Going to Graze in Greener Pastures

So I've been in this apartment for all of... what... three weeks? At first I thought the neighborhood was kind of shitty and a break-in was imminent, but I realized after a week that this is exactly the kind of 'hood that I needed. It has everything a youngster like myself could need. DC marts, grocery stores, convenience stores, cheap vegetables and meat, kimbap chungook-esque diners... in short, it's awesome. Everything I could possibly need for home/food is within ten minutes walking distance, and it's cheap to boot.

Last Thursday, the landlord stopped by to pick up a gas bill that was to be paid by the previous person in this room. I told him I left it in the mailbox, which he found, but he insisted on seeing me for some reason. So after I returned home from shoe shopping (another hellish story in itself), he stopped by my room. He started the conversation with 다른게 아니라, which to me means "I'm about to drop a huge bomb on you, so get ready." That's not what it really means, but that's basically what happened. The landlord said that his business hasn't been doing so well, so he needs to rent out the room to someone who will pay 전세 (jeon-se), basically meaning payment for the entire year up front. For a room this size, I would guess jeon-se would be 25-35,000 USD. Obviously, I don't have that kind of money. So he is, in essence, kicking me out of the room despite having a contract.

At that time, I was so out of my mind I just decided to move out. The landlord told me he would cover the moving expenses. Well, after thinking about it some more, he should be covering a bit more than the moving expenses. Perhaps even the real estate company fee, which was $200. If he pays up a bit, perhaps moving wouldn't be so bad.

While I've been living here, I've had difficulty sleeping and waking up. The problem with falling asleep has been the fact that I used to fall asleep while using the computer. I'd roll over onto my side, half awake, sometimes drooling, while playing a game. The moment I decided to sleep, I would simply turn off the computer. Well, I can't do that here since the computer has a fixed place on the desk. The problem with waking up is that there is very little sunshine that comes into the room. I'd much rather prefer that Mr. Sun arouse me to consciousness, rather than my loud ass cell phone alarm.

So there have been good things and bad things about living in Shindaebang, but I'm always counting on life taking a turn for the better. 'Better' has a lot to do with personal perspective, and I think I'm ready to consider any room bigger than 4 pyeong as better than this room. Who knows what the future holds...

New Room

Last Saturday (February 28), I moved out of my plush, enviable officetel, to a cramped, semi-ghetto one room apartment in Shindaebang. Well, the building is new, but the area is a bit questionable in the latter hours of the evening. In order to avoid getting lost, I meandered about the neighborhood to acquaint myself with the surroundings and to find the local groceries/restaurants so I would have some landmarks to refer to in the event of an emergency. While this is no Shindorim, it has all the conveniences I need within 10 minutes walking distance. But back to the room.

Refer to exhibit 1.

This is basically 80% of the 'apartment'. You got your desk area, kitchenette area, and fridge/microwave nook. To the right of the fridge is the bathroom. No shower booth this time, just a box in which everything gets sprayed with water. Mold may be readying itself to attack at any moment.

Due to the abundant moisture, my clothes aren't drying well and it takes upwards of 15-20 hours for them to be wearable after laundering.

In defense of its tiny nature, it's not as if I have to walk very far to get anything done. I may, however, have to shove several objects out of the way to move one meter in any direction. Another advantage is that cleaning will probably require less time overall, but again, I'll have to remove several large things in order to efficiently sweep for dust bunnies.

In other news... wait, there is none.