Night One

This night deserves a short mention on its own, it was so different and disorienting, on top of feeling the affects of the plane.

After dragging my stuff into the room, I've managed to end up with the left side of the room again. The first thing I am in need of is a shower after wearing a full-length trench coat in several kinds of sardine can-like modes of transportation. I stuff my bathroom supplies into a plastic bag and make my way to the converted men's bathroom. The showers are in the bathroom (genius!) but are separated by a glass door.

The stalls are wooden, nice. When you walk into it, on the right hand side is a little shelf to put your goods. Behind you on the door are two hooks for robes or towels. In front, there is a rather large mirror, the tap, and a hand-held shower head. It's pretty spacious. Very spacious. All dorms should be taking a hint. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack shower shoes, so I have to use my purple felt slippers. No way am I walking on tiled floors barefoot ever again. Girls in every country, America included, aren't always squeaky clean. I had to figure out how to work the tap.

I forgot to mention--the bathroom side doesn't have paper towels or liquid hand soap. The only soap available--and I kid you not, picture this: a rounded bar of blue soap, stuck on a small slightly bent cylinder of metal bolted to the wall. I'm so serious. Primitive... A few days later, I bought paper towels and brought my own hand soap. Even later, I splurge on a paper-like yellow hand towel. Scratchy, but holds in moisture better.

Back to the past: Walking back into the room freshly cleaned, I am FRYING. Like the soles of my feet are burning and it's just hot in the room overall. I can't work the thermostat, a Korean contraption, so all I can do is wear my thinnest bed clothes. Some how, I get to sleep. At four AM, I wake up sweating! Later, I'd learn that the raised floor is heated and if you push enough buttons on the thermostat, it slowly stops. Thank God we have a small balcony and I can slide the door open when it is too hot!