The pilot said it was a pleasant eveing in Seoul. By the time I arrived in town, there was a blizzard. Welcome to Korea! But it was a beautiful snow - light and fluffy, so I actually welcomed it. But the cold was a killer. It's the kind of cold where any expsed flesh is numb within minutes. It's coffee and hot noodles three times a day cold. It's Green Bay Packers NFL Films cold. So it's been long-johns and gloves and standing next to a heater whenever possible.
Happy New Year!! Chinese New Year that is, which means Seoul is a ghost town and we all eat dumpling soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Seoul reminds me eerily of the big cities of Japan. I thought things would be more different than they are. The main differences appear to be better English and spicier cabbage (and lots of it!). The funniest reminder of Japan was a fourteen-lane intersection in downtown Seoul. It wasn't just the intersection, but what was on the huge television screen overhead. There was George Clooney, dressed in a tuxedo and looking very much like a Roger Moore James Bond. What was he doing? He was selling whiskey of course. (If you haven't seen "Lost in Translation", go see it!)
Last evening I went in search of the past but found the future. I was on my way to a famous buddhist temple to watch everyone make their New Year wishes. On the way I passed a gargantuan structure of glass and steel. There was a steady stream of people coming and going so I decided to take a look. It turned out to be the largest convention center exhibition hall WTC aquarium megamall hotel tower cineplex restaurant I'd ever seen. Here you can invent, research, fund, market, and sell your product without ever leaving the building! I wandered the megamall to get a glimpse of the daily life (though there was nobody over 40 in there.) Later I made it to the temple and found where the older folks hang out. I guess grandma got dropped off at the temple while the rest of the family went to Bennigan's, TGIFridays, Tony Roma's, or Pizzeria Uno quite literally next door.
The last two days have been spent at palaces, temples, and musuems. Quite amazing designs with long walls, slotted roofs, and elaborate chimneys - the king and queen had fires burning under their bedrooms! Most everything was rebuilt because, as you'll read a thousand times, the original was burnt / destroyed / murdered / stolen / killed during one of the the illegal Japanese occupations (as compared to the legal ones?) I've seen enough of historical Seoul for a while and with the city slowly rising from it's holiday slumber, it's time to go see present-day Korea.
Your "Engrish" for Today:
O'Kim's German Beer Hall
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