Late Night Shopping and Some Good News (hopefully)

Two nights ago, Soo and I went shopping.  Not very interesting for you to hear about that.  But, let me tell you, I have never in my life, left to go shopping at 11:00 at night.  On the exception of a few Black Fridays.  We went to Dongdaemun, it is truly a shopper's paradise.  There are malls that sell high end clothing and street markets who sell items for a lot less.  The malls are sky scrapers and you even shop underground, four floors down.  I thought it was really busy, but apparently Sunday nights are not as busy as the weekday nights.  We got some street food.  I wish I could make it for you, but I don't think I could recreate this one.  It was a skewer filled with chewy rice cakes, sausage, and fish (yuck), smothered with this really sweet and spicy sauce.  I bought only a few items while shopping, since, Reagan had to leave his suitcase. Due to the fact he had to stay in a hostel in Hawaii.  We didn't want him to have to carry a suitcase around Hawaii.  So we bought him a backpack to take there.  Therefore, I am going to have to fit his suitcase and all of his clothes into one of my suitcases.  Plus, with the cost of IVF, I should probably not shop as much as I did the last time I was here.  I brought a whole suitcase back of souveneirs.  I thought it was going to be the only time I would go to Korea, so I splurged heavily. We came back to the house after 2:00a.m. The taxi ride back was about a half an hour, and it only cost $7.50.  The cost for taxi rides here are really inexpensive, unless you get in the wrong cab.  All of the orange and silver cabs are legit, but never take a taxi ride in a Mercedes Van. 

The following day, I went back to the fertility hospital.  I had another set of shots.  I have been coming to the hospital everyday since Reagan left. Remember, when I told you about coming to the hospital on Saturday? The fill in doctor that day looked at me for two seconds and told me I had enough eggs and that they were big enough.  The following day, I went back and saw Dr. Hyjun Lee, and she looked at me, and not to my surprise, I didn't have enough and they weren't big enough.  I was frusterated. However, today I went back to the hospital and she did another ultrasound and my eggs are finally big enough and I have just enough! I just had another shot and I will come back tonight to do my final shot!  Then on Thursday, they will sedate me and retrieve the eggs.  I will come back on Saturday and they will implant them! I am so excited!  My friend, Katy is having twins.  She is having one boy and one girl.  I wouldn't mind having twins just like that!  I am so happy for her! 

I can't wear any jewlery, makeup, or have any nail polish on when they do the procedure.  I got a manicure before I left and I had shellac done.  That means, you cannot take off the nail polish with remover.  You have to get it professionally done.  I don't know how I am going to find a salon that does that. 

Yesterday night, I went to the Language Exchange Class in Hongdae.  It was in this really cute two story cafe.  I got to the cafe just in time and when I walked in, it didn't look like there were any classes going on upstairs or downstairs.  I finally asked someone and they said everyone in the building was a part of the language exchange.  It seemed like everyone knew eachother and were in small intimate groups.  The lady told me to just walk up to a table.  I was so uncomfortable.  I was just about to leave and this young boy asked me if I would talk with his friend, who was really shy.  So I sat down at the table and the boy asked me if I was still in high school or if I was in college yet.  He was so much younger than I was. I said no, "I am a teacher," and wanted to say, "I am old" (in comparison to a lot of the people there). Everyone I met was in college.  They were studying law, premed, computer engineering, and so forth.  I felt like I haven't met any students studying anything but the hardest of subjects.  There were some older people there, but they were obviously not from Korea, and I went there to learn the language.  I think it was a really nice setting, but it wasn't for me.

Some things are a lot less expensive, like public transportation, and some of the restaurants.  However, some of the things we have in America, I have taken for granted.  For instance, candles and scented lotions.  One candle jar is about 

$80.00 and a bottle of Bath and Body Works lotion is $30.00. So if you visit someone in Korea, bring them some candles and lotion.