LAZY UPDATE #9

I was looking at my calendar and counting back the days to Sports Day and I can't believe that it's only been a week and a half since that sunny, winning, tiring day.  I was having dinner with Amber (pastor) two nights ago, and we came upon the subject of time; when you're in another country, time doesn't seem to follow the rules.  It feels as though time stretches out for longer than it really is - one month can feel like six months, one week like three weeks.  It's also a problem when I do lazy udpates because I have to think for a while about what I actually did during the week, instead of just going Oh! I did this this and this.  Or is that just old age catching up with me?

So for the Friday and Saturday after Sports Day, I rested for two days straight.  My voice was pretty much gone and my body felt like it needed three million years of sleep.  On Friday I only had one class at night time, and on Saturday I stayed inside my room the whole day.  I had a team project due on Monday so I was working on it from morning till evening until I finally finished it.  The project was to re-write parts of an episode of Friends - my team doesn't really speak English so after we brainstormed together, they wrote the script in Korean and I had to translate it back into English and 'Friends-ize' it.

On Sunday after church we went to the Hi! Seoul International Festival.  There were lots and lots of people there - mainly foreigners- and there were stands from many different countries standing alongside each other. There was also a food street where each country had its own little tent serving the national or most popular food.

We had a public holiday on Tuesday because it was Buddha's Birthday (The Coming Of Buddha Day) - so no classes again! Looking back, I probably should have gone to a celebration parade of Buddha or something related to that public holiday just to see how Korean festivals work.  But I didn't, so I guess it's too late.  That night I had a celebration dinner with my volleyball team in a restaurant in Myeongdong.  We had barbeque (I think it's customary to have barbeque for every celebratory thing ever here ....) and then we went to this amazing coffee/chocolate shop nearby.  It was so much fun because they were ALL Korean (i.e. their English isn't fluent), which is a surprising difficult situation for me to find myself in since most of the friends I've made can speak English to a pretty high level.

On Thursday night I met up with a friend who I had only really met once, but because we both speak Cantonese it was like there was this cultural bond between us which made it easier to become friends.  She came to Korea to take a make-up course and she invited me to be her 'model' for the night.  Over the past few years I've developed an interest in make-up - not me putting it on my face, but how to use what for the right occasions and how to match it with an outfit (roiworld...cough) - so I was pretty excited when I saw the make-up classroom and everything.

I didn't have any classes on Friday because my night class was cancelled for the week, so I took the time to go shopping in Myeongdong.  I was originally looking for a pair of sport shoes a la the Korean-style New Balance type, but I couldn't find any which I liked so I ended up buying other stuff instead.  I also met up with Amber for dinner in Apgujeong for barbeque (!!! ^^ ) and then we went to this reeeally nice coffee shop around the area.  The prices were kind of ....pricey, but the atmosphere was so nice.

Saturday was the second cultural excursion for the international students.  We went to the DMZ and an exhibition museum near the Blue House.  The DMZ was .....okay.  It wasn't super exciting but I guess it's part of the whole "I went to Korea" thing - it's just one of the places you have to visit when you're in Korea.

After the excursion I went out with my church friends for dinner and noraebang, which was so much more fun.      I didn't take any photos though, unfortunately, but I did get to hear one of my friends (who's quite demure and sweet) rap for the first time!

Yesterday was one of my friend's birthday.  She and the other exchange students had gone clubbing on Saturday night to celebrate, but since I was out with my other friends (and clubbing really isn't my thing anyway) I promised I'd spend the afternoon with her on Sunday.  Since the weather was so beautiful, we went bike-riding along the Han River and stopped half way for some ice-cream.  For dinner we met up with some other people and went to Hongdae.

In other news, I've been feeling tired a lot lately.  I'm thinking it's because of my eating choices and lack of exercise.  I always makes plans to go to the gym in the morning or at night time, but then I never do because either I'm lazy or I have homework I was supposed to have finished before.  T_T

LAZY UPDATE #8 (Part 2)

Lazy Update #8 Part 1 is HERE

Continuing on...

Friday was pretty quiet during the daytime.  I didn't have much to do except wait for the ROYAL WEDDING.  Did you watch it? I know there are some people who were like "Stop broadcasting it already!" while others were really, really excited.  I wasn't either of them.  I just wanted to see what people were wearing and what the wedding gown would look like.  I actually missed the dress (but I saw it later) because I had to go to my class, where the professor invited us out for dinner and drinks instead.

Let me just say this: Koreans are masters of drinking.  Like, even the Germans would be beaten by Koreans because while Germans probably stop at their limit, Koreans go wayyy past their limit.

Anyway, we had Korean barbeque with lots of meat and vegetables whilst drinking.  I don't normally drink that much, so when the professor went 'Bottoms up!' on the first drink I almost cried.  It was a very interesting experience.  The lecturers back at home will be okay for a drink or two outside of classroom hours, but none of them would ever pay for a dinner and drinks, as well as invite the whole class back to their home some other day and even initiate a 'sleepover'.

Saturday was turning out to be the worst day ever until night time so I'll keep the recap of daytime events short.  The international team from Samil Church gathered together to practise for the connection party coming up on Sunday, and we rehearsed what we would do and also decorated the room.  At night time, I went out with a group of friends to watching Thor.  I was initially debating whether to go or not because of my mood and because the weather was really bad, but I'm soo glad I went.  The movie was pretty good, but the best part about the night was the company.

On Sunday, we had the International Samil Church Connection Party.  The party turned out to be a good success.  We had lots of new people come and it was fun to be able to show that Christians aren't just stick-to-the-Bible-party-poopers at all.  I had volunteered to be in the performance part of the party, so that meant I was signed up for modelling in the cultural fashion show.  I've never ever modelled before so it was kind of awkward when we were rehearsing, but luckily it got better when we actually had to walk in front of everyone.  The outfits were mainly Korean and African style, but there was one girl who wore a 'ninja-inspired-space-looking' outfit.

I left the party straight after it finished because I was meeting up with other friends to go to ice-skating and bowling in Lotte World! It was my first time in Lotte World, and after hearing so much about it and seeing it in dramas and variety shows, I'm glad I got to go there.  Ice skating was fun but tiring.  We didn't realise that we had to have gloves before we entered the ring, so there was a bunch of foreigners scrambling around for cash in front of the glove machine right next to the entrance.  Probably would have been a funny sight for the local people.  

After that we went bowling and then had some dinner.  The dinner was so yummy.  It was 보쌈 bo ssam - meat and lots and lots of vegetables.  Some of the guys didn't join us for dinner because they were doing something else (no idea what), so by the time they came to the restaurant we were almost finished.  They had to sit there waiting for us while watching us eat all that delicious food.  Poor boys.  

To end the day, a little group of us went to have Sangria and honey bread in the little cafe near our university campus.  It was the perfect way to round out the day.  Two of the girls had brought their Go, Stop! (Korean card game which you see every ahjumma playing in the dramas) cards so I finally learnt how to play.  It's pretty simple to learn up till the point system, to which I still have no idea how to count.  

LAZY UPDATE #7

Hmm...I keep falling into the trap of being too lazy to write down what goes on most days so I end up trying to remember everything and feeling overwhelmed by all of it, which will explain the lack of posts.  That, and I get distracted by other things e.g. watching series and my other favourite pastime ;) .

Last Saturday the International Office took all the exchange students in Chung Ang University (Anseong campus included) to the Korean Folk Village 민속촌 minsokchon.  This village is where they shoot a lot of the olden-day dramas and movies like The King and the Clown and Sungkyunkwan Scandal.  The surroundings are pretty much what you would have found in the olden days - straw huts, medicine shops, community entertainment arenas, noble's houses etc.

The office had organised some interactive activities for us: making a cup out of clay, a tour around the whole village and 떡 ddeok (Korean rice cake)  making.  The clay cup experience was really fun.  Each of us got a slab of rectangular clay, which we then had to mould into the shape of a vase/cup and decorate it however we wanted.  They said it took one month for the whole process to be finished - making, firing, glazing - so we'll get them back later.  The ddeok making was pretty fun too.  In the beginning it was a big lump of mixture, and volunteers went up to pound it with a huge hammer.  Afterwards they cut it up and we all tried it.  I liked it, but a lot of the Caucasian students didn't really like the chewy texture.  Cultural difference, maybe?

That night I went out with some friends for a Chinese dinner and some drinks afterwards.  Dinner was okay, but it made me miss my grandma and my mum and their home-cooked meals.  I always scoffed at the thought of people missing home-cooked meals because I always had them, but now I really really miss them!!  Afterwards we went to a little cafe with a very relaxed atmosphere and proceeded to be the loudest group in the place, but what else do you expect from a bunch of foreigners right?

On Monday night, I had dinner with a friend I had met through Samil Church but who is currently pastoring at another church.  It was a really spontaneous dinner which turned out to be really really fun.  I had posted up on Facebook that I wanted Korean barbecue and Amber immediately replied that she did too, so we made plans right there and then.  I really thank God for leading me to Amber during my stay in Seoul because she's someone I know who will be able to help me if I have any troubles.

On Wednesday I went to have a really early dinner (4:30 pm) with Jenny because we both hadn't had any lunch so we were starving.  Initially we were going to eat samgyeopsal, which turned into pizza but then we ended up eating chicken.  We went for coffee afterwards and did some studying.

Yesterday was a very 'scary' day for a lot of people.  The weather forecast predicted that the rain which was coming contained radioactive particles in it, so everyone was very freaked out and cautious about covering themselves up.  I still don't know what I think about the radiation situation.  On one hand I am pretty nonchalant about it since I've never really had any direct connections to radiation or events where radiation affected people I know, but there's also that paranoid side of me where I'm freaking out because I don't want my babies to be deformed, you know?  It's a very messy situation in my brain right now, as usual.

On another note, I think I'm going to try and start writing more on here.  I dislike the fact that I only update what I do as opposed to what I've always blogged about i.e. my thoughts and my opinions.  I feel like I've changed a little bit since I've gotten here, but I don't know if it's a good or bad thing.  Sometimes things come and go so quickly that I don't really think about what I do or the consequences from my actions.  I don't want to be like that anymore.

LAZY UPDATE #6

Wow, I really haven't been updating very much, have I?  I seem to go through phases of wanting to post everything I do in my life on here and posting absolutely nothing, which is either because I'm lazy or because nothing has actually happened.  Well, this time (as like many other times) it's because I've been lazy.  It's also because I don't take any photos of where I go so I feel like I have nothing show.  Pictures make all the difference you know.

Last Saturday a small group of us went to watch a documentary screening of "63 Years On", which was organised by the House of Sharing.  It was about the role of comfort women during World War II and the organisation tries to raise awareness through screenings such as these as well as other public events like tours and protests.  For me, it was interesting because I've always had an interest in this area - child prostitution, human trafficking, corruption etc.  If I ever make it as a lawyer, this is the area I would really want to focus on.  Sure the torts cases are fun and they're easy money, but what's the point in studying law if you're not making a better world, right?

Afterwards we joined up with a lot of other people and went to 노래방 noraebang (karaoke) in Shinchon.  It isn't the first time I've been to karaoke before but it was the first time in Korea - how do I say this....it was interesting? I'm not someone who can open up and just sing in front of anyone so the whole night I was debating inside my head whether to sing or not, but we only had the room for two hours so by the time I wanted to sing we had to leave.  But it was still a lot of fun watching my friends sing (or try to sing....) to the classics and dance around the screen like it was a moshpit.

On Sunday I went to church and had one of the best days I'd during my week.  I always feel really safe when I'm at church.  I think it's because I know that they are people who have the same mindset as me, so I can loosen up a little and know that I don't have to be on my guard on all the time.  Anyway, I met two Chinese girls, Muse and Amanda (Guangzhou and Hong Kong respectively), and they joined us for Bible study and dinner.  It was reeeeeeally strange because we were mainly speaking Cantonese (another girl at church speaks Cantonese as well) among the four of us while the rest of our group - Amber (Korean), Chris (Korean-German) and Chance (American) - had no idea what was going on.  And seeing how we're in Seoul, I guess Cantonese is kind of weird.

I was supposed to see a movie with my friend on Sunday night as well, but we ended up going out on Monday instead because she was really busy.  We went out for dinner (tacos), watched Red Riding Hood (don't watch it) and then ended the night at Paris Baguette for coffee and cake.  Or rather, I ended the night with coffee and cake and she watched me eat it.

Yesterday I had lunch with Jooyoung, my buddy, and we had ........PHO! I was craving pho last week and had no idea that there was a little shop tucked away in one of the many streets near our school which served it.  The flavours are pretty similar, but their noodles taste a bit different.  Not weird, but different.  Afterwards I went to Apgujeong to try to find Rodeo Drive, the famous shopping area where everything is expensive.  I spent two hours walking around the same area because I didn't realise I actually had to go inside rather walking around outside.  I think I'll talk more about it when I go there with other people and actually have time to browse.

WALKING AROUND SEOUL

Every morning when I wake up, I look out the window and I can see these grandpas and grandmas walking the trail high up on the hill which surrounds our school.  Every morning I think to myself, ooh I really want to see what's up there, maybe I should go for a walk, but it normally just fades away once I start getting busy with something else.  Yesterday I decided that I would climb the mountain in the morning today, so this morning me and Randy (exchange student from San Diego) met up at 8 am and endeavoured to climb this hill and see what was on it.  

Unfortunately, I didn't actually know how to get up there.  I hadn't seen any trail leading up to the top, nor had I ever seen anyone coming down, so we kind of just cut through the forest at the back of the dormitories and went straight up instead of starting at wherever the start is.  It was pretty slippery with all the leaves and dirt around, and I think I've bruised my kneebone (is that even possible? can bones bruise?) when I slipped on a rock.  But once we got up to the top it was a pretty easy trail.  As we arrived at this pagoda area, we saw these exercise machines just randomly sitting in the middle of the trees.  I've seen this kind of thing in Hong Kong before - there was a park near my apartment with exercise machines planted along the jogging path.  We tried to figure out what each machine did by looking at the pictures but I don't know if we got it right or not.  The view from the pagoda structure...thing...was amazing.  You could see the whole of Seoul from that one point - it even had a map to tell you where everything was.  

Once we decided to come back down, we realised that we couldn't go back the way we came back.  We kept walking and walking until we finally came to some steps which led down to this playground.  It was such a cool playground.  It had everything I loved about playgrounds - swings, seesaw, slippery dips (one of them was made of metal rollers which really hurt my bum) and even exercise machines for the adults.  

After lunch, a group of us went to visit 창덕궁 changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace) which is one of the many palaces situated around Seoul.  There were a lot of families and groups of children with a teacher walking around.  I normally don't have an interest in historical buildings like such, but it was interesting this time because now I could see the buildings which I've seen in historical dramas.  I know, stop talking about dramas so much and live in reality, right?  But I honestly believe that it's because I've seen so many that I can find Seoul so interesting and want to learn more.  Anyway, we spent about two and a half hours walking around the palace when some of the girls were getting cold and so we left.  We split into two groups - one left to go back to the dormitory while the rest of us went to visit the largest music shop in Asia and then get some dinner.  

All in all it was a looot of walking for one day, and my legs are actually kind of tired.  But I'm not as tired as I thought I would be, which is excellent news since we're going to visit Seoul Tower tomorrow and plan on walking some more.  I'm going to be so super fit :)