It's a God Thing

God has a way of turning things around and showing us the beauty and wonder of something right after we find a way to see the frustrating or gross in it (see previous post re: onions, mustard and ketchup a la Costco side dish). Korea, I believe in you again because of this:
Soap on a pole. Just clutch, yank, and rinse. It's good practice, too. I mean for when you're in the shower with those crazy non-attached bars of soap, those lil' suckers are slippery. I should also mention I managed a run in with this contraption not once, but three times in just two days. For this lover of good ol' fashioned fart jokes and potty humour it isn't an understatement to say I was in heaven.

Here's a pic of us on the subway. Just because. Just love us.
Here's more proof I'm in Seoul, and enjoying my milkshake, and kinda don't have a neck.

I judge you a little, Koreans

Okay. I really love it here. For the most part it's easy to forgive a lot of small stuff that annoys me as "they just do things differently, they are a different culture". There is something that I just can't get over, that I just don't think I'll ever be able to get over, and it begins in the Costco cafeteria:

Imagine if you will exactly the same looking Costco cafeteria as North America with the same menu of hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, etc. No big deal. It wasn't until my third visit there that I was subjected to something I am unable to shake. I had found a seat in the crowded cafeteria and was waiting for Thomas to acquire my much anticipated hot dog when I notice something on the table beside me. 3 regular looking school girls (also waiting for their friend to bring the food) had a plate in front of them. On this full sized dinner plate was a heaping pile each of ketchup, mustard, and onions. I let it go and assumed "I guess this is easier for the friend getting the hot dogs".

I could never have been so wrong. Moments later the friend showed up with some slices of pizza and a chicken wrap thing, not a hot dog in sight. The girls proceeded to do something that will haunt me forever: mix together the ketchup, mustard and onion, hand each other forks, and dig in. Oh god. It was a side dish. They didn't even put it on the pizza as an extra topping. My horror only compounded when I looked around and witnessed this happening on countless tables around me.

So yes, Koreans who do this, I judge you a little. So judge me back. Me and my plain hot dog sans side dish do just fine, thank-you.

Do you not hear what I don't hear?

Commence whine:

I'm still sick. I became sick nearly two weeks ago. This nasty little bugger started with a cough then more and more coughing and less sleeping and more coughing and sinus fillage and less sleeping and finally a lovely little ear infection (including loss of hearing in the right ear). The "good" news is that when I finally agreed to see the doctor, our boss took me to an ear, nose, throat clinic. Can you believe that? No referral, just walked right in and was seen immediately. The "scary" part was that he actually wore one of those old-school reflectors on his head (see fig. 1). Oddly enough when looking for a stock photo of a reflector thingy, the only photos that came up were ads for Halloween costumes. Hmmm. I'd also love to tell you about the "treatment" I received at the clinic which involved two heated cup things with handles that I held over my ears for 30 seconds, but it's too hard to explain.

To sum up: I'll be returning on Wednesday when I will potentially have my ear drum stabbed and drained. Gross. Until then, I'll continue taking my albino pill cocktail and using the word "what?" way too much.

Last paragraph, I promise, I have a little treat in store so stay tuned for upcoming posts that involve Korean items with English gone drunken.

No? Yes. So Yes? No.

A conversation I just had moments ago at work:

Christy: No class right now?
Korean Teacher: Yes.
Christy: So I do have class?
Korean Teacher: No.
Christy: So no class today?
Korean Teacher: Yes.
Christy: Okay.

I showed up for the class just in case. I didn't have it. So no class today. No.