The Return

I returned from Seoul Saturday afternoon on a direct ferry from Busan to Gohyeon (this saved me the bus trip from Janseongpo. I found my city of Gohyeon to be strangely empty. The shops were closed, and the streets were almost completely bare. Even my local grocery stores had their metal doors pulled down over their class.

Last night, as I walked down to the only open convenience store in the area to get some juice, I was found that the streets were not filled with the sounds of chatty teens walking arm in arm, but the faint echo of men in the norabongs over the (literally "song rooms" aka karaoke). It was an odd thing, like everyone abandoned the streets to go home, or to crowd the norabongs.

Along the streets were piles of trash that bore the evidence of the holiday. Gift boxes that had contained fruit, toiletries, and even liquor were discarded along with other trash. It felt strangely empty after being in Seoul for the better part of a week. Although there were plenty of stores that were closed during the holiday, there were still a ton of people around. Gohyeon, in contrast, was a ghost town.

My updated wish list:
1. Peanut butter that costs less than $10 for a small ja Found at Jonseonpo's Homemart (not to be confused with Home Plus)
2. A 220v-110v power converter (so I can charge my beard trimmer and play my Game Cube) Found in the Yangsan district in Seoul
3. American movies on the big screen (saw the signs just didn't get a chance to see.)
4. A sign or slogan that properly uses the phrase "well-being." The best I can explain is that the phrase is used as an adjective instead of a noun. This is an example of what is wrong:

5. Another American on Geoje--or at least a native English speaker