let lemons be angry

Okay folks, this is me in korea. Do you know what a significant line that is? The land of "Koo-o-re-a" and "the Reds!" and "they are exercising" and "don't eat so much, or your pants will be very tight!" and all those soundbites i've been trying to forget. The man who drove us from the airport said of the fog: "it's like a Chinese movie!" They are entertaining, you have to give them that much.

I saw baskin robbins, the thing that's supposed to be a comfort here, but i don't need it yet. Because Korea is quite a nice place. Seoul is not grey, but is filled with green hills, curves and dips. The office is on a remarkably steep slope, and i'm trying to imagine climbing it in winter.

Yesterday i went to the Santa's Workshop of all accessories. I entered and this thought came: so this is where it all comes from. Four storeys of nothing but earrings and necklaces, more of a warehouse than a mall, the place where stallholders all over the world come to stock up. You know how they'll tell you in shops in far east and such, "these are from korea"? To be more specific, they're all from one building in namdaemun market.

I've eaten a lot, and seen a lot, and now i know what korea is. The way the people behave, the culture, the fashion, everything--it's not americanised the way japan is, or japanised the way taiwan is, or nised as many countries are. It's just very korean. There's no other way to describe it.