My neighbors,

or what they call "Love Motels" here. They line the streets in my neighborhood. In some places there is literally nothing on the street but motels. Any guesses?

The obvious choice (for me, at least) was rent-by-the-hour motels, used pretty exclusively for sex. To some extent, this is correct - but the day I moved into my apartment (exactly one week ago), I was told by my co-teacher that while it wasn't dangerous to roam the small by-streets around my apartment by night, it wasn't exactly a good idea.

Which, in conjunction with information flowing in from all quarters that many Koreans assume all western women to be sluts, has led me to the conclusion that while I wouldn't be in any danger if I walked around my neighborhood late at night, it's fairly likely that I would be solicited for sex in one of the conveniently located hotels. All in all, it appears that the prostitution industry is more thriving in Korea than in the U.S. - or at least much more visible.

I haven't really tested this theory. After all, my weekdays start at 6 a.m., and you all know how much I love my sleep. The latest I've been out is about 10 p.m. thus far, and I didn't linger on the streets.

In other news, I let Heathcliff out into the sunshine today, and received a slightly higher percentage of stares on the streets and subways. One old Korean man greeted me in English, then pointed to Heathcliff and giggled. It was great.