Yes, I'd like some cheese with my whine

As my jewelry-making friend Miki once said after describing a trip she took: "Okay. Now it is time to complain."

1. Credit agencies suck!!!

Just before leaving the U.S. last month, I got a letter from my credit card company saying they were canceling my credit card because of a delinquency on my credit report. Sodding credit agency!!! A year ago, before moving here, I fixed a couple errors on my credit record at all three major credit agencies, and thought everything was kosher, but there's no bloody end to it, is there?

So I write to Experian, telling them that I've never been delinquent on a credit card, so send me the damn report so I can request an inquiry.

Today, I get a letter saying that they can't process my recent request because they need two proofs of my current mailing address and my previous U.S. address. Okay, I only have my Korean ID card, which states my current address in Korean, and I have no other "proofs," since my dad takes care of all the bills. Even if I were living on my own, in a boarding house, say, I couldn't provide "proofs," because everything is done in either cash or electronically these days -- hardly anyone gets a paper bill anymore.

I just KNOW that when I explain these things, I'll get grief about SOMEthing, because that's the rule of the universe when it comes to utilities and public services, and it's GOT to be the same for credit agencies. Which suck.

2. Mosquitoes suck!!!

All during the summer I couldn't sleep well because of them, and now, well into autumn, they're still hanging around, living off my blood. Just now, I got bitten on my big toe and the top of my foot.

It's not just me, either -- my classmate Lewis said he got up 4 times last night to kill 4 different mosquitoes.

3. People who try to make a point by deliberately leaving out salient facts suck!!!

Last weekend, at the Halloween party, the Korean language exchange partner of Joe, one of the co-hosts, explained to me, Maiko, and Joe that it was very hard for Koreans to get visas to visit the U.S., even for holiday. An art student, he said that he'd always wanted to go to the Met, but had never gone because his family didn't have enough money. It costs about US$100 just to apply for a visa, and then you have to go through an interview. Plus, he said you needed $3,000 or so for some other condition (because of language difficulties, I was not clear about what you needed the $3,000 for).

I looked at Joe and said to him, "Sometimes I feel bad being an American, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Well," he said, "there are reasons why the U.S. is hard on Koreans who want to visit. In the past, young Korean women used to go on a tourist visa and get married while there to an American."

I found this rather bizarre, so I changed the subject. But the art student seemed to have a chip on his shoulder after this exchange. (A little patience if you don't mind, as I set up the scene -- more scope for whining, you see.)

The art student kept saying that he'd take Maiko home, but as Maiko didn't seem to find this prospect too enticing, I figured he'd get the hint. At some point, I told Maiko about a couch that was free in Ronnie's room, and she left me and the art student out in the hallway to go sleep. The art student asked me why I'd suggested that Maiko go into the room.

"'Cause she's sleepy," I answered shortly. Jeez, does she need a reason? Is she supposed to stay out in the hallway and be really uncomfortable just because you want her to?

"'Cause I was going to take her home, you know," the art student said.

"Then go in and wake her," I said blandly.

He looked at me quizzically. "Isn't that weird? I mean, it's weird to me. But isn't that weird to you too? Maybe it's a cultural thing."

"Yes," I said, "it's weird to me too."

This only stopped him for about an hour, though, during which, at some point, he accidentally stepped on my arm while I was lying on the floor drowsing. When I cried out, he crouched down swiftly, and I, assuming he wanted to apologize, said, "It's okay."

"Oh," he said, "I was just wondering why you made such a big noise when I didn't even step on you very hard."

Sleepy and stunned (what the fuck is your deal?), I said, "You startled me out of my sleep."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry."

A little later, he opened the door to the room where Maiko was sleeping, not bothering to ask if I'd move first. Since I was lying in front of the door, he of course hit me when he opened it. What an ass. A few minutes later, Maiko stumbled out, sat down next to me, buried her head in her arms and asked pleadingly, "Why does he keep waking me up?"

What an ass.

The point is, though... er, hm. Hm? Ah, yes. Well, while talking with my friend Hye-jong (who told me that Koreans aren't familiar with the term "Twinkie" as a epithet for racial traitors) the night after the party, she explained that yes, it is hard to get a visa, but you certainly don't need $3,000, and that there was a reason why it was hard for Koreans in particular to get approved: in the past, a lot of Koreans disregarded the rules.

"I know people who went on a tourist visa and just applied to a school while they were there on holiday," she said. She also verified that it's particularly hard for young, unmarried women in their 20s, because there were a lot of cases of young women going to the States on a tourist visa and getting married while they were there.

She paused after this for a moment. "They don't have to be quite so mean, though, in the interview. They do make it really hard."

Thank god for people who are willing to lay all the facts down. Without any background information, I felt crappy being American and hearing about how America makes it hard for poor Koreans to even come and visit. With the information, I still feel, well, ambivalent, but at least I know there's some rationale behind the strictness. I hate it when people ignore the facts.

Okay, enough ranting for tonight. Tired. Must sleep.