Things I'll Miss

Korea, especially Seoul, is pretty cool; and Canada, especially Vancouver is pretty cool too. Here are a few things I will (and will not) miss:

Things to miss about Korea: being a celebrity (well, a little one, at least...just for being me); 100 kinds of ice cream at the local convenience store (and all for 500 won/USD 0.40); 7 24-hour convenience stores within a block or two of my place; inlining/rollerblading along the Han River; bars with no line-ups; bar-hopping to at least 2-4 places in a night; Korean people; not worrying about water on the floor of my fully tiled bathroom; super-efficient subways; super-cheap cabs where the subways leave off; no taxes, no tipping; great food, and seconds for free; alcohol available at any store; eating live octopus (I mean live as in swimming around in a bowl/on a plate on the table); getting free fruit and/or tea and/or coffee and/or sugary drinks after every meal.

Things to miss about Canada: no pollution (or not noticeable, at least); good mixed drinks (like Dr. Pepper and Long Island iced teas, although that's changing in Seoul now); our complex's pool just 5 minutes away (and it's usually just us or a few people there); burgers that are not served raw (hellloooooo! heard of e-coli?).

Things not to miss about Seoul: drunk guys pissing in the streets at night (well, I am one of them sometimes); people always thinking I'm crazy for not liking tofu; paying like $10 for enough ground beef for 2 hamburgers; having to go to the foreign food section to get my M&Ms.

Things not to miss about Canada: line-ups and cover charge at almost every good bar; larger Canadian chicks (hey, no flamings, please); union leaders who think someone should make $20 an hour to pick up trash when Korean 60-year-old men do it in Seoul for like $100 a month; Vancouver rain in the winter...and spring...and fall...and summer; high (14.5%!) sales tax; tips treated as if they are expected (no matter the service); having to go to the foreign food section to get my ramen noodles.