The heat this week is really getting to me; I am so tired of being sticky. I had to wear one of my fall button ups today due to a laundry crisis; I won't let that happen again anytime soon. In a way, I am used to the heat, but I still find it tiring to walk the 20 minutes to work. Being locked in a small classroom with 12 sweating "in progress" adolescents in a country known for its lack of deodorant was not exactly pleasant either, especially since the A/C is under repair.
I have made a "friend" in the neighborhood; I have no idea what his name is, but I see him everyday. He apparently works for one of the many restaurants in my neighborhood; I see his father/uncle also on the street trying to hawk up business. As near as I can tell, they also act as an informal posse of traffic cops. I have also seen him on one of the "Scooter terrors" that roam Seoul's sidewalks in search of fresh pedestrian targets. His uncle/father (there is a family resemblance) possesses the unique talent of being able to sleep standing up while waiting for business. I peered under his broad hat one day in passing, and discovered he was fast asleep!
My "friend" speaks good English, and always greet me or waves; he asks me a new question each time I see him. He is horribly skinny, but has a nice face. He is rather bold for a sober Korean; most Korean men appear to be afraid of "foreigners," especially the women, and will not even approach us. With enough soju, however, they tend to become rather aggressive, or so I have been told. I really haven't been here long enough to make judgements. This guy makes eye contact with me, which is a bit unusual. I find eye contact is a great way to shake up my misbehaving students!
As I was just sitting here, the employee of the "PC Bong" at the next terminal very sweetly offered me half of his sweet potato pastry. How sweet! I find people here are very kind and giving; I have been the recipient of many generous acts. I try to "pay it forward;" I gave away some of my spiral notebooks today to some of my coworkers. Lined paper is very hard to get here.
Last night, as I was walking home, a young woman approached me, and rather randomly asked whether I spoke Chinese. She is looking for a Chinese teacher, and thought I worked at the neighborhood language school. She had graduated from the girl's high school down the block, and has lived here most of her life. I find that amazing. She was probably in her mid-twenties, and still lived at home. We had a nice chat and then she went her way and I went mine.
Tonight, however, I took one of my infamous "detours," and ended up a half hour later precisely one city block from whence I came! I was yakking away with one of my co-workers, who very kindly lent me the new "Harry Potter" (British edition!), and not paying much attention where I was going....I wandered through some alleyways and a park (where children were still playing at full volume even at ten o clock at night!), dodged a few drunk business men with annoyed wives, and randomly followed a group of mothers with strollers. I was mentally checking the contents of my wallet to see if a taxi was feasable, but then realized I didn't even know the name of my street (the neighborhood is "Gangdang-Gu"). I have not felt that lost in a long time. I suddenly found myself in a familiar place, but could not at first place it. It took me a few minutes to realize I was back on Olympic Parkway.
I considered going back into the wilderness of alleyways to get to the "Mouse House" (where I am now, but decided to take the main drag, even though it meant passing through the fish market site on a sultry evening (you cannot, however hard you try, hold your breath for a Seoul city block!). I made it here ok, after all (too late for Baskin Robbins!). I think I will go home now, and read "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
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