Saturday Morning
Grrr...I just wrote a whole page, and I went to download a picture to attach and i lost the whole thing. So I guess I'll have to try and re-create it.
I just got a wakeup call from my friend Michael! How cool was that? It's so wierd speaking to someone who knows English without even thinking about it! That's the first call from overseas in reverse!
I wrote about the police cars, how you know where they are or if they have an issue, because they broadcast it with loudspeakers! I asked the girl at work about it and she said it's because the cars arent allowed to park on the street there. Must be in certain places because cars and pickup trucks are EVERYWHERE on the street.
I've been very mindful of the police because of my non-legal-visa status right now. I forund out last night that I got my confirmation number, and I go to Japan on Thursday for the night and come back on Friday. I'll miss working actually, but it will be a good adventure. i'm wondering what the differences will be from Korea and Japan. I've heard lots of people like Japan, but they havent worked or went there because the cost of living is more expensive. My first choice, honestly would be Japan, but I chose Korea for the same reason. Also, they require you to have experience and good training perhaps as well. And Korea for me is something more different than I would have chosen in the beginning, so more reason to go anyway!
I saw a lady on the back of her pickup truck with a full kitchen there! It's amazing what Koreans fit into such a small space. She had a deep fryer, and a counter of sorts, and everythign she needed to cook and fry fish cakes or tempura, and sell it. Sitting right under her tent tarp. Street vendors set up ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE it seems, and some are mostly right out in the open, and some are under makeshift tarp tents, some with plastic windows in them.
Right outside Zero Mart on my street where I shop there is a full industrial looking kitchen! It is kept really clean considering it is right on the street, and they make and sell things like fresh tofu. Yum. I'm gonna have to try that. It's right sitting on a pan ready to be eaten.
Last night still amazes me. The trip downtown was so worth it! I went with Rachel, who wanted to show me around. We walked up and down the streets window shopping. I got myself a sweater in the department store, and Rachel bargained it down to 20,000 from 28,000...right there in a department store!
It's funny how the stores and department stores are just mini versions of those in Canada. (Wierd how I want to say America- in terms of America as a continent which includes Canada). The scale here is so much smaller and compact, but I really like it. Everythign seems to serve a purpose, even if some of the stores I have no idea how they maintain a living with what they sell. Like one store I saw with just a few clothes hanging on the walls, some shoes, and some guys sitting in the back on chatting away.
The stores are mini versions of Robson street downtown. The general size of the stores are about 10' wide by 15-20' long. Alot are smaller than that. some look to be 6' wide and 10' deep. But they manage to make it look spacious and well presented and maintain a lliving there. I think when I go back to interior design, I will have such a newer vision of space and proportion stored in my resources.
The trip to downtown was quite eventful. We took the bus which was about .80cents. Yes, the driver was crazy. A few times I wondered how we were going to make the corner. It almost fell over to me! you have to hold on and be quite careful when you get up to get on or off. I just about got thrown around at one point! When you get off, he pretty much just dumps you off on the street! It's kindof funny. All the while Korean advertisements on the speakers for the ride.
The trip back was fun too. Rachel got a taxi for me, and told him where to go. That was a relief. The next part was trusting him that I'd get home! Rachel wrote down the address, etc in Korean and English so I could say it if something happened. The taxi driver so so super cute! He said stuff in Korean when I got in...and Rachel was still loudly talking to him while he drove off. He said Ssong Chon Dong? and then he said OKAY! Hee hee! It sounds like a movie the way I'm describing it...but it's true! The ride was pleasant enough, it was good to see a bit better how to get home from downtown. The music was nice, it was some folk song. THe taxi driver was singing along, and it was quite cute. Then some funky disco song came on and he started bopping away to it! That was the best! So when we got to my place, he said OKAY! and I said OKAY! The trip was 6000 won, or around $6. That's fine by me. I think I'm going to try to learn the bus route though to save the dollars...but considering that was quite cheap. In Vancouver that trip would probably be $15.
I just heard someone on a loudspeaker. That seems to be the norm here. If the police come around they start talking on the loudspeaker, so the whole neighbourhood knows what's goign on. The vendors sometimes have them, or a recording on a loudspeaker. Stuff like that. Kindof interesting. The horns are ALWAYS going here too. I like one kind of horn that sounds European to me. Hard to describe but it kindof goes doodedoodedoodedoo. Like 2 tones alternating. How do you explain that anyway? It's like an octave difference. Then there's the regular horns.
Man, my hair is falling out a lot more than usual. I guess it's the change and shock of everything lately. If it starts clumping then I get worried.
So I wonder what I'm goign to do today. Probably go out and walk around, take lots of pictures, etc...
Candice and I (a friend of mine who came to Korea from Vancouver a month ago and lives in Suwon, part of Seoul) wanted to get together this weekend. At this point we dont think it's that feasible because of the train or bus that would take around 3 hours to get there, and the fact we can hardly get downtown by ourselves, let alone go to the other end of teh country!
I wonder how i'm going to learn basic stuff fast like asking directions. I guess the only way is just to DO it! K, time to get up and at em.
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