Some days I write things

March 2010
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And I write about…

The Boys Are Back in Town

Well, the boy is. Greg arrived back in Korea around 4pm yesterday. Yes, I’m thrilled, why do you ask?


What’s it like in Korea?

Wearing my fall coat, a cargo skirt, knee-highs and leg warmers made from a sweater I’d accidentally felted, I headed out the door for the trek into Seoul. Fourty minutes on the bus later, I somehow got three 5,000 won sweaters for 10,000 won and transferred onto the subway to meet Andy and Hanna for Peruvian food.

They were waiting for me, so we hustled out exit 6 only to find out that the restaurant was closed. Poor, freezing cold Hanna. She’s from Texas and was deeply regretting not wearing a hat. In my opinion the weather was too cold to be brisk but to warm to be cold. We walked back to the station.

Plan B: Head to Itaewon for Ethiopian food. Plan B, however, also happened to be a bust and they were closed. The choice was now Latin American food from a small restaurant Hanna knew about, or pub grub from the Wolfhound.

Peru is in Latin America. Andy had been pretty stoked about eating Peruvian, so plan C becomes the Latin American restaurant with Plan D (god forbid a 3rd restaurant we try is closed) being the Wolfhound.

My life in Korea is, in every way I know how to define the word, serendipitous. The meal at the Latin American restaurant was incredible. We never would have made it there had either of the first two restaurants been open. Finding the Peruvian restaurant was similar. Greg and I went to see a very boring martyr’s shrine and then went for a walk. Something bright down an alley caught my eye and we found this restaurant. Hell, meeting Greg, the person who makes me happiest in this world, was completely unexpected.

Korea brought me out of my shell. It reminds me to take a left turn when I usually go right. To walk through the park once and a while. To leave my house. Korea has brought many wonderful people in and out of my life. Some of them are lasting connections, whereas others, transient – but beautiful and fulfilling for that time when our paths cross.

Korea has its downsides as well but I won’t focus on them in this post except to say they have made me a bolder person. I can stand up for myself. Speak my mind. Realize that I have worth as a human and deserve better than whatever poor treatment I may be receiving at any moment.

Four years and two days ago I came here with a mountain of debt and less than $500 in the bank. Today I am debt free, saving, and working towards real goals and a life that could lead me anywhere.

What’s Korea like?
It’s an experience.


The Little Hater or: Why I haven’t blogged in forever.

I definitely have a little hater and she says the exact same things this guy’s says except she doesn’t really rap. She’s more of an indie scenester kid who glares at my ideas with distain from across the room.

On that note, however, I did get a whole set of photos loaded to flickr so go check them out.

It’s the set I took when Matt visited Korea in June. It also includes Hanna’s Birthday.


Hello 2010

It’s the New Year and there’s a lot of new roads up ahead. To clear the way for the new paths, I’m doing some housecleaning and in the digital world, that means trying to get through the backlog of photos I have on my computer and putting them up online. Right now I’m working on May.

In late May, Greg and I went to visit Sokcho, a seaside town in Gangwon-do. We checked out the markets and it was the first time that we went to eat raw fish from the market by ourselves. I’ve got lots of experience doing it, but always with a Korean to help.

It was fun and pretty tasty. We also got to eat a tasty tasty dish called ojinga sundae – stuffed squid. Man oh man was it ever tasty. We tried going to an outdoor spa/waterpark that’s quite famous but the spa part was closed. We ended up at a hot springs bathhouse nearby. It was nice, but nothing special. The hotel we stayed at, on the other hand, was positively ridiculous.

The next day we went to Sokcho beach, ate ojinga bokkum – stirfried squid. Usually it’s overcooked and chewy. Often tasty but very chewy. This time, however, wow. Delicious.

And we got to eat it all while looking out at the sea.

All the pictures from this trip can be viewed on Flicker in the Sokcho 2009 set.
(Also, all these pictures will link back to their Flickr pages)


I did good?

I have blogged before about the importance of my Christmas Eve PJs.

My second Christmas in Korea, the package from my parents didn’t arrive. My roommate at the time remembered how special they were to me and got me a pair.

This year, Greg was under strict orders that if my package did not arrive in time for Christmas, he was to provide me with Christmas PJs. It was his Boyfriendly Duity.

Well, here it is Christmas Eve and no package has arrived. I am, however, sitting around in a very comfortable pair of new fleece pants.

Additionally, we set a spending cap on Christmas this year. We’ve been known to go all out on other occasions but, especially being in Korea, Christmas doesn’t seem special. Brian’s blog post details the disconnect that is Christmas in Korea far better than I could (although I might suggest staying away from the blog comments. It gets a pretty snarky in there). I know I’ve tried in the past to explain just how different it is. This year, not living in Seoul, I didn’t even get to see all the department stores and their Christmas lights. And, after looking at the pretty photos you read Brian’s comment comparing Christmas in Korea to the Uncanny Valley, it just might start to make sense.

And I just might be that homesick.

But I digress. I have a wonderful boyfriend who bought me wonderful fleece pants and what might be the best under 10,000won Christmas gift ever.

A rolling foot massager thingy!

I’m pretty sure I squeed loudly upon opening my gift.

“I did good?” he asked.

“Mmmm,” I replied already rolling my foot over the delightful little bumps. “Very good.”

“When I was buying the box to put your jammies in I saw it and I thought, ‘Marie always likes me to rub her feet hard bordering on abuse. She’ll probably like this.’ So, I bought it.”

“Mmmm…” I replied again pressing down hard on the unforgiving plastic.

In less than 48 hours my boyfriend, best friend, partner of nearly two years will be boarding a plane back to the US. In an uncertain future, at least I won’t have sore feet.