The topic of our last chapter was vacations/traveling so today we were put into groups and made a vacation package with all our new phrases and vocabulary. I was paired up with Maite (the Swiss adoptee) as she was the only other student that speaks English (Kevin, Chinese Australian classmate did not show up today...). Tomorrow we will present our 'poster' and tour. The next half of class we began chapter 12!
After class, I went to get groceries. I found the Choco-pies I mentioned on Sunday. And to make it even better, they were on a 1+1 sale! (See Saturday's post for reference) Last week when I was out with JiWon (roommate), Brian, Beautiful Amy (JiWon's friend) and JungSu (another one of JiWon's friends) we talked about cooking--if anyone liked cooking/had cooking skills etc. I said that I enjoyed cooking and they all looked at me and said, "when are you going to make something for us?!?" So, over the past few days, I've been thinking about possibly cooking dinner for my new friends. Not having an oven really limits what one can do. But I thought Swedish meatballs sounded good. While I was at the store, I looked for ground beef--I couldn't find any but saw some ground pork. Yesterday, I talked with Brian about the looking for ground beef. When I came back from the store, he messaged me and told me he found ground beef at the market right new our dorms! So ironic we both looked for ground beef today! I also found Worcestershire sauce which really surprised me, and it was only around $1.20 or so. I'm excited that I will be cooking sometime soon! :) This afternoon I also did my laundry and worked on my homework. Midterms are next week, so I'm really trying to buckle down and study.
For dinner, I ran out to get kimbap and brought it back here to eat. Mmm...I could eat kimbap every day and not get tired of it. :)
The evening was spent studying.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Big Spending Day!
Class was interesting today. We moved seats yesterday, however I was all alone--the classmates I was supposed to be sitting by did not show up. Today everyone showed up. The student to my right is a Chinese Australian. He speaks fluent English obviously, growing up in Australia. And, for some reason now that I am sitting next to him, he decided it would be okay to talk to me. All the time. During instruction. (Which obviously as a teacher and a good student I do not appreciate! However, it was nice to finally have someone in class that I can understand--and he is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese as well, so once when we didn't know a word he asked a student from Taiwan and he was able to translate to Mandarin and then Kevin translated from Mandarin to English!) So, it will be an interesting week sitting next to him I think. However, he's missed a lot of class, so there's no telling how often he will show up this week. We had a quiz today, and I was definitely not prepared for it. :(
After class, I stopped by my room and then headed out for my shopping trip. It has been getting progressively colder and I was not prepared--not having a winter jacket at all. I had also been thinking about the boots so I had a goal. I returned to Ewha Women's University area for the boots. I don't know if the shopkeeper recognized me or not. Probably not. But I did decide on the tall knee-high boots. I walked around a little and went to the pie shop to get a treat for my roommate. She was so sweet-even though my interview was at 10pm Korean time, she left the room and hung out with a friend so she wasn't in here interrupting or anything. And I felt extra bad because at night she told me, "tomorrow I have to get up early for church"!! So she had to be out of the room til late and then get up early!! T.T So sad! After I bought her a little pie treat, I kept searching, hoping I could find a good winter jacket. I was just about to head back when a jacket caught my eye in a larger store. I felt the sleeve on the mannequin and thought it felt quite warm. I found one on a rack and the lady told me to try it on. Then the bomb dropped--the hood had raccoon fur. Another jacket with raccoon fur?!? I tried to explain I did NOT want raccoon fur, but she only had that kind-she said real fur is better than fake fur. But she also showed me that I could take the fur part off. I liked the jacket and now it didn't have a fur hood! I asked if I could get a discount because I did not have the fur "hood" and she agreed and gave me a 30,000W discount!! I got the jacket for 109,000W! (She also told me if I had American cash she could give me another discount! Awe, shucks--didn't have any on me.)
I was feeling pretty excited about my two big purchases. I headed towards the subway and saw a street vendor selling "hodduk" (Korean pancake filled with sugar, cinnamon and peanuts) AND it was only 700W! Typically I see hodduk for at least 1,000W. So I decided I would have this tasty treat. :)
I returned to my room and was thinking about what I would do for dinner. I figured I would check in with Brian and see if he had plans or not--I hadn't really hung out with him in awhile. Just as I was about to send him a message, he sent me one asking about my dinner plans! We went for "dakgalbi" which is chicken stir-fried on a hotplate in front of you with vegetables. Except, we ordered "pizza bokumbap" which was basically kimchi fried rice with a TON of cheese on top! It was so good! Exactly what I was hungry for (and didn't know!).
The rest of the evening was devoted to homework, studying and catching up/feeling comfortable with where we are in the lessons again. On Thursday I have a meeting 1 on 1 with one of my teachers to help prepare me for the exam I think. I'm a little nervous because of how my speaking skills are lacking, but hopefully she can give me some good tips.
After class, I stopped by my room and then headed out for my shopping trip. It has been getting progressively colder and I was not prepared--not having a winter jacket at all. I had also been thinking about the boots so I had a goal. I returned to Ewha Women's University area for the boots. I don't know if the shopkeeper recognized me or not. Probably not. But I did decide on the tall knee-high boots. I walked around a little and went to the pie shop to get a treat for my roommate. She was so sweet-even though my interview was at 10pm Korean time, she left the room and hung out with a friend so she wasn't in here interrupting or anything. And I felt extra bad because at night she told me, "tomorrow I have to get up early for church"!! So she had to be out of the room til late and then get up early!! T.T So sad! After I bought her a little pie treat, I kept searching, hoping I could find a good winter jacket. I was just about to head back when a jacket caught my eye in a larger store. I felt the sleeve on the mannequin and thought it felt quite warm. I found one on a rack and the lady told me to try it on. Then the bomb dropped--the hood had raccoon fur. Another jacket with raccoon fur?!? I tried to explain I did NOT want raccoon fur, but she only had that kind-she said real fur is better than fake fur. But she also showed me that I could take the fur part off. I liked the jacket and now it didn't have a fur hood! I asked if I could get a discount because I did not have the fur "hood" and she agreed and gave me a 30,000W discount!! I got the jacket for 109,000W! (She also told me if I had American cash she could give me another discount! Awe, shucks--didn't have any on me.)
I was feeling pretty excited about my two big purchases. I headed towards the subway and saw a street vendor selling "hodduk" (Korean pancake filled with sugar, cinnamon and peanuts) AND it was only 700W! Typically I see hodduk for at least 1,000W. So I decided I would have this tasty treat. :)
I returned to my room and was thinking about what I would do for dinner. I figured I would check in with Brian and see if he had plans or not--I hadn't really hung out with him in awhile. Just as I was about to send him a message, he sent me one asking about my dinner plans! We went for "dakgalbi" which is chicken stir-fried on a hotplate in front of you with vegetables. Except, we ordered "pizza bokumbap" which was basically kimchi fried rice with a TON of cheese on top! It was so good! Exactly what I was hungry for (and didn't know!).
The rest of the evening was devoted to homework, studying and catching up/feeling comfortable with where we are in the lessons again. On Thursday I have a meeting 1 on 1 with one of my teachers to help prepare me for the exam I think. I'm a little nervous because of how my speaking skills are lacking, but hopefully she can give me some good tips.
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| In the subway with my hodduk! I can't wait to return to this area and get it again! |
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| My new boots!! |
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| My new jacket!! |
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday. Back to school. I felt very unprepared after the weekend. As it turns out, I didn't finish all of my workbook pages that I was supposed to turn in, so I felt like a really bad student. I also found out that one of the adoptees (the woman from Switzerland) will be joining my class. I know she speaks very good English, so I will have an ally--except she is headed home early, after midterms end unfortunately because her mother was diagnosed with cancer.
For lunch I went and got kimbap and ramen to bring back to my room. Again, I had soup in a bag placed in a bowl. Still seems a bit strange to me. Maybe next time I will just have to eat in the restaurant!
In the afternoon I did my homework and prepared for my interview. For dinner...I have a confession to make. I was feeling a bit nervous for my interview, so I decided I should stick with something I am familiar with. So, I went to the Subway across the street and got an Italian BMT. Isn't it amazing that I can be halfway around the world, yet still have my favorite Subway sandwich?
Right before my interview I had a chance to talk with my Mom. I was able to make sure my camera was at the right angle and I looked good and all that jazz. Then, it was time for the interview! Becca and Bea were really nice and it felt more like a conversation than an interview. After 30 minutes, Becca told me that I would have a 2nd interview and she would email me details in the next few days! What an amazing opportunity it would be to share my gifts and work with a company like the Ties Program!
For lunch I went and got kimbap and ramen to bring back to my room. Again, I had soup in a bag placed in a bowl. Still seems a bit strange to me. Maybe next time I will just have to eat in the restaurant!
In the afternoon I did my homework and prepared for my interview. For dinner...I have a confession to make. I was feeling a bit nervous for my interview, so I decided I should stick with something I am familiar with. So, I went to the Subway across the street and got an Italian BMT. Isn't it amazing that I can be halfway around the world, yet still have my favorite Subway sandwich?
Right before my interview I had a chance to talk with my Mom. I was able to make sure my camera was at the right angle and I looked good and all that jazz. Then, it was time for the interview! Becca and Bea were really nice and it felt more like a conversation than an interview. After 30 minutes, Becca told me that I would have a 2nd interview and she would email me details in the next few days! What an amazing opportunity it would be to share my gifts and work with a company like the Ties Program!
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| Mmm...Subway! |
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday morning I woke up around 7--my normal waking time. I went into the main "room" of the jjimjilbang and had a beautiful view of Gwangali Bridge/Beach and the sunrise. It was pretty amazing. Then, back to the spas and a little bit in the sauna room before I headed out to Nopodong to find the bus station. I left with plenty of time so I could walk and find the subway station (it is quite far from the beach) and then make the transfers and get to the bus station comfortably. I arrived about 2 hours before my bus was leaving, so I tried to take a little walk around the bus station to see if I could find a cafe or kimbap shop to sit, eat and study before leaving. Unfortunately, I think the only thing in that area is: the bus station. I decided I would just sit inside the bus station and wait.
I boarded the bus and again felt quite sad leaving Pusan. I think I was also remembering when I took the bus from Inje to Seoul last year--that was really hard. Anyway, I was on a full bus! I'm so glad Jihye took the time to help me book a ticket the day before! I was able to sleep a little on the bus. I made it to bus station in Seoul and hopped on a subway to head to Sogang University for church. Again, I got off one stop before the university to find my little pie shop. Unfortunately they were closed--I think all the pie was sold out so they just closed early. As I was walking to church, a pair of black boots caught my eye. I asked the price and tried them on. I also noticed another pair and tried those on as well. I was soooo indecisive and didn't know what to do--of course the shopkeeper was working very hard at trying to persuade me to buy ONE of them. I glanced at my watch and noticed I had about 15 minutes to make it to church. Not being one for rash or quick decisions I told the man in Korean "I'll see you later!!" and ran to church. I ran. The whole way there. It was probably at least a mile. And on campus there is a big hill. I got to church and was sweating!! But, I made it.
Again, I really appreciated the Mass. I wonder if the priest is also a professor at the university too. He does a really good job of bringing out details from both reading and the gospel, tying them together and also relating it to our everyday lives. I really enjoy his homilies. After mass, there were choco-pies (they are like little chocolate Debbie cakes with Marshmallow Fluff in the middle, and chocolate coating)--last week my favorite Oh Yes cakes (like choco-pies but frosting instead of marshmallow in the middle). I really enjoyed this brand/type of choco-pie because the marshmallow wasn't really chewy-more creamy-like. I am on a mission to find them for my next round of groceries.
I made it back from church, unpacked, did my homework and went to bed!
I boarded the bus and again felt quite sad leaving Pusan. I think I was also remembering when I took the bus from Inje to Seoul last year--that was really hard. Anyway, I was on a full bus! I'm so glad Jihye took the time to help me book a ticket the day before! I was able to sleep a little on the bus. I made it to bus station in Seoul and hopped on a subway to head to Sogang University for church. Again, I got off one stop before the university to find my little pie shop. Unfortunately they were closed--I think all the pie was sold out so they just closed early. As I was walking to church, a pair of black boots caught my eye. I asked the price and tried them on. I also noticed another pair and tried those on as well. I was soooo indecisive and didn't know what to do--of course the shopkeeper was working very hard at trying to persuade me to buy ONE of them. I glanced at my watch and noticed I had about 15 minutes to make it to church. Not being one for rash or quick decisions I told the man in Korean "I'll see you later!!" and ran to church. I ran. The whole way there. It was probably at least a mile. And on campus there is a big hill. I got to church and was sweating!! But, I made it.
Again, I really appreciated the Mass. I wonder if the priest is also a professor at the university too. He does a really good job of bringing out details from both reading and the gospel, tying them together and also relating it to our everyday lives. I really enjoy his homilies. After mass, there were choco-pies (they are like little chocolate Debbie cakes with Marshmallow Fluff in the middle, and chocolate coating)--last week my favorite Oh Yes cakes (like choco-pies but frosting instead of marshmallow in the middle). I really enjoyed this brand/type of choco-pie because the marshmallow wasn't really chewy-more creamy-like. I am on a mission to find them for my next round of groceries.
I made it back from church, unpacked, did my homework and went to bed!
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| Sunrise over Gwangali Bridge |
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| Again |
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| Sign for the Fireworks Festival--please note the 7 has been changed to an 8 in sharpie :( |
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| Quick jaunt along the beach before heading back to Seoul |
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| One of the biggest dogs I've seen in Korea! I'm not sure if he was being trained to be an assistance dog--from what I could understand, the woman was telling people not to pet him or touch him near his head. He did smell my feet and lick my foot! |
Saturday, October 27, 2012
I woke up to rain. I was not happy. Jihye knocked on my door a little after 9 (I had been awake for an hour or so) and came under the covers to talk with me a little. She too, is like a big sister to me. <3
She helped me get my bus ticket while her husband made breakfast. He made jajangmyeon which is noodles with a sauce made of salty black soybean paste--though I think this was instant noodles and a packet of sauce--not original which is good, because typically I do not like jajangmyeon (too salty and thick). He also cooked an egg for each of us.
Then, it was time for us to get moving! Oh, and Jihye gave me a sweater/thick cardigan to wear because she thought it would be very cool at night AND an umbrella. And boy did I need it.... Jihye had to go to her office to print my bus ticket and also finish organizing a list for her field trip Templestay at 11. We stopped over at ET and I met my friend Bumsik. Jihye left for her trip and Bumsik helped me figure out how to get from Inje to Nampodong (an neighborhood in Pusan) where I was meeting my friend for lunch. I was supposed to meet another friend and travel together, but she was still at her hometown and met up with me later. Anyway, I was a little nervous, but I was able to get off the bus at the right stop and get on the subway AND arrive at my location, exactly on time!!
I met my friend Chulwoo. A younger sister calls her older brother "Oppa" but a lot of times friends will use the same terms even if they are not siblings. So, while most of my guy friends at Inje are older than me, I really only called Chulwoo "Oppa". He called Emily and me 1+1 (at grocery stores and 'convenience stores' they run specials that advertise 1 + 1 --as in buy one get one), because she and I were always together and so similar. Oppa is now dating Emily's roommate (while she was at Inje)!! Anyway, I met Oppa in Nampodong and we went to one of my favorite restaurants--Jungyoon (my roommate) called it "cloud mandu soup". It is so delicious! Oppa was so nice and bought lunch. Then he asked, "do you want coffee or ice cream?" Wow, what a tough question! Normally it would be quite easy (ice cream!), but it was cold and rainy, so a warm drink sounded good too; I told him he could choose. He chose ice cream. :) So off to Baskin Robins for ice cream. It was good to catch up with him and talk to him about his work and what Songhee (his girlfriend) has been doing.
We finished up our ice cream and went in search of a place to buy a poncho for me. While we were looking, Sumi, my friend let me know she was on her way to meet me. So, I parted ways with my Oppa and was off to Gwangali (another neighborhood in Pusan) to meet Sumi. Sumi texted me to tell me they had postponed the fireworks from 8pm to 9pm. We met up at the subway and it was pouring, pouring, pouring!! I had my umbrella, but I was still getting soaked! We ran into a coffee shop near Gwangali Beach and the worker standing at the door told us that the fireworks were cancelled for the evening and postponed til Sunday evening. I was so bummed to hear. All the way to Pusan and no fireworks. :( So sad. However, Sumi and I still had a fun evening. We decided to find a restaurant for dinner and chose one on the 4th or 5th floor. As luck would have it, since the fireworks were cancelled, there were no reservations and we were free to have a table there. We split a steak and a pasta dish. While eating dinner, we were able to watch Mother Nature's Firework Festival over Gwangali Bridge--there was quite a bit of lightening. Around 8:15 it stopped raining and was clear for the rest of the night. They definitely could have done the fireworks!!! :( Anyway, there were people selling small firecrackers and sparklers along the beach, so Sumi and I were able to see small fireworks pop up into the sky every once in awhile.
After dinner, we walked down to the beach and the looked for a coffee shop. We picked one that was on the second floor and noticed that the table by the window was getting up, so we ran up the stairs to grab the table and get a good view. We had hot chocolate and split a cake. Then Sumi walked me to the jjimjilbang (sauna/spa) where I was planning on spending the night. She felt a little bad leaving me there, but I assured her I would be fine on my own. She headed back to Inje and I went to go soak in the hot tubs. It was wonderful. I also went into some of the saunas.
She helped me get my bus ticket while her husband made breakfast. He made jajangmyeon which is noodles with a sauce made of salty black soybean paste--though I think this was instant noodles and a packet of sauce--not original which is good, because typically I do not like jajangmyeon (too salty and thick). He also cooked an egg for each of us.
Then, it was time for us to get moving! Oh, and Jihye gave me a sweater/thick cardigan to wear because she thought it would be very cool at night AND an umbrella. And boy did I need it.... Jihye had to go to her office to print my bus ticket and also finish organizing a list for her field trip Templestay at 11. We stopped over at ET and I met my friend Bumsik. Jihye left for her trip and Bumsik helped me figure out how to get from Inje to Nampodong (an neighborhood in Pusan) where I was meeting my friend for lunch. I was supposed to meet another friend and travel together, but she was still at her hometown and met up with me later. Anyway, I was a little nervous, but I was able to get off the bus at the right stop and get on the subway AND arrive at my location, exactly on time!!
I met my friend Chulwoo. A younger sister calls her older brother "Oppa" but a lot of times friends will use the same terms even if they are not siblings. So, while most of my guy friends at Inje are older than me, I really only called Chulwoo "Oppa". He called Emily and me 1+1 (at grocery stores and 'convenience stores' they run specials that advertise 1 + 1 --as in buy one get one), because she and I were always together and so similar. Oppa is now dating Emily's roommate (while she was at Inje)!! Anyway, I met Oppa in Nampodong and we went to one of my favorite restaurants--Jungyoon (my roommate) called it "cloud mandu soup". It is so delicious! Oppa was so nice and bought lunch. Then he asked, "do you want coffee or ice cream?" Wow, what a tough question! Normally it would be quite easy (ice cream!), but it was cold and rainy, so a warm drink sounded good too; I told him he could choose. He chose ice cream. :) So off to Baskin Robins for ice cream. It was good to catch up with him and talk to him about his work and what Songhee (his girlfriend) has been doing.
We finished up our ice cream and went in search of a place to buy a poncho for me. While we were looking, Sumi, my friend let me know she was on her way to meet me. So, I parted ways with my Oppa and was off to Gwangali (another neighborhood in Pusan) to meet Sumi. Sumi texted me to tell me they had postponed the fireworks from 8pm to 9pm. We met up at the subway and it was pouring, pouring, pouring!! I had my umbrella, but I was still getting soaked! We ran into a coffee shop near Gwangali Beach and the worker standing at the door told us that the fireworks were cancelled for the evening and postponed til Sunday evening. I was so bummed to hear. All the way to Pusan and no fireworks. :( So sad. However, Sumi and I still had a fun evening. We decided to find a restaurant for dinner and chose one on the 4th or 5th floor. As luck would have it, since the fireworks were cancelled, there were no reservations and we were free to have a table there. We split a steak and a pasta dish. While eating dinner, we were able to watch Mother Nature's Firework Festival over Gwangali Bridge--there was quite a bit of lightening. Around 8:15 it stopped raining and was clear for the rest of the night. They definitely could have done the fireworks!!! :( Anyway, there were people selling small firecrackers and sparklers along the beach, so Sumi and I were able to see small fireworks pop up into the sky every once in awhile.
After dinner, we walked down to the beach and the looked for a coffee shop. We picked one that was on the second floor and noticed that the table by the window was getting up, so we ran up the stairs to grab the table and get a good view. We had hot chocolate and split a cake. Then Sumi walked me to the jjimjilbang (sauna/spa) where I was planning on spending the night. She felt a little bad leaving me there, but I assured her I would be fine on my own. She headed back to Inje and I went to go soak in the hot tubs. It was wonderful. I also went into some of the saunas.
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| Bumsik and the beautiful trees at Inje |
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| Inje DaeHakgyo (University) I love you!! |
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| Yummy soup! |
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| Oppa and me at Baskin Robins! |
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| Dinner and Gwangali Bridge lit up |
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| Sumi and me after dinner |
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| Hot chocolate, cake, a lit up bridge, a friend and a small firework--can it get any better? |
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| Another small firework in the sky |
Friday, October 26, 2012
Well, I can't really remember what happened in class. I'm sure it was just the usual. Earlier in the week, my classmates wanted to arrange a lunch for the birthday and one of the students who was returning to her home country early. So, to be social I went with them. It was a little unfortunate because everyone either spoke Korean, Japanese or Chinese (just like in class) so I did not converse much. We had a chicken stew with a spicy broth. After you eat most of the chicken and broth, the servers take your pan (it's bubbling right in front of you) and put rice and noodles in it and bring it back. I liked that part--the noodles were good and the rice gets kind of crispy from cooking more in the pan.
After lunch I came back to my room and packed. Jihye called me and asked how long it would take me to get to Seoul Station because she was finished early. She wanted us to see if we could catch an earlier train to Gimhae/Pusan. So, as luck would I have it, I was able to leave right away and meet up with her in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately there weren't any tickets, but we went to a Dunkin Donuts so she could eat and have coffee. I learned of the reason she was in Seoul. She entered a writing competition and had an interview with the judges. She was one of 8 or 10 other participants! Her writing was about her work at Inje University as the Program Coordinator of the IIIHR (Inje Institute for International Human Resources) and much of it was stories from my spring semester. Once we boarded the train, we also talked about how we missed Professor Jongman Cho (he was our movie and culture professor and is currently on sabbatical in Malaysia). Then, we came up with the great idea--what if we go and visit him?!? As it turns out, my program is having a field trip to a mountain on the other side of the country in a few weeks on a Thursday and Friday--read: no class! So, we have just begun to start scheming and wondering if that is something possible we can do!
We finally arrived at Gupo Station near Gimhae. It was almost 11:30pm. Our train was extra late. Jihye's wonderful husband came and picked us up and drove us back to Inje. We were both hungry for a late, late dinner, so we went to a kimbap shop and had dinner around midnight. We returned to Jihye's house and had some fruit and then everyone headed to bed!
After lunch I came back to my room and packed. Jihye called me and asked how long it would take me to get to Seoul Station because she was finished early. She wanted us to see if we could catch an earlier train to Gimhae/Pusan. So, as luck would I have it, I was able to leave right away and meet up with her in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately there weren't any tickets, but we went to a Dunkin Donuts so she could eat and have coffee. I learned of the reason she was in Seoul. She entered a writing competition and had an interview with the judges. She was one of 8 or 10 other participants! Her writing was about her work at Inje University as the Program Coordinator of the IIIHR (Inje Institute for International Human Resources) and much of it was stories from my spring semester. Once we boarded the train, we also talked about how we missed Professor Jongman Cho (he was our movie and culture professor and is currently on sabbatical in Malaysia). Then, we came up with the great idea--what if we go and visit him?!? As it turns out, my program is having a field trip to a mountain on the other side of the country in a few weeks on a Thursday and Friday--read: no class! So, we have just begun to start scheming and wondering if that is something possible we can do!
We finally arrived at Gupo Station near Gimhae. It was almost 11:30pm. Our train was extra late. Jihye's wonderful husband came and picked us up and drove us back to Inje. We were both hungry for a late, late dinner, so we went to a kimbap shop and had dinner around midnight. We returned to Jihye's house and had some fruit and then everyone headed to bed!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Back in Seoul
What a weekend! Lots to update, but it's a little after 10pm and I'm exhausted. Not to mention homework and unpacking still to do. Will post pictures and the weekend story tomorrow!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Mission Accomplished
My morning went well. Classes were normal. I got 10 out of 12 on my
last quiz. We also spent the most of the first half of the 2nd session
having a birthday party for one of the students. They had a cake for him
and it took a long time to cut it and get it passed out to everyone.
There are 2 more birthdays coming up in November.
After class, I came back to my room to take a slight break and then I was off to explore. I decided to go to Gwangjang Market. There are food stalls in the market and one alley called "Kimbap Drug" because the kimbap there is so addicting. There were probably 8 different ladies selling kimbap and other foods. I was walking slowly and looking when one ajjuma ("auntie") started talking to me and telling me to sit. I thought, okay, here goes! (As I sat and ate she would continue to call out to passerby's telling them to have a seat and eat her food--props to her for getting my attention.) It was pretty good-I don't know if I would say it is addicting-I do like kimbap in general though. I guess I will have to have regular kimbap soon and try to compare the two. This is made slightly differently. Normally kimbap is prepared by using a 6-7 inch square of seaweed and then placing rice over it, and fill it with meat and vegetables, roll it and cut it so they look like coins. This kimbap was made from a seaweed sheet about 2x5 or so, and only filled with rice, carrots and a pickled radish. It was also served with a spicy mustard sauce to dip it in. It was an okay addition. I also got a small cup of soup as well.
After my lunch of kimbap, I just wandered around the market. It would be a sewers dreamworld because there was stall after stall after stall of fabric. It was quite an experience. As I wandered I finally came to an exit and noticed Cheonggyecheon (my favorite stream) and walked along the stream for a bit. I got to Dongdaemun (known for discount shopping) and came up to street level to go to a few stores. I have to admit, shopping in Korea is a very overwhelming experience. Some of these stores are in department-store-like buildings, but the shops themselves are maybe 3 feet by 6 feet long. After winding around through them all, I can never remember which direction I came from and what I've already seen. Also, many similar styles of clothing are on display to add to the feel of being disorientated. I did find a jacket I liked. It was about 30,000W over budget, but when the sales lady told me the hood was made from REAL raccoon fur, I had to say no.
I walked through the shops for maybe an hour and then went back outside to go to the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Previously, there was an athletic stadium complex located there, but in the last maybe 3-4 years they have torn it down and rebuilt a new park and have uniquely designed 'buildings' there. I think part of it is still under construction. I was so close to the East gate of the city that I walked there and took some pictures. When Korea was a dynasty, the city had a wall around it with 4 'gates' to enter (North, South, East, and West). Unfortunately, about 3 years ago, a Korean citizen burned the North gate down (which happened to also be Korean's #1 National Treasure...it is currently under construction to try to be rebuilt). The gate on the West side is no longer present either.
I returned to my room to get my homework done and then went out with my roommate, one of her friends and Brian for dinner.
Sorry, I went a little overboard on the photos!
After class, I came back to my room to take a slight break and then I was off to explore. I decided to go to Gwangjang Market. There are food stalls in the market and one alley called "Kimbap Drug" because the kimbap there is so addicting. There were probably 8 different ladies selling kimbap and other foods. I was walking slowly and looking when one ajjuma ("auntie") started talking to me and telling me to sit. I thought, okay, here goes! (As I sat and ate she would continue to call out to passerby's telling them to have a seat and eat her food--props to her for getting my attention.) It was pretty good-I don't know if I would say it is addicting-I do like kimbap in general though. I guess I will have to have regular kimbap soon and try to compare the two. This is made slightly differently. Normally kimbap is prepared by using a 6-7 inch square of seaweed and then placing rice over it, and fill it with meat and vegetables, roll it and cut it so they look like coins. This kimbap was made from a seaweed sheet about 2x5 or so, and only filled with rice, carrots and a pickled radish. It was also served with a spicy mustard sauce to dip it in. It was an okay addition. I also got a small cup of soup as well.
After my lunch of kimbap, I just wandered around the market. It would be a sewers dreamworld because there was stall after stall after stall of fabric. It was quite an experience. As I wandered I finally came to an exit and noticed Cheonggyecheon (my favorite stream) and walked along the stream for a bit. I got to Dongdaemun (known for discount shopping) and came up to street level to go to a few stores. I have to admit, shopping in Korea is a very overwhelming experience. Some of these stores are in department-store-like buildings, but the shops themselves are maybe 3 feet by 6 feet long. After winding around through them all, I can never remember which direction I came from and what I've already seen. Also, many similar styles of clothing are on display to add to the feel of being disorientated. I did find a jacket I liked. It was about 30,000W over budget, but when the sales lady told me the hood was made from REAL raccoon fur, I had to say no.
I walked through the shops for maybe an hour and then went back outside to go to the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Previously, there was an athletic stadium complex located there, but in the last maybe 3-4 years they have torn it down and rebuilt a new park and have uniquely designed 'buildings' there. I think part of it is still under construction. I was so close to the East gate of the city that I walked there and took some pictures. When Korea was a dynasty, the city had a wall around it with 4 'gates' to enter (North, South, East, and West). Unfortunately, about 3 years ago, a Korean citizen burned the North gate down (which happened to also be Korean's #1 National Treasure...it is currently under construction to try to be rebuilt). The gate on the West side is no longer present either.
I returned to my room to get my homework done and then went out with my roommate, one of her friends and Brian for dinner.
Sorry, I went a little overboard on the photos!
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| Addicting Kimbap?!? |
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| Fabric for sale |
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| An ajuma selling spices/beans/??? |
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| Along Cheonggyecheon |
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| Ducks in the stream |
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| One of my favorite places in Seoul! |
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| Cool pedestrian bridge (yes, I said pedestrian, and yes there are motorbikes on the bridge. In Korea, motorbikes are considered pedestrians too...it is not uncommon to see motorbikes being driven on sidewalks...) |
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| Pretty red tree (with orange, gold and green in the background) with Haechi, Seoul's city symbol. |
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| Map of Dongdaemun Cultural Park |
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| Dongdaemun Gate |
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| Bunnies for sale in the subway!!! (I got scolded for taking the picture after) |
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| L to R: Brian, Amy--SungHee, JungMee and JiWon (roommate) at a Chicken restaurant |
What do you know--it's Wednesday!
This morning I was a bit rushed getting to school. I had some business to take care of and was chatting with my Mom. I ran part of the way to school and made it before class started. (Lucky for me, the clock in the classroom is 2 minutes behind-it's unfortunate in the afternoon, but good if you are running late in the morning--which I tend to be...)
Classes were fine. I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision to be moved up to the 2nd level. I know I am learning a lot, but I'm also quite shy and intimidated still to talk in class, therefore I do not actively participate unless provoked. I don't think that is good for my speaking skills. I'm also having to work quite hard just to stay at a basic understanding level and I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot, so maybe it would have been better to stay lower and take the time outside of class to practice the higher level. I'm not really sure. I do know that now that I've realized how my speaking skills are lacking, I will work on trying to speak more in class and with my roommate, language helper and other Korean friends. I must, I must, I must!
After class, I returned to my room and worked on some correspondence, talked with Jenny, and did my workout. I did some of my Rosetta Stone to supplement what I am learning in class and then headed out for dinner. I was supposed to meet Seok Kyung (my language helper) but she cancelled at the last minute (again) because she was meeting her professor--I did totally forget this is midterms week for regular Kyunghee University students though. Anyway, I was craving Isaac Toast's pizza toast, so I took a hike back towards school to get to Isaac's. Now, it's been well over a year since I've had pizza toast and from my recent chat with Ginger, I have found that Isaac's has actually changed many of their recipes (we exchanged details of what is on sandwiches and how they are prepared) and I've discovered it is not the same--even the one at Inje has changed (update from Ginger). So, the pizza toast was good (minus the sweet pickles I took off) but this time, there was not nearly as much cheese as my last pizza toast had--they only put a small pinch into the egg and veggie mixture. Speaking of the egg and veggie mixture, they also put mushrooms and green peppers in it which was a nice addition. I think there was only one pepperoni added as well. So, so sad. On my way back with my sandwich, I decided I would get a waffle for my dessert. Waffles are the IN thing right now. They are served folded in half with either ice cream, a frosting OR ice cream AND frosting in the middle. I pass a waffle man every day on my way home from school, but then I saw another shop and they had "caramel cinnamon waffle". It sounded too good to pass up. And when they handed it to me and it was still warm...well of course it did not last the 10 minute walk home (in the cold). I came home and had my sandwich and finished the other half of my waffle.
Then, back to the books! Study, study, study! I also had a nice study break talking to my Mom and Phil! :)
Classes were fine. I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision to be moved up to the 2nd level. I know I am learning a lot, but I'm also quite shy and intimidated still to talk in class, therefore I do not actively participate unless provoked. I don't think that is good for my speaking skills. I'm also having to work quite hard just to stay at a basic understanding level and I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot, so maybe it would have been better to stay lower and take the time outside of class to practice the higher level. I'm not really sure. I do know that now that I've realized how my speaking skills are lacking, I will work on trying to speak more in class and with my roommate, language helper and other Korean friends. I must, I must, I must!
After class, I returned to my room and worked on some correspondence, talked with Jenny, and did my workout. I did some of my Rosetta Stone to supplement what I am learning in class and then headed out for dinner. I was supposed to meet Seok Kyung (my language helper) but she cancelled at the last minute (again) because she was meeting her professor--I did totally forget this is midterms week for regular Kyunghee University students though. Anyway, I was craving Isaac Toast's pizza toast, so I took a hike back towards school to get to Isaac's. Now, it's been well over a year since I've had pizza toast and from my recent chat with Ginger, I have found that Isaac's has actually changed many of their recipes (we exchanged details of what is on sandwiches and how they are prepared) and I've discovered it is not the same--even the one at Inje has changed (update from Ginger). So, the pizza toast was good (minus the sweet pickles I took off) but this time, there was not nearly as much cheese as my last pizza toast had--they only put a small pinch into the egg and veggie mixture. Speaking of the egg and veggie mixture, they also put mushrooms and green peppers in it which was a nice addition. I think there was only one pepperoni added as well. So, so sad. On my way back with my sandwich, I decided I would get a waffle for my dessert. Waffles are the IN thing right now. They are served folded in half with either ice cream, a frosting OR ice cream AND frosting in the middle. I pass a waffle man every day on my way home from school, but then I saw another shop and they had "caramel cinnamon waffle". It sounded too good to pass up. And when they handed it to me and it was still warm...well of course it did not last the 10 minute walk home (in the cold). I came home and had my sandwich and finished the other half of my waffle.
Then, back to the books! Study, study, study! I also had a nice study break talking to my Mom and Phil! :)
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| My half eaten Caramel Cinnamon Waffle |
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| Pizza Toast! (Can you tell I was hungry and excited to eat this? There's already 2 big bites missing...tried to hide it for the picture!) |
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Cold, but fun Tuesday!
Class went fine today. We had a group photo at 11:45-in the middle of our 2nd half. So, all the Korean language learners trekked over to another building on campus and assembled on the steps outside. I would say there were 200-300 students gathered!
I met Katie at a subway station not too far from me. She found a place for FREE bike rentals along the Han River. We were given a suggested route/location to visit (Seoul Forest) and were off. However, we must have passed the turn off because after awhile we saw the sign for Seoul Forest pointing from the direction we had just come from. We decided we would just keep going. We stopped at the "J Bug" building-an J shaped 'building'. Its purpose is for families to get out and enjoy the river and just have a place to go to I guess. Sometimes there are concerts there at night. Then we biked back. The bike rental place took donations, so I gave 1,000W--how lucky to get free bikes for 2 hours!
Katie wanted to show me an area called Garsosu-gil. She said it's where all the Koreans hangout now. It used to be Myeongdong, but it gets quite crowded and it is mostly foreigners there now. There are many coffee shops/bakeries and upscale boutiques. Everything was way out of my price range-I didn't even have to step into the stores to know that, but it was fun to window shop and look at beautiful clothing. We were getting hungry after our 2 hour bike ride so we wandered looking for food. The only problem with the area we picked is that there are mostly cafes, however we did find a mandu and handcut noodle restaurant and stopped in there for a bite. Then Katie wanted to take me to a "Tart" shop (essentially it was just pie; though I'm not sure of the technical differences between a tart and a pie). We had a hard time picking 2 but ended up going with a Green Tea Pie and Mango Yogurt pie. These were also pretty tasty (still favor Mom's pie!!) and beautiful to look at.
Back at my residence, I settled in a bit and finally got around to my homework and studying. I can't believe midterms are in 2 1/2 weeks!!!
I met Katie at a subway station not too far from me. She found a place for FREE bike rentals along the Han River. We were given a suggested route/location to visit (Seoul Forest) and were off. However, we must have passed the turn off because after awhile we saw the sign for Seoul Forest pointing from the direction we had just come from. We decided we would just keep going. We stopped at the "J Bug" building-an J shaped 'building'. Its purpose is for families to get out and enjoy the river and just have a place to go to I guess. Sometimes there are concerts there at night. Then we biked back. The bike rental place took donations, so I gave 1,000W--how lucky to get free bikes for 2 hours!
Katie wanted to show me an area called Garsosu-gil. She said it's where all the Koreans hangout now. It used to be Myeongdong, but it gets quite crowded and it is mostly foreigners there now. There are many coffee shops/bakeries and upscale boutiques. Everything was way out of my price range-I didn't even have to step into the stores to know that, but it was fun to window shop and look at beautiful clothing. We were getting hungry after our 2 hour bike ride so we wandered looking for food. The only problem with the area we picked is that there are mostly cafes, however we did find a mandu and handcut noodle restaurant and stopped in there for a bite. Then Katie wanted to take me to a "Tart" shop (essentially it was just pie; though I'm not sure of the technical differences between a tart and a pie). We had a hard time picking 2 but ended up going with a Green Tea Pie and Mango Yogurt pie. These were also pretty tasty (still favor Mom's pie!!) and beautiful to look at.
Back at my residence, I settled in a bit and finally got around to my homework and studying. I can't believe midterms are in 2 1/2 weeks!!!
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| Stopping for photo-op. A biker went by and he yelled out "cheeese!!!" Haha |
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| Katie and me (can't see our bikes, but at least the Ajushi took the picture!!) |
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| One of the many cafes in Garsosu-gil, but thought Mom would like this one! |
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| Handcut Noodle soup on left and mandu (dumplings) on right |
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| YUM! Green Tea Tart on left and Mango Yogurt Tart on right. SO GOOD! |
Monday, October 22, 2012
An Interesting Turn of Events + Another Life Lesson Learned
FLEXIBILITY PEOPLE!!! It is a trait necessary to survive in life!
An interesting turn of events took up most of my afternoon, put me behind my studying plan and made me realize that I can't always plan my life to the detail that I so controlling-ly like to do!...More on that in a bit.
Well, of course today was drizzly, cold, gloomy and dreary outside. And of course I STILL don't have an umbrella. I was SOAKING by the time I got to school. Very unfortunate, cold, wet and miserable way to spend 4 hours of class time... Classes, were fine, we finished up another chapter, so...quiz tomorrow! We also got a schedule of our midterms-we will be tested on listening, reading, writing, speaking and multiple choice questions. Yaaaay! (No, not really.)
After class, I came back--it was not raining quite as hard as it was going to school. I peeled off my wet clothes, got into some dry clothes and tried to figure out how to turn the supposed heater I have in my room on. Well, as it turns out, I don't believe it's a heater, we just have the floor heating system (Ondol) which makes sense because when I looked at the little English guide about how to use the thermostat looking control, the button it told me to push then flashed up on the screen in small print the word "Ondol" *ding ding ding* I can make connections! Of course, I did not realize this until I was thinking, it doesn't feel warmer in here, but when I got out of my bed, the floor was very warm.
That being said, now leads me to after my lunch and my interesting turn of events and the lesson that I cannot control and plan everything, but that's okay. The original plan for this weekend had been for Ginger, Jihye and me to meet at Pusan Station and travel to Nampodong area to go to a favorite restaurant of Ginger and mine for dinner. Ginger and I would go to the fireworks festival together and then Ginger would stay the night at a hotel at a different beach area and I would stay at a spa overnight, with Jihye returning to her home after dinner.
Well, come to find out there are NO fireworks on Friday this year, just Saturday. Enter curve-ball #1. Then, as I was chatting details with Jihye, she suddenly wrote, "oh my gosh! The director just called me and told me I have to go to Seoul for a meeting Friday!" So enter curve-ball #2. Now, instead of me leaving as soon as I could on Friday to make it to Pusan to meet Jihye and Ginger for dinner, Jihye and I decided to take the train from Seoul to Gupo Station (closer to Inje University) together. Enter curve-ball #3-Jihye wanted to take the KTX (fast train) but they were all sold out. So, we will take the slow train! However, it gives me a little bit of extra time to spend with Jihye. :) Ginger decided it was not worth it for her to come with the new schedule, I will unfortunately not be able to meet with her at all.
So, while I am excited at the new developments, I've also learned to be leery or wary of putting too much stock into them. I've found out that Koreans for the most part seem to be okay with not planning too much in advance at times or committing to something. They are vague or avoid you when you ask about a specific date too far in advance. I'm realizing it is better for me to make my own plans and then say "oh by the way I'm here, so you should come and meet me if you are free right now". However, it is difficult for me for several reasons. 1. I, as stated before, like to plan things out and have things in order (especially when traveling) 2. Some of these friends I haven't seen in over a year and a half and to be honest I'm not sure when I will see them again. While it is great because in this day and age we have so much connection to people globally through internet and such, it's still very meaningful to meet and connect in person with your friends.
Since today was cold, drizzly and dreary, I decided early on in the day I wanted soup for dinner. I invited my roommate, but she was not able to meet with me. I didn't want to go to a restaurant and sit by myself and eat, so I went to the kimbap shop and ordered "ddeok mandu guk" (ddeok--the rice 'cake', mandu-dumplings, guk-soup) to go. I received soup in a kitchen storage type bag, set in a bowl, wrapped in another carrying bag. How interesting! But when I got to my room interest turned into dismay as I wondered how I was going to get the HOT soup out of the bag and into the bowl!! I placed the bowl in the sink, started tipping the bag and said a little prayer. Lucky for me, almost all of the soup made it into the bowl! Phew!
After dinner, I devoted my time to studying, reviewing, and homeworking.
An interesting turn of events took up most of my afternoon, put me behind my studying plan and made me realize that I can't always plan my life to the detail that I so controlling-ly like to do!...More on that in a bit.
Well, of course today was drizzly, cold, gloomy and dreary outside. And of course I STILL don't have an umbrella. I was SOAKING by the time I got to school. Very unfortunate, cold, wet and miserable way to spend 4 hours of class time... Classes, were fine, we finished up another chapter, so...quiz tomorrow! We also got a schedule of our midterms-we will be tested on listening, reading, writing, speaking and multiple choice questions. Yaaaay! (No, not really.)
After class, I came back--it was not raining quite as hard as it was going to school. I peeled off my wet clothes, got into some dry clothes and tried to figure out how to turn the supposed heater I have in my room on. Well, as it turns out, I don't believe it's a heater, we just have the floor heating system (Ondol) which makes sense because when I looked at the little English guide about how to use the thermostat looking control, the button it told me to push then flashed up on the screen in small print the word "Ondol" *ding ding ding* I can make connections! Of course, I did not realize this until I was thinking, it doesn't feel warmer in here, but when I got out of my bed, the floor was very warm.
That being said, now leads me to after my lunch and my interesting turn of events and the lesson that I cannot control and plan everything, but that's okay. The original plan for this weekend had been for Ginger, Jihye and me to meet at Pusan Station and travel to Nampodong area to go to a favorite restaurant of Ginger and mine for dinner. Ginger and I would go to the fireworks festival together and then Ginger would stay the night at a hotel at a different beach area and I would stay at a spa overnight, with Jihye returning to her home after dinner.
Well, come to find out there are NO fireworks on Friday this year, just Saturday. Enter curve-ball #1. Then, as I was chatting details with Jihye, she suddenly wrote, "oh my gosh! The director just called me and told me I have to go to Seoul for a meeting Friday!" So enter curve-ball #2. Now, instead of me leaving as soon as I could on Friday to make it to Pusan to meet Jihye and Ginger for dinner, Jihye and I decided to take the train from Seoul to Gupo Station (closer to Inje University) together. Enter curve-ball #3-Jihye wanted to take the KTX (fast train) but they were all sold out. So, we will take the slow train! However, it gives me a little bit of extra time to spend with Jihye. :) Ginger decided it was not worth it for her to come with the new schedule, I will unfortunately not be able to meet with her at all.
So, while I am excited at the new developments, I've also learned to be leery or wary of putting too much stock into them. I've found out that Koreans for the most part seem to be okay with not planning too much in advance at times or committing to something. They are vague or avoid you when you ask about a specific date too far in advance. I'm realizing it is better for me to make my own plans and then say "oh by the way I'm here, so you should come and meet me if you are free right now". However, it is difficult for me for several reasons. 1. I, as stated before, like to plan things out and have things in order (especially when traveling) 2. Some of these friends I haven't seen in over a year and a half and to be honest I'm not sure when I will see them again. While it is great because in this day and age we have so much connection to people globally through internet and such, it's still very meaningful to meet and connect in person with your friends.
Since today was cold, drizzly and dreary, I decided early on in the day I wanted soup for dinner. I invited my roommate, but she was not able to meet with me. I didn't want to go to a restaurant and sit by myself and eat, so I went to the kimbap shop and ordered "ddeok mandu guk" (ddeok--the rice 'cake', mandu-dumplings, guk-soup) to go. I received soup in a kitchen storage type bag, set in a bowl, wrapped in another carrying bag. How interesting! But when I got to my room interest turned into dismay as I wondered how I was going to get the HOT soup out of the bag and into the bowl!! I placed the bowl in the sink, started tipping the bag and said a little prayer. Lucky for me, almost all of the soup made it into the bowl! Phew!
After dinner, I devoted my time to studying, reviewing, and homeworking.
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| Dinner!!! |
Sunday, October 21, 2012
An absolutely beautiful day
The weather today was perfect! This is the kind of fall day I love. (Except, I miss the things about fall at home-the smells of grapes and apples, fall leaves...the leaves change colors here too, but the streets are mostly lined with Ginkgo trees and the leaves turn golden--pretty, but not as beautiful as the oranges, reds, and golds mixed together.) The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, not too hot not too cold--just beautiful.
I was supposed to meet a friend from Inje around 1, but as it got close to 12:30 I hadn't heard from him and decided I would just head out and be about if he ever contacted me. A little after 1, he told me he had just woken up. His train was leaving at 3, so he said he wouldn't be able to meet.
I went to the same area I was in last night for the Kpop Concert. I looked to see if the little pie shop was open--it was! So, I got a piece of "Caramel Italian Apple" (or something like that) to go. Then I did a little bit of shopping and bought a new pair of jeans, a nice 'wool' skirt and a necklace. Then, I was off to find my next restaurant I had searched and found on the internet, Yaletown Burgers. The place was open too! (Since I've recently had quite the bad luck with the places I've been looking for) I ordered an egg burger. It was okay-not the best burger I've had but not the worst. Maybe I'd give it a 6.5 or so. It was served with curly fries--those were mediocre (I sure miss Arby's Curly Fries!). The burger was quite large and I didn't want to waste it, so I ate pretty much all of it and still feel full now (at 10:45-11pm--I ate around 4 or 4:30).
After my lunch/dinner, I did a little bit more walking around--window shopping and looking at more winter jackets. I found some very thick and warm ones, but they would thin out my wallet! I also found a little present for Phil. It's more of a little gag gift, but I think he will like it. I also stumbled upon a group of students dressed in traditional folk farmers dance-ware and performing on drums and dancing. That was kind of cool.
I walked towards Sogang University--where the English mass was being held--and found a coffee shop. I was contemplating going to a chain place, because sometimes they have 2 story shops or are quite large so I wouldn't feel so awkward eating my pie. However, the chain stores were not as such mentioned, so I went one that had some outdoor seating. I ordered a white hot chocolate, yum. (I wonder why I can't taste the strange milk flavor in hot chocolate beverages?) I sat outside and studied and ate some of my pie. The pie was pretty good, but the crust was not as good as my Mom's. It was almost like apple crisp put into a pie because it was not an apple pie like American apple pie. Like I said, it was like apple crisp, with crumbles on the inside and possibly a layer of cream cheese of some sort. Good, but different. I was getting bit up by mosquitoes, so I moved inside, however the door was open, so they were inside too. When it was close to 7, I thought I would head to the campus because I didn't know where the church was located. I got to practice my Korean and ask a guard where the church was. I was very early, so I sat and studied a little bit more while the Korean mass finished up.
I really enjoyed the mass at the university. I really liked the priest and his homily. He is from some European country, but I couldn't figure out where his accent is from. I am hoping to return there next week when I return from Pusan. There were quite a few people there, but not as many as at the other church. I think it is kind of ironic/funny because I saw a family at this mass AND at the one last week too; looks like they are church shopping too. :) This was the closing song we sang and for some reason I was quite moved by it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwFMZxzjUZk
I made my way back to campus, however on the way, 3 stops before mine, all of a sudden there was extra speaking overhead and then EVERYONE got off the subway. I wasn't sure what to do, but when they turned the lights off, I got out of the car too! Then the conductor guy ran through some of the cars and came back, closed the doors and the subway took off. I thought, "hmm, that's strange, wonder what that was about". Waited for the next subway and hopped on. Now, 1 stop before mine, all of a sudden EVERYONE got off the subway AGAIN! (They didn't turn the lights off, but seeing everyone get out was signal enough for me--actually there was one guy that was sleeping and I don't think he got off and there was a foreigner sitting next to him that did not get off either--and no conductor ran through the cars...) So, now I really have no idea what was going on. The only thing I could really think of is because it was late-ish on a Sunday night they are trying to finish up the routes or something and condense the rides, but it doesn't really make much sense.
I finally returned to my room. As I was unpacking and retrying my clothes on my roommate returned. She liked what I had bought and told me (in Korean) the next time we should go shopping together. I agree! :)
I was supposed to meet a friend from Inje around 1, but as it got close to 12:30 I hadn't heard from him and decided I would just head out and be about if he ever contacted me. A little after 1, he told me he had just woken up. His train was leaving at 3, so he said he wouldn't be able to meet.
I went to the same area I was in last night for the Kpop Concert. I looked to see if the little pie shop was open--it was! So, I got a piece of "Caramel Italian Apple" (or something like that) to go. Then I did a little bit of shopping and bought a new pair of jeans, a nice 'wool' skirt and a necklace. Then, I was off to find my next restaurant I had searched and found on the internet, Yaletown Burgers. The place was open too! (Since I've recently had quite the bad luck with the places I've been looking for) I ordered an egg burger. It was okay-not the best burger I've had but not the worst. Maybe I'd give it a 6.5 or so. It was served with curly fries--those were mediocre (I sure miss Arby's Curly Fries!). The burger was quite large and I didn't want to waste it, so I ate pretty much all of it and still feel full now (at 10:45-11pm--I ate around 4 or 4:30).
After my lunch/dinner, I did a little bit more walking around--window shopping and looking at more winter jackets. I found some very thick and warm ones, but they would thin out my wallet! I also found a little present for Phil. It's more of a little gag gift, but I think he will like it. I also stumbled upon a group of students dressed in traditional folk farmers dance-ware and performing on drums and dancing. That was kind of cool.
I walked towards Sogang University--where the English mass was being held--and found a coffee shop. I was contemplating going to a chain place, because sometimes they have 2 story shops or are quite large so I wouldn't feel so awkward eating my pie. However, the chain stores were not as such mentioned, so I went one that had some outdoor seating. I ordered a white hot chocolate, yum. (I wonder why I can't taste the strange milk flavor in hot chocolate beverages?) I sat outside and studied and ate some of my pie. The pie was pretty good, but the crust was not as good as my Mom's. It was almost like apple crisp put into a pie because it was not an apple pie like American apple pie. Like I said, it was like apple crisp, with crumbles on the inside and possibly a layer of cream cheese of some sort. Good, but different. I was getting bit up by mosquitoes, so I moved inside, however the door was open, so they were inside too. When it was close to 7, I thought I would head to the campus because I didn't know where the church was located. I got to practice my Korean and ask a guard where the church was. I was very early, so I sat and studied a little bit more while the Korean mass finished up.
I really enjoyed the mass at the university. I really liked the priest and his homily. He is from some European country, but I couldn't figure out where his accent is from. I am hoping to return there next week when I return from Pusan. There were quite a few people there, but not as many as at the other church. I think it is kind of ironic/funny because I saw a family at this mass AND at the one last week too; looks like they are church shopping too. :) This was the closing song we sang and for some reason I was quite moved by it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwFMZxzjUZk
I made my way back to campus, however on the way, 3 stops before mine, all of a sudden there was extra speaking overhead and then EVERYONE got off the subway. I wasn't sure what to do, but when they turned the lights off, I got out of the car too! Then the conductor guy ran through some of the cars and came back, closed the doors and the subway took off. I thought, "hmm, that's strange, wonder what that was about". Waited for the next subway and hopped on. Now, 1 stop before mine, all of a sudden EVERYONE got off the subway AGAIN! (They didn't turn the lights off, but seeing everyone get out was signal enough for me--actually there was one guy that was sleeping and I don't think he got off and there was a foreigner sitting next to him that did not get off either--and no conductor ran through the cars...) So, now I really have no idea what was going on. The only thing I could really think of is because it was late-ish on a Sunday night they are trying to finish up the routes or something and condense the rides, but it doesn't really make much sense.
I finally returned to my room. As I was unpacking and retrying my clothes on my roommate returned. She liked what I had bought and told me (in Korean) the next time we should go shopping together. I agree! :)
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| My Egg buger-it was so big!! |
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| College Performers |
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| My Apple Pie and White Hot Chocolate |
A Day of Surprises
I headed out to Gangnam a little before noon. I thought I would experiment with how to get there. It took me forever! I arrived at Gangnam and did some shopping in the underground area. A new subway line has been added and you can transfer at that station, so there was additional shops in the area. I went above ground and went to the store (chain) I had looked at for my winter coat. I reevaluated and am slightly concerned about the thickness of the jacket and if it will be warm enough for winter...(more on that later)
I was walking through some shops and thought to check the time on my phone. I realized Ginger (adoptee friend from the beginning of the trip) had sent me a text. She and I had talked earlier; she was visiting Seoul just for Thursday, but it turns out she stayed longer and was available to meet--and she was in Gangnam. Then she tells me "come to exit 10, we are meeting Jihye NOW!" I knew Jihye would be in Seoul, but she had told me she had too many appointments to make and wouldn't be able to see me. So, I ran to exit 10 of the subway station and was greeted by Jihye, Ginger and Ginger's friend Erica and her...foster son In Sung. What a wonderful surprise to be able to see Jihye today. :)
We went to Erica's home for a bit and visited there. Jihye had to leave around 4 to meet some other friends, so we all took off. Ginger and I went with Jihye to the same coffee shop; but we let her visit alone with her other friends. A little after 5, my friend Katie contacted me for us to meet up. So I said bye to Jihye and Ginger and met Katie. I told her of my mission to find a winter coat, so she went to the store with me to look at the coat. I was asking her if she thought heavier coats will be coming out or not. She wasn't sure, but said she could take me to another area to look at more jackets later. After doing some window-shopping, she and I went to Tom n Tom's to chat and catch up. We did not have a lot of time because she was late and then had other plans in the evening.
After she and I split, I went to Sinchon area. There was another free K-Pop Concert! I got off one stop before the 'performance place' was because I had looked up a restaurant and was hopping to try it. Unfortunately, the place was closed. :( I then hustled over to where the K-Pop Concert was being held-except I wasn't sure which way I was supposed to go and basically walked down every street (there are 8 exits, but 2 per one road, so I went down a total of 4 different streets) and made it just as it was starting. I met Brian and another one of his classmates. The concert....was almost the exact same as the last one. It featured the same musicians (except one group was not there) and they even performed some of the same songs.
I was walking through some shops and thought to check the time on my phone. I realized Ginger (adoptee friend from the beginning of the trip) had sent me a text. She and I had talked earlier; she was visiting Seoul just for Thursday, but it turns out she stayed longer and was available to meet--and she was in Gangnam. Then she tells me "come to exit 10, we are meeting Jihye NOW!" I knew Jihye would be in Seoul, but she had told me she had too many appointments to make and wouldn't be able to see me. So, I ran to exit 10 of the subway station and was greeted by Jihye, Ginger and Ginger's friend Erica and her...foster son In Sung. What a wonderful surprise to be able to see Jihye today. :)
We went to Erica's home for a bit and visited there. Jihye had to leave around 4 to meet some other friends, so we all took off. Ginger and I went with Jihye to the same coffee shop; but we let her visit alone with her other friends. A little after 5, my friend Katie contacted me for us to meet up. So I said bye to Jihye and Ginger and met Katie. I told her of my mission to find a winter coat, so she went to the store with me to look at the coat. I was asking her if she thought heavier coats will be coming out or not. She wasn't sure, but said she could take me to another area to look at more jackets later. After doing some window-shopping, she and I went to Tom n Tom's to chat and catch up. We did not have a lot of time because she was late and then had other plans in the evening.
After she and I split, I went to Sinchon area. There was another free K-Pop Concert! I got off one stop before the 'performance place' was because I had looked up a restaurant and was hopping to try it. Unfortunately, the place was closed. :( I then hustled over to where the K-Pop Concert was being held-except I wasn't sure which way I was supposed to go and basically walked down every street (there are 8 exits, but 2 per one road, so I went down a total of 4 different streets) and made it just as it was starting. I met Brian and another one of his classmates. The concert....was almost the exact same as the last one. It featured the same musicians (except one group was not there) and they even performed some of the same songs.
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| Jihye with Erica and her foster son, In Sung |
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| Jihye and me--surprise meeting! |
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| Amanda's "boyfriend" from the last performance. |
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Finally Friday!
Class went well--I got my quiz back and I got 8 1/2 out of 10 right!! I am definitely proud of myself! :) We've moved into chapter 6 and actually almost finished it today. Looks like we can almost get through a chapter a day. I was getting super, extra hungry at our 20 minute break, so I ran over to the college bakery and got some bread. Now, sometimes the things they put in Korean bakery is so so strange-sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This one I thought was going to be bread and then on the top I could see baked/melted cheese and a few pieces of bacon. When I got back to school and bit into it, I found there was kind of a cream cheese/ricotta cheese 'filling' (it wasn't totally filled just a small layer of spread) and a long strip of bacon wrapped around the inside. It was definitely interesting. Not sure I would get it again.
After class, I ran to the E-Mart to get a few groceries for the upcoming week. I also bought a "thermos" so I can have hot beverages. I came back and then it was time to go meet Seok Kyung, my language helper. She had just gotten out of class at 3 and was really hungry, so we went to a restaurant. I think we had a spicy pork dish. All restaurants give side dishes when you order food, but this one gave an extraordinary amount of side dishes. I think there were 10-12 little sides!
I came back to my room and got a little bit of work done. In the evening, I went with my roommate to her friend and classmate's room (same building as us) and joined 2 other classmates/friends to eat and hang out. I invited Brian and he came to join us for a little before he went out to meet a friend in (downtown) Seoul. It was good because they did not know a lot of English--if they didn't know the exact word in English I would tell them to explain it in another way in Korean to see if I (we) could understand them. It was fun to practice speaking Korean too. I think it is easier when it is a bigger group of listeners than just one because they can try and work together to figure out your meaning--it's harder when it is only one listener trying to figure out what you are saying.
After class, I ran to the E-Mart to get a few groceries for the upcoming week. I also bought a "thermos" so I can have hot beverages. I came back and then it was time to go meet Seok Kyung, my language helper. She had just gotten out of class at 3 and was really hungry, so we went to a restaurant. I think we had a spicy pork dish. All restaurants give side dishes when you order food, but this one gave an extraordinary amount of side dishes. I think there were 10-12 little sides!
I came back to my room and got a little bit of work done. In the evening, I went with my roommate to her friend and classmate's room (same building as us) and joined 2 other classmates/friends to eat and hang out. I invited Brian and he came to join us for a little before he went out to meet a friend in (downtown) Seoul. It was good because they did not know a lot of English--if they didn't know the exact word in English I would tell them to explain it in another way in Korean to see if I (we) could understand them. It was fun to practice speaking Korean too. I think it is easier when it is a bigger group of listeners than just one because they can try and work together to figure out your meaning--it's harder when it is only one listener trying to figure out what you are saying.
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| My new thermos |
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| Campus Map |
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Thursday Already!
Just another typical day. I went to class and we had another quiz. We mostly reviewed the first 4 chapters we have already covered (8 days of classes so far; 5 days for me in level 2).
After class, I met with Brian to go pay for our insurance. Kyunghee University requires all of their students to get insurance or sign a form saying they understand the university wanted them to get insurance and yet they still declined. We then decided to have lunch at the cafeteria (same building) and ate with Maite (Swiss adoptee) and Mark (American--Michigan--adoptee).
I came back to my room and just studied. Not a very interesting day, but I got some work done. I am looking forward to the weekend; I get to meet my friend, do some shopping, check out a different church and study in a cafe.
After class, I met with Brian to go pay for our insurance. Kyunghee University requires all of their students to get insurance or sign a form saying they understand the university wanted them to get insurance and yet they still declined. We then decided to have lunch at the cafeteria (same building) and ate with Maite (Swiss adoptee) and Mark (American--Michigan--adoptee).
I came back to my room and just studied. Not a very interesting day, but I got some work done. I am looking forward to the weekend; I get to meet my friend, do some shopping, check out a different church and study in a cafe.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Thinking, thinking
Well, today followed every other day's pattern. I got up, went to class, had the "quiz" I thought we would have (think I did pretty well on it), and then came back to my room. I skyped with my old roommate Jenny for about an hour, which while it being so good to see her, put me behind schedule.
My dowoomi contacted me and cancelled our dinner date. Which was a good thing and a bad thing. I was trying to figure out if and how I can get from Seoul to Pusan next weekend for the international fireworks festival. It was good that she cancelled because it gave me time to look up my options, but bad because it put me in a bad mood and made me kind of mopey because no matter which way I look at it, I don't think I can get there in time on Friday to see much (it gets very busy)of the festival and see Jihye (program coordinator from last year). It's also going to cost me a pretty penny I think. So, now I'm in a pickle about what to do and the time frame for deciding is starting to get to me. (I am planning on staying at a spa overnight-if I do go- so I don't have to worry about reservations, though the spa might be very, very crowded.)
My roommate went home for the night, so it is nice to have the room to myself. I can practice some of my speaking and not worry about disturbing her. I've also had my "insomnia" return so the past few nights I've just been tossing and turning, not being able to do anything since she is sleeping. If I cannot sleep tonight, I can just turn the lights back on and study.
For dinner, I was really craving Mandu (fried dumplings). I went in search of a shop that might have them. I ended up going to a little street stall close to my residence. I ordered 3 of them for 1,000 W and kimchi cheon (cheon is like a 'pancake' but not sweet like our pancakes, more just in the manner that it is made and cooked- batter with, in this case, kimchi). The kimchi cheon was probably the size of a 9" pizza-but flat, flat. My total came to 3,000W! I brought the food back and ate in my room.
I was able to work with my Rosetta Stone, review chapters 1-4; 5 is just a review, so I'm guessing Friday we'll already be on chapter 6. We are clipping along; today the teacher also put a note up on the board telling us that midterms will be November 8 and 9. What?! Midterms? Already? That is crazy. I also reviewed in the level 1 textbook just to brush up on the concepts in that book.
A pretty successful study day. Good night friends!
My dowoomi contacted me and cancelled our dinner date. Which was a good thing and a bad thing. I was trying to figure out if and how I can get from Seoul to Pusan next weekend for the international fireworks festival. It was good that she cancelled because it gave me time to look up my options, but bad because it put me in a bad mood and made me kind of mopey because no matter which way I look at it, I don't think I can get there in time on Friday to see much (it gets very busy)of the festival and see Jihye (program coordinator from last year). It's also going to cost me a pretty penny I think. So, now I'm in a pickle about what to do and the time frame for deciding is starting to get to me. (I am planning on staying at a spa overnight-if I do go- so I don't have to worry about reservations, though the spa might be very, very crowded.)
My roommate went home for the night, so it is nice to have the room to myself. I can practice some of my speaking and not worry about disturbing her. I've also had my "insomnia" return so the past few nights I've just been tossing and turning, not being able to do anything since she is sleeping. If I cannot sleep tonight, I can just turn the lights back on and study.
For dinner, I was really craving Mandu (fried dumplings). I went in search of a shop that might have them. I ended up going to a little street stall close to my residence. I ordered 3 of them for 1,000 W and kimchi cheon (cheon is like a 'pancake' but not sweet like our pancakes, more just in the manner that it is made and cooked- batter with, in this case, kimchi). The kimchi cheon was probably the size of a 9" pizza-but flat, flat. My total came to 3,000W! I brought the food back and ate in my room.
I was able to work with my Rosetta Stone, review chapters 1-4; 5 is just a review, so I'm guessing Friday we'll already be on chapter 6. We are clipping along; today the teacher also put a note up on the board telling us that midterms will be November 8 and 9. What?! Midterms? Already? That is crazy. I also reviewed in the level 1 textbook just to brush up on the concepts in that book.
A pretty successful study day. Good night friends!
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| Mandu on the left, kimchi cheon in the middle and tofu on the right |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Adjusting
I think every day is starting to feel better and better. I like to think I can easily jump into the next thing and embrace it, when maybe in reality it actually takes me a little bit of time to adjust. As luck would have it, I have been here for a little over a week. I feel like I'm finally adjusting even to my level 2 class. It was really tough to jump into the class in the middle of a chapter in the textbook, but now I feel caught up. I've also easily adjusted to my new new room. What a wonderful blessing my new roommate has been. She is so sweet. And I found out we are actually the same age-she is one month older.
Like I just mentioned, class was difficult, and I am always thinking, "don't call on me!" but I am actually understanding more and feeling a bit more comfortable with the material and such. Today, there was not as much homework, so it was nice for me to catch up and review everything. We started in on the next chapter in the second half of class, so I'm guessing we will have a "quiz" tomorrow in the first half. Yesterday we were supposed to meet our "Duwoomi" (helper). Every international student gets a Korean student to have a friend and language assistant. I left class not knowing the duwoomi was coming and did not meet her. So today, during one of the breaks, I quickly exchanged contact information with her and will meet her tomorrow for dinner.
One thing I think is interesting about Korean culture is the respect for elders. When meeting someone, it is typical to find out (right away) who is older. I sometimes forget this quirky part of Korean culture, so I didn't think of it at the time; however one of the only questions my duwoomi (her name is Seok Kyung) asked me today was "how old are you?" Turns out I'm a few years older than her-ha, instant respect to me! (^.~) That is a winking face, in "Korean".
When I returned to my room, I received a phone call from a Korean-American friend I knew from high school. She is currently living in Seoul-about 30-40 minutes away from me. I'm excited to have another friend added to my list.
I tried to do some exercises, but I need to change my workout plan. Everyday I have to walk up a big, steep hill and then climb about 20 steps to get to the building where my classes are. I don't think I need to come home and work on strengthening my legs--I need to research some upper-body/arm exercises first. It seems a bit redundant to do squats and lunges and such.
Like I just mentioned, class was difficult, and I am always thinking, "don't call on me!" but I am actually understanding more and feeling a bit more comfortable with the material and such. Today, there was not as much homework, so it was nice for me to catch up and review everything. We started in on the next chapter in the second half of class, so I'm guessing we will have a "quiz" tomorrow in the first half. Yesterday we were supposed to meet our "Duwoomi" (helper). Every international student gets a Korean student to have a friend and language assistant. I left class not knowing the duwoomi was coming and did not meet her. So today, during one of the breaks, I quickly exchanged contact information with her and will meet her tomorrow for dinner.
One thing I think is interesting about Korean culture is the respect for elders. When meeting someone, it is typical to find out (right away) who is older. I sometimes forget this quirky part of Korean culture, so I didn't think of it at the time; however one of the only questions my duwoomi (her name is Seok Kyung) asked me today was "how old are you?" Turns out I'm a few years older than her-ha, instant respect to me! (^.~) That is a winking face, in "Korean".
When I returned to my room, I received a phone call from a Korean-American friend I knew from high school. She is currently living in Seoul-about 30-40 minutes away from me. I'm excited to have another friend added to my list.
I tried to do some exercises, but I need to change my workout plan. Everyday I have to walk up a big, steep hill and then climb about 20 steps to get to the building where my classes are. I don't think I need to come home and work on strengthening my legs--I need to research some upper-body/arm exercises first. It seems a bit redundant to do squats and lunges and such.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Be careful what you wish for!
Well, day 2 of level 2 has left me swamped and overloaded! Lesson learned: be careful what you wish for!! I am going to have to work very hard to keep up with everyone else in my class. However, this is why I am here, so while I am struggling, I'm also glad knowing I'll be that much closer to my goal of learning Korean.
I have also gotten my Korean roommate-but in a good way it is a "be careful what you wish for" lesson learned too. She does not know much English, but has already tried to make small conversations with me. (I even think my Chinese roommate knew more English than my Korean roommate does, but tried to talk to me even less.) I woke up this morning and found she left a note for me on "OUR" desk. She seemed worried I did not have a chair, and I think she put the note on the desk to show that it is ours to share-so sweet.
After class, I came back to my room and had lunch (compliments to my great grocery shopping yesterday). I also was able to chat with Jenny, my roommate from last year. I sure miss her, and am looking forward to spending time with her at Christmas!
I tried to tackle some homework. We had a lot! Not only did 1 teacher give us a lot, but both! Then, I did some of my exercises in my room. I went back to finish my homework and just review, review and study, study. Brian invited me to join him for dinner so we met up and looked for a place he thought he knew. He didn't. We went to a hole-in-the-wall place he had been to a few times before. I got kimchi bokum bap (kimchi-Korean spicy fermented cabbage, bokum=fried, bap= rice). The side dishes served with the meal were pretty good at this place too (egg, ddeokboki-rice 'cake', kimchi, seaweed, and radish kimchi).
After dinner, back to studying and finishing up homework. My roommate came in and asked if I liked ice cream, while holding a small Hagan Daas container. I said, "Yes!" And she said, "this is for you". I told her I brushed my teeth, but "아이스크림 좋아해요" (I like ice cream). She replied "저도요" (I do too/me too). I know this is going to be a good relationship. :)
Good night, friends! (Actually, it's probably Good morning to you!)
I have also gotten my Korean roommate-but in a good way it is a "be careful what you wish for" lesson learned too. She does not know much English, but has already tried to make small conversations with me. (I even think my Chinese roommate knew more English than my Korean roommate does, but tried to talk to me even less.) I woke up this morning and found she left a note for me on "OUR" desk. She seemed worried I did not have a chair, and I think she put the note on the desk to show that it is ours to share-so sweet.
After class, I came back to my room and had lunch (compliments to my great grocery shopping yesterday). I also was able to chat with Jenny, my roommate from last year. I sure miss her, and am looking forward to spending time with her at Christmas!
I tried to tackle some homework. We had a lot! Not only did 1 teacher give us a lot, but both! Then, I did some of my exercises in my room. I went back to finish my homework and just review, review and study, study. Brian invited me to join him for dinner so we met up and looked for a place he thought he knew. He didn't. We went to a hole-in-the-wall place he had been to a few times before. I got kimchi bokum bap (kimchi-Korean spicy fermented cabbage, bokum=fried, bap= rice). The side dishes served with the meal were pretty good at this place too (egg, ddeokboki-rice 'cake', kimchi, seaweed, and radish kimchi).
After dinner, back to studying and finishing up homework. My roommate came in and asked if I liked ice cream, while holding a small Hagan Daas container. I said, "Yes!" And she said, "this is for you". I told her I brushed my teeth, but "아이스크림 좋아해요" (I like ice cream). She replied "저도요" (I do too/me too). I know this is going to be a good relationship. :)
Good night, friends! (Actually, it's probably Good morning to you!)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Church and Moving Day
This morning when I woke up I got to chat with Joe before heading out to church. On my way out, my roommate sent me a text and told me the passcode for the room. I left for church about an hour early, good thing I did because I spent that whole hour walking and walking and walking trying to find the church. I finally found it and was only 5 minutes late or so. It is an International Parish, so there were many people from all over. After mass, there was bread and beverages on a table and people milled about.
I went in search of some restaurants I had looked up last night for brunch. Of the 3 places I had found, 2 of them were closed on Sunday and the 3rd didn't open until 12:30. Bummer. I had found 2 places that looked good while I was looking for the original 3 restaurants, and picked one. It was a cute little brunchy cafe that had outdoor and indoor seating. I sat outside and ordered a quiche. It came with 2 triangles of waffles (kind of over cooked) and a small salad (with balsamic vinaigrette, I think the Koreans really like balsamic dressing!). I splurged and bought a cranberry-strawberry juice. It was a pretty good brunch, and if I go back to the same church, I might try something else there, or go to the other cafe I saw.
When I returned, I chatted with Joe and was about to move to the other room when my roommate returned. I know she and I do not have a good relationship, but I still felt a bit awkward just taking my things out and leaving. So I decided I would try and not move out while she was around.
This afternoon, I went to the E-Mart for grocery shopping. It's a good 20-25 minute walk one way. It seems longer on the return when you have heavy groceries in tow. However, the prices are a bit lower and they offer a lot more (not only variety in the food, but things that they sell as well) than the little shops around here. I also stopped at the Daiso to grab a mat and cups for my new room. Since my new room is on the 2nd floor, it is a little bit noisier than the last room (on 8th floor). I am closer to the subway tracks, so that makes more noise. I'm also almost eye level with the station, so I feel like I won't really have the blinds open often. The 2nd floor seems to have more people, or more people making noise also.
So, finally I decided, what the hay, I'm moving. I took a few bags down and low-and-behold my new roommate was there. She was friendly right off the bat. She said she doesn't know much English, but I replied, "I can't speak Korean" (in Korean). Right away, she looked at the desk and asked if I had a chair. I said no, and she had a puzzled sad look on her face. I told her I had to go and get my last few bags and she said (in Korean) "let's go together", so she came up to help me with my bags--so sweet of her! I found out she is from Incheon and she is 26 (I don't know if that is International age or Korean age though), and her major is "child studies" (which I'm guessing is Education). I told her that I also studied education. Seems like we already have some things in common.
I again find myself on the top bunk, but am perfectly happy with that. I also asked my roommate if I can have the skinny closet, and she agreed. The other 'funny' thing is, the room is completely opposite of the last one; everything is on the other side, so I will have to adjust a little. After a little bit of unpacking, I'm finally all settled in. I'm not sure if she goes to bed early or late.
A little bit more studying (Yikes! Class tomorrow?? Where did the weekend go?? I don't think I studied enough!!) and then off to bed.
I went in search of some restaurants I had looked up last night for brunch. Of the 3 places I had found, 2 of them were closed on Sunday and the 3rd didn't open until 12:30. Bummer. I had found 2 places that looked good while I was looking for the original 3 restaurants, and picked one. It was a cute little brunchy cafe that had outdoor and indoor seating. I sat outside and ordered a quiche. It came with 2 triangles of waffles (kind of over cooked) and a small salad (with balsamic vinaigrette, I think the Koreans really like balsamic dressing!). I splurged and bought a cranberry-strawberry juice. It was a pretty good brunch, and if I go back to the same church, I might try something else there, or go to the other cafe I saw.
When I returned, I chatted with Joe and was about to move to the other room when my roommate returned. I know she and I do not have a good relationship, but I still felt a bit awkward just taking my things out and leaving. So I decided I would try and not move out while she was around.
This afternoon, I went to the E-Mart for grocery shopping. It's a good 20-25 minute walk one way. It seems longer on the return when you have heavy groceries in tow. However, the prices are a bit lower and they offer a lot more (not only variety in the food, but things that they sell as well) than the little shops around here. I also stopped at the Daiso to grab a mat and cups for my new room. Since my new room is on the 2nd floor, it is a little bit noisier than the last room (on 8th floor). I am closer to the subway tracks, so that makes more noise. I'm also almost eye level with the station, so I feel like I won't really have the blinds open often. The 2nd floor seems to have more people, or more people making noise also.
So, finally I decided, what the hay, I'm moving. I took a few bags down and low-and-behold my new roommate was there. She was friendly right off the bat. She said she doesn't know much English, but I replied, "I can't speak Korean" (in Korean). Right away, she looked at the desk and asked if I had a chair. I said no, and she had a puzzled sad look on her face. I told her I had to go and get my last few bags and she said (in Korean) "let's go together", so she came up to help me with my bags--so sweet of her! I found out she is from Incheon and she is 26 (I don't know if that is International age or Korean age though), and her major is "child studies" (which I'm guessing is Education). I told her that I also studied education. Seems like we already have some things in common.
I again find myself on the top bunk, but am perfectly happy with that. I also asked my roommate if I can have the skinny closet, and she agreed. The other 'funny' thing is, the room is completely opposite of the last one; everything is on the other side, so I will have to adjust a little. After a little bit of unpacking, I'm finally all settled in. I'm not sure if she goes to bed early or late.
A little bit more studying (Yikes! Class tomorrow?? Where did the weekend go?? I don't think I studied enough!!) and then off to bed.
Field Day Saturday
I woke up and was able to chat with Joe. Then I was off on my way to attend Jaebin's school's Field Day. It was fun. The parents were camped out under 'tents/canopies' with mats laid down on the ground. You had to take your shoes off before stepping on the mats, just like when entering a home/room in Korea. We sat with some other Mom's from Jaebin's class. Each grade level had races; Jaebin got 2nd place-he was disappointed. There were also other activities and games-the Mom's had to push a giant ball around a pole in teams and beat the other team. The Dad's did tug-a-war. There were relay races of the students, and a lunch break. I think Hwa Sun ordered a set lunch from the school maybe; all of the other families in our area also had the same thing (kimbap, fruit and seaweed soup). But looking further away, I saw some families had chicken or other food. Then, each 2 grade levels performed some kind of traditional dance/activity. Jaebin's class did a special dance-it was really cute. They performed twice once just performing and the 2nd time where parents could go right next to their child and take pictures/video of it.
When the Field Day was over, Hwa Sun's family and I walked towards Myeongdong together. I did a little bit of shopping. However, the crowds in Myeongdong on a Saturday bothered me a little. I haven't had much crowds since being at school. I didn't spend much time there. I was on a hunt for a winter jacket-or at least to scope out the scene. I walked to the subway station and found a 4 nice dress shirts. However, once I got home, I realized that I think they gave me the wrong style for one of them (some places give you brand new clothes, instead of the ones on the rack being touched and everything; so I think they didn't look close enough when they were picking out the new ones) because I have 2 of the same shirt in different colors. I'm no Jackie Kennedy; I know I chose 4 different styles and colors.
I tried to move in to my new room, however my roommate was not in and I didn't know the passcode. So, I left her a note and returned to my room. I researched churches-tried to find one in English nearby-with no luck. The nearest one is about 35 minutes away by subway and walking. Then I studied. Lots of catching up to do!
When the Field Day was over, Hwa Sun's family and I walked towards Myeongdong together. I did a little bit of shopping. However, the crowds in Myeongdong on a Saturday bothered me a little. I haven't had much crowds since being at school. I didn't spend much time there. I was on a hunt for a winter jacket-or at least to scope out the scene. I walked to the subway station and found a 4 nice dress shirts. However, once I got home, I realized that I think they gave me the wrong style for one of them (some places give you brand new clothes, instead of the ones on the rack being touched and everything; so I think they didn't look close enough when they were picking out the new ones) because I have 2 of the same shirt in different colors. I'm no Jackie Kennedy; I know I chose 4 different styles and colors.
I tried to move in to my new room, however my roommate was not in and I didn't know the passcode. So, I left her a note and returned to my room. I researched churches-tried to find one in English nearby-with no luck. The nearest one is about 35 minutes away by subway and walking. Then I studied. Lots of catching up to do!
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| Jaebin 2nd place |
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| Mom's getting ready for their event |
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| Kimbap, rice and fruit lunch |
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| Jaebin and Amy Nuna |
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| Jaebin doing his performance |
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| Jaebin and Amy Nuna |
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