Articles by mgedwards

The tragedy of Katrina's aftermath

The Hurricane Katrina disaster seems so far away, yet it remains close in my mind.  Information about the aftermath and disaster recovery effort has sketchy here in Seoul, except for what I can glean from the Internet and cable television.  Today the disaster touched me in a small way.  I put together a list of disaster recovery organizations and contact information Americans in Korea can use to locate loved ones possibly affected by the disaster.  Some Americans have inquired about the relief effort, and the resource list I put together will hopefully be helpful to those who are in Korea but are concerned about the hurricane’s aftermath.
 
This tragedy is such a shame.  The sheer numbers in terms of potential victims and costs to rebuild New Orleans and Gulf Coast is staggering.  The ultimate impact of this natural disaster may exceed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Andrew, and the 1906 San Francisco Fire.  It conjures memories of the 1900 Galveston, Texas hurricane that leveled the city and is still considered by many to be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.  Those who perished in the hurricane or its aftermath could number in the thousands.  Yesterday, the mayor of New Orleans estimated that 80% of the city is flooded with water.  Risk Management Solutions, a catastrophic risk-modeling firm, estimated today that the economic cost of the disaster could be as high as $100 billion.  Swiss Re, a reinsurer, estimated that the insurance claims associated with the disaster could be as much as $20 billion, a figure similar to the estimated loss caused by 9/11.    The Superdome, host to a handful of Superbowls in years past, is now virtually uninhabitable and could be demolished.  In fact, each day it looks more and more like large sections of the city will have to be completely rebuilt.  Some experts have estimated that it may take as long as six months to completely drain the city and years to rebuild it.  I often think that the media exaggerates news to hype news stories, but the disaster footage I’ve seen leaves little doubt that the situation on the ground is far more serious than what the news is portraying.  I had the same feeling when I read about the Tsunami that devastated Asia and Africa in December 2004.  It’s hard to exaggerate reporting on the aftermath of natural disasters with a magnitude as immense at Hurricane Katrina.
 
I don’t know anyone who lives on the Gulf Coast or in New Orleans, but my sympathies go out to everyone who lost a loved one there, or lost their home, or are dodging bullets and looting, or sitting on roofs waiting to be rescued without food or water, or struggling to cram into large arenas converted into makeshift shelters.  I cannot even imagine what it must be like living through the hell that my fellow Americans are going through in this disaster.  I imagine that many survivors of Hurricane Katrina felt the same way as they watched in horror as imagines of disaster relief in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other areas hard hit by the Tsunami flashed across their screens.  Less than one year later, disaster unexpectedly strikes again with fury.  I cannot even imagine what it must be like for the survivors who have to endure high daylight temperatures, surrounded by devastation.  It makes me wonder whether an unforeseen disaster will someday cross my own path.  It reminds me to remain viligent.  Sometimes we can’t control our circumstances, but it doesn’t hurt to try.  In the meantime, I hope my family and I never have to go through what the people of the Gulf Coast must face.
 
Blog note:  My family and I will head to Seoraksan National Park tomorrow for a couple of days.  Although we will stay at a hotel (no, no camping unfortunately), I don’t know if I will have Internet access.  I’ll post another blog entry as soon as I can.  I should hopefully have some great pictures for you too.

Family visit

My thoughts on Hurricane Katrina will have to wait for another day.  I’m just too tired tonight to write a coherent dialogue about the tragedy in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  I hope that all affected by this disaster will be able to recover as soon as possible despite such devastation.  My thoughts also go out to the many families in Iraq who lost loved ones during the recent stampede in Baghdad. 
 
Today my sister-in-law arrived from Shanghai with her three-year-old son.  Unfortunately, my brother-in-law could not join her on this trip because he’s too busy holding down two jobs (he works at a hospital and also runs his own medical supplies business).  My sister-in-law and her son were fortunate to qualify for a Korean visa.  We’ve wanted them to come visit us for a long time, but they could never qualify for a U.S. tourist visa.  It wasn’t until we came to Korea that they qualified for a visa.  They just haven’t been able to overcome the suspicion that they intend to immigrate to the U.S. from China, in spite of the fact that I know they have no plans to do so.  I’m hoping that once they’ve traveled outside China and returned home, they will be in better shape to qualify for a U.S. visa in the future.
 
My wife’s family will be here for two weeks staying with us.  They are our first family guests.  We may not have more until next year, when my family plans to make a trip to see us in Korea.  It’s great to see them.  I have not seen my sister in law since 2002 when I visited Shanghai.  Much has happened since then.  Our son was not yet born, and her son was less than one year old.  Today was the first time either of them had ridden on an airplane or traveled outside of China.  When I asked my sister-in-law what she initially thought of Korea, she responded, "It looks a lot like China."  Yes, I can see that.  She has not yet seen much of this place, though.  Korea is similar to China in some respects, but I think it is very different in subtle ways.  Although her son is learning English at a tender age, neither my nephew nor my sister-in-law speak much English.  For me, that’s a good thing because it gives me a chance to practice my Chinese.  My Chinese really isn’t too bad, although I make many grammatical and tonal mistakes.  My Chinese is definitely much better than my Korean, although my test scores say that my skill in both languages is comparable.  I know better.  I can practice Chinese now to my heart’s content.  I feel that I know it well enough to care on a good conversation about substantial topics such as the Taiwan issue with my sister-in-law.  They need exposure to English too, but for now I don’t mind speaking Chinese at all.
 
During her two weeks in Korea, we will remain Seoul for much of the time.  Next Saturday, we will travel to Seorak-san National Park to see one of the most beautiful places in Korea.  We will also visit Sokcho and the East Coast.  The following weekend, we will make a pilgrimage to Yongpyong Ski Resort, the future centerpiece of the 2014 Olympics (my prediction), and the primary setting for the blockbuster Korean drama, "Winter Sonata."  My sister-in-law, like my wife, is a Korean drama fan and a "Winter Sonata" fanatic.  I guess it does run in the family!

Hooker Hill

I didn’t go to Pusan today as planned.  Instead, I made quite an unexpected detour to an infamous place in Seoul–"Hooker Hill," a narrow alleyway one block south of Itaewon’s main drag.  You can guess why they call it "Hooker Hill."  Yes, work took me there, and no, it is not a place I frequent.  I had to go there to secure some belongings for an American who had been staying there but could not retrieve their personal belongings.  I went with a Korean colleague who helped me with Korean translation.  We found the "hotel," a seedy place set back from the small bars lining both sides of the street, most of which really serve as fronts for prostitution.  Sure, you can order beer there.  But the couches and back rooms give away their other services.  The bars feature a variety of English names, including "Club Friend," "Grand Ole Opry," and "Texas Bar."  "Hooker Hill" is not the only Red Light District in Korea, let alone Seoul, but it is the one most frequented by foreigners.
 
My colleague and I waited on the Hill for a couple of hours until it was late enough for the establishments along the street to open (most clientele come in the evening and at night).  The "ajuma," an older lady who owned this particular hotel was not there when we arrived, and we had to talk to neighboring businesses to find that she usually arrived each night around 6 p.m.  We stood near the top of the hill, looking down at the two-block length of street lined with a hodge podge of bars and brothels featuring dated, kitschy decor.  After 5 o’clock, a couple of the scantily-clad "hostesses" came out of some of the bars to wait at the door for clientele to pass by.  I definitely felt out of place loitering across from the hotel, dressed in a suit, not far from where the hostesses waited.  Military police occasionally wander the Hill looking for GIs who break the rules and go to "off-limits" establishments, so it’s not uncommon to see official-looking people hanging out at the Hill.  I wasn’t wearing a uniform, but I imagine that not too many men who frequent Hooker Hill come wearing a business suit.
 
Sure enough, around 6 p.m. the ajuma arrived.  We talked to her and explained her in a mixture of English and Korean that we were there to retrieve someone’s belongings.  She knew who we were talking about and dug out a couple of suitcases that had been put into storage.  (The American had left behind their belongings and had been absent for several weeks–fortunately, the ajuma had not thrown them away.  I think she was holding them as colleteral.)  The ajuma voluntarily gave us the luggage so we could give them back to the American.  Mission accomplished.  We left soon thereafter with our prize.  The outing gave me a chance to legitimately visit a place that you hear about from time to time in foreign conversations about Seoul.  Most people, especially men, won’t admit to visiting "Hooker Hill," even just to look around, because they don’t want to be accused of impropriety.  My two hours on the Hill, surveying this place, gave me a chance to observe a side of life that is so different from my own.  I really didn’t know what to think.  Men and women, old and young, involved in one of the world’s oldest professions, a carefully orchestrated business where clientele are willing to pay big bucks, and workers are willing to do just about anything to earn big bucks.  Fascinating.