Articles by mgedwards

Hooker Hill Redux

I find it fascinating (but not surprising) that a blog entry I wrote about “Hooker Hill” in Itaewon, Seoul, Korea in 2005 continues to generate more hits than any other entry I’ve written since I started blogging in 2004.  The entry consistently ranks first, second or third almost every day in the number of hits it gets.  Today, for example, it’s ranked second after my home page, even more than any of the recent posts I’ve published on my  Kilimanjaro climb.  Amazing staying power some blog entries have!  Some of the honorable mentions are posts about eating puffer fish in Busan, Korea; whether John Lennon inspired Harry Potter’s facial features; Thai cuisine in Buenos Aires; and things to do when visiting Paraguay.  Talk about staying power.  Who would have thought that a post about “Hooker Hill” would be absolutely timeless.

The “Hooker Hill” episode is actually quite innocuous.  The blog entry chronicles my adventure visiting a back alley in Itaewon called “Hooker Hill” on official business (yes, seriously).  It was an intriguing experience trudging uphill in a business suit before dusk in one of Seoul’s notorious “red light districts” looking to help someone in need.  Whether readers who search for information on “Hooker Hill” and land on my blog entry are looking for exciting places to tour while visiting Seoul or are seeking something to satisfy their libido is unknown, although I suspect that most visitors are looking for the latter.  The unwitting message I hope I conveyed is that Itaewon is not without its risks and that anyone who does visit keep in mind their safety first (physically, financially and sexually).  While not a dangerous place, who knows what might happen if you go to “Hooker Hill” for more than a casual look.

This blog entry is a check to see how popular this tantalizingly named post will be and whether it will rival the original.  I expect it will also rank high in online searches.

n.B.  Since I posted this blog entry 24 hours ago traffic to my blog increased over 300%.  Most of the 150 odd hits came from this post and the original.  Scintillating definitely sells.

Blog sharing

I just changed the settings on this blog to publicize on Facebook, Twitter, MSN and Yahoo and am testing it to see how it works.  It will save some time cross-posting and drive more traffic to this site.  Just another step on the way to a new future and new reality. 

Results varied when I tried to cross-post this entry.  Twitter was seamless, Facebook took a couple of tries, and MSN and Yahoo were lost somewhere in cyberspace.  No wonder Facebook and Twitter are eating the traditional e-mail providers’ lunch in the social networking space.

Stay tuned for more posts!  In the next month the frequency will increase, and I’ll start adding more photos and multimedia.

Things to Come

Have you ever been in a situation where you know what your life will be like for the next six months, but you don’t know what it will be like in the next six? 

That’s the situation I find myself in at the moment.  Right now I am living and working in a reality that will change dramatically in less than four months.  My family and my life will be uprooted, and we will be in limbo for another month before we find ourselves in a completely new reality.  From one continent to another, one country to another, one culture to another.  It’s really quite surreal, actually, as if you’re being pulled out of one dream (or for some, a nightmare) and dropped into another.  Virtually everything that I know now will be a memory in a matter of months.  Some will be good memories, some not so good.  The home I live in will change.  Neighbors, friends, and colleagues will be different.  And although the Internet allows those I know now to stay in touch, many of us will never cross paths again.

I ponder sometimes what life will be like six months from now in a new location, new environment, even a new career.  The only constant will be my loving family and my God.  They are the only continuity this life brings.   Nevertheless, I am looking forward to a change.  I am wary of the unexpected and unsure of what to expect in our next life, but I have created an image in my mind of what I think life will be like in the near future.  Take this blog for instance.  As life is now I only have time to post new entries once a week or twice if I’m lucky.  Yet the site is a bit staid because I don’t have time to upload photos or media that would make this page more attractive and attract more readers.  In six months, I will be able to make this blog more interesting than it is now, and perhaps it will return to the days when hundreds, even thousands read this blog each day. 

But what am I giving up by changing realities?  A lot, really.  There are things I’m doing now that I won’t be able to do in six months.  The question is whether the trade-off is a positive step or something I will learn to regret.  The answer I do not yet know, and it lies in our new reality.

Many of my friends and colleagues face similar situations every year or two years.  Somehow, most of us manage to cope with the change.  While it seems attractive to change your reality — especially if you dislike the one you’re in now — there’s something to be said about stability and continuity.  That’s something few can afford in this life.