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100405 Thaikarl - Korea rocks!

friends,
 
flight over was pleasant, except for being stuck in a window seat.  i much prefer the aisle so i don't have to wake people to get up, and the food carts don't go by me cause i'm sleeping so far away.
took the airport bus to town, followed the directions i was given, and arrived at amiee's apartment for my couchsurf for the night.  she was very nice, quite personable and a good conversationalist. she told me down the little streets to a small restaurant and ordered these kimchi cake things that were awesomely delicious!  food suddenly becomes exciting, interesting and desirable here.
 
i slept nicely on some pads on the floor, got up when she had to head off to her english teaching job.  she waved me off, and i was free to wander.  which i did.  just walked around the neighbor hood for a while.  i really wanted to goto a Korean bathhouse she recommended, but i knew i'd spend all day there and see nothing else.  i wanted to figure out the subway system, so i went underground.  the system is quite extensive, and fortunately the stations have the english name on the signs, so i figured out the smart card machine, got on the green line and got our where i wanted to go. and there wasn't much there above ground.  did run across and old palace to visit, took a few pictures, had my picture taken with several gangs of shy school girls.  they are so cute.  a man with purple hair gets their attention.  had some more espresso in an upstairs shop.  they guy that served me spoke perfect LA english.  cause he's from there.  his name was jimmy, we talked abit, he located the airport bus stop for me.  made my way back to the airport, got another stamp in my passport, breezed security and found the internet place.  free computers, free internet.
 
man, as soon as i get off the plane and i'm back in a land of mystery i feel myself perk up.  the WONDER returns, the urge to assimilate, absorb, notice, contemplate and just "BE" wafts in on the psychic breeze that rushes in when the door to the plane is opened.  i think its the same reason, for the same feelings you get when you visit las vegas, or disneyland, or yellowstone park.  the ordinary is in-ordinary, the normal there  is an abberation of your normal. what you are used to, what you see everyday is overlaid by a new movie, the sights and sounds and images are HUGE, inspiring, bigger than life. and not like home.  but this isn't disneyland, it's seoul korea.  and i can't read the signs, understand what people are saying, can't tell what is in this can of something to drink.
 
and i love it.
 
few more hours and i'll be back with my sweetheart, in another (slightly less) mysterious place and i get to have that "home.....!" feeling.  nice.
 
onward!!!!!
Nu
 
(reverting to my thai name for the duration)

visit http://www.thaicountrylife.com

1 comment:

  1. you're the first whitey i've read of liking Korea.

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