i stopped to say hello to my dog friends that live outside a tiny and very rustic farmshed. the owner, a toothless old woman whom i’ve never seen before, came outside and i apologized for bothering her and told her i couldn’t resist taking photos of her cute puppies. she smiled and said “no problem! come in, it’s dinner time.” i entered the clay and concrete shed to find six old men (probably farmers) taking a break to have dinner and some drinks together. the woman’s small stove was aflame with pots of boiling stew and rice. i couldn’t believe what i thought was a shed is a restaurant! the old men were delighted to see me and invited me to sit with them for some steamed squid and makgoli (rice wine). i fared well with my korean conversation skills and, after a glass of mokgoli and a new excitement for life, i said goodbye, promised i’d come back soon with my husband, and hopped onto my bicycle... smiling all the way home.
