The Cycle Bares its Teeth

Nobody likes watching Sunday mornings trickle by. I wasn't paying attention, too busy playing an online game of Settlers of Catan with Evan and two robots named Maui and Pele. Pele was a real jerk.

Let me take a minute to express to you the extent to which Skype has saved my life here in Seoul. Well - it's a large extent. Huge, you might say. Forgive the Mastercard reference, but being able to see my boy first thing in the morning?...priceless. We hang out over the internet, our Skype sessions lasting hours at a time. And all I can think about when I'm out and walking around is how much easier this would all be if he were here too.

Anne and Danny and I had what I like to think of as a "Christine Meeting." A chance exchange of phone numbers at some random jumping-off point. I met Christine at Freshman Orientation, and I met these two at the Chicago Consulate in line to get our visas. So we finally got together, along with their Korean friend Joe. We explored the clothing explosion that is Dongdaemun (5 super-malls clustered together for the ultimate shopping experience) and ate a seafood soup dish that had us Americans in tears. I think I stripped the outer layer off my mouth with that stuff. But it was delicious.

I'm constantly surprised by how life flows here, one day into the next. Just like at home. Somehow I thought it would be different. Backward, maybe, or riddled with pauses. Tomorrow is another work day. I survived my first week but the triumph I felt on Friday afternoon didn't keep Monday from coming around again, like I think I expected it would. I get a pat on the back, maybe a celebratory beer, and then everyone ducks their heads and moves along. Like anywhere else in the world.