Two weeks later and wednesday's here
Time again to reach deep down and grasp the creative energies needed to create a post without pictures. I recently solved my camera dilemma, so expect the post-vacation entries to be chalk full of crisp, clean images. First, however, I must finish my vacation. On this particular wednesday, I was in no hurry whatsoever to finish.
I woke up early after sleeping on a bed of rocks with the consolation for the wretched night of attempted rest being a pebble beach in my backyard. Although it was early, the day had already shown itself to be hot and sunny. There were few people up and around when I rented an umbrella, a mat, and a tube. I set my space up and walked back up to the main strip in search for coffee. When there's no Starbucks around, finding a decent cup of joe in Korea can be next to impossible. This morning, a morning where I especially wanted a nice hot cup o' bucks, I had to settle for instant swill from the nearby convenience store. I drank coffee not for enjoyment, but rather to prevent the imminent headache that comes when I forego the morning cup.
I choked down the wretched quasi-coffee after sitting down on my beach mat. The atmosphere was still quite calm and quiet, so I picked up "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since the first time I went to Daecheon, when it was so chaotic, I had a burning desire to sit at a quiet beach by myself and read a good book. Now, the dream would become a reality. Sitting comfortably in front of the sea, I read the first four chapters while listening to the now familiar sound of waves rushing into pebbles. While reading this masterpiece I came to two realizations: 1. "Gatsby" was re-affirming Fitzgerald as my favorite author more with each chapter. 2. Scott had more talent in his left pinky than I have in my entire medula oblongata. He also had a more acute proclivity for comparisons.
With four chapters down, the sun was beginning to beat down. A summer sweat took hold of my skin, and I decided to press on for two more chapters and jump into the sea. The water was cool and refreshing, as I took a long swim. After swimming, I realized I was getting hungry. The clock was pressing 11, so I made a plan to read a couple more chapters while drying in the sun and then get lunch.
It was just before 11:30 when I temporarily abandoned Jay Gatsby to sate my hunger. Walking down the main strip, I looked at the Korean menus printed on signs or on the restaurant windows in search of dwen jang jiggae. Dwen jang has become one of my favorite foods, and has been mentioned before on this blog. It is a spicy soup made from fermented soy with tofu, vegetable, and a hint of seafood (usually small clams). While it sounds (and often smells) funky, it's quite delicious. The jiggae I had this day was no exception, although I didn't eat the mussels. I'm not such a fan of mussels, as I find them to have a dirty taste. As I ate, I thought about where I would stay that evening, and decided to call Mr. Ju after lunch.
After lunch, I walked back down the strip toward my umbrella and came across an unusual sign. The picture I took of this sign might be the one I miss the most. It said that waves of Hakpo Beach had been selected by a committee as being one of the 100 most beautiful sounds in Korea. I laughed wondering exactly who was on the committee and what their credentials were. I also found it funny that a place would take so much pride in cracking the top 100 sounds in a country the size of Minnesota. I wonder if the jackass with the loud speaker selling fruit outside my apartment every morning made the list?
I talked to Mr. Ju on the phone and agreed to meet at his restaurant early evening. This gave me a few more hours to enjoy the beach and finish the book. The rest of the afternoon I did just that. I alternated between swimming, floating on a tube, and reading on the beach. I was also able to salvage some time to watch the Koreans act like Koreans. There was a large group of older Koreans standing ankle deep in the water, fully clothed with hats and umbrellas. The ladies were singing, dancing, and whooping it up. I took some funny pictures, but... yeah, you know. The tide came in later that afternoon and I giggled as I watched the Koreans screaming and laughing as the monster two-and-one-half foot waves broke 10 feet off the shore. I finished Gatsby around 3, and decided to take one more dip. I swam just long enough to cool off, and warm up the ocean if you get my drift. I turned in my tube and mat, and walked back to the tent. After packing up the tent, I got into a taxi bound for Okpo.
I arrived at The London Pub around 5:00, and was anxious to get a shower. I told Mr. Ju that I wanted to get a room and come back for dinner. I had taken a couple of looks at the menu and the steaks were looking pretty good. I had never ordered a steak in Korea, so I was looking forward to treating myself. The only other time I had steak here was on New Years Day when my neighbor Charles grilled one for me. The room proved to be more than adequate, so I spent over an hour showering, relaxing, and looking through my pictures (ouch). I went back to the pub around 6:30 and ordered a t-bone. I tried to keep expectations to a minimum, but regardless the steak turned out to be really tasty and satisfying. I finished dinner, thanked Mr. Ju for all his help, and retired to my room. The only other action that evening was a brief walk around Okpo and a visit to a PC room. I was so fried and exhausted from all of the sun and swimming, that it took nothing for me to fall asleep early that night.
A final note on wednesday: If you haven't read "The Great Gatsby", I highly recommend it. It is among the finest mystery novels ever written, and the prose is awe-inspiring.
I woke up early after sleeping on a bed of rocks with the consolation for the wretched night of attempted rest being a pebble beach in my backyard. Although it was early, the day had already shown itself to be hot and sunny. There were few people up and around when I rented an umbrella, a mat, and a tube. I set my space up and walked back up to the main strip in search for coffee. When there's no Starbucks around, finding a decent cup of joe in Korea can be next to impossible. This morning, a morning where I especially wanted a nice hot cup o' bucks, I had to settle for instant swill from the nearby convenience store. I drank coffee not for enjoyment, but rather to prevent the imminent headache that comes when I forego the morning cup.
I choked down the wretched quasi-coffee after sitting down on my beach mat. The atmosphere was still quite calm and quiet, so I picked up "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since the first time I went to Daecheon, when it was so chaotic, I had a burning desire to sit at a quiet beach by myself and read a good book. Now, the dream would become a reality. Sitting comfortably in front of the sea, I read the first four chapters while listening to the now familiar sound of waves rushing into pebbles. While reading this masterpiece I came to two realizations: 1. "Gatsby" was re-affirming Fitzgerald as my favorite author more with each chapter. 2. Scott had more talent in his left pinky than I have in my entire medula oblongata. He also had a more acute proclivity for comparisons.
With four chapters down, the sun was beginning to beat down. A summer sweat took hold of my skin, and I decided to press on for two more chapters and jump into the sea. The water was cool and refreshing, as I took a long swim. After swimming, I realized I was getting hungry. The clock was pressing 11, so I made a plan to read a couple more chapters while drying in the sun and then get lunch.
It was just before 11:30 when I temporarily abandoned Jay Gatsby to sate my hunger. Walking down the main strip, I looked at the Korean menus printed on signs or on the restaurant windows in search of dwen jang jiggae. Dwen jang has become one of my favorite foods, and has been mentioned before on this blog. It is a spicy soup made from fermented soy with tofu, vegetable, and a hint of seafood (usually small clams). While it sounds (and often smells) funky, it's quite delicious. The jiggae I had this day was no exception, although I didn't eat the mussels. I'm not such a fan of mussels, as I find them to have a dirty taste. As I ate, I thought about where I would stay that evening, and decided to call Mr. Ju after lunch.
After lunch, I walked back down the strip toward my umbrella and came across an unusual sign. The picture I took of this sign might be the one I miss the most. It said that waves of Hakpo Beach had been selected by a committee as being one of the 100 most beautiful sounds in Korea. I laughed wondering exactly who was on the committee and what their credentials were. I also found it funny that a place would take so much pride in cracking the top 100 sounds in a country the size of Minnesota. I wonder if the jackass with the loud speaker selling fruit outside my apartment every morning made the list?
I talked to Mr. Ju on the phone and agreed to meet at his restaurant early evening. This gave me a few more hours to enjoy the beach and finish the book. The rest of the afternoon I did just that. I alternated between swimming, floating on a tube, and reading on the beach. I was also able to salvage some time to watch the Koreans act like Koreans. There was a large group of older Koreans standing ankle deep in the water, fully clothed with hats and umbrellas. The ladies were singing, dancing, and whooping it up. I took some funny pictures, but... yeah, you know. The tide came in later that afternoon and I giggled as I watched the Koreans screaming and laughing as the monster two-and-one-half foot waves broke 10 feet off the shore. I finished Gatsby around 3, and decided to take one more dip. I swam just long enough to cool off, and warm up the ocean if you get my drift. I turned in my tube and mat, and walked back to the tent. After packing up the tent, I got into a taxi bound for Okpo.
I arrived at The London Pub around 5:00, and was anxious to get a shower. I told Mr. Ju that I wanted to get a room and come back for dinner. I had taken a couple of looks at the menu and the steaks were looking pretty good. I had never ordered a steak in Korea, so I was looking forward to treating myself. The only other time I had steak here was on New Years Day when my neighbor Charles grilled one for me. The room proved to be more than adequate, so I spent over an hour showering, relaxing, and looking through my pictures (ouch). I went back to the pub around 6:30 and ordered a t-bone. I tried to keep expectations to a minimum, but regardless the steak turned out to be really tasty and satisfying. I finished dinner, thanked Mr. Ju for all his help, and retired to my room. The only other action that evening was a brief walk around Okpo and a visit to a PC room. I was so fried and exhausted from all of the sun and swimming, that it took nothing for me to fall asleep early that night.
A final note on wednesday: If you haven't read "The Great Gatsby", I highly recommend it. It is among the finest mystery novels ever written, and the prose is awe-inspiring.
posted by Christopher at 6:54 AM
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