Soberversary

I checked my email as I walked onto the line 6 train of the subway. If there is one thing in the world I love, it's the Seoul Metro. Even though your deep underground there is fantastic wifi and cell service. So good, that I got a notification from an email sent the previous day. It was the design for the tattoo I was on my way to get. After no response, he emailed again confirming our appointment.

The nongso parking garage

At the Nongso Parking Garage, you step off of the bus and into another dimension. It's nestled between farmland and the red light district. I'm convinced it's the weirdest place in Korea. You see bus drivers unwind. They take their shirts off for some reason. You witness comradery between the 1127 drivers. Almost all of … Continue reading The nongso parking garage →

Mamma mia

Men dressed in black clogged the boarding gate. There was one woman among them. She was wearing a hijab and sunglasses indoors. They all had matching backpacks with a patch of the Indonesian flag. I like boarding the plane first. I can put my bag in the cabin directly above my head. I keep reading … Continue reading Mamma mia →

Oreo

It happened again. Where I was vulnerable for 5 seconds and I got it. That feeling where I was going to shit myself of jealousy but I knew it was physically impossible because I hadn't eaten in over eight hours. I had to grab my bag and barge through half the crowd in Ulsan's new … Continue reading Oreo →

A note on minimalism

I went to the dentist the other day. He asked me if I spoke any Korean. I said no. He carried on the rest of the appointment in Korean. He gave me a mirror to witness how swollen the back of my gum was. It was his way of telling me it's not a cavity. … Continue reading A note on minimalism →

Dirt on my shoulder

"It's fake. You can tell because the shape of the aquarium is a rectangle. Real jellyfish would tear their bodies on the corners. So, real ones have to be kept in circular tanks." "That's right, you studied biology." I cut myself off and noted that I sound like a post from r/iamverysmart. Everyone who made … Continue reading Dirt on my shoulder →

29 Days

I'm 29 days sober. And so far, not drinking has done nothing to fix my life. I feel unworthy and damaged. In Japan, I felt awesome. I felt strong, independent, and that I could do whatever I wanted. It was a vacation high. I want to blame my misery on my location. It'd be so easy to just say that I don't like Korea. But that's not the truth.