What about spoiled milk? Can I cry about that?

My freezer broke this week and they've taken the entire unit out and sent it for repairs, including my fridge. That's made life a little interesting for me. Every morning before breakfast I have to run downstairs to buy some milk, and I have to decide if I'm gonna get the carton that's a little bit too small to satisfy my breakfasting needs, or the one that's a little too big and will leave me with leftovers I can't store. My lunches have been reduced to peanut butter and honey sandwiches because none of those ingredients are super perishable, and I've been eating out every dinner so far, though I don't really want to keep that up. They said it would take about a week to get me back my refrigerator, and I hope they're right. Apparently my temperament isn't suited to amenity free atmospheres.

Last night a few of my coworkers and I grabbed a taxi from work to the Bucheon station area to go to the Indian restaurant there. After we finished eating we sat around in the restaurant and talked for about an hour. It was cool because two of my dinner companions were people I don't really hang out with much, so it was interesting to hear some of their chatter. The third person was Mel, with whom I hang out almost daily it seems. (In Mel's blog she always uses people's first initials instead of their names, so I'm half tempted to just call her M, but that would mostly be a joke that no-one would really get because none of you actually knows Mel or reads her blog.)

Anyway, the topics of conversation covered things like football coaches vs. coaches of other sports, soccer formations, the U.S.'s interstate highway system contrasted with those found in Europe, and a few movies I've never seen. In other words, it was an excellent practice in listening for me. Joel, one of the new guys at work, actually mentioned a few times that they'd strayed onto a topic of conversation that didn't interest me again. He was wrong, though. I was interested, I just didn't have any input. (Honestly, there were a few minutes where the soccer formations conversation became reduced to a series of numbers spouted off in quick succession and I wasn't really interested in that part. But my dinner was delicious and there were some great Baliwood music videos playing, so I was still enjoying myself.)

After dinner we stuck Joel in a taxi home (poor guy. He's been in Korea less than a month and he's already on crutches.) and the rest of us walked the hour home. I was surprised at all the things that lie between Bucheon station and my house that I've spent the past year being completely ignorant of. For example, there's a traditional open air market that's only a few blocks away from my house. It's in a direction I never got around to exploring before my social calendar filled up so much that I stopped exploring and started just going places. Anyhow, it was a lovely walk and put me home just in time to go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up bright and early on this Saturday morning.

Today my new adventure will be Costco. I did a year in Korea without it, but I have some friends headed that way and I'm curious to see what all the hype is about, so in I go. If you don't hear from me again, know that I found bulk granola heaven and am truly in a better place.