our awkward and dericious dinner at pyongyang cafe.
i had cognac with my food, something the late mr. kim would have approved. 
bulgogi.
mandu with a view.
the waitresses were all north koreans (allegedly). there were four of them, skinny and well-dressed, watching the fina world championships while they waited on us. the room was equipped with a norebang machine just in case the cognac got out of hand. 
Пхеньян кафе
caviar tastes like soggy skittles with saltwater filling. 
we went for the burger instead.
φoto by elly.
lunch at a north korean-run restaurant in russia.
creatures: 
happy coffee cup.
froggers.
this little piggy.
cup o’ rabbits.
lunch:
chinese food and cold noodles at hong you dan. 
jeonpo catholic church. 
seomyeon central star complex.
우리는 서면에서 냉면을 먹었다. 우리는 에이치앤엠에 갔다. 우리는 공차에서 바블티를 마셨다.
saturday night dinners in ksu. 
pizza by the slice and beer at slice of life.
깻잎전 and 막걸리 at tony’s.
we rent bikes and ride around the city where the deer roam free.
we lunch on things leaf-wrapped and raw. 
we eat while a gang of panhandling, god-sent, japanese deer encircle our position.
we visit todai-ji 東大寺, a buddhist temple built in 752 AD.
we meet the shadowy komokuten 廣目天/광목천. one of the four heavenly kings and ruler of the west.
outside the great buddha hall 大仏殿 we find pindola 賓頭盧 but we refrain from trying his healing powers. from the late edo period.
night falls and we head over to a restaurant for fishcake (오뎅 おでん). 
then tea and tiny japanese deserts. 
makgeolli and its traditional kettle.
tony will likely perform his eyelash-singeing mini flamethrower show if cheese toppings are requested.
the cheese-less, safer, squid tentacle and spring onion pajeon.
we take the mugunghwa to seoul.
¶
itaewon.
i buy 6 books at the what the book bookstore including scary stories to tell in the dark with the original stephen gammell illustration.
i read outliers with some trevi pizza and wine for lunch. pepperoni. quattro formaggi. still the best pizza this or that side of the dmz.
¶
i walk down itaewon-ro in the heart of the american military presence in korea.
i meet some friends on my way to the war memorial museum.
politicians can’t afford to lose face.
turns out they’re having a little protest outside the walls of the yongsan garrison.
turns out not everybody is into gringos or thaads.
¶
the war memorial of korea.
some of the sculptures may inspire you to kick some ass.
missiles. lots.
young children climbing heavy artillery. lots.
ships.
turtle ships.
fighting monks retaking pyongyang castle from the japanese.
¶
sweetie, bear, IU, her boyfriend and i meet up for my thai in itaewon.
across from the restaurant somebody convinced somebody putting a kidnapper-van/bar on top of a building would be a good idea.
we go dancing.
the dance floor is well-stocked with koreans, nigerians, and american gis.
as the clock strikes midnight, a breakdance fight breaks out.
¶
sunday we take the mugunghwa out of seoul. 5 hours later night falls and we’re back in busan.
¶
1800s american presence in korea
buddha’s birthay.
we travel to three temples as it is tradition:
we start in 백연화사 baekyeonhwasa,
we eat bibimbap and watermelon.
under the serene stare of a thousand golden buddhas.
we walk under the shadows of a thousand rainbow lanterns
we travel south to gaya-dong. we hike up to 선암사 seonamgsa.
guardian pets
we sit down to makeoli, tofu and kimchi on an industrial wire spool table.
we drive towards mandeok. up dusty roads. we reach 석불사 sokbulsa hidden up in the hills that divide western and eastern busan.
we play throw-the-coin at the pagoda.
carvings of two heavenly kings and buddhas.
a guardian 獅 .
we ride east. from the road we see western busan, mandeok, deokcheon, the nakdonggang and the floodplains.
we cross the pass into the east of the white city. we find a view of sajik and the yeonsan neighborhood, baesan hill and the distant towers of marine city.
happy birthday buddha,
happy blated bday bob.
girl from the north country fair