Day 26 (30 Jul) - The Other White Meat

Ok, I've been bad about posting lately, but I was really busy when the girls were here and it's been a lot like groundhog day after they left, with two exceptions.

First, the boss bloodied my nose during a 3v3 basketball game, no more than an hour after the girls left base.  I can't confirm it's broken, but there was a lot of blood and it hurts.  Here's a picture from the day after.  The girls say it's crooked, but I think they're exaggerating.  After all, I've always been this ugly.

Well, Saturday night was interesting to say the least.  I went to a party supposedly thrown by the deputy in our shop.  In reality, it was a Filipino birthday party for two of the ladies there.  There were three circles of people present.  First, work people from the shop (my circle).  Second, motorcycle riders from the local Harley gang.  Third, Filipino friends of his wife and their families; there were at least six Filipino ladies married to Americans.  The great thing is that we all got along extremely well.  The main course...roasted pig.  Let's just say it was an interesting evening.  Lots of great food, lots of great people, and lots of kids running around.  I didn't take any pictures other than the pig.  I didn't really know anybody yet and I didn't want to look like a tourist.  Here's the pig...

Cheers,

Richard

Day #24 (28 July)

Hello All,
This post is not actually from Richard...It is Chrysta today.  There will be no pictures because I have no idea how to add a picture, but we have done so many fabulous things while we have been visiting.  The DMZ tour was amazing.  Shopping has been a blast.  We have been yelled at by women on the street because we didn't stop to look at their scarves, walked through kitchens, up stairs, around corners, and crawled through holes in the wall to look at purses, tried Kimchi (ick), and been told about 2 dozen times that we are the "first customer today."  Apparently we were supposed to believe that we were getting a huge discount when they told us that.  Bulgogi is pretty good, toilet paper is at a premium, and they serve steak in a sweet gobi sauce at Outback Steakhouse.

But most of all we have had a wonderful visit with Richard.   We hate to leave him, but it is time to go home and back to reality.  Love you Honey!

Day 19 (23 Jul) - DMZ Tour

Today was a long day, but well worth it.  We went on an ITT tour of the DMZ.  

This was our tour guide, Sung Ko.

The first stop: Imjingak Resort Park.  There was an amusement park that wasn't open, and some DMZ monuments.  Not sure what the thing is behind us but it looked pretty neat.

Here was a train from the Korean War.  Note all the bullet holes.

Just thought this would make a good picture.

Here's a fence along the DMZ border with notes, flags, letters, streamers, etc.

Bailey looking beautiful as ever.

Next stop: DMZ tunnel #3.  260-ish meters long and 70 meters underground.  Unfortunately, no pictures of the tunnel itself were allowed.

Next stop: Mt. Dora Train Station.  The intent of these tracks is to connect Pyongyang and Seoul.  Obviously, that has yet to happen.

Lunch, Korean style.  Bailey is pretty decent with chopsticks.

Next stop: Joint Security Area.  The blue building on the left is where north Korean and South Korean officials meet.  The cement marker halfway down the buildings marks the line of the DMZ.  Everything beyond that marker is north Korea.  If you look closely, you'll see the north Korean soldier just in front of the building in the distance.

The girls looking their best.

A Republic of Korea guard protecting the tour from any crazy north Koreans that try and grab us.  We are technically on north Korean soil at this point since this half of the room is on the north Korean side.

Gracen doing what teenage girls do best...getting pictures taken with young, single guys.

The bridge of no return.  When the armistice was signed in 1953, they lined up the POWs on each side of the bridge.  They could choose which side to stay on, but once they crossed the bridge, they could never return.

Details in case you're interested in going yourself.  We left at 0700.  We got back at 1715.  Lunch was 10,000 won each and we spent another 10,000 won on souvenirs.

Richard

Day 15 (19 Jul) - Nothing to Report

Nothing new to report other than 2 more buckets (running total: 13).  This will be too hard for me to remember, so I just have to remember that there were 6 buckets before the first key.  Each key has 50 buckets on it, so the end of the first key is 56 buckets.

I told you there was nothing to report!  It's your fault if you're bored reading this.

Richard

Day 14 - Back to the Salt Mines

Back to work today.  Staff job is a staff job.  I wondered how I would fill the day.  I figured out how after about a dozen people swung by and each of them stopped and talked for 15-30 minutes.

We had duck and pumpkin for dinner, but you've seen pictures of that place before.

Here's the biggest lesson of the day.  Three orders placed from Amazon.  One ordered on the 9th and one ordered on the 10th got here on the 17th.  The third order was also on the 9th but it's not here yet (18th) and ironically it's the smallest of the three items ordered.  So...most orders take a little over a week.  Some take a little longer.  Plus, there is no choice of shipping options.  Standard shipping is your only choice.

Good news is that the two packages that arrived are the ones I really wanted.  I also learned that the driving range has lights that you can turn on and off.  For those playing along at home...bucket total: 2 (running total: 11).

Cheers,

Richard

Day 13 - Movie Night

Today was pretty low key.  I cleaned my room...vacuumed, mopped, scrubbed the shower, wiped the counters, etc.

The highlight of the day was going to see Horrible Bosses.  Hilarious movie!  Be fore-warned: it definitely earns its R rating, but mostly for adult language.  I must agree with someone on Facebook who said it was perhaps Jennifer Aniston's best performance yet.

Oh, and three more buckets of balls at the range (running total: 9).

Best of all, the streak is over...no rain today!

Richard

Day 12 - Fore!

What to say about today?

Did it rain all day?  No.

Did it rain today?  Yes.  10 days and counting.

You know how sometimes things happen and you get frustrated and then later you realize that it was probably good that it happened?  I realized today why it was good that it has rained so much lately -- I would be bankrupt by now.  Why?  Because it was good enough today to hit the driving range.  But first, some errands.

Haircut, Bx, ITT, Dorm Manager's Office, Post Office, Embroidery store, Commissary -- all done.  Laundry -- done.  Jog -- done.  Talk to Chrysta for an hour -- done.  And most of that was before noon.  Of course, this means that I had plenty of time for the driving range, so I went...twice.  Total -- 5 buckets (running total: 6).  Stop judging me; they're small buckets.  Finished just in time to watch the British Open!

Lunch -- I finally found a good use for the cutting board!

Here's the driving range.  Looks wet, doesn't it?

The fence is at about 225 yds.  I can't wait to get my clubs and give it a go.

Day 11 - The Seoul Train: Ho Lee Chow!!!

It's Friday and the exercise is over.  Three tasks for today.  1. Turn in travel voucher, 2. Get USFK driver's license, 3. Make it to Yongsan AG (Army garrison in Seoul) and back.

Steps one and two were easy enough.  Somehow I forgot to print out a copy of the commercial airline ticket receipt but a "lost receipt" form takes care of that.  As for Seoul,  since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll shut up and let the pics do the talking.

I'm sure all these signs make sense if you read Hongul.

Just a sampling of the countless apartment towers in Seoul.

Looking at Seoul from across the Han River.

Crossing the bridge from South to North.

Korean lunch on Yongsan with "Moon" Walker, the new TET Chief.

Did I mention that it rained again...pretty much all day.  That's 9 in a row I believe.

The Seoul VPC on Camp Kim.

Just thought this made a good picture.

The alley where I figured my two friends would be found dead.  Moon almost bought a suit from the guy is the basement shop by the red sign on the left.

Ho Lee Chow!!!  I don't care who you are--this is funny.

Restaurant alley near Yongson.

Two American guys walking together under a clear umbrella.  Seriously?  They just need pink shorts.  Oy!

What do you get when you put 25 million people in one city--traffic!

Thankfully, I made it back to my room safe and sound.  Getting to Seoul is far less daunting now that I seemed this morning.  After my trip, I figured I'd make a quick dinner.  Let's just say that my new stove cooks faster than the one I'm used to.

Cheers,

Richard

Day 10 - I Know, I Know, You Want Pictures!

The last day of the exercise.  Glad that's over!  Perhaps I'll write about it later, but I've thought about it enough for now.

Tonight we went out to dinner to say farewell to Yogi Maher, the guy I'm replacing.  You know what that means--pictures of a Korean meal!

The van that picked us up and took us to the restaurant.

We had the private room in the back.

Typical grill restaurant.  The brass thing at the top is an exhaust.  It extends down to right above the grill to pull away smoke.

Grilled pork belly!  Clearly, bacon is way too thin.

Cutting the pork into strips.

Me and one of my counterparts--there are two Koreans that do my job for the ROK.

This is pork rib meat and the traditional Korean meal side dishes.

The guy on the left is my new boss, Col Pete Dahlin.  Yogi, the guy I'm replacing, is in the middle.  Bollocks, on the right, is the Korean translator.

The final results...I wasn't prepared for the third dish.

Night lights in Songtan.

Cheers,

Richard

Day 9 - What the good Lord giveth, he taketh away

Well, where to start...

Work?  Yep, 12 hrs.
AOC Exercise?  Yep, still fighting the good fight.
Rain?  Yep, 7 days and counting.
Fact of the day?  There are 103 steps between my room and the AOC.

One of the good things about this exercise is that the Koreans take up money for breakfast and lunch for the week and then bring it to you at work.  Breakfast is a sushi roll which we eat on our own, and it is really good.  At lunch, we all sit together at the table and struggle over some conversation.  It turns out that the Chief of the Strategy Division for the Koreans was also married in 1993, but he was 7 years older than me at the time.

Lunch is from the menu...pork, or chicken, or shrimp, or meat patties, etc. with a big serving of steamed rice, kimchi, cashew peanuts, and pickled cucumber.  Yesterday I had the pork and noodles.  Today I had the chicken.  Honestly, the pork was a little better than the chicken.  After the first day, I thought that 20000 won (about $20) was ridiculous for one day of food.  After the second day, I realized that the $20 was for breakfast and lunch for three days.  I'd say that's a great deal, especially considering how it's so filling and healthy.  It's amazing what different countries consider "fast food."

Anyways, if you read yesterday's post, then you're probably me.  Well, assuming you're not me, you can probably guess how much I was looking forward to the driving range after work today.  So, you can probably guess how disappointing it was to see the little sign "Range Closed" over the ball machine.  Oh well, something to look forward to tomorrow.

And I got my first package...almost.  I know it's there, but I didn't get to the post office until 1800 and it closed at 1730.  Mailed Friday in the States and here on Wednesday in Korea.  I'd say that's not bad.  Now if I can just make it there some day before 1730!

Cheers,

Richard

Day 8 (12 Jul) - Happiness Available For $21.97

Today was actually a decent day.  Of course, it had nothing to do with the 12 hours I was at work.

After work, I drove down to the golf course driving range.  The bad news is that there's no grass you can hit off.  The good news is that the mats are covered, so some rain (7 days and counting) doesn't necessarily close the range.  However, the key issue right now is that my golf clubs are still in transit and aren't guaranteed to get here for another month.

I left the driving range and stopped by the Post Office.  Still no mail yet...care packages can be sent to PSC 3, Box 7286, APO, AP 96266.  After the Post Office, I stepped into the BX for a normal shelf check.  However, I said to myself, "If there's a golf club under $20, I'm going to buy it."  Turns out that there was a cheap sand wedge available for $19.97 and I really hate being a liar.  Yes, I know what you're thinking, but I really do.  I quickly made my purchase and headed back to the range.

$2 worth of golf balls later (hence the $21.97), I finally had a smile on my face.  Ok, well maybe a smirk.  I'll take it.

Day 7 - Back to Work

Back to work today.  Left the room at 0540.  Returned to the room at 1810.  During that time I'd say I got a good 30 minutes of work done.  We simply must build more coalitions with native English speakers!

Had lunch at the Korean Officer's Club.  Apparently you're not supposed to have a drink (a small glass of water) until after the meal.  Oh well, I've insulted other cultures before.  Lunch was sweet and sour fried cuttlefish, curry boiled potatoes, black beans and peanuts, black steamed rice, and soup of some sort.  I've gotten pretty decent with a pair of chopsticks.  Thanks YouTube!  I have a pair of spoons with pointed ends that I flip around and use to practice (yes, I get that bored that I practice using chopsticks).  What's for dinner?  Good 'ole peanut butter sandwich.  No utensils required.

And it rained all day again...not that I got to go outside expect to walk to and from work and lunch.  That's five days of rain and counting.

I'm not sure that anyone is reading this but me.  Oh well...

Richard

Day 6 - Nothing but Rain

What happened today?  It rained.  For the 4th day in a row, and with many more to follow.

Day 5 (Part 2) - Duck, It's What's for Dinner

Dinner was too interesting to not take pictures.  Here are some photos of the duck restaurant we went to tonight.  The main dish--baked pumpkin stuffed with sliced duck.