bloodyshowers!!

right, so this is the next installment.

the bathrooms here are grossee! really in every way they are such a
trauma. firstly the sewer system is outmoded so there are signs in
every toilet block saying "Do not throw your tissue paper in the
toilet" and then there is a conveniently placed bin next to the toilet
where you are meant to deposit your used toilet paper. WTF. it is
beyond disgusting at the end of the say in a public toilet, and dont
judge me for having to use public toilets, there is no choice if you
have been in Seoul the whole day shopping and then you're about to
take a 50min train ride back to Pyeongchon! it makes me sad everytime.
apparently the pipes just cant take the strain and so in that way it
makes sense. however for such an advanced nation it just doesn't make
sense that they cant sort that problem out. needless to say i do not
follow that principle in my own home, nor in most of the public
toilets as i cannot bring myself to do that. its the same thing in
Greece too, antiquated pipes are a problem i hope we never encounter
in SA.

Also in the bathrooms in apartments there is no such thing as a bath.
There are only showers, I mentioned the space issue before so it makes
sense as baths take up room,also the way they do the showers is that
they are a part of the whole room. There is no enclosed shower area
and I can deal with that if there is a demarcated shower space,
however it is one small room so EVERYTHING gets wet when you shower.
Wet toilet paper is the pits. So I have taken measures and it is
improving. Also the shower pipe is connected to the basin tap, so you
have to turn a leaver to divert the water from the tap to the shower.
Now after a fairly warm relaxing shower you tend to just leave the now
very wet bathroom and go and get into Pj's clothes whatever. Then when
you are in your slippers and go into the bathroom to brush your teeth
and you turn on the tap the bloody shower comes raining down on
you!!!!!!! So now not only is your toilet paper wet but so are your
slippers and dry clothes. and yet i do this every time! honestly.

Shopping in Korea is such an experience. Firstly there are whole ailes
of things that I simply do not know what is on the shelves and I
cannot for the life of me figure out what to do with it if I had to
purchase it. I mean I can figure out that it's food, but cooking
instructions are beyond me at the best of times, and in Korean it's
impossible. Also in most stores there are assistants who walk around
with head sets on and these are attached to a speaker and they are
advertising the products on sale. Which in itself is not a totally
strange thing, but it's weird when they follow you around the store.
This happened to me last week and he knew that I didn't understnd a
word of what he was saying and then when I finally picked up some
carrots I think he announced it to the whole shop because everyone
started looking at me and smiling in that inside joke sort of way. It
was infuriating and embarrassing all at once. you win some you lose
some hey.

Also fruit here is ridiculously expensive! to demonstrate this I can
tell a little story. I bought 8 apples the other day (bear in mind
that this is less than a normal size packet of apples we get in SA)
and it came to 5000 won, which is roughly R35.
!!%*)^&*^*&%^%$%$#%$!!!!! and then I went into another store and
bought slippers for 1000 won, which is R7. Now tell me in what
universe does that make sense?