I think it's been about 6 weeks since I got on that plane to leave Dubai, tears overflowing on my warm face, confusion dancing in circles around my head and my body saying "Please, go easy on me this summer."
Seeing good friends often means great catch-up chats, some good runs, a pile of helpful advice and humongous hugs, healthy right??
It also means good food, copious amounts of wine, bad food and all in that fantastic decision making order...
I started in Seoul, arrived on my friend Peter's doorstep around 7:00 pm and was promptly poured a glass of Chilean red (ugh) and pulled upstairs to the sea of green that surrounded his lofty apartment atop Namsan hill. Because it was summer, you could smell the pork and beef galbi in the air, the garlic hanging off people's balconies to keep the mosquitoes away and the green, moist dewish smell that summertime often produces from a combination of deciduous and coniferous forests intermingling.
My nose and stomach were both highly influenced by these smells and we decided promptly on galbi dinner. We pulled up to the local family mart ( a Korean version of 7-11) and came across 4 more friends, Mirrell, Jerry, Charles and Jackie. We drank beer on the porch and watched the world cup game. Only at convenient stores in Korea do they cater to the local communities urges to sit and drink beer on the stoop. In fact, they built a sheeshy oak porch to provide a place to chillax... We headed down to the galbi lady and I was equally impressed by the Koreans' kindness when the restaurants literally fought over who would host us for dinner. This is particularly funny considering we had two dogs joining us. It was nice to be in a place that was done. A city where people want your business and your company and realize that people live their lives with their dogs and their alcohol... A city where the main physical construction taking place was on the outskirts of town in slight expansionist movements. And where the construction in town was both artistic and social, with young Korean artists opening up bars sporting drinks in plastic bags and eclectic electro French music.. A place where you could see all those foreigners that they'd brought in the last 20 years were beginning to influence Koreans in their internationalism and yet, the Koreans were rubbing off on the foreigners too in the sense their patience was growing bigger and their eagerness to communicate and develop their cross cultural understanding more.
Interesting moments from the trip include:
a) the 15 minute cappucino experience, brewed by candle light and frothed milk made by banging the metal milk kettle against a wooden block in a sort of modern hand dance show...
b) watching the US get into the final 16 in the world cup at 1:00 in the morning and feeling that national American energy (I don't usually embrace it, but this was a magical moment)
c) fighting with pajon lady about there not being enough seafood in her pancakes.. Nothing good comes out of being out at 5 am on a Thursday morning
d) catching up with old friends and new, seeing how lives can remain the same in some ways and dramatically change in others, with categories such as work, love, money, dreams, etc
e) eating probably the best sushi I have had since leaving Korea, gotta love chumchi wae... thanks Charles.
Overall, it was wonderful to be back in Korea, to see friends that I haven't caught up with for 4 years, to be surrounded by people who love and know you inside and out especially when I was coming down from the high of leaving Dubai and to be in a place that celebrates the world cup as if God had come down and thrown a crazy and miraculous party...
I am not sure I will ever return but I am happy to say that it was a part of my life and I highly recommend anyone going to visit or live because the people are raw and rude and feisty and ferocious.
Annyeounghi- gyeseyo for now Korea!
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