July 3, 2002
another hot day in seoul
The weather in Seoul has been getting stickier lately, which is fine with sick ol' me if I didn't have to take a journey to COEX to pick up film every day... dargh.
Anyway, I picked up and examined about 200 slides from Cheju today, taking full advantage of the photo store's lightbox. I dropped off five of them to be developed as 5x7 prints at an exorbitant $2 a print. Argh.
I decided to take the subway on the way back, instead of taking the taxi back. COEX, by taxi, is only 5 minutes away but by subway, it takes 20 minutes. Anyway, at the Samsung subway stop, I'm jiving along with Mariah Carey when a young man (who is older than me) taps me on the shoulder.
"Which direction to Apgujeong?"
Now, out of the billion places he could ask me, he asks me one of the three places I know by heart. Apgujeong. The place where all the Korean hotties walk around. As I gladly point him in the proper direction, a feeling of self-accomplishment washes over me. I helped a Korean get around Seoul!
Anyway, as I got off the subway on this emotional high (so it takes very little to get me emotionally high, shush!), I noticed a street vendor selling duk.
What is duk, you might ask (if you're a non-Korean). Duk is ... (Roy references Google...) spicy buckwheat cake. Wait, no. That doesn't sound very appetizing. Duk is to the Korean culture as shiskabobs are to New Yorkers. They are these delicious spicy treats that are notorious for forcing people to all run to the crappers in five hours, barely holding their ... you get the point.
Anyway, in my sick state, I immediately dismissed the notion. As I walk away, I vaguely remembered one time when Joon told me that eating spicy foods was good for your health. Whether or not this held any scientific truth... the mere fact that he said it made me immediately turn around and head for the street vendor. (I guess with guys, the mere fact that something has been said is enough to make it a truth... kind of like the 5 second rule). With 2000 won, I proudly asked for one helping of duk to go (in Korean!).
Happily I walked back to the apartment, my 200 slides in one hand, and one helping of diarrhea... err duk, in the other. As I devoured the duk, I wondered what I would be doing in five hours. Oh well, better make plans to stay in the apartment.
Although I'm feeling alright now, there will be hell to pay soon.
Anyway, I picked up and examined about 200 slides from Cheju today, taking full advantage of the photo store's lightbox. I dropped off five of them to be developed as 5x7 prints at an exorbitant $2 a print. Argh.
I decided to take the subway on the way back, instead of taking the taxi back. COEX, by taxi, is only 5 minutes away but by subway, it takes 20 minutes. Anyway, at the Samsung subway stop, I'm jiving along with Mariah Carey when a young man (who is older than me) taps me on the shoulder.
"Which direction to Apgujeong?"
Now, out of the billion places he could ask me, he asks me one of the three places I know by heart. Apgujeong. The place where all the Korean hotties walk around. As I gladly point him in the proper direction, a feeling of self-accomplishment washes over me. I helped a Korean get around Seoul!
Anyway, as I got off the subway on this emotional high (so it takes very little to get me emotionally high, shush!), I noticed a street vendor selling duk.
What is duk, you might ask (if you're a non-Korean). Duk is ... (Roy references Google...) spicy buckwheat cake. Wait, no. That doesn't sound very appetizing. Duk is to the Korean culture as shiskabobs are to New Yorkers. They are these delicious spicy treats that are notorious for forcing people to all run to the crappers in five hours, barely holding their ... you get the point.
Anyway, in my sick state, I immediately dismissed the notion. As I walk away, I vaguely remembered one time when Joon told me that eating spicy foods was good for your health. Whether or not this held any scientific truth... the mere fact that he said it made me immediately turn around and head for the street vendor. (I guess with guys, the mere fact that something has been said is enough to make it a truth... kind of like the 5 second rule). With 2000 won, I proudly asked for one helping of duk to go (in Korean!).
Happily I walked back to the apartment, my 200 slides in one hand, and one helping of diarrhea... err duk, in the other. As I devoured the duk, I wondered what I would be doing in five hours. Oh well, better make plans to stay in the apartment.
Although I'm feeling alright now, there will be hell to pay soon.
Posted by roy on July 3, 2002 at 10:13 AM | Add a comment
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