Being in the city lowers my life expectancy

I got back to Seoul yesterday morning after a longer-than-usual bus ride (due to factors like snow, holiday traffic, and a bus driver that decided to make a 25-min stop to eat breakfast and then tell us to get off and take a different vehicle). I hit the ground running, unpacking and re-packing at my apt, updating my website, going through my mail, doing online things. I had lunch w/JL and then we got her a plant and had tea, then headed back to her place. I stopped upstairs to drop off a book for Frank, another Fulbrighter, and then JL and I watched a mucho depressing film (Margot @ the Wedding; not recommended). Now that I know which bus to take, I headed back to my neighborhood, picked up groceries and dinner, and got back home and then hung out w/Hyesun. Then I Skyped a long-lost friend, watched three TV episodes, and had a very cold sleep. Today was probably about 6 hours of Skyping total, a quick errand, and more organizing.

Like, pictures from the mill! There are more, but I have to set them on private since I've been asked not to release all the family/company secrets, which I respect. Hopefully next week when I head back I can get some of myself actually making paper, b/c I still have none.

Yesterday was a pretty rude awakening to urban life. It's wildly stressful, and I'm still on the verge of something. It was lovely, though, to get this amazing book and mix from Clover in the mail, and a gorgeous sewn silk flower from Lori in Oklahoma. I really wonder how I'll function when I get back for good next month. Tomorrow I head to my family's house for lunar new year and the next day go back to the country for my last week at the mill. It has been an intense time.

p.s. - Renata started a blog! My radiant printmaking mail art pen pal in Portugal.