It only seems fair that with all Korea has
taught me about the Orient and its customs, cultures, and traditions and has given me in life experiences that I reciprocate whenever possible. Well, it appears that I may have just that
opportunity.
As
of this writing, South Korea is currently staring down the barrel of Typhoon
Bolaven, presently a category 3 storm project to reach level 4 by
tomorrow. The good news, for those who
do not know, is that hurricanes can't sustain such a powerful level for very
long before collapsing in on themselves.
Landfall is project for Monday as a category 3 which is
still quite an impressive storm and unfortunately Busan will be on the East
side of the eye (the stronger part of storm).
Although I’m no longer residing in southern Louisiana it’s no excuse to not keep with tradition. It's my duty… nay, privilege…as a good
ol' boy from the South to educate Koreans on the time-honored tradition that is
the hurricane party. While supplies such
as batteries, candles, and jugs of water are readily available, they do seem
short on the essentials. I can’t seem to find shrimp boots, a pirogue,
Budweiser, and Crown Royal anywhere. No problem, I'll make due.
Koreans in Busan are no strangers
to the rain during the months of July and August. This is the rainy season and living on the
coast exposes the city to numerous squalls.
They are, in turn, well-equipped with designer rain boots but it doesn’t
appear that anyone subscribes to Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous theory of form
following function, which may be why shrimp or hip boots are scarce.
As a mode of transportation through
newly flooded, once dry land, nothing beats a pirogue. Believe it or not these are also scant. I’ll continue to search but if it doesn’t
prove fruitful I may have to resort to one of these…
Without Bud or Crown to fuel the
decision making during the hurricane party, one might wonder, “How are you ever
to survive?” This will have to be the
experiment to see how Sapporo beer and of course, Soju work in aiding attending
partiers.
There will be no need to find
higher ground as I am on the 4 floor of my apartment complex. If need be, I’ll make my way onto the
roof. All that’s left to find is soap
and as many yards of Visqueen as possible for the slip-n-slide I intend to
unroll in the courtyard of the university I live near. And a skimboard.
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