Photo: Linh Dinh
“Incheon, South Korea: the streets are almost deserted, and I eat and drink in empty cafes and restaurants.”
n Linh Dinh
Sick days, market crashes and closed borders Perhaps we’ve also reached peak freedom, not that it was all that free for much of the world
P
erhaps I have really bad body odour, but here in South Korea I mostly eat and drink alone, sitting in completely empty restaurants and cafes, like right now. This casual yet elegant joint is called Ottchill. It has solidly built wooden chairs padded with homey cushions.
The two baristas are young, attractive and courteous, and they’re here to serve me, and me alone, for the next hour or so. Only the music sucks, predictably. Aggressive, urban and earnest, it corrodes your self consciousness, sociability and even heritage with a relentlessly moronic English,
30 ColdType | Mid-March 2020 | www.coldtype.net
mostly. You’re living through a sonic hell, nearly whenever and wherever you’re among others, and even alone if you’re weak willed. It’s a global virus. What a waste. On a subway platform, I just bought for 80 cents a Snicker-like chocolate bar called Ghana. Something is not kosher here, so we must
