Last minute before moving

It's 10 pm on Friday.

I will move tomorrow around 6pm.

I am a little annoyed that it is so late, but I don't really have much of a choice.

I have all my clothing packed (except the stuff that is still drying from my laundry yesterday).

I have all my bathroom stuff packed.

I packed everything in my bedroom (essentially).

My kitchen, however, is a freaking disaster.

I can't pack up kitchen stuff because I just don't know how. It's totally over my head.

Also, I ran out of boxes (I have one left and all my kitchen stuff left to pack)

But, I am way better off than I was in the last move.

Plus, I got word from the part-time job that she will pay for the visa run IF I get my fbi background check by the first week of September. That gives me one month. LET'S GO FBI!

Please, everyone, fingers crossed please. I really need this job. Like seriously really need it.

North Korea vs. South Korea

Some of my friends back home have recently been asking me, "hey, what's the deal with North Korea? Are you safe there? What will happen if North Korea attacks South Korea?"

Here's what I know:

According to the recent New York Times article published here, North Korea has "cut[sic] all ties with South [Korea]" Also included in the article is a mention of "reports in Seoul that Mr. Kim ordered his military and reserve forces to be ready for war" Terrifying, right?

Certainly, Kim Jong-il is a tremendously feared (and justifiably so) leader, but does North Korea truly pose a threat to the South? While some, such as the author of the article, argue that this threat is unique from previous threats (and, indeed, threats are abundant and nearly constant, including skirmishes in 2000, 2003, 2006 and right after Obama was inaugurated in 2010). Differences include Kim Jong-il's preparations for his son to succeed his leadership (and his attempts to build up his son's military credentials and accomplishments) and the 8 weapons of mass destruction-worth of fuel that N. Korea is storing.

The future leader of North Korea: Kim Jung Un, described by former family chef as being "exactly like his father," and is expected to succeed his father instead of his older brother who was caught in 2001 attempting to sneak into Japan with a fake passport in order to go to Disneyland Tokyo.

As many know, this situation is related to the N. Korean attack of the South Korean ship, the Cheonnam. The Cheonnam marks the single greatest military loss in South Korea since the Korean War armistice was signed. Research indicated that the boat was sunk by a N. Korean missle. The United States supports this conclusion. Researchers and other military experts consider this attack the first military attack that N. Korea has made since the Korean War (all previous attacks were considered terrorist not military).

So, then, how are people feeling about N. Korea here? Well, some people are protesting avidly against N. Korea, arguing that something MUST be done, NOW, to right the Cheonnam incident. South Korea has reinstated propaganda radio broadcasts near the border. The inaugural broadcast was rung in on Monday with none other than South Korean music idols, 4Minute, and their new song HuH (Hit you Hard). With lyrics like, "When I say I want to appear on TV, when I say I want to become prettier, everybody says I can’t do it. Baby, you’re kidding me? I do as I please," 4Minute is clearly the best way to enlighten N. Koreans to the mistreatment and censorship they undergo daily.

 In South Korea, we are allowed to dress as fugly as we want. And I can become pretty or be on t.v. too. That'll "Hit You Hard" huh North Koera?

Oh, and Lee Myung-Bak has officially stated that N. Korea is their main enemy (for the first time since that clause had been dropped from SK's Defense White Paper list in 2006). I don't know who their main enemy was between 2006 and now, but apparently, it wasn't N. Korea.

 Lee Myung-Bak: "Maybe if we spin this arrow, we can figure out who to hate the most, now that North Korea is out."

Meanwhile N. Korea has decided to remove all South Korean officials from a NK/SKcooperative industrial park (but permit South Korean workers to stay...) and forbid South Korea from using North Korean seas and airspace. Korean Air and other major airlines have had to reroute some common routes that fly over N. Korea in order to comply with the development.

But, I'm evading the question. What is the feeling here? Well, I talked to my co-teacher and she said, "oh, no I'm not worried. It's election season after all" Wait, what? Election season? She told me that every time there is an election (even mid-term elections such as this year's) N. Korea ramps up the threat. It sort of makes sense (notice that the previous skirmishes were all 3 years apart... until now), but really, just for elections here?

Regardless, I'm feeling very safe in my big (albeit horrifyingly messy) apartment, working at my comfy public school job, and living very much alienated from the fact that that apartment and job is maybe 50 kilometers (just over 30 miles) from the demilitarized zone.

The general feeling is that South Korea is safe. But, every Incheon-ite I've talked to seems to say, "oh, I'm not worried at all about it" and then at the very end, trailing off, adds, "but, if something does happen, we'll definitely have to leave Incheon." So while they aren't worried, I think people have contingency plans.

That being said, what's my contingency plan? Well, probably to find a handsome, tall, perfectly sculpted Korean man with flawless hair to protect me of course. I've heard from Hollywood that that usually works perfectly. Right?

Oh, Taecyeon, I knew you'd come rescue me!

xoxo
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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,
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