Entry #2

Hey party people,

So I'm now living in my apartment. The upside is I now get to watch Korean TV. The downside is - well, do you remember those hygiene videos they showed you in sixth grade health class? Where it would be like, "Tommy brushes his teeth every day and uses deodorant, but Billy hasn't bathed in four days." The guy who lived in the apartment before me, DEFINITELY a Billy.


Everything here is very different. Mushrooms here can cost upwards of two hundred dollars, but you can get a filling (and tasty) amount of Korean sushi (called kim-bob) for under two bucks. They actually love America here. One drunken guy couldn't stop shaking my hand and telling me how our countries were best friends. Also, You don't tip anyone for anything. If you do, they chase you down because they think you paid too much by accident.

They also have a nifty thing here called "Coffee Girls." They're girls who deliver coffee to your apartment. Convienent, huh? Turns out they also uh...are willing to do other things there for an added fee. And this isn't looked upon as shameful. I've seen them cruising around on their scooters in the city on on Wednesday afternoon.

Also - the country is completely homophobic but within that lies a striking dichotomy. Men here act gay. I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean actually gay, at least by American standards. Businessmen walk hand and hand with their friends. And I'm not talking touching hands. I'm talking full out, fingers in between each others, linked, big smiles on their faces. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw one businessman ruffle his "partner's" hair with his free hand. Again, totally not gay. Even when guy friends sit on each others laps.

Last thing - I'm completely against stereotypes. I think it's wrong to ever, ever judge someone based on their skin color or religion or where they're from, but I find it uncanny how crappy the driving is here. Red lights at major intersections are more of a suggestion, it seems, and cab drivers have no qualms going 100 kilometers (oh yeah, I know the metric system) or about 65mph down narrow and busy city roads. Parents seem to be the same way, the only difference is Koreans don't have child seats, or usually have anyone wear seatbelts.

But life is good here. My teacher friends are good people and Americans are like celebrities here. But, as always, I miss you all.

-Danielson