Sunday, June 6, 2010

the M C Ps featuring Ms. Han

A few weeks ago I mentioned to Ms. Han that my parents were coming and we would go to the DMZ. She immediately asked if she could join us. Of course Ms. Han! A few days before my parents arrived I sent her an email detailing the tour we were planning to take. "Oh no, 8 am too early. 46,000 won too much. I'll drive." Ok, awesome!



Ms. Han picks us up in her MV from the Hammy and we're off to the DMZ. She's so cute! She talks to me and when my parents try to talk to her I kind of have to translate. By translate I mean I use simplier language and speak slower. First we hit an observatory. It was cool. You could see 4,000 meters across the river to the North. We looked through binoculars and could see the people out frming. It's amazing to look over there because there are no tress. The South side is filled, but the North, due to a lack of energy resources, has cut down all of their trees to use as energy. Nuts.

Second stop. We go to a bus station (filled with an amusement park, weird) and buy a 3 stop ticket/tour thing. First we hit a train station to the North that's been out of commission for 60 years. Kind of weird. Then the Dora observatory where you can look over to the North again. FInally we hit the tunnels. You check all of your belongings, they hand you a helmet and you get on an open monorail thing. After you sign your life away, down you go. You go for 300 meters down 74 meters into the earth. It was dark, wet and small. But cool nonethe less.

After we finish Ms. Han takes us of a tour of the Blue House (the White House equivolent). Well by tour, we drove by it. Then she insists on taking us out to a traditional Korean meal. We go to a lovely place in Insadong near where she works. Holy shit was this meal insane. It was no joke at least 20 courses. They start out bringing out some fish and meat and salads. Then octopus more fish, mussels, clams, shrimp and stuff. When you think it's finally finished they bring out rice and the normal banchan. All the while we're sipping on dongdongju which my parents now like...or at least can tolerate. It was by far the nicest, best meal I have hd in Korea. Thanks Ms. HAn.

And as if Ms. Han wasn't already awesome enough, my mom mentioned she wanted to find some pearls for a friend back home. Ms. Han makes some calls, takes us to some back alley near her office and hooks us up with a pearl wholesaler. Ohhhh Ms. Han, you never let me down! Well excpet for when you cancel every meeting.

Next post; Jeonju. The city of tradition, food and of course, agkeolli.

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