It's nearly midnight on Monday, my last night in Korea. Oh, how I shall miss her! I plan to blog more after my return, but for now I'd like to do a short summary of my stay in Seoul. Well, as short as I normally am.
I'm going to miss the good friends I have here, including 2 new friends that I hope to stay in touch with. It's been such a joy to get to know Esther better, and to spend time with both her and Eun Hee away from the office, just to talk and laugh, and discover many things we have in common. Sul Hee, who has a last name that I can't pronounce correctly so I won't even try, I met through work. She's such a sweet, fun, amazing young lady, and I feel so blessed to have gotten to know her. My other new friend is Kim Tae Sook, the volunteer who spent the day with me in Daegu. She's an English teacher and such a nice person, also a lot of fun. I hope we'll also be able to stay in touch.
As I'm sure you already know, I'm going to miss the food. I already have a shopping list for my local Asian store, and for my trip to Portland's bigger store in June. I had mandoo with Esther this evening, tried a little street food, then finished with 2 kinds of patbingsu, the dessert I mentioned. As much as we wandered around she didn't find the fried silk worms she was looking for - thank goodness. LOL
I will not miss the bathrooms! Even the restroom at the mall today attacked me as I was going out the door. The door closed very fast, catching my leg and twisting my knee a little. I'm telling you, I don't know what I did to piss them off, but all of the bathrooms in Korea hate me!
The other thing I won't miss is the water shortage. No, there isn't a drought or anything like that. Every restaurant, cafe, and tea house in Korea serves water in 5 ounce Dixie cups! Sometimes the cups are metal, sometimes plastic or glass, but ALWAYS tiny. Microscopic. Seriously small. While I believe that the U.S.'s trend to "super size" everything is totally out of control, I'd have killed - figuratively - for a Big Gulp! Come on, people, your beautiful country is surrounded by water, would it kill you to serve it in bigger glasses?
What I liked most about work related activities was to spend an afternoon with Dr. Cho, visit sites from Holt's history of work in Korea, and to learn more about the changes in Korean law and how it's being applied. I have so many things to discuss with my team when I return, so many things that I want to implement and/or improve upon. I've spent most evenings making notes of our discussions, and will continue to as I remember them in the coming weeks.
I've seen so many things this trip, things that I want to show my son and my sister, if I can talk them into coming back with me one day. I can't wait to return to see the other 4 great palaces, to travel to Jeju Island, to see Seoul from the top of Namsan Tower, and to find awesome new things to eat. If I start saving now, maybe I can return in 2 years? I'm certainly going to try. If work wants to send me to one of our other countries, I know I'll get just as much out of meeting with our partners there as I have on my visits to Korea. But I plan to come back just for fun, and to see my friends.
Well, it's late here, and I have to check out tomorrow and make my way to the airport on my own. And I might have one last pastry for the road...for the plane. Whatever. Talk to you all soon!
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