Thursday, July 20th
8:20 p.m.

The KFCs in this country are in every way inferior to those in the States. The food is mushy and almost soggy in a rather disconcerting way, and the biscuits are CRUNCHY and more misshapen than the Hunchback of Notre Dame. At least it's clean. Koreans keep the insides of buildings absolutely spotless. Even the subway is almost immaculate, which is even more impressive considering the extreme rarity of trash cans. The streets, on the other hand - and everywhere else that's outside, for that matter - are filthy. Between the slimy-gritty lacquer that forms over everything and the sheer volume of trash that is just everywhere, it's hard to believe that it's actually one of the Koreans' prime objectives in life to protect, preserve, and be as unified as possible with nature. And the SMELLS! Sometimes it's the food, and sometimes it's the horribly inefficient sewer system, but the rest of the time. . . Well, the fact that it's not possible to identify the smell is almost more sickening than the smell itself. It just seems to PERMEATE everything in some places and clings to the very air. Such a headache.

Anyway, back to fast food. Most of these places are several stories tall, and they are absolutely everywhere. In Edae (the nickname for the area around Ewha) there are Burger Kings and KFCs within mere blocks of other Burger Kings and KFCs. Damn that Western corporate imperialism.

Korean customer service is much better than that in the States - almost TOO good. They give you a loud, cheery greeting when you enter any store or restaurant - even KFC - and there's another loud, cheery greeting for you when you leave. It's in between your entrance and your exit, though, when the annoying part really manifests itself. Waiters stand at your elbow and watch you eat, especially if you are a foreigner, and shopkeepers follow you around as though they were growing on your wrist. Because I'm white they also like to touch me with an unashamed curiosity that is both discomfiting and endearing. People stare at me everywhere I go - especially men and old women - and like to approach me and say, "Hello!" or ask if I need any help. All very amusing to me. For some people, it gets old, though. Still, I'm probably very lucky that I don't know what they're saying about me - especially the men. Women mostly ignore me here, but I am definitely an object of fascination to the men - probably due to the widespread assumption that white women are easy. Another reason to dress conservatively.


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