Yang-Yan: Seaside city at its finest

It's Sunday night here in Seoul, and the Won family and I returned from a weekend excursion to Yang-Yan, a north-east coastal town about four hours outside of Seoul. While there, some pretty AWEsome and unique experiences were had.

Yang-Yan is surrounded by the BEAUTIFUL mountains of Korea, and before settling to our final destination, we took the opportunity to travel up one and experience it first hand. Unfortunately, the name of this particular mountain is escaping my memory, but all I can say is it was absolutely breathtaking. I have found that the mountains of Korea are in a league of their own. They inspire in me a sense of child-like wonder. Oftentimes shrouded in a thick fog, they are mysterious, alluding, and utterly majestic. I must say that being atop these great landmarks has been a true highlight of my time in Korea thus far, and has been very calming to my spirit.

This particular mountain offered a cable-car ride up to its summit, which we excitedly took, enjoying the spectacular view. When at the top, we were able to literally climb where we pleased, and the view was both exhilarating and terrifying! I would be literally steps away from an abyss that seemed never-ending. The air on the mountains is so fresh and rejuvenating, especially after being in a city of ten million, that I was sad as we made our ascent down via cable car. We next were able to visit a Buddhist temple, similar to others I have seen but also very calming and reflective.

We move on from the mountains into Yang-Yan, the site of the Won family's condo. The condo (more like a hotel) is very VERY beautiful and looks out on the ocean. (The East Sea- otherwise referred to as the Japan sea, but Koreans are very adamant that it should be East Sea.)

Dinner. We drive into the town a ways and come to a small, unassuming restaurant with big, clear holding tanks outside its front. This is a sea village, thus, seafood rules. What am I kind of afraid of? Sea food. What are we having? King crab.

When it was served, I was seriously afraid. I was given the crab's actual legs and other joints to scrape the meat out and eat. Very very scary for me, as I have never had crab and never envisioned myself having it. Actually, while very much out of my comfort zone, the meat itself tasted much less "fishy" than I anticipated and was pretty tasty. Once the crabs were devoured, we were served rice with some sort of crab meat served....Get this- inside the crab's head! I wish I had a picture!

Also this weekend, I was able to meet Ji Young's older brother, back for a weekend break from the military. In Korea, all males are required to serve in the military for two years, usually during their college years. It was really great to meet him, and I am only sorry I will not be able to see him again.

Ahhh, back to the daily grind that is Monday.

(Prayer tile we made at the Buddhist temple in Yang-Yan)

신발 샀습니다!!!!

Today I made my first cool Korean purchase. Super stoked! Yay!

Wow, I really REALLY love Seoul!

Out and About

My time thus far at Ji Young's has been full of motion and energy! We are at the house pretty much only to sleep, between school, work, and night fun! Monday we met up with Amy, Ben, and Andrew, kids from Cotter, at a green-tea restaurant for....tea! Really fun! Then yesterday, Ji Young and I went on a massive walk along the

Han River, a huge river that literally divides Seoul in half. Ji Young's house is really near by, so we had a lot of fun just walking and seeing the beautiful skyline. Tonight we were able to meet Eun Chun and Kate, a friend from Cotter who is in Korea for about ten days. Really fun! I was late coming off of work (as always.... I am always there until at LEAST seven-thirty) and were REALLY late in meeting Kate and Eun Chun because we took a bus. For dinner we had two soups: One really spicy and one not spicy (Or so we thought.... Kate seemed to think otherwise! She is really sensitive to spicy foods.....) with chicken and vegetables and noodles. SOOO good! And, the best part of all was we went for COLD STONE! I walk by a Cold stone every day in Kang-Nam and every day it tempts me more and more! SOOO good! However, portions are definitely smaller in Korea.

Anyway, to sum up the last few days, FUN!

Also, work is really good, too. The work itself is pretty boring, but Tae and Kee Hoon, the other TAs I work with, are really really nice. Also I'm getting to be kind of friends with some of the high school SAT kids, too. One kid had even heard of Cotter because of how many Koreans go to school there! Small world!

Haha! Ji Young evil-eyeing the camera at Coldstone! Yay, Kate!!! So happy you are here!!!

New Places, New Faces

Day 1 at the Won household and all is well! Ji Young lives in a really tall (21 floors!) apartment complex in Mok-dong, the same part of Seoul I work in, a HUGE plus! Also, her house is right on the subway line that I take everyday to get to Kang-nam (school), so this makes traveling really simple. Her home is very spacious and has many rooms. Chincha yepau (very beautiful)! Mr. and Mrs. Won (hereby known as Adoshi and Ajuma respectively, polite terms of address) are very kind. I don't think either speak very much English, so it will be a great opportunity for me to improve my Korean!

Saying goodbye today to Omma, Hanna, and Adoshi (Yim) was very hard, harder than I thought it would be! The good thing is that I know I will see them again before I go. It's off to new adventures now....

Ji Young celebrated her birthday this summer in the States, and some of us decided to hold a surprise party for her. Ji Won, Hyun Gi, myself, and Ji Young's friend, Hee Ra, surprised her with a cake and gifts. Later, everyone but Ji Won went out to dinner. Mok dong is a really fun place!

Now I'm just settling in. I really need to study. Motivation is lacking. What would Senora say....?

Estoy triste....

I'm a little sad. Tonight is my last night in the Yim house, and I've really had an amazing time! Their family has literally adopted me as one of their own (Omma frequently refers to me as her third daughter) and has been so kind to me I have no idea how I can ever thank them! However, the good news is I can still see them, and now I get to have an entirely new (and I'm sure equally amazing) experience with Ji Young. I'm a lucky girl!

Other good news: Ji Won's boot is finally off! Yay! We also did some really cool things today.

First, we visited Adoshi's brother who gave a demonstration for us of a product he sells. Basically, we all sat down in chairs that had volts of electricity running through them, thereby running through us. It was really weird- I could feel it flowing through my fingers/arms, legs, and sinuses! Supposedly it helps to rid your body of toxins and increases blood flow. Afterwards we all felt a little dizzy and tired, but that's a normal side effect. Apparently the electricity creates a lot of movement inside your body, so it's kind of like your body is exercising on the inside! We also visited Adoshi's brother's wife at her boutique. Very kind!

We made another stop at a historical Korean exhibit, this time a traditional Korean village. This was really cool because it showed not only the temples and traditional architecture, but also was able to show how everyday commoners lived. It was really large with a wide spectrum of buildings to see. Really cool! We also saw a REAL traditonal Korean wedding. It was crowded, so the picture isn't great, but it was really fascinating!

I had completely forgotten this, but Senora reminded me that today is the first day of summer! Yay, summer!

TGIF

For real, I am SOO glad it's Friday! I have been so tired this week, just with the added stress of commuting and starting a new job... Long days but fun days! One sad thing, this is my last weekend at Ji Won's house before I move to Ji Young's on Sunday. I am happy that I will be A LOT closer to my work (10 minute bus ride versus 2 hour commute!), but I'm really going to miss Ji Won's family. They have been so kind to me and I honestly feel like one of their own!

On a happier note, Ji Won FINALLY gets her boot off tomorrow! Yay! And, my friend Kate is coming next week and staying with Eun Chun. It will be fun (yet weird! Another Cotter kid in Seoul! haha!) to see her and I think I will be spending some time at Eun Chun's house in the weeks to come. We shall see!!

Okay. Bed pretty soon here for me. Hanna, Ji Won, and I each started jobs this week, and we are all exhausted. However, tonight Ji Won shocked us all by going to bed at NINE-THIRTY! Mom, I thought that might make you feel a little better about your early bedtime!

Blue Man!

So, we just got back from the Blue Man Group concert and it was absolutely AMAZING! It was pretty much a sweet rock concert with ridiculously amazing percussion features and three blue men walking around playing "mallets" on pipes and being absolutely amazing! Also, at the very end one of the Blue Men came really near the place Ji Won, Hyun Gi, Ji Young, and I were sitting, only one row and about five seats away from me, when he brought a SUPER famous Korean singer to the stage. It was SO cool! I had absolutely no idea who this guy was, but he was really REALLY famous and was sitting right by me!!!

Work is going well. I am now going to and from by myself, which is fun but it's a two hour commute from Mok Dong (work) to Ya Tap (live), so I'm glad I'm only doing it for this week. (I go to Ji Young's house Sunday...) Work is crazy because I never feel like I know what's exactly going on, like I don't have the system quite figured out yet, but it's okay! The great thing is for about two hours I get to see Ji Young, and there are two guys my age I work with in the afternoon who are really nice. It's just nice to meet new people my own age..

My Korean hagwan is going okay. Last week I was kind of discouraged with it, thinking it was too hard (it's all in Korean!! No English!). However, things are looking up and I am really beginning to understand what's going on. Hopefully my verbal skills will keep up!

Further disaster news from the Yim household... Last night, Omma had to call Hanna (Ji Won's sister) to pick her up from badminton because of a calf injury. Today she went to the doctor and something is really messed up with the ligament and she can't move her calf. It is wrapped in a full non-removable cast and she must use crutches. Like mother, like daughter...! I feel really bad for her, though... Poor Omma!

Finally. Weather update:

As of yesterday, June 17, the rainy season in Korea is on! Woo-hoo one month of rain!

Manic Monday!

Today was my first day of work, and it was pretty good! I am working part time for one month at an SAT prep hagwan in Mok-Dong (where Ji Young aka Jocelyn lives) as a TA. My duties today: Totaling the scores of about five papers and documenting them in the grade book, watching someone run the Korean-only copy machine, passing out class schedules and student contracts to the hagwan students, and proctoring a two hour test to four students- All I did was sit there and read "Into Thin Air" by Joh Krakauer for two hours- then grade the tests I proctored. Tomorrow is going to be a lot busier, I guess, though. We'll see!

Ji Young finally flew into Seoul tonight, and Ji Won and I got to talk to her! Ji Young is working in the mornings at the same hagwan as I am, so I will get to see her in the morning! Also today, Hyun Gi met Ji Won and Jisu and I for lunch after my Korean language class. It was so fun to see everyone! Hyun Gi then took me to Mok-Dong and showed me my route to get to work, which was so nice of her! The only bad thing is that it seriously takes at LEAST an hour and a half to get from Mok-Dong (work) to Ya-Tap (home). I left the house this morning at 8 am and came back at 8:45 pm! But it's a lot of fun being in the city, so no complaints!

Also, BIG BIG BIG NEWS! Ji Won had told me earlier that Hyun Gi had gotten tickets for some of us to go to a jazz concert Wednesday, which I thought was pretty cool, but not as amazing as this... It turns out the tickets are for BLUE MAN GROUP! If you don't know what Blue Man Group is, its the group of guys that paints themselves blue and plays percussion instruments while super colorful paint flies everywhere and the lights are crazy and I am SOOOOOOO excited! Yay!!!!!!

Funny random picture of Adoshi in Ji Won's wheelchair in Kyung Ju! Just thought I'd throw this in here...!

Journey Back In Time

Strap in. This might be pretty long.

Forward by the author: The trip I am about to describe is that of one family from Seoul to Kyung-Ju, one of the most ancient and historical cities in Korea. One thousand years ago, North and South Korea formed three different countries. The Silla (pronounced "shilla") country is that in the south-east corner of Korea, and its capital was Kyung-Ju. Kyung-Ju hosts many ancient tombs, temples, and other structures, and is one of the last cities to preserve the traditional Korean style of architecture on their modern-day buildings. Slightly to the north is Tae-pey , the third largest city in South Korea (2 mil we think!) and is where we visited some friends of Omma and Adoshi.

Prologue: We leave Seoul Friday afternoon after my Korean class, and by the time we stop for lunch, it is already three o'clock. I wouldn't even mention this part of the trip, as it has absolutely no historical significance whatsoever, but I have to describe to you the amazingness of Korean rest-stops. Rather than a bunch of pick-nick tables, a bathroom, and a couple of vending machines, Korean rest-stops are full on franchises! They have multiple convenience stores, a food court, nice bathrooms, and are the epitome of cool, at least in terms of structure of this demeanor. I would have taken a picture, but that would have looked pretty pathetic to all the non-tourist Koreans watching me!

Part 1- Kyung Ju- We arrive in beautiful Kyung-Ju around five and our first stop is to visit tombs of ancient Silla kings. These tombs are unique because, instead of being buried under the ground, they are buried in a tomb that is buried beneath a HUGE man-made hill! It is literally a giant hill sticking up from the ground! So cool! Then we picked up Jae-Yeon, the daughter of the family my host-parents are friends with. She is spending the day with us and then coming with us back up to her home the next day. We then head off to see a Korean astronomy tower, and then make the biggest stop of our day, Anapaji Pond, the ancient equivalent of today's "party pad"! It is a series of structures that surround a pond, and is where the ancient heirs and heiresses used to live, and also where great celebrations were held. While none of the actual structures remain, they did an amazing job in reconstructing a few of the buildings, and they were breath-taking. Traditional Korean architecture is very detailed, especially in the design for their roofs. The roofs were not only beautiful in their swooping curve structure, but also in the ridiculously detailed, colorful artwork that encompasses it. The artwork is so intricate, full of designs of flowers and flourishes, and really reminds me of traditional Norwegian design. Finally we had dinner at a relatively famous restaurant in Kyung-Ju for a spicy tofu-soup. Not bad! Our hotel was very charming and spacious, whith a kitchen-ette, bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living room. However, I guess in Korea people commonly sleep on the floor, because in the second bedroom, instead of beds were comforters that we slept on the floor on! I didn't mind, but it surprised me!

Part Two- Buddhist Temples!: The next day in Kyung-Ju was all about Buddhist Temples, and it was so amazing! First, I must describe the scenery. Seoul is surrounded by large bluffs (the people call them mountains, but I don't know if they actually are). In Kyung-Ju, these "mountains" are even bigger and take on an entirely majestic role. They are covered in dark-green trees, and give the land an air of mystery and regal-ness. The trees exude a crisp, effervescent scent, one that is pungent yet light, and is truly soothing, calming, refreshing, and liberating. All of the temples we went to were on the mountains, and the air is so clean, so peaceful. I haven't felt as calm and relaxed and appreciative of nature as I did in the mountains of Kyung-Ju in a very long time. The temples themselves were very beautiful, and most of them were the actual structures, 1000 to 1500 years old! It was also interesting seeing them because it brought forth the Buddhist culture, a part of Korea that I haven't seen but is still a very active part of Korean culture. Christianity is very prevalent at least in Seoul, but it is by no means a majority religion as in the States. It was really cool to see this other religion living and breathing in the mountains of Korea, not just lying dead in a book. Another amazing about Korea that I really appreciated walking through the ancient buildings was that I was walking through a truly ancient culture, a culture that has seen kings and dynasties and invasions and conversions and everything in between. Korean culture is distinct, purposeful, one that is unmistakable and is a part of every person. American culture is much more dependent on the individual's family background, and its culture is does not have the richness that comes from thousands of years of developement. It was really a beautiful day!

(Jae-Yeon, Hanna, Me, and...Buddha!) (FYI, at least on my computer, if you click the photo, it shows up really big on another screen, better quality..)

Part three- Party in Tae-Gu: So after Temple-seeing, we make the hour-long drive into Tae-Gu and meet Jae-Yeoung's family at the restaurant her mom owns. They were very kind, and the food was really good! Following this, we hit up karaoke (an absolute favorite by Koreans! If you don't like karaoke, you aren't Korean!) and then made the long trek back home again. We were going to spend another night with Jae-Yeoun's family, but we didn't want to inconvenience them, as their apartment was very small.

Today we just went to church and then Ji Won, Hanna, and I saw the movie, "The Happening", M. Night Shyamalan's newest movie. My review: So good scary! (meaning not too scary, not cheesy, genuinely creepy and frightening) However, it was too political, the reason behind the "scariness" kind of lame, and bad acting.

Tomorrow is my first day of work! Yay! I am excited! Sorry this was a long blog!

Seoul: My Take

In about an hour I'm leaving for my Korean language hagwan (school), and then we are leaving immediately for Kyung-Ju, a town four hours away that has many traditional Korean exhibits (maybe structures and museums.) We will be gone all weekend, so I won't be able to write, so before I go, I thought I'd give you a few random takes on my view of Seoul.
Climate: So far, Seoul has been really pleasant. The temp is probably anywhere between seventy and seventy-five degrees every day, with moderate humidity. Usually the mornings and evenings are cloudy with the afternoon bringing some sun, but the past few days it has been really sunny and gorgeous out! However, in a week or two we will enter into Korea's "rainy season", a period where it rains pretty much constantly for two weeks to one month end of June/beginning of July. Then I hear it is really humid and hot the rest of the summer after these rains.

Traffic: One thing I can't NOT mention is the craziness of Seoul-ite driving! Traffic isn't bad here in terms of traffic jams, but it is very aggressive! Drivers are constantly passing, switching lanes, pedestrians are walking in front and around moving cars in the side streets. Omma frequently makes U-Turns (which I guess is perfectly legal if the other lane has a red light... Still a little unnerving the first few times!), and horns are blaring every which way! Also, this was really weird for me, the only people in the car who buckle up are the driver and the passenger to the right of the driver. Those in the back seat don't (don't worry... I wear my seat belt!).

Atmosphere: One thing I love about Seoul is how COOL it is! Back in Winona, we just wear our gym shorts and t-shirts everywhere...out to lunch, shopping, SCHOOL (if permitted! We usually have to pay for a fundraiser or something...) and never feel out of place. In Seoul, everyone looks their best, all the time. The fashion here is really cool, really urban, and really sophisticated. Everyone just looks nice all the time, so pressure's on for me!

Social: This aspect of Korean culture really just dawned on me the other day, even though I remember my Dad mentioning this before I left. In Seoul, males and females seem to have very established roles in society. Males are the "macho" figures, playing sports, working, etc, while the woman seems to be expected to do the laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. Obviously the same is still somewhat true in America, but I feel that the roles at home are much more flexible and aren't as strongly upheld as in Korea. Although, I have to say that on Korean tv there is a reality show that documents stay-at-home-dads! I thought that was pretty cool!!

Traditional Korean Music

We just got back from a traditional Korean music concert, and honestly, it was really good! It was divided into two sections, a martial arts/drum feature and then the actual traditional music ensemble. Let's break this down:

The martial arts/drum feature. WOW! I have never been really very into martial arts, but this was honestly the most intensely and excitingly entertaining thing I have seen in a long time! Traditional drums were flying the entire time as Taekwondo students broke baseball bats with their feet, did flips and spins, kicks and whirls, and even demonstrated a section using a long pole and nunchucks! I was so impressed by the self control this takes. I've always thought of martial arts as a sport, you know, you break things and get sweaty, etc. But, it truly is an ARTform! So much thought and discipline behind each move. So impressive! Uncle Jim, you would have LOVED it!

The second feature was the traditional music "orchestra" itself. Usually the members wear traditional Korean dress, "hanbok", as shown in the picture, but because June is the month of remembrance for all those who died in the Korean War and all other wars, they simply wore black and white. It was strange because at first glance, it looks (and even sounds a little) like a regular orchestra. Except for instead of violins, there were stringed instruments played upright in your lap. For cellos were xylophone-esque instruments with strings instead of metal keys. There were oboe sounding instruments, flutes, and so many other things I can't even explain! If you haven't heard traditional Asian music, it is a unique sound, almost a little "whiny", but that's not a very kind term for it. It is really beautiful, sometimes very sad sounding, other times very strong and powerful.
They played one traditional piece, and then two famous Korean singers came on stage and sang three songs each! I thought this was so cool because if in Winona we ever get anyone REMOTELY well known it is a HUGE deal, so to have two very well known singers performing right in front of ME was really cool!

I forgot to mention the beginning of the concert. It began with one solo drummer hitting a large center drum, using ceremonial movements and chanting. Then a Buddhist monk and a woman, both dressed in traditional Korean clothing, took the stage and began dancing a type of tai-chi. It was so beautiful! I had chills the entire time!

This was a photo taken not at the concert but at In Sa Dong when we were visiting there last week. It is an example of Korean traditional dress and drum.

Pab (Food)

I don't have much to write about today, so I thought I would take the opportunity to share a little about Korean food, a unique and essential aspect to the Korean culture. In my house, we eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, same as US. Breakfast for my family is usually toast or fruit or cereal, pretty Westernized. Some Korean families have rice for breakfast, along with some side dishes.

Lunch and dinner are full-on Korean meals, and, other than dinner being a larger meal, they are pretty much the same in terms of the foods served. Rice and kimchi (fermented, spicy cabbage) are a complete must. Usually we have peppers or cucumber sticks that we dip in a cayenne pepper paste, tofu, fish (bones in, skin on), sometimes meat (what we've had so far has been a really fatty bacon type meat), lettuce leaves or other leafy greens to put rice and tofu/meat/fish/anything in. Soy sauce is used for dipping. We sometimes also have kimchi soup or another type of soup that is smokey, rich, spicy, and has a lot of leafy greens in it.

One interesting thing is that when you look at the table of a Korean meal, there is an amazing amount of food! Instead of having one entree and everyone having a plate with the same thing on it, there are many side dishes and everyone simply takes what they want. It is also interesting that, in my house, anyway, kimchi is on the table at every meal, but usually people take very little if any of it at any given meal.

I have learned that Koreans don't eat chocolate or other rich desserts very often. Most nights we will have fruit a few hours after dinner. Snacking is minimal to nonexistant (at least at my house). Korean food is very healthy, and, although it takes a little getting used to, it is very good!

Also, I had sushi for the first time today and it surprised me that it really didn't taste as strongly as I thought it would. It was pretty good!

VERBS

So. School today. We finally move on from practicing our pronunciation flashcards. This is good. However, we move on to verbs. Now, I am all for verbs. Yay, 101 verbs from espanol. SO helpful! However, our slave-driver of a teacher is having us learn THIRTY for tomorrow. THIRTY! That's 30 verbs, in KOREAN, a language I CAN read but am definitely NOT good at yet! My brain is near exploding density. For real. This is so hard. I actually know most of them by now, so I guess this rant is a little uncalled for, but it's just been really hard and I thought I would share it with you! I feel like all I have done today is practicing reading Korean (Han-gu-go), and practicing memorizing my verbs. Wait.... that's because I HAVE!! Ohhhh, but, this is good for me and once I know them, I will be much better off. I actually already can communicate much better. Phew.

ps- Happy Birthday, Dad!

Disaster!

It's been a rough couple of days. Not for me, but for Ji Won and her mom (who I call "Omma"). It all started yesterday morning at church. Ji Won had worn her AT LEAST four-inch-high wedge heels to church, and had made it from the car, to the church, through the ceremony, and then... BAM! She goes slipping and sliding down the church steps, somehow holding on to my hand, ankle badly twisted. Immediately her ankle started swelling and, although the pain stopped, she couldn't put any weight on it, causing her to be a slow and uncoordinated limper. We pressed on, had lunch at Omma's omma's house (Ji Won's Harmony aka grandma) and met Omma's brother, wife, and two sons. The swelling continued to build. Then this morning we we went to the doctor. What happened? Will Ji Won ever walk again? I know these burning questions are searing through your mind at the moment, but we must first pause and break to Omma.

Omma's troubles started this afternoon. I had gotten home from school and we were eating lunch, rice with potatoes, onions, ham, and mushrooms, kimchi soup, and kimchi. Suddenly, Omma let out a terrible cry and held her mouth in her hands. What had happened?!! She had bit her tongue (Hard! We later saw it and there was definitely blood and a bite indent), but even worse, a crown for one of her teeth had fallen out! Oh no!

So, back at the doctor. Ji Won and Omma both had appointments, Ji Won's for her foot, Omma's for a back pain she's been having for the past three months. What are the results? I know you are desperate to know by this point.

...Ji Won broke or hurt some joint in her ankle and has to be on crutches. This is really bad because we were going to go on a trip this next weekend and would be walking a lot. We shall see.... Ji Won has some trouble maneuvering the crutches, but her doctors are hopeful she will pull through.

Omma has a much more serious prognosis: She has to get back surgery! I guess there is some sort of growth in her back (non cancerous) that is touching a nerve and she needs to have it removed. That is really sad! Omma loves dancing and playing badminton! She won't be able to for a while after the surgery! Pobre omma!

Playing tourist

Today was a fun day! Ji Won, Hannah, Eun Chun (Angelynn), and I spent our afternoon in In-Sa-dong, a tourist area. It was full of little shops and vendors and Korean culture. In one of the pictures you can see me holding a big wooden mallet. This is used to make a street snack that is a doughy rice cake covered in a sweet coating. I caused a legitimate scene because the guy who usually pounds the batter seriously forced me to take over for him! Also I might note that up until we came here, I think I had only seen two other Americans while in Seoul! This was a touristy area, so there were lots of people from outside of Korea. Actually, one Korean school girl interviewed me for her English class! So ki-aw-ah (cute!)!

We ate lunch in a super pretty traditional Korean restaurant, one that had beautiful pottery and AMAZING food!! I ate sooo much! Delish! AND...Mom, I even tried oyster, on my own free will. Not bad, but it looks absolutely disgusting!

Later we took the sweet Korean-style photo-booth pictures we always see floating around school. It was really fun! I'll have to post them at some point, but I don't have them at the moment. So high-tech over in Asia!

After all this we left Il-Sa-dong and walked along a stream that is very popular in Korea called Chun-gue. Apparently it used to be a complete eyesore, but the government reconstructed it so now it is a nice area in Seoul for tourists and Seoul-ites alike.

Finally we called it a day and took the subway home, a system I am understanding more and more every time I go on it. The subway line in Seoul was very well planned and easy to understand and use. Yay, public transportation!

Finally, for a highlight to my evening, I met Ji Won's grandmother (the term is "Harl-mo-ni (harmony!)) who was SOOO nice and even gave me flowers in honor of my graduation. We met her at a Korean restaurant where the tables are very low to the ground and everyone sits on mats on the floor. We had cold noodles ( a summer fav), kimchi dumpling, and beef in a broth. My chopstick-abilities are vastly improving!

Also, I wrote about the uproar the agreement with the US regarding beef importation in Korea the other day, and today we saw protesters and massive amounts of police everywhere, especially outside of the US embassy. It's seriously intense.

PICTURES!

This is Seouhyun, a town outside of Seoul near Ya-Tap, Ji Won's house. It's great because there is a subway station/bus stop right in front of this really nice mall/the nicest grocery store I have ever seen. Then, on either side of the mall are streets with so so SO many different types of shops and restaurants. Hannah (Ji Won's sister), Ji Won, and I had Mexican food. Mexican is my absolute FAVORITE, and I must say that, for being in Korea, this food wasn't too bad. Not Manny's, but better than Chula for sure. Afterwards we went for a Korean style ice cream, basically frozen milk shavings with fruit and chocolate and strawberry syrup. And, get this, toast with whipped cream. SO GOOD! Try it sometime!




This is the view from my room in Ji Won's house. It's kind of random....

Jet-lag chronicles

It's four am in Seoul, but Jet Lag still has its grip on me. It's really frustrating because yesterday around five I took a "nap" and slept SOUNDLY for three hours. Then tonight, I went to bed around ten, woke up at one, and then fell asleep for two more hours.

So yesterday was my first day being in the actual city of Seoul. My feelings: AMAZING! LOVE! SO COOL! Seoul is different from, say, New York or LA. It is kind of hilly, and there are colorful signs everywhere because businesses and companies are all squeezed into whatever space they can get. In a city of ten-million, space is at a premium. There are nooks and crannies everywhere, but it's such a fun atmosphere!

I had my first language class in Kangnam (part of Seoul) yesterday. It was good- Kind of like my first days in Spanish. We just practiced the alphabet pronunciation and are working on putting letters together. It is really pretty simple. My hagwan (Korean word for school) is on the top floor of a small building. I have a class of six in a classroom about the size of the bathroom at Cotter. We don't have class today because today is Korea's Memorial day to remember all those who died in the Korean War.

I learned about one huge controversy that I don't think gets any coverage in the states. Apparently Korea has agreed to import the majority of its beef and chicken from the US, something that causes uproar because of all the mad-cow disease and other health issues that seem to follow US beef and poultry. There were absolutely HUGE protest gatherings in Seoul a few days ago, and the military was involved to try and stop it.

Another thing that is big in Korea is recycling. For real, they recycle everything. Food (Must be saved so it can be put in a compost. There are no garbage disposals), cardboard boxes (they use these for their groceries. Plastic bags cost extra money), everything. Trash bags are issued by the government the the grocery stores and I think they are relatively expensive.

A few other comments to wrap this up.
When we drove from Incheon (airport) to the Seoul area, it was amazing because we were surrounded by bluffs that look almost exactly like those in Winona from far away. They are a little "pointier" and are made of different trees, but otherwise almost the same!

Also, I read in a book once the Koreans use so much garlic that its oder emanates out of everything, giving Seoul a distinctive smell. It's true.

Day One: The Epic Journey (!)

So. Day 1. Let's break this down:

Plane: On the fourteen hour-long epic journey that is Chicago to Seoul, we took Korean Air, an airline noted for its great comfort, service, and.... tv monitors in every seat. Unfortunately, we happened upon an older model and this last amenity was not available, which was a serious bummer. The second bad thing was that Ji Won (Joanne), her mom, and I were literally surrounded by children under the age of five, at least two on every side of us! They were quite a handful and did not help the flight move along any quicker. Although it was long, uncomfortable (not to the fault of the airline, just the idea of spending fourteen hours on a plane!), and extremely tiring, I have no real complaints.

Airport: Next we meet Ji Won's dad (aka Ah-da-shi). Sooo nice! I also met her sister, Hannah, who is also a really nice girl. She goes to college in Pennsylvania, and her English is really good. Family= super nice!

House: Sorry I don't have pictures now.. That may take a few days to get going... The apartment is located in a suburb just outside of Seoul. It is really small, just a kitchen, three small bedrooms, a bathroom , and a living room, but it is really nice and open. I have a room all to myself, which I feel bad about because Ji Won is sleeping on the floor, but when I try to protest I get shot down by every Korean in the house!

Dinner: This is the part I have been the most nervous about. The food in Korea is so out of my comfort zone, which, granted does not provide too much room for trying-ness. My first meal experience in Korea has been pretty good. We ate at a Japanese-style restaurant and had a family-style soup where you just put all the meat, vegetables, tofu, etc. in a pot of hot water and cook it. Mom, you will be happy to know that I ate mushrooms, and several other things I didn't really know what they were. It will take a little getting used to, but so far, so good. Babysteps. Next I guess we're going to sushi route....!