열번 찍어서 안 넘어가는 나무가 없다*

* = A tree hit 10 times will always fall (Korean proverb).

Things I like about South Korea this week:
1) Manicures for approximately $10 / nail salons full of curious Koreans who tell me that my unnaturally large eyes/nose make me highly eligible here and then ask me what Yale is.
2) The Seoul Philharmonic and the many perks that having a bunch of unnies with jobs and big hearts brings (half kidding, I'd love you guys even if you had no jobs - but maybe a little less ^_~).
3) Language partners who are actually really, really nice, normal (stress on the word "normal") people who (for some reason) really seem to like me.  Habin = my new besgirlfrien.
4) Curry dalkgalbi (커리 닭갈비). I would have this for dinner 8 days a week were there 8 days in a week.
5) The aforementioned curry dalkgalbi (+ cheese fried rice) is what I'd call an "expensive" dinner at approximately $7.
6) Generous landladies/parents of friends.
7) 추석, the Korean harvest holiday that gave me (my only) vacation this semester.
8) The changing fall weather, which has (with the exception of the worst rainstorm that Seoul has seen in decades last Tuesday) been beautiful and crisp.
9) Cheap clothez!
10) Variety shows translated and posted on the interwebs for my Saturday night amusement.

Things I dislike about South Korea this week:
1) No American-style pizza.
2) No American-style pizza.
3) No American-style pizza.  Seriously, the Turks came with their authentic doner kebab, but not a single Italian thought to immigrate here and open a pizza joint?
4) Itaewon (이태원), the foreigner's district.  The principal problem is that it is full of foreigners.  I never, ever get catcalled on the streets of Seoul except in this god-forsaken place.  Redeeming quality is supposedly the abundance of foreign food, but it is overpriced and really inauthentic half of the time.  Cinnamon in my mousaka.  Really, Santorini's GREEK restaurant?
5) Too.  Much.  Rain.
6) No express subway lines, i.e. yes, Dana, you will be getting up at 8 tomorrow (or earlier) so you can make your 10:00 appointment in Gangnam.
7) Suffocatingly small living spaces that still manage to cost a pretty penny.  How I long to move to Gwanghwamun...
8) No big dogs.
9) "Pay as you go" cell phone plans that leave me with a jaw-droppingly high monthly bill.
10) 13-hour time difference.  I miss my friends and family in America ㅠㅠ