When a friend asked Jamie how he liked living here, he said "Everything is CRAZY in Seoul." I think that's part of what keeps me sane. Last week, for example, I found myself downtown on a very narrow cobble stoned street, made narrower by the presence of a group of blue-shirted protesters singing mournfully under flowery banners. I edged across the street only to come face to face with a long line of riot-gear-clad police who had arrived to oversee the rally. Sticking to the middle of the road now, what should I see coming, but a parade of feather-hatted, drum-and-conch-shell-playing, regally bedecked reenactors doing their hourly changing-of-the-guards march. I deftly wove my way through these three colourful lines of men and thought indeed - things are crazy in Seoul.
Presenting, for your diversion, a few of the things that have amused me over the summer. Ah, English signage - how I do love you. Most recently - here is some historical erasure, meaningless large-scale billboards, polite invitations, warning signs, and suchlike.
As you can see, I am still loving the matching outfits, and the kids seem happy to play along. I
am also very fond of the way that cute matching couples are always equipped with a camera; and the boy is forever photographing his sweetie, even though he, and his matching pants, do not make it into the romantic record.
Charmed by my children, a group of farmers at the Folk Village gave them this strange fruit. Spiky and squishy on the outside, it is filled with sweet red seeds resembling guts. If anyone knows what it is, please tell me. And finally, a small video demonstrating the inventiveness of Koreans, especially when it comes to cleanliness. Such are the fragments we shore up against our ruin: life rings to rescue a drowning man.
