I can read! …a little

I haven’t written in a little while. I got paid Monday so that’s let me get out a bit more. It was such a relief. I was getting down to the wire with the money I’d brought over. I’m not sure how they figured the amount I’d get paid. I think it was pro rata, but still was more than I thought it would be. I thought it included my airfare reimbursement, but I won’t get that til early next week (a little later than stated in the contract, but they’ve done everything else on time and by the contract, so I won’t worry). Anyway, no complaints here. Once I get the ticket money, I’ll be starting out pretty good here.

To celebrate, I went out for Korean barbecue and watched a movie. I wanted to watch Public Enemy, but I’d missed the 8 o’ clock and the next showing wasn’t til 11:30. So I went to this DVD lounge.

(About a week earlier, I’d mistaken this lounge for a DVD rental store. But when I noted the price and the guy asked “smoking or non-smoking” it occurred to me that I wouldn’t be taking the DVD home. That night I watched The Wrestler. But this time, since I’d missed Public Enemy, I went for another Michael Mann film that I hadn’t seen in a while, Miami Vice.)

Anyway, this lounge. You go in, pick out a DVD, then, instead of taking it home, you go to your own personal room to watch the film on a small home theater system. A cool idea. I was tickled by it when I first went to it. But, like, the speaker system isn’t that great, and it looks like it’s intended for couples. It’s still nicer (and more comfortable) than watching a movie on my computer, but since the price is about the same is a cinema, I think I’d rather do the rental or go to the theater.

Let’s see, also went out to Seoul to see Gyeongbok Palace. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures, it was a spontaneous trip. But I may go back again sometime with my camera.

Yesterday, I finally did see Public Enemy (didn’t like it) and last night, I bought a book on how to write Korean because...well, I gotta learn this language. They don’t use the Chinese characters here so I can’t get by the way I did in Japan or Taiwan. I’ve been using Google translator to write down words of things I was looking for at the stores. But I knew I was writing the characters wrong so I didn’t want to start bad habits.

It was frustrating not knowing the language in Taiwan and since I think I’ll be here a while, I want to get on this. Besides, Korean is an easier language than Chinese to study on your own.

I’ve been using an online site to study the sounds and reading the characters, but I want to know the stroke order for the characters. So I got a good beginners book at the Hyundai Mall and it’s been very helpful. Suddenly I can read some of the gibberish on subway station signs. So I’ll just keep at it.

I studied for a few hours last night, but I doubt I’ll be able to keep that pace once the semester begins. Typing it on my computer has been difficult to figure out. Once I get that figured out, maybe I’ll write more about the writing used here.

Anyway, so that was like my update and whatnot. I didn’t get my bank card in the 3-4 days like I’d been told. Bank is closed now, so I’ll be stopping in there Monday to see what the deal is with that.