Two Weeks

Tonight marks two weeks that I have lived in South Korea.  As I become more comfortable with the country, it’s becoming increasingly debilitating not having a phone.  There is no landline in my apartment and foreigners must acquire their alien registration card in order to purchase a cell phone.  I hope to do that this week, because I’ve been unable to give my phone number (or my address) to people I meet.  Offering my email is a poor alternative, because there’s no internet hooked up at the apartment, either, so it’s constant running to the PC bang just to check email.  The PC bangs are super-cheap, given the slickness of the machines…but going there is a dollar, minimum, and that can add up over a month.  I’ve also had trouble makingphone calls.  I got the phonecard, of course.  But no matter what combinations I try I just can’t get through on the public payphone.  Of course, credit is subtracted from my phonecard each time it defaults to the Korean-speaking operator.  It’s strange, looking at the phone numbers printed on the signs of businesses…some have seven numbers like in the U.S., but then some have eight, and I can’t seem to figure that one out.  I have received zero phone calls in my two weeks and I’ve made only two successful calls thanks to the Canadian coworker’s gracious help (and her cell phone).  Gotta get that together.

The other foreign English teachers and I are getting to know each other better.  Hmm…maybe I should just use their real names…Pieter and Monica.  Monica’s apartment inspired me when I saw the inside.  It’s well-decorated with rugs and furniture and books and equipment.  Seeing it made me realize that I really will be here for quite some time and I may as well make myself at home.  Plus, I would like to make my place something of a destination for others like lovers and friends.  I have had few opportunities in the past to entertain people, so here’s my chance.  That’s really why I brought along my DVD copy of Commando.  Pieter was among several English teachers who I accompanied to Busan on Friday, my first trip outside of Changwon.  There were nine of us, all guys, making it like Entourage plus Swingers plus (what’s some movie with two guys in it?) Rush Hour.  As satisfied as I am with Changwon, 24 hours in Busan (without a hotel room) was dazzling.  The place has 4 million people, lots of cultural activities, lots of foreigners and a BUSTLING nightlife.  It was ridiculous, three Americans, 4 Brits, a Korean and Pieter from the booming town of whatever-the-hell-he-called-it, South Africa…just rumbling into bars and scrambling like jet fighters to those Korean girls, or those foreigner girls, with a little bit of pool and darts and a lot of drinking and dancing to boot.  I’ll make it back to Busan during the daytime to appreciate the more savory parts of the city, but I might pull a few more marathons, as well.

So, blogger post, send a few emails and tonight is a “park it” night.  Perhaps tonight, I’ll dream about talking on my very own phone…