All over but the crying...

Bits and Pieces • Last night for the Seoul Man • Alley Life

• How polite are Koreans? I'm watching TV and a guy breaks in to a home intent on raping the woman inside. He takes of his shoes and socks before he enters, though, cause he's a guy who cares!

• Soju, the "other" breakfast drink. Because if there is some left over in the morning? I'm going to drink it!

• Happy Fluffy, Fuck You! When I see the street-sweeper go by with a big happy face on the side of it? I want to pick up a Korean drifter and take them for a one way ride. Good thing there are no Korean drifters.

• The Importance of Numbers. Before I come back to Korea, as a tourist or with a job, I will learn the number system, to read Hangul, and the names of the top 20 restaurant foods. These things work together. I hate walking past some of the cool alleyway joints when I'm hungry and not being able to hop inside and have a casual bite. As the dude might say, this will not abide.

• Off to Italy. The next step begins. I am sad to keave Korea. As I was attending to various tasks in the bathroom ;-) I looked at how small, undecorated, and odd it was. And missed it already.

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Wanted to go to sleep early last night.. was getting ready to do just that when Jongkuin showed up. I thought about ignoring his knock on the door and his call on the cell, but couldn't do it. He's the classic Korean who will do better when he leaves Korea. Expatriation (if there is such a word) is in the heart, and he has it. So I stayed out til midnite drinking beer... thank God he isn't a soju fan, since I am already rocky enough from lack of sleep and over-abundance of booze. It was a good farewell though. If I do come back to Korea to work, I will certainly spend some time teaching him to speak English. He needs to pass the TOEFL to go to the Academy of Arts school in SF and I can just see him blowing up if he gets there.

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Alley life. What can you say? It is completely key to Korean urban existence. So here are some quick snaps.

"mmmm" some "sick on a stick!"

"Sick on a stick" before preparation.

A door off the alley reveals a toilet bowl holding flowers. That must be some kind of metaphor for something.

End of the Alley transpo.

Eating on the avenue.

Heating coals for on-table barbeque.