So, my two today are today's and my makeup for Friday, and as such I feel like I should continue from leaving the cafe Friday night.
Walking back I'm reminded that Korea is a country intentionally built to confuse foreigners. It happens when you have two neighboring nations that have built empires and had varying levels of success conquering your ass for the past few centuries. Streets don't go straight for very long, nor do they always continue through, and grids are a silly western dream. I almost had to double back a few hundred yards only to make that left turn at Albuquerque when I hit a street that let me out only a block away from the road I needed to be on. Hey, its not an adventure if you don't misplace yourself at least twice, right?
After I got home, the joys of Korean Living began.
So, while the place is nice (heated floors = best shit EVER), it has its quirks. Like, for instance, I haven't brushed my teeth because the water isn't potable. This will change today because my bank assures me my debit card is working. I tried buying drawing cash, and my card was declined. Then at the very same place I bought coffee the night before, I tried buying bottled water, but it was declined there as well.
Then there's the pink plastic toilet seat from hell. So, I'm sure I mentioned how the whole bathroom is your shower, right? Well, I don't know if that's why, or if its really that expensive to buy a real toilet seat, but mine is made completely out of what feels like foam rubber. Even the seat. Better yet, its not nailed down. So I' get home, and I'm trying to drop the kids off at the pool, and suddenly...the whole earth shifts!! Do they have quakes this far inland?? No, its just the toilet seat slipping and getting wedged partway into the bowl. No worries, just at the top lip, nothing disgusting. But now, the true nature of this act is apparent. Every time I straighten things out, they seem to head south, making it hard just to sit there without panicking every time I breathe. I'm afraid I'm going to fall in and get wedged there! That's the last thing I need: my boss, the building manager, and a locksmith, all finding me crying for help, stuck in my own mess, equally embarrassed and relieved that I'm not going to die this way. Thank God there's a McDonalds down the street, at least until I find a hardware store and can afford a real seat.
But aside from that its been fun. Yesterday morning I did a little exploring, and realized that just outside my door is one of those illusive internet cafes that were so fortunately hard to find the night before. In fact, four or five of them. Even better, while cleaning up, I found some ethernet cable and a plug that fits my computer so I don't need my adapter all the time. Later at work I scored a potential regular dinner hookup with one of my coworker's husbands. The thing to do is buy people dinner if they can help you out, and anyone who speaks fluent English can help you out big. Maybe if I hustle enough, I can make it a six night a week thing?? Also, work might just feed me lunch on a regular basis. And not just Kim Pap (like sushi, but spam and radish - good, just not every day), but real food. And we also did the traditional go out to eat to welcome the new guy thing. Total spent in Korea, less than ten (five?) bucks, and I've only missed one meal.
My co workers are cool so far. All women, all Korean, with the promise of an American dude from Miami, and another Korean from another country (America as well?) here soon. Good news is I don't have any roommates, so less potential for drama. Thing is, I don't have any roommates, who historically have been some of my closest friends (case in point: Robert, Nels, Steve, Steve-o, Shorey, Paula), so I'm going to have to get out of the house. Tonight I'm headed to the foreign bar (called Way gook - literally Korean for foreigner) to strut my stuff as the noob and make some friends.
Anyways, I've spent all morning online goofing off, its time to take myself outside and at the very least buy some water. Maybe a toilet seat too haha.
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