I'm going up the country on the Ohio River.
It's been a few weeks since I left the United States but I can't forget the time we had. It was great to be in Kentucky for a few days and enjoy the river, good friends, music and southern cooking.
Country Pride
This is the tour bus I rode out of Chicago on going up the country.
I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you want to go?
I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you want to go?
I'm goin' to some place, I've never been before
I'm goin' I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine
I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine
We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time
I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away
I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away
All this fussin' and fightin' man, you know I sure can't stay
So baby pack your leavin' trunk
You know we've got to leave today
Just exactly where we're goin' I cannot say
But we might even leave the U.S.A.
It's a brand new game, that I want to play
No use in your runnin', or screamin' and cryin'
'Cause you got a home as long as I've got mine
There is not a town I know of more welcoming than Louisville Kentucky.
History flows through these streets like bourbon. Home of the Kentucky Bourbon and Jim Derby. A bootlegger's fantasy town. It is also historic for an important site on the Underground Railroad leading slaves to the “free land”. My oldest son was impressed and did his school project on the underground railroad and Harriet Tubman. I somehow forgot to explain to him that part of American history in Korea. They don’t teach “Grandma Moses” in the Korean text books. This is a sorry statement coming from a public school teacher but my son is learning more from watching reruns of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood than they could ever teach him in school.
I didn't sleep in a tent
I know it is tradition to sleep in a hippie tent if you are going up the country I did the best next thing and stayed in an old historic hotel by the riverside. I met some old friends down there and talked a lot. I wish I wasn’t so jet lagged or it would be even better. Every time I felt too tired to go in the afternoon I would jump into the swimming pool on the roof. It’s refreshing and great way to get exercise. When I got back to Korea I wanted to put a swimming pool on the roof but I haven’t gotten around to it. Besides it is starting to get cooler so I registered for the university swim club instead. The only problem with that was when I wanted to pay the monthly fee the bank I use froze their internet banking. This also makes it impossible for me to receive my pay check until they get their internet fixed. I should have known this problem when I decided to use Woori Bank (That’s really the name). In Korea it means “Our Bank” like the Little Rascals “Our Gang” but in English it looks too much like “Worry Bank”. I’m all for crypto.
Well, I will leave you with some canned heat. There is no use fighting or crying. Now I’m going up the country to my in-laws house. The big moon Thanksgiving celebration is going on. Every year we celebrate a harvest moon around this time called Chuseok. Confucius families give honor to their ancestors who brought them into this world. It’s a lot different from American Thanksgiving at this point. There is always an ominous feeling in our Korean family as we wake up early in the morning to respect older relatives and to bow down and burn incense at a table offering food to the dead. It’s a lot different from going to my Dad’s house at 3 pm to get stuffed with stuffing and cranberries and hear my dad say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord for this food.” I try to import laughing into the Korean holiday. It just doesn’t seem to work. I have a lot to learn. Maybe in a couple years I will be writing this blog from North Korea. Then I will be reminded again that I know absolutely nothing. Thanks again for putting up with me for another year.
Stay free children of God
Love,
