I was able to go out last night into the city. I don’t often go outside the Army post during the week, but last night I had some errands to run and decided to grab a bite to eat while I was out. Because of the time difference in the States, Monica was waking up while I was finishing up my day. I sent her a text with a photo that said: “Blogging at the pizza place”. Here in Korea, many of the restaurants have free Wi-Fi, while others have paid Wi-Fi hot spots. The message to customers is that you and your computers are welcome here.
While I typically use these hot spots with my iPad, I decided to bring my computer along and write last night’s blog post while I was out. I found that the cozy little restaurant I was in provided a great place to sit and write. There was little distraction, because once I had finished my pizza, there was nothing else to do. As in many of the restaurants and coffee shops, the music was low and mellow so I was able to focus. It was a nice night to spend writing and I can see why so many people choose coffee shops as their favorite place to write. Because I am aware that the Korean restaurants are typically welcoming of computers, I did not feel uncomfortable if I had stayed too long. In fact, I saw a college student camped out in the same restaurant a couple of night ago, so this helped me feel more comfortable about staying awhile. This has been my biggest barrier to bringing a laptop into restaurants in the US, so it is nice to be able try blogging in a restaurant while I am in this technologically rich country.