CANADA DAY IN SEOUL

Peter handed out pencils decorated with maple leaves at the end of the third Research Forum. Peter, Nancy, and I, Canadians all, went to California Roll for supper then decided a drink was in order. The real celebration unrolled at So Ho, a small perfect bar upstairs on the neighbourhood’s main street. (More about the perfect bar in another posting.)

We climbed the steep and somewhat dingy stairs to find it empty except for the barman. At our request Nancy presented a maple leaf pencil to him, eplaining it was Canada Day. We settled at our usual table with a small bottle of his homemade lemon soju, and before we could raise our shot glasses Joni Mitchell’s young voice spilled from the speakers, followed by Neil Young covering “Four Strong Winds”. For the next hour or so the barman spun Canadian music: more Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Ann Murray, Bryan Adams, eventually Ian & Sylvia with the original “Four Strong Winds”. Our talk roamed over rock and roll and the music of the 1960s, names falling from lips: Grace Slick, The Grateful Dead, Dylan, Janice Joplin, Jimmy Jendrix, Country Joe and the Fish—and suddenly it was Janice singing “Me and Bobby McGee”. Then, who is that singing “Tom Thumb Blues”—Joan Baez? “Judy Collins” called the barman. Peter went to see if he had her version of “Pirate Jenny’s Song”— No go, but he did have Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”.

Goldsmith Stephen Bottomley arrived as Dylan’s voice died away and just as we emptied the soju. He bought a round of beer and showed us his fabulous photos from the metal markets he’d been exploring earlier in the day. (Note here: deep camera envy…) We handed him a Canadian pencil and he said he’d make a brooch out of it. Much laughter, more talk, more music, another bottle of soju, and Carrie and Jeremy came up the stairs. More beer, yet more music and talk, glances at watches—Stephen wanting to Skype home--drinks finally gone, we declared the celebrations over some time after 10 p.m. and went back down the stairs to the still-busy street and along the lane to "home".

Stephen Bottomley with splendid camera at So Ho; note album covers on wall. (my photo)