View from the roof

The early monsoon rains broke for a few hours this afternoon so I decided to go up to the roof and snap a few pictures of my neighbours. Haebangchon is directly adjacent to the largest US presence here in Korea, the Yongsan Garrison. There is only one building between my house and the base wall (the one with the blue roof in this picture). According to this profile, the Yongsan Garrison "enjoys the life-style of a suburb of a small city." Of course, this is a life style that eludes the 11 million Seoulites that surround the base. Perhaps this tension played a part in the decision to relocate US forces outside the city. Yongsan will be handed back to Korea by December 2008.

Most people will have to wait until then to get an up-close look at the area that makes up Yongsan. The most visible base landmark that can be seen from my roof is the Dragon Hill Lodge. In the distance you can see aparment buildings on the south side of the Han River. Everything between the river and blue roof is the domain of USFK.


This is the view from my roof looking down the street. The base wall is at the end of the street, just out of sight.

As you can see, Anna lives just across the street. Between us is the "Shopette," a small family-run store. Anna and I do our part to contribute to their bottom line by making copious popsicle purchases.