What I learned in Korean today:

Hangul/Romanization

• 핸드폰 번호 주세요/haen-du-pon beon-ho joo-sae-yo.

Translation

• Lemme get those digits.

I'm actually surprised I didn't already know this.

The kids make me smile.

So I was going up the elevator today to my classroom and I heard someone running so I decided to hold the door open.  A little boy decked out fully in his Tae Kwon Do uniform came around the corner and hopped onto the elevator.  All he did was press the button to go to the third floor.  Then he turned around towards me, smiled, and said, "Thank you."  Then he started laughing, at which point I couldn't help but join in his laughter.  It's little things like these that  make me happy to be in Korea.

Things I learned at a Korean casino:

• It's probably not the best idea to arrive at 4:00AM on a Saturday.
• How to play 3-Card Poker
• You can lose a lot of money really fast playing 3-Card Poker
• That 100,000 won in 500 won coins is pretty heavy.
• There are a lot of different Asians in Korea and they all like to gamble.
• It's easier to get drinks at Korean casino than it is in Vegas.
• I probably shouldn't gamble for a while.

It's been a good week.

I finally got reimbursed for my flight to Korea, so now I don't have to worry about money [at least for a little while].  On top of that, I picked up a cell phone today.  It's great since I don't have to make the ten minute walk to the closest pay phone.  The only thing between me and the weekend are the two classes I have today and the two that I have tomorrow.  If I can get through these classes without a problem, I'll be able to enjoy my weekend in peace.

Is this serendipity?

I've decided that I'm in love with the girl that works at the Baskin Robbins by my apartment.  There's no real reason, but that's just how it is.  Anyway, I took an umbrella from my classroom the other day and since it's raining today, I took my first real look at it.  It's pink and it is designed with a lot of desserts, but I just realized today that it's actually an umbrella from Baskin Robbins.  It's almost as if this girl is protecting me from the radioactive rain that's falling from the sky.

It's nice to be loved unconditionally.

I dropped by my old school over the weekend to drop by and see my old co-workers.  I arrived right before classes ended and while I was walking through the halls, classes pointed out their windows and started screaming my name.  It was refreshing to see that the students remembered me and everything.  One of the students even asked me if I liked chicken (which I someone used to ask me once a week when I worked at Yeonhak) and I almost teared up.  All in all, I'm pretty glad that I've affected their lives somehow and that I'll be remembered by a few hundred Korean kids.

It's the small things that make me feel like I accomplished something.

So in the past two days, I managed to finally get some stuff done.  To be honest, I didn't do anything huge, but they all sort of add up.  Here's what I managed to get done:

• I got my Alien Registration Card.  I did give in the paper work last week, but I finally got it last night.  I didn't even have to go to the immigration office this time around.
• I bought some groceries.  It looked really sad with my fridge empty, but now I do have some snacks in there.
• Opened up an account with Shinhan Bank.  I do have an account with Nonghyup, but due to some accounting things, my job wanted me to open up a new account.  I still haven't figured out the online banking part, but I'm sure I'll figure that out soon enough.
• I bought a notebook for studying Korean.  Now that I'm sort of getting into the swing of things, I'll be able to find time to really sit down and start working on my shit.

I am so glad that it's the weekend.

With all the hubbub of training and trying to survive my first week of classes, I haven't had much time for myself.  Luckily, I don't have any classes on Saturday or Sunday this term, so I'll have the next two days just to relax and enjoy Korea.  My plans for tonight are still up in the air, but I'll definitely be in Seoul tomorrow.  I don't know where in Seoul I'll be or what exactly it is I'll be doing, but I'm set on doing something reckless.

An e-mail from a fifth grader:

Subject: WENDY

hello i'm wendy.(group3) am…..it's ypur email? is it right?

 

I had to make an e-mail account for work so kids could contact me if they have any questions.  This is the first one I've received.

Things that I live near that make me happy:

I'm generally happy with where I live in Bucheon.  I'm in a central location, unlike last year where I had to take a bus to get anywhere cool.  This year, I can walk to a ton of different places, but there are a few that make me especially glad to be where I live:

• The Bus Terminal: I don't live in walking distance to a subway station, but it doesn't really matter that much since I can walk to the bus terminal.  I haven't made a trip out to Seoul from where I live yet, but it shouldn't be too bad with the buses so close.  Also, there's some places to eat right at the terminal, which is always nice.
• A 24-hour Home Plus: I seriously like Home Plus.  It might even have to be one of my favorite places in all of Korea.  It's great that I have access to this one at all times of the day, especially since my work hours are so goofy.
• A 24-hour McDonald's: This is technically a part of Home Plus, but deserves its own mention.  I managed to stay away from McDonald's since I've been back, but I caved yesterday while running some errands after work.  Having a double bulgogi cheeseburger within 10 minutes from my apartment might be a problem in the long run, but for now, I'll consider it a blessing.
• Work:  Not having to commute to work is is awesome.  It might not sound like much, but having grown up in California and having to drive everywhere, this is a pretty big thing for me.
• Brothels: It turns out that I live in the red light district of Bucheon.  Everytime I see a little card with a hooker's number on it, I can't help but giggle.
• A Ping-Pong gym (탁구장): I haven't started lessons yet, but there are two places that I live right next to that I can get lessons from.  One of them is a pretty nice gym and it's right across the street from my place, so I'm hoping to grab some lessons over there once I have time.