Amanda Takes Off...

I am trying to make apple bread. This sounds easy except that I can't find vanilla anywhere nearby. If I can't make it to one of the larger grocery stores tomorrow, I'll find a liquor store and use rum. But that is not why I am very resourceful. No, no.

I needed to find a metric measuring spoon. I ran to the corner store. Nope. I tried the catch-all bulbs-keys-vacuum pumps-plastic piggy banks-and-pens store. Nope. The 약국! Yes, folks, I tried the pharmacy. And what do you know? I now have a free 20 ml measuring cup. Very clever!

I also managed to buy double-sided foam tape. That was interesting since there were two packages and I could not figure out which one was stronger. I said in Korean, "This has power?" The two guys working at the shop laughed and I did, too. "힘! 힘!" Sometimes circumlocution is the only thing that works.

So I am back from Japan. Although much of this is my own fault for not researching anything before I went, I did not like it. A lot of my fellow ex-pats here seem to adore Japan. "Oh, everyone is so friendly, it's so clean, it's so quiet, it's so...!"

Not me. I shot straight past the honeymoon phase of visiting a foreign country and into the annoyance stage.

I was annoyed that I couldn't read anything, annoyed that I couldn't communicate with anyone, and annoyed at how quiet it was! The annoyance and not being able to communicate is very odd; I had no problems not being able to read in any other country I've visited. But for some reason, this time it just wasn't working for me.

I was also irked at how expensive everything was (200 yen—$1.72—for a one-stop subway ride? Are you kidding me?) and how long a sumo match took on TV for such a sort amount of actual physical activity. Speaking of sports, I watched a soccer game on TV (blame taekwondo) and was cheering for red (vs blue) arbitrarily. Turns out, the game was Japan vs Korea.

I was cheering for the right side.

On a related note, since I'm still in physical therapy and can't go to taekwondo, this was my favorite ad in Japan! I have no idea what this Puma girl is doing, but it made me ache for class.

My Adoring Japan compatriots are correct in that everyone is super polite and there are no Starebears there, but I was very happy to get back to Korea. Interesting, indeed, seeing as how I can barely communicate and read here.

I know I need to give Japan another chance. When it's warmer and not so gray. And when I have done my own homework.