Well, I've had a few requests to post some new thoughts, mainly from people who I assume are bored at work (or the dentist's office waiting room, as the case may be). I haven't done much international travel lately, so the focus of the blog will necessarily shift to more domestic issues. Let's see, I was back in Korea three times since my last post, twice in 2008, but none of the visits yielded stories of the caliber of the first three visits.
The last trip in 2007 ended right before Christmas and as such we had a nice going-away party to celebrate. The language barrier struck again, as I unintentionally kept us from enjoying a nice meal at a restaurant that Mr. Hurr was noticeably excited about. He asked, "Do you like dog? Will you eat dog?" Recall that Mr. Hurr had been pushing to get the Americans to eat dog for the previous 4 months, and I was somewhat confused as to why he asked yet again if I would try it, when I had been very firm in my response (NO!!!) He was disappointed, everyone was confused, and we went to a different restaurant. During the meal I discovered he had actually asked whether I would eat DUCK, not DOG, and we spent the rest of the night laughing about this and mimicking the sounds of dogs and ducks at the dinner table. In Korea dogs don't say "woof!" or "bark!", they say "kang!" Our Korean hosts were in stitches when the Americans began barking and quacking, to explain what dogs and ducks respectively sound like in the West. The rest of the diners must have thought we were all insane.
I received a gift, a talisman if you will, that is supposed to bring me good fortune - a 100 won coin wrapped in a 1000 won note, similar to Japanese origame. The shape is intended to represent a diamond, and hence bring luck in business. However, I think it looks more like a heart, and was visibly distressed when Mr. Hurr gave me what I thought was some sort of valentine. As luck would have it, my personal finances do seem to have improved in 2008, and I carry my heart/diamond in my wallet at all times.
The last trip in 2007 ended right before Christmas and as such we had a nice going-away party to celebrate. The language barrier struck again, as I unintentionally kept us from enjoying a nice meal at a restaurant that Mr. Hurr was noticeably excited about. He asked, "Do you like dog? Will you eat dog?" Recall that Mr. Hurr had been pushing to get the Americans to eat dog for the previous 4 months, and I was somewhat confused as to why he asked yet again if I would try it, when I had been very firm in my response (NO!!!) He was disappointed, everyone was confused, and we went to a different restaurant. During the meal I discovered he had actually asked whether I would eat DUCK, not DOG, and we spent the rest of the night laughing about this and mimicking the sounds of dogs and ducks at the dinner table. In Korea dogs don't say "woof!" or "bark!", they say "kang!" Our Korean hosts were in stitches when the Americans began barking and quacking, to explain what dogs and ducks respectively sound like in the West. The rest of the diners must have thought we were all insane.
I received a gift, a talisman if you will, that is supposed to bring me good fortune - a 100 won coin wrapped in a 1000 won note, similar to Japanese origame. The shape is intended to represent a diamond, and hence bring luck in business. However, I think it looks more like a heart, and was visibly distressed when Mr. Hurr gave me what I thought was some sort of valentine. As luck would have it, my personal finances do seem to have improved in 2008, and I carry my heart/diamond in my wallet at all times.
That's about all I've got for Korea right now. Next time: Zoo-De-Mack, Dances with Dirt 2008, and the Summer of Mac.
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