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Quarantine, Week 1
A story in photos, a journey of meals. My heart’s desire was simple: all I wanted was to eat radish kimchi, malatang (spicy numbing Chinese soup), and 물냉면 (spicy buckwheat noodles on ice)— and that I did. I just have a thing for red, I guess. Sponsored by: my very worth-it Coupang membership and Korea’s robust love for and commitment to food delivery.
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December 31, NYE
I’ll be honest: my goal for the day was to receive my Coupang groceries and that dominated my mind. I only realized it was in fact New Year’s Eve when a very sweet woman from the local health center called to confirm my address and remind me that they have holiday hours tomorrow when I come in for my in-country COVID test. Maybe I should have wished her happy New Year then. The bulk of my 2020 introspection came to me on the plane since quarantine limbo has kept me concerned with living day to day and ordering delivery. Nevertheless, 2020 is winding to a close, the bitter end, and…
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December 30, Back again (again)
This goodbye was much harder than the last and I’ll miss my family terribly. I look forward to visiting again soon and doing all the American things I can’t do here. Korea welcomed me with below freezing weather. It was strange to touch down in the sense that everything was still different (Koreans everywhere! Bidets!) and yet felt not a bit unsettling as it had the first few times. The procedures required between disembarking and freedom encapsulated Asia Time no less than I expected. Army boys helped me install the quarantine app. At the next station I dropped my document binder twice, dumping all my papers over the feet of…