Where the Road Ends...

...A new beginning is presented.

This is the last post of this blog. I will no longer write here about climbing, or my political rants, or any basics of life and family.

You can read more about me at here.

May you find your peace and happiness.

Great Improbabilities

Do you ever have those moments in your life where nothing seems good, you feel you are trapped by the bad, and there is no way out? Then all the sudden the world flips on its head and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel? Well, today I think good things will happen. I'm 100% positive. This morning, I arrived at work. I set off the building alarm and had to call the boss at 7:30 AM. More bad things to add to the heap. Apparently, my alarm code was removed for a generic one. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the generic code, and didn't realize that my default code had been removed. I got the code and turned off the alarm, I put my lunch in the fridge, and then I went to my desk. I threw my keys on the desk, unloaded a few things from my pack, and got to work. About an hour an a half later, I notice my keys. Now, the picture isn't great, but you can see that my keys are all balanced on the key tips. There are five keys, and the tags, and remote are all balanced on top of the keys.

I think this is truly one of the most improbable things I have ever seen. It is as exciting when I was dealt a Royal Flush and a Straight Flush, all in the same night of playing poker. I think things maybe looking up for me. I'll still keep my fingers crossed...I need all the luck I can get.

Seoul long

Well, it has been a couple of days since I returned from Seoul, Korea.  It was an amazing adventure, that I am very thankful and glad to have been there to visit.  I decided it was okay to take some pictures.

I actually ended my day with a picture of the Archway of Itaewon.  It is much prettier in the night all lit up.  You have to be careful taking pictures at night in Itaewon.  If you get a picture of a prostitute they will start to yell at you and be very vicious.  

I took several pictures down the streets, and they aren't much to look at but you can see that the place is kind of similar to any city town in the U.S.A.

The Friday nightlife was much more packed with people.  The streets had lots of activity and the bars were worth every moment.  I don't smoke, and I usually don't like bars because of the smoke.  In Korea, you can still smoke in the bars, and it is disgusting, but the activities really are entertainment.

Laura again joined us at the Seoul Pub, and we had fun watching the young guys picking up on the girls in the bar.  Strategizing about their pickup lines and how they were getting all cozy with the babes.

We also stopped at the Hard Rock and saw these amazing girls rocking out with their electric trio of violin, chelo, and viola.  It was loud, and so it made it difficult to have a conversation, but it was fun all the same.  I find it difficult to focus on a conversation, so as 11:30 rolled around, I got myself out of there, and took a few more pictures of the walk home.  It was a nice walk, and not long at all.  Most people grab a cab, but I found that the streets were safe.  I had to dodge a few cars, but that isn't any different than during the day time.

I look forward to my next trip to Seoul, but I think it will be great to visit other area's of the world too.  I mean, I have yet to even be to the east-coast.  I have lots more adventure in me.

Seoul Long!

Seoul Secrets

Ugh.  What is it about alcohol and me?  I had four beers, over four hours and I feel like I've been hit by a truck.  Seriously, I have not had that much to drink in one night in years and the lesson is well learned.

Of course, it simply could be that I haven't had enough sleep.  I have yet to sleep in and get on Korea time.   I usually am asleep by eight or nine, and up by four.   Last night I pushed myself to stay up until after eleven.  I still got up at 5:30 AM.

And then it might be a hangover.  As I said, I don't usually drink much, so four beers in a single night is a lot for me.  I'm chugging water as I hope my eye balls will stop feeling like they want to jump out of my head.  I think this is the real reason I usually only have one drink in any given night.  My poor liver.

So about last night -- One of my co-workers who I have never met but have had a very long phone relationship with asks me to join him and his buddies at the bar.  It is Thursday night and I figure I should see the night life here at least once, and I decide I will have some fun too.  I meet up the group and we are in this little shack of a bar.  The beer is like $2 and crappy, but we sit around chat, get a bit inebriated, shoot darts (or watch in my case), and have a bit of food.  Now, I say something to the affect of "Where is everyone?"  Apparently, people are responsible sometimes, and when they are it seems to happen as a group effort.  So really the streets where not that crowded.  Usually, or so I'm told, on the weekend (Thursday is the start of the weekend -- didn't you know that?) it gets much more crowded.

The group thought it would be "fun" to show the darker side of Seoul.  They wanted me to meet the "Juicy Girls" who come over and "talk" with you if you buy them a 20,000 won drink.  Fortunately, that didn't happen.  If you have a woman in your group they tend to leave you alone.  Thank God for Laura.  I think just walking down the alley of "bars" where these girls hid behind not so tinted glass with a not so hidden agenda was enough of the seedy side.  I felt thankful that one of the guys in the group who had no girlfriend was drawing a line in what bars he was comfortable with, and that made it easier to walk away from the "peer pressure."  must have though my discomfort would be entertaining.  It probably could have been.  They were a nice group of people for sure.

After four hours of drinking and checking out the local night life I was ready to go back to my room and get some sleep.  You already know how that worked out for me.   I think tonight, I will probably put on my camera and go take some pictures, avoid alcohol, and watch the people.  One of the guys in the group had a Nikon D300 which took some pretty nice looking pictures.  I didn't take it last night, and I would have liked to get some additional pictures before heading home.

So maybe there will be one more Seoul Adventure.

Satisfied Seoul

I did it.  I finally tried the local cuisine.  However, I made a mistake.  I was told not to eat the chicken.  So I didn't order chicken, but I did order a dish that had an egg on top.  Cross your fingers I don't get the Avian Flu.  Fortunately, I was in Itaewon which is basically like going to Capital Hill.  It is very hip and trendy.  Many shop owners were very nice to me and wanted me to sell me a nice suit.  I kind of wish I wore fancy clothes.  Apparently, I need to dress a bit nicer though.

So the dinner was "ok."  The food was fine, and the over all experience was pleasant enough.  I think I will forever regret not sitting down in Namdaemun when the lady said to me "American Friend!"  I should have sat down and let her serve me food, and just had a nice local lunch.  Instead, I let my fear of not knowing what I could order stop me.  I did finally do it though.  Tomorrow, I will try to bulgogi.  It is a beef BBQ, and I should have tried it tonight.  I only had a few thousand on me, so I limited my meal to what I had on hand.

I only have a few days left, and I'm looking forward to fitting a couple more adventures into my trip.  Hopefully, there will be more to come. 

Seoul Sacrifice

Today was a work day.  No pictures to share, no grand adventure into the city.  In fact, today was just any other day.  It was coming and I knew it would, but somehow I didn't expect that I would be so disappointed to not have another day around the city.

The good news is that my feet were in great need of some rest.  So tonight it is about a classic Robin Williams movie "Club Paradise" some chocolate and sweets.  Of course, I had a nice dinner with $0.99 beers.   I cannot remember the last time I had a beer for $0.99.  That made the dinner worth it.

So not a lot to say about Korea today, except I wish I had more time here to visit the place.  I look at my pictures and I feel I did pretty good.  I just hope I have more time to take pictures.  This country is really wonderful, and I think there is so much to be learned in places like Korea.  I'm very tempted to stay for a bit longer, but at the same time -- I miss my family.

Seoul Survivor

Day 2

I made my way out to Namdaemun Market today. It was something else. The crowds were pushing and filling every space open. On a few occassions an opening would become available, but it never lasted.
I wandered all around the Market, until my feet became too sore and tired to continue.

The shops are litterally this tiny little stalls. Even in the builds an empty stall is about the size of your average closet without the doors. I actually had to stop taking pictures, because at one point I took a step back and a stick fell and landed on a poor girls head. I felt bad but apparently that isn't all that uncommon as no one seemed to mind.

I found most everything there not worth purchasing. The clothing was so small. A size 15 in women's jeans were like a size zero in the U.S. And the men's suits were fantastic like 40000 won, but again I couldn't fit anything.

I almost tried some of the food.  I didn't do it though.  I couldn't bring myself to eat alone.  I read that Korean's like to eat with family and friends, and seldom eat alone.  Ever since I read that I just have been afraid.  I had an opportunity from a nice woman that invited me into her restaurant and I said no.  I regret that on hind sight, but I I will get other chances to eat the local cuisine.  Honestly, the local food looks better than the pictures that the show the items they serve.  I find the idea of eating live "mini octopi" is very weird.  Apparently, some people actually do eat them alive.  The grilled food smells so wonderful too.  I guess I will just have to be brave and eat alone.  We'll do that tomorrow.  I will let you know how that works out.