Things I Should Probably Do

I have been in Korea for over 6 months now, and yet there are still some things I have somehow avoided doing since arriving. I could say that I've been so busy with work and lesson planning, but that would be an obvious lie, and there are many people that could probably call me out on it. All English teachers here have basically the same job, same pay, same lives, same everything. I think Kyle put it best this past weekend at a fundraising show we played by saying (something along the lines of) "You'd better donate, because we know exactly how much you make and exactly how you spend it."

I should buy a desk chair. This is an unfair accusation at my school, which was required to get me a chair, but the chair they bought me was destroying my floor. As people with Korean apartment floor experience realize, floors here are made of a rubber-like substance. I had to exile it to the laundry room.

I should buy food. A basic necessity, yes, but also so far away. And I hate going to E-Mart. Just another run-of-the-mill thing I refuse to do unless absolutely necessary.

I should buy toilet paper. I was able to get a 6-month supply from E-Mart when I first arrived, but like I said, I hate going to E-Mart. I bought two rolls of paper towels from the local Dream Mart thinking they were four rolls of toilet paper. The only toilet paper Dream Mart sells will last me probably two years. Decision time is soon.

I should dispose of garbage I've had since I moved in. See those boxes on the left? They haven't moved in 6 months. I already have an irrational fear of trash disposal. I also always see little old ladies carting away boxes around the neighborhood. Why won't I approach them with my treasures? Why? Also, a trashcan would probably be an investment.

I should buy a safer TV stand. "I'll get you the same TV I would get for myself," said my videogame-loving co-teacher when I arrived. His fluency in English, he claims, is mostly thanks to playing English videogames. So here I am with a giant TV I barely use still balancing on a small folding table meant for the overflow of side dishes from the dinner table.

I should probably not post Skype pictures of my parents when they specifically tell me not to.

I could spend more time doing these things rather than sharing them with the internet, but I woke up really early this morning, which is why I won't. I need to take a shower. Also, I got a Chinese visa finally. Believe the rumors of the difficulty level in this, they are true. Tenfold for Americans. Twentyfold for Americans that don't speak Korean. Thirtyfold for lazy wait-till-the-last-minute Americans that don't speak Korean.

Here is a snippet of the conversation I had with a teacher that came with me to the travel agency to translate that really shows how friendly Koreans can be. We had this conversation while the travel agent was frantically typing away trying to pull strings for me, which is an entirely different example in itself.

"How is your semester going so far?"

"Bad. I got hit by car in the morning. I spent lunch at hospital."

"What? Really? Are you OK?"

"No. I will go back to hospital after I help you."

You're a real asshole, Greg.