Don't Mind Me

I went to the Casino this past weekend even though I am not a big gambler. The reason I went was because of an odd law here that prevents Koreans from entering the casino. That's right. If you are a Korean citizen you cannot enter. Foreigners must present a passport to get in. That seemed so wrong to me that I had to check it out. But it is true, and as a result, it is extremely boring. The casino has one floor with a restaurant, about 20 gaming tables, and maybe 50 slot machines. I managed to kill a couple of hours at the roulette table betting $2.50 at a time. Yes, I only wagered one chip each spin. The others at the table just smiled as they would wager at least 10 chips at a time. I managed to win $50 dollars playing someone's birthday.

On the way home, I stopped in the restroom at the Korea University subway station.

There are a couple things in this picture that struck me as odd. The first is that the poem is in English. The second is that wind and restrooms don't really mix well. There was another poem in the ladies restroom entrance but I don't really want to get deported.

Inside the bathroom was another jewel.

Oh, how I have searched for a love tree! They say you find it in the most unexpected places. Indeed, next to the men's urinal is pretty much the last place I would look. I'm actually a little concerned I found it there.

The real reason I posted these pictures is because of something that has happened four times now. Whenever the cleaning lady feels like cleaning the bathroom, she does. Doesn't matter who is doing what, she is going to clean. The first time it happened I figured she didn't see me. But it has happened with four different ladies in four different restrooms. Back at Yale, the cleaning lady would yell at you to hurry up and stop acting like you are at home, but at least she would let you finish. Not here. Go ahead with your business. Don't mind me.

I am going to finish with a picture of the sign above the men's urinal at work which I blogged about the first week I was here. It still makes me smile.