Went back to the electronics market in Yongsan to buy a lens for my camera: an 85mm f/1.8 lens. It’s my first “prime” lens, and it’s a bit tough to shoot with it when I’m so used to being able to zoom in and out. But the sheer amount of light I can get in made it possible to take photos in half to a quarter of the light I’d normally need. And I got a pretty good deal on it too. I was going to buy the 50mm f/1.4 prime as well, but as I already have a kit zoom in that range and not much room left in my suitcase (and had insufficient cash for the purchase) I figured I can always get one after I get back.

We went next to Changdeokgung, a World Heritage site that used to be the king’s personal retreat. The site is only accessible on official tours led three times a day, and the tour guide was impossible to hear or understand. On top of that, it’s impossible to take decent pictures with fifty other idiots wandering into your shot with bright umbrellas. So Ashley and I lagged behind, and then got conveniently “lost” before wandering around and eventually stumbling into a Korean language tour. It was quite fortunate that we got left behind, because otherwise we would never have seen the hidden garden. Yes, the tour guide had skipped the best part of the whole place entirely.

I started with the stock 18-55mm zoom, and swapped out to the 85mm lens about halfway through. Wow. It was simply astounding how much light I was able to get into the camera. Even in cloudy weather, I was able to shoot at lower ISO modes. I took some portraits of my traveling companion before swapping back to the zoom for the landscapes.

I’ll post some photos when I get back.

P.S. Ashley and I, after finishing our palace tour, crossed the street toward a convenience store. A little girl walking with her mother, maybe 5 years old, looked right at me with a huge smile and said, “Hello! Welcome to Korea!” I was so stunned by this spontaneous use of English that I could only gasp out a “hello” in return.

Met up with Ashley no problem and arrived in Seoul last night.

There was apparently a big earthquake in northern Iwate prefecture that closed the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) on the morning I would have flown out. This happened to be the same day my visa expired. I wouldn’t have made it to the airport on time if I hadn’t had the amazing psychic foresight to spend the night before in Tokyo.

So I’m here. Had a little trouble finding the youth hostel (the same one I’d stayed at 3 years ago) but an elderly gentleman helped us out.

Today I have no idea what we’re gonna do. Maybe just bum around, eat, and drink. We shall see.

I’m running in circles. Four days left until I have to move out of my apartment, four days until I leave the country, and eight days until I arrive back home. Cleaning, packing, making arrangements to say my goodbyes to everyone. That last one has become more and more difficult, to the point where I have scheduled each one of my lunches and dinners for the past few days.

On top of that, I’m trying to do the following, all at once:

• Buy parts for a new computer, through a credit card company and retailer in another country
• Cancel my phone, internet (both ISP and physical line), gas, electricity, water, and bank account
• Send all that money home
• Pack 2 boxes for sending clothes and stuff home
• Send said boxes
• Figure out how to stuff everything else into my 2 suitcases
• Clean the entire apartment tip to tail
• Sneeze madly while doing the above, from the toxic amounts of dislodged dust
• Get rid of all the excess junk I’ve accumulated over the years, along with several pieces of junk which were here when I arrived
• Make arrangements to ship one of the boxes to be picked up after I come back from Korea, but before I have to board my flight home
• Sell my car
• Not forget important things like my camera, laptop, passport, or towel