Seoul-Seeing

Not "The End," ~ "The And..."

2009-05-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'm back home in Sacramento now, and feeling ambivalent about it. On my last trip up to Namsan on Tuesday, I went up the stairs that I normally take to get to the top, but on the way back down the padded concrete road, I noticed that the set of stairs that I took the first time I climbed the mountain (which were under construction for the remaining duration of my time in Seoul), were completely renovated and available for use. So, I descended Namsan on a new set of stairs.

Sneaky 63

2009-04-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Shake your Buddha

2009-04-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

It's awesome when you speak Korean in frustration

2009-04-21T05:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I ate chicken like I've never eaten it before. Teddy brought over two whole chickens from the street vendor near his apartment, and I supplied the beer. The Koreans call it chi-mek [a combination of "chicken" + "mekju" (Korean for beer)]. His mom probably would've been so disappointed, because Erica and I just sat there like little princesses, drinking our beer as Teddy dissected the chickens. Sporadically, he expressed his frustration with his task with choice phrases in Korean. And it was wonderful.

Why do you want to go to Tabasco?

2009-04-21T02:15:00.001-07:00

I have, in the past couple weeks, been involved in nightly escapades. One of the highlights was when I met my former students, Juhee, Min, Jiho, and Jae Sung in Hongdae for dinner. Hongdae was a zoo, partly because we were experiencing beautiful weather that day, and partly because it was Saturday evening. The hordes do not even slightly intimidate me, as I have become rather adept at quick dodges and shoulder movements to avoid possible crashes. This is surely one thing I will miss when I go back home. Moving back to the story, Erica and Teddy joined me for dinner with the friends, as we enjoyed a tantalizing array of kimchi with our galbi. I also had the best kimchi chige that my tastebuds have ever come in contact with. After dinner, they guys took us to a truly exquisite wine bar. I wish the pictures that I took could do it half the justice, but unfortunately they don't. Think Morocco ~ pillows on the floor, candles every where as the source of light, sheer curtains covering entrance ways into the side rooms, golds, purples, deep reds... even writing this now, I want to go back again. The seven of us had our own private area for our wine and cheese tasting. The true highlight was when Teddy thanked the guys for giving me such a positive impression of Korea while they were in Sacramento ~ an impression which led to my eventual extended vacation in Seoul.

I also went to Caliente both nights of the weekend, relaxed for several hours at the jim jil bang with Paulina (and did red ginseng masks!), went to a truly scrumptious Indian food buffet (which was followed by my friend Hector getting pulled over for making an illegal turn across four lanes of traffic in Itaewon, but thankfully ended with a firm warning from the police officer to never make that kind of turn again), feasted on incredibly delicious nigiri in Sinchon, and back to the Well-Being Korean Restaurant down the street for galbi and soju with the team. For Easter, I got an egg, which was nice, because I actually missed my Mom's Easter Egg hunt, a tradition that she continues to keep even though her children are all over the age of 18.

I have one more week, and I'm seriously going to miss this place.

3 Ss

2009-04-14T01:14:00.001-07:00

It keeps getting better and better...

It's just like that...

2009-04-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Officially, I'm embarrassed. Since the night of my return to Seoul on the second of April, my life has literally been non-stop and I have had neither the time nor the energy to get down to blogging. A couple brief notes about the photos... Last Wednesday, I gathered with a group of former students from Seo Il University. I had to take the subway for an hour to get over there, at which point I was met by Duck, who escorted me to a restaurant where the rest of them were all waiting for me. The blood rushed to my face as I struggled to wrap my mind around the fact that four months ago I had been in a classroom with all of those people, laughing and learning about American culture, and then there I was in Seoul with them eating sam gyap sal and drinking soju. Indescribable. Last Friday, I went with Teddy, whom I met through my lovely friend and partner in crime, Paulina, to his university. First we went to his English class, followed by a four hour break, during which time we had nigiri with Teddy's friend TaeJoo and then sat for a couple hours in the sun, eating popsicles, drinking tea, watching a soccer game. It felt like I was in a receiving line because Teddy's juniors would pass by with a wave and a bow, and I returned their greeting. Caliente was incredible on Saturday. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and starting to fall like light little snowflakes, except the weather is warm and beautiful.

Exercise responsible care

2009-04-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

If you will recall, several weeks ago, Erica and I attended the Korean Studies Forum at Yonsei University, where we listened to an Australian professor discuss the impacts of the rise of China on Korea. On Tuesday night, we again visited Yonsei to hear about a study of how Confucianism still remains part of modern Korean society. The presenter, also a professor at CSU Los Angeles, only had a week to prepare for the forum, and since he isn't finished with the analysis of the project's data, we thought that a fifty-minute presentation of the research wasn't quite ripe yet. A "tentative" result of the study was that Koreans are more likely to be individualistic/egalitarian in high personal cost actions in impersonalized social situations, and more likely to exhibit their Confucianist/collectivist values in low personal cost actions in personalized social situations. It again was nice for me to surround myself with other members of academia while trying to remember all of the strange statistical terms that had to commit to memory a few years ago. I think I need to go back and study my Research Methods in TESOL when I get home.

Later today, I will be meeting the group of students from Seo Il Universty, that I met last January during our three-week class on American culture and conversation.

You're not half bad

2009-04-06T02:27:00.000-07:00

New friends at Caliente...

Take this poison

2009-04-01T23:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures that I took while visiting my friend Steve in Daegu... stories to follow when I conjure up enough creative juices.

KATUSA

2009-03-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I met my good friend YoungIn and his friends for dinner and makgeoulli. Scottish accents... ex-girlfriend theories... Perth, of all places... ELI... everything I love to chat about. We had excellent Japanese-style ramien noodles at a very exclusive restaurant in Hongdae. They definitely did not want to discuss the WBC loss to Japan. They even hated to listen to the cooks speak Japanese to each other. Then we bussed it over to Sinchon, where my hosts felt more comfortable leading the way. I have life lessons every day.

Can you wait for me 10 minutes? I have to change my clothes to Superman

2009-03-23T05:50:00.001-07:00

Kimchi pots. The not-so-pleasant part of the HBC. A fake food display at the E-mart.

Doll's eyes

2009-03-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

I did my token good deed aimed towards Korean humanity today. What looked like possibly a lucrative tutoring gig on Thursday when I met two ajewma at the bus stop who inquired about practicing their speaking skills turned out to be merely a five-hour social event which included at least a free lunch.

They were completely sweet, and impressed by my extensive knowledge of Korean culture. We walked to a Catholic church, where we crashed a Korean wedding briefly; toured a little church bazaar, where I was treated to ddok bokki and a take-home container of kimchi; trudged our way through heavy foot traffic in Insadong, where we ate a style of lunch that was historically eaten only by the upper-class, and I know why - it was an endless supply of crazy little dishes: ten different kinds of kimchi, grilled mushrooms, bulgogi patties, fish, noodle dishes, pumpkin soup, kimchi soup, boiled pumpkin with a sugary glaze, salad, and probably a few other things that I can't remember. It was almost overwhelming.

In any event, by the time five hours had passed, my voice was nearly hoarse, my ears were strained from listening to extra syllables at the ends of words (imagine something like, "My English-ee is not-uh good-uh" and having to make sense of similar sounding utterances). The conversation topics today were interesting; I'll give them that. Everything from how Korean husbands don't do housework, to the increase in women power, to the crazy man who set fire to the Namdaemun gate ("Korea's #1 national treasure"), to organic produce, to their opinion that I must certainly be Korean, at least in spirit. I was secretly hoping for a financial reward for my time, but it didn't happen. They did, however, invite me to go climb a mountain located an hour south of Seoul in a few weeks, which I might do, if not for monetary gain, perhaps just for some good old-fashioned karma.

Electric feel...

2009-03-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Koreans on St. Patrick's Day... believe it or not. Really funny.

We did what we said we were going to do...

2009-03-17T03:17:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Erica and I both found ourselves feeling like our heads would soon be exploding for various reasons, so we went forward with the plans that we had made last night to take a one hour subway trip to the north of Seoul, where we climbed a mountain named Bukhansan. It's actually a national park with no entrance fees, containing various temples (complete with real monks), buddhas fashioned from stone, petroglyphs, and rock sculptures. At times, the path was treacherous, as might be assumed with natural rock steps, but it was also relaxing to get out into nature on the warmest day I've experienced yet. Do notice the appropriate attire for Korean hikers: a sparkly visor (so as to not accumulate unsightly freckles), a ski pole, a wind-resistant jacket, and comfortable hiking pants three sizes too large. Erica told me that several years ago, it was voguish for women to wear argyle socks up to the knees, but this time we only found one retro lady. On the subway ride home, I'd say half the travelers were dozing off to sleep, which tempted Erica and I to do the same. I hope that little power nap invigorated us enough to make it through St. Patrick's Day festivities tonight in Itaewon...

P.S. I should say one more thing about the friendliness encountered here... we counted about eight or nine people who politely waved, (in English) said hello, how are you (mostly men) and one woman who said hello in Korean. It was apparently happy hour for everyone coming down the mountain.

30 people, 12'x12' kitchen

2009-03-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

Friday's big night out (I think I didn't get home until 4 or so, due to my inability to say no to more dancing and fancy champagne) allowed for a lovely sleeping-in day. Erica made Omar's famous tacos in the afternoon to bring to our German-Korean salsa instructor friend's birthday party. Her name is Korena and she is quite a hoot. We were running late for the party because of the taco-making process and so we decided to take a taxi over to Korena's. When we arrived at the bottom of her street, I realized that the hill leading up to her apartment far surpassed the one at our apartment in both the length and degree of incline. Erica and I were huffing and puffing by the time we got there. I think I've never been to a house with so many people in such a small area, and with so many people from different countries. Surrounded by Germans, Canadians, a Kazakh, an Israeli, Americans, Koreans, I did a 360-degree turn, hearing the buzzing of beautifully different languages. Olga, the Kazakh, made a comment to me that in a room so packed with people, it forces you to become social; I agreed, and I did participate in a number of interesting conversations, with topics ranging from the glories of Craigslist to latin boyfriends to Korean swimming clubs to Fasnacht to the Bachata - but Olga and I were also the ones out on the porch every so often to breathe fresh air and regain our personal space.

You should have a halfsie

2009-03-13T22:33:00.001-07:00

Moet & Chandon

Veuve Cliquot

Yes, I also needed something special!

2009-03-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Yonsei University tonight for an Australian professor's discussion about Korea's reaction to China's up-and-coming-ness in terms of world power. I took diligent notes for anyone who might be interested. After, we were invited by a Korean professor to have sam gyap sal at a restaurant with about 50 other people, left our shoes at the door, hence the picture.

(Where's Waldo? fun: Find my shoes!)

To be sure, to be sure

2009-03-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kristen, I met while I was finishing the last few courses of the TESOL program at Sac State. The girl is simply loads of fun. At the moment, she is in China finishing her second year of service for the Peace Corps, and I happened to run into her on Facebook a couple weeks ago. We chatted for a while, and then she told me that I should try to meet one of her friends, Nicky, who is teaching in Seoul. After an exchange of e-mail and Facebook messages, Nicky and I made our appointment (the Koreans always say "appointment" when they're talking about plans they make with friends ~ I kinda like it!), I suggested Caliente because, well, what else is there to do on a Saturday night in Seoul? Actually, there are endless possibilities for Seoul's Saturday nights, but I've had such a gas each previous weekend there, so I thought I'd share the magic. As it turned out, Nicky and Emily (picture 2), both Scotland-born, loved Caliente. I think we got there sometime between ten and eleven ~ and it was absolutely packed with people.I can think of no other place that I've been in the world where the people-watching is better... the fashion, the little episodes of drama that I'm becoming more familiar with now that I'm a regular, the facial expressions of the dancers, the new dance moves all combine for the best entertainment this side of the Han River. The girls were asked to dance almost immediately upon arrival, and they had no problems in that department all night long. I also happened to find my new favorite salsa partner. His name is Hyun Suk (picture 3), and he's a salsa instructor! How fortunate for me.

Until the wee small hours of the morning, we danced our cares away to the Bachata...

The map was in Korean

2009-03-04T06:37:00.001-08:00

This is the War Memorial Museum in Seoul. Another completely free venue... the Koreans really know how to encourage the public to become more well-rounded and knowledgeable.

Behold the beautiful scenery

2009-03-02T03:52:00.001-08:00

My favorite Korean lady (because she makes my preferred dessert dish ~ hoddeok ~ baked, not fried)

The vacation's vacation with Steve

2009-02-27T04:18:00.000-08:00

Where to begin? How about Monday morning…
Found my way by bus to the Express Bus Terminal, right across the Han river. I had to be there to catch the bus at 12, but I allowed myself enough time for the bus ride and in case I got lost or had trouble figuring out how to get my bus ticket. Thankfully, there was a “foreigner window” with a helpful young woman behind it to assist me with my travel arrangements. It was 22,000won for a four hour bus ride to Daegu, where my friend Steve lives. The bus ride was unfortunately uneventful, as much of the scenery reminded me of the foothills heading either to Reno or South Lake Tahoe. I’m glad I decided to take the bus instead of the train though… not only was it half the price but I also got to see some of the countryside of Korea where many vegetables are artificially grown.

When I arrived, Steve was on his way to meet me and our other friend Joo Byung, who had also taken a bus from Seoul to Daegu that day - a horrible disappointment that we didn’t end up on the same bus together. The three amigos then hopped on the subway bound for downtown Daegu, where we had dinner (quite delicious), and drank soju. After that, we went to a traditional Korean bar where we drank kind of a sweet liquor out of a section of bamboo. A very eco-friendly carafe, I thought. Back home for showers and then we sat around a small table snacking for the last few hours of the day, laughing all the while.

Tuesday morning, Steve’s mother prepared a breakfast feast unlike any other spread I’ve seen before. You see, the Koreans definitely do not differentiate between breakfast-type meals and lunch-type meals. We had steamed rice, bulgogi, kimchi, salted fish, and a glass noodle/veggie dish. She was so sweet and cute as she attended to our every dining need. Rather than sitting down with us to eat, she excused herself with a beautiful smile, explaining that she had a stomach ache.

Arirang News-uh

2009-02-27T04:14:00.000-08:00

The above five pictures and the first picture in this entry were taken in a land called Gyeong Ju, about an hour and a half's drive from Daegu. In the morning after what could surely be considered a gluttonous breakfast, Steve and I were sitting in his room when his mother walked in and started speaking. At this point in my Korean-language-learning, I am intensely listening to see if I can decipher words that I already know, and I did so as his mother spoke. Although I couldn't understand much, I heard her say jin-ja several times, which is my favorite word in Korean, and means "really." I hear it all the time. After their exchange of words, Steve told me that there had been a change of plans. Originally, Joo Byung, Steve and I were going to leave for Busan by bus around noon or one, but Steve's mom thought that it would be a culturally-enlightening experience if we took a little tour of Gyeong Ju, a very
well-known middle school field-trip destination, as Steve explained it. Essentially, it is miles and miles of land (apologies for being so vague - I never was able to find it out) containing various museums, temples, statues, relics and ancient kings' tombs. What appeared to be an impressively beautiful series of rolling hills were actually tombs. It was such a pleasant day for walking around Gyeong Ju ~ a slight breeze but definitely warmer than it had been in the preceding days. On the way back to the downtown area, Steve's mom treated us to lunch at a precious little restaurant. Removing our shoes once again and sitting on the gently heated floor, we ate tofu soup, rice, kimchi, acorn jelly, and salad. On the walls, traditional tools for farming were displayed, and Steve's mom explained to all of us how they once were used. This was the truly interesting part of the meal because it seemed that neither Steve nor Joo Byung were familiar with the tools, and Steve did an incredible job of translating into English for me. Then on to Busan by bus. It took a little over an hour and the boys slept for most of it as I jealously watched them. The crazy driving combined with my general inability to sleep unless I'm in my bed made the trip seem longer than it actually was, but when we finally arrived in Busan, I suddenly felt rejuvenated by the ocean air. That evening, we met our friend TJ, and picked out the fish that we would eat that night, which was then sent to the restaurant across the street. I would be willing to wager that it is not possible to have fresher sashimi than what we ate that night. Now get ready for this: that evening, we slept at a jim-jil-bang, and it was perhaps the most relaxing time of my life. Imagine, stowing your belongings safely in a locker, taking a shower (Korean-style), changing into a fresh set of unisex pajamas (provided by the establishment), wrapping yourself in fresh quilts, and then lying down on cool marble in a huge, softly lit, extremely quiet common room. Surrounding the immense room were various dry saunas, each with different themes. My personal favorite was the jade room. The walls and floors were covered in it. The next morning, Steve and I toured several of the saunas and chatted. He showed me how to wrap my hair with a wet towel so as to avoid dry follicles. Then we spent an hour and a half in the showers and pools upstairs (gender-separate, of course). When we walked out of there, we felt like noodles, and it was incredible.

1 Ticket to Seoul please, 1 ticket to Daejeon

2009-02-27T04:08:00.000-08:00

The last couple days, Steve and I spent at his parents' apartment back in Daegu. I met his best friends, and I could sense their closeness between the jokes and laughter and banter. One night, Steve prepared pig intestines for our dinner, and we ate it in the traditional way with lettuce and sesame leaves, an array of kimchi, vegetables and sauces. Steve did his best to prepare me for the horrid smell that the intestines would emit as they grilled, and even suggested plugging my nose with some kleenex. I was ready for the worst, so when I actually smelled them cooking, it was not nearly as awful as I had expected. The taste, on the other hand, was absolutely delicious and like nothing I've ever tried before. I'm definitely not brave enough to whip up this meal on my own, but if Steve ever wants to again, I'd be more than happy to indulge. Also, that night Steve's father came home from work while we were eating, and presented me with an exquisite piece of Korean artwork, consisting of five Korean masks lined up vertically in a frame. I was so shocked and honored that he would think of me in such a way.

The last day with Steve is one that I surely will never forget for the rest of my life. We woke up late, ate breakfast together, and packed my belongings. He was so sweet as he carried my bags out the door (he even shined my boots before we left the house!) and drove me all the way to the train station. He helped me purchase my ticket and even ran with me to catch the train. As we were running to catch the train, he said, "OK, let's start saying our goodbyes now." I thanked him over and over, divulging my previously hidden emotions regarding the generosity of his parents, and made plans to meet again in April. When we got to the queue, we realized that we had a few extra minutes until the train left, so he boarded it with me to help me stow my bags in the overhead compartment. We hugged, I expressed my gratitude again, and he walked out of the train car, BUT was unable to leave the train itself because the main door had just closed and we started rolling away! I looked over at him in the next car over, and he returned the look with eyes as wide as any I've ever seen. Immediately, we both started dying with uncontrollable laughter, which honestly lasted for about ten minutes. He asked the train attendant if there was going to be a stop before the final destination of Seoul, and thankfully there was, in Daejeon, about an hour away. Steve mentioned that he was such a good host that he had to at least see me half-way to Seoul. What a guy, that Steve.

Sorry for the delay...

2009-02-25T07:10:00.001-08:00

I've been in Daegu with my dear friend Steve since Monday (with a one-night stay in Busan Tuesday to visit our friend TJ); but I'll be back on Friday-ish with a full account of this week's happenings. A little preview of what's to come: it's going to be lengthy.

Finally ~ JY!!

2009-02-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

Then the cold air hit me...

2009-02-21T06:55:00.001-08:00

Next to impossible means nothing anymore... I was coming home from my run up Namsan yesterday afternoon and happened upon a huge group of people all wearing the same jackets and lugging the same backpacks. In and of itself, it was a strange thing to see.

A few of them waved, so I returned the favor... when all of a sudden I spotted my friend Juhee amongst the crowd. Sheer amazement ran its course through my veins. A smile, a wave, a brief bow, and we kept walking in our opposite directions.

New territory

2009-02-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Gyeongbokgung Palace

2009-02-18T01:06:00.001-08:00

Gyeongbokung Palace was even more impressive than the Deoksugung Palace that I visited a few weeks ago, and luckily I arrived just as the changing of the guard was taking place again. For 3000won (less than $3) I enjoyed not only the palace grounds, but also the National Folk Museum. Next time I visit this place, I will go to the National Palace Museum of Korea, which is also nestled within the confines of the palace. One thing that struck me was how immaculate everything was, but in this country, the Koreans clean the old-fashioned way - no noisy and nettlesome high-pressure hoses, leaf-blowers, or garbage trucks. Instead, a crew of meticulous groundskeepers go over every inch of the pathways, gardens, walls, sitting areas, and restrooms, with an assortment of quaint cleaning tools such as small brushes, rags, mini-brooms, etc. I first noticed this event when I clambered up Namsan last week and saw a small maintenance crew sweeping the road that winds all the way up to the top of the mountain. The brooms they were using were crudely fashioned out of pieces of straw and string. I would imagine that keeping that street in the pristine condition that it is every morning is a terribly challenging task. Nevertheless, I truly appreciate how much effort the maintenance crew puts into their duties.

Around every corner and through every gate was another brilliant opportunity to put my photography skills to the test. If you can't tell from the pictures, the weather was harsh - 32 degrees F and slightly breezy, making it seem even more frigid. Holding both my camera and the map of the palace grounds was
almost painful.

A little history for you~

Gyeongbokgung served as the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty beginning in 1395, and once consisted of roughly 330 buildings arranged in a beautifully complex labyrinth. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, the majority of the palace buildings were demolished, save for a few of the most vital structures. For the past 30 years, the palace has been undergoing a huge restoration process.

In the Folk Museum, where I took the picture of the Korean version of a neon sign (which translates to Shining for Longevity and Fortune), I became more aware of the intricacies of Confucianism, and how strongly it has influenced Korean society for centuries and centuries. Way too much to explain in a blog entry, but I am so grateful for my solo Seoul-seeing adventures today.

Peppero

2009-02-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last blog entry, and that's embarrassing. It's not that I don't want to write ~ it's just that I literally don't know where to begin. Allow me to resume where I left off: Erica, Omar and I did decide to go out on Valentine's night... not much in the way of arm-twisting occurred. We opted for a new salsa club by the name of Latin Americana or something like that. After walking through the seedier streets of Itaewon, encountering Korean drag queens, American soldiers three sheets to the wind, and quarreling young couples, we happened upon this club, which unfortunately was completely dead inside. But it was too outlandishly and festively decorated with Valentine's Day trimmings that we couldn't pass it up. Also, the bartender offered the ladies free drinks - it would've been rude to deny his libation. Oddly enough, one of the guys we had met the previous night at Caliente, George (with the Spanish pronunciation), arrived at Latin Americana shortly after we did. Let me explain why I say oddly enough: I think it would be next to impossible to run into someone that you know in Seoul. This city is huge - the 2nd largest in the world behind Tokyo in terms of population - and everyday when I walk around, it really feels that way. We finished our drinks and headed back over to Caliente for more salsa dancing. That night was much like the previous night in terms of the heat on the dance floor, the eclectic crowd, and my extremely amateur abilities to actually dance to salsa music. On night two, however, I people-watched for a considerably larger portion of the night, observing the token Mexican ladies' men who were making the rounds, the Korean salsa dancers who had obviously had years of training, the Americans who were happy to receive the undivided attention from many Koreans hoping to improve their speaking abilities in English, and the few sleepers who were exhausted from another full night of shaking it. A light Mexican food snack was our finale for the night and we were tucked cozily in our beds by five in the morning.

Jump to last night, when I met my good friends Steve, Young In and Joo Byung for dinner, and a more authentic Korean cultural experience. We ate pork galbi in an area of Seoul famous for its galbi. I love how in some restaurants they make you take off your shoes at the door and then sit cross-legged on thin pillows on a softly heated floor. We passed around a bottle of soju, then headed for another bar that was a quick taxi ride away next to Hong Ik University. This part of town had a noticeably younger crowd, and honestly I was shocked to see them all out so late drinking. The four of us had a traditional fermented-rice drink which was served from a dented tea kettle (dented because, as Young In told me, the restaurant can get away with putting less alcohol in it!). Korean pizza was the agreed-upon drinking snack, and not even closely resembles the pizza that I'm used to. It reminded me more of an omelette with green onions, oysters, shrimp, carrots, and a few other ingredients. Steve was getting antsy within an hour or so, and kept complaining that he had come all the way from Daegu (about a two hour train ride) and put so much effort into getting to Seoul but the plans that Young In and Joo Byung had made were disappointing him. (I think this is some kind of Korean joking thing that they frequently do to tease close friends.) Another short taxi ride followed (good thing they're cheap in Seoul!) and we found ourselves at a tiny bar with a few more traditional Korean drinks and snacks. The spicy chicken skewers were absolutely amazing... can't get enough of those! We took pictures and laughed about stories from our past in Napa Hall together at Sac State, and we each kept commenting about how happy we were to finally be reunited again in Seoul. Graciously, they walked me all the way to the gate of my subway stop, and we said our goodbyes, promising each other that we would meet again soon.

Jin ja Frio!

2009-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Didn't think I had it in me to stay up til five two nights in a row...

It snowed last night in Seoul as we were ending our second night in a row at Club Caliente...

Valentine's Day turned out to be surprisingly lovely - I spent it with my friend Min, who gave me a tour of Insadong, an area in Seoul famous for its traditional shops. I tried bulgogi for the first time, a tasty beef dish with onions and glass noodles in a thin salty broth. I returned home around ten in the evening and the roomies and I considered going out for the evening.

Dip-to-ma-lou

2009-02-13T22:37:00.001-08:00

Asi es la Vida

2009-02-13T01:46:00.001-08:00

I've noticed that I could probably begin every blog entry now with, "It was a lazy day" or something along those lines, but today I truly mean it. It was a rainy and stormy day in Seoul; the sun didn't wake me up until close to eleven. The rain made it easy for me to decide to skip the hike up Namsan for today, but it also made it hard for me to do anything else that one might consider productive. Tonight, Erica, Omar and I are heading to Club Caliente, a nearby hotspot in Itaewon, where I hope to commence my love affair with salsa-dancing. There will be pictures, of course, with accompanying stories to follow. Buenas noches, annyonghi chumuseyo, good night!

Lock it, but don't throw your key away...

2009-02-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

Finally I'm on Korean time: staying up and waking up late! Thankfully, I took my camera with me today up to Namsan... what a gorgeous morning! I've gotten out of the habit of packing it in my pocket because it's slightly irritating as it weighs down that square of my sweatshirt when I jog, but I wanted to get some good shots of the lock fence on the lower observation deck of Seoul Tower. The trend is to buy a lock from the gift shop (or I suppose you can bring your own), write a little note on it, then lock it to the chain-link fence. But you must keep the key in case there's ever a massive clean-up, at which time you must return to the fence and collect your lock (see photo). I'm returning there this evening for some sort of light show and I'll be sure to leave my lock and message on the fence so that a piece of me will always remain in Seoul.

Another relaxing time at the sauna, but this time a Korean lady actually talked to me! Even though I couldn't understand her, she was smiling and laughing as we both dressed our squeaky-clean selves.

Time is not of the Essence

2009-02-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

It was a lazy day for me here at the apartment... too much excitement early on with the military encounter. Something I forgot to mention about this morning: I passed a huge group of little two-foot tall Korean kids, probably about 50 or so, on a field trip to Namsan. They were holding hands, walking up a steep hill, two by two. I passed them, looking down at the ground, so as to not seem like a ridiculous, smiling American (because I've heard from some of my Korean friends that they think a smiling person on the street is crazy) and all of a sudden one of them caught my attention, smiled at me, waved and said "hi." He must have been the brave one - after that the remaining children each waved at me in passing! It was such a precious experience. This evening, Erica, Omar and I went to a restaurant and had beef and pork galbi, with an assortment of various types of kimchi. The women who were helping us grill the meat were so kind, telling us the Korean words for the vegetables and other ingredients on the table. It was absolutely delicious and we're happy to know that there's a great restaurant within walking distance that is truly affordable. By the way, the dog in the photo tried to take chunks out of Erica's and my derriere as we walked by. I should have known better and heeded the sign directly above the dog that read, "Don't touch it." At the moment, I'm drinking a scrumptious citrus honey tea... one like I've never had before. The thick mixture of lemon and honey comes in a jar, and a healthy helping of it is scooped into a mug, to which we have added boiling water. I'll definitely be looking for this at the Korean market once I get back home.

Military Presence in Namsan Park

2009-02-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Scanning this morning's edition of The Korea Herald, I was informed that a North Korean missile test is looming, and is evidenced by the departure of the Chinese fishing vessels in the Yellow Sea (www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/02/11/200902110079.asp). I'm not exactly sure if this is the reason for the military presence in Namsan Park, but it's difficult to see it as merely coincidental. South Korea has a mandatory two-year military service for its young men, and most usually complete their duty sometime between the ages of 18 and 22. It is such a strange sight to see these boys, really, holding massive guns, faces painted, in full battle get-up, standing around in what I find to be one of the most peaceful settings.

Taco Day

2009-02-09T04:14:00.001-08:00

Oh the excitement that rushed through my being when I had my first view of the Han River! Each previous morning was fairly foggy, making my view somewhat limited. However, this morning was "fresh" (as Ambri's Italian/French boyfriend Giuliano would likely describe it... a little chilly) and clear, allowing me to see how incredibly immense this city truly is. The Han River was a streak of sparkling silver off in the distance, and I can't wait to get a closer experience with it. When I got back to the apartment, Erica informed me that it was taco day. A friend of hers and Omar's invited us over to her apartment, where Omar made his famous tacos for us. He also made a special drink for me, a michelada, consisting of beer (in this case, a Korean beer!) spiked with hot sauce, a splash of lemon, and the the rim of the glass lined with worm salt (can't remember the Spanish word for it). It was rather tasty and really warmed my belly! The tacos were again muy bueno! Four of them later, I was ready for a snooze though, so I thanked my gracious hostess and headed home for the power nap. It's been a quiet evening so far and I think I'll just lay low tonight and catch up with my e-mail and such.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Nandaemun Market

2009-02-09T01:08:00.000-08:00

Just a brief blurb about this video... Sunday afternoon was pretty quiet around town, but I took a walk down to the Nandaemun market hoping to get some good pictures of the masses, but sadly it was not as busy as I had hoped. One interesting thing did happen though: turning the corner of one of the market's streets, I found myself right in the middle of some kind of parade, with a scantily-clad Korean man as its ring-leader. It went on for a good five minutes, and I still haven't quite determined why they chose this particular woman to dance with, but she seemed to enjoy it, as did most of the Korean spectators.

There's a Reason for Everything

2009-02-07T04:43:00.001-08:00

This morning, I woke up with a crazy case of the bed-head (please see the self-photo on the left). Erica recommended an alternate route for the morning ascent of Namsan, so I checked it out and found that Seoul

provides a free gym membership to all of its residents. The catch? You actually have to enjoy yourself in nature! There were at least six different spots that I counted; each of which contained an array of somewhat archaic-looking
workout machines, but nonetheless did the trick. It was also a sauna day for me, and as soon as I entered I figured out that it was also sauna day for half the ladies of
Haebongchon. It was super crowded in there, but at least I came prepared today with my shampoo, soap, and Korean scrubber. A much more comfortable and relaxing experience than the last time! Upon my arrival back at the apartment, an e-mail from my good friend Juhee was waiting for me to plan the evening's social activities. We skyped for some time and agreed to meet at a station close to both of us at four o'clock where we would then transfer to another subway to take us to Gangnam, at which station we would meet Jiho (my oppa who picked me up from the airport on Tuesday). Gangnam is ridiculously crowded with people, clubs, bars, stores of all kinds, and restaurants - however not nearly as sketchy as Itaewon. Jiho chose a Vietnamese restaurant and I enjoyed a spicy chili rice seafood dish, soup, and tea. To make room for the beer that we later would drink, we strolled around Gangnam looking for 1) work shoes for Juhee and 2) a survival Korean book for me. A side note about the bookstore... it was huge and I've never seen so many people interested in books before. Jiho took us to Praha Castle for beer. Apparently this establishment is a brewery so of course I had to sample some locally-brewed Korean (/Czech/German!) beer appropriately named "Dunkel." It was so delicious that I had to have two of them. We talked about work, Korea's economy, America's economy, Obama, plastic surgery, Korean banks, what they missed about Sacramento, the drinking culture of Korea, the explanation for the cut-throat competitiveness of many Korean people, casinos, the experiences we shared while they were studying at Sac State, maternity leave in Korea... and by the end of each of these conversations, I realized that, more often than not, things happen for a reason. By 8:30, we were tired. The subway back home was packed to the brim but I feel quite at ease using it to get around the city now, even when I'm alone.

More Discoveries in Namsan Park...

2009-02-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

In Namsan Park, only you have to wear the leash, not your dog.

Day 4 ~ Lots of Walking!

2009-02-06T00:58:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning just like the past few mornings - early - wondering if I should try to go back to sleep or just roll with it and climb Namsan

Mountain again. I went with the latter, but my calves were still a bit tight from yesterday's toing and froing. All the same, it was a beautiful and foggy morning up there as I joined the elderly, early-morning walking club in what I find to be my new favorite way to begin the day. The breakfast of champions came next - Korean Special K, two cups of tea, and a mandarin. I decided to contact one of my former students to see if he might want to have lunch today, and we made plans to meet at a nearby subway station at 1pm. It was the strangest feeling to see him standing there by the entrance to the subway because just a few weeks ago, we were in my classroom at Sac State and I was teaching him about American culture, and then suddenly I was in Seoul, and he would soon teach me about Korean culture. Poor thing, though, was so nervous - he even commented that usually he walks and eats alone so it was "awkward." I tried to explain to him that there was no reason to see it as awkward because it didn't matter to me what we did or where we went, that he could pretend he was alone if he wanted to and I would just follow him around. It broke the ice, and slowly he started speaking in a seemingly comfortable way. The station where we met was in Itaewon, and we soon discovered that, because the area caters mostly to foreigners, the restaurants were highly overpriced. Hopping on the subway and heading to a neighborhood that was a little less touristy was our resolution.

Lunch consisted of sam gyop sal, which is prepared at the table with a hot grill, thick pieces of pork strips, onions, garlic, kimchi, one piece of potato, and tofu. On the side comes an array of veggies: lettuce leaves, sesame leaves, radish, green onion threads, baby cucumber kimchi, and a hot chili dipping sauce. Basically, it's the Korean version of a lettuce wrap that's supposed to be eaten all in one bite, but my student made fun of my "small American jaw" because I couldn't stuff the entire wrap in my mouth. Oh well, it was delicious in two bites too!

Then it was time to walk some more. We went to the Deok Su Gung Palace, and were just in time for the changing of the guard. I've seen the changing of the guard in Edinburgh and London, but this one takes the cake. Actually, it was a little long, and I could see my lunch buddy yawning in my peripheral vision more than once, but if you watch the video, at the end, there's a few seconds where the guys whose job it is to keep people out of the way are completely standing in the way chatting it up while an important ceremony is taking place fifteen feet in front of them.

The palace itself was tranquil, a shocking dichotomy between the packed-like-sardines streets of Seoul and these sparse royal grounds. The best part about exploring this city with a Korean is that I get the types of history lessons that I could never have in a classroom.

Day 3, Part 2

2009-02-05T02:50:00.000-08:00

Following the jaunt up to Seoul Tower, I came home and ate some Korean Special K with soy milk. A brief note about the soy milk - it's so much more delicious here for some reason. The only thing I can say about it is that its robust consistency and fuller flavor would likely make a milk-lover have a change of heart. Then, it was off to the sauna. Erica drew a very precise map for me (please see picture) but unfortunately I am terrible with directions. I asked a young Korean girl if she knew the way to the sauna, and she then became my guide and walked with me down the street, for which I expressed my gratitude.

Sorry, but there will be no pictures to accompany the story that comes next. I walked into the sauna (and at this point, Erica's map did become handy because there were two doors to choose from in the sauna building, and one had the Korean characters for sauna on the front, so I knew which one to enter), removed my shoes, paid my 4000won, and walked into the locker room. For 4000won, patrons don't receive all the bells and whistles, mind you. And at least I have one previous sauna experience with which to compare today's. A few months ago, Ambri and I took a chance at a Korean spa in San Francisco. That one was much more expensive but they provided the Korean scrubber (and haven't been able to take a shower without since), the shampoo, soap, etc. Back to the story... I expected that the sauna would provide the shampoo and soap because patrons are supposed to essentially sterilize themselves before entering the steam rooms and various pools. But my expectations were not met. I stood there at the showering area with nothing but my little Korean scrubber and felt so embarrassed that I hadn't brought my own soap! Putting my shame aside, I sat down at the shower with the other Korean women and started scrubbing away. I decided to take a small risk and ask the young lady next to me if I could have a little of her body wash, and she smiled sweetly then gave me not only her body wash but also some shampoo and conditioner! The usual routine for the sauna, I observed, is to alternate between the shower, the steam room, back to the shower, to the pools, return to the shower - all with the intent of not contaminating the steam room area with sweat, dead skin and other impurities, I think. Then something really interesting happened: I looked out of the corner of my eye only to watch a woman loudly remove the phlegm from her nose and throat onto the tile floor near the pool. Hmmmm, something didn't make sense to me in that moment. At that point, my skin was almost like a baby's and my nostrils were burning from the hot steam, so I opted to head for the locker room again. One last note about the Korean women in the sauna... of course I was the only white woman in there, so all eyes were on me. They were quiet when I was in the shower area and the pools, but as soon as I stepped into the steam room and closed the door behind me, I could faintly hear their banter back and forth, and I can only surmise that some of it had to be about me because it again ceased when I returned to the shower. This is what it feels like to be on the outside.

Moving right along, I dried off, got dressed and headed back home, making a quick stop at the market to pick up another package of my favorite cookies - Orion Diget. Imagine a more delicious, crackery version of a graham cracker, topped delicately with chocolate. I also wanted some lunch so I picked up a little pack of ramen noodles for about 50 cents. Cheap and satisfying.

Later in the evening, I walked down the street to Itaewon, which is, as Erica explained perfectly, sketchy. It's a long, brightly-lit street, with a variety of different ethnic restaurants, imitation designer clothing stands, souvenir shops, knick-knacks, bars, clubs, American soldiers, young Korean people... basically a hodge-podge of sketchiness (sorry I really can't think of another word for it!). I walked from one end to the other, and thankfully wasn't bothered at all. I picked up some beautiful ceramic dishes - a bowl and a plate - that I'll now be using for my at-home meals.

That other picture is a look back at Seoul Tower as I walked toward Itaewon. I didn't actually feel like taking out my camera as I strolled through Itaewon, except for the time when I saw my club, which I did not enter.

My Early Morning Jog up to Namsan Mountain

2009-02-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

This morning, with the jet lag still in full effect, I decided to put on my running shoes and head to Namsan Mountain again.

2009-02-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Exploring Seoul with Erica and Omar

2009-02-04T02:15:00.000-08:00

My apologies for ending the last post so abruptly, but suddenly I became very tired and found it necessary to immediately finish and take an early morning nap. Damn that jet lag. It hasn't been too bad today - it's 7:20pm and I haven't felt the urge to crash yet. This morning I woke up and my new roommate Erica was kind enough to make me a breakfast burrito with ham, eggs and hot sauce that made me sweat... so delicious! It was a nice start to a full day of walking around Seoul. Erica and Omar then gave me a tour of the neighborhood (the name of which is Haebongchon and means "freed people's village" because North Koreans were "put" here after being liberated following the Korean War - I think... I need to ask Erica again about this, so please don't quote me), and they showed me the small, slightly bigger, and biggest supermarkets. For some reason, when I travel, I just like to walk around the local supermarkets to see what's cookin. We also went around to all of the ATMs so that I could try to take out money. Our third attempt was a success, however I was only able to withdraw 100,000 won, which is about $70-ish dollars. If that's my limit for each day, I might be forced to Skype Golden 1 to see if they can do anything to help me in that area.

Seoul has an incredibly intricate web of a subway system. I've never seen anything like it. Thankfully, Erica and Omar were familiar with directions and stops, so it made our trip to the "1000 won store" (kinda akin to the American Dollar Store) - where I purchased hangers, a mirror, a much-needed purse notebook, and an over-the-door hanger for my towel - that much easier. Before we hopped on the subway though, I bought an incredibly convenient T-money card that has a little sensor in it and can be used for the subway and buses in Seoul. The first subway that we got on had heated seats! It made my people-watching experience that much more pleasant. I saw a man trying to sell people little plastic brightly-colored tools with small ridges on them, made especially for removing hair from drains. He even had a sample piece of a drain pipe and illustrated the appropriate motion with which to remove that troublesome hair clog. I wondered how he could possibly make enough money to survive selling little pieces of plastic.

For lunch, we went to a Peruvian restaurant (which is funny because I've been in Korea for nearly 24 hours and haven't yet eaten a bite of Korean food) and we each had the daily special which was a bowl of mushroom soup, flattened chicken breast (I actually heard the chefs pounding violently in the kitchen) which was lightly breaded and fried, rice with little pieces of carrot and olives on it, a cabbage salad, and a dipping sauce that tasted like a cross between ketchup and cinnamon apple sauce. It was so interesting to listen to Koreans speak Spanish, and then listen to Peruvians speak Spanish with Omar. I've decided that I'll probably be a better Korean speaker and Spanish speaker by the time I go back home.

After lunch, we took a different subway route and then got on the bus. If you transfer from the subway to the bus within 20 minutes, it's a free transaction. Upon arriving at the apartment, we found the landlady still re-doing the kitchen floor, so we dropped off our bags, donned the tennis shoes, and took a walk to Namsan Park. At the top of Namsan mountain is the Seoul Tower. I'm not sure what purpose it serves, but I'll find out. We ascended the seemingly unending set of uneven and steep stairs, until we got about half-way up the mountain where the stairs were replaced by a meandering street that served mostly buses that take people quickly up and down the mountain. I was impressed by how thoughtful that road's creators were - the walking lane was a wide path of padded cement so as to alleviate potential joint pain that daily hikes up the mountain might lead to. Finally reaching the top, I had a view of a city unlike any that I ever could have even imagined. The buildings in Seoul are just everywhere, seemingly on top of each other, in all directions, in all sizes. There will be pictures soon, but the ones I would have posted at this point of the blog wouldn't do the place justice because it was a little foggy here this afternoon.

On our way back from Namsan Park, we walked through Haebongchon again, and I was able to recognize certain little landmarks, such as the corner where I almost got hit by a car because I wasn't paying attention, or the clothesline of hangers gently placed on a petite second-story balcony and marks the street our apartment is on.

I bought some soy milk, some Korean Special K, some mandarins, bottled water, and some amazingly delicious cookies at the big supermarket in the neighborhood.

Now I'm just laying in bed, thinking about what I might do tomorrow.

2009-02-04T02:13:00.000-08:00

DAY 1

2009-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

What the… Seoul?

After a somewhat hellacious plane ride (duration = approximately 12 hours, complete with children who scream and cry for no apparent reason [but thankfully responded to one of the stunningly beautiful Singapore Airlines flight crew members who reminded me of Sweet Lime in Darjeeling Limited], nose-pickers who make no small effort to hide their shameful acts, and coughers/sneezers who opt not to cover their mouths/noses), I arrived at Incheon Airport, about an hour’s drive from Seoul. What struck me at this point is how I find myself easily irritated by people who aren’t aware of how annoying their actions might be to others. I’m sure this theme will come up a lot for me in the next three months, but it is also something that I should focus on and think about in myself.

Making my way from the plane to the baggage claim area required a brief tram ride, which I took because I followed the signs that said “Passenger Area” – at first it didn’t make too much sense to me because I suppose I’m more used to seeing signs that read “Baggage Claim”; in any event, I found it easily enough. Getting off the tram, however, required me to quickly remove myself from the beeline that most of the Koreans were making towards the escalators and then on to the baggage claim area. Now, I am quite aware that perhaps some of them were trying to make connecting flights or maybe they just wanted to get home, but these people looked as if they were running for their lives, trying to escape from a chapshin (a Korean mythological ghost-like figure that I soon hope to learn more about).

The 125 pounds of luggage I brought along with me snugly fit onto a little cart as I sailed through immigration and customs. No questions, no smiles, no “have a nice trip” – nothing, except for my own sigh of relief at not having to explain my reason for reposing in Seoul for the next several months to an Immigrations officer.

My next move was to wait for my ride. My former students from the language institute at Sac State gracefully offered to pick me up and drive me to the apartment that Ill be sharing with a UC Irvine student and her husband… more on that to follow. Now, this next part is especially sweet: my former student, Jiho, lives an hour away but was able to borrow his parents’ car in order to pick me up. He knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to pick me up exactly when I got off the plane, so he sent another former student, Min, to wait with me there at the airport until Jiho got there. How completely thoughtful of them! I drank some overpriced green tea with Min, did the small talk, during which time he also asked about B and Ambri and their respective love interests. Then Jiho arrived with the car and we loaded the bags, and began our journey towards Seoul. By this time, I had been awake nearly 24 hours and was feeling slightly overwhelmed at the thought of living in this new city for three months, but thankfully I was able to keep up the pleasantries and simple conversations with friend updates, intermittent jokes, etc.

The traffic, thankfully, wasn’t too unbearable. The first huge landmark that I spotted as we drove to Yongsan Gu (my ‘hood of Seoul), was the Seoul Tower as it brightly lit up the evening sky on a mountain that I’ll climb later this afternoon.

Then we found the apartment with the help of Jiho’s navigation system, and Jiho and Min brought my bags in as we met my new roommates, Erica and Omar. They are very kind – on the table in my room was a big bottle of water and a guidebook on Seoul; the sheets and blankets were freshly washed; and the shower was ready to go.