Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Big Fifty-Five!

Looking to the Future

I turned 55 yesterday, still mobile but feeling old, and by a happy coincidence was invited -- along with my lovely wife, Sun-Ae Hwang -- to share lunch paid for by a friend from my days at Korea University, Professor Suh Ji-moon, expert in English literature who also translates literary works of Korean into English.

We ate at a 'green' restaurant called Seven Springs -- by which is meant wellsprings of water, I presume, rather than the green season repeated seven times -- a restaurant located on the underground level of the Hungkuk Life Insurance Building, easily located by its trademark statue out front, Jonathan Borofsky's gigantic steel Hammering Man, who is constantly pounding away noiselessly like clockwork on a job never quite done, as if only to pass the time.

In the photo above, you see me and a friend -- a rather colorful character, I must admit -- in the lobby of the Hungkuk Life Insurance Building. My friend is seated on the Cologne Pagoda constructed by Kang Ik-Joong (강익중) and is using specially made binoculars to peer into my future, but said it was like seeing through a glass darkly, so I don't know what to expect in the next few years, though I anticipate changes.

At any rate, a belated Happy Birthday to me! Enjoy your time here . . .

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18 Comments:

At 4:21 AM, Blogger Kevin Kim said...

Joyeux anniversaire et tout de bon pour l'avenir!

 
At 4:25 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Merci Beaucoup, Monsieur Kim!

Jeffery Hodges

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At 4:55 AM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

Happy Birthday!

er... yesterday, you say?... it was Mother's Day :-D I "see" radical changes in your future :-D

 
At 6:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday, and welcome to the club "old" man. I arrived here myself exactly 70 days before you. Hopefully you will be spared the tons of AARP literature I am now getting by living in Korea!

Sincerely,
Jay

 
At 6:27 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Yesterday, Seoul Time, Dario: the 14th of May. Was that Mother's Day? Anyway, I'm past childbearing age . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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At 6:29 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Aarp! I hope so! Just don't add me to that mailing list as a birthday surprise, Jay.

Oh, and belated birthday greetings . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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At 7:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy an all that Jeff, but I'm thinking in order for the future to become clearer, ju and your friend should switch attire. Er, no pictures please.

JK

 
At 7:44 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I do need a tire that's new, the old being 'treadbare' . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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At 7:45 AM, Anonymous Sperwer said...

Is that all? Hurry up; I'm way ahead of you.

 
At 7:57 AM, Blogger Kate Marie said...

Happy birthday, Jeffery, and many happy returns of the day!

 
At 2:02 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

If you'd just slow down, Sperwer, I could catch up, but you're a driven fellow.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 2:03 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Thanks, KM!

Jeffery Hodges

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At 2:37 PM, Blogger Charles Montgomery said...

Happy Birthday to Jeffrey
Happy Birthday to Jeffry
Happy Birthday to...
Ah hell.. Happy Birthday Jeff!^^

 
At 2:45 PM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

Excuse me, Jeffery, I always forget you are the Man From The Future!

(Italian famous scholar and writer Umberto Eco wrote a whole novel, L'isola del giorno prima, "The Island of the Day Before", based on the paradox of the change-of-day line.)

 
At 2:53 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

How do they (mis)spell my name?
Let me not count the ways!

Thanks, Charles.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 3:01 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

L'isola del giorno prima?

Wait, don't tell me. That means, The Insolation of the Best Journey. Right? Plotted like The Unbearable Lightness of Being?

I pride myself on being a polyglutton.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 4:01 PM, Blogger ilTassista Marino said...

The Insolation of the Best Journey

:-D

Back in 1970-80s there were four italian comedians, I Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli (the Miracles Street Cats), who 'translated' famous English songs that way. "Georgia on my mind"... "Giorgia, non mangi mai!", where because of a sad love story, they were worried about her: "Georgia, you never eat!"

 
At 4:15 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I meant "isolation," but "insulation" would also work.

Jeffery Hodges

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