12.12.97

Been seeing this color a lot lately, as the phlegm factor is high this season.

Super chilly. It snowed night before last leaving several centimeters of the white stuff all around. On my way out to Ewha yesterday I ran into my neighbor, Mr. Kim, who was coughing and wheezing. It was so bad I thought for sure I was going to inhale some sicky particle propelled from his body. He said he’s been sick for several days and that he was going to our neighborhood hospital. He was underdressed and so he was squeezing tight his frame, arms wrapped around himself, and shuddering from violent coughs. "Don’t breath on me." *pause* "I’m sorry…?" "It’s a joke. If you breathe on me I will get sick -" "Oh." *laughter* I always forget that sarcasm doesn’t translate. Poor guy. Probably thinks I’m cruel. We parted and I paid a short visit to our Post Office, which I’m really beginning to hate. It is, like, THE smallest Post Office. Just a small room, two (justifiably) grumpy women , a large desk, and always packed with people doing mass mailings for local businesses. I hate waiting forever in line for these people when I only have a few little letters. One time I waited in line for 30 minutes. Yesterday was faster. I got to Ewha, stopping off first to grab a hot-cocoa-take-out. Mala wasn’t at the center when I arrived so Hyunjung just gave me a paper and said I could work on it at home. Well, I had just traveled an hour by train to get there, so I sat and read a bit while sipping the hot choc. My name, spelled incorrectly, appears on the inside cover of the Journal now. I am *tada* an Editorial Assistant. Of course it doesn’t mean anything really. I come in, read papers on occasion - even just finished writing one - but it’s not like I get any money. Though, the center has been very generous to me and I’m really grateful for all the free copies of the journal and other literature they have on hand. Not to mention free calendars and allowing me to take a class for free. I think I get more out of it than I put in. Home earlier than expected. I indulged in pleasurable things like reading and browsing the web. A great weight has been lifted since I wrote that really short paper. Can’t believe I even stressed over it, but I’m happy to rid myself of that book! Been reading all summer off and on, then had to re-read it to remember the stuff I read early in the summer and learn how all THAT ties in with the stuff I read recently. But it’s over now. Sigh of relief. It’s way too chilly to go outside for long. Even totally bundled it was nearly unbearable. Did venture out today for groceries, but mostly I’ve been working on X-mas cards, which I’m really not in the mood to do. After all, I gotta go stand in line at the Post Office.

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