Agent Bristow in Seoul

Every time I enter my apartment building here at Seoul National University, it's as though I'm transported into one of my favorite TV shows from a few years ago:

One minute I'm just walking home from work, and then -- BOOM! -- like magic, I'm a covert operative going through ridiculous security checks.

You remember the scene, of course, from the intro of every episode: Agent Sydney Bristow enters SD-6's Credit Dauphine Building, passing through a stark white room, which then flashes red, and then white again.

It's very cool.

OK, so we don't have a white and red flashing room, but the security on the BK International House where we live is pretty dang high tech.

Since there's no chance in hell that you're gonna break into this place, I'll walk you through it. (Unless, of course, your name is Irina Derevko, Arvin Sloane, or Julian Sark, in which case you've likely already broken in, cased the joint, and set up surveillance.)

STEP 1: Type in your 47-digit code. (OK, it's really only 5.)

STEP 2: Using the near-infrared biometric scanner, scan the blood vessels on the back of your hand to gain entry. Yes, you read that correctly: NEAR-INFRARED BIOMETRIC SCANNER!

I kid you not. Just to get into the building! (And for those of you who related best to Marshall's character in the show, here and here are some links related to the technology involved.)

STEP 3: Push the call button for the video connection to the view screen inside to be allowed in. (Or code in 100-digit binary-coded password that you only have 30 seconds to memorize!)

Finally, just because I know it'll embarrass her, here's a photo of my dear wife dressed up as Sidney Bristow from Halloween 2005.

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And for the record, season 5 sucked.

At the summit...

Hiking is quite the popular hobby in Korea.

And who's surprised? If you lived in a major metropolitan region such as Seoul (with its metropolitan region boasting around 25 million people), wouldn't you too want to escape the concrete and glass to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, exploring trail after trail on the many craggy, wooded mountains that surround the city?

Just think... all that time alone.

The peace.

The solitude.

Just you and nature.

And when you reach the summit, sure, you'll be able to see Seoul spread down below you, but it will just be you, the black-and-white flash of an Asian magpie winging by, perhaps a squirrel chattering in a scraggly pine, and the mountain breeze whistling through your hair.

Oh, yeah, and approximately half of that 25 million people of Seoul:

Told you hiking was popular!

(P.S. Please note that the average age for hikers is well over 40! And people wonder why Koreans stay so trim and fit.)

I'm Huge... (part XI)

I'm huge (and blurry, apparently) in Korea!

[For all in the "I'm Huge in Korea" Series, click HERE.]

Insadong

This weekend we went shopping in Insadong with my cousin Carolyn and several other friends. Here is some of what Insadong has to offer:

An amazing lunch

All sorts of herbs for teas. I got the "jak-seol-cha," or loose leaf green tea:

This is Korean ginseng, an alleged tonic for everything that ails you:

Handmade paper (this picture alone would persuade me to come to Korea):