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Published: February 2nd 2010
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I've been in Seoul for a few days now. I'm staying with a friend of a friend that I met at a bar in Portland two years ago. I chuckled a bit when I was at the subway station where I was going to meet Sohrab...I didn't even remember what he looked like. But, it all worked out. After a few hours of sitting around with his neighbor we decided to head out for a little Saturday night fun. Ascending the Metro steps into the University district felt like being pulled through a vortex into a new universe. I was greeted with an energy I'd never felt before. At once my senses were overwhelmed. All I could do was absorb it, try to take it in and not let it overtake me. You know the feeling when you first look at a large anthill? How you can let your focus relax and thus the entire mound seems to be alive, to be a blur of movement? Then, as you patiently and slowly bring your focus back, you realize its not chaos but an intricate freeway of organized movement. That was Saturday night. Within several minutes we were absorbed into the mass,
a piece of the...how do I describe it? I can't find the words.
We settled on a window steamed, Korean filled restaurant for dinner. When the meal first came to the table I quickly snatched half a hard boiled egg. As our dinner was being heated over a tabletop stove I plucked out the yolk. I've always hated the yolk! But after an assortment of fish, octopus tentacles, whole shrimp, sea urchin, crab legs that I had to crack open in my mouth and whole mini octopus (yes head and all), I ate the half a yolk left sitting in the bowl. It seemed like such a familiar thing to eat! The texture and flavor that had once made me gag was now a welcome comfort.
On Sunday an Adjema (old woman) beat me for taking a picture of her. I meant no disrespect. Because of that I stood there taking what she dished out. I took the picture from afar and saw her coming across the outdoor market. It took her some time before she got to me, enough time that I could have run away. Instead I waited for her. I thought it would be more
The Ride Em Cowboy Bar
Urban cowgirls and cowboys who light alcohol on fire and other cool bar tricks! disrespectful to run...not that she will ever know what I felt in my heart. I was truly sorry and willing to give her the space she needed to let her emotions flow. Its a fine line to walk when taking photos. If I'm close to someone I always ask their permission, but since she was across the market I thought it would do no harm. She layed into my arms with her metal tongs when I wouldn't let her tear the camera from my hands. Over and over I kept saying I was sorry. I admire her tenacity as she was half my size and at least twice my age! In a matter of seconds I felt more humble than I'd ever felt in my life. Once more I said sorry, turned and walked away.
For the last two hours of my four hour train ride to Seoul I had an interesting conversation. My neighbor struck it up and quickly it turned into a mathematically injected discourse on Christianity. He is a Korean, ex-Buddhist, found Jesus mathematician. If I were to compare what those two hours were comprised of to neopolitan ice cream the three flavors were linguistics, tribal
Reason number 33
of why you should always take your shoes off when entering someone's home. history of Israel and global climate change, with a swirl of physics and a sprinkling of math throw in there to make it extra appetizing. God I love traveling!
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Stacey Stein
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Eggs in! YEY!
Hey! Great to read about your adventure(s) - it's awesome to hear your reflectiveness - excitement - in the momentness - and FINALLY YOU ATE THE YOLK! Your pics are worth a thousand words, I'm so glad you include them, they tell stories all on their own. I have a co-worker from Korea, she loves to talk about her country, tells me about the 'buzz' you describe, the crawl of people, and that there's always fun around the corner. Be well.