Mini-Series Post #1: Driving in Seoul

Because there will be many days where I will be in class for six hours and will thus have little to report, I intend to begin a mini-series of entries about essentially anything:  random discoveries, information about Seoul, differences between the U.S. and Korea that I've noticed, etc.  Today, before I go to class from 1-7 p.m., I want to write about driving in Seoul.


"We don't recommend getting on the road around Seoul," the Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide suggests (174).  This may be the single most important recommendation in the guide.  Public transportation, which includes buses, taxis, and the subway, are cheap, easy to use, and convenient, so there is really no reason to try to drive.  


Plus, a novice driver trying to navigate around Seoul in a car or on a moped could easily get killed.  The drivers in this city are impatient, dangerous, and out all "ballsy."  One should not be surprised to find a vehicle inching toward him as he crosses at a crosswalk or a moped flying between two lanes of stopped traffic.  Many of the two-lane streets are narrow and hilly, but it is not uncommon to find cars parked in the middle of the lane with flashers on, picking up a friend from a restaurant.  This situation causes huge buses, vehicles, and mopeds to pass on the left, into oncoming traffic.  Additionally, in these situations, the passing vehicle almost always assumes the right-of-way as it heads into oncoming traffic, often squeezing past oncoming cars with only inches to spare.  I have almost had heart attacks on several occasions where the bus I am riding decides to do this.  In Seoul, there is no such thing as being "too close" to the car in front of you, as you could not fit a body between two cars stopped at a light.  To the outsider, driving looks like a free-for-all:  cars park on the sidewalks, vehicles perform U-turns wherever they please, and buses fly down the narrowest roads at seemingly unsafe speeds.  However, I have yet to see an accident!     

Class Has Never Felt So Long

Today was my second day of class at Hanyang.  Six hours of college courses a day is pretty rough and I was dying to get out of there after two.  It's just that, well, I'm in Seoul!  I want to go see things.  My Contemporary Korean Society class is very interesting, but in International Marketing, we're talking about topics completely unrelated to marketing.  I'm hoping it'll turn around, but I'm not so sure.  I wish I could drop it and take North Korean Politics instead.


The highlight of today was a visit to Sindang for some ddokbokki, which is what I ate on my first night here - exactly a week ago!  This time, I felt much better prepared for the restaurant style and the meal, and even had a 500 mL Cass beer to drink:

Sharing the community-style ddokbokki.

Now, Hong and I are back in the room.  Time to do homework and get some rest.  Tomorrow is Friday and I feel jet-lag-free, so I'm ready to go out and experience Seoul's nightlife!   

Seoul, Dissected

Boasting a population exceeding 10 million people, Seoul appears to sprawl out to the ends of the earth in every direction.  In order to understand the umbrella symbolizing Seoul's culture, it is important to acknowledge the distinct make up of the city's many unique neighborhoods:  Gwanghwamun, Insadong & Daehangno, Myeong-dong, Namsan, & Itaewon, Hongdae, Sinchon, & Yeouido, Gangnam & Jamsil, and the greater Seoul area.

A Dissection of Seoul's Many Neighborhoods

Thus far, I have been able to visit the following places/neighborhoods:

• Myeong-dong:  a great area for shopping, which I describe in a previous post.
• Dongdaemun (in Gwanghwamun):  another great shopping market, though this market has a very different atmosphere.  This is the place where I bargained for shoes.
• Gangnam Station:  a rather upscale end of town, full of tall, glassy skyscrapers and bustling businessmen and women in black suits.
• Seong-dong (between Hanyang University and Wangsimni, east of Myeong-dong):  perhaps my favorite place to go (maybe because it's within walking distance and not as crowded).  Seong-dong consists of quiet streets lined with tiny Korean restaurants, Korean BBQ, bars, little shops, and very few (if any) American stores.

Places I still wish to visit include:

• Insadong & Sam-cheong dong:  As "the country's craft capital," Insadong offers a glimpse into Korean past, such as traditional Korean houses (called hanok), shops selling hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), and tea houses serving omijacha (berry tea), boricha (barley tea), nokcha (green tea), and insamcha (ginseng tea) (49).  According to my good friend, Bin Choi (a Korean international student at ONU), these places are the best for finding authentic Korean souvenirs. 
• Hongik University Station & Hongdae:  I've heard from many students (Korean & international) that these places are the best for young people.  Offering unique, extravagant bars, Hongdae is perhaps the center of youthful nightlife.  Some bars in this area include foot baths and indoor rivers & plant life.   
• Itaewon:  Seemingly the most foreign-populated area in Seoul, this area is more Americanized than other places in Seoul.  "The U.S. forces that used to be stationed at nearby Yongsan are being relocated south of Seoul, but Itaewon continues to be a lively expat entertainment zone with bars and clubs aplenty," the Seoul City Guide notes (55).

My Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide describes a trip to the DMZ between North and South Korea as an eye-opening and intriguing day trip.  Mom & Dad, I know your blood pressure just went through the roof reading that.   The day trip offers a bus tour in Kaesong, a city in North Korea:  "all the buildings look like photos of Seoul taken in 1950.  Every building looks in need of repainting and repair," the Seoul City Guide explains (163).  While I doubt that I will take this day trip, reading about it raises curiosity about North Korea.  From the Koreans I have spoken to, many young people don't even think about the tensions with the North.  Until I read about the trip to Kaesong, I hadn't even really thought about the fact that I am currently 55 km (34 miles) from the DMZ.  It is a partially stomach-churning, partially excusable notion, since I have no concept of war.    

On a brighter note, on Saturday, July 2nd, our group will travel to the Namsangol Hanok Village (in Namsan) to experience some traditional Korean culture.  Quite obviously, there is nothing like this in the U.S., and I look forward to broadening my world perspective.   

**Thanks to "What's On Korea" for the image featured above (http://english.whatsonkorea.com/map_of_seoul.ph).

A Lot to Do in Lotte World

Today, our group was scheduled to visit Caribbean Bay/ Everland, a water and amusement park in Seoul.  We had to choose which place we wanted to attend.  Knowing that there was a 100% chance of rain today, many of us chose to visit Everland, hoping for indoor shows at the least.  Surely enough, as we walked to the buses, we waded through deep puddles as the water quickly streamed down Hanyang's steep hills.  Luckily, the committee in charge of the summer school changed our destination:

The students that chose Caribbean Bay were still scheduled to attend the outdoor water park.  Surely, that was a cold trip!  Lotte World, "a mainly indoor Korean version of Disneyland," includes an amusement park, ice-skating rink, cinema, department store, hotel, and various restaurants (69).  

This place is huge and overwhelming to the first-time visitor.

We had a great time riding rides and playing games.  Everything was free of charge.  I spent time with two Hanyang students who will attend school at Ohio Northern next year, which was so much fun.  Now I know how scary it can be to travel abroad, so I could really understand their nervousness. 

In addition to rides and roller coasters, Lotte World offers engaging dance shows and parades.  The theme for these attractions was "Rio Samba Carnival," so the costumes were bright and eye catching and the music was quick.

In following my curse of always being chosen to participate in front of throngs of people, naturally I was pulled from the crowd to dance samba with half-naked dancers.

Surprisingly, however, I felt only about 60% embarrassed!

It was fun and made a great memory.  Perhaps this trip really is helping me to become less shy.  I found an orange feather on the ground after the parade finished and saved it as a momento of this great experience.      

"The Loop" at Lotte World

The rides were also a blast!  It wasn't quite Cedar Point, but perhaps as an Ohioan, I am biased.  Nevertheless, I was so impressed by the extravagance of this place maintained beneath a roof.  


Now that we're back on campus, it is time to do a little homework, unfortunately.  Tomorrow, we have our second day of class.  I can't believe I have been in Korea for a week already - this trip is really going to fly!

First Day of Class!

I feel like a freshman again, celebrating my triumph over the first day of class.  I wasn't late, I didn't get lost, and I didn't spill my lunch.  I participated at a moderate level that suggests both eagerness to learn and control over that eagerness.  My first class, International Marketing, begins at 1 p.m., so I have the morning wide open.  For what, you may ask?  Certainly not sleeping, as my body's alarm clock once again beat the mechanical one on my desk.  Why, my morning work out, of course!  It's been exactly a week since I have completed what I consider to be an effective work out.  Around 9 a.m., I located the weight room in the basement of the guys' dormitory - a hot, non-air conditioned, sticky room with no windows, a few treadmills, and 3 or 4 weight machines.  I ran 3.018 kilometers on a Samsung treadmill.  Also, I weigh 55 kilograms, according to the scale.  Thursday, when I exercise again, I will run along the cool, shaded path beside the Han River, instead.  Running in the basement just won't do, unfortunately.  


Before class at 1, I located the cafeteria and mini-shop in the basement of the business building.  For much of my meal, I was the only foreign student eating.  I didn't feel too strange about it, to be honest.  I'm sure people were talking about me, but it doesn't bother me, really.  I wasn't doing anything weird or outlandish - just simply eating my instant noodles and banana and sipping on my tiny cold coffee drink (that I could have chugged in two gulps).  Maybe my chopstick-form was a little unorthodox, but I'm trying my best!


Class went well today - the classroom environment was jovial and interesting, much like my classes at ONU.  My classmates are from all over the globe - Malaysia, Japan, Poland, and Australia, to name a few.  My professor for International Marketing is from Finland.  I don't know anything about Finland, but our professor had us get into groups and write down our notions of her country.  One Korean student mentioned that she thought the people were exceptionally hairy, which I found hilarious.  When meeting some students in my International Marketing class, I mentioned that I was 21 years old.  A Korean student asked if 21 is my international age or Korean age.  That completely took me by surprise!  A Korean age?!  I asked how that was determined.  Through somewhat broken English, I gathered that Koreans count the time a fetus is in the womb as part of a person's years, so when a child is born, he/she is already 1 year old.  Additionally, Koreans turn a year not only on their birthdays but also on New Year's Day.  Technically, I think, my Korean age is 23 (I turned "22" on October 17, 2010, and "23" on January 1st, 2011).  The student said my Korean age is 19, which I don't quite understand, since time is added, not subtracted.  I will need to investigate this a little more thoroughly, but nonetheless, it's intriguing stuff!


Contemporary Korean Society runs from 4-7 p.m., but today, we ended class (after a vote, which would, in any circumstance, result in a landslide) early at 5:15 p.m.  The professor for this class is the definition of energetic, bouncing around the room like a tennis ball.  He talks quickly in somewhat-understandable English, releasing directed questions when we least expect them.  He was absolutely adorable in his pink shirt, buying us drinks (non-alcoholic) during our break, and explaining that the cans are so small because Korean stomachs are smaller than European stomachs, which are smaller than American stomachs.  The joke is always on us!


Today was the first time I've seen sunny-Seoul.  It is a truly beautiful city, framed with tall mountains fading into the cloudy haze.  Tomorrow, we venture to Everland/Caribbean Bay - the amusement park & water park.  Of course, there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow.

When in Rome...Eat Korean BBQ!

Today, we had the Hanyang University welcoming ceremony and orientation.  High up on the 7th floor of the business building, 600 international students representing 385 universities sat in the auditorium and listened to the many exciting aspects of the Hanyang International Summer School.  

HISS Welcoming Ceremony

I thought this only happened in Ada.

After the welcoming ceremony, we took a campus tour in the wind and rain.  After the orientation, several students and I navigated our way through Seongdong to E-Mart, unveiling an entire community nestled behind the university dorms that I knew nothing about:

Seongdong

These tiny cultural districts are so overwhelming!  Ohioans, there is nothing like this back in our state.  There are restaurants, bars, stores, and homes stacked and crammed into the smallest alleyways imaginable.  It is a sensory overload of smells (both good & bad), sights, and sounds.  Turn around and a car may be inching along quietly behind you, ready to quite literally nudge you out of the way.  Places like this demand attention that is impossible to maintain.


Tonight, we tried Korean BBQ for the first time.  My preconception of this reputable Korean experience included an upscale, Western-looking restaurant with menus and exotic fish in fish tanks.  Instead, a group of us ventured back into Seongdong, down a quiet street, and into one of the dozens of tiny BBQ joints in the area.

Trying Korean BBQ for the first time.

At this restaurant, customers sit on pillows after leaving their shoes at the door.  This idea was much more appealing to me than it turned out to be in reality, as my long appendages did not fare well underneath a table standing a foot high.  In order to eat Korean BBQ, the Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide notes that customers "take a leaf in one hand, and with the other hand, use chopsticks to load it with meat, side dish flavorings, garlic, and sauces.  Then roll it up into a little package and eat it in one go" (95).  My friends, this is exactly what you do - with extreme emphasis on the "eat it in one go" part (which was hard!)  

I, Abbie Sterling, hater of most things meat-related, ate BBQ pork wrapped in lettuce filled with spicy sauces, mushrooms, bean sprouts, rice, onions, and kimchi.

The meat, onion, and garlic is barbecued on grills set into the table.

The grills are set into the tables.

Little, naive me, unsure about the meat. 

I had told myself (and everyone else) that I was going to stick to the vegetables and rice. However, as I sat at the foot-high table, my legs cramped in a very flat Indian-style pose, I wondered when I would ever get another chance (outside of this trip) to eat authentic Korean BBQ.  As the pork sizzled on the grill, I realized that the logical option would be to consume it in mass quantities.  Now I'm paying for it, full of BBQ and rice up to my uvula.  I may never eat again. 

Walking Off Every Meal

Mom and Dad, if I lose weight from this trip, it's not because I'm not eating enough - it's because I'm eating only healthy foods and walking an average of (seemingly) 5-6 miles a day!  We eat huge meals, feeling absolutely stuffed afterwards, and are hungry 2-3 hours after because we walk so much!  Today, we had our first scheduled group excursion - a city tour of Seoul.  Unfortunately, due to the rain, this was cancelled - instead, we took the subway (all 150-200 of us, which I will address shortly) to Coex Mall, Seoul's largest underground mall.  We were supposed to tour the kimchi museum as well, but it was not open.  

Half of the group trying to get on the same subway, which was both hilarious and nightmare-ish.

Some new friends from Kazakhstan, Hawaii, and China and me at the Hanyang University station.

The Coex mall is overwhelmingly enormous, with several floors and dozens of American brands.  Interestingly, American brands (on average) are marked up 20% in Korea.  For example, this "unique" Adidas jacket is on sale for W715,000 (or $715).  Please note the leather wings:

An Adidas jacket for W715,000

Outside the Coex Mall

Outside the Coex Mall

Many of us decided to venture to the Dongdaemun market in the Gwanghwamun neighborhood after shopping at the Coex mall.  This place is by far my favorite shopping location!  "Where to begin in this colossal market?" the Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide says (83).  Shopping in this market includes (but is definitely not limited to) the Doota mall, "a leading fashion icon full to the brim with domestic brands.  Besides floors dedicated to adult clothing, it has a floor of accessory shops (so cool!)...and a food-court floor" (83).  In addition to this mall, surrounding streets offer street-side stalls brimming with shoes, umbrellas, clothes, and knock-off purses.  I have never seen anything like this place - the sidewalks are perhaps similar to a flea market, but the stalls are so full of stuff!  It's hard to walk into some of the little shops because there is merchandise everywhere.  This gave me a thrill of the chase, a sense of excitement to find bargains.  Speaking of bargains, I am proud to announce that I negotiated my first purchase tonight!  My technique was awful to say the least, but it was pretty exciting.  I could feel my face getting red as I continued to say "W15000?" after the storekeeper continued to say "no, 18."  As we began to walk away, the storekeeper said "okay, 16."  I fumbled with my cash to pay W16000, accidentally exposing my W50000, a stupid tactical error a friend pointed out to me later.  Still, I got a pair of shoes for W16000 - $16!  

Dongdaemun market has some awesome local Korean food - I wish I could have tried it all!  Today, I tried some BBQ squid - not really my preference, but it wasn't bad!  I was prepared for the taste after trying dried squid with the Japanese students last summer during the Sakae Program.  Another stall offered "potato hot dogs," which were basically hot dogs with french fries all over them.  They smelled amazing, but we didn't get any.  

The Doota mall is absolutely overwhelming in every sense.  There are 8 massive floors, each dedicated to a specific type of clothing.  The 8th floor has a rooftop garden, which we didn't make it to, unfortunately.  The clothes in this mall were amazing, but quite expensive - somewhat comparable to typical upscale American pricing.

Also in Dongdaemun stands a beautiful palace.  It is an interesting juxtaposition of old and new, of tradition and modernity, to find a palace nestled in the center of such a commercial area.  From my research, this juxtaposition seems to symbolize much of Seoul's ideology of maintaining tradition, remembering the past, which progressively achieving modernity.  Unfortunately, my camera died after this photo, but luckily, a friend still had her camera, so I will eventually get more photos from this day trip.      

HISS students in Dongdaemun

Hong, Tiffany, and I made it back to the dorm around 9:45 p.m.  The others decided to continue shopping after Dongdaemun, but we were whipped and hungry (despite eating at 4:30 p.m.)  Now, it's time for bed.  Tomorrow begins the school-aspect of my trip!

A Myriad of Topics

Since our plans to go out to Hongdae tonight were foiled by rain and jet lag (some students just woke up at 10:30 p.m.), Hong and I decided to venture a short ways from campus in the Seongdong-gu area (I think!) to find some dinner with Tiffany, another ONU student.  I have noticed that a sulfer /egg-water-like smell is somewhat common in some areas of Seoul.  This smell in combination with the many different smells coming from the tiny restaurants is not altogether pleasant.  It actually makes me feel ill.  I'm sure there are many smells in the U.S. that is unpleasant for visitors - things we don't even notice anymore.  Surely, Koreans are used to this smell, but it is hard on my nose.

Anyway, we found a small Korean restaurant to try along with Tiffany's roommate, Aigerim, a girl from Kazakhstan.  She and her two friends, also from Kazakhstan, can understand some Korean, which was helpful.  I'm so jealous of the many international students that are bi-,tri-, and multi- lingual!  It's just not stressed enough in the U.S., which is sad. 

Now, we are back in the room.  The ten day forecast looks a tad bleak:

It looks like rain. 

Oh well, it is rainy season here, so I suppose a ten day forecast of 100% change of thunderstorms isn't unusual.  However, this is the first time I've seen a forecast like that! 


After returning to the dorm, Hong and I applied our facial masks we purchased today - a very popular trend in Korea. 

Trying out our face masks

Indeed, it has not been a particularly eventful evening.  It has been fun, though!


Now, I will conclude with some more photos of the Hanyang.

The business school, where my classes are held. 

The business school, where my classes are held. 

My dorm room

Using the drying rack will be an adventure.

To the right, the door leads to our bathroom.  The left-side doors are closets.  Also, note the drying rack on the ceiling.  I'm sure using that will be an adventure!

Figuring Out My Way Around...Kind of

Today, my friends, I had a few minor break-throughs that helped to squash my homesickness. This morning, I felt fairly ill when I woke up at 5:45 a.m. (for maybe the first time in my life!)  Something I ate yesterday must not have agreed with my stomach.  As I said yesterday, baby steps.  A Western-style breakfast of a blueberry muffin and orange juice gave me a little comfort.  I mentally thanked my mom for suggesting to take peanut butter & crackers and meal bars.  Especially during these first few days, when my stomach is in knots caused by unfamiliarity, having a few familiar things to eat definitely keeps me sane.  That is not to say I am not excited to try many new things - just maybe not for breakfast.  I'm sorry, but I'm not sure that gimbap (Korean-style sushi) will ever appeal to me when I wake up.  For lunch?  Sure.  Dinner?  Absolutely.  Just not breakfast.  


Hong and I navigated our way around campus to breakfast, cutting a 20-minute walk to around 12 with a short cut we found.  Feeling successful after that triumph, we decided to venture to the E-Mart in Wangsimni with a fellow ONU classmate, Gabi, and her roommate, Michelle.  Nobody was sure where to go exactly, but Hong and I had a pretty good idea after our tour around town on the first night here.  We took the subway to Wangsimni, and sure enough, we found E-Mart!  


Below, is a picture of a structure that distributes long, thin plastic bags for customers' umbrellas.  These devices are in almost every store I have been in in Seoul.  At first, I thought it was optional, until I watched Scott get chased back to the bags by a salesperson.  Sure, it seems like kind of a waste of materials, but I think the majority of the places recycle the bags.

Now, I bag my sopping wet umbrella everywhere I go!  

After buying some detergent in E-Mart and walking around Wangsimni Plaza, we took the subway back to Hanyang, where we ate some ramyeon, a kind of instant-noodle soup, at Hanyang Plaza.  The soup has Ramen-like noodles, vegetables, and egg in a spicy broth.  I ate the soup with chopsticks in my left hand and a spoon in my right, as directed by Hong.  Watching Gabi and I eat this way was probably hilarious to passersby, as it took us about 45 minutes to eat a bowl of soup.  There is something kind of cool about that, though.  It forces me to not simply inhale my food, but rather, to enjoy it.

Acuvue Define lenses, which make Asian eyes look bigger.

This Acuvue advertisement is posted outside the Korean restaurant.  According to Hong, these contacts are very popular in Asian countries (but illegal in the U.S.)  Apparently, the contacts make eyes look larger and less-almond shaped.  It is interesting how beauty ideals differ across cultures.   

And now, at 5:00 p.m., we are back in the dorm resting.  Tonight, we plan to go to Hongdae to check out the nightlife and find noraebang (karaoke).  Noraebang are very popular in Korea.  Tomorrow, we have a walking tour of Seoul and Monday, we have orientation to Hanyang.  Classes begin on Tuesday!  

   

Jet-Lag

Yesterday, I thought to myself, "I don't know what everyone is talking about.  I'm not tired at all."  Well, I am definitely feeling it tonight (Friday night, unfortunately).  After sightseeing today in Gangnam and Myeong-dong, we came back to the dorm to relax for a bit.  I mistakenly laid down for a "quick" nap and woke up 2 1/2 hours later.  Unfortunately, that means I am not feeling up for a night out, and I believe I missed my friends leaving anyway.  That's okay, I will have plenty of nights to go out!  Jet-lag is rough.

This is Gangnam, one of the wealthiest districts in Seoul.  Samsung has its largest store in Gangnam, which is internationally famous.  Inside, Hong and I played Mario Kart on the nicest TV I've ever seen:  

Samsung's largest store

Gangnam is full of business suits.  I saw many foreigners in this area, too.

Gangnam

After exploring the Samsung store, we traveled to Myeong-dong, the shopping place we went to yesterday.  

Myeong-dong

This place is really cool!  It's so busy and loud, with street vendors shouting things and a diverse selection of music pouring out of the stores.  I experienced my first "negotiation" opportunity today as I was checking out a pair of shoes (my Korean shoe size is 245) for W2100.  That's 21$ for a pair of shoes!  My friends encouraged me to "negotiate" for a lower price, which is something I've never done before.  Apparently, in places like Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun (major shopping districts), vendors will try to rip off foreigners, so we must "negotiate" for a lower price.  Now, I am not a particularly pushy person.  Any salesperson could talk me into any price.  I thought W2100 was a pretty decent deal, but others thought I could get a better price.  I understand that negotiation is a part of the culture, but to me, it feels strange.  Hopefully I will get used to that.  Regardless, I walked away without the shoes.

After shopping, we ate at a little Korean restaurant called Mr. Mung. There, I had my first kimchi experience.  I am happy to say that I was not repulsed by pickled cabbage!  

Eating at Mr. Mung

The restaurant is so tiny!  I could almost touch the ceiling with my head, indicating that I am near giant-status in Korea.  This photo is a little dark, but you can see on the table a wooden box, which holds super long spoons and metal chopsticks.  In the background, there is a giant tree - we are sitting in the upstairs dining room of the two-floor restaurant.  Below is the meal that we shared.  The large bowls are dubu kimchi jjigae (spicy tofu soup).  The center small bowl is kimchi (pickled cabbage seasoned with garlic and red chili).  It was a tad spicy, but not too bad!  The bowl in front of it contained onions in a soy-tasting broth.  The bowl to the right of the kimchi contained some kind of fish-cake pieces, which were pretty good, too.  I didn't try the bowl with the brown stuff.  Baby steps, people.  Baby steps. 

Dubu kimchi jjigae 

Scott and Hong at Mr. Mung

After we ate, we road the subway back to Hanyang.  Now, I have not ridden many subway systems in the U.S., but the few I have taken were absolutely filthy.  Also, I've heard horror stories about how dirty the New York subway system is.  The subway system in Seoul is absolutely spotless.  We could not find one piece of garbage on any of the trains or stations.  Another thing I've noticed on the subways is "subway etiquette," something I am unfamiliar with.  I often notice young people giving up seats for older folks, which is sweet.  There is a section specifically designed for pregnant women, people with canes, people holding babies, and injured people (as indicated by hilarious symbols.  The pregnant woman looks unnaturally pregnant, in my opinion.)  All-in-all, my subway experiences have been very pleasant!   

Hanyang University

Hanyang University 

Hanyang University 

Hanyang University 

Hanyang University 

The campus is very large (at least in my opinion) and has a very hilly/(mountainous?) terrain.  Last night, Hong and I learned to never wear flip flops in Seoul or around campus when it is wet outside, because the stairs and steep hills are so slippery!  Unfortunately, Seoul's rainy season begins tomorrow, so it appears as though the clouds and rain will continue (and probably worsen).  I guess that means I'll need to go back to Myeong-dong and buy some shoes :D   

Here!

Yesterday was definitely the longest day of my life, since I got to "time-travel" during my trip.  I think I was awake for around 27 hours straight.  I definitely couldn't sleep on the plane, despite my attempt to drug myself.  My flight plan took the plane through Canada and Russia and then down toward Korea.  It was so cool to fly through Russia (where, according to my computer screen, it was around -54 degrees Fahrenheit!)  It was so barren and untouched - it gave me kind of a creepy feeling.  


Landing was somewhat of a disappointment, since it was completely cloudy and rainy and I couldn't see anything.  Also, as we landed, of course the rain/condensation from descending came inside the cabin only right above my seat and dripped all over me for about 20 minutes.  That was awesome.  Seriously, my seat was the only spot in my cabin.  But that stuff always happens to me, so it's okay.  Surprisingly, the flight didn't feel all that long - I was surprised when we had less than an hour left.  Maybe it felt short because the crew passed out around 4 meals throughout the flight - way more than I was expecting. It felt like every time we finished one, the crew passed out another.  And they were not great. 

My arrival!  Not very sunny, you'll note.

After settling into my room in the girls dormitory with my roommate, Hong, I showered (you would not believe the humidity here) and then we toured the city with Scott, his roommate, Kan, and Kyler, Scott's friend who has lived in Seoul for a year.  Walking around was nice, despite my tiredness.  It felt good to be able to stretch my legs, especially on all of the insanely steep hills of the campus.  We explored the subway system (which was not only a new concept for me, since I live in a city without one, but also very interesting since I'm in another country).  The subway system looks fairly easy to grasp.  Walking around the city gave me an odd feeling in my stomach- I guess what most people call culture shock.  I've never been in a place where I can't read much of anything (despite the English signage, which is more prevalent than I thought) or understand what people are saying.  We stopped at a popular Korean restaurant (and I'm kicking myself for not catching the name, but that was probably because I couldn't read it) and ate this (ddokbokki):

Ddokbokki

Again, a very exciting feeling being in this environment as a foreigner.  Apparently, this restaurant was not tourist-y at all - it looked like we were the only foreigners there!  The food was awesome, but paying was slightly embarrassing.  As most of you know, my math skills are a little weak, so figuring that out was a little rough.  My Chinese roommate, Hong, showed me how to use chopsticks (which was probably the third or fourth attempt throughout my life, but this time I am dedicated to really learning!).  I could only pick up approximately one noodle with them, so I switched to a fork so I wouldn't starve.      


After eating, we took a subway to Myeong-dong, a huge shopping district in Seoul.  This place was amazing and I want to go back!  There are roads and roads of the cutest stores imaginable, plus a four story Dunkin' Donuts, which I've never seen before (Dad and Mom, maybe I will try to pick you up a bag of Korean Dunkin' Donuts coffee!)  If I hadn't been totally exhausted, I would have explored this place more.  I definitely will soon - the shopping is absolutely amazing!


I went to bed around 12:15 a.m. (in Seoul) and woke up around 6:00 a.m.  Luckily, I was able to fall back asleep until 9:00 a.m.  Now, it's time to shower and continue exploring the city!  We don't have any official school stuff until Monday, so I have plenty of time to meet other students and sight-see :)

My Last Day in the U.S.

Well, today is my last full day in Ohio!  I have one more night in my own bed before I'm off to Seoul tomorrow (no worries, y'all - I am taking Puff with me).  As I mentioned before, I am no procrastinator - however, my parents and I have been running around like crazy these past few days trying to get things done.  Tomorrow, we'll leave the house around 8:30 a.m. to get to the Detroit airport by 9:30-ish.  For international flights, it's advised that travelers arrive 3 hours early to go through all the fun security stuff.  It sounds like my parents and Greg won't be able to come through security with me, so I will check my bags and then have to say goodbye.  


Saying goodbye is going to be super hard for me.  I can already tell that it's causing me anxiety.  I realize that I'll only be gone for four weeks and that I've gone longer without being home in a familiar environment and seeing the people I love.  I suppose it's just the scale of the trip - I've never been so far from home and so alone (not in the emo sense, but in the sense that I am with all strangers).  My dad made the comment that when I was little, I wouldn't go anywhere unless I knew someone else going.  It's funny that I am now traveling halfway across the world to live among strangers for a month.  I'm proud of my strides toward independence and courage - such things will help me get the most out of the rest of my life. 


NOTE:  I won't have my cell phone while I'm in Seoul - I'm not even taking it.  So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! - do not send me texts or pictures while I'm gone.  I won't get them until I turn my phone back on on July 23rd, and I don't want it to receive messages for four hours.  That reminds me, I should definitely turn off my Facebook mobile alerts.  Just when I think I have narrowed my to-do list, something else comes up!

Leaving in 12 days!

Once again, I can't believe how quickly this trip crept up on me!  I am leaving in twelve days - less than two weeks!  Yesterday, I was informed that our dorm check-in date has been pushed back a day to June 24th due to dorm maintenance.  I am still arriving on June 23rd, so this definitely presents a problem.  This news put me in a panic yesterday morning at 8:15 a.m. when I opened the email, and all day long people warned me against staying in a hostel (which now have negative connotations due to the awful "scary" movie, Hostel).  Luckily, ONU intends to find a way to keep the students arriving on the 23rd together (wherever that may be).      

A part of me will be disappointed if we end up staying in a traditional Western-style hotel.  I have been reading through the Lonely Planet Seoul City Guide and learned that Seoul has many "guesthouses" for foreigners to stay in. The guidebook describes these guesthouses as ideal for "budget-conscious foreigners"; "a big plus is that the young staff speak English and can give advice about getting the most out of your stay in Seoul" (146).  For the same price as a Western-style hotel room, we could "opt for a ondol room, a Korean-style room where [we] sleep on a yo (padded quilt) on the ondol (heated) floor" (146).  I think that would be cool and definitely a unique experience.  Such guesthouses are typically "one-story wooden buildings with tiled roofs built around a small courtyard or garden" (149).  I am certainly open to experimentation in terms of such accommodations (definitely more so than I am with food, which I have also been reading about!)  Hopefully my arrival plans firm up quickly - I am trying to stay positive and calm about my arrival, but it would be a little easier with some concrete plans.

I feel like I have a lot to do still before I leave, but I don't know entirely what I should be doing.  It is very unsettling, as I am not a procrastinator.  I don't want to buy a ton of stuff before I leave because I know I'll buy a lot while I'm there.  I will have very limited time to "get things done" (so vague!) next week, as I will be in Put-in-Bay from Monday to Wednesday with Greg, Dan, and Beth, and working all day Thursday and Friday.  I suppose I have packing to do, but I cannot really begin that task until Monday before I leave.  Hopefully that will give me enough time to be fully prepared to leave on Wednesday, June 22nd.