An amazing DJ Festival, several pairs of glasses, a few nonplussing contortions and overtly sexual "moves" in the heterosexually dominated clubs, a gratuitous entry into King Club because of some apparent "African Night" (the club sported a sign at the entrance that said "Welcome Africans"), a first-time gay pride parade--which most thankfully wasn't repulsively overwhelming, a completion of the catching-up process in regards to the show House, M.D., a Mud Festival and the coastal fun-ness that accompanied it, several investments in Kyobo--which have yielded a rather small return, goodbyes to several of those with whom I had worked, a rekindling of my appreciation for 漢字 (Chinese characters), a rather aleatory Korean acquaintance, a somewhat disillusioning night whose memory is saturated with blows and a dumbing asphyxiation, a painstaking yet failed attempt at a trip to Iran, a(nother?) perturbing night of prefabrications, banishments, and a sanguinary brawl that involve North Asia's seemingly favorite bêtes noires: the Nigerians, a subsequent eclipse of the fun in clubbing/barring within and without Itaewon, a third camera--though a dSLR, a testing of my inchoate, niggardly gambling, a peeping cutecute of a turtle ^^, several books, long awaited pairs of jeans and long-sleeved shirts, a quest for what soon will not be be most current version of Mac OS X, an appreciation for COEX, several purchases from Korean cosmetic stores such as Etude House and Missha, several movies, several procrastinations in committing myself to the Korean language--which would just be a loveless relationship anyway, a restructuring at work, a discovery of one of the best supermarkets in Korea--and its being so near the workplace, a rooftop wine party of three, an unplanned, one-time aversion therapy against 소주, an alcohol-filled, great times-laden Chuseok--which included a realization of the fact that I would like a new apartment, a second "testing" of my still inchoate, niggardly gambling that seems to be uncompromisable by the amount of gratuitous alcohol that is imbibed, and a temporary unleashing of my prodigality; and five pounds net after several quests to McDonald's

later,

Here I am. I have made some good friends here--and I am not being profligate with the word "friend" when I say that. I thank the Amazing Lord Above that I have them in my life and that the utter disillusionment with Korea has not been as agonizing as it would be if I were not to have them.