I've got 25 bucks and a cracker, do you think it's enough?

Feeling quite brave, I hit the streets today and went shopping outside of my own little neighborhood.  I had to take the subway, but I've done it a couple of times with friends now and figured I could do it alone...assuming I could find the station, that is.  I am about as directionally challenged as they come, you see.  It often takes me about 17 times going somewhere before I can remember the way on my own.  Multiply that with not being able to read road signs and you've really got quite a dilemma.  I know, now, what adult illiteracy feels like.  It's not fun.  It's okay though, this is all helping me reach my ultimate goal of becoming a wise old woman.  I want to be one of those grannies that has stories from "back in the day" that will be almost too far-fetched to believe...but at the same time, I'll be able to give lots of random good advice.   I once read, "Wisdom is knowing that you know nothing."  I like that.  If you always keep that in mind, you will never be closed to learning something new.

Ok enough philosophizing.  I'll save that for tomorrow when I go visit a temple with my friend Kim.  Shopping!  I went shopping today!  It was fun, it was colorful, it was wild!  Actually, the second I ascended from the depths of the underground labyrinth and looked up at the tall buildings, I got vertigo.  You know those old V8 commercials where the guy would walk sideways?  I'm pretty sure I did that for a few seconds.  I thought, "Oh no.  I'm here alone and I'm gonna pass right out in the streets!"  I mean, I hadn't really eaten yet...but a Larabar should be enough to keep me going for a few hours at least.  That couldn't be it.  Then I remembered my head cold.  "Oh!" I thought.  "I'm just unevenly clogged up."

I had run out of cash a couple of days ago and needed to find an ATM that liked me.  So far none of the ones I tried in the subway station had worked.  Since I don't have my alien registration card yet I can't yet have a Korean bank account, so I have to find one that will take my Bank of America card.  I remembered the girls telling me I could use the ones at any 7/11, so I looked for one of those and found one pretty quickly.  I pulled out 30,000 won, which is just under $30.  I thought I was pulling out $300.  All those zeros are a bit confusing.  Feeling confident with money in my pocket, I walked through the maze of shops, street vendors, people in furry animal costumes, and store sales associates outside their shops on microphones, trying to coax people inside.  All around me I heard a cacophony of competing pop songs blasting from every little store and eager salespeople.  It was fabulous.

Anyways, I was in the market for some cute things, and I think I came to the right place.  Bunnies, Hello Kitties, pink mushroom night lights, notebooks with little bows on them...they were all mine for the buying!

Those are humidifiers directly above.  The little blue water droplet, the red tree-like thing, and there's one that's like just an upside down water bottle that's also spitting out steam.  SO cute!

It was in the store with the cute humidifiers that I bought my new little mushroom night light and alarm clock.  It was also in that store that I discovered the amount of money I had actually pulled out of the ATM.  Here I am, I can't speak Korean, I don't understand the money, I'm handing the cashier the wrong amount, and the people are STILL super duper nice to me.  Everywhere I go.  They are all nice and so patient.  It's so relieving.

The next time you get impatient with someone who can't speak English...think about me and be nice to them.  They are already in a somewhat scary situation.  My scary situation has been turned into a wonderful, enriching experience...thanks to the kindness of Koreans!