That is a puppy...you should not sweep it.

I have a veritable collection of tales from the chronicles of "Sarah Hanka and Faith Taylor mayhem." IT never begun as mayhem or "carnage" (Hanka is flowery with the words...a British trait??) but always seemed to turn out as such.

I will provide the beginning of these tales....where did this duo find themselves in trouble? when did it start? maybe I can trace it back to a logical point...probably not.

Within the first month of Korean shinanagins (eg living in this foreign Asian country) Sarah and myself tried to have a meal. For those taking notes: TRIED is the key word here.

It was our first experience. and we decided on the exploration of Seomyeon. Lemme see if I can explain Seomyeon to the clueless. It is the center of Busan and for the first timer it is a maze of shops, Angel-in-us coffee shops, restaurants with no discernible difference, and did I mention coffee shops? Yeah Korea is caffeinated....a little too caffeinated if you ask me...

Well on our walk: conversation began. The first of many...

"what are you looking to eat mate?"

"food" I said looking at the street surrounding me in confusion. Were people actually selling giant teddy bears as key chains? wouldn't that cause undo hand muscle strain when opening a door? These are the kind of thoughts I think. Scary isn't it?

"well they seem to have that..." Sarah trailed off.I turned in her direction, just in time to see the man in the  Clown mask.


A man with flyers for a "restaurant,"(I put quotes here because I didn't dare venture in) had stepped in our path. His suit glistened in the street light(shiny...) and from his Clown mask a cigarette hung out the mouth opening. I doubled back in terror.

The clown mask wasn't the friendly kind. We aren't talking Bozo. We are talking "IT" tourture clown style.

As I leaned back into Sarah I whispered, "WHAT kind of Marketing technique would you call that?"
truly...I don't remember if I said those exact words, but I most certainly thought them.

I remember him standing in the street light trying to hand me a flyer, my eyes popping out at the very idea. My thoughts circled....Who would follow him to whatever resturant he was serving...why was he dressed like that? It wasn't even close to halloween. What is this strange land called "Korea?" Why is he still leaning forward? Is he trying to scare me into entering his establishment? (I will NOT be bullied.) Why are they selling giant teddy bears as key chains??

There seemed to be no forthcoming revelation. No parting in the clouds. And still now a year later...I feel just as confused as I was on that night.

Questions, Korea....nothing but questions.

So we skipped around him, half running away....laughing to relieve the stress. And found a place to eat...
where we haphazardly pointed at the menu in a whimsical guessing game...and were served..."dinner" Again the quotes.

We were served... the following: 
a glass bowl with ice, decorated with a scant number of peaches and sliced tomatoes.
silk worms
and Kimchi jiage.
total cost: around $20.


beautiful aren't they???

On our way to the second dinner of the evening( Felt a little like a hobbit. )...we were met with a display of animal hawking. (hawking here means selling)

Tiny puppies shivered in the March wind, as a sleepy unemphatic vendor stared after them. Sarah and I stared at the dogs. (Hanka is a big fan and has told me on many occasion that she would rather spend time with a canine than a human. She once compared me to the furry creatures claiming she liked me "as much as" a dog. This is a true Hanka compliment)

After awing at the dogs we heard a scraping sound behind us.

"What is she doing?" Sarah asked.

I turned and saw another woman with a large broom in hand. She was carelessly sweeping the road of litter. At this very moment one of the puppies bounded in her path. Surely, she'd stop her sweeping, or deter her course...No that would be logical. And that was our first mistake. Never assume logic exists.

She proceeded to sweep the puppy along with paper flyers and other litter. The puppy half ran, half tumbled along as being unable to avoid the power of the broom.

Sarah and I turned away in shock.

"Faith, she swept the puppy." Sarah whispered.

"I don't understand." 

"No where in any civilized society do they sweep canines." Sarah contiuned. "That is a puppy. you should not sweep it."