Hi everyone! The past two weeks have been fairly uneventful. I decided to skip a blog post last week because the only fun thing I did was get settled into my new apartment. I also Skyped my New York manager a couple of days ago, and she’s delaying my start date until January, so I’ve been a little unoccupied and sorta nervous. She says that the finance department needs to get my offer letter back to her, but that the holidays and recent acquisition have made it difficult. I’ll feel a lot better when I’ve signed that and know for sure that I’ll start work soon. 

Here are some pictures of my apartment now that it’s (somewhat) furnished. For the full experience, imagine that it’s 95 degrees because you’ve convinced yourself that you have no idea how hot 35 degrees Celsius is.  

When I was originally shown the room, its previous owner was taking a shower so I only got a peek. In the two weeks between the viewing and my move-in, I managed to convince myself that there was a kitchenette, when in reality I have two burners and a mini-fridge. There is floor-heating though, and an elaborate bidet, so it evens out. The room also has a window and is more or less clean, which makes it a massive upgrade from the Airbnb I was staying in last month. 

I did have to say goodbye to Choco, the stray cat that lived behind my Airbnb. I almost considered taking her, though it probably would’ve killed me and my landlord doesn’t allow pets. The night before I left, I had a conversation with the policeman who lived above me, and he agreed to feed her every day if I gave him food, so I left him almost two months worth of Fancy Feast. 

덕수궁 Palace

Before I moved out of Seoul Station, I made sure to see some of the tourist spots in central Seoul while I had the chance. My first priority was Deoksugung Palace, where the last royal family lived before Korea was annexed by Japan about a century ago. 

Cafe Culture 

One of my favorite things about Korea is the cafe culture! I’m writing this blog post from a study cafe called “The Focus Place”, which is designed to be the perfect environment for productivity. There are white noise machines, the walls are all white or gray, and the floor is made of a soft material so that you can’t hear footsteps. It’s a little severe, but only costs about a dollar an hour and it really works. 

Last week, I went to a comic cafe, where there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of manga and comic books, and wooden nooks where you can read them. I’m not that into Korean comics, but it’s my favorite place to sleep in public (a personal hobby of mine). They provide pillows and blankets for free, too. 

Of course, my absolute all-time favorite is the raccoon cafe, which I think I have subjected you all to stories about at one point or another. Here’s a picture: 

There are two others nearby, a sheep cafe and a meerkat cafe, which I want to go to this week. On Wednesdays I go to an art cafe, where art supplies are free and patrons are encouraged to work on their projects together. 

That’s pretty much it for this week! I’ll be back in Boston from the 19th to the 2nd, and then back to Korea to start work (god willing) and take a Korean class. I also have new contact information: 

Phone Number: +82 010-9867-3339

Address: Dangsan Station Harrington Tower, Building 101, Room 602, Lot 9-3, Dangsan-dong 5(o)-ga, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07213, REP. OF KOREA

See you all (in person) next week!

P.S. A bonus for your troubles: