Red Devils

My list of stuff to blog today:

• Things that make this place like Bladerunner
• Greenday
• Consumerism keeps us safe, and warm
• My Friday night/s
• Red Devils
• and maybe, hard to see where the smog meets the clouds

Let's see how much I can get through.
Firstly, it's the weekend! Yay! Only now that I'm here do I realise that even though I technically only work 30 hours a week, I'm at work from 10am to 6.30pm everyday. I have 2 or sometimes 3 45-minute breaks, which I've used to go for a walk around the neighbourhood market, try to get on the shitty computer at work to email, or to use the phone to call KP or Charlie.

It's been hot and clear the past 2 days, and the forecast is no rain, so even though there is still no sky, no blue sky neither, I get to wear my sunnies and feel the sun.... The temperature is perfect at about 2am, I've discovered, though my room is hot hot hot all the time cos my aircon is fecked. I am becoming more friendly with my room though, I did a load of washing, used the stove to cook some rice, and have started playing some music. Last night I found the American FM radio station... They were playing Pink Floyd, pretty hard to miss on the FM dial amongst the k-pop.

So last night, after a looooong day at work, which was made harder by having to teach some real little creeps in the late afternoon (my colleague told me to make the boys stand holding their wooden chairs above their heads as punishment...), Luke came to collect me from work. Such a treat! We drove around the fucking massive megapolis that is Seoul for about 3 hours, me hanging out the window taking photos and trying to pronounce the road signs. Was fantastic. This morning at 4am Korea played and lost to Switzerland, so Seoul was abuzz as 20 million 'Red Devils' - the soccer supporters - came out in their red t-shirts to watch the match on the megascreens that adorn the big CBD buildings. Although it was 6 hours to the game, the streets were FULL, there were literally thousands of (cute) cops lining the streets, and the team's anthem was BLARING as the k-pop heroes sung sung sung in the biggest patriotic pageant I've even witnessed/imagined. Photos to come.

Eventually we got some dinner, dodging joyful drunk businessmen who were pouring out of the restaurants, which was yum-o. There was a gas burner in the middle of our table, and we ordered some beef... In noodles and broth with various shredded vegies. The Korean way is to have a main dish like this, but more importantly umpteen side dishes, which you eat with your mains. They vary, but within a repertoir of about 50. So last night we had pickled radish in cold broth, rice, sliced garlic, broccoli with tomato sauce, egg pudding, crab, lettuce, kimchi and a mayonnaise salad. No drinks, just water. Probably cost about $15. Hmm.

Ok. Post to be completed later. It's time I climbed outta this bang and got some fresh air.