Articles by mgedwards

American flashback and pancake bulgogi

I had an American flashback today.  We were sitting in Burger King having lunch, and I noticed an NBA game on TV.  Americans and American English filled the place.  I felt like we were back in the United States again!  In many ways it felt more "American" than life in multi-cultural Washington, D.C.  I know that I previously dissed Burger King in an earlier blog entry, but there was a good reason why we eat at BK today.  We had been out shopping and our son was very hungry.  BK was the closest restaurant we could find, so we ate there.  BK has a big play gym for kids, so we couldn’t help but stop for a burger and watch him play.  Also, I have to admit that I can’t eat Korean every day and need my American fast food fix from time to time.  It’s too bad that fast food is just about the only "American" food you can find overseas.

Afterwards I went to a nearby store, where I saw the brand-new Ford Mustang on display.  The new Mustang sports a retro look reminiscent of the 1960’s-era Mustangs.  It’s a muscular and sporty car.  I’m not a big fan of American automobile styling, but I have to say that I was impressed.  I can’t vouch for what’s under the hood, but I really liked the car’s outward appearance.  The Big Three automakers, especially General Motors, have made great strides in recent years to improve both quality and styling.  GM cars are now among the world’s higher quality cars, not too far behind quality champions Toyota and Honda.  Still, like many Americans we’ve grown used to assuming that American cars lag behind their Japanese counterparts.  We’ve been fond of Japanese cars for awhile, but their styling is dated.  Toyota has been trying to remedy that with updates such as the Toyota MR-2 and the launch of the entry-level Scion brand in the U.S.  I much prefer European styling to Japanese stying.  A Mustang is too sporty for a family guy like me, but I might take a look at an American car the next time we plan to buy.

We eat Korean food tonight, getting back into the routine of eating the local cuisine.  We went out with friends tonight for "pancake bulgogi", a special type of bulgogi I have never eaten before.  It had a unique taste I enjoyed.  I’m used to bulgogi; this special type of bulgogi will take a little getting used to.  I didn’t catch the name of the restaurant, but my friend who arranged the meal said that people come from miles around to eat at this restaurant.  If you visit Seoul, have someone take you for "pancake bulgogi."  I enjoyed getting out and exploring Seoul a bit.  We took our first walk through a subway station, using it as a shortcut and staying out of the cold.  The evening was cool and clear, warmer than the weather has been here in recent weeks.  I enjoyed getting together with friends for dinner.  We had to divide our time between conversation and watching the children, but I think we still had a good time. 

Seattle basketball surprise

I haven’t been following sports too closely lately, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how Seattle’s basketball scene has played out. Last summer the Seattle Storm won the WNBA title. Now the University of Washington Huskies men’s college basketball team is on the verge of winning its first Pac-10 title in 20 years. The Seattle SuperSonics have also been stellar this season in the NBA. As a Seattle sports fan I’m used to letdowns and disappointments, late season meltdowns and bonehead roster moves. It’s finally nice to see that two area teams have overachieved this season. I wish their mojo would rub off on the Mariners, but I’m not optimistic the M’s will do well this season. All the best M’s players (except Ichiro) now play for the New York Mariners…er Yankees. I would not be surprised in the least if Ken Griffey, Jr. ends up in pinstripes too.

The #10 Huskies demolished the University of California Golden Bears 106-73 last night to improve their record to 24-4. They are tied with the University of Arizona Wildcats for a share of first place in the Pacific 10 Conference. If they beat the Stanford Cardinals, they could win the conference outright if Arizona loses or if they have a better record against the Pac 10’s third-place team. It’s quite a change from the 1990’s, when Huskies football was the only college game in town. The football team is terrible now, so the men’s basketball team has stepped in to give Husky fans something good to root for. The women’s basketball team has also done well in recent years, although they were disappointing this season. The Huskies should be ranked #1 or #2 in the NCAA Tournament. An NCAA championship would be great, but I’ll settle for a Pac-10 championship.

The Seattle SuperSonics have also been a joy to watch this year. The team wasn’t expected to contend for an NBA title, but now it’s March already and they’re 12 games up in the Pacific Division. Other teams such as the San Antonio Spurs have better records, and the Phoenix Suns have been the darling of the NBA this season. Still, I’m glad to see the Supes doing well. It’s better than the alternative! Whether they can translate their dominance during the season to an NBA championship is debatable, but it’s nice for a change to see the Sonics atop the standings.

On a personal note, I fell ill today. The flu bug has been roaming the halls at work, and several people stayed home this week. I really wanted to go home early, but I was too busy. When I got home I slept for several hours. I feel a little better now. I’m planning to have a nice long sleep tonight and hope to be healthy again by Monday.

Meeting Dr. Kissinger

Dr. Henry Kissinger, a Nobel Prize winner and former Secretary of State for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, visited Seoul today.  I was immensely honored to meet and shake hands with him today after his brief remarks.  Dr. Kissinger is regarded by many as one of our country’s greatest Secretaries of State.  I’m very lucky to have met a statesman of such stature during my first year in the Service.  As one colleague put it, "I’ve been waiting for ten years to meet him, and you get to meet him during your first weeks here!"  Yep, I’m lucky I guess.  I thought I would have to keep working in lieu of hearing him speak.  However, everyone was invited at the end of the day to a meet and greet.  I’m privileged to have had an opportunity to meet the man who played a crucial role in U.S. foreign policy and is largely credited with spearheading normalized relations between the People’s Republic of China and the U.S.  Dr. Kissinger remains a giant in foreign policy and still consults on numerous foreign policy issues.

Last night I was happy to get reacquainted with an old friend, my personal computer.  I received it yesterday in my air freight and set up late last night.  It still functions just the way it did when I disassembled it back in Virginia (technology can be so touchy sometimes).  For the first time in an eternity I have a perfectly functioning home network.  My computer runs great, and my secure wireless network works seamlessly.  I may jinx everything by mentioning how well it’s all working, but I can’t help but mention how happy I am to have my computer back.  I had been using our old laptop until it arrived, but the laptop is much too old and slow to do everything I want to do.  Now that I have my computer back I can start using technology to do some tasks that require a top-of-the-line system, including video editing.