Right now it’s -8° C (12° F)  outside.

Supposedly the low this morning was  -12° C (10.4° F)  with a windchill of -19° C  (-2.2° F), and it’s only mid December!  When I arrived last February,  it was –20° C (-4 ° F)

Fortunately, I got paid yesterday and headed down to the Express Bus Terminal, where I heard clothing could be had for cheap.  I got a pair of mittens for less than 3 bucks and a hat for also less than 3 bucks.  I should have bought more, since knowing me they will end up getting lost.

Anyway, I was reading Stephan Mots’ blog today and he wrote about an interesting proposal.  Which, of course, being from Seattle reminded me of our underground city.  As a person with Architecture training, I can’t begin to imagine the expense of the excavation.  I’m assuming it wouldn’t be as risky a proposition as in Seattle (talking about destabilizing adjacent building foundations), since Seoul seems to be one giant rock, but I also can’t see how housing units below ground could possibly get enough natural light, or what the fire escape/flooding evacuation plan would be.    What I WOULD like to see underground, in NYC, Japan, Seoul, and other cities where there are both subways AND homeless populations, is a bunk house where those with nothing can sleep for the night and take a shower.

It’s true the homeless here can and do sleep out of the cold in the warmed subway terminals, but a piece of cardboard on top of cold marble isn’t fit for anyone, (I tried it one night and it sucked, so instead I stayed up all night) and there aren’t enough benches to go around.