Saturday, September 12, 2009
Things I've done today:
-sleep until 9:30 am
-attend Korean lessons in Bu-am
-wander around Seomyeon
-spend too much money on clothes at Migliore
-buy this journal while wandering around a cute neighborhood near our apartment
-buy stickers to appease kinders
-eat at a vegan buffet in Seomyeon
-become exhausted from the heat and smog
...and it's only 4:20...lol...
Today was a bit too cloudy for the beach, but hopefully tomorrow will be nice enough. I need a break from the smog!
Interesting things in/about Korea:
-the stairless escalators in Home Plus-a
-the lady that comes by every morning at 7:00am yelling in the streets to advertise her dry cleaning business
-the government propaganda trucks and fruit trucks that drive through the streets with loudspeakers on
-open air markets with live/fresh squid, eel, octopus, turtle, fish, and other squiggly things
-the side dish of incredibly tiny, crispy fish
-sweet pickles served with every pizza and pasta dish
-groups of old people on benches that stare every time you walk by
-Korean who swim fully clothed at the beach
-"fan death"
-squid jerky
-super friendly monks
-clothing/cards/accessories with horribly botched English on them
-$1.50 homemade ramen at kimbop shops
-Loving Hut's "Supreme Master"
-Dr. Fish ( a cafe where you can get a pedicure by small fish that bite your feet, a cup of coffee, and free bread and waffles)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
At the moment, I'm sitting in a cafe called Dr. Fish. It's a place where you can get great coffee of tea, enjoy complimentary waffles, popcorn, and toast, paint your fingernails, and have tiny fish eat the dead skin off of your feet (In case you were wondering, yes, this process tickles like hell). A nice idea, unless you have a mole on your foot. I found out the hard way that moles are a tasty delicacy for tiny fish. My fish pedicure days are over. However, the cafe is still a nice place with a cozy atmosphere, so we still come often.
Earlier today Erik and I went to the beach, Haeundae to be exact. Now that school is back in session, the beach is no longer crowded. The weather is slightly cooler, but the water is still relatively warm from the August heat. The day was perfect - beautiful skies, mild yet entertaining waves, and a lack of annoying people. I found my first large seashell, and saw my first gigantic jellyfish. It was huge! The top was a pink/orange color, and the tentacles were shaped like thick strands of kelp. It was very ethereal and (obviously) jelly-like. Thank goodness I saw it before it touched me! It was as big as a serving platter; I don't know if a person could survive that kind of a sting. I ran out of that water fast! I even warned some Koreans via charades. Besides seashells and jellyfish, a little blowfish washed up on shore, too. The sea revealed a lot of itself to me today; perhaps to remind me not to get too comfortable...
We even had burritos from Taco Senora for lunch - one of the best things about going to Haeundae is the good food. Korea is interesting in that you never know what gem might be hidden in an obscure building or down a small alleyway. Taco Senora is one of those gems.
September 22, 2009
I've discovered a new Korean food that can be vegetarianized. It's called oma-rice. It's basically an omelet wrapped (burrito style) around fried rice, covered in dongasa sauce and ketchup. I have finally found a dish that I like enough to eat on a regular basis. Between bibimbop, ramyan, and oma-rice, I think I can make it.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
A lot has happened in a month. My mom came and went over Chuseok; her visit was good but very busy. We took her everywhere we could think of: Nampodong for shopping, Texas Street for Chinese massages and pot-ping-su, Taejongdae, Haeundae, Beomeosa, a huge spa, on a hike up the mountain behind our apartment, Seomyeon, Dr. Fish...and probably some other place I've forgotten. The spa was a first for me too; you have to be in the nude, which means there are separate rooms for men and women. We enjoyed the baths, but we got exfoliation massages that left me with an apple-sized bruise on my arm and a skin rash from the harsh scrubbing. Seeing my mom was great, but it also made me realize how much I miss home. After she left, especially after all of the over-exposure to Korea, I really missed being at home with all of America's creature comforts, where I'm not stared at everywhere I go. I like Korea, but there's no place like home. America might have it's problems, but being away from it sure does make me appreciate it more.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween! Yesterday was Halloween Day at COREM. All of the Kinders dressed up in costumes; it was adorable. There were witches and princesses and even an elephant and a cheeta. All of the teachers had to dress up too. I was a hippy (which none of the kids understood, but oh well) and Erik was a tree (we taped paper leaves all over him).
We made a cool haunted house for the kids with scary decor and black plastic walls. The teachers running it made about fifteen kids cry in fear, haha. I was in charge of the cake walk, and Erik told scary stories. There was also pin the hat on the witch, witche's brew punch making, face painting, etc. Running everything required a lot of energy and effort; I slept forever last night, and I'm still tired!
No comments:
Post a Comment