This thing gets about ten page views every time I update, which is weird, because I never tell anyone and I'm pretty sure my mom can't be responsible for ALL ten.

This afternoon I had some free time before Korean class, and... well, okay, I didn't *really* have any free time.  I skipped out of work early because I think it's ridiculous for me to have to sit in a near-empty school by myself and I'm pretty sure either no one notices or no one cares if I leave early.  So I went to get a new bank card (about freakin' time) and then go apply for my visa for China.

I wanted to go to a travel agency in Itaewon since it's close to the boy's house and therefore convenient for me, but the one that was most widely recommended wanted a hundred thousand won for a visa that actually costs 55.  I don't think so.  So I tried to find this one in Hongdae that's also widely recommended.

First of all, their map was wrong, so I got confused trying to follow it and ended up walking around for quite a while.  The weather today was thoroughly furnace-like, so this experience wasn't pleasant.  Then the place was on the 17th floor of a building, in an officetel - I hesitantly rang the doorbell, was greeted, went in (and took off my sandals at the door), and said hello back to the four people sitting around the tiny room at computers.  The guy did whatever he had to do and now I'm ID-less until Tuesday, so let's just hope all goes well and I get my stuff back with a nice new stamp on one page.

That done, and being as it was payday, I went to Kyobo to look at books, which is a bit like a fat person going to a bakery to window-shop; you know at least one of those cakes in the window isn't long for this world.  I held off on the German grammar, but picked up some light reading.  So far, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is entertaining enough, but not the classic everyone seems to think it is; but then I also feel that way about Game of Thrones, so maybe I'm just being contrary.  I have a hard time with books that deviate too far from reality, though.  I mean, if it's something like sci-fi where they've invented their own world with their own rules, then fair enough.  But books set in our world that aren't consistent with its rules tend to annoy me.  Anyway, like I said, entertaining enough.  I also have the first volume of the fifth volume of the aforementioned Game of Thrones (which is finally in softcover, but split into two volumes so you have to pay just as much for it as you would for hardcover.  Assholes.)  and a book about psychology and how it affects everyday life.

Finally, I note with pride that my essay was chosen as one of the winners in a contest run by the organization I work for.  This would mean more if there weren't seventeen other winners, but whatever; I'll get fifty thousand for it, so I'm okay with it.