Seoul: How Things Work .... Or Not ....

I can’t have a new post without including a view of the city from my hotel room. I have to admit that I’m losing track of where I am on the map. The views, especially at night are beginning to look the same. Thank goodness for those little bottles of liquid soap that I find in the shower; the hotel name and city are always printed in fancy letters on them.

I also wanted to post a picture of Dr. Jeff “working”; yes, contrary to popular opinion, he is performing his duties as assigned in the gymnasiums of international high schools and the ballrooms of upscale hotels. Here is Seoul he couldn’t have been very effective without the translator that was at his side; 90% of the (nearly 3,000) people at this Linden sponsored education fair did not speak English. Now …. this poses another problem: the word, “La Verne”, contains both an “L” and an “r”; both of which are difficult for Asians to get their tongues around. You can’t imagine how I heard it pronounced. Then again, most of the people I’ve met here can’t imagine why I would even have tried to speak a few words of Korean. When I return, I’ve got to sit down with the Board and talk about changing the University’s name to something more Asian-friendly. (Kim Il Dong U. ???)

The last picture is a close up of the electric toilet in my bathroom (it plugs into a wall socket .... scary, huh?). I’ve traveled a lot, and have used a lot of toilets in my time, so I know I shouldn’t have been surprised by this one. I first saw this sort of set up in Ho Ch Minh city and thought it was just a fluke, but, the darn things have shown up in every hotel room I’ve occupied on this trip thus far! I have to admit that I spent several minutes examining (and playing with) the first one I used. To use the vernacular, “… pimp my toilet!” These babies are really tricked out. First, they have heated seats (variable heat control included). They are kitted with three (3!) kinds of spray nozzles (each adjustable in temperature, pressure, and pattern) to make every possible nether part of you (or combinations thereof) squeaky clean and happy (or combinations thereof). I’m surprised that a traveler would ever leave her/his bathroom! ……. Live and learn; that’s what it’s all about, no?

We finish up the day in Seoul with school visits, and then it’s off to Shanghai tonight. Dr. Jeff thanks you for being there (if you’re there), and looks forward to seeing you soon.