Franny's adventures in Korea

12/20/2014:  Sunday -- Very comfortable flight to Seoul -- It was an Airbus 380, so the whole upper level was business class.  All cream interior with light green seats, and a bevy of young, gorgeous flight attendants in cream and light green.  They had the most adorable uniform--little scarves around their neck whose corners  stick up at jaunty angles, and loops of ribbon as a hairpiece.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

they were serving a v. nice Medoc (French, red) in tiny glasses, but I drank way too many of them.  There were the usual elegant meals in tiny portions (I chose the Korean options, and practiced saying thankyou).  

I was in an interior seat, and the shades were closed a lot of the time, so couldn't see outside.  I took 1/2 an Ambien, and napped for a few hours.  Also read a Stephanie Baron (mysteries w/ Jane Austen as protagonist) and (ironically) Hand to Mouth, a screed on what it's like to be poor.

They had arranged for a car to pick me up -- v. luxurious-- but there's a bus from the hotel I'll take back to the airport. 

Had dinner at a nearby Korean BBQ place -- v. tasty, but T, my boss, and I really didn't know what to do with all the condiments and salads--there were 3 salads to share, a huge bowl of soup with what looked like chunks of liver floating in it, and a bowl of pickle-y things.  Tony got a beer that was way bigger than he expected, so we shared it.

so life is good, so far.

Monday:  We don't leave for the office (we being T & me) for an hour, so I can continue this breathless account of The Delights of Seoul.  The breakfast buffet is incl. in our room charge (good thing -- it's $40), but I've never seen such a spread.  I guess because so many nationalities stay here -- there's traditional breakfast from India, Korea, Japan, Europe (so vg smoked salmon) -- one could sit and contemplate it all day.  Pity we're have to tear ourselves away & go to the office.

The NY Times has a piteous tale of a 4 yr old Ebola orphan -- I wanted to swoop over, sweep her up in my arms, & take her home -- I and thousands of others, I'm sure.

I slept till 4 something, so not bad, went & did the treadmills for 1/2 hour (I need to work the conversions to metric for my weight & habitual 4.5 mi/hr).  Life is good.

Did I relate our file transfer woes?  The FTP site we were using got closed -- it didn't meet standards -- but no one told us, and a new one isn't opened yet.  So the files we need to send Korea traveled out on my hard drive, but to get them of has to wait until I'm approved to use a flash drive, data loss being strictly controlled.  When I last looked, it hadn't gone through.

Wednesday:  some struggles w/ jet lag -- wake up @ 3:30 or 4, and then get terribly sleepy in the afternoon.  Koreans seem to like their rooms toasty-warm--the conf room we were in the other day was heated to 28 C, which doesn't help.

It's 10F out right now, going to a high of 29F today, but tomorrow's a bit warmer, high of 39.  That's nippy, though, to my mind.  People are bundled up in winter jackets, but most don't wear hats.  T (my boss) forgot his hat & gloves on this trip, and is bald -- and he has a lined raincoat rather than a winter jacket, so gets cold.

He's pretty well read, e.g. was talking about Moby Dick at lunch (which he'd read a few years ago) and contrasting it w/ the movie w/ Gregory Peck.  He's also read Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen -- only man I've ever met who has.  

First lunch, on Monday, JS (the chief actuary) and the Controller took us out to lunch -- a seemingly infinite procession of salads and soups and then, when I thought they were done, the main course, which we were too stuffed to eat much of.

Interstellar is a hit movie here -- everyone's talking about it.  I had only a vague recollection of NPR pieces on wormholes, and A's review of it w/ Steve.

The first couple days were mostly T talking to Mi (the Korean E&Y actuary), and I must admit hard to stay awake through.  Mi is maybe late 30's or early 40's -- she's from Korea but her husband isn't -- they live in HK.  Has daughters 3 & 6, who have Philippine nannies (two) and go to Chinese school, so the daughters speak Cantonese & Mandarin.  Her husband (also an actuary?  not clear) travels a lot, and has morning phone calls w/ Europe & evening phone calls w/ the US.  So the little girls tell the parents "Shhh, I'm on a phone call" at times.  The only time everyone's together is mostly breakfast.

They speak English, not Korean, at home -- her husb not Korean--

She was in Vietnam last week, and Seoul this week, so tropical heat to sub-arctic chill.

Below the Chief Actuary (JS), all the actuaries I've been dealing w/ are women--they said women tend to gravitate to multinationals, because English is important there, and maybe also employment practices fairer?

The default lunch place is "katsu"  -- japanese style fried pork cutlet.  I've been able to avoid pork so far, but have ingested a bunch of shellfish w/o realizing -- I haven't been asking because it seemed intrusive at the first lunch, when we were being treated, and eating Korean food was a plus.   Several of the dishes at the lunch place come on little burning-stove stands -- the staff is very casual about rushing through the restaurant with a tray in each hand, stoves flaming away.

I did some worksheets that tried to replicate calculations out of their models (and didn't come terribly close) and there's been a certain amount of back and forth -- the back and forth considerably hampered by our inability to exchange large files, because MetLife's IT people cut off the FTP site we were using, and hasn't yet set up another.  

The files I downloaded to my hard drive before leaving work last Friday I have been able to give to the Korean actuaries, (that is, I have been included now in the group allowed to copy files to a flash drive, and the help desk walked me through how to answer the screens that appear when you copy to the hard drive -- I called the help desk at 3 AM one morning to do that) but the way we get access to the Wilmington servers when out of the office doesn't permit downloading files.  Or, rather, there is a way to set up a VPN, but I'm told the drives aren't mapped correctly.  V. frustrating.

Aren't you fascinated?

I'll be glad to get home.  Keep thinking that no one's lit Hanukkah candles, which makes me sad.  Want to do latkes and pot roast one night while L's home.

Thursday:  to continue this breathless travel-log, the elevators in the MetLife bldg don't talk to each other -- you press the down button on one, and the others don't notice.  On the other hand, they have fancy Japanese style toilet-seats (heated, with all kinds of unmentionable options).

Had lunch with Mi and Brian, at a place that served huge bowls of soup.  Mi's older daughter has 8 activities:  swimming, ballet, Korean lessons, Mandarin, and English--I'm forgetting the other 3.  

The three year old speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, but sometimes she gets upset and won't speak (as 3 year olds are wont to do).

I skyped Steve this morning, and was too late to the gym to get one of the good treadmills.  The one I got, once I entered 64 as my age, wouldn't go faster than a walk.  I tried entering 50, 40, etc, but it saw right through my efforts.  I gave up in disgust.

Did I say that at the Korean place T & I ate in on Wed, the waitress mixed my bibimbap for me with one of the long-handled spoons Koreans use for rice, and then I thought she was going to tell me to open my mouth & spoon feed me.

My Korean is limited -- I can say hello, thank you, and I don't speak Korean and excuse me (as in getting someone's attention). I can't say please, or I'm sorry but apparently they're not used much -- people bump into each other w/o apologizing, and saying "please" sounds like you're desperate.

Tonight's Korean place was v. nice -- the waitress cooked our bbq for us & showed us how to wrap the pieces of meat in a nice green leaf, but didn't seem to think we needed to be hand-fed.  

Friday:  It's 5 PM & I'm back in my hotel room.  not a whole lot to add to the preceding.  Today's lunch was with the strategic actuarial team, which consists of 4 women and 2 men (Lena is my main contact there).  I asked Lena about the preponderance of women & she opined women were better at numbers than men.

They were shocked at the lack of Japanese female actuaries.  Maybe Japanese women aren't as good at math as Chinese & Korean?

Lunch was many, many salads (really enough to have been lunch), followed by spicy vermicelli.  I waddled out, and a couple hours later Lena appeared w/ cake & a persimmon smoothie, since the group was having treats in honor of Xmas I guess.

gym was much emptier this morning -- I got up at 5 but could have slept till 6--there were plenty of good treadmills.

I felt bad -- Lena & company stayed till 9 PM last night trying to answer why one calculation didn't match another, and what did I do today but toss more questions her way.

that's my supply of babble.  I'll be glad to get home.

Saturday:  Got up at 5 (I’d set the hotel alarm, my Galaxy 5 alarm and my blackberry alarm); the airport bus stops on the street outside the hotel and it had snowed overnight, so we had to make our way down a few slippery, slushy steps, which I was having trouble with, when the bellboy came over & grasped my arm and propelled me to the bus (I felt like such an old lady).  I was nervous on the bus – suppose we skidded?  Suppose I was on the wrong bus bound for the wrong airport?  I felt very far from home.

Of course, all was fine.  KAL business class lounge wasn’t that elegant, but I learned how to make up the spicy instant ramen that is v. popular (all the Koreans were wolfing it down), and felt much better once I’d had it and some coffee.

Flight home was fine – I wasn’t as agog at the bevy of beautiful flight attendants as before.  Read an imitation Mapp & Lucia, a Sister Frevisse, part of Castle Richmond by Trollope (I have most of him & most of Dickens on my iPad in case of emergency), watched part of the 100 foot journey (every plot turn seemed obvious) and slept some. 

INS has automatic passport reader machines – I thought they were fun—and the trip back from JFK was fine. 

Leon and Genia at Cloud Gate (Chicago)

Aaron and Alex on Christmas morning

Pictures from Party for Mom's 90th

Mom's Party was at The Modern (next to, but not affiliated with, the Mus. of Modern Art)--very small; just family and a few of Mom's friends.  Alex (Aaron's girlfriend) flew in with him for the party & seder.

10/15-17 in Madison

10/15-17/2013:  I got into MSN on time, but S’s plane was late.  He said, go & meet L, so I picked up the car (w/ almost $100 in extra charges), and drive to the engineering building.  Leon guided me to a legal parking place, and we got lunch in the Discovery bldg, then S arrived, so we went out to the airport to get him, checked into our hotel, and went to the Chazen Museum of art, expanded to 3x the size it was when I visited last.

I was taken by a Thai Bhudda – 12^th century—and a madonna & child w/ a lot of geometric gold fill above.  The gallery closed @ 5, of course.  

We went to the Old Fashioned for dinner – we had to wait about an hour for a table (they don’t take resvs) – had lazy susan # 6 (creamed herring, smoked trout, other stuff I could eat) & I had a salad.  Much of the conv was between L & S – L talked about his work in a lot more detail than I’d heard before.  That when one of his friends graduated, his principal investigator (aka PI)  had sent him a flow chart for PhD comics on how to react.

L took bus home; S & I walked back to the hotel.  Our room had a massive sectional sofa.  When we asked could we pay for L to join us at the free breakfast, they said, no charge.  Guest of a guest worked ok.  

Breakfast wasn’t bad (but wasn’t great), but it made S happy it was free.  L came and joined us, then we stopped at his pharmacy for him to get a med refill, then we went out to Blue Mounds Park – grey day, not that cold, pretty fall colors in the sumac and maples.  Maybe we hiked a mile up to the top – wet leaves over everything; I was glad I’d brought my hiking shoes.  Rocks had a lot of chert in them.  Nice views from the top, but of course I was too afraid of the height to go up more than ½ way to the top of the observation tower.

We went back to the hotel, I changed fast, we went to engineering to take L’s group to lunch after group meeting broke up.  L posted a pic of S reading a newspaper and me reading my cell phone & titled it “old school vs. less old school?”

Yon Bing went to the same university as Siyi and Yin.  S asked lots of questions; where had people gone undergrad, what were their research projects, what surprised them the most about the US.  They were a lively group – fun to talk to.

After lunch, we had 5 min to talk w/ L’s Principal Investigator (but she stayed in spite of being late to a mtg).  I was VERY impressed.  She came to the US in 2000 – if she stayed in Belgrade, she’d never have enough earnings to live on her own – she started at Berkely, switched to ASU & engineering – it was easier for her to trade down than for her then-boyfriend (now husb) to trade up.  In 13 yrs, she got her doctorate, reached full prof, and had 3 kids (& is still married).  She thinks well of L – wanted to reassure us he’d be publishing physics papers, in physics journals, and would find wk in physics.  I said my Dad, who Leon was named for, was an elect engineer, and I was proud of L.

(wanted to not take too much time of hers or embarrass L).  Keep remembering the Mom who hugged S and asked him to take care of her (freshman) child.

Anyway, then S went back to the Chazan mus.  L walked me to the bookstore where I bought a Sue Grafton (she’d been on NPR – I don’t know why I’d been avoiding her books all these years), and the letters of Mme de Sevigne, and an Economist.  We met up at the hotel and soon started to Graze, where physics friends of L’s had assembled:  Alex & Megan (fr MA), John, Sarah & Lennox (5 mo old & teething) Phil, Ian.  We were a merry group.

Alex had stories of his parents, who had wilted on a 30 mi bike ride they’d proposed on a hot day.  When Megan’s Dad met her major prof, he said “thank you for taking care of my little girl”.

We went to see L’s apt – 3 rooms – BR w/ a trin bed & desk w/ computer (only chair that wasn’t covered w/ stuff).  LR has 2 bikes, skiis, ice fishing gear, tables and chairs & couch covered w/ STUFF.  S took a pic of L w/ huge ice-fishing drill (my cell phone had died by then).  

Anyway, I hugged & kissed L and we headed back to the hotel.  

S drove us to the airport next AM.  I got to my flight – arrived w/ maybe 20 min to get from Concourse F to C but MADE IT and so did my bag.  I was v. impressed.  

S had a horrible time getting back from Chicago to Phila – 3 successive flights he was booked on were cancelled (one took off but turned back), and he didn’t get in until evening.

A picked me up at the SF airport and took me to hotel (Stanford Court, again, on Nob Hill).  Bertha’s (that’s A’s 2000 hand-me-down Subaru) back door wouldn’t open – she’s getting old & wheezy – the steep hills make me v. nervous.

Thurs aft 10/17 & Friday 10/18 in SF

10/17/2013:  SF seems like another world.  I didn’t realize the cold fog of summer lifts in the fall – clear blue skies and warm.  We walked along the Embarcadero, stopped & had a drink in a waterfront cafe, walked through the Ferry Bldg, where I spent a ridiculous amt picking out heirloom dried beans (and an accompanying cookbook, of course) & having them shipped.  Beautiful sunshine.

We walked into Chinatown & at at ZY Restaurant, which had vg cold house noodles & chicken w/ hot peppers (I just looked it up on Zagats – it had good rating –my main criterion had been that it was v. busy & had lots of Chinese clients.  Food so spicy my feet curled (happily))

10/18/2013 A wanted to wk out at the gym today, so I got up, trotted for 20 min on a treadmill watching first a news show, then a show abt picking out the perfect wedding dress, breakfasted, wrote in diary for a while, till A picked me up at 11:30. 

 

We headed down to visit Ben (goodness, the link shows a news story abt Ben’s departing Google for FB) at Facebook for lunch.  A had been a little late picking me up, and then there was a traffic jam on 101, so we were 45 min late (A alternately texting Ben as he drove (I sent one text from A’s phone, that I thought was admirably worded & punctuated given how we were bouncing around, but A said not a v. high threshold).  Ben v. affable, and a good listener (he’s also grown about a foot since I saw him last).  There are screens to sign in on (that ask for name & email).  I was slow because I’d taken off my reading glasses to hug Ben, and then forgot where I’d stashed them.  Ben took us to the cafeteria – which had vg and v healthy (free) food.  I had steamed pea tendrils, multi-colored carrots and some kind of portobello glop, washed down w/ water w/ fruit essence.  

A talked abt work, we talked about what ailed healthcare.gov.  I asked about Ben’s work, which is monitoring the stability and performance of FB.  He took us on a quick tour of a bunch of buildings, which are like a fort – they’re open on the campus side,  which holds multiple free food options, a coffee cafe, a woodworking shop, a print shop.  

Ben walked us out, and A and I set off for the Cantor Art Center in Stanford.  Huge painting of the Stanfords on the lawn in spring.  Leland died of typhoid in Europe.  V. odd portrait of Mrs. Stanford’s jewels, ultimately donated to Stanford to buy books.  V. impressive Asian religious art, also Micronesia.

Conv in the car abt Alex’s family.  She’s doing the tailgate at tomorrow’s Stanford game, which involves a trailer with grill, furniture, tent, alcohol.  The family invited me (A was originally supposed to help Alex, before he remembered I was coming), but A & Alex thought far wiser to introduce parents when S present to provide non-partisan conversation. (And of course I wouldn’t understand a thing that was happening).

Alex’s Dad is the 2^nd oldest of 4.  A gave him Nate Silver’s book for Xmas, he read it & they talked about.

Alex’s Dad is up shooting game (it’s the opening of some hunting season) and will fly down for the Stanford homecoming game – the family always tailgates.  They host 50+ people.  When Stanford played the Oregon Ducks, Alex cooked roast ducks Chinese style & hung them from the tent.  I was awed.

I took Alex & A out to a v nice Italian place (whose name escapes me) – had tomatoes with a cheese that’s a combination of mozzarella + cream (burrata) .  Quail and then an excellent hazelnut dessert.

Saturday 10/19 in SF

11/19/2013:  I’d proposed hosting Ben, Becca & Katherine (Ben’s girlfriend & classmate of Becca’s at Stanford law), Alex & A for dinner – Sat AM it occurred to me I should make a reservation.  Open table didn’t get me v. far (it being Sat AM and I was trying to find a nice place for Sat night for a party of 6 around 7 PM)—asked the concierge to help.  She gave me a list of SF places (and Alex had suggested some in Palo Alto)—Becca & Katherine were too busy w/ schoolwork to come – I found a resv in Palo Alto, and Ben counter-proposed the Mayfield bakery & cafe.

We met Claire (a friend of A’s from Carleton – he stayed w/ her family for a couple months when he first arrived in SF and still goes weekly for Sunday dinner) for lunch & went to a gluten-free Venezualan place in her neighborhood (only in SF)—v good spicy sandwich on corn bread & plantain & taro chips.  Then we went to a vg cafe for coffee and sat outside, savoring it)

A & I went to the Asian Art Institute – just overwhelming.  I’ll post pictures rather than rave on.  After a few hours, I couldn’t take in any more, went to the gift shop & wound up in the cafe.

We went back to A’s place for a little (so I could recharge my phone)—not cluttered at all (A pointed out that L had set the bar pretty low) – he shares the house w/ 2 other men, one a teacher & the other a graphic artist.

Dinner was nice, but I was running out of steam, and sometimes conversation flagged.  Alex was checking her phone under the table intermittently & Ben was checking his openly.  We all hugged & A drove me back to the hotel (by then it was about 11).  I kept waking up in the night, nervous I’d sleep through my 5 AM wake-up call (I had alarms set on my bb AND my cell phone, in addition to a call from the front desk), but of course I woke up in time and trip home was uneventful.

Feel bad not to have taken a picture of Alex & Aaron--the one below is from Mom's birthday

 

Walking this morning, I twisted my ankle on a rock & fell, so am kind of sore but nothing broken or sprained.