selfish times

(a view of the sunset and neighborhood from the rooftop of my apartment building)

the best laid plans are... what do they say?

actually, i haven't had the best laid plans. which is why it took me an entire month to find an apartment of my own. when i did some research in September, it seemed that there were numerous options for rooms on the south side of the Han River (where i had planned to work). when i arrived in early November, this was not the case. nonetheless, i have now found a place to live.

i'm in an inexpensive sublet situation north of the Han River on the eastern side of the city. the tenant, a Korean-American woman, was heading to China to teach English and needed someone to take over her space right away. it worked out nicely because it's a private apartment (meaning no roommates), fully furnished and convenient to my part-time job (15 minute walk). it's also in an area that attracts essentially no foreigners. there are no Western restaurants or cafes close by (unusual in most areas of Seoul i've been to); it's pretty much Koreans, their families and small businesses.

the apartment itself is on the rooftop (5th floor) of an older villa building. i have the roof essentially to myself. i get a decent workout climbing the stairs each day. there is a couch underneath a tarp that looks out at one of the mountains in Seoul. when spring comes, it'll be a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. there's also a clothesline and a little storage room.


the bedroom holds the refrigerator; it's also the only room in the apartment that has heat. i won't be doing much cooking this winter, unless i want to dress in multiple layers. also, the bathroom (which contains the washer) is an icebox. waking up in the middle of the night to pee is like leaving a warm sleeping bag and going to the outhouse. thankfully, the water gets super hot so it doesn't take long for the bathroom to turn into a steam room while taking showers. all these minor annoyances aside, i'm pleased with the place. well, and it's super cheap. only 250,000W/month including cable and water. that's less than $270. those of y'all who know me well know that i'm all about cheap and simple. why pay more when... well, you don't have to?

i titled this post "selfish times" because well, they have been. i've been focused entirely on myself since i left IDHA and headed for the hills. the vacation in China was completely self-serving as are my current jobs (making $$ for travel). my personal time is selfish as well. with Alan and friends, i explore the city & country, enjoy meals and experience Korean culture. in my alone time, i read books and play word games (online scrabble, crosswords, etc.). my last 2.5 months have been totally indulgent.

which i know was and is the point of a break, but still. it feels weird not to have to consider anybody but myself (and my partner, to some degree of course). i am detached from the goings on of my friends and family. i have purposely distanced myself from the goings on at IDHA. so it's just me, figuring out what to eat for lunch, how to buy tickets to the theatre and how many layers to wear for the day's weather.

anyway, no deep thoughts about this.