I've been in Korea almost four weeks, but it feels a lot longer. There have been many new things to learn and adjust to:

A landscape that is tall, the opposite of sprawl, butting up sharply against the mountains with residential apartments that all look the same and commercial buildings drowned in gaudy neon signs.

A weather system that makes you forget the weather. It is always "nice". Warm during the day, cooler at night. It hasn't rained since I've landed. We feel a bit spoiled.

A language that changes the way my tongue sits in my mouth and the shape of my face when I speak. Okay, that's dramatic. But, yeah, kind of true.

A routine that is mostly reading, writing, watching and working during the week, and walking, seeing, spending on the weekends.

I guess you could say that we're settled in now. I did not have the panic-attacks and emotional breakdowns that Kowloon experienced when she first arrived. But then I did have a familiar face to welcome and guide me, by the hand, through an alien country. I also didn't have to teach a room full of strangers speaking another language the day after my arrival with minimal instruction.

I had it easy.
The apartment is small but cozy. We cleaned it up real good, put up pictures on the fridge and bought some plants. It feels a little like home already. I love the gas stove. Boiling water for coffee or tea is fast! Controlling heat for cooking is instant! When we eat in, we usually have cereal, or toast with eggs in the morning, rice or noodles with vegetables and frozen dumplings during the day.

We finished watching the first and only season of Freaks and Geeks. For a while we took respite in its North American familiarity. The characters became temporary family and friends in an environment that is, at times, cold and unfriendly. Alas, we've watched all the episodes. I've moved on to studying Korean and reading "One Hundred Years of Solitude".

I will post more pictures from the past long weekend, and from Wolmi the previous weekend. You can expect a tour of the apartment as well. You'll also find me signed on to instant-messenger-land more now. I stopped because of my new work schedule, and kind of forgot about it. Chat me up!

Right now, it's off to work, at my desk (and sometimes my bed).