....kim chee, of course.
I'm back in Korea for a few days. Seoul, to be exact, a very different place from Busan, the southern port city where we usually stop with the Flagship. Seoul is to Busan as New York is to Norfolk. Seoul is sophisticated, cosmopolitan, with a panoply of architectural delights and any delectable ethnic cuisine that you want. Driven in from the airport this evening, I saw a Mexican restaurant next to an Australian fish house. Did I mention cosmopolitan?
Seoul is one of those cities that you know you'd love if you could just spend more time getting to know it. We usually stay in Busan two weeks at a time twice a year. I get to Seoul once a year for two days of meetings. Make no mistake, Busan is just fine to visit. Even neighboring Chinhae has its own special charm. But Seoul is an international destination, like many of the world's capital cities. Koreans go to Busan for a beach vacation. Americans go to Seoul to see Korea.
Oh yeah, I know about that crazy man up north and his erratic shenanigans. So what? As it should be with any terrorist, he doesn't deter the ROKs from enjoying life, even within range of whatever destructive toys he claims to have pointed in their direction today. Maybe living under that repetitive threat enables the GSMA* denizens to enjoy life all the more. "Better the devil you know," right? Would victims of 9/11/2001 have lived their lives differently knowing they were under imminent attack? Perhaps for the better. Life is fragile, wherever you live and whoever has you in his/her gunsights. So, carpe diem. The ROKs seem to have a heckuva good time doing just that.
Koreans typically use metal chopsticks...washable, reusable. You can take them with you if you have to move in a hurry. Japanese use wood, some of which are washable, many disposable. Plenty more from where those came. They don't plan to move any time soon.
Although they certainly have their own history and culture, ROKs seem more westernized. They drive on the right side of the road. ROK music and movie stars are pop icons, even in Japan. In general, our ROK friends seem less encumbered by history, tradition, and austere culture than their Japanese counterparts. Neither is bad. This job enables me to learn about both these and the many other Asian cultures in the region.
Naturally, each culture enjoys its own cuisine. I relish both. I can wrap my lips around Korean BBQ any day, or bulgogi, or bibimbap, and -- yes -- kim chee. I also enjoy my sushi, sashimi, ramen, and tempura. It's a blessing to have access to both. (As well as the scrumptious Chinese food to be had in Singapore, but that's for another post on another day.)
Tomorrow we will parlay with our ROK medical counterparts over some fairly serious business. We do live in a hazardous world that makes for daunting challenges in force health protection and operational medical support. Our main purpose, however, is learn about each other's capabilities, so we can work together as a team. After these serious discussions, then, we will do what men and women of good will and mutual respect often do when teambuilding. We will man up our metal chopsticks and dine together. We'll probably drink a bit together too. That's diplomacy, folks.
*GSMA ("gizma") = Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area
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