Shall We Stroll the Underpass?

Seoul is a huge city with 12 million people. As such, space is at a premium. The other day I discovered a rather efficient use of city space while I was looking for a restaurant. Near my apartment there are a couple of overpasses to get on the highway. The area underneath these overpasses has been made into a bike/walking trail. The trail is rather elaborate with a creek running down the middle and two paths on each side. To get to the path you must walk down a flight of steps which are placed at varying intervals along the streets.

The weather here has turned hot and humid. A path next to water and in the shade is absolutely perfect. There are several places you can cross the stream via stepping stones or bridges.

There is also a nice waterfall along the way. I checked the collecting pool for coins as it seemed natural to make a wish. No coins; that is just not done here.

The trail runs a long way and eventually leads to a tunnel. The sign above appeared to prohibit bikes, but that seemed to be more of a suggestion than a rule. I had to dodge a few bikers in the tunnel.

I like the tunnel a lot. It muffles the sound of the insane amount of traffic above into a soft white noise that is rather calming. The tunnel is well lit, but there is not much to see except for the occasional scenery painting to create a nature setting.

This is not the only place in Seoul where a walkway has been engineered into the city. Another one is near my favorite waffle shop. The last time I was there the water was too high so it was closed, but it was still impressive. At night the colored lighting makes for a very romantic escape while still being in a fast-paced city. I have heard many times that Asians for all their brilliance lack creative thinking. Well, this is a very creative use of space, and I am very thankful for it.

The Hashers

My favorite bar in Itaewon has really good food and even better people. Being a western style pub, everyone there speaks English, and most have great stories. I've met a Purdue grad who is an intelligence officer. We did not discuss his work, but his ability to make connections from different parts of the conversation was really impressive. I actually respect a Purdue grad? Go figure. I have also met a Korean raised in the States, lost his business in a divorce, and now teaches English in Seoul. He has become sort of my Korean mentor teaching me the ways of Korean culture/ladies. There is also the owner who has traveled extensively throughout Asia and could/should write a couple of books about his experiences. And there is a married couple who are both from Texas but met in Korea. Their cultural knowledge (especially literature) pretty much guarantees that I will be drinking whenever we play drinking games. They also play Euchre. One night we sat outside a 24 hour store a few blocks from my apartment playing Euchre until one in the morning. Life is truly amazing.

Of course, there are the more eccentric encounters like the guys who stage Sesame Street productions throughout Asia, but today's post will focus on the Hash House Harriers. I had never heard of 'Hashers' until one night at the pub when about twenty people all wearing similar shirts showed up with their hiking gear. After the I-haven't-seen-you-in-over-a-month type hugs were exchanged, they dumped their back packs in a corner of the bar and took off. About an hour later they returned. All of them were very sweaty and ordered water. Eventually, they began to drink alcohol which of course led to singing.

Okay, wikipedia has the following definition for Hash House Harriers:

The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH, H3, or referred to simply as Hashing) is an international group of non-competitive running, social and drinking clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a Hash or Hash Run, with participants calling themselves Hashers, or, Hares and Hounds.

British officers stationed in Kuala Lumpur in the late 30's would meet on Monday's to rid themselves of the weekend excesses by running. This run would make them thirsty. So, they quenched their thirst with beer. This sounds like a vicious cycle to me, but who am I to judge?

Today's Hashers are an interesting lot. From their website:

"Hashing is a state of mind- a friendship of kindred spirits joined together for the sole purpose of reliving their childhood or fraternity days, releasing the tensions of everyday life, and generally, acting a fool amongst others who will not judge you or measure you by anything more than your sense of humor."


Stray Dog

From my understanding, the run is a paper chase with a 'hare' leaving a trail for the 'hounds' to follow. I would think such a chase would be difficult in downtown Seoul but that might be part of the fun. They also like to dress up in some pretty elaborate costumes.

When the owner of the bar was explaining to us that Hashers do pub crawls with running, the guy next to me summed up my thoughts pretty well. "Sounds like fun... except for the running part." The Hasher shown above decided to forego the chase and just drink. The costume is custom made costing a pretty penny and taking about 20 minutes to put on.

As the rest of the group returned from their run, the bar began to smell like a gym. It is hot and humid here. That doesn't seem to bother the Hashers though. Soon they were singing. "I'd rather _____ than run that shitty trail." Each person takes a turn filling in the blank. Then the whole group sings, "than run that shitty trail." 

"I'd rather ...get beat up by a wookie...". Oh yeah, he went there.

"than run that shitty trail."

Then the women break out into a rousing rendition of, "I love ___ (insert part of a male's anatomy). They come in all shapes and sizes." Often when the song finishes, the singers chug and then tip the glass over above their head. Really, they do.

But it is not all fun and games. "Point of order! Point of order! Tomorrow at 14:00 we are running at ...". Sorry, I can't remember the name of the course.

"Point of order. Point of order. Tomorrow we are running at 10:00 also then drinking at my house."

Alright, so the schedule for Saturday is to run at 10 a.m., drink, then run at 2 p.m. I was reminded of something my Grandpa Baker once told me. "When it comes to drinking and driving,... just drink." I think the same is true for drinking and running.

 

Oh, Canada!

Before I left for Korea, I needed to pick up my work visa at the Korean Embassy in New York City. When I called to verify that my visa was ready the Embassy informed me that I would need to schedule an interview and bring my transcript. This was a potential problem because my flight was in a few days, and I hadn't seen my transcript in years. I asked why I would need an interview and was told that all teachers' credentials need to be reviewed by the issuing Embassy. When I told them I was not a teacher, I was put on hold. "Okay, just come anytime before 5 p.m."

As I was waiting in line at the Embassy, I saw a flyer offering English teaching jobs in Korea. The job seemed perfect for someone just out of college. You would live abroad, housing would be provided, and the pay was decent. I could see why most visa applications were for teaching positions.

Korea puts a serious emphasis on teaching English. There are even several English immersion schools which helps explain how so many Koreans speak nearly fluent English without having ever left Korea. As a result, there are a stunning number of English teachers here. I would estimate that 90% of the English speaking foreigners I have met are teachers (the other 10% are military).

Surprisingly to me, Canada seems to have the most English teachers though many are from Australia, England, and the States. I say surprisingly because they don't have an accent and never say, "Eh?" That is until they start to drink. Then, it is the Great White North show on Second City Television, you hoser, eh. Which reminds me, never drink with Canadians during game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Whenever there is a goal you have to do a shot.

"Why?", I ask.

"Because it is a rule."
 
The games are taped delayed here so you have to go offline in order not to know the result before watching it. Facebook is especially a killer. I went to a new bar last night near Nowon station which is in Northern Seoul. Met two Canadians who had successfully avoided knowing the result of game 7. Thursday night is poker night which meant buying in for $5 while watching the game. Unfortunately someone at the bar had heard reports of rioting in Vancouver so they thought the Canucks had won. That meant we would have to do 4 shots in a fairly short time since Boston was up 3-0 late in the game. Time to Google the score on my phone. Some rules are meant to be broken. 

Don't Mind Me

I went to the Casino this past weekend even though I am not a big gambler. The reason I went was because of an odd law here that prevents Koreans from entering the casino. That's right. If you are a Korean citizen you cannot enter. Foreigners must present a passport to get in. That seemed so wrong to me that I had to check it out. But it is true, and as a result, it is extremely boring. The casino has one floor with a restaurant, about 20 gaming tables, and maybe 50 slot machines. I managed to kill a couple of hours at the roulette table betting $2.50 at a time. Yes, I only wagered one chip each spin. The others at the table just smiled as they would wager at least 10 chips at a time. I managed to win $50 dollars playing someone's birthday.

On the way home, I stopped in the restroom at the Korea University subway station.

There are a couple things in this picture that struck me as odd. The first is that the poem is in English. The second is that wind and restrooms don't really mix well. There was another poem in the ladies restroom entrance but I don't really want to get deported.

Inside the bathroom was another jewel.

Oh, how I have searched for a love tree! They say you find it in the most unexpected places. Indeed, next to the men's urinal is pretty much the last place I would look. I'm actually a little concerned I found it there.

The real reason I posted these pictures is because of something that has happened four times now. Whenever the cleaning lady feels like cleaning the bathroom, she does. Doesn't matter who is doing what, she is going to clean. The first time it happened I figured she didn't see me. But it has happened with four different ladies in four different restrooms. Back at Yale, the cleaning lady would yell at you to hurry up and stop acting like you are at home, but at least she would let you finish. Not here. Go ahead with your business. Don't mind me.

I am going to finish with a picture of the sign above the men's urinal at work which I blogged about the first week I was here. It still makes me smile.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Last night I went to a Korean Baseball game to watch the LG Twins play the Hanwha Eagles. I fear the words I attempt to use in this post will not come anywhere close to the experience of last night, but I will do my best. To set the tone let's start off with the first thing I saw.

I know. The camera on my phone does not have a zoom. Sorry. Here are two links that give you a better idea of what baseball dancers do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62gnhG2jf0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jBchZac8bs&feature=related

Ok, so now that we are in the right frame of mind, let's talk a little about the baseball. The cost of the ticket was 10,000 won ($10). We sat about 20 rows from 3rd base in the Hanwha cheering section. Hanwha was the visiting team; they are about an hour and a half away. In the Korean Baseball League there are only 8 teams. Since there are 12 million people in Seoul, every team no matter how far away has a significant fan base that goes to away games.

The baseball was pretty good. My friend that got me the ticket claims that Korean baseball is on level with triple A ball in the States. I'm not sure about that. There was some amazing defense, but there was not a pitch that reached 90 mph. They throw a lot of junk in the low 70's. From my limited sampling, they play a lot of small ball. For instance, the night before this game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth a player was caught trying to steal home to tie the game.

Okay, back to the atmosphere. The picture above is of the visiting cheering section. The home cheering section was even larger. When your team is at bat, a cheerleader leads the crowd in chants and songs. This was absolutely hysterical to me because the fight song for the Hanwha Eagles used the music from Karma Chameleon (Boy George would be so proud) which was out done by the LG Twins fight song music, Dancing Queen from ABBA (each side has its own sound system). I have no idea what the Korean lyrics were but hearing half the stadium singing something to Dancing Queen is quite an experience.

Koreans stretch in the middle of the 5th inning. And when I say stretch, I mean an intermediate yoga exercise. Interlocking arms with trunk twist and toe touching were part of the stretching. A moment of foreshadowing: this stretching is important for later in the game.

The main cheerleader is a very charismatic guy that is constantly blowing his whistle. Here is an example:

One cheer I particularly liked was whenever a pitcher would throw over to first base the crowd would chant (in Korean of course): "What?! What?! What are you doing? For shame, shame, shame." That is a close enough translation. It doesn't matter how many times in a row the pitcher checks the runner; each time gets another enthusiastic rendition.

No matter the festive atmosphere of the ballpark, nothing prepared me for the cheer with Hanwha up 4-1 in the eighth. "Stand up. Cross your hands behind your back. And..."

Oh, my favorite! The Pelvic Thrust cheer. When you play that again (which I hope you will) listen to the chant. It sounds something like, "Tres gone, Han wha." That means Hanwha is strongest (in Korean the sentence structure is reversed). It makes sense that the pelvic thrust is the motion that goes with that cheer. What other motion could convey such meaning? It's a good thing I had stretched.

Itaewon. Take 2

With the last month being extraordinarily difficult, I have felt the urge to occasionally drown my sorrows. In Itaewon there are dozens of American style bars since the U.S. military base is near. There are many pubs there with pool tables, dart boards, and American cuisine. Sunday, I had a hamburger with A.1 sauce. God, how I have missed A.1 sauce.

I am going to relate two stories from Itaewon that pertain to yesterday's post. Having no idea which pubs are good, I randomly enter the Rock N Roll Cafe on a Thursday night. With only the bartender present, I order a beer and talk to her. She asks where I'm from and what I do. I ask where she learned to speak such good English. She replies, "I learned it here. Want to shoot some pool?"

She lets me win a couple games of pool so I buy another beer. As I am drinking my second beer, two couples enter the bar. The two Korean ladies wave at the bartender and sit with their dates in a corner booth. A few moments later one of the ladies approaches me. She is quite possibly the most physically beautiful woman I have ever seen. She has long black hair and a very nice figure. She is wearing a halter top and a miniskirt with high heels (a very common outfit here).

"Where are you from?"

"The States," I reply as she walks back to her date.

A few minutes later, "Where are your parents from?"

"The States," I reply as she walks back to her date.

A few minutes later, "So you would be a typical American? Where are your grandparents from?" The look on my face must have been perplexing. After a moment's hesitation, she shrugs. "I am curious," she says as she gives the bartender a knowing look. Then it dawns on me. Her goal is to simply keep me here to buy more drinks. Suddenly, she is no longer attractive. Next bar.

I try a place called the Oasis since it advertises being a Sport's Bar. I'm hoping the NBA playoffs are being shown. I am met at the door by the hostess and enter what can only be described as a lounge. The purple booths are cool and the bar looks inviting, but again no one is around. I order a beer that cost twice as much as the last place. The hostess sits next to me and starts to ask questions. "Where are you from? What do you do? How long are you here? Where are your parents from?" My head drops.

Her English is not that good so she starts to hum which is pleasant and disturbing all at once. She moves closer, "Buy me a drink?" Oh my God, she is the girl in the ad. Now the ad makes total sense. This place is a juice bar. So called because the drink the girl will choose is juice. When your job is to get the client to buy a $20 drink, you can't afford to get blitzed on alcohol. I've been told that if you spend enough money, there are other activities they will do. Great. I tell her no and that I am trying to find a place to watch the game. She starts humming again as I finish my beer and leave.

I don't know which made me sadder: that they tried to get money from me simply with the attention of a pretty girl or that it didn't work. Oh, well, there are other, more positive stories from Itaewon (like finding people that play Euchre) that I will share with you soon.

A Quick Shoutout to the U.S. Military

I would like to say 'bravo' to the U.S. military. Not because they are protecting my freedom or responding to natural disasters, but because of some ads I saw on the Armed Forces Network. Before I got cable, the only English speaking channel I received was a bleed-through of the AFN. I really couldn't make out the picture very well, but at least I could understand what was being said. So, I often used that channel as a radio. Do you know how hard it is to play Jeopardy when you only hear the clue and can't read it? It's dang hard. Anyway, one night I heard an ad that went something like this:

"When my buddy and I go out drinking, I am his wingman. The other night, the girl he left with accused him of date rape. He had too much to drink and didn't stop when she said no. Protect your wingman. Never leave them if you think they can't handle a situation."

Now that is not exactly how the ad went, but it was pretty close. I was really impressed that the military is trying to educate its viewers to avoid potential date rape situations. My impression had been that they try to hide it. That was wrong or it is changing. Either way, I felt really proud to see that ad.

A few days later I heard another one:

"You know that girl that wants you to buy her a drink? She may not be there by choice. Stop human trafficking. Report any suspicious behavior you see. Let's put an end to this."

Hello. The military is running ads to prevent prostitution? Again, I felt really good after seeing that ad. I hope those individuals that are trying to prevent human trafficking at the source realize that they are not alone. The fight is hard, the money is scarce, but the results are so important. I wish you all the best.

Understanding English

The trend from bad to worse continues. Surprisingly, the latest setback is so bad it is somewhat liberating. We will start with a conversation from last Friday and end with a line from an email received Friday night.

"Dr. Baker, we can't order your two lap top computers."

"Why?"

"Dr. Larry ordered the same computers last month."

"I don't understand."

"Well, if you had ordered with Dr. Larry, purchasing could have gotten a better deal."

"Uhm, Dr. Larry is in a different lab. Why should his order have any bearing on mine? Why would I order computers before I hire people? It doesn't make sense to me." I don't know why I keep looking for logic. Logic left the building over a year ago.

"You have broken several rules with this order. They think you divided the order to keep the price under the review limit. I suggest you change the model. That should go through."

I argue in vain, but I keep arguing basically to release the pressure building up in my head. It is actually a good discussion. The secretaries now know they can give me news that upsets me without me being upset at them. Maybe that is not a good thing. Anyway, back in my office a half hour later I hear the clicks of high heels.

"Dr. Baker, I have some worse news."

"Of course you do."

"We can't order lap tops. They have to be desk tops."

There was more to this discussion, but I had lost the energy to pay attention. I no longer understand English. Besides, computers are the least of my concerns. For the past couple of weeks there has been a purchasing freeze. I have only spent 10% of my startup money. I have a puller and an amplifier. Nice. Considering how random the purchasing rules are here, I believe the Vice-director when he tells me not to worry. (Wait, where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah, I remember). Then comes an email explaining the big item purchasing freeze.

Email excerpt: We have no money.

We have no money? It looks like English, but I am confused (why am I not used to that yet?). How can you hire new faculty promising enough money for me to up and move halfway around the world? I've spent a lot of time trying to recruit people and equip the lab. I could have gone to Kathmandu. I think we would have still broken up, but at least it would have happened in Kathmandu. Of course that would have really sucked especially since it is nearly impossible to not get food poisoning, but I felt like hurling from the discussions leading to the breakup anyway. At least in Kathmandu I could have blamed some parasites.

And I would have been in Kathmandu. That would have topped my best breakup story - a date in New York City where we ended up at the Empire State Building. The sun sets as we wait in line. When the elevator opens, the city lights spread out below give the impression that we are looking down at the stars. "Thank God for this moment," she gasps as I kiss her. On the drive home, she asks if I would like to spend the night which consisted of me trying to sleep in a recliner while she lectured me about being in a really good place in her life and not needing a relationship. I could have sworn spending the night meant something else. Apparently, I have had trouble understanding English for a very long time.

Oh, My Seoul

Time to lighten the mood a little. The last couple of weeks have just been a stream of bad news. A budget freeze here, a serious medical diagnosis there, a surgery coming up, a medical leave over there, financial problems, relationship problems... enough. You know what I do when things are going bad?

Wrongo Dongo? Really?

That's right. I like to drink Wrongo Dongo. Oh, there are so many ways to go with that name. Like, did you wake up in a ... Anyway, this may be my favorite name of all time. There is nothing right about Wrongo Dongo. I love thinking about the thought process. Like which word did they decide on first, "Hey, what rhymes with Dongo?" I have a dream of bringing a date back to my apartment for some wine. "Oh, that's nice. What is it?"

"Wrongo Dongo"

Or perhaps a sales pitch - Nothing says 'love' like Wrongo Dongo. Okay, having too much fun. Moving on.

Escaping the rain can lead to some interesting situations. Here is a picture from a modern pottery/ furniture store.

The world's coolest and most uncomfortable chair

I never knew this about chairs, but it is actually important for the person sitting in it to be able to get out. Not only are you in an awkward recline, you cannot get up. Awesome. Does look cool, though.

My favorite place in Seoul is Insadong, but I don't go there very often anymore. Asking for more than one perfect evening seems a bit greedy to me. So here is a picture of my second favorite place in Seoul.

A museum of chicken art

Notice the chicken statues on top of the sign. It was pouring down rain when we entered. Sounds like a good excuse. But come on, you have to visit a museum dedicated to chicken art. You just have to. Two stories and a guided tour given by an old guy with an awesome voice, all for three dollars. The top story was actually interesting. The chicken was the messenger to the afterlife. As such, there are some really impressive funeral artworks, and if you look really closely (thankfully we had a guide) you will see a chicken. The bottom story was not as impressive. "This chicken is made entirely from a water buffalo horn. This chicken is from Spain. That chicken is from France. This chicken is made from paper..." It was still raining outside. We chose the rain. But, I did get on the email list so they can inform me when the exhibit changes. Nice.

And finally, I have discovered a new game in Seoul. I don't have a name for it yet. Perhaps someone will think of one, but basically it involves finding the two most unrelated things in one place. The Indonesian Mask exhibit/cafe is one example. Here is another.

There are actually several of these near the mountain trek we were on. I don't even know what an India Massage is, but I will be sure to post when I find out.

Mixed Blessings

I am so grateful my stuff arrived. My furniture fits better than I imagined, and I am quite happy with the pad. However, unpacking the boxes has been a mixed blessing. I knew there would be difficulties. What do I do with a spear? I don't really need this mug. Blah, blah, blah. But there was one item I was totally unprepared for: the milkshake maker.

The summer I moved out of my ex-wife's house, my daughter and I were shopping for items for my apartment. She saw a milkshake maker. "Dad, isn't that cool?" I remembered my grandmother making my sister and I malts when we were young and stayed with her on Saturday nights. Now my daughter would be spending every other Saturday night at my place. "Yeah. That is cool. Let's get it."

We went through a few gallons of ice cream that first summer. Each shake required two scoops of chocolate and two scoops of vanilla. They took forever to make and were rather lumpy. They were the best milkshakes ever. For some reason we never made milkshakes the second or third summer I was in my apartment in Hamden. I guess we got into a routine that didn't include milkshakes. So I was quite surprised when I opened the box, saw the milkshake maker, and nearly broke down.

The decision to come to Korea was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. On the positive, I would be making good money, I would have my own lab, I would be a boss, I could decide the direction of the research, I wouldn't have to write grants, I would live in an exotic city and my housing would be provided. There was only one negative. I would be away from my sweetie girl. That single reason was enough; I wasn't going to take this job. Then the thought hit that would eventually change my mind. Too bad this opportunity wasn't four years from now. My daughter would be going to college and becoming independent. The thought then began to evolve. She is already becoming independent. Of course she still needs her dad but not as much as she used to. We no longer made milkshakes. Perhaps it could work now. My career was stagnating, and I didn't want to look back years later regretting not trying. So the decision was made.

Now, at this moment, I regret trying. It's impossible not to have regrets. You only get one life. Of course it is too early to truly say whether this was a bad decision or not (I'm fairly certain I would have regretted not trying more). The point of this post was for me to remember why I am here... and to procrastinate opening another box. Where is that damn spear?

Moving In

Finally! My stuff arrived. I actually feel like I have a home, a place of my own. Two months without anything but a chair, TV, and a bed wore me down. I didn't realize how worn down until I saw my stuff coming up the ladder. I just felt better.

The way the Koreans move stuff into apartments is impressive. I live on the fourth floor which is the top floor. Before my boxes arrived, the housing staff had attached a ladder to my balcony with a mechanical platform.

The view from my balcony looking down the ladder to the platform.

When the truck arrives, they unload onto the platform and up it goes. It is really kind of cool. I have seen similar ladders used as high as 10 stories.

45 boxes coming up.

The movers said they would arrive around 1 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. they get to my place. The first order of business was to move my current bed from the second largest room to the smallest. The movers kindly agree, and the bed fits perfectly. Nothing else will, but it is perfect for the guest bed. I have to go to a faculty dinner at 6:15. The building manager says he will check that all the boxes have arrived. So off I went.

I was a little nervous coming home. 45 boxes seemed like a lot. Would my sofa fit? Would my bed fit? Here are some pictures of what I saw.

My Kitchen table also known as the peanuts arena.

Now this is the way to move. Go to dinner. Come back, and everything is set up. Nice. My bed fits perfectly in the master bedroom. There is a separate air conditioner in there. Absolutely perfect. The sofa is just right for the living room. My daughter is a genius! She suggested getting a sofa in the States and have it shipped. I only had the sofa a day before it was on its way to Korea. The wait was way too long, but it was the right move.

It is funny how the mind works... at least how my mind works. The most imperative thing in my mind when moving in was to move the guest bed to the smallest room. When I got back and saw how little space my computer desk uses, I couldn't understand why freeing up space in the second largest room was so important. Then I saw the small bookshelves that double as a night stand in the master bedroom, and I remembered. There was some talk of having a study/sewing room. I had forgotten the 'why' but remembered it being important. I am still adjusting to having loved and it not working out. Oh well, on to problems I can actually solve like which side of the sofa should I recline on.

This decision is not so easy.