expat life

We had seen the sea parting once, not knowing it would part two more times again by sundown.  Some of us (self included) were a little worried about getting seasick on the boat out to Modo Island, so instead of braving the sea we actually ended up having a leisurely morning getting ready (after a well-deserved, post-parting nap!) before heading down the cherry-blossom lined paths and street over to the festival.

On the eve of the home opener in Seoul, I figured a good Throwback Thursday would be to good times at the ol’ ball-game in Busan.  I’ve been an avid Blue Jays fan ever since I can remember.  I have fragmented memories of sitting in my Aunt’s and Uncle’s living room watching a big game snuggled up with my parents.  I also remember being down by the SkyDome (yes, it was still the SkyDome in those days and will forever be called the SkyDome in my vernacular) where I think my Mom and Dad bought a few sweatshirts celebrating the victories of 1992/1993 back to back World Series Champs.  I wear one of those sweatshirts just about every Sunday night when I Skype my parents.

By Iwazaru

At 2 a.m. on a cold night in late December, I finally decided to enter the Suseo Hyundai Ventureville building, which is attached to Suseo Subway Station and has, among other things, banks, a 24-hour convenience store and sauna, restaurants and shops. I had put myself in this situation by leaving a social engagement in central Seoul a bit late and riding the subway until it stopped, at which point I felt confident that I’d just hail a taxi for the 30-mile ride to my apartment in the bucolic outskirts.

Alas, my plans fell apart.

Convenience stores in Korea are not any different than back home. They are filled with countless items, mostly food, and are on every corner. The food mainly consists of snacks ranging from chips to ramyeon noodles. Also inside is a freezer full of ice cream treats. It’s not too difficult to get the late night munchies and I’ve had my share of the snacks at many of these stores.

The big chains in Korea are 7-Eleven, Family Mart, CU, and GS25. I took a few days to give you a sample of five different Korean ice cream cones and bars that can be found in these stores, but there are MANY more.

Here is a video where I chow down on some awesome Korean ice cream cone snacks.

As a 6’2″ waygook, I have never experienced the problem implied by the title of this post. In fact, it’s usually the exact opposite for me. Every day I exit buses with extra care and walk under umbrellas at local markets like Quasimodo. Koreans, young and old, marvel unabashedly at my towering presence.

Yet somehow, despite a constant self-awareness of my height, these days I’m feeling a bit…short. You see, in the military, to be or feel “short” actually has nothing to do with how tall a person is. Instead, it means that one’s contract or tour of duty is coming to an end; and that’s precisely where I’m at with my EPIK journey.