INTERNET

is in my apartment! YAHOO!

Anyways, so today was a bit of a hassle with the internet and whatnot. The guy came to install my internet, but had problems with my laptop. Unfortunately I don't speak Korean and he didn't really speak much English so he didn't know how to tell me what was wrong. He asked me to call a Korean person, so I called my co-teacher, but she didn't answer. Then, thank GOD for Ara, because I called her and she was able to translate. Also beneficial was the fact that she is a computer science person and so she could actually understand what everything the guy was saying meant. She basically told me there was something wrong with my OS, which made me really nervous. Then she told me that I probably had a virus, but she wasn't sure, and the guy couldn't figure it out. I wasn't letting the guy off the internet connection hook just yet though, so I sat him down and had him connect the mini (OMG THANK YOU MATT!) and then while he did that I messed around with my computer (blindly because I know nothing about it, as most of you know) and I ended up completely solving the problem. He just plugged the eathernet cable in, and boom, internet. haha.

So, after 35 or so minutes of work and phone calls in Korean & English, I had internet in my apartment. The guy left and I sat down and went online, which was AWESOME. Then I glanced over and what do I find? The guys wallet. Unfortunately, he had left a few minutes ago and there was no way I was going to catch him (11 floors on the elevator or stairs can really slow you down). Soooo, I called the phone company and had them call him and send him back to my apartment. He got his wallet, I got my internet, everyone was happy.

But, I was late to dinner in Bupyeong as a result, although it was not a big deal really. We ate at this little place and I had Sogogi, which is like bulgogi but with spicy sauce instead of sweet sauce. Then, we went to Coldstones for ice cream. The guys there all spoke English which was awesome. We ate outside and danced to kpop that was blaring on the street.

Anyways, I wanted to share how Korea is such a place of contrasts. The technology here, as I have mentioned is so so advanced. Cell phones function as debit cards, phones, checkbook balances, and tv's. Every taxi has a gps that often times doubles as a t.v. (I don't really understand this concept but the taxi drivers ALWAYS are watching t.v.) My apartment door doesn't have an actual key but this sweet little metal thing that you put up to a little indentation and it automatically unlocks, and then automatically locks behind you.

However, something in Korea just don't seem nearly where they should be given the technology. Probably 50% of the bathrooms (including 75% in my school) are squatters, so no toilet, no seat. They do flush, but you can't flush toilet paper. Plus NO WHERE has toilet paper, so you have to carry your own everywhere.

It's really interesting actually, to see all the technology and things and think, oh man, Korea is SO ahead of the United States (which it definitely, definitely, definitely is).

Here's a good story though, to round out my post:

I went to E-Mart the other day. E-Mart is sort of a much nicer Super Wal-Mart. It's a big chain store that sells clothes, furniture, electronics, and food. There is a McDonalds, a Baskin Robbins and a E-Mart brand food court in the one near me. This is where I do most of my shopping. I was there about a week ago buying some groceries. I was in the frozen food aisle (which is a bit terrifying because there are about 2 dozen people making samples and pushing their food on you and yelling, a lot). I was looking at some mandoo and pork loin cutlets (typical frozen meat in Korea) and am going around a freezer when, what do I see? A boy, between 5 & 7 y.o., pants dropped, peeing on the floor. Of the frozen goods section. E-Mart is not a street market or a small dirt-floor store. This is a/c, linolieum, fluorescent lighting, with a couple hundred people in it at any one time. And a freaking kid is pissing on the floor. No joke. About a half-dozen other people saw this, but no one bothered to tell his mother (including me, but I didn't because I don't speak Korean), who was completely oblivious, deciding on exactly which frozen pizza she wanted for her floor-peeing child to eat that night for dinner. Then, the boy proceeded to pull up his pants, run over to his mother and attempt to get her attention. Fail. then, he took the cart, which had a younger brother in it (3y.o. maybe) and started pushing the cart and brother into large stacks of water. I SWEAR TO GOD. The mom and child ended up walking off, without so much as a second glance and the stream of pee left on the linoleum flooring of E-mart's frozen food section.

IT WAS CRAZY.

I will post soon about my school (I have pictures), my apartment (PICTURES!) and life in general. Just wanted share the info and let everyone know I'm alive!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo,
A