The Korea National Museum.

I did it.  I put myself out there today.  I'm now open for rejection.  Like making that first call to a crush and hoping they'll call you back.  The ends of every nerve tingling...waiting for a response and ready to jump towards the phone the minute it rings.  Your logical brain arguing with your nervous system to calm the ef down - it's likely to be a long (if not disappointing) wait.

Only thing is, I'm not waiting for a boy to call.  I'm waiting for Annie the tour guide to email me back.

Let me explain.

It all started with the Korea National Museum, a coupon, and their special exhibit.  See, I'm a sucker for a coupon - and a 20% discount for a special exhibition boasting a title "Princely Treasures:  European Masterpieces 1600-1800 from the Victoria and Albert Museum" draws me like a hipster to PBR.  Besides, I'd just started to feel comfortable using the subways and each little train trip was like boasting to myself I CAN DO THIS - I REALLY CAN!

Before rewarding myself with the Victoria and Albert pieces, I was going to do the right thing and get culturally educated by taking the 10:30 English guided tour about the most important pieces of the permanent Korean collection.  I was told where to stand and wait for my tour guide...the only one waiting at the designated spot in the huge, beautiful lobby.  When Annie arrived, I was embarassed to be the sole tourist taking up her time - I apologized profusely and offered to wander around by myself.  Not only did she refuse my offer to let her off the hook, but she proceeded to give me the most amazing museum tour I've had.  We bantered about Frank Lloyd Wright versus traditional hanok and the relative benefits and similarities of the world's major religions as Annie led me across the marble floors in her silver lame heels, couture dress, and open grey suit jacket.  With heels on, Annie and I were eye to eye as I tromped along in my Converse sneakers.  Did I mention that she worked for an international company, traveled the world, has a daughter my age who also wants to live in New York and avoids wearing heels, and in her retirement chooses to volunteer as a tour guide to benefit poor shmucks like me?

As we walked, the tenor of our interactions progressed from Annie insisting I email her if I needed anything or had any questions about Seoul to  ->  me suggesting we should get together for coffee sometime to  ->  Annie offering to take me out to dinner to  ->  me insisting that I buy HER dinner as she had done all the work of being the tour guide ("Oh, no," she replied, "I buy.  I think I am richer than you."  We both laughed at her wisdom.) to  ->  her inviting me to her house for dinner.  When the tour ended, I walked away with Annie's phone number and email address and a bounce in my step that hadn't been there since leaving Wisconsin.

In case you're interested, here's the website for the Korea National Museum.  Not only is it the 6th largest museum in the world, but it's another great reason you should come visit.

http://www.museum.go.kr/main/index/index002.jsp

Here are some highlights from the museum:

Big enough to cover the side of a building and on SILK!  The colors were so much more luscious than the photo reveals.

10-story marble pagoda from 1348...Japan stole it, then Korea got it back - can you imagine shipping this beast?

I gasped audibly when I entered the room and saw this Buddha.  Kind of embarrassing, but I don't think he minded.

Just trying to fit in over here...

Pensive Bodhisattva - the most amazing piece in my eyes that day.  Seriously, add this to your bucket list as something to see in person if you're a lover of art.  It's only 36" tall, but I kept wanting to circle around and admire it minute after minute after minute.  It's something like a millimeter or two thick as far as the walls of the sculpture...completely hollow...and yet so fluid it looks as if the little dude might get up and walk away at any minute.

More intriguing than the Mona Lisa.  I know them's fighin' words - bring it on, peeps!

Ceramic bunnies!  Little ceramic bunnies!  Can you find them?

More vegetable bibimbap!  I tried to order the octopus version, but they were out.  Bummer.

The museum also has extensive outdoor gardens with works of art, tomb markers, and pagodas.

Dragon Falls - protected from wanderers by a lovely decorative fence.

Dragon Falls again!  I didn't notice the symmetry until I looked at the photos at home.

Reflection Pond

All that dignified cultural enrichment makes a Ricki hungry...so I headed for some street food.

Check out the sign above their truck.  How could whatever they're selling NOT be good?

Yum!  Baked, crispy and hot on the outside - sweet, cinnamon-y goodness on the inside.

I couldn't figure out how this treat was created, so I sat on a bench and watched a little while.  First he would make balls of dough.  After stuffing some cinnamon-looking mixture in the middle, he would twist it closed (you can kind of see him doing that here).  Then he would roll the ball into a pancake shape, slap it into one of the flat cookers up above, wait for it to brown, then take it out.  He had about 8 burners going at once - as soon as anyone would come out, another customer would be waiting to buy it.  He was busy.

There's an interesting lack of photos here regarding the Victoria and Albert collection, don't you think?  You see, it seems that the history and culture and art of Korea kind of kicked the Europeans' collective figurative ass today...which is something I never expected to think OR say.  I have a feeling that this is just one of many dominoes to fall in a little domino design I'd like to call "Look at How Awesome Asia is and Boy Were You Silly Enough Not to Notice".  In fact, doesn't life seem to show us things eerily suited to contradict statements or thoughts we've claimed as absolute fact in the past?

Self:  I'll never be one of those people who have failed marriages.  I am college educated and I believe in marriage therapy and I am generally a good person - the 50% failure rate of marriages in the US is such a shame for those other people, don't you think?

Universe:  A cocky little thing, ain't you?  Let's see...a divorced woman living with her cat.  That seems ironic and funny.  Let's make that happen.

Self:  After two years of chronic pain, I give up.  I'm never going to belly dance again, I have a ruptured disc in my lower back, and after 6 specialists and 3 physical therapists, I'm obviously never going to get better.

Universe:  Hmmm...that doesn't sound like much fun.  Instead, let's put in motion some lovely nature walks.  And throw in an amazing yoga teacher.  Yada yada yada...pretty soon, it's the best shape of your life - seriously, you're down to your high school weight - and the most body confidence and athletic ability you've ever had.  Bloody good fun.

Self:  I'm not really that interested in Asian culture.  I mean, English castles and royal bloodlines racked by insanity are just so cool...plus, there's all sorts of fun American history and those Mayans were pretty wild.  No offense or anything, very large area of the world, I've just never been motivated to learn a whole lot about what you've got goin' on.

Universe:  A little Western-culture-centric, are we?  Hallo, Governor Walker, how do you do?  Press down the weight of those student loans a bit.  Oh, wait - here's a job offer by an International school in Seoul that will lead to paying off your student loans eight years earlier.  Throw in Annie at the Korea National Museum, and my job here is done.

Don't ask me why, but I kept hearing an English accent while writing the voice of the Universe.  Go figure.

Now if Annie could just call me back, that'd be great.  I'll be here waiting by the phone...