Korea

Pre-China Trip Clutter

Much as I try, life always seems too cluttered.  I sit here tonight typing amidst a pile of things to do to prepare for our trip to Shanghai, China on Saturday.  Every time life seems to cool down, it suddenly shifts into high gear and becomes too hectic.  One of these days I would really like to jump off this crazy merry-go-round.  My new mantra is “Vive el Paraguay!”  I’ve heard that Paraguay, my next assigned location, offers a much slower pace of life than Korea does.  As my predecessor told me by e-mail (we’ve been in contact), “bring lots of reading material [to Paraguay].”  Somehow I wish that were true.  I’ll believe it when it happens, after I’ve made it through four books in four weeks.  I’m sure I will somehow find a way to make myself too busy to chill out–even in Paraguay.  It’s in my nature to do more than I have time to do.

I am really looking forward my first trip outside Korea since I arrived early last year.  First I have to wade through annoying trip planning.  Perhaps the worst part of any trip is the advance planning and preparation.  It’s more than suitcase packing.  It’s the little things like making sure your medical insurance covers you in exotic locations and putting together a photo album for the family back home.  It’s the plane tickets, passports, visas, bill paying, activity planning, transportation arrangements, electricity conversion, emergency planning, cash reserves build up, closure at work, fridge emptying–you name it.  Anyone who’s planned a multi-week trip away from home can relate to the grind of pre-trip planning and preparation.

China isn’t actually going to be a vacation for me.  I will work in Shanghai for about two weeks while my family is on vacation.  Fortunately, I can take time out on the weekends to have some fun.  On Sunday I will visit Thames Town, a new, unbelievable development reminiscent of Merry Ol’ England located in the suburbs of Shanghai.  The following weekend my wife, son, and I will take a short trip to Xi’an, home to the famous terracotta warriors.  As we have spent most of our time in the eastern half of China, I’m looking forward to seeing the Chinese Interior for the first time.  I don’t know how much time I will have to write during my journey in China, but I will post as frequently as I can.  Photos will follow when I return to Korea.

Chuncheon de ja vue

When I left Chuncheon for the second time last fall on our way to Seoraksan National Park, I did not think I would return to Chuncheon again.  Alas, today I did.  I visited Kangwon National University’s business school and gave a speech on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to about 50 undergraduate business students.  The speech lasted about 45 minutes with about 20 minutes for Q&A.  The students were very quiet.  Either my speech was so riveting and comprehensive that they were left with no questions to ask, or they were too shy or disinterested to ask me questions.  I finally coaxed a few, thought-provoking questions from them.  The FTA and upcoming negotiations beginning June 2006 are a hot topic in Korean circles, so I was surprised by their lack of response.  Most Koreans support an FTA, although some have expressed reservations that it may negatively impact Korea.  Most agree that it will ultimately benefit the country.
 
After the speech I joined a few faculty members for dinner at Santorini, an Italian restaurant located atop a gorgeous vista overlooking Chuncheon.  The view was breath-taking.  I will try to post some photos tomorrow night.  Saturday’s yellow sand disappated and the rains came in on Sunday, washing away the grime.  Today was a beautiful day–very refreshing after the horror of what some say is the worst bout of yellow sand in Korean history.  The clouds painted beautiful patterns in the sky as the sun set.  It was the most beautiful sunset–and one of the few, period–I have seen since I arrived in Korea.  It reminded me fondly of days when I lived in Virginia and frequently watched the sunset.  I posted some photos of Virginia sunsets in one of my earlier photo albums.  I was amused that the Italian restaurant took a name derived from one of Greece’s most famous Aegean islands.  The food and wine were delectable, although sweet pickles and jalapeno peppers yet again made their way on to the table.  What a way to spoil a perfect evening!

Late nights and the art of gae

I met fellow MBA alumni tonight for dinner in Myeongdong, a trendy shopping district in downtown Seoul.  I did not see any other foreigners tonight.  Foreigners don’t typically spend much time in Myeongdong, which caters largely to Koreans.  Myeongdong starts rocking around 7 p.m. each night and slows down about 11 p.m. on weeknights and at 1 a.m. during the weekend.  I felt estranged not only because I was a foreigner but also because I am older than most of the people, err, youths, who wander around Myeongdong.
 
We dined tonight on budae jigae (solider’s stew), an interesting concoction dating back to when locals collected and cooked with leftover food available near U.S. military bases.  The need to scrounge for food has virtually disappeared in Korea, but the stew remains and is quite popular among Koreans today.  (Many traditions begin out of necessity.)  Soldier’s stew is made of ramen noodle, spam, hot dog, kimchi, tofu, macaroni, onion, and egg, as well as a hodge podge of other foodstuffs I can’t recall.  Although it may sound
unappetizing, the stew actually tastes pretty good.  In fact, one of the biggest restaurant chains in Korea, Nolboo, specializes in serving budae jigae.  We drank some soju, a rice alcohol, to wash away remnants of the stew.
 
I almost left to go home at about 9:45 p.m., but then my fellow alumni decided to go to a pub for some drinks.  I felt obliged to join them.  Tonight going out with friends and coworkers after work, a common practice in Korea, trumped my habit of going home after work.  I came home about 11 p.m., breaking up the party earlier than I think my fellow alumni would have.  I usually don’t make it a habit to stay out late at night, especially on a weeknight.  I made an exception though to join alumni I haven’t seen for at least two months..  My wife took care of my son tonight.  Tomorrow night it will be my turn to stay home while my wife joins some coworkers for a movie.
 
Two alumni paid for dinner and for drinks.  I thought it was a very nice gesture.  I offered to pay my portion, but they wouldn’t take my money.  Their kindness reminded me of a Korean custom mentioned at work today, "gae."  "Gae" are Korean quasi investment clubs.  A group of friends get together and deposit money into a joint bank account.  Members of the "gae" then take turns dipping into it when they need funds.  The "gae" have a rhyme and reason I don’t quite understand.  Some people benefit from "gae" more than others.  Group buying power is a plus, as is compound interest on a large sum of money.  However, I don’t really understand why anyone would join a group that jointly saves money so the members can spend it on themselves when needed.  Our alumni group created a joint account, and we all contribute 10,000 won (about $10) each month.  We plan to use the money for group activities and to donate to our university.  This, however, is not a "gae."  If each of us could dip into the account to pay for personal expenses, such as a  pleasure cruise, then it would be a "gae."  However, the money is earmarked for social events and donations.  I don’t think I would join a "gae" even if I could.