JUST LIKE AMERICA

I went to the drive-thru at the 24-hour McDonalds at dinner time to get dinner. I may as well be in America. Actually, it’s the first 24-hour McDonalds I’ve seen, and it’s the first drive-thru I’ve seen and this is within 5 minutes of where I live. Am I lucky, or what? The excitement of ordering myself at the drive-thru (number six, set, largee) was overwhelming. The brackets translate to a number 6 meal, supersize it. English is truly a universal language. However, I didn’t ask for the diet coke during all the excitement so I got a regular coke. I’m sure the next time I’ll be calmer knowing that I can handle this Korean task.

I skipped my classes on Friday. I felt like crap, could only cough and my eye was bright red. I really didn’t want to infect anyone. Kyle took me to the doctor where the doctor diagnosed me with the common cold (no fool is he) and conjunctivitis (pink eye). Doh! So I got some medicine and eye drops. It’s Sunday night now and my eye is clearing up but I’m still coughing. I’m not near 100% but it’s work tomorrow. I don’t look forward to it.

I’ve been watching quite a few of my DVD’s lately. I’m going to have to buy some more. I’m sure that there is a rental place around here, but I have no idea where one is and neither does Kyle. I would like to find one to rent some recent movies. I haven’t seen anything tempting on the sidewalks of Seoul. I buy a lot of old movies because I love old movies. I buy some movies that Saeyoon has never seen thinking we’ll watch them together. So far the only movie we’ve seen together is “Shane”.

She came over yesterday and we went out for lunch at a Vietnamese noodle place. I had noodles and chicken in this soup and it really wasn’t bad. It went down easily and the price was right. She paid. We then just hung out here until she had to go to choir practice. This church is crazy in my opinion. (But then again what church isn’t crazy?) They have practice from 5PM to 7PM on Saturday nights. This is in preparation for Christmas but couldn’t they think up a more inconvenient time? I’ve taken her before and then go and wait and read in a nearby coffee shop. This time she took the subway so I could stay in with my illness. When she was done she came back to hang out. It was good to spend the time together. And when she first arrived she brought me tissues. That’s a good gift for someone with a cold.

She has a wedding to go to next Saturday. I asked her what time and she said that she doesn’t know yet. I’m not 100% sure if she meant what she said, or she just forgot. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t know yet. Koreans are not great at fixed times. It’s in the afternoon and I think we are going to a concert with a friend of hers. I like meeting her friends. I haven’t really connected with any of them, but if I meet enough then I’m sure they’ll be a few hits.

I have to work next Saturday morning to make up most of the classes I missed on Friday. That’s fair and I don’t have a problem with that. Knowing I can do that takes away my guilt that I’d have if there was no income with me being sick. I’d probably take tomorrow off in a real job but I’ll tough it out. I can only handle so much make up time.

A professor Saeyoon had at University died and she went with classmates somewhere today (maybe the professors house) and was gone all day. The professor was just 47. That’s just too young. I haven’t talked by voice with her today so I don’t know what the cause was, but it must be upsetting for so many people. She might have living parents and living children. Obviously she had a boatload of students who cared about her. She was younger than me. It’s just too young.

I went to the movies today by myself. Two movies in two weeks. I saw, “The Departed”, the new Martin Scorcese film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg. It was 2 ½ hours long and it flew by. It’s a remake of a Hong Kong film about cops and bad guys and it was engrossing, somewhat violent, had great dialogue, and had great acting. Rarely do actors make the jump from outstanding child actor to outstanding adult actor, but Leonardo DiCaprio has succeeded. He was marvelous. Matt Damon was great playing a bad guy because he’s so clean cut and just looks the good guy part. Jack Nicholson chewed scenery but was entertaining nonetheless being Jack Nicholson. I thought Mark Wahlberg, in a relatively small part was terrific. He stole every scene he was in. It’s hard to believe this is the guy who used to be “Marky Mark” with his pants hanging half way down his butt. He is a fine actor who can always be counted on for a good performance. I loved it and I’m recommending this one too (like last week’s Casino Royale). And because I went at noon it was only about $4 so it was great bang for the buck.

Haven’t fought or broken up with Saeyoon this week so that’s good. Actually I can feel things stabilizing in a good way. We’re both learning more about each other and understanding more. We’re both changing naturally so that we fit together very well. We really do communicate well. We can talk easily to each other, and can also just be together and not talk. Dead air does not have to be filled. I’m starting to feel that I’m part of a “couple” and I’m quite comfortable with that. I’m still very lonely because I am alone most of the time and I do hate saying good night and driving her home. (Being alone is good when it's a choice). However, things are progressing nicely and there just may be a future, and a good one at that.