Thorvin the Dwarf Cleric

I've started playing Dungeons and Dragons. I guess that it isn't really surprising. The idea of playing was always there in the back of my mind and I think that it makes sense with all of the other dumb hobbies I've had over the years (Magic the Gathering and World of Warcraft in particular). It's just funny to me that I started playing here in Korea, but my co-workers said they were going to start and it wasn't something that I could turn down. Anyway, now you know how I'm spending my Thursday nights.

What I learned in Korean today:

Hangul/Pronunciation
저는 공부해야되요/jeo-nun gong-boo-hae-ya-dwae-yo

Translation
I should study.

I took a TOPIK practice exam last night and realized that I am nowhere near as good at Korean than I want be at this point. My real problem is that I just don't know enough vocabulary. So, I've decided to start working a lot harder on it. I have a list of vocab that I need to study and I'm going to start hitting it hard. When the winter TOPIK comes around, I should hopefully be ready.

I'm not dead, by the way.

The past few weeks have been a little hectic for me. At work, I had to do the summer camps we had on top of my regular work schedule, so I have been an absolute mess for the past while. The extra classes ended on Friday though, so now I can finally get back on track with my life, which means going to bed at 4:00AM and sleeping in until 2:00PM the next day.

The Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival has started.

It started yesterday and runs until the 24th of July. Luckily, I live in walking distance of all the theaters for all the events. I still have to see what movies I will be able to catch, but I took a look at the program and it all seems like good stuff. I want to see if I have the time to watch the live-action Gantz movie in particular. Anyway, you can take a look at the program yourself at the the official Pifan site if you're interested.

The best part about Sundays...

is waking up at 1:00 PM and then realizing it's too early, then going back to sleep and waking up at 4:30.

I have the worst luck with cell phones.

The phone I got right when I got back to Korea decided to malfunction last night. I haven't dropped it or anything, it just stopped working. Luckily, it's on a warranty and they can fix it. Otherwise, I would have to get my fifth phone in the sixteen months at I have lived in Korea.

Yesterday's adventure went well.

Yesterday's adventure ended up being a trip to Apgujeong.  I made it there and back safely in time for work, which was awesome.  However, there were a few mishaps that occurred:

• I got a little lost.  I made it to the stop and with the buses fine.  I just wasn't sure which way it was out of the exit.  So I ended up just walking around, which was fine, except for the fact it was hot and I was carrying all the shit I needed for work.  I ended up just taking a cab, which was the smart choice, since I had walked for half an hour in the wrong direction.
• The bag I wanted was sold out.  I expected it a little, since it said it was sold out online.  I just figured that the actual location might have had a display one that I could have purchased.  They didn't, so I ended up just buying the same bag but in a different color.
• I knocked over three bottles of champagne in front of a Tour Les Jours.  This wasn't my fault though.  Some guy was squeezing by me and he forced me out of the way.  I turned to the side and my backpack ended up knocking the bottles over.  They all shattered on the ground and splattered on four girls who looked very angrily at me.  All I did was say I was sorry.  After standing around for a minute and realizing that no one was coming out from the store, I just walked off.  I feel pretty bad about it, but even if someone came out, I wouldn't have been able to explain the situation.

I might start trying to schedule a trip into the city like this one once a week.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to wake up early enough, but I might as well try.  It'd be nice to get up and do something productive every once in a while.

This calls for an adventure.

So, it's really early in the morning and I don't have to be at work until 3:30 so I feel like I should do something with my day. I'm going to head into the city and buy a new backpack since there's so much time. I'll probably snap a few photos as well. There are a few problems, since I have never taken the bus I'm planning to take. I'm also not sure if the store is still open, but I figure that I might as well.

It looks like my Galaxy Tab plans are on hold.

So about a week and half ago I decided that I would buy myself a Samsung Galaxy Tab.  I was seriously going to meet a friend today and go buy it.  However, it turns out that the Galaxy Tab is considered a phone here and I am unable to have two cell phones under my name.  The most obvious solution is to just cancel the plan I'm already on and just get the Galaxy Tab, but that's a waste of money and the cancellation fee is so high.  Besides, I sort of want to have my phone and the tablet at the same time and keeping them for separate purposes.  I have a few thoughts as to how I can swing this deal, but I have to see.  Maybe I'll just have to wait until next paycheck to figure it out.

The Korean summer is here.

I'm saying this because I woke up to three mosquito bites and I just spend the last five minutes trying to hunt the damn insects in my room. It isn't that humid yet though, and I'm glad it isn't raining like I know how it will be later on in the season, but I just don't enjoy the Korean summer very much. It's just a matter of time until I'm going to be scratching mosquito bites and sweating my ass off nonstop.

I might be one of the laziest persons on the planet.

I really might be.  I'm getting paid this Friday and one of the things I'm thinking about doing with my paycheck is hiring a maid.  It sounds worse than it is, but I really can justify it.  For one thing, the service is actually really cheap and it wouldn't even really set me back much over a month.  Another thing is that they'd probably clean things that I wouldn't even have thought were dirty.  Finally, depending on the service, some of them will actually cook you meals.  I think that's actually the best part.  HOME COOKED MEALS ON TOP OF MY APARTMENT BEING CLEAN!?  That shit's almost too hard to pass up.

I just finished reading Twilight.

I really have been meaning to read these books for a while now. I don't think they're great or anything, but since a shit ton of people have read them, I feel like I should at least know what all the craze is about. I just got through the first book and I'll probably start the next one today. By the end of next week, I should be able to get through all of them. Then I'll probably have something else to talk about with my students besides Harry Potter and which kpop groups I like the most.

I think I'm going to buy a Galaxy Tab.

I'm sure you're thinking, "Don't you already have an iPad?" That's true, but there is all this hype about the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 coming out that I'm really interested in copping one of the 7-inch models. I really would like a 3G capable device and I feel that the 7-inch model is just small enough that I can carry it around everywhere. The price point just dropped and I feel that it's at a point I can afford. Especially now since I'm taking the extra hours on Saturdays, so it won't be setting me back too much. Besides, I just love gadgets and since I'm in Korea, I might as well own a Korean one.

Bad news.

I knew that when I chose to work at a hagwon that it might eventually come to this, but I didn't want to really think about it. Starting next week, I will have to start working Saturdays. It's sad to think that today is the last Saturday afternoon that I get to enjoy for at least three months, but we'll see how it goes. It shouldn't be too bad since the classes start in the afternoon and I do get out early on Friday nights, but I won't be taking any weekend trips for a while. At least I'll be saving myself some money.

I had the strangest elevator ride yesterday.

I got into the elevator of my building yesterday to go up to my room. At the same time, guy carrying two large plastic bags of live eels up to the seafood restaurant on the second floor of my building. When the elevator stopped he went to pick up the bags of eels but one of them opened up a little bit and three live eels spill out onto the elevator floor. The eels were squirming around, the guy was trying to pick them up without spilling any more eels onto the ground. The whole time I was just holding the elevator door open so he could just get out and I could be on my way. The whole ordeal took about four minutes and the only thing that I got from the whole experience is that I'm never going to eat at that seafood restaurant.

What I learned in Korean Today:

Hangul/Pronunciation

• 술고래/sool go-rae

Translation

• alcohol whale

While the literal translation means alcohol whale, it's an expression for someone who drinks a lot.

Oh, those fickle teenage hearts.

While at work yesterday, one of my middle school students was sitting by himself during break messing with his iPod. I took a look at his screen and saw that he was on Kakao Talk, a messaging app that Koreans use. I asked him who he was messaging and he said his girlfriend. I told him that was a nice thing to do and all he said, "Not nice. I quit girlfriend." At this point I couldn't help but laugh. Then I told him that he should have at least called her, but he told me that it would have been too hard and that break time was almost over and that we had to get back to class. I guess he's got his priorities figured out.

I went to Gyeongbokgung this weekend.

경복궁 is that big palace near Seoul City Hall.  Everyone who's been to Korea has probably gone there before.  I thought it was really surprising that I've never been before, but when I went on Sunday, everything seemed so familiar that I may actually have been before but I can't remember for sure.  It's weird since I don't have any pictures of it, which doesn't sound like me at all.

Anyway, it's a nice place.  I didn't really research anything about it before I went and we didn't go on a tour of it, so I can't tell you any cool historical facts.  However, it was a pleasant way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.  I'll be posting pictures as soon as I drag them off my camera.

What I learned in Korean today:

Hangul/Pronunciation

• 모든 여자 사랑해요, 하지만 내 첫 사랑이에요/mo-deun yeo-ja sa-rang-hae-yo, ha-jee-man neh cheot sa-rang-ee-eh-yo

Translation

• I love all women, but you are my first love.

Korean Weddings

Like when comparing all Korean things to American things, weddings in Korea are different.  That's not entirely fair to say since in America there are a ton of different wedding ceremonies.  However, Korean weddings are peculiarly Korean.

First of all, weddings usually take place in a wedding hall, which are large elaborate places made jsut for weddings.  After entering, you usually give your gift (money in an envelope and no less than 30,000 won) and take pictures with the bride until the ceremony starts.  The ceremony goes by pretty fast and it's surprisingly casual.  Most of the parts are there, like the wedding entrance and the exchanging of vows.  There are a few things missing though, like groomsmen and bridesmaids.  There are also a few things that are specifically Korean as well, such as the couple bowing to their parents.  After the ceremony, everyone stands around for pictures and then after that.  Instead of a big reception, everyone goes to a buffet that is in the same building, which is probably the best part of the wedding.

This is what I've learned from going to my first Korean wedding, but from what I've heard from others, it's pretty much a good representation of most of them.