Hi ho, Hi ho

I started working at a law firm here in Seoul almost one week ago, located in one of the central government areas. I would love to say that it is an interesting experience to be in a law firm in another country, but to be honest there has been a baffling lack of anything to do. I am learning more and more about the life of a lawyer though, all of the summer interns had a lunch with one of the attorneys here to find out what its like being an arbitrator for international cases. The work sounds interesting and the firm where we work is certainly impressive, but both the senior attorneys and older law students whom I have met seem to have no great love for their job.



The firm where I work employs around 750 people, so this building is only one of four in the area that belongs to them. This building, the headquarters, stands out from all the others for the identical black chauffered sedans that always park in the front. I came to this firm in particular to learn more about how the elite live in Korea live, in that respect I am learning a great deal.



On my way to work, I pass through an expanse of boulevard, dotted with statues of famous Korean icons.

I also pass by these two buildings, which I'm sure were the biggest around when they were first made. I had no idea that the U.S. Embassy (the builing on the right) was so close to the middle of Seoul.

I work at the law firm until the late afternoon, take a crowded subway home, and then have dinner with the rest of my homestay family. While it can sometime be a bit stressful to live in a place where I will feel like a guest for a whole month, it's still better than the alternative, bunking in an impersonal room alone in the city.

At night, I meet friends, many of whom I haven't talked to since I left Korea over a year ago. Sometimes it can be fun to see old faces, but the passage of time can also erode what little common ground we had. When I have nights free, I watch Korean soap operas with my host mom and her sister. From time to time she asks me questions about life in America, I appreciate the fact that she is still curious about where I live even after I have been with her for such a long time. While watching a soap opera this past Saturday, one that is famous in Korea for its first portrayal of gay men not as an oddity, but as a normal couple, she asked me "are there many gays in America?" (in Korean). I have come to realize that the word "many" is nearly useless in such conversations, and have to come up with other metrics to convey the reality in America. To me and perhaps to most Americans, "many" gay people is a term associated with Fire Island, Greenwich Village, and Dupont Circle. To my host family, any location with more than one gay individual would suffice to produce a similar impression.