Observations n' things

- There are ashtrays in nearly every bathroom you go into. There are also public bathrooms in many buildings that are always open on the ground floor. These bathrooms are typically for men AND women, with an equal number of stalls and urinals. These make me uncomfortable.
- I am trying to quit smoking. I have had 10 or so cigarettes in the past 5 days. It feels both good and bad at the same time, you know? It gets more difficult to resist when I drink. Therefore, I am also trying to drink less. Stupid non-smoking forcing me to non-drink.
- I am in love with my television and speakers.
- I am not in love with the ever-present stench that infests my apartment STILL. I have tried everything short of sulfuric acid (which smells like farts, so no thanks) and hydrocholoric acid (pipes melt, no thanks). Seriously, if anyone has any suggestions on how to clean grey-plastic pipes, I would love to know how.
- I was called "boy" the other day by a Korean man eating with his family. I wasn't sure how to respond, or if it was even acceptable for him to call me that (my experience at home has taught me that it's not), and it made me uncomfortable. I smiled my best "fuck you very much" smile I could and walked out.
- A few weeks ago at a bar I had to lie about having a girlfriend to keep a girl off of me. Oddly enough, she was Irish, and we both knew people who had gone to DCU. I was torn between wanting to reminisce about Ireland and wanting to keep her hands off my love handles. I found some weird balance between the two involving always supplying a beer in her hand and frequently using the bathroom. I'm surprised she didn't ask me if I had a bladder problem.
- I now officially integrate Korean with my English i.e. "Wanna get a few mekchus?" and "Dude, he's such a pyonte."
- I have little sauce stains on almost every article of clothing that I own. I can't find a dry cleaning place anywhere. Do Asians really just move to America to open dry cleaning places but have none of them here? HOW DO THEY EVEN KNOW THEY EXIST THEN?!
- On November 20th, Assassins Creed 2 comes out. Could somebody please buy it and send it to me? It won't come out here for months, and I cannot wait that long to aid Encio in his quest to exterminate such evil men...although in the last one, it turned out that all the guys you killed weren't so bad, and your bossman was the baddie! Plot twist!
- I accidentally bought Resident Evil 5 a few weeks ago. It is the exact same as Resident Evil 4. Therefore, it sucks. But I have to finish it on principle. On the contrary, F.E.A.R. 2 has me quivering with ____ nearly every night!
- I'm trying to buy a motorcycle for a reasonable price. I've found a few in Seoul, but you can't drive motorcycles on the highway here, presumably so the crazy Korean drivers can't kill you with their cars and poor driving skills. Also, I've never ridden a motorcycle, but what better incentive to learn than having one of your own to always practice on? I've been pantomiming gear-shifting with the help of some experienced friends. I feel pretty confident now.
- I should be coming home for Christmas, from the 25th to the 30th. I want to do the following:
Eat a Nathan's hotdog...
Go to K-Town and order dinner in Korean...
Go to Eugene Lang and visit professors...
Go to a nightclub where you can't wear t-shirts or tennis shoes...
Go to a dive bar...
Go to the Production Lounge...
Write an article for the newspaper about teaching abroad (Kate?)...
- Saw two guys passed out in the street a few nights ago at about 2 AM. Just laying there in the middle of the street. What if a car needed to drive through?
- There's a really cool building being built across the street from my hagwon. I wish I was living there...

That's all for now. Time to prep for classes.