Stairwell realizations

Let me set the scene.
It's late, probably about 12:30 and I'd apparently used up most, if not all, of my mental abilities. I was all set to get myself prettied for bed and I remembered that I hadn't had a chance to get to E-mart to buy some milk or cereal.

Luckily, there's a convenient store located on the main floor of my building. I can buy a mini box of Frosted Flakes and litre of milk for a mildly inflated price. I finished cleaning the dishes, slipped on my flops, and headed out of my room to the stairwell.

I must now provide some key pieces of information:

I've been in this apartment for almost 10 months and it's pretty small. Handed an ordinarily lengthed broom (by Canadian, not Korean standards-- a significant difference in length) I can open the door and flush the toilet in a few swoops, from the comfort of my bed. This means I have sort of melded many of my daily routines into one otherwise common space. In an effort to reduce wasted time, I only remain partially dressed when I'm not entertaining company.

There's little sense in dirtying up a t-shirt or pair of pants if I'm just going to watch TV or cook bacon, I don't have the soap or the time for that kind of luxury.

So, to sum up, I often take liberties in terms of attire when lazing about my room.


May I return to the story?

I made it to the staircase, presumably unseen, and down about 25-30 steps when my stomach clenched into a tight ball of embarrassed concern. I dropped my head to see if I was wearing any pants...



I was.

Now, some of you may think this is a stupid story because I was, in fact, fully dressed.

I disagree. Not wearing pants would have made me look like an idiot. It would be as likely as me peeing myself. I have had 2 decades of intense social conditioning which eliminates such a possibility. I argue, however, that the possibility of pantslessness and my concern of pantslessness is funnier than actual pantslessness. I really thought I was in my underwear, and given my fancy-free bachelor lifestyle, it seemed entirely possible as I bounded down the stairs. In light of this scare, I have taken preventative measures in the form of a brief checklist taped to my door which outlines basic and appropriate multi-seasonal attire. I have eliminated this fear entirely and it hasn't happened since.

anyways, that's where I'm at physically and mentally, here in Hwajeong.