Let's take a step back

Fall is coming. The oppressive humidity has finally gone, and a refreshing breeze has taken its place. As I looked out over the bay Sunday morning, there were clouds in the sky, the air was cool on my skin, it was quiet out, and I could smell the faint hint of rain. For the second time in three weeks, the weather perfectly complemented my mood, and I was content.

Last time I promised pics, and I am a man of my word. I don't really like posting pictures on blog spot, it's a bit unwieldy, so from now on, I will be posting my pictures HERE (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmdkkr/). Click on the set "Korea" and that is where all my pictures will be neatly organized together for your viewing pleasure. Whenever I post new pics there, I will be sure to mention it here as well. Also, if you look at the sidebar on the right, you can see a permanent link to the site.

I glazed over my trip to Seoul and the Chuseok break last time, so this post I will go into a bit more detail about that. I apologize if this gets a little long.

Chuseok itself, I'm told, is somewhat like American Thanksgiving. It's when all Koreans go back to their hometowns to visit their families and pay respects to their ancestors. This didn't really mean much to me, except that I would be going to visit Alvin's family with him in Seoul, and most importantly, that I would be getting a week off from work. We wanted a chance to actually relax over break, so we didn't leave until Tuesday. That was the plan at least. Truth is, the whole break ended up being so busy that I came home more tired than when I left, got sick, and had to take things easy for a few days.

That first Saturday was spent touring Busan with one of the Korean professors, Shin Hyun-Park. He's a nice guy, he took me and Alvin out to eat at this real classy restaurant a few weeks after we arrived, and was kind enough to show us around parts of Busan that we hadn't seen before, and by parts I mean every part. I swear we saw every major tourist destination in the city that day. I was weary by the end, but it was still good to see that sort of thing. One thing that we saw on that trip was Songjeong beach, which is where we decided to go on Monday. The natives would have you believe that it is long past beach season, but don't be deceived - the weather couldn't have been nicer for it, and it was probably the warmest ocean I've ever swam in. Swimming in the ocean and laying in the warm sand all afternoon just felt right. Of course this was after getting a massage in the morning. The place we went was real nice, they gave you these pajamas to wear and jasmine tea to sip on while you soaked your feet in a hot bath to relax, and after that there was another tank you put your feet in with little fish in it that cleaned your feet. Needless to say, Monday was a relaxing day. To quote Prof. Versluis, "That's what I call living right."

The next day, Alvin and I took the night train to Seoul. Truth be told, when I look back on the trip, it seems like a very long time ago and the whole trip is a hazy blur. I know that we spent a day with Alvin's extended family, who were nothing but nice to me, and cooked an excellent Chuseok feast. I know that we spent a very long time riding the subway, I'd say at least 10 hours over the whole trip. And I know that I walked around the city for way too long, seeing everything and nothing in the process. But what stands out to me is waking up every morning at the hostel, having pancakes and coffee waiting for me, and sitting outside in the cool breeze while I ate and checked my e-mail. I think I could have done that the entire trip and left a happy man.

Seoul is a very large city, roughly as large as, if not larger than New York City. Except it doesn't have that New York character. It has its own, to be sure, I'm just not sure if I like it. It seems cold, large, mechanical, and terribly lonely. Also, there's too many foreigners. The soldiers there get a pass though; I support the troops. We were waiting at a stop light and I saw a soldier walking down the street. He looked my way and I gave him the nod, and he saluted back, it was legit, and I felt pretty good, not really sure why though. Also, before I left a student told me that the girls are prettier in Busan than Seoul - I think he was right. This is only my first reaction based on a handful of very buys days. I think I will be back, and I think I will find there is indeed more than meets the eye.

I almost bought a dog on Friday, but in retrospect, it's best that I didn't.

Now Listening To:
"Howlin' For You"
The Black Keys