New Vocabulary 9: Gabe Hudson "An American in Seoul"

From Gabe Hudson, "An American in Seoul," International Herald Tribune, June 10, 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/opinion/edhudson.php

* phalanx: (n) a large group of people standing very close to each other, usually for the purposes of defence or attack.

"The university moved me into a high-rise studio apartment in the heart of downtown Seoul, on Jongno street, next to the recently beautified Cheonggye stream, which is surrounded by a phalanx of high-rise buildings. Right outside my 20th-floor window is the ultramodern Samsung Securities building, Jongno Tower, which at night looks like a giant robot peering in at me."


* feast: (n) a special meal with very good food or a large meal for many people.

"Most evenings, my girlfriend, Ja-Won, and I walk to one of the local downtown areas for a Korean feast. We walk to Samcheondong for sam gyeop sal (barbecued pork), or to Insadong for yang nyeom ge jang (raw crab with spicy sauce), or to Myeondong for bul dak (fiery chicken)."


* buzz: (v) to press a BUZZER in order to get someone's attention.

* vault: (n) a room, especially in a bank, with thick walls and a strong door, which is used to store money or valuable things in safe conditions.

"When Ja-Won buzzes the front door to my apartment, an image of her face instantly appears on the silver Samsung video screen on my living-room wall. When I step into the hall to greet her, the door behind me suctions itself closed, locks itself with a motor and speaks to me in Korean. You can unlock my front door with a remote control, or if you prefer, by using the keypad in the door handle. Sometimes getting back into my apartment feels like breaking into a bank vault."


* leer: (v) (especially of men) to look at someone in an unpresant and sexually interested way.

* wag: (v) (especially of a tail or finger) to move from side to side or up and down, especially quickly and repeatedly.

"I looked up and saw a middle-aged Korean man in a suit leering over our table. He said something very rude-sounding to Ja-Won. I could only make out the word "American." He wagged his finger at her, stepping in closer."


* drag: (v) to make someone go somewhere they do not want to go.

"But that night I stood up and, even though the man didn't speak English, quickly communicated to him that I'd break his face if he came any closer. Seeing that I meant business, the man then allowed himself to be dragged away by his wife."


* fathom: (v) to discover the meaning of something.

"I won't understand the language going on around me, and I won't be able to fathom the simple miracle of how I came to be sitting there, but I will feel as if I belong."