Wednesday, June 6, 2007





June 6th...


Hour train ride to go to the famous indoor Lotte Amusement Park...that was closed: 3 hours.


Buying stuff at the nasty tourist shopping district, the Iteawon: $50.


Eating at a Friday's with food that is made to look like American burgers, but smells like chlorine: $40.


Finding the little metal rices bowls you were looking for on the walk home....at the Korean Dollar Store: priceless!


Yes, 1,000 Won is about a buck. Every street has thousands of tiny little shops with odd assortments of stuff. Hard to figure out how anyone makes a living.


One thing we knew going into a trip around the globe was that you had be be flexible. Things would not work out as planned, and the best moments would always come when least expected.


And don't try to bring home with you. What's the point of that. After a disappointing day of tourist hell, we decided some "home cooking" at a TGI Friday's would do it. What a nightmare. Kinda like that comedy movie "Galaxy Quest," where the aliens watched old Star Trek movies and created a world based on what it looked like. The folks did their best and were truly upset that our food really sucked. Truth is, the place was packed with Koreans who were there on dates and such, and really seemed to be enjoying it.


But as Klay put it, we should let the Koreans play to their strength. Go to the great bulgogi restaurants, screw up and end up eating a raw flounder. Bad Korean food in Korea is a lot better than really bad American food in Korea. At least it's authentic.


Now we know what a Mexican must feel like at a Taco Bell.


Tomorrow, we have lunch with Doctor Kim and a group of adoptee families from Oklahoma. We are going to try to tag along with them to Pyongtek, about an hour south by bus, where Eastern has a campus for older orphans and orphans with special needs.

Finally, these stone toads are everywhere. Must be lucky. Klay and Max put on their serious Korean faces for the picture.







4 comments:

Marc Erck said...

Brilliant Blog Today!!! Thanks!! Keep the entries coming!!!

Mrs. Anderson's 4th Grade Class said...

Kepples, thanks for stopping by my school! It was great to see Max in my classroom...especially all the way across the world. :) Enjoy the rest of your trip and can't wait to see you back in Austin this summer!
Love, Sophia

Mrs. Anderson's 4th Grade Class said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

You guys look like you are having a blast! Repeat after me... no more burgers! Stick with the beer. Thanks for keeping us all posted on your adventures!
Stacey