(Day 111) Seoul Nambu Correctional Facility-day 16 D-140

sit-ups	push-ups	chair-lifts
50 x 8	50 x 4	40 x 5
Breakfast, lunch & dinner = November 1

It's not really a big deal, but every day I start of this journal with my total days in confinement, then the current date in the current location, how many days left until I leave or D Day, and finally the actual date. Since I got the highlighter and the color-coded everything, I've also highlighted all the headings in my notebook with the appropriate color. The point I was trying to get to is when I see numbers turn over to a new date like 10 20 or 30 it makes me feel better-- like I've accomplished something.

To show how out of touch I am, it's now been two days after the US presidential election and I still don't know who won. We only watched the news once a today at 6 p.m. and naturally, it is all in Korean and mostly about Korea (I know! Shocking that the US isn't the center of the universe!) I won't get my newspaper in till about 11 am, so I'll have to wait four more hours from the time I wake up to find out (Yay! Obama!)

I started a new notebook yesterday and one of the things I noticed is that the line spacing is different. I suppose it's because of the way on Hangul is written in groups of three vertical characters per syllable. Since I'm writing in English, I can fit two lines of writing for every line drawn on the paper. This gives me almost 50 potential lines of writing per page or almost 500 words per page. Since there are only 30 pages per notebook, I won't have to buy as many-- not that it really matters-- they're only 35 cents each and the pens are 36 cents each. Stamps however, are almost a $1.50 each and instant coffee is almost $3. Both of these items are also the things I buy the most of, so it's costing me more than I care to spend just to sit here and write.

I just wrote my first letter to the editor about foreigners and drugs and November 7th edition of the Korean times. My main point was if all the drugs in Korea are the fault of foreigners then how come I'm the only for here in this jail and I'm here for assault? It will be interesting to see if they ever get my letter if they will read it publish it or try to contact me with a follow-up... That would be funny.

Since breakfast lunch and dinner is the same thing on the same day every week for a month, I can now look at past entries to see what I ate last week and whether I enjoyed it. Now I can comment on meals before their served...

I figured out that one of the announcements during the day is actually an advertisement for fruit. The announcer is actually telling us what kind of fruit is available and how much it is per kilogram. I wish I could figure out what the last announcement of the day was. All I could make out was the name of the prison, the words “computer” and “design”. If they need I designer and I get to use a computer, I'm their man-- ask me, ask me!!

These jelly ballpoint pens look really nice and write smoothly, but they only last for about 5000 words. The one I just got three days ago is almost finished. At this rate, I'll need to buy three pens a week. I just ordered 2. Good thing they're only 35 cents each. A dollar a week is still almost $20 in just pens while I'm here...