A brief (and slightly ignorant) rant.

Okay so, today I made a quick to trip to Homever. Out of all of the things that I have been able to find here (cheese, pancakes, pizza) I am shocked that identifying and finding garbage bags is by far the hardest thing I have had to find. A quick note, all garbage must be in a specific, slightly green-tinted bag, and you will get fined for not doing so (going through your garbage is a legal means to an end here, so there is no 'getting away' with it). So being the law abiding ex-pat that I am, I have searched on 3 separate occasions to find them. I know what you are thinking "Mallory, simply get out your phrasebook, and point to the word 'garbage bag' and then see where they take you." I know, friend, and I have. Even after doing this, the grocery store personnel ANSWER IN KOREAN. Leaving me smiling and saying "Komsa nida" (Thank You) in order to not look like a total idiot. I am at the point where I think I may start asking my students what the boxes look like, or paying someone to get them for me, which makes it seem like I am trying to solicit drugs. Far from it.

The next big of difficulty I am having is with the policies at Homever. There are several different levels, and a row of cashiers on every level. I have seen people put carts on the escalators, moving freely from every level without care. Today I attempted it with a basket and was stopped and sent to the cashiers. Previously when I did this and went with my paid merchandise to the next level, I presented the lady at the opening of the next level with my receipt and I was given stickers for my bags and allowed to pass. Today I did the same, and was ushered to rental lockers where I could put my bags. What's the deal Homever? I don't mind doing these things, but at least make your procedures consistent so I don't have to constantly figure out your store etiquette.

This last part is more of a fable than a complaint of sorts. I was looking for some fun snacky food to have around and as you might imagine, somethings are hard to decipher. There are a lot of products that look similar to their American counterparts (for example, Pringles) and are easy to find. I do, however, realize that I need to find new foods and not just stick to the stuff I know. In an attempt to do this, I found a bag of snack things that looked good and had a picture of a cartoon crab on them. In the past my history with cartoon characters on food has been positive (ie: Tony the Tiger, Chester Cheetah, Count Chocula) and so I bought them with the understanding there there was no possible way I could go wrong. Fast forward to 20 minutes later when I sit down to a quick lunch before work. I had a sandwich and popped a bunch of these taste treats in my mouth. Word to the wise: If you are in Korea and happen upon a fun snack with a cartoony crab on the front and you say to yourself "These snacks must be crab-shaped and there is no way they could be crab-flavored!" Think again. They are crab flavored and you won't know until you have put about 5 in your mouth and there is a very distinct fishy aftertaste. That's right gang. I had crab snacks. I don't recommend them.

That is all for now. I am going to get ready to teach today and enjoy the company of my great students. Hope all of you are well!