway scene. As you can tell, I’m not much of a photographer.

Unfortunately, the skies were pretty hazy which is somewhat typical this time of year I suppose. I’m sure with a blue sky for contrast it would have looked much nicer. Plus, spring has not really sprung at elevation, but lower down the cherry blossoms added some nice color to things.

I’m not sure if we are having a drought or if this is typical for the season, but all the creeks were low to the point of being almost dry. And the red fire hazard flags were also in abundance.

Smokey’s Korean cousin (if he has a name, I don’t know it) was spreading the word that only you can prevent forest fires! Well, techincally, he is saying be careful, but I’m used to the message I grew up with.

From the summit on the Seoraksan highway.

Again, I wish it had been clearer. But it was still quite beautiful. My photography fails to capture how nice it was.

I don’t want to come off as some kind of geek, but I couldn’t help but be impressed at the time and effort the Koreans put into simple things like culverts. This is pretty typical of the rock work seen along the country highways.

Did I mention the road was long and winding? It was. My Hangul reading ability is so slow as to be useless when driving. But as anyone who has ridden with me through the mountains can attest, I do enjoy a challenge. And the thrill of cheating death.

Having arrived safely at Naksan Beach, I ventured out to Daepohang, the little fishing port nearby.

The traditional Korean dried fish (I think it is called bukho) was in abundance.

But of course, the fresh catch of the day is the biggest attraction.

My purchase, take 1.

My purchase, Take 2.

My purchase, Take 3.

My purchase, epilog. The way it works next is you carry the freshly prepared fish across the alley where a restuarant will serve it up with the requisite side dishes. My problem is I’m not real big on raw fish.

Fortunately, they also let you cook it up in this great soup concoction. Call me culturally insensitve if you will, but that’s the way I like it!

Did a little walking around, and caught this tranquil scene at the end of a little jetty.

This was the off-off season in Naksan apparently. Hucksters were practically begging me to check into their lodging and eat in the near empty restaurants. I settled for this little condotel (a room with a kitchenette, not that I used it) right on the beach. W40,000 per night (around $35) I was on the top floor, far left.

The view from my room. That night, there was a beautiful full moon reflecting off the water. My attempt to photograph it resulted in total failure. Things were so dead I felt like I was in a Ghost Town. I ventured out to a local Hof for some chicken and beer, hit the PC bang to check my blog and email, and visited a dried fish store to get some gifts for the office folks and friends in Seoul.

Seaweed and squid make the perfect gift. I hope.

The next moring I slept too late to see the famous east coast sunrise (very popular at Lunar New Year and I imagine Easter Sunday). The fishing boats were out and about however.

Took a walk on the beach and got a better picture of a fishing boat plying its trade…

After checking out of the hotel and before beginning my journey home, I stopped at the nearby Naksan Buddhist Temple. Spectacular grounds and buildings, all sharing a magnificent ocean view.

The detail work is quite impressive, don’t you think?

This statue (I’m no Buddhist, but I think its called Wuisangdae) is at the highest point of the temple grounds and really dominates the vista.

Places of worship always have the idol figure. This one was unique because it had a window arranged so you could view the statue from inside the temple. Again, my camera skills (or lack thereof) don’t quite capture how cool this really was.

Not sure what the symbolism of this represents, but I thought it was worthy of a photo.

Did I mention the views from the temple grounds were outstanding. They were.

Another perspective of the main temple.

I’m not sure this does so effectively, but I was trying capture the enormity and dominance of the Wuisangdae statue.

This is literally my parting shot–the last photo taken on this trip.

So, the drive home was most uneventful. I took a different route, and got a little lost when I first left. I was compensated for the lost time by a backroad drive through tiny farming villages that were really quite charming and peaceful. On the way back I stopped at one of the roadside service areas and had an W5000 all-you-can-eat Korean buffet. Unfortunately, all I could manage was about W1000 worth. Imagine a greasy spoon truck stop and you will have the USA equivalent.

Everything went well until I got about 30 kms from Seoul. I had missed the expressway so I was on surface streets in Friday rush hour traffic. Those last 30 clicks took me over 2 hours to complete. I was a little stressed and exhausted when I finally made it home, but it was a great trip. I am resolved to get my lazy ass out of town on a monthly basis. Turns out there is life outside of Itaewon after all.

Go figure.

Ten Things I Like About Korea

Posted on 31/March/2009 by John McCrarey

Never one to avoid a thrown gauntlet, even if I haven’t really thought much about it. So here goes (in no particular order):

1. My Korean employees. Hard workers, rarely complain, and no back talk or passive-aggressive shenanigans you’d come to expect from disgruntled Americans. Bear in mind I work for Uncle Sam…

2. My ten minute commute to work. As opposed to the 1.5 hour nightmare I had in DC.

3. I can smoke pretty much wherever I want (except on base, but that’s Little America).

4. The Seoul International Dart League. If you are a regular at LTG you KNEW that would be on the list!

5. The expat community. Soldiers, English teachers, Brits, Scots, Canadians, Pinoys, Japanese…the whole eccletic crowd its been my pleasure to meet and interact with on a regular basis.

6. The food. Just about anytime, but especially after a hard night at darts (and beer). Grilled meat in lettuce leaves with kimchi and sauce. Can’t beat it in my book.

7. Beautiful women.

8. Korean culture and history. I don’t know the half of it (literally), but it is all fascinating as hell.

9. Seoul subway system and the KTX to Busan. Nothing in America compares.

10. Ondol heating. Nothing like a warm floor on a cold winters day. Beats a heat pump any day of the year. Er, well, not in July. But you get my meaning.

Hell, that was pretty easy after all. I could come up with more (like the ROK soldiers in their taekwondo stance at the DMZ), but the challenge was ten and I’ve run the gauntlet.

Long Time Gone

Category Archives: The story of my life