Korean Taxi

Some future posts will be in the past tense, as in Thomas Tried Out. I want to write about so many Korean firsts that have already happened. Some yesterday, others months ago. I reason with myself that when I started this I was bored at work and needed something interesting in my life. Now that I teach, every day is too new and interesting, hence the hiatus and eventual recap of past Try Outs. Today's is one such experience.

Like Philadelphia, Boston, NYC, etc. the taxi is a staple of any Korean city. They have taxis in Korea! Not as slick as Japanese taxis but not as grime as Philly. Yet in most ways, the taxis here are better than the ones back home.

It's not so much what Korean taxis have. More so what they don't have. No bullet proof glass, no ghetto junior high tags, no arguing about paying with a debit card and no vomit or pee-pee stench in the nostrils. However. The cabs in Korea are literally immune to traffic violations of any kind.  I'm talking going through red lights, cutting across 3 lanes to make a left hand turn on red, and there are no stop signs here. None.

To be fair, I owe a lot to taxis. Some of the first hangeul (Korean) words I learned were turn left, turn right, go straight, and take me home. Mah-jay-oo-chay-gook Poong-am-dong Kah-choo-say-OH! Translation:  Let's go to the post office in Poong-Am Neighborhood. 


Yippee!


I have yet to ride in a cheaper, cleaner, better taxi in all my travels. While the loss in translation can be frustrating at times, the solitude and soothing ajusshi tunes make for a peaceful ride home.

Korean taxi, check.

Pop Up Bowl

Yesterday I received a care package from my family. Inside were necessities and niceties. Deodorant, Easy Mac, Dunkin Donuts Coffee, and stickers for my students. However, one item combined practicality and extravagance, completely catching me off guard.

I'm speaking about Orville Redenbacher's hottest popcorn variety. Since my childhood I have not found a more satisfying late night snack then a bowl of popcorn. Feels light and healthy but when done correctly is covered in synthetic buttery taste. Needless to say I was delighted when the care package was topped off with 8 or so bags of snacking glory.

They do have popcorn here in Korea. Most mom and pop corner stores even have the microwavable bags, but wow are they behind in their popcorn technology. No flavor, no synthetic butter, no jumbo kernels! So, while Korea puts all their best and brightest into electronics, automobiles, and terrible pop music, snacking falls by the wayside.

Then along comes Mr. Orville Redenbacher. The Prince of Popping Corn. Bowtie and suspenders just doing the damn thing. Redenbacher says "The game need changin."

Boom!

A microwavable bag that when finished, rips open at the top, to reveal one less dish in your kitchen sink. Honestly ingenius. I tried just ripping open one end of bags before, but after covering your arm to elbow in butter grease the only humanly decent way to snack is pouring it into a bowl. Now there's no bowl. No looking in the cupboard or pantry, wasting precious popcorn time. Orville wanted you to be snacking on his delicious popping corn as fast and easy as possible. Mission accomplished Mr. Redenbacher.

Pop Up Bowl, check.

DMZ

The main attraction of South Korea is the DMZ. If anyone tells you different they are a liar and shant be trusted. Despite the high profile tourist recognition, most of my friends who have been teaching/living here fail to see it. Not I said the cat.

I went to the DMZ this past weekend with Steph. A brief introduction about the DMZ, here. We left the Lotte Hotel in Seoul at 11:30 and drove NW along the Han River. About halfway along the river loses it's parks and recreation areas and adopts high chain link fences and razor wire. A few km down outposts are stationed every so and so distance, with soldiers and their automatic weaponry. I was not expecting a militaristic atmosphere so soon.

After we had lunch we continued and passed through a touristy area showcasing the Freedom Bridge and other less notables. We re-boarded the bus and finally came upon checkpoint Alpha. A ROK soldier scanned the bus and permitted us through. The bus crawled forward and swerved between steel barricades set up to deter North Korean tanks and tourists with motion sickness.

Once through our bus idled outside the main gate, waiting for a soldier to escort us the rest of the way. After about 10-15 minutes a Sgt. Lt. or someone with the last name Guerrera walked down the aisle and checked our passports. No threats were found on board so we proceeded. Through more razor wire fences and mine fields to reach Panmunjom and the JSA.

We were strictly told no pictures at this point and to line up in 2 rows. It was the scariest field trip I've been on. We were led into and through a building with ROK guards sternly frozen behind clenched fists and Ray Ban aviators. The air was humming with intensity. Up a stair case and out to the famed border with North Korea.

I immediately noticed the North Korean soldier across from us. Binoculars to his eyes and like our ROK soldiers, immovable. Guerrera pointed out the different buildings in front of us and we were then free to snap pictures. Finished we headed into T-2, a building where talks/negotiations between the two parties are held. Once inside we were free to walk into "North Korea." The building was situated half in South and half in North. Seeing as how we rented the room for the day we were able to roam around while being careful not to bump into any of the ROK soldiers on guard for our protection.

The tour ended shortly after and we finished up our trip to the DMZ. It was as intense as I'v heard and I'm glad Steph and I were able to experience and learn a little about the on-going sibling rivalry of these two nations.


DMZ, check.

Embarrassed I haven't kept this blog going through the most adventurous and exciting period of my life. Korea offers a new and often bizarre experience every day and they need to be chronicled in daily, witty Thomas Tryouts.