take a sad song and make it better

I recently moved into a new place. My old place was a literal haven under the smog.encrusted skies of Seoul. Nestled in the embrace of Umyeon Mountain, spacious, clean and quiet, you could literally tuck yourself away into your own thoughts, losing yourself for hours engulfed in Hemingway and Austen, or entranced by movies, or even just silence. I had it good. I was lucky.

My new home sits under the shadow of Namsan Tower. It's burrowed within the unbelievable numbers of homes in Itaewon. There's no spaciousness here. We're crammed into tight quarters atop hills that induce huffing and puffing that could rival the Three Little Pigs' nemesis. There's no cleanliness here. I'm spraying raid, attaching those roach killer things in every crevice and nook possible, but still I wake up after two or three hours of sleep, deathly afraid that a roach has somehow crawled its way down my throat. There's to quietude here. The Russians upstairs argue loudly whilst smoking their cigars, the Filipinas across the alley chatter animatedly as their children laugh their joyful laughs and the Nigerians right next door prattle deep into the night on topics that are a mystery to me.

Friends who helped me move could only wordlessly place my boxes on the floor as their eyes took in the wretchedness of my new abode. Family members have stopped by and lectured, scolded and admonished me for my hasty decision to move into the place. I myself, have lied in my bed, regretting the impulsive manner in which I choose this new dwelling.

Yet while wallowing in the weariness that comes with distress of keeping guard against unwanted pests (cockroaches!), I found a great joy and comfort in the fact that so many people worried for me. I was so grateful that these people cared enough to actually want to see my place, not to judge, but only to make sure that it was safe enough for a single girl living alone in the city. They wanted to help in any way possible, be in donating furniture, assisting with the move, providing meals or even just presenting me with random knick.knacks to liven up an otherwise dreary place. So like John, Paul, George and Ringo told Jude, in any situation, you just gotta "take a sad song, and make it better."