Monday, February 16, 2015

another damn week

I had thought that I would hit Immigration this morning, so I woke up around 5:45AM after a fitful night's sleep with the intention of training down to the Sejongno branch in Jongno, Seoul. Then it struck me: tomorrow, the 17th, is payday for Dongguk, which means I'll have more money to do things like pay any Immigration-related fees, buy a microwave,* and so on. So I decided it would be best to wait for the morrow, when I'm flush with cash, even though that puts me one day closer to the deadline.

It also occurred to me that a trip to the Sejongno branch might be a fruitless endeavor: I now live in Goyang, and it's likely the bureaucrats in downtown Seoul will tell me that I've come to the wrong office: I need to go to the branch of the region in which I now reside. After a bit of research, I found the page that tells you which Immigration branches serve which areas, and it turns out there's a Goyang-based branch of the Yangju office that I can reach via a short taxi ride. Thank goodness. So tomorrow, instead of having to rush into Seoul super-early in the morning, I can wake up at a more reasonable time—7:30AM, say—and cab my way over to the local immigration office. I'll still need to train into downtown Seoul to do other errands, but at least I won't be in a rush.**

So after realizing I didn't need to go into Seoul today, I slumped back onto my sleeping pad (essentially, two blankets folded in half... I've got a picture somewhere) and finally got some real sleep, not waking up until the afternoon. I checked my phone and saw a text message from Wi Mae Peu ("We Make Price" online shopping) saying that my bed would be delivered in five to seven days.

Grrrrrr. Those fuckers.

I have no idea why WMP drags its feet when it comes to delivering beds, but the service seems determined to make my life as difficult as possible. Given my luck, I'm expecting an apologetic customer-service rep to give me a call, a day or two from now, to say that this bed, like the previous one, can't be delivered for some bullshit reason.

Another damn week on the floor, then. I think God is trying to teach me some sort of lesson. Or He's just punishing me for not believing in a literally existent Him.



*I've had offers for used microwaves, but I'm a spoiled brat: I want a large, powerful one, not a tiny, weak one. So I'll likely buy one at the local E-Mart, Home Plus, or Costco—all three of which sit within walking distance of each other in downtown Goyang.

**I'm also hoping that the Goyang branch of the Yangju office gets a lot less business than any of the Seoul offices do, such that I'll be served quickly and efficiently.


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