Good day!
Starting last night. I found some stuff that I thought might have fallen out of my luggage. There was a huge hole in one of the pockets in my luggage. There was still a bag of stuff in there, but I knew that it was possible that other stuff could have fallen out. There was a bunch of stuff that I couldn't find and while I thought I didn't put it in that pouch not being able to find it made me think that maybe I did. I thought I had searched all the pockets at least twice, but I must have skipped over the one with all the crap in it some how. So I found my razor (or more correctly, the handle because I always had all the blades I brought with me and I was starting to wonder how I was going to use them without the handle thing). I also found my jewelery and a bunch of other little things that I was missing (like post-it notes).
Then today I finally got money! I can't transfer money to myself over here online so I had to ask my parents to transfer me some. But this has been a huge ordeal that I didn't want to write about, because part of me began to believe that I wasn't going to get money until my first paycheck, which won't be till about November 10th. I haven't been able to get money out of the ATM. I borrowed 30 bucks from one of the guys I work with (he lent it to me after they stopped by my room, drunk). I started work a couple of days later, opened my bank account, thus starting my phase of trying to transfer money to myself. A headache and a half. First of all, they don't have routing numbers here. Plus, I later learned you can't transfer money internationally online with Citizens. So I go to the Korean bank to try to transfer money. I go with my boss lady because the banker guy doesn't speak English. I sign a bunch of stuff (and half to wait a day because they needed my citizens routing number which I didn't have because I initially only wanted my Korean routing number (and it took a couple of days and a few calls by my boss to figure out they don't have routing numbers here). But I still have no idea what when down and what I signed because it didn't do anything. So I finally asked my parents to transfer money into my Korea account. But the people at the bank said they needed the routing number (which doesn't exist). At this point I felt like I was forever doomed. Another call in Korea to confirm they don't exist and my parents went to another branch and sent the money! But they said it could take up to two days. This was on late Thursday night (early Thursday morning your time). But Korean banks have the crappiest hours and don't open on the weekends so I had to wait till today. Then to top it all off, my Korean banks website was being stupid so I couldn't check my balance to make sure it all went through. But it did so all is good. (sorry that is long, but it has pretty much been the thing bothering me the most and it is so good that it is all sorted out). If the money didn't come through I was going to have to ask for another advance on wage, which I really didn't want to do.
My whole life I've been saving with the idea that the money was 'for later when I really needed it'. Well for the first time in life I found myself in a position where I really needed. But not being able to get to it made me feel like it was all for nothing. It was just a horrible feeling. And I didn't want to ask for an advance because I hate asking for money. Plus, when I fist asked for my advance Rachel (my boss) was like, oh how about I give 200,000, but she had to go to her boss to actually get the money and ended up only giving me half that. How the hell am I supposed to go a month on $100? Plus did I mention I HATE asking for money, especially since I have money. It was hard enough asking my parents for money.
So now that I have my money I'm going to start getting the things I need to make this place more like my home. I started pricing microwaves and coffeemakers. I also want to a new comforter. Once my costco card comes I'm going to be walking on a cloud. (oh yeah, I probably haven't mentioned costco).
So they have costco here. As it is an international chain (which is kinda weird, since I think most other countries are horrified by American portion sizes, though I think deep down most people are jealous. In Denmark my Danish teach told us this story about how she visited a friend in America and was in aw/horrified by the size of a gallon of milk. On the other hand, people would two one liter carton every day, so they drink as much as we do, just in smaller packaging, meaning that we are actually the more sensible and eco-friendly since less packaging is good). So being an international chain membership is good worldwide. I can't wait to go. I'm not exactly sure what they have, but I know they have the same muffins and croissants that they have at home (which my parents get), and that they are pretty cheap. I know this because they guy I'm replacing went and bought a bunch and brought them into work. Plus I can get a giant thing of coffee (still need the maker, but one step at a time). So I want to go and stock up on Western type food things that are pretty expensive in the regular supermarkets here. Plus there is something just so comforting about American portion sizes. Joining Costco here is $35, which I was more then willing to pay. But, my parents membership just ran out. When you join you can put two names on your membership, so they put mine on theirs and are sending me the card so I don't have to buy my own.
I also turned my heat on. In Korea they have floor heating. I think it is traditional (they heated the floors in the palace I went to, originally built in 1300something). When I step into my apartment there is a small like 3x3ft area to take off and leave your shoes, and then the floor rises like 3 inches. And the floor is heated. I just turned on the heat and the floor heated right up (which is so nice on my feet). Once it has time it should also warm the apartment nicely.
Then today I finally got money! I can't transfer money to myself over here online so I had to ask my parents to transfer me some. But this has been a huge ordeal that I didn't want to write about, because part of me began to believe that I wasn't going to get money until my first paycheck, which won't be till about November 10th. I haven't been able to get money out of the ATM. I borrowed 30 bucks from one of the guys I work with (he lent it to me after they stopped by my room, drunk). I started work a couple of days later, opened my bank account, thus starting my phase of trying to transfer money to myself. A headache and a half. First of all, they don't have routing numbers here. Plus, I later learned you can't transfer money internationally online with Citizens. So I go to the Korean bank to try to transfer money. I go with my boss lady because the banker guy doesn't speak English. I sign a bunch of stuff (and half to wait a day because they needed my citizens routing number which I didn't have because I initially only wanted my Korean routing number (and it took a couple of days and a few calls by my boss to figure out they don't have routing numbers here). But I still have no idea what when down and what I signed because it didn't do anything. So I finally asked my parents to transfer money into my Korea account. But the people at the bank said they needed the routing number (which doesn't exist). At this point I felt like I was forever doomed. Another call in Korea to confirm they don't exist and my parents went to another branch and sent the money! But they said it could take up to two days. This was on late Thursday night (early Thursday morning your time). But Korean banks have the crappiest hours and don't open on the weekends so I had to wait till today. Then to top it all off, my Korean banks website was being stupid so I couldn't check my balance to make sure it all went through. But it did so all is good. (sorry that is long, but it has pretty much been the thing bothering me the most and it is so good that it is all sorted out). If the money didn't come through I was going to have to ask for another advance on wage, which I really didn't want to do.
My whole life I've been saving with the idea that the money was 'for later when I really needed it'. Well for the first time in life I found myself in a position where I really needed. But not being able to get to it made me feel like it was all for nothing. It was just a horrible feeling. And I didn't want to ask for an advance because I hate asking for money. Plus, when I fist asked for my advance Rachel (my boss) was like, oh how about I give 200,000, but she had to go to her boss to actually get the money and ended up only giving me half that. How the hell am I supposed to go a month on $100? Plus did I mention I HATE asking for money, especially since I have money. It was hard enough asking my parents for money.
So now that I have my money I'm going to start getting the things I need to make this place more like my home. I started pricing microwaves and coffeemakers. I also want to a new comforter. Once my costco card comes I'm going to be walking on a cloud. (oh yeah, I probably haven't mentioned costco).
So they have costco here. As it is an international chain (which is kinda weird, since I think most other countries are horrified by American portion sizes, though I think deep down most people are jealous. In Denmark my Danish teach told us this story about how she visited a friend in America and was in aw/horrified by the size of a gallon of milk. On the other hand, people would two one liter carton every day, so they drink as much as we do, just in smaller packaging, meaning that we are actually the more sensible and eco-friendly since less packaging is good). So being an international chain membership is good worldwide. I can't wait to go. I'm not exactly sure what they have, but I know they have the same muffins and croissants that they have at home (which my parents get), and that they are pretty cheap. I know this because they guy I'm replacing went and bought a bunch and brought them into work. Plus I can get a giant thing of coffee (still need the maker, but one step at a time). So I want to go and stock up on Western type food things that are pretty expensive in the regular supermarkets here. Plus there is something just so comforting about American portion sizes. Joining Costco here is $35, which I was more then willing to pay. But, my parents membership just ran out. When you join you can put two names on your membership, so they put mine on theirs and are sending me the card so I don't have to buy my own.
I also turned my heat on. In Korea they have floor heating. I think it is traditional (they heated the floors in the palace I went to, originally built in 1300something). When I step into my apartment there is a small like 3x3ft area to take off and leave your shoes, and then the floor rises like 3 inches. And the floor is heated. I just turned on the heat and the floor heated right up (which is so nice on my feet). Once it has time it should also warm the apartment nicely.