My entire office left work early today for our annual summer picnic.  We went to a nearby park on a gorgeous day.  The setting was perfect for an office picnic.  The weather could not have been better.  My office is huge, and we had well over 100 people attend the picnic today.  Although I wasn’t the organizer, I took over grilling duties like I always do and arguably did more work than most on the picnic today.  It’s a labor of love I’ve enjoyed doing since I started grilling several years ago.  I’ve grilled on many occasions for many people.  However, I’ve never grilled for over 100 hungry stomachs before.  I can safely say I much prefer grilling for less than a dozen people than I do for hundreds.  I had a couple of assistants who did a fabulous job helping me gather food and supplies, shop for groceries, set up, and take down the grilling station.  I carted over a ton of food and a couple of charcoal grills from my house to the park.  Everything went smoothly before the picnic began.  I stoked the grills and got the barbeque going.  I grilled cheeseburgers, hamburgers, veggie burgers, and hot dogs.  My Korean colleagues made bulgogi using one of the grills.

We avoided any major difficulties while grilling.  Still, the sheer volume of food we had to cook made grilling much more of a chore today than I’d hoped.  At times, I felt like Hephaestos, the Greek god of fire, slaving over burning coals.  I can still feel the smoke in my lungs, and my eyes have been watery all day long.  I probably inhaled more carcinogens today than are recommended for one’s health.  In the end, it was worth the sacrifice.  Last year, the picnic-goers waited a long time for food.  This year, mounds of heaping bulgogi, burgers, hot dogs, and side dishes were waiting for them when they arrived.  I enjoy being known as "The Grillmeister," even though can be a thankless job.  I left this morning at 9 a.m. to start working on the picnic and didn’t finish until 6 p.m., long after the picnic-goers left.  The worst part of being a grillmeister is cleaning up after a barbeque.  Not only do you have to clean the grill(s), but you have to transport everything home.  That can take multiple trips.  Being grillmeister is fun when one grills, but otherwise it can be an inconspicuous job.  It’s also a bummer because the grillmeister is usually the last one to eat, and by the time they do the food (what’s left of it) is cold.  And they are apart from family and friends while they grill.  It’s a lonely life, but someone has to be the Grillmeister.

I had lunch with a Korean coworker today.  We talked about life in Korea, and somehow the conversation migrated towards talking about housing and commuting in Seoul.  She lives with her family in northwest Seoul, works downtown, drops her child off at daycare in south central Seoul, while her husband commutes to work in southeast Seoul.  Unfortunately, her daily commute is long and complicated.  I asked her why she hasn’t move south to a more convenient location.  She answered that she rents an apartment in Seoul close to where her parents live.  Her parents take care of her son every morning before they drop him off at daycare.  Also, housing near the Han River is very expensive, making it cost prohibitive for them to relocate to that area.  It’s unfortunate that their housing options are limited.  Until they rent or buy elsewhere or change jobs, they will continue to have a long work commute via subway or bus.  Because parking is at a premium in Seoul, bus and subway are usually the best options for the typical Seoul commuter.

Korea’s housing sector functions somewhat differently than that of the U.S.  Many Koreans rent apartments.  Most renters pay a “key money” fee that grants them the right to live in a rental (exceptions include those who rent from other family members).  “Key money” is a very steep deposit renters must pay landlords up front before moving into a rental.  Renters can get their “key money” back after they move out of the property.  However, they receive no additional return for their deposit.  Consequently, Korean renters pay a lot of “key money” and have nothing to show for it once they get their “key money” back.  Koreans can buy their homes, but because they have to pay the entire cost up front, most Koreans do not buy homes until they are older.  They finance home purchases out of pocket, use funds provided by family members, or tap moderate lines of bank credit.  Few Koreans assume American-style mortgages.  Putting “5 per cent” down on a home is virtually impossible to do in Korea.  Those who cannot afford to buy or rent a home typically live with their parents until they marry or accrue enough “key money” to move out on their own.  Americans’ ability to buy a home with little money down gives them an opportunity to become independent at an earlier age and to start accruing equity early life.  While Americans saving very little and frequently have burdensome personal debt, many increase their net worth through home ownership.  In recent years, the U.S. housing market has boomed, and most U.S. home owners have benefited from substantial capital gains on their homes.  In Korea however, many Koreans wait until later in life to buy, and they miss out on early opportunities to purchase a home and build home equity.