08.13.06
Perspectives
Looking Back (some of my wanderings on my last full day in the U.S.):
Looking Forward (Seoul):
My new place. I live in half of a duplex. Embassy housing here on the army base in Seoul is affectionately known by its inhabitants as Mayberry. It’s split by one of the main roads on the base into “South Korea” (the larger area containing the majority of embassy housing) and “North Korea” (the much smaller area). Little did I know I would come to Seoul and end up living in North Korea.
An inside view (from the dining room looking into the living room). There are a lot of large blank white walls, which is more than a little depressing when living in a new place alone, so I’m really looking forward to getting my shipments so I’ll have things to hang on the walls and put on the shelves.
A random unnamed street in Seoul, not far from the base. Of note: it doesn’t look a thing like Mayberry. Also of note: this is one of the larger streets - a great many of them are little more than alleyways where two people would find it difficult to walk side by side. Seeing the discrepancy between the environment we live in and the environment nearby Koreans live in, it’s little wonder that they’ve been eagerly awaiting the day we give up our big military base in the middle of the city.
weston said,
Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 11:58 am
We were in “North Korea” for two wonderful weeks in February last year. Such a beautiful, lovely time… It was an exchange, as were were normally posted in Manila. I remember walking around just off-base on both sides in the freezing cold, pushing my daughter in her stroller. She got her first two teeth while we were in Korea.
Commisary shopping was absolutely wonderful, compared to Manila and Ecuador. Real graham crackers, frozen orange juice and vegetables, bagels!
Live it up while you are there. We thought the two palaces in the city were absolutley beautiful with the trees and old buildings and mountains in the background.