Last Minute Rush

It simply doesn’t matter how much one does to prepare for occasions, events, and sojourns, life always intervenes.

We’ve known we’re going to Korea for a few months now, yet it comes down to this: We’re going to end up throwing shirts, shorts, a couple of frocks, underwear and toothbrushes in a bag at the last minute and rush out the door on the day of departure. Invariably, we will arrive at our destination, and realize that we have forgotten some vital item such as medication or contact information for our hosts. Try as we might to meticulously organize our plans, leaving in a topsy-turvy flurry just seems to be the way we roll. To be fair, this time it wasn’t entirely our fault.

An information exchange with our hosts in Gwangju proved somewhat more complicated than we’d anticipated. Perhaps it’s one of those cultural confusions, but they seemed considerably more laid back about getting the Ts crossed and the Is dotted that we. Weeks stretched into months. Innumerable emails and myriad glitches later, after a great deal of paperwork, we finally received our visas from the Korean embassy in Toronto yesterday – Friday. Needless to say, when one is scheduled to travel on Monday, that’s cutting it pretty close.

We’ve been keeping abreast of the news, in particular with an ear toward North Korea, in the hopes that there will, in fact, be no news. No assertions of dominance, no posturing, and no sinking of submarines. Not only has Kim Jong-il been quiet as a church mouse of late, the biggest news from the region is downright thrilling. South Korea opened FIFA World Cup Group B play today with a 2-0 win over Greece at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in South Africa. The last time this team advanced to the knockout stage was in 2002, when it co-hosted the World Cup with Japan. Eight years ago, South Korea finished third. In 2010, many think this is the team to watch. The positive energy now sweeping the country has to portend good things for visitors. (I have seen the flip side; I was in Edinburgh, Scotland when a local team had a big game in the mid-eighties. While it wasn’t even World Cup calibre action, marauding fans stormed the streets in a fearful rage and I’m still not sure whether it was because their team won or lost, for they riot regardless.)

Of course we’re also interested in the impact of the North Korean team, the Chollima. That moniker is representative of a mythical winged horse, whose key asset is that it is impossible to mount. Little is known of this mysterious team, for their home country is shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the North Korean football team is very well organized and has a strong defense. Natch. But win or lose, since so many people worldwide passionately follow what we call soccer, and everyone else calls football, the World Cup provides a great showcase for both sides of Korea.

South Korea’s profile has increased greatly as it has been surging as an international power over the last few years. Witness the fact that the country will host the fifth Group of 20 summit in November 2010. Given the tremendous interest displayed by the host country, the decision to meet there was unanimous.

In short, it seems South Korea is a happening place. We can’t wait to get a bird’s eye of life unfolding half a world away.