Mom & Dad Visit Korea! (Part 2)

On Sunday, I took my parents to Songtan, where Osan Airbase is. My mother had been shopping there 17 years ago and wanted to see how the area had changed. Dad had been there during his military service about as long ago.

Mom said the main street in Songtan was a dirt road with open sewage drains when she was there last. She recalls that the stores would pile products on tables or in bins for shoppers to dig through while searching for a bargain. She said it was a real adventure back then.

These days, things have changed. The main street is paved with stones, there are benches to sit on, McDonalds, KFC, and generally is designed like the European "walking streets" mom has seen in Sweden in recent trips.


This is a photo of the front gate of Osan Airbase. Dad says it has been rebuilt. There's not doubt that the military has invested in the development of the area since the military personel and families depend on the area for nightlife and shopping.


This is the next gate you will see coming out of the military base. The name of this area is now called the Shinjang Shopping Mall.


Here is the Daehung Hotel. Mom says this is where we stayed when we visited dad while he was in service. It's located just around the corner from the main gate of Osan Airbase.


Here is a long view of the shopping mall. As you can see, it's designed for pedestrian traffic.


Yes, that is a real dog in that man's pocket.


I took mom and dad to eat a Korean barbeque dinner. This is a meal that is grilled in front of you while you eat. We ate the beef version. It's a little more expensive, but a lot more tastier!


Here is a picture of what dad put together. They way you eat this meal is you simply eat the meat off of the grill as it cooks or fill a piece of lettuce with stuff from the table and eat it whole. Looks like dad has combined beef, rice, kimchi, and probably a piece of grilled garlic at the bottom. Delicious!

I wish I had taken a picture... but I didn't when I had the chance. While we were eating, a really drunk middle-aged Korean man came to our table to say hello. It's really common in Korea for people to approach you and ask you the same questions like: Where are you from? Do you like kimchi? What is your job? Etc. It can be annoying because it usually seems like they just want to practice speaking English and don't really respect your privacy. Anyway, on our way out of the restaurant, I saw this particular Korean man hiding behind a parked car vomitting his dinner.

Cheers!