Irony

Itaewon, an area in Seoul, is one place that I like to go to sometimes; there is a great foreign food store, an English used/new bookstore, and many ethnic restaurants.  There also used to be a place called the "American Cafe" that served big, delicious hamburgers.

Sadly, it closed.

Along the main street you can find McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC.

There is also a Subway sandwich shop.

I prefer Quiznos to Subway, and there used to be a Quiznos in Itaewon too, but it was replaced by an Olive Young beauty store.

What a loss.

But Subway is a staple, kind of the place that you relish having but don't really go to very often.

Kind of a reminder of home.

I have long thought that having a Subway in the small Seoul-satellite city where I live would be a godsend, but knew it would never happen.

We have an Indian restaurant, some semi-authentic Italian pasta places, and several Vietnamese restaurants, but that's about it . . . oh, now there is an udon noodle joint.

Yet no Quiznos, and no Subway.

All that bread is not healthy anyway, in addition to the white-rice-heavy Korean diet, so, two weeks ago, I adapted a carbohydrate-free nutritional program, with an emphasis on low-sugar and low-salt (another problem in Korea).

And then the unexpected happened.

A fried chicken restaurant near my workplace closed and, in place of it, there will soon be a . . . Subway sandwich shop.

No!

Really?

Yes, it is true.

Only right now I can't eat there.

Maybe it has been sent to test my willpower.

Whatever the case, it will still be a comfort.