Amanda Takes Off...

Friday night Jennifer invited Good Man and I out to some after-Korean-class-someone-from-Canada-is-in-town dinner.

On the way there, in the Seoul Subway station, we found this woman. She was selling puppies, kittens, and chicks from these boxes.

Selling Animals in the Subway Station

On Their Way

I can't believe this ad has been up for nearly 2 years without being changed. It's rather daring for Korea.

This is the ten-year kiss.
This is the ten-year hug.
I will love you today like it's ten years.

Because I love you, it's OK.

We went to a dalk kalbi restaurant. I am pretty sure that's the same place I went with Michael when I first got here.

Fixing Her Hair

"건배!"

종가

In Korea, friends of the same sex (male or female) hold hands. The men seem to stop in their teens, the women seen to continue this through their twenties; I suspect when they marry, they stop.

Friends

There were a few homeless guys sleeping near a palace. Korea doesn't really have any sort of social net to help people. Charity is not common here, soup lines are not common here, Good Man says there's subsidized housing of some sort, but not much. There are a few organizations that will help people, but there's no such thing as welfare (in the form of food stamps, for example). If your family won't or can't take care of you, there is no support.

Good Man says most of the homeless guys are alcoholics, but I am sure, like home, many of them are also mentally ill. The mental health care system in this country is...not good. The doctors are probably fine, but the sense of shame and lack of awareness is even worse than back home.

Homeless

Friday Night with the Guys

The grating at the top of the subway station was throwing shadows on the stairs.

Light and Dark

Good Man

Me