Episode 13: In Which DFM Prepares For His Second Wind

Not much to report today.  After my amazing night with Tae Yong, I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 AM.  My subsequent awakening did not take place until 12:30 in the afternoon.  Since I am still fighting the remainder of a cold, I decided not to go out today and to rest up for a second hard push at Seoul sightseeing.

Perry phoned me today.  Apparently when he asked me how long I had been in Seoul he meant how long would I be staying in Seoul?  I replied one week.  When I told him today that I would be staying for 7 more weeks (he did not understand the term 2 months, or the word May), he had to go back and check with his wife on whether or not I could stay with him.  He said he would phone me the next day.

Later I phoned Conor, the English teacher I met at COEX mall last week.  We set up a date for Saturday, when he would show me around some of the city.  He said he'd be in the neighbourhood of Dongdaemun so I suggested we check out the market since I am not sure what constitutes a good deal in those types of places and it would be nice to have an experienced Seoulite along.  It should also give me a chance to take a picture of the famous Dongdaemun gate.

In the process of phoning Conor I also figured out my phone card problem.  Apparently if you enter the area code, the card automatically assumes that you are phoning long distance and charges you triple the rate.  I decided to experiment and only entered the local telephone number which gained me an extra hour of calling.

My big accomplishment today was the completion of my spectacular, categorized list of climbing gyms and important sights in Seoul (a "to do list" if you will).  I categorized them according to location, with hours of operation and prices listed as well.  It may not seem like much, but it took me at least half the day.  It was worth it though, as now I have a definitive list of what I want to do/see in Seoul during my next seven weeks and eliminate the inefficient practice of flipping back and forth between pages in my travel guide.

Tomorrow I will probably check out the DMZ store that is within two minute's walking distance of my house (it was down a side street, off the main drag, so I missed it before), and spend the morning in one of the nearby, inexpensive saunas for which Korea is famous (the saunas, not the cheapness).