Warm rice ball with bean/cornmeal powder, fresh off the mill-wheel. Korean Folk Village, 10.03.09
Struggling with a wooden yoke, despite the fact that it was empty! Korean Folk Village, 10.03.09
A carpenter carefully works on traditional wooden masks used to celebrate Chuseok, the Harvest Festival of Korea. KFV 10.03.09
The new-to-me mobile phone didn’t work when he said it would, and my SOS call didn’t help, so he invited me back down to Itaewon for a check-up. Frustrated with the length of cellular sacrifice I had already made since arriving in Korea, I scarfed down a sandwich after work on the night before Chuseok holiday began and took the 40 minute subway down to the foreigner district by myself. After dodging the mid-week-drunk sluts and soldiers congregating near the station eateries, I ducked into my cell phone shop…and right into the middle of a heated argument. It seemed a Korean landlord was upset over some bookkeeping issues, and while he ranted, the Pakistani in charge calmly showed him the books.
Now I’m a particular fan of SHOWING not TELLING in my writing, particularly through strategic use of dialogue. Unfortunately, the dialogue in this scene was not of discernable tongue for me, so forgive the liberties I’ve taken in transcribing what I THINK was being said at the time. No disrespect is meant, merely authenticity of translation.
Korean Landlord (pacing and gesturing): Why you no pay full rent this month wei-guk-in?
Pakistani [Cell Phone Store] Tenant: No, I have spoken already: I paid in full. See, the book?
KL (screeching): You have not paid! I make brown wei-guk-in pay with much interest-ee!
PT: I added the numbers like this, and it is not my fault your grandmother has requested that you host the family Chuseok celebration. I will not pay extra rent to fund your soju and spam this holiday.
KL (still screeching and pacing): NO! NO! NO! You are ruining my life with your lies! Many won you owe! A curse from ancestors upon you and your desert dogs! My people eat your people! And, I call police!
PT: Why don’t you have some coffee and a pipe with me and we will discuss this calmly like two good businessmen.
As the second Pakistani fiddled with my phone, two policemen did indeed arrive. Unfazed by the irate Landlord who hovered at their elbows and jabbered in their faces, they questioned the Pakistani tenant, who looked stressed and anxious, but remained calm. I happily noted the police seemed to put no stock in their fellow countrymen’s ludicrous attitude, and they left after a few words of warning to both parties. The Pakistani came out from behind the cell phone counter and mixed the Landlord a paper Dixie cup of instant coffee from the water purifier next to the door. But they hadn’t quite finished...
KL (loudly): A curse upon you, cell phone dog.
PT (loudly, with a dismissal wave of his arm): A curse upon you, cabbage whore.
KL: Good day to you, sir. Anyonghaseyo.
PT: Good day to you.
In much calmer moods, the Korean wandered out onto the front step with his cup and his clipboard. The Pakistani returned to his place at the counter with a cup of water, and my own Pakistani unhooked my phone and handed it over. “All set.”
On my way home I stopped with some coffee on a McDonald’s patio and started figuring out the very confusing phone. Three American dudes swaggered up with a tray of quarter pounders and orange Fanta and asked to borrow my chair. They seemed nice enough until they started speaking conversationally.
“Oh man I gotta take a picture of this!”
“Dude no way.”
“I can’t believe I’ve eaten a quarterpounder in two countries!”
“Dude that **** stays in your stomach.”
“Not after a couple of beers and soju.”
“Yeah that ****** gooood.”
“Oh man check this out.”
“Here man, take a picture of me with this ****** burger.”
“**** this place is awesome.”
At this juncture, I returned to the comfort of my headphones and began the journey home.
FRIDAY
First full holiday day off! Lounged all morning, skyped, cleaned, read. Hiked up my mountain in the late afternoon sun and wrote some letters. A gorgeous fall breeze and sufficient sunbeams on top of iced coffee put me in a stellar mood to reflect on thankfulness. The city was SO QUIET..barely anyone to bump into on the mountain, and since I could actually hear and feel nature around me, I left the iPod silent in my pocket. Quite the unusual experience in a city as busy as Seoul.
Celebrating on Chuseok Eve with gift from a student! My new favorite snack: songpyeon!
Made some vegetables/egg mess in the skillet for dinner, then met some friends for Korean food/plum wine, then hit up a Japanese bar for some wicked fishy anchovies (eyeballs intact), various fish stews, and hot and cold sake. Very chill evening, good times. Mostly guys, Korean and Western, plus me and my coworker Amanda ;D
SATURDAY
Took a relatively early weekend subway then bus to the Korean Folk Village for some legit Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving: Harvest Festival) celebrations. Hamboks, the traditional voluminous silkwear of the day, were everywhere, and the children were absolutely adoreable (see photo).
It was perfect autumn weather, and my four compadres and I had a great day (despite my back pain which flared unrelentingly) seeing a Korean wedding, photographing everything from cabbage to ponies, riding small carnival rides, and eating warm rice cakes with bean flour.
Families celebrate Chuseok with jumpropes at the Korean Folk Village 10.03.09
Missing part of an arm, this Indian welcomed us to one of the most ghetto but awesome shooting gallery-on-wheel rides ever! Korean Folk Village 10.03.09
Elvis wearing Hambok! KFV 10.03.09
The full day culminated with tour of the coolest hookah bar I’ve ever seen and moved from that to Hongdae where I ended up staying until 8am! It was a random night, but just kept going: meeting Koreans while keeping tabs on inebriated acquaintances who treated us to ghetto batting cages, the best spicy beef I’ve eaten, and luxury noraebong (karaoke) until 6am!
SUNDAY
Slept until 2, octopus bibimbap at a hole-in-the-wall with friends, a long walk with the iPod in the dark and cold. A good Day of Rest. Happy Thanksgiving! Chuseok jal bo nae sayo 행복한 추석
Traditional sailing ship at the Korean Folk Village 10.03.09
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ahhh! i love this post. the beginning must have been such a trip... i loved it!!
ReplyDeleteand reading your other adventures sounds amazing! oh and seriously would you edit some of my papers!?!? i really would love to take you up on that. Ranting is my passion, but paper writing is my weakness.... and you got to write a mean paper if you want to run with the big dogs here!!
you are amazing!! and seriously would be my secret weapon to if i graduate!!
bean