The Office

I’ve found the perfect place to work here. There’s a spot in the lounge on the top floor with an amazing view of the city. From my seat, I can see all kinds of buildings, businesses, and apartments. Cars flow through the streets below, and people go about their day. I feel like a king overlooking the city — a city I’ve yet to conquer, but one I’ll soon get to know.

This morning I made some real progress on the tickets I was working on. The preparation I did beforehand turned out to be really useful. But after lunch, I ran into a nasty bug that I couldn’t easily fix. With my colleagues still asleep, I had to figure it out on my own. I had planned to work out again, but this little critter kept me glued to my desk instead. I ended up putting in more hours than planned today, though I can make up for them later.

At the end of my shift, tickets for the TWICE tour in Europe went on sale. I managed to snag great seats for their show in May at the Ziggo Dome — before everything sold out in just 15 minutes!

Going Out for Drinks

I had signed up for a Drinks Night with Digital Nomads — I’m really eager to meet some new friends here. I had prepared everything for this trip before leaving, but the social side has been more of a challenge. I was hoping that in a setting like this, there would be others in a similar situation.

I put on some nice clothes, styled my hair (I still really need a haircut), and headed out. I took the metro to the Sinchon area, which was buzzing with bars, restaurants, and 노래방 (karaoke rooms). When I arrived, a large group was already gathered, drinking and chatting. I took a seat and started talking with the people around me.

I met some really nice people and had fun conversations. There was another software developer (of course), and we talked about programming. I also met someone who does a lot of language exchanges and gave me some great tips on places to visit — a good way to practice my Korean more! We bonded over how hard it is to actually use Korean in real life, and how intimidating it can be.

After about an hour, I found out that the person sitting next to me was staying at the same hotel! She mentioned that the people there seem a bit distant — so it’s not just me noticing that. We exchanged contact info and had a fun chat on the metro ride back. We’re planning to go out for dinner soon!

I was a little nervous before going to the event, but it ended up being really fun. Of course, people who join events like this are usually pretty social — which makes it easier to connect. I met some great people tonight, and I’m really hoping to stay in touch with them.