Thanks to everyone who offered birthday wishes. Because of the time difference, I figured my birthday lasted about 14 hours longer than usual. And it coincided with the Times’s traditional pre-Olympics dinner. Chang Lee, you might remember from the first post, was put in charge.
Dinner was fantastic — about 20 courses of authentic Korean fare. This great picture by Becky Hanger does it some justice. (I wonder if the Yustein-Albarino party table will look like this?) The dinner started with heukimjajuk, a black sesame porridge, and ended with sujeonggwa, a ginger and cinnamon tea. He explained everything we were eating and I believe none of it was alive at the time of consumption. All a big plus.
But what you might also remember is that during our preflight “breakfast,” Chang regaled me on the many ways one could enjoy a tornado, that soju-beer concoction. During dinner, Chang demonstrated the proper technique for downing an Olympic Torch Tornado.
Terri Ann Glynn, who is the sports department manager, and who somehow managed to get us all to Korea, was also celebrating her birthday. She managed to escape the tornado but after dinner she and I both got a cake. She then led the parade to karaoke near our hotel, but I had to beg off. I had to get up at 5:30 to get to a very early photographers’ briefing for figure skating down at the coast. Just as well because Terri Ann is an amazing singer, and I, well, I can do Olympic Torch Tornadoes!
Eat at Joe’s 
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