Day 104

March 31 09 Tuesday

I got a package today from my mom! It had grits, mac and cheese and marshmellow eggs! I always get the marshmellow eggs for Easter!

I'm having trouble with my IBK card. It doesn't work in ATMs. I called customer service and they said that it should work. I think I'm going to the bank soon to ask them about it. I was going today, but I found out that I could use my foreign card at the ATM at GS25. I'm probably going to be charged a fee from wachovia but oh well. I withdrew 200,000. I'll probably withdraw more so I'll have money for my trip to Japan. I'll just have to dip into my American account for now until I get my atm card problem straightened out-hopefully tomorrow-if Im in town. I'll transfer money home soon to replace the money I took out.

100,000 won = $73.96 usd

I was looking at the exchange rate today between the won and the yen(japanese). If I take 200,000won to exchange at todays rate I will only get 14,000 yen. Thats not going to get anything. My visa costs 6,000 yen. Then I'm left with 8,000 yen for transportation, hotel, and eating. The hotel alone could be near 8,000. I think I'll have to take more.

The won is back up again. It went down to 1344 and now its up to 1395. Its so depressing! When I transferred at the beginning of Feb. 1.4 million won I only got 1,000 usd when the rate was 1399. I don't know what it will be when I plan to transfer around April 13 or so.

I can't wait till pay day! I need a few new outfits and a chair.

I got a text message the other day (the 26th) from KT saying I owed 24,000 for their stupid 001 charge. I didn't receive a paper bill so I didn't know how to pay it. Yesterday I got another text. Its always in Korean so I have to get someone to translate. It said that the payment was due today (the 31st). I asked her where I could pay it. She said the post office.

I went out to eat lunch with the korean teachers after 3pm. I had dunkas or how ever its spelled. Its pork. We were done around 3:55. (school starts at 4:10). I asked her "do we have time?". She said "you have to pay it today". So I went. When we got there we were 2nd in line but the person in front of us took forever! We didn't get to the counter till around 4:20. Then when we get to the counter they said I couldn't use my debit card. It had to be cash. I didn't bring any cash. So we sat there for 20 minutes for nothing. And I was late to school. I'll have to go to the bank tomorrow and pay it. Plus i need to find out why my card doesnt work in the atm.

My first class wanted to know why I was late. I was 20 minutes late! I told them I was at the post office. Then I got them to do an activity. They wrote about their hobbies and drew pictures in class.

In my 2nd class there are 5 girls and 1 boy-12 and 13 year olds. The girls asked me to wear shorts to school. I told them I don't wear shorts. Then they wanted me to wear a dress. I told them I would wear a dress sometime. I just hate that I'll have to show my ghost white legs. I brought 2 pairs of panty hose and both of those have runs in them. I know I can't find my size hose around here. I think I'll wear one on Thursday if I'm here. In this class we just did the activity for the whole time. We were done with the unit anyway.

Its really busy around my building (I'm on the 2nd floor). Home Plus express just opened on the 1st floor so there are a lot of people there. I haven't went to check it out. If its open at 9:30 I might go look.