Japan and Korea On Fleek 2023 - In Summation

Let's look at some stuff we bought. Here's the crown jewel, our Yoshitoshi Ukiyo-e woodblock print

Daruma dolls for Dave, Crisilla, Ryan, Trish and Ben Currie who got me a Samsung holiday illustration job.

Wonderland T-shirt for Bartlett, Sansho seasoning, Traffic safety charm from shrine, Muji t shirts, we also got some black beans and dark dank miso from the Odagaki. Sad we didn't shop more. We didnt get a knife, we didn't get clothes or selvedge denim, No shi shi mai, no shichimi. I guess that's why theres a next time

Japan trip in summation: I'm humbled once again by the kindness we were shown, especially in Nose with Akira, Masami, and Mari. I can see how Steven can have a really fun time in Temma in Osaka and it makes me nostalgic for when I lived in Tokyo and also wish that standing bars were a big thing when I was there. The quality of life in Japan is the highest but then I also have to think if the average Japanese person is happy which then makes me think are we happy are any of us happy or are we all just ants with better or worse standards of living? Either way in either country I am lucky that I am not a salaryman. Leaving Japan really made me wonder what my life is for, why am i doing it, what am i even doing. What answer am I looking for? For the meaning of life? For an excuse to do what I want and be happy? As I said I know its not a fair comparison to look at your life on vacation and hold it up as an example of how your life could be, but I did this life, I did what Steven is doing and it was f'ing awesome. But I also didn't get to spend much time on my art. Let's not fool ourselves here though i'm a commercial artist, an illustrator in service to a client and or market forces. This vacation forced me to take a break and examine some things but I think I have more questions than I started with. Why can I not be happy. Does happiness look like living in Japan and discovering/learning/being frustrated by something new everyday? Can I have a moveable feast, a portable Japan that I carry in my heart in my daily life? In the least, this struggle means i'm alive and I can live with that.

ok on to the stuff I bought in Korea various kinds of seasoned seaweed

mak gook soo noodles, Korean cosmetics, Jen got a hand bag at AK plaza in seoul, We both inadvertently got the same color his and hers sunglasses from Radio Eyes at different times, some candies for kiddies and individual SPAMs for ryan and dave (who have been watching dubu, moving the car, house sitting, and watering our garden this whole time we owe them so much)

various ramens, ddukbokki sweet snacks (steven and all of us were like why tf does there have to be so much sugar on everything). Honey butter almonds, more candies for kiddies, macha, salt

dried squid drinking snack, more ramen and jjajangmyeon, dried filefish drinking snack, cookie sticks and sweets for us and kids

Korean brushes and water colors for dave and ryan

my dojang name stamp and ink

tanuki toy i bought from a gatcha capsule machine at the Korean rest stop, the wobble doll from the package jen said looks like me, a Chimaek (fried chicken and beer) t shirt jen said i should buy at the airport and maybe i'll sweeten to it more, hwacha ancient Korean arrow barrage fire cart model

tongs, Korean kitchesn scissors (Koreans cut everything with scissors so they make good scissors), Yut Nori sticks game set

we went coast to coast in Korea which isn't that far because you can drive from Incheon airport to Gangmun beach where we went in 3 hours or 4 hrs by public transport. On both trips we saw the city and we saw the countryside. We got slices of all kinds of life and were shown kindness. I'm glad I got to take bob to korea because I don't know if he ever would make that leap on his own because its a lot to deal with mentally and some really heavy stuff. He was born in this country and yet knew nothing about it, but now he does. As always it was nice going around Korea with my Korean family even if its my married into family it still makes it feel like I belong there a little more. Of course I know i'll never belong, Jen won't either but I think i'm ok with that. I've lived in Korea and been back many times but its bob's first time, he's got a lot to process. I guess seeing the crush of humanity in Korea shows me that everyone is struggling through life, time crushes on, people trying to get by crushes on, and when I look at this map and think there's a whole nation of Koreans, 51 million of them all trying to live, that makes me feel sad and glad at the same time. I'm hoping to take something away from this trip that I can keep close to my chest and I don't know what that is yet. I know I need to do some real gratitude examinations and take stock of what i'm grateful for in my actual non-vacation life. So dear reader the actual journey and metaphorical journey continue for me and I'll keep bringing it to you on this here blog eventually. Thanks for stopping by.