The Korean culture seems to be more cash based than the states. It's not uncommon to pay for things, such as rent, in cash. Now, I won't say how much my rent is over here, but I will say it's more than my mortgage back in Texas. Every month, I call USAA and get an ATM withdrawal increase, take out my rent, go to the Money Exchange, then pay my rent to my realtor, who also takes care of any issues I have. Well, apartment wise. Cause she's just not licensed to help me out with the other things!
So last week I told her my A/C wasn't blowing cool air, despite getting a block of instruction on how to set and use it (yes, you read that correctly, I don't know how to set it, and the buttons being in Hangul don't help much. But in my defense, I don't even really know how the thermostat in my house in Texas works). I even took pictures of the buttons and showed them to Korean Soldiers and they just looked at me, blinked, talked amongst themselves in Korean, and then told me, "I don't know" . I finally got my block of instruction from my co worker, who probably asked a Korean person. Anyway, Sora told me she'd "call the guy". Well, I waited for her to let me know when "the guy" would come out. In the meantime, my rent is due between the 1st and 5th of the month, and yeah, I'm That Girl who pays 10 minutes before they close on the 5th. But when I took out my rent, I emptied the ATM (now how often is it that you can say you did that?). Aaaaaand I had locked my car keys in the trunk of my car, and I had no idea where the neighbor with the spare key works. Don't ask how they got locked in the trunk, please. So I figured I'd just walk somewhere later to get the rest. That never happened. A few things contributed to it, namely needing to get back to work for a meeting, so the offer of a ride to another ATM had to be declined. I also didn't really feel like walking all over post in the hot, humid weather when my ev-er-ee-thing hurt beyond measure. I also didn't want to walk home, even though it would have taken me about 10 minutes to do so. So I asked for a ride home from a co-worker. And by the time he was done with work, it was after 1800. I also could have been home about 30 minutes sooner, but waiting for a ride made sense in my mind (hence, the giant irony and contradiction present in my line of thinking.) So when I told Sora I had to work late, I was kinda being truthful. It's just that I had to work late in order to get said ride home. Well, the next day was Korean Memorial Day, so the Realtor's office was closed, which meant my rent wouldn't get paid until the 7th, i.e., it would be late. That also meant I couldn't really call up Sora and complain about the A/C. And let me just say, in the mornings, I really need the cold air. I have the shower, which despite my best efforts, produces humidity, then I have the hair dryer and flat iron to stand under. Which results in copious amounts of sweating, crying from sweating so much, cursing, frustration induced temper tantrums, and frizzy hair. Which is the already the bane of my curly/wavy haired existence. So while I don't need to run the A/C 24/7, I would like to have it for the mornings when I need it. Or while doing Zumba.
Now, since I knew I had emptied the ATM prior to getting all of my rent money, I should have realized that and completed my withdrawal on Thursday. And I think I meant to. Hell, I was even by the ATM. But apparently I forgot. No worries, though. I'll just go to the money exchange and then the realtor Friday morning before work. Well this idea went horribly awry when, after counting out my rent money, I realized I'd short changed myself. Because I hadn't hit up the ATM one last time. Dammit....which meant I would have to get more money, exchange it, and pay it after getting my hair done for the Ball. Which meant I risked "hat hair" since I was doing this straight from work. Double dammit...Now, it's humid as hell here in Korea. And being from Texas doesn't mean I like it any more than the average person. In fact, show me someone who actually likes the humidity and I'll show you a crazy person. And my kick ass chariot of choice, 1995 Daewoo Prince with green glitter scattered about the trunk (no idea...I probably don't want to know, either) doesn't have A/C (there seems to be a theme here...). Actually, there's a lot of things my sweet ride doesn't have, now that I think about it. So I get my hair cut and done, and perch my headgear on my head in such a way that it's only claim is that it's on my head. Now, it's on my head wrong, I will freely admit it. And it was intentional. But dammit, I wasn't going to ruin my hair! And hey, at least I had headgear on. There are a lot of females here who wouldn't even have bothered to put it on at all. So I get money, and then head out to the Money Exchange. And I manage to get stopped at every single stop light. Now, no forward momentum, such as that created by actual moving, means, yes, you guessed it, none of Mother Nature's own version of air conditioning, aka, breeze through the windows. I did manage to park illegally in front of the church across from the Money Exchange (whaaaaat...everyone else does it...). I get in there, and start pulling twenties out of my pockets, bag, you name it. And then stand in front of the fan, trying to dry the sweat at my hair line since moisture equals frizz and curl in my case. And I just had my hair flat ironed to perfection, dammit. And oddishi (that'd be the older guy who runs it) gives me my rent in 10,000 won bills. That's like paying for something that's $1000 in fives...Wonderful. But away I go to pay my rent, where I then tell them that next month will be late since I won't be back until the 10th. Nice life, right?
So now that my rent is paid, I hit up Sora about the A/C. And she tells me "the guy" will be by Saturday at 1010. Not 1000, not 1015. Or even 1030. But 1010. Okaaay... Now in Korean culture, it's apparently acceptable to be a bit late. But something told me to change out of the hideous fluorescent green tank top I was wearing (it was sold in a pack of 3, and I wanted the other 2 colors, so I was kinda stuck with it) and yoga pants at 0930. And thankfully I did since Mr. I'll Be There at 1010 was downstairs at 0948. Now, I don't know what the hell he did, but it involved a lot of discussion in Korean on his cell phone, a trip back downstairs, a blow torch, and what looks like a propane tank. But so far, the place has gone from being 26 degrees Celsius to 23. So whatever he did apparently worked. I guess I should go close the windows I opened in an attempt to get a cross breeze in here earlier.
But my hair did manage to remain sleek, shiny, and straight. Despite the hat, the humidity, and the nap I ended up taking, and the 7 minute walk to catch a cab. Now I'm kinda cold...I just can't win for losing.
So last week I told her my A/C wasn't blowing cool air, despite getting a block of instruction on how to set and use it (yes, you read that correctly, I don't know how to set it, and the buttons being in Hangul don't help much. But in my defense, I don't even really know how the thermostat in my house in Texas works). I even took pictures of the buttons and showed them to Korean Soldiers and they just looked at me, blinked, talked amongst themselves in Korean, and then told me, "I don't know" . I finally got my block of instruction from my co worker, who probably asked a Korean person. Anyway, Sora told me she'd "call the guy". Well, I waited for her to let me know when "the guy" would come out. In the meantime, my rent is due between the 1st and 5th of the month, and yeah, I'm That Girl who pays 10 minutes before they close on the 5th. But when I took out my rent, I emptied the ATM (now how often is it that you can say you did that?). Aaaaaand I had locked my car keys in the trunk of my car, and I had no idea where the neighbor with the spare key works. Don't ask how they got locked in the trunk, please. So I figured I'd just walk somewhere later to get the rest. That never happened. A few things contributed to it, namely needing to get back to work for a meeting, so the offer of a ride to another ATM had to be declined. I also didn't really feel like walking all over post in the hot, humid weather when my ev-er-ee-thing hurt beyond measure. I also didn't want to walk home, even though it would have taken me about 10 minutes to do so. So I asked for a ride home from a co-worker. And by the time he was done with work, it was after 1800. I also could have been home about 30 minutes sooner, but waiting for a ride made sense in my mind (hence, the giant irony and contradiction present in my line of thinking.) So when I told Sora I had to work late, I was kinda being truthful. It's just that I had to work late in order to get said ride home. Well, the next day was Korean Memorial Day, so the Realtor's office was closed, which meant my rent wouldn't get paid until the 7th, i.e., it would be late. That also meant I couldn't really call up Sora and complain about the A/C. And let me just say, in the mornings, I really need the cold air. I have the shower, which despite my best efforts, produces humidity, then I have the hair dryer and flat iron to stand under. Which results in copious amounts of sweating, crying from sweating so much, cursing, frustration induced temper tantrums, and frizzy hair. Which is the already the bane of my curly/wavy haired existence. So while I don't need to run the A/C 24/7, I would like to have it for the mornings when I need it. Or while doing Zumba.
Now, since I knew I had emptied the ATM prior to getting all of my rent money, I should have realized that and completed my withdrawal on Thursday. And I think I meant to. Hell, I was even by the ATM. But apparently I forgot. No worries, though. I'll just go to the money exchange and then the realtor Friday morning before work. Well this idea went horribly awry when, after counting out my rent money, I realized I'd short changed myself. Because I hadn't hit up the ATM one last time. Dammit....which meant I would have to get more money, exchange it, and pay it after getting my hair done for the Ball. Which meant I risked "hat hair" since I was doing this straight from work. Double dammit...Now, it's humid as hell here in Korea. And being from Texas doesn't mean I like it any more than the average person. In fact, show me someone who actually likes the humidity and I'll show you a crazy person. And my kick ass chariot of choice, 1995 Daewoo Prince with green glitter scattered about the trunk (no idea...I probably don't want to know, either) doesn't have A/C (there seems to be a theme here...). Actually, there's a lot of things my sweet ride doesn't have, now that I think about it. So I get my hair cut and done, and perch my headgear on my head in such a way that it's only claim is that it's on my head. Now, it's on my head wrong, I will freely admit it. And it was intentional. But dammit, I wasn't going to ruin my hair! And hey, at least I had headgear on. There are a lot of females here who wouldn't even have bothered to put it on at all. So I get money, and then head out to the Money Exchange. And I manage to get stopped at every single stop light. Now, no forward momentum, such as that created by actual moving, means, yes, you guessed it, none of Mother Nature's own version of air conditioning, aka, breeze through the windows. I did manage to park illegally in front of the church across from the Money Exchange (whaaaaat...everyone else does it...). I get in there, and start pulling twenties out of my pockets, bag, you name it. And then stand in front of the fan, trying to dry the sweat at my hair line since moisture equals frizz and curl in my case. And I just had my hair flat ironed to perfection, dammit. And oddishi (that'd be the older guy who runs it) gives me my rent in 10,000 won bills. That's like paying for something that's $1000 in fives...Wonderful. But away I go to pay my rent, where I then tell them that next month will be late since I won't be back until the 10th. Nice life, right?
So now that my rent is paid, I hit up Sora about the A/C. And she tells me "the guy" will be by Saturday at 1010. Not 1000, not 1015. Or even 1030. But 1010. Okaaay... Now in Korean culture, it's apparently acceptable to be a bit late. But something told me to change out of the hideous fluorescent green tank top I was wearing (it was sold in a pack of 3, and I wanted the other 2 colors, so I was kinda stuck with it) and yoga pants at 0930. And thankfully I did since Mr. I'll Be There at 1010 was downstairs at 0948. Now, I don't know what the hell he did, but it involved a lot of discussion in Korean on his cell phone, a trip back downstairs, a blow torch, and what looks like a propane tank. But so far, the place has gone from being 26 degrees Celsius to 23. So whatever he did apparently worked. I guess I should go close the windows I opened in an attempt to get a cross breeze in here earlier.
But my hair did manage to remain sleek, shiny, and straight. Despite the hat, the humidity, and the nap I ended up taking, and the 7 minute walk to catch a cab. Now I'm kinda cold...I just can't win for losing.
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