- SuitcasePacking -: DYING IN SELF-PITY/ FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF KOREA

This day has been a real pain in the butt. I woke up feeling shittier than ever before and I had a really hard time moving. I was afraid I was going to either faint or puke if I moved too quickly and in the back of my head somebody had detonated a bomb. My nose was running, my throat both sore and filled with... Something disgusting and I couldn't breathe, which is really the trigger for Bitchmode-activate

Oh, and I also lost my voice so Julia is thrilled not having to listen to my jabbering. Yay for her yes we are all very thrilled for her sake.

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Of course I had postponed packing until the last morning. Of course. I wouldn't be me if I didn't.

So I woke up, spent one of two hours before check out in the shower, crying. People are always so afraid of self-pity but nothing releases bad feelings like a cry.
Oh well, except for one ibuprofen and two paracetamol.

We had a travel day in front of us, moving bags across Shanghai via the metro. I was not looking forward to it. Julia tried to bride me with Coke Zero but not even that worked. I was completely and utterly exhausted.

But the painkillers kicked in. I bought panadol in Sri Lanka, 100-pack for half a dollar, and they are magic. Perfectly in sync with us boarding the 4th line to Hongqioa I got hit by the effect and I could breathe again. At least better.

So eating hasn't been a thing today. But there will be plenty of days to eat. I'm writing this from our airbnb in Seoul, ready to go to bed at half past 9, and probably not leaving the room too much tomorrow. But guys; This is the land of Korean BBQ. I can't wait to eat my heart out.

Although my body is screaming for me to put the phone down and go to bed, I just felt a strong call to write. I haven't written anything good in days, weeks? The posts I've come up with are semi-done and hasted through when it comes to grammar check and html-code. I really haven't had the energy the last couple of days, especially not with google-censorship and all, leaving me to only create on the small phone screen which makes me loca. I can only manage it right now because of the alternative is to get the computer BY MOVING MY ASS FROM THE BED and that is simply not happening.
I couldn't figure out how to get a free VPN to the laptop so I simply said Well then.

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Julia just told me, (from the bathroom), that this place we are staying in for 8 nights costs us more than all our 17 in Thailand.
"Interesting but not so fun fact", as she put it.

So as you already guessed, South Korea is more expensive than our friends South East Asia. But I also got a lot of other impressions from the short time here:

● PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH
That is heaven after 8 days of China when people simply didn't want to talk to you if they felt uncomfortable with their English.

● PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL
We got approached by a man when we were looking like tourists on the metro station, who wanted nothing more than make sure we were headed in the right direction. He didn't even work there.
A woman helped me without even blinking when I was having troubles with my elephant-sized bag up the stairs at the station.
Again, the contrast from China is astonishing.

● FASHIONISTAS OVERLOAD
They don't just dress like the magazines are doing at home, they make it look effortless as well. We saw a lot of fake glasses, boy perms and rectangular coates on the metro. Hipsterness on point.

● ...COMBINED WITH OH, SUCH BEAUTIFUL HUMANS
Oh. The women. Shiny hair, a comfortable yet confident flair surrounding them. Make up flawlessly drawn on. Not thqt they probably needed it.
And the men. Marked cheekbones. Perfect jawlines. Dressed exactly the way I wish how to if I were a man.
A guy my age helped me with my suitcase on the way from the airport. I was about to have an instant heartattack when I looked in his eyes to say thank you.
Oh my.

● THE LANGUAGE IS LIKE ART
I understand nothing, not a single syllabel or sign, but I like looking at it. It's symetric, staright lines and circles in patterns.

● HIGH TEC HEAVEN
Toliet flushes itself. Granted, it does in other places as well. But it's always nice having to do the least amount of effort.
I am probably going to find out more things the Koreans just know how to streamline.

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As for now, the bed is calling. Have these snapshots from our three minute walk from the metro, which is about everything we've seen above ground today.