Sorry for the delay in post. I've been a bit under the weather. Nothing in particular, but most of my free time has been spent sleeping, I'm still really tired all of the time. Oh well. At least I don't have a sinus infection (yet...knock on wood.)
The simplest things are so complicated here in Korea.
Today I went to the Dunkin' Donuts in my neighborhood for a coffee, and saw a donut that I wanted. Now in the Dunkin' Donuts near my work, you just point to the donut you want, and since they are behind the counter, the lady behind the counter gets it for you. But the DD in my neighborhood is different. The donuts are out in cases and are self serve. But there was no tissue paper or anything to be seen. I finally just had to sit down in the shop and wait for another customer to get a donut. Turns out there were trays and tongs in the corner, but it was still interesting. There were like 20 pairs of tongs, so each customer uses their own tongs and then turns them in at the counter.
Another thing that is complicated is cleaning, more specifically, cleaning products. My boss informed me that I had to completely clean my apartment if I want to get my leaky sink fixed. He said that it would be embarrassing to bring a repairman in to a dirty apartment. So...that means buying cleaning supplies. Now window cleaner, and like spray kitchen counter cleaner are easy enough to figure out from the pictures, but what about mopping agent!? There are no pictures, AND you can't read the solution mix you are suppose to use, on top of the fact you have no idea what it is. I finally decided to just mop my floors with bleach, because it was the only thing in the store that I could open up the bottle and (by smelling) confirm it was bleach.
Another thing that is really hard to get use to is the fact that I have no clothes dryer. At home, I just needed to realize 2.5 hours before I needed clean clothes that I should start laundry. But here I have to air dry my clothes, and it is SOOO humid here that often leaving the clothes to dry ALL DAY is not long enough for them to be completely dry. I can somewhat remedy this by drying my clothes under my air conditioner, but, I've been told that the A/C here is very expensive (though what very expensive here is, I don't know), and the clothes can dry in about 4 to 5 hours. But still, it takes at a minimum, 6 to 7 hours to wash and dry a load of clothes.
Just now, I went to Lotte Mart - which is like Wal-mart, it's sells just about everything. There I bought a broom, and of course, I had to pick a broom with no UPC on it. So when I finally get to the cash register to pay, mind you, I had already waited in like more than 15 minutes, because on Saturday and Sunday Lotte Mart is CRAZY busy - like positively packed - think of Wal-mart, but with having no personal space - and in a culture where it is okay, and no one thinks anything of it - if they run into you. So anyways, I get to the cash register with my broom, and the lady sees that there is no UPC on the broom. She points in the general direction of the store where the broom is located, and takes off - there were at least 10 people, if no more - waiting in line to check out - i do believe I've finally been cursed out in Korea...haha. How mortifying. Oh well, I got my broom, and now I can sweep and mop my apartment. And FINALLY unpack, organize and take out my trash.
Lots to do this weekend! I have to clean my apartment, wash and dry probably 3 or 4 loads of clothes, do an entire months worth of planning for 3 pre-school classes AND on top of that, I have to take my first test in my White Collar Crime class. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish this. Tonight, here in Korea it's going to be very loud. Korea plays Uruguay in the World Cup. Like the pictures from one of my previous posts, the streets will be packed, and there will be screaming and carrying on well into the night with the game starting at 11pm local time and then the USA game at 3:30am. It's going to be quite a Saturday night.
Hope everyone is well back home!
-Carly
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I am really enjoying your posts. Even the most mundane you are making interesting. We are watching the South Korea game as we speak, so I assume the world around you is crazy. USA probably while you are sleeping. Hope you got your apartment cleaned.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like my blog! Makes it worth writing! I do want to try to make it every other day or so. We'll see. *fingers crossed*
ReplyDeleteIt's lightly raining outside, so it's not nearly as crazy as it was two Thursdays ago -for the World Cup, but never fear there are still thousands of people outside of my door wearing their ponchos. But luckily since I live under a highway underpass, well luckily for all the spectators out watching, people can just schooch further under the highway, and at least partially get out of the rain/sprinkles.
And yes! My apartment is clean! I bleached my bathroom floor, and somehow managed to not asphyxiate myself! :P