China to South Korea-what my birthday is really about

Yesterday I left China after 29 days (my Visa was for 30 days). I really enjoyed my time and the people in China. Sure, the hygienic habits of some older Chinese folks i encountered is a little bit different-they tend to love to cough up phlegm and spit it out anywhere (including women). Also, some older folks like to save water by showering less-i noticed this (A) on the cruise i was on, where i believe in a room of 4 I was the only one who used the shower, and (B) anytime I was in crowds in China. But the people I met, even those who don't speak English, are very friendly and accommodating, and the county was spectacular, with pagodas, temples and construction equipment creating new cities.

The next stop Seoul South Korea. I chose Seoul because it was an inexpensive airfare from Beijing, and it was an inexpensive airfare back to Hong Kong after 5 days, where I was going to go back to but that feel through. So I don't know where I will go next. So far Seoul is quite different then China-everyone i met speaks English. The signs are in English. I can use the internet freely and use my credit card (which isn't able to be done in China). I went out for dinner to same area with lots of bars and restaurants and last night of some spicy seafood and then a rod of spicy chicken.

It was also my birthday, which the world doesn't seem to care about. Flying from China to South Korea I showed my passport numerous times to airlines, gate officials, etc, and nobody seems to care. And that's not unusual. The folks are too busy to catch that. Nobody else cares either. Folks say how lucky I am to travel, and they are convinced i am wealthy or won the lottery. They don't see how I live at home, or how I stay in hostels on the road. But that said I guess in certain ways I am. But what I gain in being able to travel I lose in peace of mind. Not working I don't have a work network of friends, which i used to have-but many friends I lost along the way. Other friends I used to enjoy their company-but I said/did something that angered and or disgusted them, and we don't talk anymore. Travelling there are many single serve friends-that I hung out with once or twice but we went our separate ways.

When I was at the Central Perk Cafe in Beijing the other day (world reknowned Friends-homage cafe)-the episode of Friends was on where Chandler was worried about being alone the rest of his life. Even though it is a 20 something year old sitcom-i wonder why would a 20 something guy who has 6 people to consistantly hang out with worry about that?