Today was a holiday – October 3rd is called "Foundation Day" in English, properly 개천절 [gaecheonjeol] in Korean. So since my friend Mary was visiting we went to Ilsan's Lake Park, a few blocks away from my apartment, despite my not feeling so well.
The park was pretty busy. The sky was cloudless and azure. I tried to take a few pictures.
Later I was thinking of trying to eat a meal of actual solid food and thought to try some more jeon (Korean onion pancake, sorta), which I'd eaten successfully last week one time. But the jeon joint that I frequent that is nearest to my house wasn't open at lunch time.
Stumped, we wandered around and then I decided to try a "soup" restaurant (European/Western style food, not Korean) that I walk by frequently since moving to this new apartment. That place was pretty good. I had potato soup, and ate a lot of salmon from Mary's salmon salad (which she wasn't eating), by slicing it up into tiny pieces and swallowing them like pills. Not much flavor, but it gets me some protein.
After lunch, we walked back over to the Jeongbalsan plaza and there were zillions of families – they were having a children's day type thing with booths and a sort of kids' flea market. I saw a bunch of jangseung lined up. I like these things.
Later, I took a nap after my friend Mary had departed to return to Seoul, and then this evening Wendy and I walked over to try the jeon joint again. This time it was open, and I accomplished a new Korean language milestone. The menu at the jeon joint only had jeon where things were added that would have made it too difficult for me to eat: they had jeon with kimchi or peppers (too spicy), with seafood (too hard to chew), etc. Nothing that was relatively plain. So I did a new thing. Bravely, I made a special order, in Korean – I went "off menu." And lo and behold, it worked – I got a jeon with only green onions. It was OK. It's hard to eat, but if I chop it up tiny pieces and "steer to the left" in my mouth (the numb side, with the chopped nerves), I can manage it.
What I'm listening to right now.
Talking Heads, "Heaven."
Lyrics:
Everyone is trying to get to the bar
The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven
The band in Heaven that plays my favorite song
Play it one more time, play it all night longHeaven, Heaven is a place, place where
nothing, nothing ever happens
Heaven, Heaven is a place, place where
nothing, nothing ever happensThere is a party, everyone is there
Everyone will leave at exactly the same time
When this party's over, it will start again
But not be any different, it'll be exactly the sameHeaven, Heaven is a place, place where
nothing, nothing ever happens
Heaven, Heaven is a place, a place where
nothing, nothing ever happensWhen this kiss is over, it will start again
It will not be any different, it'll be exactly the same
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be this much funHeaven, Heaven is a place, a place where
nothing, nothing ever happens
Heaven, Heaven is a place, a place where
nothing, nothing ever happens
[daily log: walking, 4 km]