The camera

It had been my full intention to write a long detailed entry before my Korea departure. But my final weekend was not as I had expected. And I could not find time to sit and reflect as I had planned. I did, however, get a final tour of Seoul. Hitting some of the attractions I had hitherto missed.

When my temple stay plans fell apart (for the second and third time), I resorted to plan B and contacted my friend So Hyang who I met a few months ago at an art gallery near my home, and who had since moved to Seoul. She promised my a great time, but failed to tell me that she worked all weekend. So I ended up seeing her hardly at all and spending all weekend with her friend Dong Bin.

The weekend, as unpredictable as it was. Led confusingly to one camera shop among a dozen camera shop in one complex among a dozen complexes. We, searching for the elusive Panasonic Lumix LX2 (which despite its apparent noise reduction shortcomings, I had decided to purchase based admitedly largely on cool factor, but not without due consideration of its Leica lens), were told that the last had been sold yesterday, that now was a bad time to purchase a Japanese product as the Yen was rising. I dismayed, wandered head-hung by numerous glass cases, manageries of gleeming polished aluminum and black textured plastic. A hundred glass eyes staring seductively back, they winked and waved, offering me hours of pleasure, but not without a pretty price. I declined their offers, for my heart was somewhere else. Then I saw her. The Pentax MX I had been looking for.



Ask him how much he wants for it.

He wants 190000 won*.

I got it for 175000 with a Vivitar macro zoom lens. I thought it was a pretty good deal. I’d never seen one below 200000 before in Korea. I desperately needed a new SLR. This one just floated down from heaven. I was so excited, I forgot to make sure the light meter worked. It wasn’t until later that night in the taxi, that I realized it was broken..

Don’t cry.

*$190