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July 2010
Actual conversation with a middle-school student as I was reviewing the use of "constantly" during a vocabulary lesson: Me: "What are your parents constantly telling you to do?" Student: "Go to bed early." Me: "What time do they want you to go to bed?" Student: "12 o'clock." Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 22: MY TRIP TO THE PEDIATRIC CLINIC The booster shot for my Hepatitis A immunization came two days later than scheduled, but I have a good excuse. South Korea is, apparently, out of the immunization, potentially for two months. Quick background: I received the first of two scheduled Hepatitis A shots on Jan. 18, ahead of my trip to China. My second shot was due six months later. But when I arrived at the clinic Monday, the doctor broke the news that there was no Hepatitis A shots available -- not in that clinic, not in any other clinic in Daegu, or in South Korea. There is an exception. The Hepatitis A shots are available for children. So, after my unsuccessful trip to the health clinic on Monday, the doctor there informed Ju Young (the Yale assistant in charge of making life easy for foreign teachers) that children's hospitals have the shot available. Also, the dosage given to children would be the same as the adult booster. To get the shot, I just had to go to a pediatric clinic in the neighborhood and have my assistant explain that the 39-year-old non-toddler with her was awaiting a booster shot that may not be available for two months. So there I was Wednesday morning, on the fourth floor of a building, in a hot room surrounded by mothers holding their children and toddlers playing with toys. En route to the room where I had my shot, I passed two nurses who were doing their best to measure the circumference of a crying baby's head. But all went well without a fuss, and I can guarantee you that my regular clinic does not offer bandages like this one:
Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. My stay in South Korea continues to produce unforgettable random moments. This one happened in my favorite makchang restaurant Tuesday night. My friend Andrew and I had just paid when a drunken man offered me (but not Andrew, unfortunately) a shot of soju. Normally, I stay away from the stuff, considering it (a) tastes worse than vodka and only slightly better than Robitussin, and (b) too many shots can produce a crippling hangover, which I have successfully avoided so far. However, it is impolite to refuse an offer, especially from an elder, so I accepted the shot, and then used both hands to pour him a shot. Next, he walked to his table, used his chopsticks and picked up a piece of his barbecued chicken's foot. I considered leaving but remembered said etiquette about my elders, so I figured, yeah, I'll eat it. The foot was hot, however, so I blew on it. The man, to his credit, recognized that the chicken foot was hot. So he, too, blew on it. At this point, not eating the foot would not only decline an offer but insult the health of the man who covered the chicken foot with his soju breath. So, yeah, I ate it. As a bonus, I downed another shot of soju, this time from a different glass that had the woman's lipstick stains on it. I woke up Wednesday with neither a hangover nor a disease, which made it a ...
Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 20: A BIG GUT, FIREWORKS AND A POP STAR I know that if I were running an oil company, the TV ad that would draw the most viewers is a portly Korean -- yeah, I didn't know they existed either -- taking the path least traveled in a parking lot. I'd tell you more but you can just watch, at least until the copyright police take this down: The singer who makes the cameo at the end is from the pop group Girls Generation. Her name is Yoona, and I would classify her as the "cute, talentless one who could benefit from a three-course meal" if that would in any way narrow it down. Here's the ad that ran during the World Cup: Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 16: OSAKA DAY ONE: TEMPLES, LIGHTS, YAKITORI My story about Osaka begins on the outskirts. That's where I was, sitting on the obscenely smooth and reliable Shinkansen, when the middle-aged Japanese man woke up. Or maybe I woke up. Regardless, one of us did, and he asked me for my thoughts on Japan. On a scale of 1 to 50, how would I rank Tokyo? (I said 46, with points docked for being so expensive.) What do I like better, New York or Tokyo? (Tokyo, because there aren't as many Yankees fans. I'm not sure he got the joke.) And then I asked him for his thoughts on Osaka. He warm smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. "I don't like Osaka." He informed me that the Japanese mafia was too prevalent there. "South of Osaka, no culture. No education," he told me. "North of Osaka, more culture. More education." And with that, the train arrived in Osaka ... and he got off.
I received mixed reviews from others when I told them of my plans to visit Osaka (subtitle: Why Aren't You Going To Kyoto?), but I think Japan's second-biggest city gets a bit of a bad rap. Tucked among the rows of skyscrapers and shops and restaurant are gardens, temples and ... OK, many more skyscrapers and shops and restaurants. I dined on sushi. A woman who sold me soft-serve ice cream added a banana and cream crepe for free. I saw a roller coaster wrapped around a building. I visited Japan's oldest organized temple. And I rode an escalator between building with more than 30 stories' worth of air below me.
I have posted a photo album from my first day here. I will post the album from my second day, which was highlighted by my trip to the Umeda Sky Building, in a day or so. Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 15: HIROSHIMA DAY TWO (PART 2): MIYAJIMA The tranquil island of Miyajima, which is just a 10-minute ferry ride from the Hiroshima terminal, has long received the standing of a god. So, less than two weeks ago, I spent about 90 minutes stepping on a god. Sorry. But other people did too. The island has two main draws: the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the torii that, during high tide, appears to be floating on water. But there are also trees, streams, pagodas, temples, shops and trails. The ideal time to visit the island is April (for the cherry blossoms) or the fall (when the maples show off their red splendor). Oh, and it would also have been nice to visit a shrine and gate that was meant to appear to float on water during high tide. Instead, I visited on a gray summer day during low tide, with not enough time to hike all around the island. When I win millions in the lottery, this island during the fall will make the list of places to visit. Nonetheless, it was still lovely and I have a photo album with notes here.
Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 13: FINAL WORLD CUP THOUGHTS First of all, thank goodness Spain won. The last thing we needed was to see the Netherlands come out on top, prompting impressionable children everyone to tell their parents, "I want to be a holding midfielder and hack the holy hell out of better players' shins and ankles so I can win a World Cup." Shame on the Netherlands, congratulations to a deserving Spain, and my condolences to one Howard Webb, who was placed in the no-win situation of either handing out two red cards to Dutch players in the first half and being accused of showing up the players in a World Cup final, or his chosen course of handing out 14 yellow cards, which astoundingly is about 14 fewer than he could have shown, and being accused of showing up the players in a World Cup final. But enough negativity. Although the football was not as free-flowing or dynamic as it could have been, the storylines made for a fascinating and compelling World Cup. New Zealand finishes ahead of Italy. France implodes. Uruguay make their international comeback and Forlan introduces himself to everyone who lost track of him since Sir Alex sold him. South American rules! What's wrong with Europe? Maradona. Donovan. Suarez. Paul the Octopus. Lampard scores -- doesn't he? Germany reinvents itself. FIFA doesn't. Brazil wins ugly. Brazil loses uglier. What's wrong with South America? Europe rules! We fall in love with Chile and out of love with the Dutch. And after all of that, the tournament favorite wins. Even that wasn't as simple as it sounds. Spain, your torchbearer of The Game As It Should Be Played, became the first European team to win in the southern Hemisphere and the first team from any continent in the competition's 19 editions to win the title after losing its opener. They won each of their four knockout round games 1-0, though the path was far from pedestrian -- unless, of course, you've seen a second half where the winning team saved a penalty, converted a penalty only to have it waived off, miss the ensuing re-take, then scored the winning goal with eight minutes left on a shot that hit both posts. Opponents sat back and waited for Spain to self-destruct. The Spaniards never lost faith, scoring their game-winners in the 63rd, 82nd, 73rd and 116th minutes en route to lifting the And so the team previously synonymous with choking on the grand stage is your defending European and World Cup champion. Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 8: HIROSHIMA DAY TWO: MEMORIAL PEACE PARK AND MUSEUM
The Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park and museum were as powerful as I imagined they would be. I have posted a 116-photo set that is filled with anecdotes, including: -- The story of the 12-year-old who died of radiation-induced leukemia 10 years after she survived the attack and became the symbol of the children's peace movement; -- The memorial that houses the ashes of hundreds of unknown victims; -- The rather inconspicuous location of the hypocenter; -- The tale of the father who buried his nearly 4-year-old son in his backyard along with the tricycle the boy was riding at the time of the explosion;
-- A display of every letter written by the mayor of Hiroshima after a country has conducted a nuclear test; -- Photos of the T-shaped bridge that was the intended target, and the recognizable yet destroyed remains of the nearby building now called the A-Bomb Dome that has been a constant reminder of Aug. 6, 1945. The photo set took three hours to compile, create and edit. It won't take nearly that long to read. Still, it's not exactly a quick perusal between phone calls at work, so I hope you can read it when you have time. The link is here. If you want even more information, the city has an incredibly comprehensive guide online. Click these links for the interactive guide to the Peace Park and its 56 official monuments, and for the virtual tour of the museum.
Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 7: HIROSHIMA DAY ONE: CARP BASEBALL I had a pretty good idea that the Hiroshima Carp baseball team was a big deal by the time I left Hiroshima Station and made my way to the hostel. The station had two stands devoted to selling Carp hats, towels, miniature bats and food. Carp doormats adored storefronts. People stood in front of local shops wearing Carp jerseys. Sewer covers were decorated with the Carp logo. And stores played the team's fight song.
The affection for this team is impressive considering its recent track record. The Carp's most recent Japan Series title was in 1981 -- the longest drought for a non-expansion team among the league's 12 teams. And consider this parity: The past seven Japan Series have been won by seven different franchises. The Carp has not finished among the top two in the six-team Central League since the start of the 21st century. But still, Hiroshima loves its Carp, as evidenced by the people who proudly wear their Kenta Maeda jerseys and buy their toilet paper. If you think I'm kidding about the toilet paper, it's time for you to check out my Flickr album, the first of a handful that will be dedicated to my recent four-day swing in Hiroshima and Osaka. I watched the Carp game my first night there (Thursday) with a pair of Aussies who were hitchhiking through Japan. One of them was down to his last 100 yen, but they each spent 1,600 to watch a baseball game. I helped with the rules, and they led an "Aussie Aussie Aussie" cheer every time the Carp's Australia-born first baseman batted. The other fans listened and cheered after we finished each time, although the jury remains out on whether they were laughing with or at us. Bah, who cares. Here's their run-scoring celebration song. Listen, then head on over to the photo album for much more information. Again, the photo album is here. Next post: the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park and museum. Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. JULY 5: HOW NOT TO TRAVEL TO THE AIRPORT IN A FOREIGN LAND I made it back to Daegu today safe and nearly without incident. Things could have been much worse if not for some Japanese hospitality and the many transportation options there. I spent Sunday morning at the Umeda Sky Building, home of an escalator travels between two skyscrapers nearly 40 stories above the ground. Because I was running low on cash, I chose to walk to the nearest train/subway station, which took about 30 minutes in the searing heat and humidity. That was a longer trip than I wanted, but based on my calculations, I would still get to Osaka Kansai Airport shortly after 2 p.m., a little less than two hours before my flight. I reached Umeda station, paid 200 yen ($2.00 give or take) for a two-stop subway trip and approached the Japan Railways counter at Shin-Osaka Station. The woman informed me that because of an earlier accident on the tracks, the train would not leave until 2:15 and would reach the airport about 15 minutes before my flight would begin boarding. When I informed her that train would be too late, she offered a Plan B. So I paid 270 yen for a 15-minute subway ride back through Umeda and on to Namba station. There, I would take a "Rapit" train scheduled to leave at 2 p.m. and arrive at the airport at 2:35. Still not ideal, but given that I had no luggage to check in, that would work for me. I exited the subway at Namba with 10 minutes left to buy the ticket and board the train. I slalomed through the other customers, ran up the stairs and jogged to the JR ticket counter. After waiting for two other customers I ordered the ticket and pulled out my credit card. "Cash," the man told me. The good news is, I had cash. The bad news is, I was between 200 and 300 yen short of the 1,395 necessary for the ticket (I would have had enough if I didn't take the extra subway ride). Having told the clerk in the most panicky voice I had that I was a little short, he spoke with his supervisor. I watched and waited for the moment when the clerk would smile and tell me, aw shcuks, what's 300 yen? "ATM," he told me as he pointed toward the stairs. The rest is a blur: My card wouldn't fit, I punched the top of the machine, a very kind lady asked what was wrong, she led me downstairs to a JR counter, she told a woman behind the desk about me, the woman behind the desk worked the computer and opened a bunch of screens and did a bunch of things beyond my comprehension, and the clock struck 2. The woman who met me at the counter told me a local train would leave at 2:15 and arrive at Kansai at 2:57 p.m. -- 58 minutes before takeoff. I thanked the woman profusely -- her willingness to help was very impressive and explains why Japan does so many things well. Once I arrived at Kansai, the process of finding the check-in counter, checking in, going through security and taking care of my customs duties took 15 minutes -- close to one-third of the time it took to buy a suitable train ticket to the airport. I spent four days in Japan. In Hiroshima, I visited Hiroshima Peace Site, stopped by Miyajima and its UNESCO World Heritage-designated shrine, and took in a Hiroshima Toyo Carp game with a couple of Aussies I met at the hostel. In Osaka, I visited the oldest officially administered temple in Japan, perused the hopping Dotonbori area, watched the Argentina-Germany World Cup match with a German at a roadside yakitori stand, and mustered the courage to view Osaka's skyline from the Floating Garden at the aforementioned Umeda Sky Building. More blog entries and plenty of photos to come. Questions, comments, demands or suggestions can be sent here, or leave a comment on the Mark Fitzhenry's "Korea Blogging!" page here. |
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