Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tuesday, Day 14: GongJu

Me in front of Yugu government office
 I was up early, showered and had breakfast in time to meet my guide and driver down stairs almost on time. I never did get the driver's name. The guide was Lee Mee Young, Miss Lee. And here I was wearing a Giants scarf and I didn't hear they lost in the playoffs last night until I got to Gongju.
Yugu main street


I asked that we go through Yugu, where I lived and worked for several months when I first arrived and where I met Geoffrey's mother, and stop just long enough for me to take some pictures. It is amazing how much it has changed in 43 years (I'm going to keep saying that). I think the parking lot in front of the town office and the health center is where the old myun office stood, but I can't be sure of anything. The hills are covered with trees and I would never be able to find Geoffrey's grandparents graves.


After about five minutes we drove on to Gongju. It seems they were waiting, with a big reception. I understand why it was so important to staff that I go. The health center is now across the river (Kum Gang) from the old town, but in two years it will move back across the river to the present location of the market. 
Conference table in Director's office

After introductions and giving me flowers we went in and up to the second floor to the Director's office with a big beautiful conference table. We sat around it, Bang yosa (Mrs. Bang, pronounced like the bong of a gong) sat to my right. She was my coworker in the old days and seemed very glad to see me, smiling all the time. Later, at lunch, I told her that when I was asked who I remember from Gongju her name came to mind first. That seemed to please her. They asked me who else I remembered and I was told two college teachers I had known had died.



Mother child health room
The director gave a presentation, some of which I could follow with the help of the handout and of the translation of some key words by Miss Lee. We then went back down to see the various departments. A photographer was constantly taking pictures but now we went back out front for the posed group picture. 
Picture of record in front of health center

Then to the hospital which has taken over what had been the health center next door. A doctor who said he was Mike and spoke at least medical English examined my leg in the building I worked in 43 years ago. He read my medical paper and said it is nothing to be concerned about, a complication of some of the medicines I am taking (blood thinners), and recommended hot compresses and moderate use, and it should be fine in three weeks.


Director (cntr) and Miss Lee, guide (rt)
We then went to a very traditional restaurant at the Gongju Hanok Village and had a marvelous meal. When the first course was over I thought we were done. I should have known better because we hadn't had rice yet. The second course was soup, rice, choggie and of course more pan chan. I had Miss Lee explain about my cancer to explain why I couldn't eat much.


We spent about a half hour at the Gongju National Museum. Gongju was capitol of Beakje for 53 years, from 475 AD to 528, and several kings are buried there. From there we said our good-byes and headed back to Seoul. 

Shades of Edward Hopper: Buddhist monks
It was a long day and I did get a short nap in the van until, hitting Seoul traffic, the driver stopped abruptly and I woke up. I came to the room, applied a compress (it gets cold fast), sent Pat an e-mail "not to worry about the leg" then missed dinner with the others. I went around the corner to a Quiznos and got a tuna melt, then went to a coffee shop and bakery next store (not the Starbucks, on the other side) and got a pastry.  When I got back Nicole (staff) called to ask if I wanted some mandu (yaki or fried mandu it turned out). She brought them up. 

The hotel doesn't seem to have it all together. The WiFi doesn't work (I could access the room nextdoor and below if I had the codes but not my own, so I am on broadband) and the wake up call system has bugs (can't delete requests without a staff member coming to the room and then calling his supervisor). It's been a long day.


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