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Pho BHQ in Oncheon-dong. This Vietnamese restaurant opened on February 19th, one day before the coronavirus crisis erupted in South Korea. Walking in this afternoon, I saw that the grand opening flowers were still on display.

The young woman has been in South Korea for two years, and speaks the language very comfortably. She said she got it down within a year because she just loved it. The young man has only been in South Korea for three months.

An old man walked in and ordered a bowl of pho. After he left, I asked the waitress if he was a regular, and she said no, it was his first time there. Since he finished every drop of his soup, it was clear he enjoyed it.

Another Korean came by to buy food to go.

I asked the cook is he liked being in Korea, and he said yes, but he was certainly sick of this pandemic. Life is subdued here because of it.



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