Sunday, Day Nineteen: Geoffrey's Birthday

Entrance to Casabella

Geoffrey and Dr. Park's wife in the garden

I had a bad night, woke up several times with reflux. I had trouble digesting the duck. I slept until 10:30 and did not go to church with Geoffrey. When he got back with Dr. Park and his wife, and a deaconess from the church, we went for lunch at an Italian restaurant, Casabella, in  nearby Janggyu myon. The food was good though the seafood spaghetti was too spicy for me so I gave it to Geoffrey.  After lunch we had coffee, then went out and walked in the garden.

Geoffrey at Junam Wetlands Park

 Geoffrey had told Dr. Park we had arranged to meet someone in Masan at 4:00 but I think he heard me mention the Junam Wetlands Park so he took us there. This is the kind of thing that can drive Geoffrey nuts. He just go somewhere with no discussion and Geoffrey is a prisoner. But intentions are good and he doesn't want to be impolite. We got out of the car and started to walk. I went up to Dr. Park and pointed out with my watch that it was ten of four and reminded him of our commitment in Masan. He said in English "I remember." I'm older and might be able to get away with this. I then joined Geoffrey at an observation point and he went on, but they soon returned. We dropped off the deaconess then came back to Sarim-dong. I expect to go back to Junam Wetlands Tuesday with Mrs. Dr. Park.

Geoffrey and I then headed off to Masan to look for a gift for Pat. Geoffrey had arranged with a friend at work, Choi Won Jung, one of the guys with whom he climbed Joeng Byong mountain (see picture) for him to give us directions to a good place for what we were looking for once we got to the Masan fish market. We also planned to have a dinner of hoe, a local delicacy of thinly sliced raw fish wrapped in lettuce and with several sauces. 

A stall at the Masan fish market

Neither worked out. We walked through the market and up and down the main street for some time. The market was the kind of place I remember. Masan is an older city. Finally Won Jung called and said he'd meet us, which he did. We tried several ceramics shops, again walking up and down the street; I got a lot of walking in, all within a half mile area, but didn't find what I was looking for (a tea pot). We then took the car and headed to a different part of Masan where we found a place to eat. 

Choi Won Jung with Geoffrey

Like the place on the way back from Gyeongju, it was the kind of place I could have gone to in the 1960s. We all had boribap (보리밥) which is rice mixed with barley (in the 60s all restaurant rice was required to be so mixed to conserve rice). Won Jung  demonstrated the method of eating, mixing in the vegetables and other dishes much as one mixes bibimbap (비빔밥). Geoffrey again commented on the healthiness of Korean food, with all the fresh vegetables. A Korean couple with two cute little boys came in to share the room. The younger of the two boys, maybe three or four years old, spent the longest time standing in the corner farthest from me, just staring at me. I don't get much staring on this trip. Near the end of the meal Won Jung left the table, presumably to go to the men's room. It turned out he went to pay the bill for Geoffrey's birthday dinner. After dinner we dropped off Won Jung near his place and headed back to Sarim-dong. 

Geoffrey opened his presents, books from me (Tom Coyner's book, and the bilingual book of poetry by Ko Chang Soo [고창수], Between Sound and Silence) and clothes from Pat (sweater, tee shirts). We talked and he showed me a stone dojang (도장) a young lady at church gave him for his birthday. That led to further discussion about dojangs, and women, particularly Korean women. On another subject we followed a train of thought to its absurd conclusion and both started laughing, harder than I have for a long time. It was good for me.