Global Plumbing

In my travels I have learned that plumbing, primarily bathroom facilities, come in different variations around the world. Sometimes language is a problem. When I was with a group of Americans at a Korean place of business there came a time when we had to ask where the “Facilities” were. So, what English word would you use to ask some Koreans with limited English language skills, "Where is the (fill in the blank)?" I’ll give you a hint “rest room” does not work. As a matter of fact I was visiting their onsite medical facility, basically a small hospital, and I saw a room with the words Rest Room on the door. So I stuck my head in and what did I see, a small room with a bed in it. That makes sense to me. So what English word do Koreans use to describe a small room with a toilet in it? I’m not telling, you will have to find out your self when you come to Korea.

Back at the hotel, it is always a challenge to try and figure out the shower controls without scalding yourself. Whatever you know about hot on the left, cold on the right, right is off, left is on, forget it. It may not be true. I just get in the shower, with my glasses on, and figure it out.

I’ve always been fortunate to visit countries with modern infrastructures; you know the basics, water, electricity, flush toilets etc. But my room in Korea had something I had not seen before. It had a toilet that had a control panel that looked like it belonged on a Maytag washing machine. I’ve seen toilets with a “washing system” but never one with an electronic control panel. Did I mention I was staying at the Samsung Hotel? It had buttons, lights and controls like “Water Temp”, “Wash”, and “Dry”. I can tell you that it is a nice alternative for "John Wayne" toilet paper. (Ruff, Tough, and doesn’t take nothing off anybody.)

I think my bathroom at home is due a remodel.

당신 좋아한다 그것을 가진 튀김을 하고자 했는가? (Would you like Fries with that?)

In the past ten months I done a lot of traveling, I’ve been to Akron, Ohio; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Oslo, Norway; Dubia, United Emirates; Posan, Korea; Ulsan, Korea and in a few days, Yantai, China.

In my travels I’ve gotten a good education. The first thing I already new but only on faith but now I know through experience that Texas is home.

The second thing that I learned was something I thought I knew then I found out I was wrong. If I were to ask you, “What is the most common food in the world?” you might have believed as I did that the correct answer is “Rice”.

In volume, rice probably is the most common food available in the world, but I have learned that most consistently available food around the world with very little variation is a Big Mac from McDonalds. I’ve seen the Golden Arches everywhere I’ve been and many times a Burger King nearby and occasionally a Pizza Hut.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have seldom darkened the door of a McDonalds. I don’t really like their burgers and if I’m going to eat a fast food hamburger it’s going to be a cheeseburger with jalapenos from Whataburger, that great burger chain based in Corpus Christi, Texas since 1952.

At home I’ve not been to a McDonalds in years but when I travel overseas I usually eat at McDonalds at least once. The reason I do is because when you are in a foreign land there is something about those golden arches and a Big Mac in a box that reminds me of home. Step into a McDonalds off a street in Ulsan, Korea and you will see the same signage and goofy cartoon characters that you would see in Anycity, U.S.A.

It is kind of sad that the U.S. exports to the world some of the unhealthiest food in the world, but then we have also developed and exported the latest technology in heart bypass surgery.

We’ve had a lot of experience in both areas.

Chopsticks

Our Korean host took us to fine Chinese Restaurant on the top floor of the Hyundai Department store in Ulsan, Korea. The table was finely set with white linens, small white teacup, a large spoon and a pair of chopsticks.

Our server came out and served steaming hot tea that was about the color of a brown chicken egg, just a little bit of brown color to it. It was almost too hot to drink but I drank it. Then out came a small bowl of what I would call “relish” but not finely chopped.

I’ve always been taught to use the right tool for job, don’t use a pipe wrench for a hammer (unless you just can’t resist), don’t use a screw driver for a pry bar, and don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. That said, I picked up my chopsticks attempted to eat my “relish” and although the young man sitting next to me was thoroughly entertained with my lack of chopstick skill, I thought I did well.

The next course was a bowl of “stuff” which contents was not fully known to me, except for some small shrimp. As I pick through the different bits and pieces with my chopsticks there were some black pieces that I could not pick up. I notice that my colleague, who had lived many years in the Far East, was not eating the black pieces, so I quit trying. We discussed each course in an educational sort of way and the conversations turned to the black pieces. I don’t remember the Korean name for the black pieces but I think loosely translated it means, “One who eats off the bottom of the fish bowl”. I don’t think that it was catfish.

The dishes, I think there were eight courses, became more difficult for me to manage with what I regarded as an improper tool, chopsticks, but I was pretty determined to complete the meal in a traditional manner. Sometime during the long meal I think my gracious Korean host must have signaled the server because she brought me a fork and a “Coke Light”.

It was a wonderful meal with new friends. Even with the language barrier we got to know each other much better.

End of a Long Day

When the call was made to board Continental Flight 7 non-stop from Houston to Tokyo, we all scurried down the ramp as if it were a one-hour flight to Dallas. It was as if we could not wait to sit down for the 13 hours. In the end, a dead end I might add, we could not wait to get off that plane.

The passengers of Flight 7 to Tokyo, was a unique mix of businessmen from the Far East and Texas good ole boys complete with gimmie hats. In a very small area of a very big Boeing 777 I saw one University of Texas cap, two Texas Tech University caps and one Acme seed cap. What are these guys doing on this plane? It’s not the Southwest Airline non-stop to Midland.

On the Boeing 777 if you removed the seats and the partitions it’s not quite big enough for a Rodeo but I do believe it could host a six-man football game between Penelope and Abbott.

I had an on time arrival in Tokyo and was exhausted. The realization that the day was far from over made my fatigue wear like a heavy lead coat, slowing every move. I have a four-hour layover and I’m trying to stay awake. I boarded Northwest Flight 6 to Pusan, Korea with a different mix of passengers. Asian businessmen, Korean citizens returning from Holiday, and teenage Korean girls returning home from a school event, this was what I expected when I left Houston. The seat next to me was empty until a group of Americans from a delayed flight out of Los Angeles boarded the plane. The passenger next to me had left Katy, Texas about the same time I had. He was also wearing a lead coat.

I arrived at the Pusan airport and as I was going through customs I came to the realization that in the general scheme of things in this world people come in all sizes…and I am a big guy.

The Pusan Lotte Hotel is very nice but all I want to see now is the insides of my eyelids.

…more later.