Night Time Shenanegans

I'm sure you're wondering whether this will be a PG blog considering my title, "Night Time Shenanigans." Please let me assure you that this blog is suitable for readers of all ages!

The night I arrived in Busan, my co-teacher explained the garbage system in my apartment. I was informed that I would have to separate my garbage into food waste, recycling, and general trash. She told me that each type of garbage was picked up on certain days throughout the week and that my food waste would have to be placed in my assigned red bin outside the building. I wasn't too intimidated by her instructions; they seemed simple enough. Boy was I wrong!

While I had no issues with the general trash and recycling, the food waste turned into a putrid nightmare! Like a good little girl, I placed my banana peels, bread crusts, egg shells, and so on, in my little red bin outside my building during my first week there. However, after many food waste collection days passed, my bin was still not emptied. I informed my co-teacher and she tried to figure out the problem by calling my landlord and asking the admin office at school. Day after day, as I would arrive at my building after school, I would see my pathetic little red bin covered in flies. I noticed that someone else also threw their food crap in my bin too! Finally, 2 weeks later, my co-teacher advised me that in order for my food waste to be collected I would have to purchase bin stickers from the convenience store and place a sticker on the bin whenever I want it to be emptied. Fair enough. I bought the damn stickers and I thought that was the end of that problem.

Again, boy was I wrong! The day after I put a sticker on my bin, the garbage person left a note on it in Korean. Can you guess whether the bin was emptied or not? OF COURSE NOT!!!!!! The English translation of the note was, "Dear stupid foreign girl, (Ok, maybe they didn't say that, but still!) We will not take your food waste unless you remove the plastic bag in it AND the worms." As I was told what the note said, I was so confused! Why the heck were there worms in my bin?! Then I realized what was meant by "worms." THERE WERE MAGGOTS IN THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost barfed in my mouth at this thought. And then it occurred to me that these people wanted ME to physically remove the maggots. HELL NO!

I immediately began brainstorming ways to get around this problem. First, I thought about using tongs. So, I went out and bought tongs. I definitely didn't follow through with that. Then, I considered pouring my food waste into someone else's bin. But that was just mean. I had to think long and hard about the best solution...

My solution involved a partner in crime. My friend, Jenn, and I spent the other night walking along Gwangalli beach. She was going to sleep at my place so I let her in on my garbage dilemma and she generously agreed to help me out. We got home from the beach around 11:00pm so it was nice and dark outside. Perfect for some night time shenanigans =D I rolled up my sleeves and my jeans, tied my hair up and I put plastic bags on my hands. Jenn insisted that we had to visually document our excursion, so she was in charge of the camera.

I carefully placed my little red bin in a plastic bag while trying to avoid spilling the smelly food crap. Jenn and I walked around my neighborhood looking for the perfect spot to dump the food crap. Even though the red bin wasn't visible from within the plastic bag, I felt like a criminal; I was so scared someone would question what we were doing! Everytime someone walked by us, I stopped and pretended to have a casual conversation with Jenn. The conversation went something like this: "Hey Jenn. Gamsamnida. Annyeong-haseo." LOL so sad. 

After 50 minutes of walking with that heavy bin, we finally found a dimly lit inner street. I crept into a dark area between two parked cars and I poured my food crap quickly, all the while trying not to splash myself! My heart was beating super fast!! The mission had been completed! I was officially ride of my food crap! I felt as though a giant stinky weight had been lifted off my shoulders!

Jenn and I journeyed back to my apartment. We were exhausted! Who knew getting rid of garbage could be so stress inducing and tiresome? That night I slept so soundly; I was no longer plagued with nightmares about food waste. I can only hope that I won't be going on anymore late night garbage missions. They are not something I want to make a habit of!