Doomsdays and Immortality

Usually I don't post more than one blog a day but this is one of those "I gotta say something about this." This evening I had an unexpected guest at my door. She was very polite in her opening, unlike back home where solicitors are in and out specialists. She led her way in with some small talk asking questions about me then talking about Hurricane Sandy. I thought this was a donation bit, but then she pulls out a leather bound Bible. Tune out time: "Yada yada yada [the almighty force in nature] said, 'Blip bleep baaahh.' Here's a magazine about what's happening in our world today."

I went about the rest of my evening as planned. Pretty low key, went downstairs to empty my recycling and then went to the store to pick-up some juice and eggs. As I'm waiting for the light to change a slick looking Korean man starts talking to me. Koreans are very outgoing and friendly people for the most part and don't usually hesitate to talk to strangers. So when he said "Hello, how are you." I just mentally rolled my eyes, here we go again, smiled back and nodded. Once we wrapped up our small talk he bluntly asked "Tell me, would you every like to live forever?" So you're one of these guys eh? The sharp-dressed slick hair philosophers of the business world. I gave him a lengthy explanation about how if I was immortal I'd put everything off because I'd always have time. Then he starts talking about how some newly discovered planet will pass Earth and its a sign of bad things to come. I'm starting to feel a little iffy about this guy now. As I turn to get into the elevator, yes he followed me into my building, he hands me this:

But of course, here I was thinking I was making a Korean friend, now I'm holding a magazine that's made out of something cheaper than newsprint after being played like a fiddle. So now solicitors don't just knock on your doors in Korea, they just find you. It's weird though, usually back home you would have to buy these magazines and here they're free. This is one of the many oddities and novelties of being in a new country. I did flip through these things with a critical eye and snapped a couple photos of some rather ridiculous artwork and typical crack-pot statements.