Subway fire: One reaction I felt yesterday (and continue to feel today) is that of relief. I'm glad it wasn't a political statement. I know it makes no difference to the dead, the hurt, and their families, but I'm glad it wasn't terrorism.

Graduation: This week saw graduation ceremonies at high school and colleges. I saw news coverage of a high school graduation, and was shocked to see kids in school uniforms dousing each other with bags of flour, throwing eggs and ketchup at each other, and -- in the case of boys -- even tearing off the clothes of their graduating friends. As in, ripping the uniforms to shreds, down to the tighty-whitey -- and sometimes beyond!

Apparently college graduation is even more raucous -- someone in my class who's been living here for two years and who has a Korean fiancee told me, "They're never coming back, you know? So it's a way to say good-bye."

(I amuse myself by imagining an Old Campus stampede of egg-covered, ketchup-smeared, floury graduates being chased by friends and family.)

Tuesday morning I went to class late since I was just too pooped to get up on time, and stepped out of the metro to dozens and dozens of flower vendors setting up shop on the sidewalk, all the way up to the Sogang University front gates and beyond. In the afternoon, as I descended into Daeheung station, some vendors were hawking their wares on the steps leading into the station.

But the flowers! No simple cellophane and pink ribbon held these bouquets. Stunning arrangements of roses, daisies and a variety of other flowers were swathed in colorful mesh cloth, their stems tidily wrapped in bright fabric. Perfectly tied ribbons completed the standard bouquet, which cost about $9 USD.

I hope the flowers weren't subjected to ketchup-dousing.