walk on the left, drive on the right

in october, my friend katie gave me a book about korean customs and etiquette, what to expect and what not to do. one of the most interesting things that she pointed out to me was that in korea, the number 4 is to be avoided at all costs. why? it's because the word for 4, sah, also happens to be the word for death. (deeeaaath!) the book mentions that often times buildings don't have a fourth floor because of this and as i was glancing around in theresa's elevator, i noticed that indeed the 4th floor is missing! have a looksey!

other cultural observations:
*while koreans drive on the right, everyone walks on the left.
*give and receive things with both hands--that's super courteous--but if you can only use one hand, make sure it is the right.
*take off your shoes when you enter homes.
*being barefoot is disrespectful so wear socks or stockings.
*don't expect people to say "i'm sorry" or "excuse me" if they bump into you. that's just how it is on the streets, in the grocery store, in the clubs. you're just gonna get bumped and it's not because people are being rude persay, but it's life.
*oh yeah, watch out for scooters and cyclists, they ride on the sidewalk, and are not afraid of people, cars, or buses!

this afternoon, i went to coex mall, an underground shopping center that is as overwhelming as the mall of america in bloomington, minnesota. there are stores galore, lots of cute shoes and shirts, sweaters and skirts, face products, make up, yadda yadda yadda, all things that i don't need or want and also don't want to be made to feel like i need or want. wellllll, if anything, i'd buy the food. oh man, the food displays were mouth-watering! but, i did not stray from my assignment. i went to coex on a mission! to find the store called artbox, where theresa told me i would see a variety of blank planners. mission accomplished. this one is great because it has pages for the months and then, pages for the weeks, so there's space to write--yay!

the first page of my new planner, hell's yeah i'm going to knit:
scooter, complete with hand warmers:

monkey is gearing up for the holiday season:

get crunk! with crunky chocolate:

regal lucy: