365 Days

Today is my one year mark in Korea. One year ago today I found myself in this country far from home and began to make a life for myself here. My life this past year has been a whirlwind of experiences and learning about myself. I am so grateful for this opportunity, but so grateful to have such amazing family and friends that make returning home such a treat.

These 365 days have been some of the hardest of my life. I never thought I would get homesick the way I sometimes found myself. I never thought I would not like my job as much as I did. I never thought I was anything worth staring at for so long. I never thought I would feel as awkward and frustrated as I did at times. Despite all of the not so good days, there were plenty of fantastic days to boot.

I will really miss the people, places, and little things that made my time here so special. The nice comments from my students in the form of a "teacher, your earrings are really big" or "teacher, your belt is really pink", the smile and wave from my favorite crossing guard, the free juice from the security man at the bank, the goodies from my co-workers at school, all the small kindnesses that had such a large impact on me. I will miss shopping at A Land in Myeong-dong, running along the Tancheon, trying new restaurants in Itaewon, gelato smoothies at my favorite coffee shop in Bundang, and all night excursions in Hongdae. I'm convinced no other city can party as long as Seoul can. I will miss all of the people that made my time here memorable. Most of all I will miss my boyfriend, Sean, without whom I might not have made it the whole year here.

Besides my one year anniversary, today also happens to be Korean thanksgiving, so Happy Chuseok! In the spirit of giving thanks, I am so thankful for my year in Korea and I feel truly blessed.

2.5 weeks until I fly home.

Namaste

Birthdays, Bowling, and Bowing-Out

This past weekend was filled with lots of birthday fun and soccer craziness. I must say, it was a little heart-breaking to see Korea lose after making it to the top 16. Everyone was so hyped up and the expectations were so high. Just when I thought I might still have a team to cheer on, the USA goes and loses their game as well. It was a sad sad day for futbol fans in many places.

Friday night was Sam's 25th golden birthday and I traveled to Seosan to help her celebrate. We drank outside at a beautiful little park in a Korean gazebo. Afterwards we headed to her favorite local bar for a spectacular fire show and some great dance beats. We then bar hopped to another establishment where we enjoyed some super-sugary drinks and darts. It was a ton of fun and I was so glad I could be there with her to celebrate and see her in rare form. "Look at this. This water looks deliciousssss!" -Sam, to some stranger in the bathroom after she tried to put the glass in the soap-holder and say it was a cup holder. Good times.

the gazebo in the park

Bum giving us a bad-ass fire show

birthday girl and I

Saturday night held more birthday celebrations. Our friends, Frank and Alex were celebrating their birthdays and we all gathered at an upscale bowling alley in a ritzy area of Seoul called Apujeong. Saturday night also happened to be the Korea VS. Uruguay game. After a few games of bowling, some food and beers, the game began and the place was alive with screaming fans and cries of "dae han min guk!" Even though Korea played tough and got one great goal, they were no match for the South American players and lost in the end 1-2. Even though no one was jumping for joy, everyone still wanted to enjoy the night so we headed over to a dance club near by and were treated to head-throbbing music and buckets of alcohol while dancing to the top American Top 40 soundtrack. What more could you ask for to drown your soccer sorrows?

shots with the birthday boy, boyfriend, and brother

black-light bowling!

group shot

Namaste

Vegas Lights and K-Pop Stars

This weekend was a long one. Since about 23% of Korea's population is Buddhist, the country receives a national holiday for Buddha's birthday on May 22 which means a paid day off. Happy birthday Buddha!

I had been talking about visiting my friend Sam in Seosan for a while now and finally made it happen. Seosan is about an hour and a half southwest of Seoul by bus. It's located in the Chungcheongnam-do province. Leaving after school on Thursday, Sean and I caught a bus into Seoul and then headed to the bus terminal. The station was so packed because of the long weekend that we had to wait an hour and a half to catch a bus. When we arrived in Seosan Sam met us at the bus terminal and we headed to the main part of the town to grab some food and drinks. Her friends started a band together and played some live music at a local bar that night. They even played a special song for Sam and I, Toto's "Africa". Sam has become really close with the bartenders at the local bar, 501. Coby and Bum are about two of the funniest Koreans I have met. They are both so smiley and energetic and make the bar a lot of fun. I had a great time listening to live music and meeting some of Sam's friends and co-workers. The next day we slept in and then got up to walk around Seosan a bit. After eating some lunch we found ourselves in the city center and eventually in the market. The market reminded me of a smaller scale Busan market with lots of seafood, produce, and other strange meats and things for sale. We purchased bus tickets and then cooled down with some bingsu at a local place. Friday was probably the hottest day we've had so far this spring/summer in Korea. Later we said goodbye to Sam and headed back to the big city.

Check out a video of the band playing Toto's "Africa" here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100213180725979&ref=mf

Seosan, Korean Vegas

the band

me, Bum, and Sam

Sam and I on the coolest swing seat ever

bingsu with ice cream

I didn't get a chance to explore Seosan very much, but what I saw I liked. The little strip with all the bars was lit up so brightly you would have thought it was Vegas or something. Seosan is such a small town that literally every foreigner knows each other. It's kind of got this home-town feel to it, but might be too small town for me. Sam is really enjoying herself and loves getting to know everyone including her Korean neighbors and shop owners. I am looking forward to a visit again soon to get out of Seoul and have a change of scenery.

Saturday night was the 14th annual Dream concert in Seoul. This concert was a collection of the hottest K-Pop bands out there right now all gathered in one giant concert. The best part was that the tickets were only 5,000 won. Consequently, the show sold out in half an hour, but we managed to get tickets. Imagine a concert in the U.S. circa late 1990's/early 2000's with like Backstreet Boys, N'SYNC, 98 Degrees, Brittany Spears, and Christina Aguilera all performing together in one show with $5 tickets and you can begin to imagine the hugeness of this event. After arriving late to World Cup Stadium and standing in the rain, we finally made it in and found some seats. We listened to a few bands from outside the gate and then got to see one of Korea's hottest K-Pop stars, Rain perform his latest hit. After that I was exhausted and hungry, so we called it a night and grabbed some dinner and beer. It was an experience and I'm glad I got to see a bit of it, but was also glad to have made it out of there early before getting trampled by thousands of screaming Korean teenagers.

Check out a video of Rain performing here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100213191823739&ref=mf

the Dream concert

the crowd

what a trooper, got dragged to the concert after my seat buddy got sick and couldn't go

After 8 months in Korea there is never a dull moment, always something new to try or somewhere new to explore. I am loving my weekends and definitely living for them. Looking forward to a trip to Jeju Island next weekend, which is again a long one for me.

Namaste

That's My DJ

Seoul held it's 4th annual World DJ Festival this weekend. The festival kicked off at 2pm on Saturday and went all the way until 6am Sunday morning. There were different DJs and MCs from all over spinning different kinds of music such as rock, hip-hop, and house. Oh yes, there was house. Not exactly my favorite kind of music, but after enough time the beats all blend together and your feet just can't help but to move. There were four stages each playing different music simultaneously. I made my way back and forth to all of them and even squeezed my way through the crowd to the very front row for a bit.

I was surprised at the amount of people who came out for the event. There must have been hundreds (maybe a thousand?) of people spread out over a few acres of land right along the Han River. There were so many different types of people; punk rockers, goth kids, hippies, preppies, teenagers, middle-agers, Koreans, expats, you name it, they were there. People watching was part of the fun of the festival. You would be surprised at how big Doc Martins (yes, the same ones we begged our moms for in 7th grade) still are here. Not sure if it had anything to do with their huge promotional tent at the fest, but I'm thinking perhaps. Despite the differences, we all had something in common; music. Everyone came to hear the music and enjoy a night of partying and dancing.

For a few thousand won, you could down some cold Miller beers or stand by the Jager tent and sip Jager/energy drinks all night. Food was served in the form of a stick; fish cakes and sausages were devoured by hungry, energy seeking people. Glow sticks were everywhere to be found, as well as dance circles. Face painting/make-up was done by our friends and MAC make-up artists, Jin-he and Mini. Blankets and tarps were spread out all over the ground by those who arrived early and claimed their space. A reggae drumming circle came through the festival around 1am complete with a parade, flags, and lit up drums. And there were cameras. Oh man, were there cameras. People were desperately trying to capture every moment on film as if to prove that 'yes, it really happened'.

Koreans generally love to party until dawn and that's just what they did (minus the occasional person passed out on their tarp). We left the fest before sunrise, but there were plenty of people still jumping up and down rocking to the music as we made our way out. I survived with sore feet, aching throat, and pounding head, but it was worth it.

Sean and I before the DJ Fest

DJ Fest poster

some of the group

reggae drummer

Sean, me and Sam

Sam and I breakin it down

the main stage

Namaste

Chingu Means Friend

Sometimes things like holidays and birthdays can be bittersweet spent in a land far away from home without family and close friends there by your side, but cards and packages from home, skype conversations, and of course chocolate cake make things like birthdays and holidays spent far away from home seem more normal.

thanks for the hat, mom! love it!

I am blessed to have found some really amazing people here in Korea that I feel fortunate to call chingus. My birthday celebrations last weekend were really special thanks to everyone who came out. Friday was a night spent with the ladies. First, some girlfriends and I ate at a classy little Italian restaurant for dinner. There was candle light, white table cloths, pasta, wine, and good conversation. We then headed out for some hookah and drinks. Next we hit a dance club and finally, before I knew it I was climbing into bed at 5AM.

my Bundang ladies at dinner

Saturday my girlfriends came over to my apartment to spend some time together before we headed out for the night. It was my friend Aly's birthday last week too, so we decided to have a double celebration.

birthday girls, Aly and Jackie

our adorable cake

After getting all done up, it was time to head to the docks and board a boat on the Han River for a booze cruise. We then grabbed a cab to one of Hongdae's clubs, M2, to continue dancing the night away.

the ladies on the boat

the boys

"I get by with a little help from my friends"

Last night Sean took me to dinner at a very upscale restaurant in Seoul. The restaurant was located on the 59th floor of the 63 Building, a building that was at one time the tallest in Korea. The view was great, even though mother nature decided to rain on us. We enjoyed a fabulous 5 course dinner and the service was some of the best I've ever had. Each time one of the wait staff left our table they stood at the end of it and bowed to us. When we finished our main course they brought me the craziest birthday cake I have ever seen in my life. It had this plastic thing on the top of the cake and when the man lit the candles it opened up, sparklers started going off, and it actually played the tune of "Happy Birthday". Wish I would have gotten a video. Anyways, it was an amazing night.

Sean and I at dinner

(can't see the view out the window because of the flash)

Thank you to all my family and friends for making it a birthday to remember.

Namaste

Here's to a New Decade

After a fabulous but tiring Christmas weekend, I was in need of a day to relax and spend some time alone. Sam came to stay with me for the week on Tuesday. We had an amazing time and did tons of great touristy things around Seoul. You could almost say the week was perfect minus a slight mishap on New Year’s. Sam’s purse with basically everything (ids, money, phone, camera, I pod) except her passport was stolen and she spent the better part of the weekend trying to figure it all out. I don’t understand people sometimes. If I’ve learned one thing for sure it’s that karma will always catch up with you.

I had heard about these ‘Dr. Fish’ cafes they have here in Korea so we decided to try one out this week. It was a really neat experience. I will let you check out the video I made so you can get an idea of what this place is all about. If I had to sum up this unique pedicure in one word it would be 'ticklish'.

white hot chocolate at Dr. Fish

pedicure

enjoying my visit to Dr. Fish

Check out the video of Dr. Fish: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100128404687839&ref=mf

Sam and I also checked out the aquarium at the COEX mall. It was really well done and totally reverted me back to my elementary days as a kid at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

toilet fish tank

starfish

fishes

gigantic turtle

On New Year’s Eve we met up with a group of friends and headed to Myeong-dong for some drinks. Shortly before midnight we all made our way to Jongno, in the middle of the city to watch the countdown. There was live music, tons of people, and police everywhere ready to take care of business if things got out of control. After shouting down from 10 people began lighting off fireworks from the crowd and there was live music. The only thing I can compare it to would be Times Square in NYC on New Year’s. Such a cool experience. When the crowd died down and we finally made our way to the subway we migrated over the Hongdae to dance the rest of the night away at a club.

the ladies on New Year's Eve

Korean police force in downtown Seoul

New Year's Eve in Seoul

Jack and Sam

Check out a video of the crowd in Seoul: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100128396673899

Sam and I wanted to visit a temple this week so we wandered over to the Jogyesa Buddhist temple. The shrine there, Daeungjeon, is the largest in Seoul. It was a peaceful and spiritual visit. After walking around on our own for a bit and checking out the inside of the temple we walked into the tourist office and a kind older gentleman offered to give us a short tour. He answered some of our questions and explained more about the temple and religion to us. Watching people lighting candles and incense, placing offerings on the tables, and worshipping inside the temple was fascinating. I am intrigued by the Buddhist religion and eager to learn more about it while I am in Korea.

lanterns outside the Jogyesa temple

Buddha statue

not quite sure what this was, but it was really cool

pagoda that you circle three times to the right and bow to after entering the front gate of the compound

lighting my incense- the candles represent lighting up the world and diminishing darkness like Buddha did and the smoke from the incense sends wishes up to heaven

one of the three giant Buddhas inside the temple- each has a specific name and role

lanterns outside the funeral house

the belfry

Sam and I in the belfry- one large bell in the center to wake humans, one to the left to wake up sea creatures, one to the right to wake up animals, and one in the back to wake up flying creatures each struck 28 times at 4A.M. and 33 times at 6P.M.

A group of girls met up in Seoul and walked down Ahyeondong Wedding Street, a famous street with over 200 wedding retailers. As we window shopped we saw everything from the most elegant and extravagant dresses to ones that were strange and tacky looking. There were modern dresses, traditional dresses, and dresses that I would never be caught dead in at my wedding. After browsing we found the wedding café we had been looking for and ordered some milkshakes while we waited to try on some wedding dresses for fun. It was hilarious and we had a terrific time posing for cheesy pictures and pretending like we were princesses/brides for an hour.

wedding street

Korean wedding dresses

my 'wedding' day

the lovely brides

catch

bride wars

with all the cheesy stuffed animals

On our last night of vaca a group of us got together and went to Gangnam for some laughs, drinks, hookah, and a good time. After getting rowdy at a Korean bar we made our way to Rainbow and enjoyed some hookah.

Hyun-jin, me, and Sam

Jackie S. and Jackie M.

Looking forward to the year abroad in 2010. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for me!

Happy January!

Namaste