Tis the Season for Tinsel

Christmas time in Korea is a lot like Christmas time in the United States minus the small sense of sincerity Americans manage to muster. If you are troubled by the idea Americans have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas then you would be even further concerned by Koreans, who by and large never cared to know it in the first place. The Santa Clause we know is jolly and generous and Christmas may conjure visions of family dinners spent by the fireplace and cookies baked with love by mom. But let’s be honest with ourselves Santa Clause and his notions of generocity may as well just take a back seat to Adam Smith and his notions of capitalism and competitive consumer tendencies.  Christmas in Korea is a chance to buy, sell and market to the masses, anything and everything is for sale.

I am really grasping for cultural sensitivity but the tinsel is tacki, the lights are way over the top and the authenticity of Christmas is non existant. I understand there exist cultural and sociological explanation for the buchery of this once beloved family holiday. I don’t doubt the Irish feel the same way about St. Patrick’s day but, I can’t help but be mildly offended by the whole situation. Either way I enjoyed the holiday season, bought in and sold out. Sent all the gifts to friends and family around the world and hoped a plane to Cambodia on Christmas day. So expect some masterfully marketed Korean merchandise to be arriving at your respective homes in the coming weeks. Much love to you all and I wish you a delightful holiday season.

My adventures in Cambodia will be written upon my return.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It's better this way...

There are no street names in South Korea. Which strikes me as problematic but, I figure this many million people can’t be wrong. Instead of meeting someone on the corner of SW 7th and Pine you meet them by the Jeonga metro station, outside the GS2, next to the barbeque restaurant (not the pork one but, the beef one). It works out fine enough in confined neighborhoods but, find yourself in the greater region of Seoul and consider yourself cordially invited to the jungle, the concrete variety. When trying to express to a cab driver you desired destination you have a decidedly more difficult situation. I’ll think I have the pronunciation down. Having practiced with someone at least 3 dozen times over, getting each sound and syllable just right and repeating it inappropriately large number of times. When it finally comes time to perform I choke, I either forget a letter or I think I’ve got it and the cab driver just stares at me. This happens a lot, getting starred at that is so, it never really phases me. I stopped trying to talk to cab drivers about a month ago. Now I just take the subway and buses, it’s better this way.