UMBRELLAS

So today I woke up and found that I had been attacked with mosquitoes over night I literally have 30 bites and my room is filled with them and I've killed like 12 I don't know where they've all come from!! Today we walked around trying to find a bank to withdrawal Korean won and after lots of walking and asking people on the street we found it. After we found the subway we rode it over towards city hall and back. The subway seems to be a very good system here its just a little confusing right now. Danny said he is going to ride the subway with me on Saturday to show me how to get to his house which will be very helpful!

We spent a lot of the day in the rain and EVERYONE here has an umbrella so it is not uncommon to be wacked in the face with the points. At first it was just sprinkling so we all thought it odd that everyone already had there umbrella out but we soon found out how necessary it was and we all decided to buy umbrellas for like 5 bucks in a shopping mall underground.

Today I did get really dizzy at one point probably because it was so hot and muggy even in the rain... We stopped at a pastry place and sat down to rest. Kenny bought a role with a hot dog and cheese cooked inside of it. Before that we ate a potato dish and Kenny ordered what looked like a sampler off onion rings and stuff but the onion rings turned out to be squid leg rings and some very odd bland tortilla chip. My meal was very bland as well and needed some type of salt badly. Eddie ordered this noodle dish and it had veggies and randomly this meat with a tail thingy. It was really different from what we are used to seeing. At first he though it was like beef or something then he saw that it all had a cord/tail thing on them and got really grossed out... also they don't really have chicken soup just squid soups or clam or beef or fish.... I got a smoothie today from SMOOTHIE KING... it wasn't as good as Emerald City smoothie at home but I think it will be what keeps be alive here... We also bought a rice cooker so we had that for dinner with some hot oil and salt!

I finished my book Korea Calling tonight and after my long day of my "cultural Education" I feel a little more comfortable with some of the behaviors I experienced today. For instance, people pushing and shoving and stepping on your feet and never apologizing is a totally normal thing. They are not rude just in a hurry. It is not uncommon to see people spitting right in front of themselves then walking right through it or cars not stopping at red lights and almost hitting pedestrians. Also even though the arrows direct pedestrians to walk on the right they all walk on the left and pass people on the left. When we walked on the right we were in the way so we quickly moved over. Although most people don't show much emotion they are very friendly and helpful when asked directions on the streets or with purchasing items in the store even if they giggle a little when they hear us talking English they are very polite and kind.

Danny also called to inform me that I now have 4 students two 10 year olds, a 7 year old and an adult so I should be making enough money to survive over here. I contacted my mom about my financial aid situation and hopefully things will be coming together with that. She also informed me that the loan I had applied for was going through so I will be able to use that if there are any emergencies. If I don't end up needing the loan I will pay it back and boost my credit.

Overall I am in good spirits and not too homesick yet I do feel out of place being a larger woman over here compared to the size zero 5 foot tall Korean women but that is just something I have to accept. It is interesting walking down the streets getting all the stares and having people whisper things but as I read in the book, it is just curiosity and not intended to be rude at all.

Its 9:30 and I am really tired (very odd for me to go to bed this early) so I am off to bed!