Frustrations

Ooooh, my goodness it has been an extremely frustrating day. Well, it started yesterday actually. I got all excited to go to E-Mart (Korean Wal Mart) and it's kind of a trek and I had a list and everything and we get there and it's closed. Of course. We actually should have known better because the chain stores close here every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month to give the small businesses a break. So no E-Mart shopping, which was very sad. So I went to the gym and got a little more depressed because I am not losing weight even though I have been working out a lot more lately. Then, I got no sleep last night because I was up coughing and sneezing and that whole game. I couldn't figure out if it was because of my windows being open or because of the AC, but once I checked the filter in the "Air-Con," it was pretty obvious it was my DISGUSTING AC filter. Yet another thing I didn't realize I was supposed to be cleaning on a regular basis. I know that you have to change AC filters every now and again, but for whatever reason, it hadn't crossed my mind to change this one. But that shit is getting done ASAP because it is super hot and I do not want a cold.

And feeling crappy was just the beginning of the day. I mean, it really wasn't a bad day, just frustrating with a lot of silly Korean things I don't understand. For instance, you have to go into the bank to pay your bills here. I was asking someone at school about it and he's all, oh, you can get it set up so it just takes it out automatically. And I was all, FANTASTIC! Because I really do not like going to the bank here. For one, it's only open 9-4:30 so I have to find a window of time to sneak over during the day...which I always feel bad doing because I have to leave my class. Secondly, the tellers always make me feel like such an idiot. I know I am, but I don't really like being reminded. So I go during lunch today, thinking it won't take long, but of course there are 5 people ahead of me, all with lengthy bank transactions. I get up there, get the you're a moron look/talk from the teller. What really irritates me is that she acts like, so surprised I'm there and wanting to pay these stupid bills. I know for a fact I am not the only foreigner to go in there to do this because my friends go to the same bank and there was a guy before me doing the same thing! Anyway, she informs me I cannot set up automatic payments because that company doesn't have an account with my bank. Uggggrrggghhh. So I have to go there every month to pay this stupid bill. Which is retarded expensive, by the way.

So after that fun time, I go back to school and "PSA Mini Camp" starts for the first time. We had planned on making smores and hot dogs on the grill. Instead of hot dogs,  they give us microwavable corn dogs. Instead of graham crackers, saltines. And instead of a grill, they wanted to give us a little propane gas burner. Whhhaaattt the hell. Camping, Korea style I guess. Or maybe just my school. I don't know. I'm usually pretty flexible but I was a little irritated we basically had to start from scratch 30 minutes before the class started. Also, I'm not really sure why they couldn't find the real things, I know they exist. Anyway, we did eventually get a grill but the guy helping us didn't really understand that we needed a flame, so we had to put the marshmallows next to the charcoal to melt them. Totally ridiculous. And then the kids were just like, meh. These are ok. About smores! Nonsense!

After those good times, I come home to attempt some internet banking. I wanted to bypass the bank to transfer money home. They told me I could do it online, I just had to call and get a digital certificate. Korean online banking is TOTAL RIDICULOUSNESS. It has an insane amount of security features and they interfere with whatever you already on your computer, so you have to turn all your anti-virus stuff off, and only use internet explorer and go through a lot of really stupid steps...including in typing in numbers from your "security code card," and remember 3 different passwords. It's super annoying. At first the website would load and everything, it just wouldn't let me type in my user id and password, soooo aggravating! So, after an hour on the phone with this poor woman that probably thought I was horrible (and rude since I kept sneezing and blowing my nose...damn Air Con!), it turns out they had not set me up with international banking after all. The mean woman lied to me! She said I could transfer money online and I COULD NOT. Oh, I almost threw my computer out the window.

Anyway, to end on a positive note, I then went to yoga and the teacher is super super nice. I also have figured out how to make homemade galbi (grilled meat) AND I have the delicious sauce they serve with it (they sell it at the grocery store!) so my dinner was a-mazing. Probably not going to help with the weight loss problem, but that is for another day.

For now, I am going to try and get some sleep in my oven of a room because I would rather be hot than sick. Really hoping I get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow, my new after school program starts and I found out today that my least favorite student in my class (seriously, she sucks) just joined. Oh man, today sucked. Glad it's over. Thank goodness for some of the goober students that made me laugh really hard by calling the computer a turtle since it was going really slow today.

Dream big people!

My disgusting AC filter

Reasons to smile...check that wife beater!

Homemade galbi and awesome sauce...delicious!