After my last blog, I
thought that I might take a moment to reassure everyone that while there may be
the occasional weirdo that makes for a great anecdote, my day to day life is
far from that weird. We have been living
here in the Bundang area for about 2 months now, and it is such a departure
from downtown Seoul that it is worthy of some commentary. I will, however, be interrupting the sections
with occasional bizarre observations that I have made. There will be no rhyme or reason to why they
are where they are. Just so nobody
complains about the randomly placed battery man…you’ll see.
Spring is in full bloom
here. The weather has warmed up and the
flowers added a much needed amount of color.
Life has been good. Bundang is
significantly cleaner than downtown. Now
I am a fan of urban decay, but there is something very soothing about wonderfully
designed buildings that have employed armies of groundskeepers, complete with
posh cafes, bars, and restaurants.
Seriously, some parts of this town feel more like Tampa than anything
that I would have thought to find in South Korea. Just this afternoon Rachel and I were out
enjoying the spring sunshine. We walked
along the river (it even has real fish in it), taking in the sweet smells of
blooming trees, before enjoying a lovely lunch at a deli. Let me pause for a moment as to underscore
the importance of that last sentence. A
deli is a very rare thing here, and finding one that understands what
prosciutto is, is even rarer. The
occasional Subway is not unusual, but I found one that was a treat indeed.
Rachel and I were
looking around the local E-Mart for some cheese and wine for our new Monday
ritual of TV shows, when suddenly a man in an Energizer Battery suit
appeared. Like any walking mascot that has
escaped the department of wacky ideas (located in the basement of Disney), he
began entertaining children and trying to appear fun and appealing to
kids. Now I am sure that someone
somewhere thought it a good idea, but I am not sure who would have approved
this. I mean, who in their right mind
would have thought that a walking battery with a “hey little children, do you want some candy?” smile, was a good
idea…other than Not Dr. House…
Where was I? Rachel and I have been living the good life,
a steady supply of good food, peaceful soundings, a leather couch, and even a
gym membership. Did I forget to mention
that part? Yes, Rachel and I have
entered yuppy status with our fancy gym memberships, complete with provided
workout clothes and spinning classes.
Well, we’re not taking the spinning class, but it was offered. For about a month now we have been dedicating
time every other day to getting healthy.
There are times though, where it almost feels like cheating when I get
on the treadmill with the attached TV. I
have been in luck the last few times I have used it, too. I was able to catch The Shawshank Redemption, X-Men: First Class, and Robin Hood (2010) the last few days that
I have gone. 40 minutes on a treadmill seems
to go by a lot faster somehow. It hasn’t
been long enough for serious results, but I have noticed minor
improvements.
Have you found Jesus? That is a question that I did not think I
would hear in person since coming here, however since moving down to Bundang,
we have been asked it (in one form or another) not once, but twice. The first time was when I was mailing
something at the post office. A woman
approached me while I was standing in line, and began speaking to me in the
most broken English that I have yet to hear.
Through the dribble of words I did hear the words “know”, “you”, “Zezus”, and “Christian”. Now, many of you who know me may be cringing
at theoretical responses that I may or may not employ. The truth is I didn’t have the time or focus
for a creative response that would strike fear in her to the 6th
generation, so instead I said I was Jewish and she left me alone. It’s amazing to me how often that works…The
second time, Rachel and I were at home and we had a door to door
missionary. Again, I was denied a snappy
comeback because I getting dressed and Rachel had answered the door. So, she said she was Jewish and he left. Like I said.
Going back to gyms and
daily living, along with a topic from an earlier blog. I have been continually
vexed by clothes shopping. There have
been several moments since we have moved down to Bundang where I thought to
myself, “Now...this time will be different”.
It wasn’t. Our new Mega E-Mart
came complete with a Payless Shoes, promising “BIG SIZES”. It is one thing to not find anything that is
even close to your size, and another thing entirely to find things that are
just O so too small. Found shoes around
the right size, too narrow. Found a
summer sports jacket, too tight in the sleeves (a down side of going to the gym
I guess). Found new shirts, one size too
small…ONE! The editor would like to add
that the same problem has occurred with “women’s shoes”. Some of the men’s shoes fit, but it makes the
editor sad that she cannot find pretty shoes in her size. It is increasingly vexing that I now have the
money and desire to expand and change my wardrobe, but am unable to do so. Sigh…
I have said to several people
that I am not living in North Korea. For
about 30 seconds that came into doubt.
As it turns out, our new apartment has a speaker in it. One day, around 8:30 in the morning, our
speaker came to life and spoke loudly for about 2 minutes. Now, many of you employing your logic will just say that it was an
announcement saying that the water, or elevators, were going to be turned off
for a few hours. However, for the sake
of humor, I choose to think that it was state run propaganda, piped directly
into our kitchen.
All in all things have
been going so much better than where we were a year ago. We have a community, comfort, and a colorful,
clean area. I mean, I’m writing this on
a leather couch. A leather couch. Some things to look forward to in the future
include a trip to one of the larger old castles in the country, and a possible
trip to Everland (the Korean version of Disneyland).
Till then dear reader,
take care.
