My addiction to buying shit.

So, this weekend my phone broke. And by that I mean the scan completely got fucked up and I couldn't read anything on the screen and so I couldn't really receive texts (or read them at least) and I couldn't tell who was calling me. So anyways, I went with the bf to the cell phone store Friday night to try to acquire a new phone. I have been saying I really wanted the Galaxy S phone really really badly, but I didn't have a reason to buy it. But, now was the perfect opportunity. But, to my dismay, E-2 visa holders cannot purchase a Galaxy S smartphone because it requires a two-year contract and there isn't a two-year E-2 visa. So I was looking at some other phones (iphone 4 still has a two week reservation wait, which wouldn't have worked, and also no-go for E-2 visa holders). But, then, my boyfriend proposed that he sign the contract for me in order for me to avoid the prohibition on my smartphone purchase. But, I was a little hesitant to accept right away because, god forbid, something terrible happened (either in my life or in our relationship or in my job) and I have to leave Korea (or we break up *shudder*) he could get totally screwed over. I would never intentionally do that, but sometimes crazy shit comes up. I just don't want things to be too complicated or pressured because he did this for me. But he insisted that it was okay. And he called his parents and made sure they thought it was an okay idea and they said yes (I also briefly talked to his mom to say hello and she said she missed me. I miss her too^^) He seemed to really be in favor of me getting the galaxy s (living vicariously through me maybe?) and so I finally caved. And he signed the contract (all the bills go directly to me, it's just his name on the contract, not mine). So I'm really thankful for that. I find it really sweet because he anticipates us (probably) staying together for at least a significant amount of time, and because he obviously trusts me enough to do that for me.

Actually, the store we went to didn't actually have the phone on hand, so they had to get it delivered from another place. And so they were gonna call my boyfriend and have us come pick it up again. He had to go to the library to study, and I was meeting up with some friends to hang out at the Soongsil University festival. Basically lots of drinking and a music performance and playing. So we parted and he said he'd bring me the phone when he could. I went off with my friends, and he hit the stacks, and I got my eat and drink on. About an hour and a half later he came back with the phone store bag and I got super excited. And to make it even better, he wrapped it up in Hello Kitty wrapping paper like it was a special gift. And he wrote me a note too. It was adorably cute. He's freaking wonderful. Unfortunately he had to go back to studying.

Got my phone. Had someone else who has a galaxy s help me get on the internet. Took some pictures. And then got down to the business of drinking more. Gotten pleasantly tipsy. Saw Beast (b2st, 비스트) perform three songs. Complained a bunch to my boyfriend about it being cold (via textmessage) and he surprised me by coming back. And then we went to one of the booths that was really awesome. At that booth, there was a dj and it was like a club but open air and all Soongsil students. And it was super awesome. And we danced a lot and took shots and it was ridiculous. Promptly proceeded from tipsy to drunk.

Went home.

Saturday morning met M & C in Myeongdong. I bought a new dress and a vest (hahahahahah PAIGEY) and they are both super cute (ESPECIALLY the dress, omg)

Went to the War Memorial for the Seoul Soul Festival. Was like 5 people away from Se7en and Taeyang and it was amazing (review in full coming later). Went to a chicken hof with the girls. The chicken hof place had the most amazing 모든감자튀김 (mixed french fries). There were regular crinkle cut fries, tater tots, sweet potato fries, waffle fries, onion rings, smiley face shaped fried potatoes, and the most awesomely delicious fried mashed potato dallops (there isn't a good way to explain them. Imagine mashed potatoes pushed through a frosting bag/tip to create a ridged mountain of fried mashed potato goodness). And the chicken was pretty good. But omg, the french fries. to die for.

Then we went to Hongdae and I got my tragus pierced. It didn't hurt very much then, and I hardly notice it now. Sometimes if I play with it, it tickles my ear, which is strange.

My league team won our Sunday game. I had mandoo and bulgogi with a friend for dinner. Things are looking up.

I finished my worksheets for this week already and there are no high school classes!!

NICE-UH.

xoxo
A

I hate Saturdays.

Today I am a little sad. I don't want to point fingers, but it's not my own fault that I'm sad. I'm thinking about going shopping in a bit. Today actually started off really well. I woke up at noon, which was awesome. Then I made eggs and toast for breakfast and it was delicious. And I did french-press coffee, and everything was looking up. I put together this little shelf cabinet thingy (it was really simple... 16 screws, a box with two shelves, but I had no screwdriver so I had to use my scissors). I bought some hooks and hung up a frisbee and put up hooks for some bags near the door, and I put a bunch of shit in my shelves, and took out the garbage and recycling, and folded some laundry (the rest isn't dry yet), and then I even vacuumed the whole apartment. Paigey'd be so proud of me.

Hopefully, now that my apartment isn't a totally pigsty, I'll finally be able to film a tour of the NEW apartment. I still need to buy a desk so I don't have to always use my computer in bed, and a chair, so I don't have to always sit on the floor to eat my meals (I also don't have a table, so eat off the floor, too. Paigey'd be so NOT proud.

Anyways, now I have no plans, but I am enjoying my suddenly much cleaner apartment.

Tomorrow I've got frisbee. This week highs are in the mid-upper 60s, low 70s, which is awesome. It's fall, people, and I'm happy about that.

Also, I HAVE NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!

To my adoring fans

You said you thought the live feed tracker was creepy, so it's now gone. Instead, I've gone with a simple hit counter. It satisfies (mostly) my vain need to know how popular I am, but it's not nearly as creepy.

So yeah.

You're welcome.

Also, Jeju was fucking awesome. More details on that later.

Positivity

This weekend was rough and exhausting. Not necessarily in a bad way, just in an exhausting way. On Friday night, I went to Bupyeong for dinner, then to Hongdae for clubs (Ho Bar then Cocoon). Got home Saturday at 3:15 a.m., after a taxi ride from bupyeong in which I had a legitimate conversation in Korean with the taxi driver. Then woke up at 8 a.m. and skype my sister and parents from 9 to 11 a.m. Hopped in a taxi to the train station, got to Ichon station in Seoul at 12:45. Walked to the fields, played ultimate in the cold wind for an hour and a half. Grabbed a taxi back to itaewon, where the disc hotel is. Then hung out for one hour to shower and check e-mail and chat. Then hopped a bus to gangnam where I had ddeok sam, which is AMAZING (and is thin sheets of rice cake wrapped around samgyeopsal-- slammin') Then, back to disc hotel. Then to Dillingers in Itaewon, this bar. Then to King Club-- terrible. Then to B1-- terrible. Back to disc hotel with Beth at 4 a.m. Up at 9:30, eggs&bacon a la adam/bekah, back to Ichon at 11. Practice for 2 hours. League for another hour. Train to Incheon. Now here I am.

My ankle hurts and I'm so tired.

But, I just officially paid off almost 1/3 of my total student loans, since I sent some money home with my parents and it got deposited this week. I felt like I could finally drop some real bones to work on paying down my debt. My goal at the end of two years, I think, will be to have no loans or debt at all. This is going to be difficult, but I think doable. I started out with about 11,000 USD in debt, so if I can pay all of that off in two years, I'll be relieved and happy, especially since the anticipated repayment time was 10 years.

On another note, t-minus 4 days until I am sitting mere meters from my future husband.

A good weekend.

I had a really good weekend, which was certainly welcome. Went to B1 in Itaewon with the oppas. This is always a wonderful time at they have VIP cards and get us in for free (it was just me and beth and the boys). We get to skip the line and we get a table and bottles. We had champagne and a couple bottles of tequila. I got real drunk and danced the night away.

Frisbee practice was good. It's finally warm enough here that practice isn't totally unbearable. Today's high was about 48 degrees, tomorrow's high is supposed to be 50!!!

Also, today, I saw a 20 year old guy do the ENTIRE dance to Oh! by SNSD (also, Girls' Generation). It was spectacular. Absolutely spectacular.

Weekend and my Apartment!

This weekend was crazy. Cocoon in Hongdae twice, plus I tried Chinese Beijiu for the first time. It tastes like paint thinner. Smells like paint thinner. It was disugusting. Cocoon is crazy. It was packed, mostly with Korean people, which was cool. Also, they played great music (mostly hip-hop) and there were a lot of AWESOME dancers there. There were like 4 guys who had almost choreographed dances to half of the songs. I wish I had taken a video. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera.

I went to Insa-dong, which is a big traditional Korean arts area, with tons of shopping. I'm almost done with Christmas presents, which has been a tremendous hassle. I got my first christmas gift from Eric & Kate, which is awesome. Unfortunately, I have no Christmas tree, so I've just put it on my coffee table and figure there won't be too many more coming in, so it should be fine. The biggest problem will be having the willpower not to open then before the big day. Christmas is going to be super lonely here this year. Sad. Luckily though, it hardly feels like Christmas here. Sure there are some Christmas decorations, but not nearly as many and they aren't nearly as gaudy. This is good because most of the time I've almost forgotten that Christmas is right around the corner. ^^

Anyways, I took the time this evening to make a video tour of my apartment. I know most of you have skyped me and have at least sort of seen my place, but a lot of you haven't. I figured you might be interested to see how I am living here. Old habits die hard friends, so you will see me in standard form. I did clean up a bit (I even vacuumed today), but I left it mostly in my natural habitat so you could see what it's like. Enjoy!



xoxo
A

I wish

I wish I had the energy to create hot lists, but I simply don't. Additionally, I don't do anything interesting enough to warrant creating hot lists. I don't watch t.v. and I don't listen to new American music (although, Lady GaGa's new video for Bad Romance is fucking INSANE).

I would also add The Year of Living Biblically to my hot list if I had one. The book is by A.J. Jacobs, the same author who wrote The Know-It-All where he chronicles his experience reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica from A to Z. While The Know-It-All was humorous, I found it at times to be a bit contrived and TOO LONG (but when it's an attempt to summarize reading the WHOLE encyclopedia brittanica, what can you expect?), The Year of Living Biblically is sincere and, at moments, even laugh-out-loud funny. I'm finding out new things about the bible and a shocking desire to read the bible all the way through for once and take a shot at analyzing its contents entirely on my own, without the interpretive spin of a pastor, religion or church being fed to me. Will I suddenly become fundamental or evangelical or orthodox? Probably not. Or rather, definitely not, but the premise of the book (an agnostic liberal secular Jewish New Yorker following all of the biblical laws to the best of his ability) is an intriguing one.

I would also like to add that my life here in Korea is intense, and I've found myself suddenly in a swirl of emotions. Strangely, the emotions aren't bad, but I am full of wonder and surprise and elation and still uncertainty about everything that surrounds me. I think what is really striking me now is the question: "Am I really here, in Korea, on the other side of the earth from what I traditionally would call home?" And beyong that, "am I taking this experience for granted? Am I fulfilling that which I hoped to fulfill? What was/am I hoping to fill in the first place?" Korea is a joy and an enigma.

Now, I'm going to catch up on lost sleep, clean my apartment, and prepare for a wonderful weekend of laziness. Good day to you all!

xoxo,
A