Oh, What a Night!

Another free concert in Door. Check out the amazing sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpZTbSH3NsI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTNZmnRwC9k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNT0WJuA1NM

Hitting the Road

But not going home, where we live at a stupendous elevation of 17' (a little over five meters). The hills in Korea gave me a good workout, which I miss now that I'm a Flatlander again. So this morning I headed out to the corn fields in search of a few contours. Not as much exercise as going to class in Korea--especially minus the book bag--but at least the air is clear. And now I need to sit and write.

Travel Nightmare

I flew with a student who took a 1am flight from Mongolia to Korea. She then flew to Detroit (13 hours). Now she's on a flight to Newark to catch a train to Virginia. She is so fried.

Just Landed in Detroit

Same day I left Seoul but one hour earlier. Twilight Zone stuff.

Homeward Bound...

...with luggage approaching half my body weight. Look for a short arrival message later on Saturday.

As I Pack...

I have to admit that Korea was more "endure" than I expected. Especially the first half of my time here. There were wonderful moments, however, and I'm still satisfied with my decision to do this. The closest I came to wishing myself out of here was during the dinner ordeal on Jodo Island, and now it's an incredible story. Although I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own comfortable bed again, I know that much deferred work awaits me once I'm back in the States. So be it. (And I won't actually be home in Florida for a few more weeks.) Today I made students reflect and do top-three lists, so here are mine. Things I won't miss from here are: 1. the miserable bed in Room Sweet Room. 2. the @#$% stealth mosquito that goes into deep hiding everyday and returns at night to chew on my face and wrists. 3. having to go out to fetch every meal. But those are merely nuisances. I will miss: 1. my students from this university as well as the alums from Florida State who call Korea home. 2. the great park by the university. 3. all the cultural resources here (barely scratched the surface!). Will I be back? Perhaps for a conference next summer, but I don't know that I would take this much time out of my summer in Door to teach again. Someone else may take a turn here.

Pre-Departure Treat, While Grading

Got a green tea latte with trimmings for $3. (Starbucks here is north of $5.) I'm down to $1.40 in Korean currency, just to help me avoid any charges of vagrancy. (j/k) I have money, of course, but don't want to exchange more. Dinner will be Italian--as a transitional meal--on my credit card. Inevitably, the folks at the restaurant will ask, "Chargey?" "Yessy."

Night View: City, Seoul Tower

Sunset in Seoul

Beautiful Sight

Yes, I was happy to come teach in Korea, and yes, I'm happy to be packing to leave. Looks like it will be a tighter squeeze this time, and my luggage may be overweight.

Making Things Fit in a Very Cramped City

Partial Translations Not Useful

See what I mean? Now what do you want?...

My Narrow Street

It's more of a one-lane road, actually. It climbs indirectly up a hill, snaking through an old residential-commercial neighborhood. There are no sidewalks so everyone walks where ever they like, scattered across the street. Then the cars and taxis, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles come barreling through, up or down. Somehow it all works, although it takes a little getting used to.

Seoul from my Rooftop

I hope to be up there this evening admiring the lights and bidding farewell to the city.

In Any Language...

Perv alert!

My Heart is Full!

I finally managed to get my hands on a puppy while I was out walking today. A little brown toy poodle came right up to me wagging. Such a nice experience! One of my colleagues here was ready to send me to one of the local dog or cat hug cafes!

New Favorite Drink

I was falling behind on my fruit and veggies until I discovered this fresh apple-kale juice. So good, and they garnish it with a flower for their female customers. Lovely touch.

It Works!

As I was leaving the park this morning, a taxi came hurtling out of nowhere, and I had to sprint across the street. Didn't even think about it, and the knee worked just fine. Yay! Not that I'm starting running again (although I certainly miss it).

Korean Cooking Class

What a treat! We made and ate kimchi, bulbogi (Korean barbecued beef), and bibimbap, a rice dish.

My $3 Take-Out Lunch

Meat dumplings, soup, and pickled radish.

Keeping Cool

This was a warm, sunny day in Korea (90F/32C) so I decided to make like the locals and use my umbrella for shade. I wasn't impressed, however, as it just seemed to trap heat around my head. Many Korean women are hyper vigilant about keeping the sun off their faces, wearing masks, wide-brimmed hats, and visors that look more like welding helmets. It's also common to see men and women waving pretty folding fans to keep cool. A very popular indulgence is bingsu or ice snow. It's a dessert, frequently shared, of shaved ice, ice cream or sweetened condensed milk, and toppings such as sweet red beans or fruit. Tonight I'm taking my cues from the kids and treating myself to ice cream (tiramisu!) for dinner. Yum!

Good to Know

Korean motorcyclists don't feel compelled to stop at red lights. If someone is in their way, they hold their speed and line and simply say, "Whooah." Some taxis and other vehicles do the same, minus the "whooah" part. (Can't argue with a cement mixer.) Lest anyone is concerned, I learned this from observation, not near miss. When the stop light changes, I now wait for a Korean to step into the crosswalk first.

Yes, They Do Have Ice in Korea

They sell it by the glass in the freezer case.

I Hate That!

Just got what I figure is the equivalent of a US Amber alert on my phone. Text message declares "imminent extreme alert" in English. Then the rest of the message is in Korean. Gee, thanks a lot. Got one when we were at the DMZ and North Korea launched a missile from a submarine. We naively thought it was a heat alert on a warm day. Who knows what is going on now, although I understand they have civil defense drills around the middle of the month. So maybe...

One Excellent Walk in the Park

I took the scenic loop around the park this morning, hitting all the exercise equipment I passed. As I stopped to take a photo, I heard a cheery "Hello!" from behind me. I turned around and replied in Korean, as I always do here. That set off a flurry of Korean, and I had to explain that I really don't speak the language. "But your accent is very good." (I suppose it's easier to have a good accent when you speak only a few words.) In any case, the woman is a French professor. We had a delightful chat in French, English, and a bit of Korean as I completed my walk.

Rare Opportunity

Open evening at the palace! People wearing hanbok--Korean traditional clothing--got in free, adding much ambience to the event. Visited with one of my Korean students who said she'd never been there at night. It was a special experience for both of us.

Visual Recipe, Shabu Shabu

(So named because of the sound it makes as it cooks in front of you.)

First Departure

Danielle, my friend from the Netherlands, heads home tonight. (She negotiated a shorter contract because she has three little ones.) She is a foodie who specializes in future studies and food trends. We had to have one last evening together so we went to a neighborhood place for beef and mushroom shabu shabu and beksaeju (a Korean rice wine that promises you'll live 100 years). As we ate, we caught up on recent foodie adventures. I thought for sure I'd win, given my recent trip to Jodo, but she had a video of herself trying fermented ray. You could see the look of horror on her face when she tasted it, and she just kept talking and talking to avoid swallowing. She said her throat wouldn't open for it. We laughed so hard--as in gasping for air--that I thought we would be thrown out of the restaurant. I have one week left here, and it looks to be a busy one, but I'll miss my friend. Hope to see her again soon.

Extreme Carnivore

Last evening I went with one of my former students to a locals place that specializes in grilled meat and soju (of course!). I'm not a big meat-eater, but she insisted that we try three kinds. (Fortunately, I was able to say no to the pork skins.) It is warm and cozy grilling in the center of your table, but I really needed Tom there to help with all the eating.

To the End of the Earth!

I had the chance to tag along on a museum-school grant evaluation to a remote island off the southwestern coast of Korea. It took six hours in car, taxi, train, and ferry to get to Jo Do. The area is referred to as the Bird Islands not because of its birdlife but because there are so many islands they look like a flock of birds. The island is comparatively prosperous because of its fishing industry but remains rural and insular with virtually no tourism. We ate an early lunch on the mainland and went directly to the elementary school. It has 51 student, 17 of them in first grade. (Must have been one crazy winter…) At the end of the day, we returned to the port area in heavy fog and drizzle. My Korean colleague knew the system and started knocking on doors, looking for someone who had enough food and was willing to cook for our group of five (including another professor and three of his students). After some persuading, a woman checked her wet well and agreed, although she would not let us eat inside her place. Instead, she brought us to the unlocked ferry terminal to wait out of the weather. She returned with two emergency blankets to spread on a large table under an awning. We sat on these in the chill, the surface becoming both seating and eating space. Soon she brought a large tray with two bottles of beer, two bottles of soju (guaranteed hangover), dried anchovies, and kimchi. I mistook the next course for octopus—very popular in the area—but it was poached eel. As eldest and honored guest, I got the first piece. It went in my mouth and came straight back out for the feral cats that had already assembled to beg. Just as I thought I might starve, our cook delivered a fish stew, fins poking above the broth. She stayed for that course, telling loud stories and drinking our soju, before slipping away. When we eventually realized that she had given up or passed out, we returned everything to her kitchen. After a quick look around, I gave myself 50-50 odds of visiting the doctor in the next two weeks. Eek! We then made a quick stop at the only convenience store on the island where I saw fish filets sharing freezer space with ice cream treats. We went home to our traditional Korean guest house and gathered in our pajamas for beer and snacks. (Way to get to know your students…) When it was time to go to bed, we pulled comforters from the closet to make our beds on the floor. It was at least as hard as my bed in the dorm plus the pillow was wrapped in crinkly plastic. What a noisy night!

Sweet Vindication

I thought it could spark an international incident when I used my towel as a door mat outside the bathroom, but look what I spotted at the guest house I shared with the evaluation team.

Pop Quiz

Which did I not eat during my recent trip to an island in the Dadohae National Maritime Park?