I’m the first to admit that when it comes to photography I’m not particularly skilled. Mix in a few beers, and I take pictures like I play pool. But a promise is a promise, so here are some shots from the Independence Day gathering in my humble abode…..

Our primary purpose was to honor Old Glory. Here she hangs proudly from a balcony in Seoul. Many, many toasts were raised to our homeland far away….

My buddy Robert cutting the cheese….

Ribs on the grill. We had way too much food, I sent everyone home with hamburgers and other assorted leftovers….

“Sister”, Corine, and Mi Kwong sample the shrimp. Sister, Mi Kwong, and Mi Soon run Sweet Caroline’s, a bar most of the guests at this party frequent now and again (mostly again). I know Sister has a Korean name, but we never use it as she is the oldest. We call her sister as a term of respect

In a new twist on the traditional American 4th of July fare, Mi Soon has kimchi and bean paste with her baked potatoe (and eating on the floor Korean style)….

Jim explains to Mi Kwong and Corine what he would do if he could get his hands on Kim Jung Il’s neck. Or not.

Kelly works for the Public Affairs Office and was technically on duty. He came by to document our celebration (and eat) before heading back to post to photograph the Army band and fireworks display….

Robert was feeling like a lucky man….

Corine and Mi Soon demonstrate that the US-ROK alliance is as strong as ever….

Mi Kwong visits the designated smoking area. I threatened to send this photo to her mother, but when she told me that would not be a good thing I relented. Instead I am posting it on the Internet!

Somehow I failed to get a good picture of Vance. That’s him on the left. It was funny, we both were wearing the same Independence Day t-shirt (different colors). As he noted, when everyone buys their clothes at the PX we all have the same fashion sense….

Ok, here’s one of me with my “little brother” Robert.

Anyway, it was a fun time. It was nice hosting a houseful of soldiers for a little taste of America. Not the same as being home of course, but we did the best we could.

UPDATE 2: Ok, couldn’t figure it out with Picasa, but the HP Photo Imaging had a resize feature, so I think I have the photos up now…..

UPDATE: Hmm, the photos are too large for my template so I have had to remove them for now. Anyone know how to shrink photos to fit?

Well, it turns out I just knocked my memory card loose, so I was able to salvage the photos of yesterday’s hike. Not that they are anything to write home about, but then, that’s exactly what I’m doing. My photography does not do justice to the beauty of the day, but for what its worth, here are some shots….

I don’t read Hangul too well, this MIGHT say welcome to Namsan Park or maybe it means “Yankee Go Home”. Or not.

Seoul Tower, my destination. It was closed for renovation so I could not ride to the top. It reopens in October, so I’ll be back….

Lots of interesting concessions at the top of the mountain. Here we have an assortment of dried fish, squid, and what I think might be octopus. I was not hungry, but it did look tasty, don’t you think?

A view from the top……

What was cool was that from any direction you looked, Seoul spread out before you in all her glory…..

One more vantage point. After winding my way up the mountain, I lost all sense of direction so I don’t know what compass point this would be, but the point is Namsan is an island of serenity amongs the urban sprawl. Quite impressive really.

All along the crest of the mountain are these old fortifications. As many times as Seoul has been conquered and reconquered I can’t say they were as an effective defensive as they appeared, Reminded me a little of the old city walls in Istanbul, only smaller….

I came down the mountain using the road as opposed to the trail I took going most of the way up, and at the bottom is the National Theatre. The marquee indicated some type of traditional folk dancing show would be taking place, but in the afternoon lots of folks were roller blading on the promenade.

In front of the theatre was this statue which I understand represents the celebration of Korea’s independence. I assume from Japanese occupation in 1945, but I’m not too clear on that point.

So I wasn’t sure which direction to go to get back home from the theatre, I just went with instinct and figured worse case I would catch a cab home. Came upon this sign which sounded so final I almost turned back. My instincts proved correct however, and I found my way back to Hannam-dong with no difficulty.

Alright, there you have photographic evidence of my best adventure so far. I’m going to see about a tour of some points south through the USO next month. I figure I just about have enough confidence now to expand my admittedly limited boundaries. We shall see.

It has been raining all day here. I don’t understand how it can be so perfect all week long and then suck on the weekend. Well, I do understand how, but I don’t like it much. I am planning on hiking up Namsan tomorrow, weather permitting. My contingency plan is to visit the Korean War Museum.

Last night I was bad. I have been scoping out some alternatives to Sweet Caroline’s. Nothing wrong with SC’s, its just a little too much same old, same old. I immediately reject any bar where women push drinks, which is probably half the bars in town. I found a couple of good places last night, and wound up playing pool with a guy named Stephan from Germany. I realized that it has been years since I shot pool. At least before I started wearing bifocals. I don’t know if it was the beer or my glasses, but I played horribly. Embarassing ass kicking over and over. The worse I played the more I drank and I of course kept playing worse.

Anyway, came home inebritated and I really hate ODing like that. Wound up on the floor in the bathroom hugging the toilet. It was not a pretty site.

So today I have just chilled for the most part. Ran a couple of errands and bought groceries. Watched TV and napped.

From now on my motto is: Everything in moderation. Really, I mean it.

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.

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.

Well, I did get out and about some yesterday. I did some window shopping here on base trying to get an idea of what I will have to spend out of pocket to equip my villa (apartment really, but that’s the local term of art for an apartment in a building with 4 or fewer floors). I will need to purchase bed linens, towels, dishes, pots and pans, cooking utensils, microwave, gas grill, TV, and a DVD player. Plus everything I have not thought of yet, but will when I need it. So depending on how much I decide to spend for the TV I am looking at between $1500 and $3500. Ouch. Mrs. LTG is going to send some extra linens and towels and my Ansel Adams prints for the walls, but that will take 8 weeks or so to arrive. Regardless, I am very excited about moving day this Friday.

Came back to the hotel and worked on my Korean using my flash cards. Acquired a few new words, so I walked into to Itaewon to try them out. There are many different types of drinking establishments, and you have to exercise due caution in the ones you choose to patronize. Obviously the ones that USFK has declared off-limits are out. Those are the places that sell sex along with the booze. Not off limits but still to be avoided in my view are the ones where a pretty Korean woman sits with you at the bar and chats you up, then sweetly asks if you will buy her a drink. A drink that costs 20,000 WON (about $20). That’s expensive company, and I am not THAT lonely!

So far, I have found two places that are comfortable, where you can sit and have a beer or two in a friendly atmosphere with no strings attached. I mentioned the 3 Alley Pub previously. The other bar is called Sweet Caroline’s (and yes, they do have the Neil Diamond song of that name included amongst a pretty eclectic mix of English language music they play). Last night was my third visit and I am starting to feel like a regular. They call me “the professor”. Go figure.

The first time I went there I met some folks from Great Britain who were hilarious and really fun to hang out with. I always carry a few of my flash cards to check my pronunciation and the bartender has been getting into her role as school teacher. I reciprocate by teaching her English idioms (she has a good command of basic English). For example, I was learning my animal names last night: chwee (mouse), kaw-yang-ee (cat), ke (dog). I then explained to Mi-soon (the bartender’s name) the meaning behind such things as “playing cat and mouse” and “fighting like cats and dogs”. She had never heard those phrases and really got a kick out of it.

I think I’m viewed as somewhat eccentric because I eat the popcorn they serve with chopsticks. Hey, gotta practice, practice, practice. They also make fun of my beer belly (good naturedly I hope), which is a pretty good motivator for me to really focus on losing some weight. Speaking of beer, I have sampled 3 of the popular Korean brands; OB, Hite, and Cass. All pretty good, all light pilsners. I am leaning towards making Cass my beer of choice.

A Sergeant Major named Sergio came in last night. He had been in my new arrivals training but we had not really had a chance to talk. It was his first visit to Sweet Caroline’s and they made him feel right at home, giving him the nickname “Valentino”. Interesting guy. Been in the military 27 years and has traveled the world, although this was his first time in Korea. It was pretty cool encountering a familiar face and I enjoyed chatting with him. We walked back to the base together in plenty of time to stay out of curfew trouble. But damn it was COLD. Around 20 degrees and the wind was blowing like it does in Chicago. It’s 14 this morning.

Anyway, it was a nice night out and I think I needed the social interaction. Thanks to all who expressed concern for my well-being. There are always going to be good days and bad days. Sometimes being isolated on base and in this hotel just exacerbates the loneliness and longing for home. But, I have a positive outlook and I really am enjoying learning about this fascinating country and its people. Even when it is hard and I’m feeling blue, I do not regret my decision to come. I know that once I have moved I will be much more comfortable with my situation.

I really want to check out the electronics market and do some cost comparisons with the BX. It is close to the base, but in an area I have not ventured out to as yet. I just wish it weren’t so damn cold out. I have the car now, but parking is a nightmare and frankly I get a little freaked driving in unfamiliar territory. If I know where I’m going I can manage it, but this is not the kind of city I want to get lost in. We’ll see.

Alright then, that’s what I’ve been up to. Now, let’s see if I can’t find some interesting political issue to write about. 🙂

All right, let me tell you about my week in the land of the morning calm. (This is a LONG post. If you get bored, just scroll down to the photos).

Monday was the first of a three day “new arrivals” training program we are encouraged to attend. Monday sucked. The presenters were just going through the motions for the most part, seemed rushed and disinterested, and failed to convey much useful information. The group (about 20 of us) was a mix of military, civilians, and dependents. It was often unclear what information was applicable to the military folks exclusively or whether civilians were also expected to abide by those rules of conduct. Near as I can tell, unlike my military brethren, I am permitted to use off post barbers and I am not required to use the “buddy system” when I go into town. One thing was made very clear, the 1200-0500 curfew applies to everyone here, and it will be strictly enforced. A contractor in Osan was suspended for three weeks without pay for a curfew violation. The streets of Itaewon are crawling with MPs so it is likely you will be caught if you are not on base or in your residence after midnight. The curfew is very controversial amongst the civilians, but I for one will willingly submit to General LaPorte’s authority to impose “force protection” measures as he sees fit. He’s the boss, and I am here to serve, not make demands.

Anyway, except for the female sergeant who barked out her ten minute presentation like we were a bunch of recruits and the EAP guy who was a dead ringer for the counselor on South Park (he actually said “hmmkay” repeatedly) there was not much to keep us entertained.

After Monday’s fiasco I was not looking forward to Tuesday, but I was very much pleasantly surprised. Mr. Lee gave us an introduction to Korean history that was fascinating. He is a history professor at a local university and he was quite passionate about his subject. For centuries the Koreans have lived in the shadow of the big gorilla called China, and have had to fight repeatedly to keep their culture from being assimilated by the Chinese. He talked about the methods China used in Manchuria and Mongolia, and warned that China was a force to be reckoned with in the future. He said the Chinese are a very patient people, but their dream of dominance is being actively pursued. He talked about the Japanese a lot too. Although Asians look similar to many Americans, the cultures of Korea, China and Japan are very unique. Each has its own language and customs that define them as a people, and they have struggled mightily to preserve those identities for thousands of years.

Mr. Lee also talked about the special relationship the Republic of Korea has with the United States. He noted that over 7,000 South Koreans died fighting alongside their American brothers in Vietnam. I never knew that. He said that bonds forged in blood are difficult to sever, but it was very important for each of us to be positive examples as Americans. He talked about how we will leave his country after a couple of years, but the image we leave with the people we meet here will remain with them for a lifetime. I do take that responsibility very seriously. In the short time I have been here I have come to realize that you definitely want the Koreans on your side.

We next learned of some “do’s and don’ts” of Korean manners. Some things are common sense (respect the elderly) and others require changing some habits (using two hands to pour drinks or when paying for something). I am more comfortable in social settings with each passing day and once I master some of the language, I think I will get along quite well with the people here.

Ah, the Korean language. I guess I have a vocabulary of twenty or so words, some useful (hello, thank you) others not so helpful (various body parts and items of clothing). But I am learning, and Koreans are always appreciative of the effort and quite friendly about correcting your pronunciation. We were introduced to the Korean alphabet (Hangul). It has 24 “letters”, 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Interestingly, no capital letters. The Hangul symbols that are so alien now will make sense once I have memorized the alphabet. Each symbol represents a consonant-vowel or consonant-vowel-consonant. Unlike Chinese, where each symbol represents a word (thus requiring learning thousands and thousands of words), once you have memorized the Hangul characters and the sounds they represent, you can read the language. Of course, you won’t know what it means until you can associate those words with the objects they represent, but comparatively speaking, it is not all that difficult. Or so I have been assured. I will soon find out as I have signed up for Korean lessons, and will be attending class twice weekly for the next three months. At last, a social life!

Wednesday was our field trip day. We took a bus from Yongsan garrison into downtown Seoul. Of course it was snowing a bit, but it was warm enough to keep down the accumulation on the streets. We toured a museum, and observed the Blue House, where President Roh keeps residence. It is built at the base of Bugak Mountain, which serves as a natural barrier to missile attacks from North Korea. Well, unless they are armed with nuclear warheads, but that is a recent development. Security around the Blue House is incredibly tight, and photography is strictly limited. I was allowed to take a photo from one location, so here it is:

I will come back on a sunny day and remember to use my zoom next time. Still, you get a sense of what I described. Next, I have a picture of Mr. Lee in front of the north gate of Guyongbokgung Palace, which was the seat of the Choson dynasty.

Yes, I know I have no skill with a camera. Use your imagination!

After our visit to the Blue House, we bussed over to Lotte World. A pretty interesting place. It has a big amusement park (indoor and outdoor), large shopping area, and museums. It reminded me a little of the Mall of America in Minneapolis-St. Paul. We had a very nice guide who led us around the place. Here’s a picture of the entrance:

So, we walked around inside the museum and observed depictions of Korean life from the stone age forward. It was pretty nicely done. I snapped this picture of one of the displays of Palace life during the Choson dynasty:

Then there is this guy, who is not much like the Koreans I have had the good fortune to encounter:

Next we had a traditional Korean lunch at a restaurant inside the museum. They had the short tables, but also some western style tables better suited for us big Yanks. That’s where we were seated. Of course we had two types of ever present kimchi (which I like quite well), soup, and then a big bowl of something (bindaettok?) I can’t recall the name of. Anyway, it had rice and shrimp and sprouts and a raw egg on top and was served in a sizzling bowl (like fajitas). We stirred up all up together, added some soy and hot sauce, and dug in. Well, I didn’t exactly dig in. I have been practicing and practicing with the wooden chopsticks I received as a going away gift, but damn, those metal chopsticks the Koreans prefer are difficult to master. I was disappointed with my performance to say the least. I was able to manage small bites with great effort, but anyone who has seen me eat knows I am not a small bite kinda guy. Well, at least I didn’t have to ask for a fork, so that is some progress I suppose.

After lunch it was on to the amusement park where we were treated to some free rides. We did the jungle river, the monorail, and some of us braved the roller coaster. I had something very strange happen on that ride. When I got near the front of the line, the guy who holds the stick to make sure you are tall enough to ride looks at me and says “how old?” I was dumbfounded so I just stared at him. “How old, how old?” he repeated. I blurted out “49”. He looked doubtful but nodded and walked off. My new American friends were laughing their asses off. I saw a sign completely in Hangul except for the numerals “55”, so I surmise that you can’t ride if you have reached that particular milestone. Looks like I need to buy a bottle of Grecian formula or something. Well, I was so disconcerted that when I was boarding the coaster, I tripped on the seat and knocked the restraining bar of the car ahead of mine into the head of a young Korean girl. She yelped but was gracious to my humble “meean-hamneeda” (sorry). Of course, the restraint locked into the down position, but she was able to squirm under it and into her seat. I sheepishly looked at the Korean teenagers in line who appeared equally bemused and disgusted. So much for my contribution to international good-will. At least the ride was a blast! Here’s a photo of the inside portion of the amusement park:

And here’s one of a vending machine I thought was kind of interesting. You can’t tell in this picture, but the English label on a can of DelMonte orange juice reads “squash orange”. Guess something was lost in translation.

After leaving Lotte World, we took the subway back to Yongsan, including a station change. This was to get us familiar and comfortable with riding the really fine public transportation system in Seoul. It is actually easier than the Metro in DC. You buy a ticket that is used to enter and exit the station. The trains are all color coded and the stops are sequentially numbered which is real handy. They also make station announcements in English. So this may prove to be my preferred mode of travel, as I am not at all comfortable driving with locals quite yet.

Wednesday night I spent with my new friend Howard drinking far too many beers in the hotel bar. He is an amazing man with many talents. He is an actor, artist, writer, swordsman, and all around good guy. He has been a lifesaver for me during my first few weeks in Korea. Sorry to say he is moving to Japan (left tonight). I am really going to miss him. But he sold me his car and gave me his cell phone, so at least I have those tokens to remember him by.

Which brings us to today. I had high hopes for getting much accomplished, but was only partially successful. I caught up with Howard a little after 0800 and we went about our business of doing the car transaction. First I had to buy insurance, so he took me to a place in Itaewon. Unfortunately, the insurance person didn’t get to work until nine, so we spent the time chatting about his Irish ancestors who were pirates in the 18th century. Fascinating. So, we finally got the insurance purchased at a fair price of $353 per year. Then it was off for the vehicle inspection, done by one of the garages on base. Then we had to go to the vehicle registration building at Camp Kim, but it was closed on Thursday until 1300. So I took Howard back to the hotel so he could finish packing, and I went off to get my ration card and pay situation straightened out.

No luck, the ration place and civilian personnel were both closed until 1300 for “sergeant’s time”. Don’t know what the hell is up with that, but seeing as how my unit gets no such benefit, I reported to work. I had a message from my realtor saying she wanted to meet me at 1700, so I figured we would complete the paperwork on my apartment so I could move in next week as planned. Being out of the office for three days meant a full inbox and lots of email accumulation. Plus, the Chief of Staff (a person that must be kept happy) was not satisfied with the results of a big project I had worked on last week, so that elephant is back at the top of my to do list. Let’s just say work wise, things are heating up.

At 1300 Howard and I went back to Camp Kim to finish the vehicle registration process. Went off without much trouble, except we needed an officer to sign the bill of sale. Luckily, there was a Lieutenant waiting to register her car, and she graciously fulfilled that requirement for me. Here’s a photo of the nice Korean soldier who affixed my USFK decal to the window of MY car (a 1992 Mitsubishi Expo).

And here is the former owner of MY car and good friend, Howard:

Oh, all right. Here’s one of me. And yes I know that the great food in this hotel has not been kind to me. I’m working on it. Really. Once I move and stop eating like a king on the government’s dime (and start walking to work) I will be fine. Honest. (In the meantime, I need to learn to use photoshop so I can make that “pe” (stomach) disappear).

When I got back to the office I had an email that my pay situation has been straightened out, so I at least accomplished that. A car and a paycheck. Now for the house.

Well, the realtor met me with the news that there was a “small” problem with the apartment I had chosen. Seems the owner has decided to sell the place rather than rent it to me. I was quite disappointed. Ms. Kim and her trusty companion Ms. Jeong took me back to a place I had previously considered but rejected for reasons of location and lack of furnishings. It is a very nice place. Brand new, which I do like. Modern appliances and plenty spacious. I met the owner and his wife and they were quite pleasant. The man’s zipper was down, and Ms. Kim kept whispering to me to tell him about it. Hell, I didn’t want to embarrass him, but Ms. Kim was insistent, so when she left the room I just pointed at his crotch. I don’t think he understood what I wanted at first, which made me a little nervous that I might cause yet another international incident. Then he got it, blushed, zipped up and mumbled something in Korean that I choose to believe was kind. I know losing face is a bad thing, especially during a financial negotiation. Oh well. He agreed to furnish the place and with the horrible exchange rate that currently exists, I am getting what appears to be a good deal.

The villa is in Hamman-dong, which is just down the road from Itaewon, probably a mile or so farther out than the villa I was supposed to rent. I’m on the second floor and the view is not nearly as nice as I had hoped for, but it is on a slightly better street (not as narrow and steep). There is a great rooftop area set up for party’s: tables, and a kitchen and the view is great. So I guess when the weather is nice I can spend time up there. Anyway, I still get to move next week and that is important to me. I think it will work out fine, but I will have to purchase a TV/DVD, appliances, dishes, linens, towels, etc.

Ok folks, I have worked on this post for over two hours. Hope you found it of interest. Now, I’m off to bed. Big day at work tomorrow, plus I have to be at the housing office at 1500 to sign the lease. I just want to be done with all the BS and settled into a life. Any life but this hotel room experience. Good night!

Ok, some might think that blogging about my haircut is pretty lame. And some might be right. And I am going to do it anyway. Because this is not just your ordinary, run of the mill haircut, this is my first Korean haircut.

It was quite the experience really. The first thing I said was don’t use the shears, just scissors. I may work for the Army, but with all due respect, I don’t have to wear an Army cut and I choose not to do so. So the barber nodded and asked if I wanted the shampoo and massage. I responded confidently “sure”. Now, I am used to having my hair washed prior to the haircut. So when the barber proceeded to cut my hair dry, I figured she had misunderstood my confident “sure” as a declination.

Well, the haircut proceeded in the usual fashion, and she did a nice job clearing the jungle in my ears (shut up!) without my asking. Then she asked if I wanted my moustache trimmed and I said “sure” but with less confidence. Probably should have given a decisive “no” in retrospect, but one thing about hair, it does grow back.

So I figure that’s about it, when another person comes up and loosens my tie and unbuttons my shirt halfway. Puts a towel around my neck and reclines the barber chair so my head is in the sink. Interesting, I did get the shampoo after all (and after the haircut). So, when she is done with my hair, she turns the chair, raises the footrest, and all of the sudden I am prone in the chair, much like my recliner at home.

Next thing I know I have a hot towel on my face, which felt pretty good. Then that towel was removed and a cool towel was placed over my eyes. Then I felt this lotion being rubbed into my face. Not exactly a scent I would have chosen, but I could feel my skin begin to firm up almost immediately (and at my age that is an unusual feeling). While this is going on, another pair of hands starts a gentle pounding on my right calf. And then rubbing my leg (all from the knee down, so get your mind out of the gutter!). Then she moved up to my shoulders and neck. While another pair started in on the right side. Then my arms, hands, and fingers. After that was done, it was another hot rag on the face.

Then came gel in my hair. No blow dry, just slicked it on back. Definitely a new look for me. Needless to say, I left much more relaxed than I came in. And all this for half of what I paid for the standard cut in DC.

So I have now confessed to the fact that I had by my count three pair of female Korean hands on my body today and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

I guess I understand why you ladies enjoy the spa experience so much.

I wonder if my hair will grow faster here. Or maybe I will just go back tomorrow and say “you missed a spot”. (On my head! Y’all have such dirty minds!)

Anyway, that is the story of my first haircut in Korea. I am quite certain you could not possibly have enjoyed it as much as I did!

Ok, here’s the Sunday night wrap-up:

Friday evening I took a walk into Itaewon. It was quite interesting. Now, as you might expect it has that touristy feel with a little bit (alright a fair amount) of “being close to a military base sleaze” overlaid. Still, I had a great time. I mostly just walked around to get a feel for things, but I was not wanting to stray into an “off-limits” establishment on my first night off base. Although I am not totally clear on what is and is not off-limits, by power of my amazing deductive reasoning I concluded those bars with the scantily clad women standing in the doorway urging me to come in for a good time might have been the places I was warned to avoid. Thankfully, my power of resistance is almost as good as my deductive reasoning, and I successfully maneuvered my way out of the area. Seriously, I am a little too old to be snookered into buying $20 drinks for ladies of questionable reputation.

I did find a nice hangout called the 3 Alley Pub. Filled with foreigners, and most of them were G.I.’s. The bar is run by a German guy, and so of course I had to drink German beer. Ate dinner there (Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and peas) and drank more beer. Met and chatted with a G.I. from Fayetteville who was sitting next to me at the bar. Nice guy. So I had some more beer while we talked. Shortly thereafter I realized I had consumed too many beers and I had a 2 mile hike back to the hotel. But I made it and woke up on Saturday fully dressed.

Saturday morning I met with a realtor (actually two of them) and they took me around to look at apartments. Saw several that were pretty nice, but one in particular struck my fancy. It is in Itaewon about a mile from where I work. One of my preferences is that I be able to walk to work should the fancy strike me (having concluded that I will need to buy a car). Driving here is a little intimidating. Sorta like a perpetual game of chicken. The realtor’s driving scared and impressed me in equal amounts, but she was oblivious to all the near misses. Many of the streets are very narrow and she was driving a rather large (by Korean standards) Oldsmobile mini-van. Anyway, the apartment I liked best is on a hill and has a decent enough view, but what I really liked was the comparatively large rooms and that it had a great patio with a table and some nice landscaping. It was the only place I saw that I could really see myself making into a home. Just had that feel about it somehow. Unfortunately, it was unfurnished and I had not planned on shipping any furniture over. The realtor is going to see what the landlord is willing to do regarding furnishing, so I await the result of that negotiation. I may reconsider and buy or rent furniture on the economy if necessary, but there are still a lot of places to look at. I have almost $45,000 per year to spend and will be signing a two year lease, so I should be an attractive tenant. Oh, and when you go looking for housing, be sure and wear slip on shoes. I was tying my sneakers repeatedly throughout the morning. You just don’t wear shoes inside a residence, even if that residence is currently vacant. And another thing, I didn’t see any carpets (that is so clean and all thanks to the carpet cleaning fargo services), all the floors are hardwood (which is nice, but I will need to buy some rugs).

The highlight of the day was being treated to my first traditional Korean meal. We went to this out of the way restaurant that was formerly a Korean home. It had the private dining areas separated by partitions. The LOW table with cushions to sit on. The grill embedded in the table for cooking. The real deal I had been reading about. So we had bulgogi, which is thinly sliced marinated beef, which “we” cooked at the table. And of course two types of gimchi (plain and spicy), and all kinds of side dishes and vegetables that I don’t recall the names of. Oh, and this soup that was to die for. Everything was delicious. Very unique and flavorful. I proved so inept at using metal chopsticks, that they had to bring me a fork. It was very embarrassing, but not unexpected. (Full disclosure, I am crappy with wooden chopsticks too.) My hosts were extremely gracious and tried to put me at ease, but I did feel like such a rube. Anyway, with a fork I was able to load my lettuce leafs with all kinds of Korean goodness, and owing to my big mouth was generally successful in not making too big a mess. They asked me if I wanted something to drink and I said how about soju (I had read this was a traditional alcoholic beverage, and thought I would impress them with my astute cultural insights). They did look astonished, and then the younger of the two realtors, Ms. Jeong, said “for lunch? I drink soju only at nighttime”. Fearing I had made another faux pas I said a beer would be fine. By then it was too late, because as their guest I would not be denied. The other realtor, Ms. Kim, who was driving would not drink, but Ms. Jeong and I put a pretty good dent in the bottle. She may have just been being polite, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. I did not get drunk or anything, but I did have a nice warm feeling by the end of the meal.

This is Ms. Jeong. You can just see Ms. Kim avoiding being photographed.

After dinner shot. You can see the cooking table, but if I had any sense I would have remembered to take a picture when that table was loaded with Korean delicacies. Sorry.

I brought the leftover soju back to my room. It is still in the refridgerator.

I also was tutored in some basic Korean social graces (beyond the need to learn to use chopsticks). For example, when you are served, two hands are used and you receive with both hands. And when someone fills your soju glass, you reciprocate and fill theirs. Oh, and it was pretty funny because I kept holding doors or letting them enter first until it was explained that I was the guest and I was supposed to enter first. All very interesting, huh?

Saturday night I was invited to join my boss and his wife for dinner in their home. His new boss has also just arrived in Korea, and she attended the dinner party with her husband as well. I had read that when you are a guest in someone’s home, tradition dictates that you bring a gift. Shopping options at the hotel are somewhat limited, but I brought a bottle of wine and a small box of Godiva chocolates, and that seemed to be appreciated. Walt (my boss) has a Korean wife, and I think her name is Mi Sung (I am notoriously bad with names generally, and Korean names are a real challenge). She made a wonderful pasta dish with clams in the sauce and I cannot begin to say how pleased I was to see silverware on the dinner table. So, we ate and drank wine, and chatted the night away. Sharon (Walt’s boss, and my second-line supervisor) and her husband Bruce have been posted overseas several times. Most recently Nice, Italy. Sharon spent several years in Okinawa and Bruce was raised in Japan, so this Korean adventure is just one of a series for them. Anyway, it was great to have a social evening with the folks who I will be working for. To know me is to love me and all that stuff. So when the evening was over around 11 o’clock (can’t forget that midnight curfew) we taxied back to the hotel. No one drinks and drives in Korea (well, some do obviously, but there is zero tolerance for it, and the legal limit is .05).

My gracious dinner hosts.

My new bosses, Walt and Sharon.

Today was really cold. I did my laundry and dropped my work clothes off at the dry cleaner. I walked over to check out the commissary and had lunch at a base restaurant. Lunch sucked, but I got to watch a little on the Iraqi elections on Fox, which was nice. I’m told the Yongson commissary is the largest outside the CONUS. (yeah, I’m really getting into these military abbreviations. That’s continental United States for those who wondered what CONUS is). Anyway, it is like any large supermarket back home. I didn’t buy anything, I just wanted to be sure all the requisite comfort foods I require were available. I should do alright from the looks of things. The tortillas which are a staple of my limited cooking repertoire were frozen, but hey, I can deal with a little hardship. It builds character!

So, that was my weekend. Back to work tomorrow and I plan to dive right in and start asserting myself. I finally got my permanent ID on Friday, so I’m officially employed as far as the Army is concerned. I am getting more comfortable with each passing day and I have finally adjusted my sleep pattern to the local time zone. Although it is still freaky to think about watching the superbowl on Monday morning. People here take leave and have big breakfast parties. Don’t know that I am going to do that this year, want to save my leave for travel.

Ok, more on my life later. Here are some photos I took this afternoon.

The Seoul Tower is the dominant landmark around here. I need to do the tour.

The Korean National Museum is still under construction. Just outside the fence on land the Army returned to the ROK. Pronounced rock. Meaning the Republic of Korea. I kept wandering why the General was talking about Iraq, then I used those powers of deduction and figured it out. Duh.

These high rises are right off post. I looked at an apartment in one, but it’s just not for me.

This is a little waterfall like thing that is part of the hotel landscaping. Just to prove that it is cold today.

Sorry I didn’t report in last night. This time difference is kicking my butt. I was just too tired to blog last night, and if you know how much I love to blog you know I was exhausted. I am slowly adjusting my sleep pattern. I stayed awake until 9:30 and woke this morning at 3:00. A couple of more days I should be back to my typical 11:00 to 5:00 sleep routine.

So as I imagined yesterday was basically devoted to in-processing paperwork. The HR people are Korean nationals, and their English ranges from good to barely understandable. To be fair, I have a hard time with accented speech anyway, but I think as I hear it more often I will be better able to comprehend. Anyway, I still don’t have that elusive DoD ID, it will take several days before I am in the system (whatever that means). Everyone speaks in acronyms which is another new language I will have to learn. I was able to secure a temporary ID that permits free movement on and off the base. Today I am hoping to get a temporary ration card so I can have access to the PX and commissary.

I also have to attend SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) training today. This is the agreement that governs how USFK (United States Forces Korea) personnel are treated by the Koreans. We are of course subject to the laws of Korea, with some minor exceptions. For example, I was met by a US customs agent at the airport, the Korean government is precluded from searching our luggage by the terms of SOFA. However, US customs enforces the Korean restrictions on what can be brought into the country. Well, I will know more about it after my training today (which is conducted by the Korean government).

The most interesting thing I did yesterday was attend a luncheon with the 8th US Army commander and the leaders of the union representing Korean nationals employed by USFK. Can’t talk about what was discussed there, but it was pretty fascinating to get a behind the scenes look at what is currently going on between the US and ROK regarding our military presence here. I have never met a 3 star general before, let alone be personally welcomed to “the team” by one. He was very impressive. I thought during the meeting this guy could be a CEO making tons of money in the private sector, but he has devoted his life to serving his country. America is great on many levels, but when our best and brightest answer the call to defend our liberty and freedom, we are truly blessed. I am in awe of our military and I am proud to be “serving those who serve”.

The funniest thing I learned is that I have a curfew. I guess I had my last curfew at 14 or so, but that one was not enforced by MPs. Everyone here with USFK, including civilians, has to be off the streets (and out of the bars) between midnight and 0500. Apparently, this is a “security of forces” matter, but I suspect it is intended to reduce incidents with the local population by Americans who don’t know when to say when. The Koreans are a very proud people who are very sensitive about foreigners being disrespectful of their culture. So, drunk Americans harassing Korean women gets big play in the press and that is not conducive to accomplishing our mission here. You know, if the situation were reversed we would react the same way. Anyway, I have no problem with the curfew. I’m not big on the bar scene and I don’t see midnight that often anyway.

Talk about efficiency—I got a call last night from a Korean realtor who wants to show me apartments this weekend. I suspect someone in personnel must have a deal going where they pass on information about new arrivals. So Saturday I am going to get a guided tour of the area around the base and start looking for a place to establish residence. I get a very generous housing allowance so I should have a nice place to live. Plus, once I leave temporary quarters status I will get a 15% allowance added to my pay. This is a good thing, especially since I took a pay cut to take this job.

All right then, that is the story from here. The weather has been warmer than DC this week (high 30s) but it was overcast and hazy yesterday. I will do some photoblogging later this week so stay tuned!