Gwangju - South Korea

Will is Homeless in Portland, but Will is popular in Asia. From Kamchatka to the Malay Peninsula, from Korea to Karachi, Will is the American Hobo that has stolen the hearts of all Asians. His name is on everyone’s lips these days.

Recently, Will awarded the readers of Bratislava, Slovakia the Golden Bookworm Award for wasting their time on this website while standing in line to get exit visas. Today, I’d like to give honorable mention to Gwangju, the sixth largest city in South Korea and a hub of civil rights activities, where Will has readers by the score. Actually, he has well fewer than a score. But they are loyal readers whom he cares about very much.

At some point, one is forced to discount the online addiction so prevalent among Koreans and admit that American Hobos have touched the hearts of these Asian people. Perhaps it’s because we like to sit around democratic hobo council fires and write songs. Perhaps it’s because of Halloween and how middle class moms still like to dress their kids up to look like the downtrodden.

Here are the opening lines of a song I started last night, sitting around the council fire while swilling Carlo Rossi sangria out of a gallon jug.

Hello Gwangju, I long to see ya,

Away out west in South Korea.

Not half bad, eh? They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, but they can’t beat those of Gwangju. Anyway, my medical and dental plan allows for one annual trip to the tonsorial parlor, so I’m off to get a pedicure and a molar yanked out. Hope you are well, Diana, and happy in Gwangju. Love from Will is Homeless in Portland.

Posted in: Gwangju,South Korea