Live in Korea

So again travel is more difficult than it should be. The difference of being 6 minutes behind schedule because I thought I had a second option has fucked me and I am now worried I’ll miss my flight. I’m still ahead of schedule but that isn’t any where close to reassuring in a land where I can’t confirm any information… I can’t ask how the traffic is, I can’t check web sites, nothing. And that stretches the boundaries of my patience and anxiety. The ability to verify info and adjust accordingly allows me to cope and right now… I have no coping mechanisms.

I slept deeply on the plane from take off to near landing. The funny moment came when the male flight attendant need me to wake and sit up. He wouldn’t touch me or say anything other than “You must sit up now.” He finally called over the female flight attendant who wouldn’t do anything other than politely tell me to sit up. I really wonder what they would have done if I’d not woken…

In very good English, the attendant at the mobile roaming counter says, “I don’t speak English. Please go to the counter at gate G.” I’m impressed that my Hangul seems to be so improved…

So for the last few weeks, the hallway lights have been out. When I talked to my realtor about it, she explained it’s because of the rain. On Friday night, she was in the garage with some maintenance men working on lights in the garage. By the time I headed out for dinner, my hallway lights were working. Yay!

However, when I got back to the villa yesterday afternoon, the elevator was out (thank the gods the hallway lights were back on) and my internet was down (thank the gods for unlimited 3G my droid). And so it goes here.

We are about to be hit by a typhoon. It will be interesting given the way Korea sort of falls apart at the seams when the weather changes. I’m glad I live on a hill and on the 4th floor of my villa. Perhaps this will even get me out of day or two of work.

http://web.kma.go.kr/eng/weather/typoon/typhoon_5days.jsp

The day started at 1:45 PM and ended at 11:30 PM. We had great train adventures and got so sweaty hot that I don’t think I’ll go again.

Differences: When a batter is hit by a pitcher, he doesn’t automatically advance to first.

When the ball bounces back into the field, it’s an infield home run not a ground rule double (probably because the rest of Seoul is just beyond the outfield).

They have cheerleaders as well as mascots.

Home run is the same in Hangul.

then I’m done.

that I will ever get how to live here… It’s all just so surreal.

I wanted some brainless movie tonight and there are 8 movie channels on the Korean cable I subscribe to. For some reason tonight, they’re all showing “Foreign” films… The subtitles don’t help when I don’t speak French or read Hangul… Le sigh.

As I took my trash to the curb tonight, I saw someone with a flash light looking at the bags. As I got closer, I saw it was a Korean, doing what they always do when garbage has been freshly put out. They have a different concept of recycling here and it always makes me think twice about what I actually throw out.