November 23, 2009

I had a good day today. Full of food, at breakfast in Dunkin Donuts I bumped into Tyler (he goes to University of Florida) and he told me about his weekend in Tokyo with his parents then I went to class and after class Liane and I went to Table B for BLTs and french fries and coke! then I had 2 more classes after that I went to DaVinci for coffee and homework when Ed and Luke called to ask if I wanted go to BBQ so then Caitlyn, Luke, Ed and I went to get BBQ (caitlyn ate the side dishes) then we went BACK to DaVinci had some more coffee and played sporkle games then walking back to CJ we passed my favorite bakery so we stopped in and got some Pikachu (sp?) cookies and then walked by Coldstone where we saw Dan buying some ice cream so we stopped by and said hello to him then went back to CJ and I did some more homework. All together today has been a very full-filling (ha! get it?) day.

November 22, 2009

Today was a good Sunday, woke up went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and did some homework then met my KUBA buddy and her brother for lunch then a movie. Her brother is in his first year at school and is studying "German" I think history and the language I asked but he didn't really tell me. He knows all about Detroit because of them making cars and he said he wanted to work for BMW in Germany. Then he had to leave because his uni is in the middle of Korea like 4 hour bus ride away. Then Hyeongyoung and I went to see The Soloist which was alright. The couple next to us was funny because the boy was asleep the whole time and the girl was sobbing. The movie wasn't even very sad, crazy over emotional girls. Then I came back to CJ and it was raining a little bit so that kind of sucked. Now I have to do HOMEWORK!

November 19, 2009

Hey! Sorry I haven't written in a long time! This week has been good, student elections are going on and instead of the typical posters in pins the canidates here get groups of their friends (paid actors??) to sing and dance in groups all around campus!!! Pretty amusing. maybe I can find a way to video tape it. Camping was very tiring last weekend it was a 10.6k hike all together we went up a mountain then stayed a night in a shelter then went back down, all this while I had a cold. Of course it didn't make the cold any better but oh well I just have a cough now. Caitlyn's family is here and that's almost as stressful as having your own family here! We went to myeong dong yesterday for korean bbq and to see Nanta. It was good but I liked Jump better. I haven't done laundry in a while but whenever that happens my outfits get more creative/formal. I wore the skirt mom bought me today and I was FREEZING!!! I'm not doing laundry before we take Caitlyn's sister out clubbing so it's going to be amusing but all my Korean friends use my excuse of being foreign for anything I do that is strange so I'm just going to pull the American (or Canadian depends on who I'm talking to, just kidding I haven't said I'm from Canada yet which is an accomplishment for most American's here.) card. Found a place that serves very nice BLTs and I don't even really like Bacon that much but the pesto sauce they put on the sandwich is soooooooo good.

November 11, 2009

Bought a jacket for camping this weekend (thanks daddy!)!!!! I'm a little nervous because I have no part in planning this trip so I have no idea what is going on, how we're going to eat or what we are doing except a lot of hiking. Im borrowing some pants from Elina. The jacket I bought was expensive but if it does what I want it to do (keep me warm, dry and away from wind) then it will be worth it. Elina took me to the outlets to get the jacket and she bought one too (but a dressy jacket) and then we went and I got a hot cheese pretzel!! mmm sooooo good. I just hope I don't catch a cold this weekend! We leave tomorrow at 7:30pm

November 10, 2009

I'm pretty excited because it looked like this was just going to be a quiet weekend but I think I'm going camping now!! Shaun and Dan are going on a 3 day hike in a national park and I want to go hiking/camping before it gets too cold!! It's going to be pretty cool I think. The tallest peak is like 1,913m or something and you can see over the cloudssssss. There are also bears, but they don't seem very legit. I don't know but I can't wait to find out!!

Today I had lunch with Elina and Caitlyn we got some triangular kim bop which is Japanese apparently and it was nice. I got a cupcake from a cafe on the corner of my street too then I went home and took a nap because Korean was cancelled. I just cleaned out my laptop fan of all the dust too. I have a speech tomorrow in Korean about what I did this weekend, but I've already practiced it!

November 9, 2009

Today was pretty good, I found a kebab sandwich wrap stand on the way up to CJ run by a man from Pakistan who moved to Korea 12 years ago, second batch of middle eastern food I've had here. Makes me miss Cedar Gardens. Then I went to Davinci with Caitlyn to read for a while. After that we went to go get some waffle ice cream and ran into people we know from Hong Kong and then some boys from our KUBA groups. Caitlyn found her glasses that she was missing in her bag which she was really happy about too. I'm going to be really depressed when it's too cold for the ice cream waffle stand.

November 8, 2009

Busan

wow, the past 36 hours were so amazing. I had an amazing trip to Busan with my friends Caitlyn, Liane and Elina. Elina speaks Korean so it was the most stress free trip Caitlyn and I have ever, EVER had. Ill start from the beginning.

Friday Train Station: At Seoul Station Liane, Caitlyn and I met up with Elina. We bought tickets for the train and helped another woman from Europe out with getting her tickets. Our tickets were facing backwards and the train ride was about 2 hours and 45 minutes long so I was a little worried but it didn't make me sick at all. Right when we got to the station (4:13pm) we bought tickets for the last train back on Saturday night (a 10 oclock train). It seemed a little stretched for time but Elina had to leave then so we decided to all just go with her. We also went to the tourist information center where the lady called to make sure the Blue Backpackers Hostel had room for us and Elina called to get directions so she could give them to the taxi. We got in the taxi and Elina and him were talking the whole time. Of course the taxi wasn't very expensive and we got to the Hostel with no problems. After settling in Elina gave us some cactus chocolates from Jeju which were surprisingly REALLY good. I'll have to try and find some in Seoul. After eating some chocolate we got on the subway and went to the Gangwan beach diamond bridge place. The lights were AMAZING. so pretty. The bridge and all the buildings kept changing color. Then after that we went to a Korean Barbecue where we had some American beef ( a lot cheaper than Korean beef) and it was SO good. I was so satisfied by that meal. And the waitresses were very nice too they kept coming and sitting with different people and they talked to us for a while and it was all very casual, (we were also sitting on the floor with our shoes off) and it was a nice different style of eating because in Seoul they try and get you out quickly. After that we decided we really wanted some ice cream so we went to the family mart and bought some ice cream and soju and headed back for the beach. While on the beach we saw a ride that kept peeking from behind some buildings and decided we really needed to go to the festival. We went and it was SO cool. Caitlyn and I rode a mechanical bull and won free things then Elina, Liane and I went on the "viking" which is the ride that swings back and forth and it went on for SO long. seriously I'm used to rides being short but in Korea they really give you your moneys worth and it was soooo torturous and funny I couldn't stop laughing because we were swinging SO high and it went on for so long. It was just a funny situation becuase there wasn't anything we could do about it. We screamed a little for the first 5 or 6 times we went up and down but then people just stopped screaming because there was nothing we could do and it was lasting for SO long. After the ride we were planning on going on the bumper cars but forgot because Caitlyn discovered this panda dog thing that you could ride around. That was really funny so I decided to add a picture plus I know how to use the pictures now.

So we left the fair because we saw a ferris wheel off in the distance and as we were walking toward that we came across a fish market that no one was at and it was really creepy because everything was green and fishy. After discovering the ferris wheel was being turned off we decided to go back to the hostel so we took a taxi back. At the hostel I climbed up onto a top bunk and fell asleep to hear that if we wanted to see the action of the fish market we'd have to go at 4 or 5am in the morning and that wasn't going to happen so we slept until 8:30 and woke up then went on our way to the Buddhist temple. Before heading out we were told there was complimentary breakfast from 8-11am on the roof so we thought that would be cool but really it was just some toast and instant coffee. It was really strange so we went to coffee bean before heading out. At the temple it was really cool there were a lot of really old temples, really old, and people praying and stuff. We got a free lunch from there which involved rice, kimchi, bean sprouts and some soup stuff. After the temple we decided to go to the other beach that was there. I had made it my goal to go swimming in the ocean when we went there. I brought my bathing suit and everything and we got to the beach and there was NO ONE swimming. There where some boys from what we think is the Philippines playing frisbee in THONG bathing suits. So because no one thought I would go swimming I bought a small towel from the G25 and then changed into my bathing suit in the bathroom and went swimming in the ocean!!! It was amazing I'm so glad I did it even though no one else went. After a while Liane decided she wanted to go swimming too so that was fun. Besides being a little uncomfortable running to the bathroom again all sandy and wet the ocean swim was very successful. We took a taxi to the raw fish market and it was really cool there. There were a lot f fish laying out and squid and octopus and I even saw a pig face!! After that we walked around the "international market" which wasn't very good then had some dinner. We got to have wine and CHEESE. I don't even like cheese but Korea is extremely lacking in having any cheese and it was so nice. Then we went to the Busan tower. It was dark so the lights were really pretty. Liane and I talked to some men from India doing research for universities in Seoul and it was nice to talk to some foreign men who weren't creepy. I informed them that my favorite restaurant in Seoul is Benares an Indian restaurant. After the tower we had to go back to the hostel to get our bags and just crashed in the common room with the computer and TV until we heard bangs against the windows and that was really scary/ funny because all throughout the trip Liane had been starting stories with "4 English girls lost/trapped/last seen..." even though she's the only English one. so we peaced out of the hostel and got a taxi to the train station. On the train on the way home I had Elina help me with my Korean speach that I have to give this week about what I did this weekend. Then Elina went to go change her pants and the group of people at the table next to us on the train started speaking in English to us asking where we're from and saying they have relatives studying in the US and Caitlyn made me do my speach for them. They applauded :-) When we got to the train station Elina's parents picked us up so meeting them was fun, they were really nice espeically because they drove us home and it was 1am. I said my speach for them again then we got to CJ and I took a shower because I smelled like ocean, fish and grossness then crashed on my bed.
That was the most relaxing trip I've ever had in Korea. So nice, now I'm more determined to become fluent in Korean.

November 6, 2009

After a night out in Seoul I'm ready to go to BUSAN!!! just a girls trip this time with me, Caitlyn, Liane and Elina. Probably won't be as exciting as most of our adventures since Elina knows korean. But you never know. Caitlyn had a dream last week that the two of us were trying to get our way around a city but she was deaf and I was blind and we were trying to help each other but it wasn't working. I think that dream accurately describes our relationship.

November 4, 2009

WOO DONE WITH THE EXAM!!!
And I did pretty well I think!! Except I forgot to mention "kinky sets" but that really freaks me out so I'm glad I forgot about it.
Finally got to see Caitlyn tonight so we went to myeongdong (probably helped that mom and Elizabeth gave me some money) Don't worry girls I'll look very cute because of you!! I also kept enough so that it can pay for my trip to Busan this weekend!
Yes. another trip. get excited, I know I am!!
As for now I'm just relaxing, watching some tv online and being sad I can't hear Jason Mraz's new CD on aol. stupid regional nonesense.

Having pretzels in my room to snack on is becoming dangerous.

November 3, 2009

its freezing.

Woke up and went to class this morning then had lunch with Elina at Table B where I got a nice blt and coke. hit the spot. then we went and got some rosemary tea at Cafe School then I had Korean and ROK-US relations. After classes I met up with mom and elizabeth.

I bought mom and Elizabeth some cookies from my favorite bakery and then we walked to Cafe School which was closed but I knew that they were going to be closed and that they would open up again because Elina and I asked when we went there earlier that day. Sooooo we were walking to find another Cafe then a sign of God happened and it made me look down the street and see a Cafe Capri that I had never ever seen in my life and it's so close to CJ. We went in and it was warm and smelled really nice and they had rosemary tea!!! Mom ordered rosemary tea I had an Americano and I don't remember what Elizabeth had but the rosemary tea was in a teapot that they kept warm on top of a candle. It was cool. I also got to witness another romantic feat.

The girl at the table had a cake next to us that she had bought somewhere else (and mom didn't want to eat the small cookies I got her even though I explained that we're not in the US but no one listens to me...) and then she lit the candles on the cake and had a small pig cookie that I recognized from my bakery (I in fact got the same kind for mom and elizabeth) and then her boyfriend walked in and it was incredibly cute but I had to stop watching because it was probably akward for them.

The place smelled really nice and they had very relaxing music on and the chairs were very comfy so I was pretty happy to just sit there. It was mom and Elizabeth's last night in Seoul! They had a good time at the DMZ and they're flying back tomorrow morning.

Now my midterm is tomorrow and I'm totally burnt out and over studying for it. sigh.

November 2, 2009

Today was a pretty good day,
Woke up after a nice sleep. Got a coffee then watched a documentary in Chinese Politics class then met up with Mom and Elizabeth for lunch, unfortunately we Cafe School was once again closed so it looks like they wont be getting some rosemary tea. sigh. We had Benares which was alright, the waitress was new but she sort of knew english, not enough to bring me the right thing but it was still really good. Then I went and studied for a while went to Korean then studied IO with Dan who's in my class and then me dan and Caitlyn met mom and Elizabeth for dinner at a vegetarian korean resturant. On the way there we bumped into Mi-ae, Kurt and JP who were joking about how we bumped into each other and they met my dad and now they're meeting my aunt and mom but only kurt really met them. Then we went to the restaurant and it was really nice.
Now I'm back in my room and i just finished taking all the notes I think I'll be taking on this reading and I'll just study them now.
I also have a Chinese reading I'm supposed to do for Wednesday... yikes.

November 1, 2009

Well, this has been a crazy weekend. With mom and Elizabeth here and a huge midterm to study for I haven't been able to write much
basically:
yesterday we went to the coex mall with Caitlyn after visiting Korea University Museum and when we got to coex we went to the aquarium and it was SO COOL. i love aquariums. this one even had chickens and spider monkeys. very strange.

Today we met up with Hyungjung after going shopping at myeong dong and we walked around and it was nice

I think mom and Elizabeth have been to insadong 3 times this trip. it's the bags and scarfs they get everyone.