Will you forgive me?

For another picture post? I’m typing this fresh from the sauna, steamed, soaped and scrubbed to within an inch of my life, shiny as new penny. But. But it is almost midnight here in Seoul and I’d like to go to sleep please. 

I’ll tell you some things I noticed at the sauna that I thought you might enjoy: 

1. In the women’s only area, where women lie in baths or sit in rows on little stools and scrub themselves, there is a wee parlour. It has pictures of herbs in the window, beautiful lacquered chairs, tiny little tables. I approach the woman. ‘Tea?’ I hopefully pinch my thumb and fingers together at my mouth and twist my wrist (universal tea sign language). Nope. The lady points to my nethers. That little parlour is for ‘hip baths’ in which in which you sit akimbo over a big bowl of steaming herbs and let the smoke and steam drift up into your ‘hips’. No cup of tea for me then.

2. Downstairs there’s a row of massage chairs. I bloody love massage chairs. And so I settle back, close my eyes, surrender to the pummel…but wait, what’s that? Can it be…snoring? I angle slightly and see a man in the dark recess behind the row of chairs, curled and sleeping sweet and vulnerable as a baby. 

3. A little toddler with bobbed hair thumping each of her ma’s buttocks one after the other like a punching bag. I think she thought she was giving a massage.

So, that’s the word on the street from the place of steam and water. What of the real world?

Well, I said my goodbyes - regretfully - to Gongju. On my last day I wandered the market and ate some ‘fish bread’ (waffles filled with sweet red bean paste) and then had dinner with Mrs Kim, Julia and Mr Joe from Ui-Dang Elementary. It was a lovely way to say goodbye to a place that will stay with me…

Then I came back to the neon streaked bustle of Seoul. I’m staying at Seoul Art Space - Yeonhui. I have an apartment with an actual office and it’s right in the heart of the (ridiculously cool) university district. Somehow despite being in the centre of the bustle they’ve made it feel like summer camp. There are reading nooks everywhere, trails, a little outdoor theatre for readings. This morning I had my breakfast here outside my wee flat:

They’ve also a little dog. I was told his name but then forgot. I’ve called him K-Pop. I bring him treats and he brings me tail wags…

Today I went and did a almost-six miler run along the mighty Han River. It was so beautiful, the sun shimmering on the water, wild flowers and walking and cycling paths one side, the soaring skyline on the other bank:

Afterwards I ate some chips and wandered the streets for a while. There is so much to see all of the time, my head can’t keep it all in so I can only hope it’s gradually ‘seeping’ somehow…

And now I am home and ready for sleep. Tomorrow I walk and write and eat and try somehow to cram as much of this extrodinary city into my head as I possibly can. Night, night.

********************************************************************************

Also: THIS. You can do it for any but I’d really like it if you do it for mine.