Oh my God, Becky, look at his butt. It's just so... special!

Stardate: 2005.9.30
Dear lord, it's been ten days since my last entry. It's weird how sometimes you're busier when you're not working.

We took a short trip out of Seoul for the weekend, to a place on the west coast. It was nice to get out of the city and see some more of the countryside, and the place where we stayed was really nice. However, it almost seemed like too much effort for such a short trip: we drove for about 4 hours on Saturday, through moderately thick traffic, and arrived around 5:30 p.m. We stayed just one night, and left at 11:00 on Sunday morning. We stopped by a "dae ha" (jumbo shrimp -- we're talking near-lobsters here) festival in a town on the way back, but we were back home by 4:00 Sunday afternoon. I can't imagine doing that sort of thing nearly every weekend, as many Koreans do.

I also picked up my newest (and last) custom made suit, this one with a Nehru/Mandarin style collar. The tailor had to make it twice, because the first one was just not going to fit me right. I think he measured poorly the first time, but he said that I had strange body proportions and even went on to say I had a "special butt." His exact words. I'm not sure I agree with it being special, but it's pretty good -- not too big, not too flat.

We also welcomed a new embassy arrival and his wife at the airport, and escorted them through the first parts of checking in, getting IDs, and so on.

And the English tutoring continues, even as my last day with Public Affairs draws to a close. It is sad to leave, but it's time for a new/improved me -- slimmer and more fit after hiking around Seoul for a few weeks taking photos. That's the plan, anyway. And if I can get fit hiking around Seoul, just think what I could do in a place that actually has some decent air!