Feeling: A tad sick… Listening to: SISTAR-Touch My Body
Lately I have been feeling a bit sick..like upset stomach type of sick. It was an off and on thing so I didn’t think much of it at first until I realized a reoccurring theme. So I did some investigating and found that I probably was suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis, aka bacterial infection, aka I drank or ate something that my body doesn’t like. This actually isn’t really concerning, and I’m actually quite surprised this didn’t happen earlier. Before I left the States, I was warned by the immunization clinic that I could eat or drink something my body wasn’t familiar with and might cause me to get a bit sick. Such as by drinking the water here (to which I only drink bottled water..DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER HERE!!! Even be wary of the ice in your drinks!).
Probably one of the smartest things I did before coming here was getting a $10.ooUSD prescription for a medication that’s for bacterial infection. I actually had to do a bit of walking to get that said prescription in the hot sun, all the while cursing myself and saying “This better be worth it..”. And it totally was. I actually stopped by the clinic to make sure everything was OK. When I showed him the medicine I was using he laughed and said “This is exactly what I would prescribe you if you didn’t already have it.”
Yaaaaaaaay for being smart!
Ilsan
A classmate from my US-Korea relations class messaged me (Or as we say, KaKao-ed me) one day and asked if I was up for hanging out in his hometown, Ilsan/일산..
..Rooooooooad trip!
This was the first time since I landed in the city, that I actually left Seoul. Which boggles my mind that I have been in so many different areas and places these past few months…and its all been in ONE place!
This gentleman actually went to a private high school in the State of New York and lived with an American family. So he’s very fluent in English. When I arrived, his first words to me were: “If I say anything wrong, you NEED to correct me”. I normally don’t do this with my Korean friends because 1: I feel like it’s a bit rude, and 2: if I keep correcting them they will feel uncomfortable talking with me because they’ll be afraid they’ll make a mistake. But if someone asks me to do it, then by all means I’ll do it. Although with this guy I didn’t have to correct him. At all.
It’s actually pretty amazing how many people here know a large amount of English and have studied abroad. From my own experience in my home country rarely anyone studies abroad in high school nor do I know a lot of people that know a second language. So I didn’t think it would be any different in other countries, but it is widely encouraged in Korea it seems to have your child study abroad to get a head start on their English. Again, English is a VERY important skill to have in Korea. It not only aid you in school, but also in your future career. But on that note I’ve been told that although Seoul has a fair amount of people who know English, if you’re in the country side of Korea this is usually not the case at all. You might have a hard time even ordering a coffee if you don’t know how to say it in Korean.
But back to Ilsan: He showed me around and brought me to the park nearby the subway station that has a artificial lake. Where the water meet the platform we were standing on was a fence that was sort of a backwards “C” shaped. i.e. a perfect seat. Feeling the light bulb turn on, I climbed over the fence and sat down. He laughed and said he’s lived here for the majority of his life, and he NEVER thought of doing that: “It took an American mind!”
We just sat beside the lake side and talked. We talked about our experiences in our visits to each others country, talked about the different parts of each others culture that shocked/bugged us, what we planned on doing in the future, and the dating culture in each country. Which is actually quite different.
For starters, you know how when you date you celebrate when you’ve dated for 3 months or 1 year? Well here it is done by days (30 days, 90 days, 100 days, etc). Couple items are also a trend here, where couples get matching wearable accessories such as couple rings, couple shirts, couple shoes, or even a complete couple outfit. I’ve seen couples in the subways with the exact same outfit on, from the hat to their shoes and socks. There isn’t a specific store for couple clothes, and its more like they buy two of the same item (For example two matching shirts from Forever 21, or even matching sneakers from Nike). Marriages are also a bit different. Now note that I’m not an expert on the subject and need to do a little more research, but marriages take place in wedding halls that are SPECIFICALLY for marriages (though maybe some Christian couples have the ceremony in the church..I’m really not sure). The ceremony is different as well, because it’s almost like the reception and the wedding are combined. The ceremony is done on stage, and below are the people seated at tables with food. Like so:
I was also told that it’s actually the wife’s job to buy furniture and the husband’s job to buy the house (I made a comment about how I don’t think that would work very well in the west because the woman would want to be heavily involved in this process!). But it’s interesting to see how different, or even similar, dating relationships are between countries. It’s something I just assumed growing up that it was the same around the world.
Pepero Day
Now another holiday Korea doesn’t celebrate is Valentines Day. HOWEVER! They have their own special day that is extremely similar: 빼빼로/Pepero Day. Now Pepero isn’t a Korean word for “love” or anything. It’s actually the name of this delicious treat:
Every heard of pocky from Japan? It’s basically the same thing, except a little bit bigger. They come in a variety of flavors such a Chocolate, Almond, Peanut, or, my all time favorite, White Cookie Chocolate. You can get them all year round in the candy isle of any convient or grocery store. But oh my God when Pepero Day is around the corner they are displayed EVERYWHERE and right smack in the front of the store in heart shaped displays. Tis the season.
I’m sure flowers and gifts may ensure, but the main event of the day is to share a box of Pepero with your other half, of give a box to someone you care about. I was tickled with my American friend Lisa showed up to class one day and gave me a HUGE chocolate pepero. I love her <3.
I’ve also heard of people making their own, and apparently it’s not too hard. I’ve found easy recipes online that basically call for snack sticks, melt chocolate, and sprinkles. Easy peasy!
Music – SISTAR
So if someone were to ask me which girl group is one of the most in Korea, I would say SISTAR. Hands down. At LEAST in the top 3 next to Girls Generation and 2NE1.
SISTAR is a four member girl group signed to Star Ship Entertainment. The groups name is a combination of the words‘Sister‘ and ‘Star‘. Meaning they are sisters in the entertainment business while becoming big stars. And they certainly have, because their popularity in Korea is incredible. Member HyoRin (3rd from the left) made international headlines for her vocals, and is actually known as “the Beyonce of Korea.” To be honest, I prefer previous singles from them and am not a huge fan of this song because a) every time I read the title I think of Mariah Carey’s song, which makes me confused, and b) this song is played everywhere to the point I am EXTREMELY annoyed with it. But this song, no question and no debate, is one of the top songs right now in Korea.
Also fun fact: the guy at 2:08 in the toy car is No Hong Chul aka the elevator guy in Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video.
Feeling: Alive Listening to: B1A4-What’s Going On?
Let’s be honest here: Maine isn’t the most diverse State in the US. Especially Northern Maine. I’ve only seen a handful of foreigners in my area, and my high school was small and off the map so we never had any foreign exchange students. I never had to chance to learn about different cultures. But I’ve always been interested in how diverse culture makes our world. We all live on one planet, have so many similarities, but in some ways live very differently from each other. That’s just the beauty of culture. I think it’s the most wonderful thing in the world when people of different nationalities come together and enjoy life, share their culture, experiences, and views of the world. Good or bad. It’s a nice change after hearing all the arguments and political issues our governments have with each other for our lifetimes.
So whenever I get the chance, I’ll ask international classmates of mine if they want to grab lunch/coffee with me. Sometimes I’ll ask questions about their culture, what was the most challenging here cultural wise, or even what type of food they miss the most back home. I’ve even organised some class dinner outing so we can all get to know each other outside the class room, and these dinners have been the most memorable experiences I’ve had here. Just last week My Business Ethics class got together. There’s 9 of us, and between us there are about 6 different nationalities (7 including the professor): Mongolia, French, Russian, German, Saudi Arabian, Korean, and American. It’s a discussion based class, so we debate different cases assigned to us for reading and at some point talk about cultural differences. It’s my favorite class at Kookmin, and many of the other students say the same.
We got together at the Korean BBQ restaurant close to the school. Our professor even stopped by for a moment to say hi. I love this professor very much, and she is one of the most down to earth and personable people I’ve ever had the pleasure of taking a class under. She encourages discussion and the sharing of opinions in class, and doesn’t mind if we get off topic concerning culture. She studied in the States and Europe for college, so she’s fluent in English. But what’s even cooler: Before she left she sent an email to the class about how moved she was that the students are dinner were having a very heated debate about human rights (No we weren’t), so she decided to start class at 9:30AM instead of 9:00AM. We gave her an ovation as she walked out the door.
Another interesting thing about Korean culture: It’s not abnormal or unprofessional for professors to have a drink with their students. Though our professor herself couldn’t stay for a drink, it’s actually fairly common.
With my classmates, we talked about our classes, different professors and places we’ve visited in Asia. At one point we talked about the different stereo types of our countries one of the male students from France went into the sarcastic rant about how all Frenchmen have a beret, croissant, suspenders, the curly mustache, and, of course, a baguette in their hand…
“In one hand we have a croissant, and the other is the most important: A baguette! We always carry them around with us in case we’re hungry. And when we get into a fight we use them as swords to settle our differences! Then at least once a year we have baguettes parades. We start at the eifle tower with a parade of people carrying them, They dressed up as, and even ride a car shaped like a baguette. We have a temple of worship for them, too…”
This lasted from the restaurant all the way to the subway station to get ice cream. Which was almost 10 minutes. I was crying I was laughing so hard.
Another memorable moment with my international friends was with my Japanese friend, who I met from my South Korean-US Relations class. We actually never talked beforehand, but I one day found him on Facebook and asked him if he was willing to have coffee with me so I could ask him about Japan and his culture. Also because in our class Japan comes up A LOT. And that’s because there is a lot of tension between the S.Korea and Japan. This is because of several issues such as Dokdo Island (An island they are fighting over), and when the Japanese colonized Korea. During this period, Koreans were forced to speak Japanese, and some women were forced to be sex slaves. It’s a VERY personal issue in Korea, almost more so than with their issues with North Korea. So I wanted to know his thoughts and feelings on it being brought up so much in class and if it was a challenge to study here because of these issues.
Aside from that we discussed about Japanese video games like Final Fantasy X. I don’t expect everyone to understand this, but in the game in order to get the most powerful weapon for a character you need to do this mini game where you’re racing with a Chocobo (A chicken/ostrich creature in the game) and you have to finish in 0.0 seconds. That’s not a typo..zero seconds! It’s VERY aggravating. Like throw your remote controller across the room into the TV screen aggravating. When we first started talking about FFX, I said the the words “Chocobo Racing” and he just started laughing. It’s just that universally memorable AND frustrating. We also talked about the studying abroad experience, and how people in this world aren’t always as understanding about the differences between countries and cultures. He made a comment about how people who choose to study abroad can be a bit different from some people from their respective countries in aspect of being more open and accepting of cultural differences. Which I agree with. He’s a very wise man, and I wish I had more time to be better friends.
Aside from the SEE students, I have of course made many Korean friends here. JunSung and his girlfriend JiYoon have been such good friends for me and show me around Seoul every chance they get. I have 3 acquaintances who introduced themselves to me during the first week of class. They are dancers under the art department in Kookmin. I don’t see them much, but they make a point of checking in with me every once and awhile to see how I am doing. I’ve made a good friend with a girl I sit beside in my Mass Media theory class where we laugh at our mutual American friend Lisa when she walks up and down the hall 5 minutes before class studying for the upcoming quiz. She’s a very down to earth person, and really challenges me and my studying habits. A male friend in my US-S.Korea relations class who surprised me when he did the jellyfish handshake one day in class (Him: I’ve always wanted to do that!!). One of my most memorable friends that I have made here would have to be the this gentleman from my US-S.Korea relations class…which is actually a funny story:
On the first day of class we gave introductions about ourselves and where we were from. One Korean student’s introduction though was a bit different and stood out from the rest…in a British kind of way. I looked to my American friend sitting beside me and we had this telepathic conversation along the lines of: “That was a British accent wasn’t it?” “Yes. Yes it was.” When it came time for break, I yelled over to him from across the room and asked if he studied abroad anywhere to which he replied in a full on British accent, “Yes in the UK.”
At that point me and my friend were shouting with our hands on our heads: “Ohhhhhh myyyy GOD!!!!!!!!”
He laughed and said he wasn’t very good at speaking English because it has been a long time since he was in the UK. So he was a bit nervous to talk with us. To which we replied that he was totally fine (Which he is…he’s very good at English!) and to please talk with us. I also told him to, quote: “Keep that British accent sir!” It’s been an ongoing gag between all of us (heck even HE knows) about us Americans and his accent. For instance when 6 of us were paired together for a group project. For the longest time I couldn’t stopped the smirk that formed on my face whenever he would talk. At one point he got done explaining something, there was a pause..and then I said:”I’m sorry, I need to take a moment because..that accent…” And my American friend chimed in: “I know I want to tell him to just keep on talking.” At that point I was bellowing with laughter and in the background he’s going “I don’t understand [what is it about British accents]!!! ”
And what’s even more funny: He’s played Final Fantasy X, too! Of course the chocobo racing came up in the conversation…We got into a discussion of how when we were playing it years ago we would scream in frustration and yell obscenities. Our parents would end up knocking on our doors to inquire about what the heck was going on.
The friends I’ve made here are countless, and I couldn’t begin to write the endless experiences I’ve had with all of them. The hardest part about leaving this place is the fact that I wont see some of them ever again, or at the very least for several years.
Social Media in Korea
To start off: Yes, Facebook is popular here. Almost all of my Korean friends have one. But there’s actually another social media outlet that is being used by 93% of smartphone users in South Korea (Thank you wikipedia). And that’s KaKaoTalk.
KaKaoTalk / 카카오톡 (Or just KaoTalk) came out in around 2010, and has become the top app in S.Korea. It is more of a messaging app compared to your standard social media. It’s not like Facebook where you post statuses. It is similar to texting in the aspect of it is simply just for messaging friends, though it does have other capabilities such as sending photos, videos, free calls, voice notes, contacts, and location. You add friends from their KaoTalk ID, or importing your contact list on your phone. Since KaoTalk has your phone number, it can find your friend who also have KaoTalk based on their phone number. The other beauty of KaoTalk is that you can also do group messaging, which is a huge help for gathering people, talking to them all at once, and making announcements…such as when you’re trying to run a English Enrichment program with 18 students..True story.
But by far the best part of this application is the emoticons..I mean just look at them!:
You have a mini profile that you don’t have to worry about customizing and keeping “fresh and new”. You can upload a photo for your banner, have a display pic, and write a 60 character message such as a quote, travel plans, or a song you’re currently listening to. (NOTE: The only photo here that is from me is the one with my picture. The rest are from Google.)
This bit of info is actually more useful thank you would think, because it’s a great way to connect with people here. And don’t worry, there’s an Korean AND English version of the application. Although I believe the Korean version has more wallpapers to choose from, you still have the same features. I can honestly say this was one of the best pieces of information I was given before I came here, because it’s been such a useful tool for keeping in contact with people here and making friends.
Music – B1A4 – 이게 무슨 일이야? / What’s Going On?
B1A4 is a 5 member boy group, and are a personal soft spot for me because they were one of the first groups I got into. They’re an admirable group because they come from a no name company, but have worked hard enough to become a popular group and have tracks that have topped the music charts in Korea. B1A4 are known for their very bouncy and creative singles that can’t stop a person from smiling. Their music video for “이게 무슨 일이야? / What’s Going On?” is my ALLLLL time favorite music video. Ever. Even compared to American MV. It’s so random and hilarious that I never get sick of watching it.
A lot of people back in the states have been asking me this: What did you do for Halloween? How did you celebrate? What do Koreans do? Well I can answer this all in one word:
Nothing.
I didn’t do anything for Halloween, because there was nothing to do. Halloween is generally not celebrated here. There is no trick or treating and no one really dresses up. There are some stores that put up some decorations, and there are some Halloween drinking parties in Itaewon. But partying is really not my thing. I actually had a few Korean classmates come up to me and asked me if I was going to dress up. I told them that I wasn’t because I didn’t want to spend the money on a costume that I’d never wear again, and they seemed disappointed!
I did, however, Google some unique Halloween things that Seoul has to offer. In Itaewon there is a cupcake shop that is called “Monster Cupcake” that sells..
…You guessed it: Monster cupcakes.
Though the cupcakes are a bit pricey (Around $5.00USD a piece), the store was super cute, and just Halloween fix I was looking for! Aside from the tasty cupcakes, they even had some fizzy lemonade (ie. Monster Blood). The manager was super nice, too. He even let me pet his dog sitting in the entry way.
If you’re looking for Halloween in Seoul, I would recommend going to Itaewon. When I was there I saw a bunch of foreigners dressed up as warlocks and pirates..and that was a week before Halloween!
Homesick
I’m not gonna lie, and I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t happen: I did get homesick during my stay here. I’m not sure if it was brought on by the fact that I couldn’t celebrate fun holidays that I have always grown up with, but I did have that time where I was like “I want to go home.” At first I was embarrassed to admit it, but an acquaintance of mine made a comment that set me straight: “It’s completely normal to be homesick when you’re studying abroad. I’d be worried if you WEREN’T homesick.”
Things I recommend doing to deal with being homesick
Find Familiar Things – Aside from missing family and friends, when you get right down to it homesickness is about missing what is familiar to you. You miss what surrounded you and what was a constant in your life. And with studying abroad, consistency can be a rarity. So find things that are familiar to you, and take the time to put yourself in a”safe place”. Personally for me, my familiar things were these three things:
Oldies music – Music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s reminds me of my family at home, because whenever we’re together it will involve music. I hadn’t listen to this type of music on my own for awhile, and it put a smile on my face because it brought back some old memories of our gatherings in childhood.
American comedians – More specifically Kevin Hart. He’s hilarious. Not only is it nice to listen to your own language, but it’s also good to relieve stress with a a laugh.
Video games – My 3DS has been a good buddy of mine here. Video Game’s have the ability to take you out of reality and put yourself in the fictional world you are playing. So when you’re done battling villains or leveling up, you can come back to planet Earth with a fresh mind.
Don’t Stay in That Place Too Long – Though I am saying surround yourself with familiar things from home, DON’T STAY THERE. If you do, you’ll regret it because you’re taking away the small amount of time you have in this trip. Take some time to regroup, get on your feet, then get back out there and take advantage of everything available.
Get excited about something – In order to get back on your feet, you need to get excited about whats going on around you. For instance: I love Pokemon. I’ve been playing it a lot lately. So what in Seoul can I do involving Pokemon? After a Google search I found there’s a Pokemon Center in the Shinsegae Mall. Although it turned out that it was no longer there, I had a blast window shopping. Getting together with friends in the international exchange student community in your school is a good idea, too. They might be going through the same thing you are.
Music – VIXX
In the spirit of Halloween! I thought we go with the boy group known for their creepy spooky concept: VIXX! They are a 6 member boy group that have been increasingly rising in popularity over this past year. When they first started out, they debuted with your everyday average KPOP group song. But then they release their 3rd single, “On & On”, with a zombie/vampire like concept that immediately got attention. They’ve been carrying on this creepy concept ever since. It’s got kind of a Micheal Jackson “Thriller” thing going on. I’m showing a video of their live performance rather than the music video because…well frankly I think its super cheesy and has way too many special effects that takes away from the song.
Though this song is a bit old, I picked it over their latest single “Error” because it’s more upbeat. Both songs are super good though. If you like “On & On” I definitely recommend checking out “Error”.
Feeling: Adventurous Listening to: Epik High – Born Haters
My midterms exams are over. So whats a girl to do? Go exploring that’s what!
For my exploration of the weekend, I decided to visit the Rubber duck in Jamsil at the Lottle World Mall.
Lotte is one of the biggest companies in Korea. The best comparison I can give to my American friends is that they are like the Macy’s of Korea. They have big named brands in their store, a bit pricey, but great quality. Some brands you can find here are Coach, Polo, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and A LOT more. But you get the gist of what type of merchandise they have based on these brands alone.
The department store is set up by dividing section by floors. The first floor can be makeup (with all makeup brands know to women), the second floor can be woman’s clothing, third floor can be men’s clothing, fourth could be bags and jewelry, and etc. The basement is usually like a grocery store with important produce and meats. Honestly if you’re looking to do some shopping I don’t recommend here because it’s so pricey. I found a pretty dress at a Lotte Department store, and decided to look at the price tag just for fun…430,000Won (That’s over $400USD). Although, if you’re looking for designer labels and high quality merchandise then by all means, this is the place to go!
But back to important matters: The Ruber Duck. Lotte has recently been doing a campaign where they have a giant rubber duck float in the Seokchon Lake outside their mall (aka Lotte World Mall) It’s called the Rubber Duck project , and has been done in several other parts in the world. But in Korea, it’s set off this huge trend where people will take selcas (aka selfies) with the duck in the background. I’m not entirely sure what the project entails, but from this quote I found from creator and designer Florentijn Hofman’s website it sounds like its trying to promote kindness and happiness: “The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them. The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!”
I, of course, had to jump on this chance. And added my own little flare to it; The American duck face with the Korean rubber duck float. Aw yeah.
I don’t know if you can fully understand how gigantic this thing is. It was designed by a Dutch artist named Florentijn Hofman and, quote: “weighs seven tons with a concrete anchor and pontoon that supports it,” (Yonhapnews). This picture might help:
Take my word for it; It’s fluffin massive.
I got there early, around 10:00, and it was pretty quiet. There was a bit of a crowd there already taking A LOT of pictures. They had a gift shop where they sold rubber ducks, tshirts, stickers, and more.
If you are in the area, I recommend getting there AT LEAST by 10:00AM. This place fills up fast. When I arrive the gift store wasn’t even open yet, so I decided to walk around and take pictures until it was. That was a mistake, because I had to run back to get in line before it got too long.
The line stared from here…
…and ended here.
Fun. And when I left the store it was twice as long if you can believe it.
And yes I bought a rubber duck. No shame. I don’t want to her it Ma. IT WAS WORTH IT!
The World Mall was a lot of fun to just explore. I didn’t even buy anything, I had a blast just window shopping. Aside from clothing store, they had a TS Entertinment Cafe (A Korean music label) with a bunch of BAP merchandise, A Hello Kitty shop, A Hard Rock Cafe (TOOOO Expensive), and a book store. I even found a restaurant that served lobster. As a Mainer, I take pride and a lot of enjoyment in our lobster. So walking in there I was immediately sent to LaLa land.
Waitress walks over: Do you know the Maine Lobster?
Me: *laughs and explains that’s where I’m from*
Me inwardly: Do I know Maine Lobster…DO I KNOW MAINE LOBSTER?!?!
If only the price wasn’t 100,000Won ($100.00USD)…
Restaurant Culture
Speaking of which, you’d be surprised to know that restaurant culture in Korea is very different from America.
First of, the best point: THERE IS NO TIPPING IN KOREA!! From my understanding, Korean waiters/waitresses get paid more than what American waiters/waitresses do. So there’s no need for tipping in this country. And in some cases, it can actually be a bit offensive if you do try to tip.
In Western culture what usually happens is: You get seated, the waiters/waitresses will come periodically come by to take your order, check in on you, and give you the bill, and then you leave. But in Korea is a bit different: Depending the place and style of the restaurant, you seat yourself. When you sit down you’ll usually see a wooden box with chop sticks and spoons that you set out yourself. The most important difference though is that the waiters/waitresses do not come by periodically. They only come if you call them over. If the restaurant is rather big, look in the corner of your table and you’ll see a button. Click it, and you’ll hear a “ding” that will indicate to the waiters/waitresses that you need someone. When you are ready to leave, you go to the front counter or to the waiters/waitresses to pay your bill. And in some cases you pay even before you get your food, which I like cause that means I can just leave when I’m done.
A couple of other random points:
Yes, there are restaurants here that require you to take off your shoes before you enter. But not all. If you see tables low to the ground with mats start untying your shoes!
If you really have a hard time with chopsticks, 9 times out of 10 the place will have a couple of forks in the back for when foreigners come to visit. Just ask!
This may be confusing, but it’s EXTREMELY important. Cola = Coke/Pepsi and Cider = Sprite/7up. According to a friend, it’s because one of the first carbonated drinks with lime and lemon flavor brand name was called “Cider”. So people have called those types of drinks “cider” ever since.
About being carded for drinking; Since I’ve been here and throughout the numerous times I’ve gone out to have a drink, I’ve only been carded ONCE! But the one time I did get carded I had forgotten my wallet (I NEVER do that. And OF COURSE I got carded when I did!). They will probably card you if you are in an area far from a university. This is because if you are a university student you’re obviously over the drinking age (Which is 19), and a majority of their customers are from those said students. I still was able to get my drink though. Wanna know how? They looked at my Facebook. No joke. I was with JunSung and his girl friend and they pulled up my profile to prove I was a university student. And sure enough it worked. I was flabbergasted because that would never, ever, ever, EVER fly in the US. Ever.
Music – Epik High
Epik High is a hip hop group signed to YG Entertainment and are one of the most famous Asian group in the world. Before their debut,members Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz had a history of featuring,writing, and producing songs for other top artist and had made an incredible name for themselves in Korea, and in Asia. They have even scored 1st place on the iTunes Hip-Hop album chart with their album “Epilogue” (and were the first South Korean artists to do so). Epik High are known for featuring several artist in their album tracks and are known as “Lyrical Geniuses“for their amazing talent at producing powerful and creative lyrics. Their songs have even been called “lyrical pieces of literature” and“urban poetry”.
Their 8th album, “Shoebox” came out a few weeks ago and it’s absolutely fantastic and pure art. I had this nice moment where I messaged a Korean friend I made at Kookmin about the release, and we both had a “OMG!OMG!OMG! This album is SOO perfect!” moment. Which is nice, since I can’t really share my KPOP interest with anyone in the states.
This song in particular, “Born Haters”, is FANTASTIC!! And to make it even better it features 2 legendary rappers in Korea: Beenzino, Verbal Jint, and rookies Bobby and B.I. from iKON and Minho from WINNER. It’s a collaboration of some of the best rappers in KPOP right now! The song is a shout out to all of their critics, anti fans, and haters of each of the rappers and an glance into their personalities. And what’s even more cool is the MV itself. Like I said before Epik High’s music is very artistic, and so are their music videos. In the “Born Hater’s video, each of the rappers represent 1 of the 7 deadly sins. See if you can guess who is what. For an in depth look into the music video and a description of who is what sin, go here.
The main reason I haven’t been so active on here is because…MIDTERMS! I’ve been cramming and trying to get work done all week to get ahead of the game. This coming week is the big week, so I had nothing planned this weekend aside from studying, studying, and more studying.
Christine, my roommate from Norway, has recently recovered from strep through. She was sick and out of school for an entire week. So I asked if she wanted to go somewhere in HyeHwa to have a good old authentic breakfast, something we’ve been without since we got here (Korea doesn’t really have “breakfast” food. It can really be anything) and were craving. She agreed, and our friend Barbara from Chile joined us.
Breakfast in HyeHwa – 205•C
HyeHwa is relatively close to Gireum, where me and Christine live, and is a REALLY nice area. It has pretty much everything you want or need. They have chain American restaurants, chain clothing stores, independent label clothing, accessory stores, beauty stores, a movie theater, and random independent cafes and food outlets. Like I said: A little bit of everything. All close together, too!
I stumbled upon this place when meeting an acquaintance. He was running behind, so I decided to stop into this nice looking cafe called 205•C. And boy am I glad I did, because this place is amazing! A bit pricey, but I have never had a bad experience here. They have top notch coffee of all kinds, tea, chocolate truffles, club sandwiches, and, best of all, BREAKFAST! You get a delicious dish of sausages, toast, homemade cheese, jelly, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and salad for 10,000W ($10.00USD) They also have another option: French Toast with bananas. If you ask for it, they’ll even give you a few pieces of bacon..And you all know how much I love my bacon.
Me, Christine, and Barbara
Over breakfast, I’m not sure how we got on the subject, but we talked about each of our countries driving laws and regulations. In America at the age of 15 you can take a Driver’s Ed course, which is about $500USD, take the test to get your permit, and go for your licence at the age of 16 IF you have completed Driver’s Ed. If you have not, you have to wait until you are 18 (NOTE: This varies state to state, and the rules I am referring to are from Maine). In Chile it’s similar, but you cannot take the test until you are 18. She said they they take the driver’s class at 18 as well, and it’s the same price as in America. Aside from the different age limit, it sounds like both countries have similar driving laws.
However the most interesting was Norway. Christine was rather shocked when I told her that 15-16 year olds can get their license in America. And no wonder, come to find out Norway has and extensive process to get your licence. The process is divided up into 4 stages:
Stage 1: You can take a class to learn about traffic signs at the age of at least 14. You get a permit for completing this. Stage 2: Then at the age of 16 you are allowed to practice driving with either your family, or someone over the age of 25 and has had their license for over 5 years (IF you have taken the traffic sign course). You can also take another driving course where you are in the car with your instructor for 45 minutes for 2 or 3 times. Then after that, you can take the next course where you are still driving the car with your instructor, but this time it’s actually in traffic. You can move onto stage 3 if the instructor and yourself are confident in your abilities. Stage 3: You have to take what is called the security course. You are driving for 4 hours to a destination and back with your instructor and students, practice driving in a crowded city, practice on driving on slippery grounds (the instructor will click a button in the car which causes an obstacle, and you have avoid it while also being careful of the condition of the road), and more classes with driving with your instructor. At the end there will be a mandatory guidance class where the teacher and the students will evaluate if the student has enough confidence to proceed to the next stage. The instructor has to have confidence in the student in order for them to pass. Stage 4: The next class is about the risk you take when you drive, learning how to do risk evaluation, and driving safety. Then you can finally take the test for your license.
But it’s just the numerous courses you have to take, but you also have to invest a lot of money into the process as well.
For the stage 1 safety course its 6000–7000kr. Which equals to about $835.00USD
For the stage 2 course of driving with your instructor on a road course is about $41.00USD
For stage 3 driving for 4 hours to a destination and back can be around $1,000.00USD
Renting the course for the test is 1000kr which is about $138.00USD
The final test for your license is 920kr which is about $127.00USD
The license is about $33.00USD
And this is only SOME of the classes…not all of them.
They also have to take a Theory Test before they can go for their license at any time during these stages. It’s similar to the written permit test in America..EXCEPT WAY HARDER!! There are multiple choice and short answer questions. Here are some examples:
“How far will your car slide if you are on ice and you hit the break if you are going 80 km an hour?”
“How will you secure a child shorter than 135 centimeter in your car?”
“What requirements are there to do practice driving with a regular car?”
“You are turning left and theres a vehicle in front of you turning also. What vehicle would be the hardest to evaluate the difference to?”
This test is about $90.00USD, and if you get 7 out of 40 wrong you fail. And you have to retake it and pay $90 again. It’s also good for about 2 years. So with the cost of classes and the number of courses you have to plan accordingly.
Some other fun facts:
You take your classes with a MANUAL car. They have automatics in Norway, but they require to learn how to drive with a stick.
Christine also told me that not a lot of people in Norway get automatic cars. She recalls being in an automatic car 3 times in her lifetime..shes 22.
Norwegian licenses are good for 100 years.
I made a comment that the car accident rate in Norway must be relatively low. She told me she never really looked into it, and she immediatly grabbed her phone to look up the statistics for road fatalities [per 100,000 inhabitants per year]. Sure enough, Norway was 2.9. One of the lowest in the world. Chili was 11.5, and America was 11.6. (For those of you wondering, the highest was Eritrea with 48.4. South Korea was 13.6)
After our delicious breakfast Christine and Barbara went to see a movie and I headed back to the dorm to study and get some work done. Around 5:00PM I headed out to meet up with them again so supper! When Christine was sick I promised that as soon as she got better I would bring her to the Japanese ramen restaurant in Hongdae called 멘야산다이메 (Maen-ya-san-dai-mae).
Dinner in Hongdae – Japanese Ramen
As a get well promise to Christine, I told her that as soon as she recovered from strep throat I would bring her to the ramen restaurant I found the other day. When I have some down time, I will take a night to Google some restaurants or areas based on what I’m feeling up for (Quiet nature places, entertainment, malls, etc) and will go there the next day to explore. It’s nice because when doing so you get to see Seoul, I mean REALLY see Seoul. I’ve already exhausted all of the tourist hot spots in Seoul, so now I’m looking for new areas that can show me the city in a different way.
During one of these nights I said “Taylor, I want some authentic Japanese ramen (or as close as I’m going to get in Korea).” The first post that popped up was 멘야산다이메 / Maen-ya-san-dai-mae. A small independent food restaurant in Hongdae. It’s relatively close to the subway exit 9. If you walk in and are greeted with Japanese, you’re in the right place.
The noodles are cooked and prepared right in front of you. And low and behold, there’s an English menu! It’s a pretty well known spot in Hongdae, as the walls are covered with autographs from celebrities.
Even Busker Busker likes it here!
The ramen was by far the best I’ve ever had, and I’m not sure if I’m gonna be OK with stove top/microwave ramen again. The broth was flavorful and the pork was tender. The scallions also left a nice taste with the mixture of the noodles and broth. Just typing a description makes me want it again..*drool*
It’s a pretty small place, so I suggest to no bring a group of people there. Since we went on a Saturday night, we had to wait in line a bit. But it was well worth the wait.
Once we were finished we strolled around a little in Hongdae to walk the food off.
Eat Your Kimchi studios!
Craving some desert, we decided upon getting some 빙수/Bingsu (that milk ice shaving desert I had with EunJi). We walked until we found a store that had options that looked enticing. Going down a set of stairs we found the cafe and were greeted with…
Sheep. Two of them: Elsa and Anna (Frozen just wont go away..).
Remember when I posted about Seoul having creative cafes? Well here’s another one: this is the Nature Cafe. Home to the sheep Elsa and Anna that you can pet as you eat delicious bingsu and drink your coffee. They were in the pen since it was so late at night, but from the pictures on the wall they are occasionally let out and walk around the main part of the shop (and sometimes try to escape up the stairs to the outside world..). They were extremely well kept and clean. Not to mention chummy as they seem to like getting visitors. It’s not one of the places you feel like the animal is depressed being caged. They seemed happy.
Studio Ghibli Exhibit
In the midst of my studies one morning, Christine and I were talking about plans for the weekend. I told her I wasn’t going anywhere, and she then made the comment: “I’m going to the Studio Ghibli Exhibit on Sunday with Barbara. Do you want to come?”
I immediately looked up from my notes and gawked at her. There was no way in hell I was going to miss this.
For those of you who don’t know, Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio that have created some of the most famous animation movies in the world. I would be shocked if you HADN’T heard or seen something about at least one of their movies in your life time. Some of their big titles are “Spirited Away”, “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Howls Moving Castle”, and “Ponyo”. From a very young age I was introduced (abet unknowingly) by my mother to the films. I have since grown up with the movies, and they have been incredibly inspiring to me. I know that I’m not alone in this statement. Their movies have touched many people across the world. The beauty of these films are that they have adult like themes, and can appeal to any age groups. And theres always new lessons and values you can pick up with every watch. The stories are so unique and creative..there’s really nothing like a Studio Ghibli film.
The exhibit was held on the 6th floor of the I’Park Mall. The mall is basically a maze and takes a lot of escalator climbing and walking around. But they advertise quite well, so just look for the signs. It’s right outside a huge bookstore with a children play area.
Once we bought our tickets, we headed (My and Barbara bouncing) inside the exhibit. Our of the many Studio Ghibli movies, only 6 were chosen to be in the exhibits. And no worries: I will not post any spoilers here.
The first exhibit was Howl’s Moving Castle.
“When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home.”
Fun Fact: Christian Bale voiced Howl in the movie. That’s right folks. Howl is voiced by BATMAN!
The freaking dog..OMG!
And to my head of my department at my home university, Scott, who I now know is reading my blogs…
Afterwards was an exhibit representing one of my favorites: Princess Mononoke.
“On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami’s curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Princess Mononoke.”
This one was rather small and had a projector playing a few scene from the movie with “Journey to the West” blaring. When the scene stops you can see the Forest Spirit hiding behind the screen.
Pom Poko. This one I really had no idea about because I’ve never watched it. It’s one of the few Studio Ghibli movies that hasn’t been dubbed. Not that I have anything against watching it with subtitles, I just haven’t found the right time to watch it.
“As the human city development encroaches on the raccoon population’s forest and meadow habitat, the raccoons find themselves faced with the very real possibility of extinction. In response, the raccoons engage in a desperate struggle to stop the construction and preserve their home.”
Since I am so unfamiliar with the film I just took a picture of everything so when I finally DO watch it, I can look at the significance of all the props. Because there was A LOT.
My first Studio Ghibli film with one of the most iconic characters: “My Neighbor Totoro”
“Two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuki and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros.”
(I couldn’t find an English trailer for this one. So here’s just a lighthearted scene with the world famous Totoro. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen him at least once in your life.)
After you walked out of the “Pom Poko” exhibit you make a turn and walk into a tunnel of trees and leaves, and that comes out to a room with a giant tree stump with holes.
If you peek through the hole in the tree you’ll see a sleeping Totoro!
Porco Rosso was next.
“In Early 1930’s era Italy air pirates, bounty hunters and high fliers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso. A former Ace, he now makes a living flying contract jobs, such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco’s rival in the air and in catching the affections of women, provides a constant challenge to the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action packed finale.”
(Sorry couldn’t find an English trailer of Porco Rosso alone. Go to 0:58. OR watch the whole thing and see trailers for Studio Ghibli’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” and “The Cat Returns”. )
“Porco Rosso” is one of Studio Ghibli’s lesser known films. I absolutely love this film because of Porco’s sarcastic attitude and it’s comedic moments. It’s one of the studio’s more light hearted films.
Fun Fact: Porco Rosso was voiced by Michael Keaton. Who was Beetlejuice in the movie that scared the ever living poop out of me as a kid, “Beetlejuice”, and in Tim Burton’s “Batman” as…BATMAN!!
Last, but certainly not least, was arguably the most famous Studio Ghibli movie: Spirited Away.
“10-year old Chihiro becomes trapped in a forbidden world of gods and magic when her parents take her to investigate the other side of a tunnel. In order to survive, Chihiro must work and make herself useful, and find within her the courage and resolve she needs to save her parents and escape from a world where humans are despised.”
…And yes people. That’s the same voice actress as Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. Disney has a contract with them, so they are the one’s in charge of dubbing the films. So don’t be surprised if you hear a familiar voice that from your favorite classic Disney film. And I will stop right here and say this: You KNOW these films are a big deal when DISNEY decides to dub them.
I couldn’t see this at the time, but you can see the shadow around No Face creates his body when he..well, to not spoil anything..ate too much.
After the exhibit the exit comes out to the gift shop. Genius marketing.
Me: “CHRISTINE TAKE MY WALLET BECAUSE I’M ABOUT TO BUY EVERYTHING!!”
Christine: That’s fine. I’ll just use it to buy it all for myself!
When contemplating between getting the Totoro doll or the JiJi stuffed animal, I decided to get JiJi, who is from”Kiki’s Delivery Service”. The film inspired me at a young age to venture out on my own and see new places, and had a huge impact on me. More so than “My Neighbor Totoro”. I’ll be re-watching the movie as soon as midterms are done!
If anyone reading this is interested and is considering watching a Studio Ghibli film, I recommend starting with “Princess Mononoke” or “Spirited Away”. Those will rope you right in, and really give you a feel of what Studio Ghibli is all about.
Music – Busker Busker
Sick and tired of all this KPOP? Think that Korea only has dance, hiphop, and electronic music? Well let me prove you wrong! Meet Busker Busker!
Busker Busker is a that competed on Superstar K3 (Korea’s version of American Idol) and actually came in 2nd place. However, they have become the most famous music group from the show and have even ssurpassed the winner, Ulala Sessions, popularity. Their songs are played at every place, any time of the year, and any time of the day. They are crazy popular here!
Like I said before, Busker Busker is one of those bands that unites listeners together, no matter what a person’s music taste is. I’ve noticed that no matter if someone is into idol groups, indie, or hip hop music they all can agree on one thing: They love Busker Busker. Their debut single “Cherry Blossom Ending” is a legendary song here in Korea. There’s really no other way to put it. Everybody knows it, everybody knows the rhythm, and everyone can sing the lyrics to it. It’s going to be one of those songs that people will still play years from now.
And from the ones who are looking at the picture above confused I’ll answer your question: Their drummer’s name is Brad, and yes he’s American. He hails from Ohio, and moved to Korea and worked as an English Instructor until he joined Busker Busker.
Feeling: Contemplative Listening to: Bobby – YGGR #HIPHOP
My college in Maine, Husson University, has a sort of Korean alumni association here in Seoul. They keep in contact with each other all the while promoting Husson here in Korea. They were the ones that established the student exchange program here a Kookmin about 2 years ago. If it weren’t for them, I would never have met the 18 SEE students. More so, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.
They knew about me before I even knew about them, and have kept an eye out for me since I’ve landed. Mr. Kim, my main contact from the group, picked me up at the airport, checks in every now and then, and makes sure everything is going smoothly with my classes at Kookmin. I received a message from Mr. Kim inviting me to a dinner with all of the Husson alumni as well as any of the SEE students that wanted to attend. I, of course, jumped at this opportunity.
I alongside 9 of the 18 SEE students gathered at the Chinese Factory in Gangnam. I took a taxi along with my go-to person here who works in the International affairs division and has close contact with Husson. We unfortunately left around rush hour time and were stuck in traffic for over an hour with a VERY talkative taxi driver (I have never in my life been more happy about the fact that I don’t speak Korean as I did in that moment in that taxi cab).
There were 2 tables: One for the Husson alumni and then the other for the SEE students and myself. A lot of speeches were given (In Korean of course) about the alumni, about Maine, and, course, about Husson. I could feel their passion for Husson as it was evident in their speeches, even if I didn’t understand all of what they were saying. We all raised our glasses several times in cheers:
“HUSSON! HUSSON! HUSSON!”
I eventually went over to the other table and conversed with the alumnis for the remainder of the dinner. They asked me questions about myself, what part of Maine I was from, and about my family (I told them about you Mum and they said I’m you’re close [ie I look a lot like you]). They even talked about some of their memories from Husson, and we laughed about the fact that they didn’t get to enjoy the nice cafeteria we have now (It got some nice renovations in 2012). They at one point offered me a shot of Chinese whiskey. I didn’t want to be rude and decline his offer…
..So I stuttered: “Uh…Sure! Why not?”
They were actually REALLY surprised I said yes, and gave me a half of shot instead of a full one (Thank Godl..I’m not much of a whiskey girl).
Though I am happy to have had the opportunity to meet them, I was even more thrilled to experience another side of the Korean drinking culture: Drinking with your elders.
This is the part I mean when I said that the drinking culture in Korea is different from American drinking culture. There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to drinking with ones older than you. It was so different from anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s not the same as casually drinking with your friends. The SEE students were VERY respectful and very attentive when their elders talked to them.
And before I go any further I would like to state: I am in NO way trying to sound negative NOR am I trying to sound like I’m saying the drinking culture is bad in Korea, because it isn’t. It’s just different. It’s a part of their culture. Everything I say is strictly from observation and from a neutral position.
First off, if you came with expectation of not drinking, you’re more than likely going to have at least one drink. One Korean friend I made here said “You feel pressure because in a way if you say no, they feel like you don’t like them.” This is a hard point to understand, because, in an American POV, the culture is basically like “If you don’t want to drink, then you don’t have to drink! Who cares if they’re older than you?” (‘Merica!) But you have to look at it in a different way, and not through the lens of your own culture.
When you receive a drink from your elder, you have to have hold the cup with both hands (Or in some cases one hand on the cup, and the other near your elbow). And vice versa: the younger ones have to pour the drinks to the elders. This involves standing up and pouring with BOTH hands on the bottle. I had to laugh when the oldest Husson alumni yelled to his younger alumni friend and said “Are you busy?” and held out his cup (This was done jokingly of course and not an order. They are very good friends with each other).
Also, I didn’t notice this but one of my SEE friends told me: When you drink with someone older than you, you are supposed to drink your drink in the opposite direction of your elder.
Even though I was a foreigner, I was expected to portray the same actions when drinking/getting poured a drink as if I was Korean myself. I was actually extremely pleased by this, because they weren’t looking at me like “oh she’s a foreigner, she doesn’t understand so she doesn’t have to do it.” I want to experience as much as possible here, and if that means using customs different from my own than by all means I’ll do it.
Afterwards, the SEE group went and got some PingSu. Jee and I spent a majority of the time taking funny pictures together. (Stay tuned: There will be a Jee & Tee Day). It was there at the PingSu restaurant that I was able to catch up with some of them. They are all so busy with school, writing resumes, and studying/taking the TOEIC test. They work so hard and I could tell some of them were very tired by looking at their faces. But it never ceases to put a fill me up with joy at how they all are as eager as I am to see everyone from the SEE program. Like I said, a majority of them didn’t know each other before they arrive in Maine. But over the 4 weeks at Husson they formed a bond, and it’s nice to see that bond still strong here in Korea. No amount of time is going to change that, and I believe it will only get stronger as the years pass. They are nothing but smiles when they remember Husson. They tell me quite often that they miss it. I’m happy about that…Makes me feel like I did my job.
I can hear my mother’s commentary: “Oh yeah THAT’S attractive, Taylor!”
As I sat there on that long bus ride back to the dorm, I stared out my window. Feeling the breeze hit my face and watching the city lights as they passed me by. I realized then and there that I have begun to be accustomed to skyscrapers, billboards, TV screens, and crowds of people. You just don’t have a chance to see these things when you live in a small rural state and in a town with the population of 1000. And every time I had the opportunity to escape to the big city, the sights would take my breath away. I don’t ever want to get used to it. I don’t ever want to lose that feeling of wonder when it comes to city life. I want to keep that innocence inside me forever, but unfortunately losing it is a part of growing up.
There’s a certain sadness that comes with fulfilling a dream. You won’t be able to have that “first experience” ever again, and maybe as time passes that dream will fade. They aren’t as important to you as they were in the past. I feel like I am beginning to let go of my past aspirations concerning Korea. I have held onto it for so long like it was my only life line for survival…so it slightly scares me to let it go. But I guess now is the time for new dreams to grow in my heart and push me forward. With life people and places come in seasons. Some last longer than others, and some are shorter than you want it. I know when this season ends, I’ll be sad…but I feel as if this season in Korea is leading me to a new season that will last a lifetime.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my future here. Where I want to go. What I want to be. As time passes here I feel like Korea is getting me closer to realizing those answers.
The Han River
The next day I went with 2 of the SEE students, JinHong and Seoyoung, and my roommate Christine to go have a picnic at the Han River. This is actually a really common thing to do here, and even more so set up a tent and camp out for the day.
Jin Hong noticed I was whining every time someone would walk by with a dog (I have a REALLY bad problem when it comes to dogs..I’ve been without mine for over a month and I’m going through withdrawals!). And at one point he got up and asked a passerby if I could hold him, to which I was elated. Though I was grateful, the man is lucky he got his dog back.
For our food we decided to do a Korean favorite: Chicken and Beer (Otherwise known as Chimaek [Chicken + Maekju {Korean word for Beer}=Chimaek]). We ordered take out garlic chicken that was delivered to us, and went to the super market a few feet away for some Beer. Like I said in my previous blog post, it’s not illegal to drink in public in Korea. In America we refer to this as the open container law. It prohibits the possession of open containers of alcohol aka you can’t drink on the streets or outside in public. But in Korea..ITS NOT! You can drink alcohol in plain view, which is still quite a concept to get use to.
LOOK MA!
Clearly I’m spending my time wisely here 😉 And did I mention that beer can come in soda bottles here?
We sat there for hours talking and laughing (I kept stealing Jin’s chicken..so we started a war that ended up with him pushing me off the blanket) and talked and compared our cultures with each others. Eventually it turned dark, and I was greeted by the beautiful night view. At one point there were projector screens set up around the area so people could watch the baseball game going on. How cool is that?
It’s interesting to note that it’s common in Korea for people to approach a complete stranger and ask them to take a picture. I was talking with Christine about the fact that we both feel that in our respective countries that we don’t do this because we wear that that said stranger will run off with our phone / camera. It just goes to show you how safe and trusting Korea is among it’s people. And this trust isn’t misplaced either. Seoul has broken my danger radar. It’s unbelievable how safe this place is.
Here’s an example: I was sitting in the hallway at Kookmin University doing homework when a young lady came by and plugged her phone in to charge next to my seat. She thenwalked off down the hall and I didn’t see her again before I left for class, which was more than 30 minutes later. In the states, I wouldn’t even leave my laptop in the library if I had to use the restroom. I know this may be a bit extreme..but it does happen. But here in Seoul you just don’t hear about things like this happening. Another example is that in the streets of Seoul stores will have a ton of their merchandise / food outside for people to see (20 different pairs of shoes, donuts, cell phone models, etc.) and no body steals them. No one. I mean it probably does happen, but not enough for it to be common. I mean why else would they place them there?
A lot of people were concerned when I told them I was going to S.Korea to study, and gave me the scrunched up face of “Why?”. When people hear “South Korea” usually the immediate thoughts are “North Korea!” “Brink of war!”, “Nuclear weapons!” RadaRadaRadaRada. From someone who has spent the last 4 years studying, watching, and learning about the country and it’s culture I can assure you: It’s not at all like that. The media (from an American perspective, can’t say for other countries) tend to dramatize a lot of what goes on over here. It seems to me that N.Korea are pretty unstable at the moment, and don’t pose as big of a threat as some people might believe. Yes N.Korea has missiles, but they are far off the mark of being extremely destructive. The country’s technology is so far behind the rest of the world that it could takes years before it could cause a huge threat. S.Koreans are not afraid at all at any of the threats they make toward them. When I asked a couple of my classmates about the recent announcement (North Korea is gearing up for an all out war in 2015 with South Korea), I got this answer with a honest smile, (and I quote): “We don’t care. They’re not going to do anything.” You have to realize how many times a year N.Korea does this stuff, and never falls through. My go-to guy here at Kookmin said it best: “Over 9 million people are living in Seoul, and it’s extremely close to the border to North Korea. If there was a big threat or issue of war people wouldn’t be living there.”
To sum this up: Yes, there is a threat of war. But it’s not on the brink nor is it as big of a threat as people often think it is.
Honestly, I don’t think you’re going to find a safer city to study in. Or a nicer one for that matter. I have not met a mean soul since I’ve been here (knock on wood!). I still haven’t met anyone who is irritated by the fact that I can’t speak Korean, and they do their best to meet me halfway.
If you want more info and examples about the safety of Seoul, Eat Your Kimchi does a fantastic video explaining it (Simon: I’ve seen scooters plenty of times left running WITH the keys in, and people walking away!)
Music
I know I’ve lost some of you. HEY! I’m not gonna go on a KPOP rant! I SWEAR!
But I think its important to know, and you guys must be curious about it…What music is honest to God popular in Korea? Yes the latest singles like TaeTiSeo’s “Holler”, 2PM’s “Go Crazy!”, and Super Junior’s “Mamacita” ARE popular. But if you walk the streets, go into stores, watch subway or billboard tv screens, or just listen to other Koreans, you can tell that people are interested in music other than the big named idols. And guess what? Some of them aren’t even Korean! Here are a few titles that I find are the top of the top when it comes to what’s constantly playing in Korea:
Maroon 5
If you ask someone here what their favorite western singer is, 8/10 times the answer will be Maroon 5. They’re also played a lot here, to the point where I’ll be bold enough to say they are the most popular English speaking music band in Korea. They are almost played as much as some of the top KPOP songs. I’ll be walking down the streets of Hapjeong and Adam Levine’s voice will be coming from all directions, and I’m not even talking about “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”. “Animal”, “Maps”, “Payphone”…and a bunch others but let’s face it: I don’t listen to Maroon 5 so I have no idea what they are. Sorry!
EXO
I know this one might go without saying, but seriously, they are EVERYWHERE here! And that’s not an exaggeration. From celebrities endorsements, to fashion, and to tracks played in stores these guys are dominating right now. I dare say they have surpassed even Girls’ Generation’s popularity (I hardly ever hear Girls Generation played at all here..maybe once so far in the month I’ve been here). They are definitely on the top of the pyramid right now in the KPOP idol industry.
Begin Again OST
Out of all the music I will post here, this is the most surprising one for me: The Begin Again OST is played constantly here to the point where I don’t go through one day without hearing at least one song from the movie. And not just “Lost Stars”, but every one of Keira Knightly’s songs. I don’t even hear this soundtrack played in America as much as it is played here. Heck I even went to watch the movie here because it’s so popular and I was like “Dang I have to watch this movie to see what all the fuss is about!” Now…it’s my new favorite movie. I know even now, that I will always think of my time in Korea every time I listen to “Lost Stars”.
Busker Busker
Busker Busker is a acoustic band in South Korea and are one of the most popular musical groups in the country. They may not be promoting, but these guys are the number 1 here! Even more so than EXO. Everyone has their own taste and type of music. From what I’ve seen you have some people that love the KPOP idol world, and some that really dislike it and go into more underground / indie stuff. Busker Busker, to me, seems to be the group that everyone can meet halfway with. Their music touches both, and all, groups of people. And in turn their music can be played in almost all occasions and different types of restaurants, so it’s not surprising that they are the common denominator played in Korean businesses.
Show me the Money 3
I use the subways a lot, and I’ve noticed that in subway cars people are usually on their phones playing games or watching TV on their phone (Samsungs here have an antenna that picks up TV stations in Korea, and it’s FREE!). When I get a glimpse of their screen, it is usually Show Me The Money (Or rather WAS, now that it’s ended).
For those of you who don’t know: Show Me The Money is a rapper survival TV program where inspiring, some known and some unknown, rappers compete in teams and against each other. As an international KPOP fan from the states, I had no idea that this show had such a following. I’m not familiar with a lot of the tracks from the show, but the one I hear people talking about the most is Bobby’s “YGGR #HIPHOP / 연결고리 – 힙합”. The song was originally done by rapper Illionare, but Bobby has made it incredibly popular which his version. My Korean friend told me that the phrase/lyrics “너와 나의 연결고리 이건 우리 안의 소리 / Neowa naui yeongyeolgori igeon uri anui sori” (“You and me, our connection, this is the sound inside of us”) is EXTREMELY hot right now in Korea.
Out of all the places I wanted and dreamed of visiting in Korea, Namsan Tower was at the top of the list. My Saturday was wide open so I decided to go there by myself for a fun to do activity.
Once you get to Myeongdong, it’s pretty easy to find the cable cars since you can see them and the tower pretty easily from, well, anywhere. To take the cable car is 8,500Won (~$8.00). And yes: It is high up, and yes I am scared of heights. In my head I was repeating “I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this!!”
The appeal of the tower is that you have the most beautiful and amazing view of Seoul you’ll find in the entire city. There are food stands, restaurants, gift shops, a kids theater, and observatory inside the tower. On top of the tower is a rotating restaurant called N Grill. As the name suggests it rotates every 1 hour and 40 minutes (I didn’t go because it is quite expensive). It also interesting how global Namsan Tower is. They had a ton of English signs for everything (More so than I find on the streets in Seoul), the workers there know a fair amount, and they also accept USD as payment..which you’ll find hardly anywhere in this city.
Namsan Tower is actually a hot spot for couples to go on a date (I feel like Korea keeps reminding me how single I am..all I want in life is a good job, a nice apartment, and 30 cats to cuddle with [To my sister Kate: I’m totally kidding about this! …Mostly..]). Largely to do with the famous lock fences. The locks are similar to the badges on the fence in Insadong. Couples will buy them, write on them, and them put the lock on the fence. It’s really a beautiful site to see the fence overflowing with locks and signs. And there are also tree’s shaped objects with locks on them.
Now if only I can find someone to go with me at night…
Hongdae
So funny, weird, confusing story…my Korean friend JunSung and I met each other through a mutual friend in the states..whom I’ve never met in person before. He went to high school in New Hampshire where he met my friend’s family. I met the said mutual friend’s SISTER at a catholic youth convention in high school, and kept in contact with her over the years and met her sisters via Facebook since we all share a mutual love of KPOP. One day I saw he commented on said mutual friend’s Facebook status, clicked on his profile, and saw that he is currently attending Kookmin University. I decided to reach out, and now here we are.
Like I said, it’s a weird, complicated story, but I’m glad it happened. He’s been one of the most helpful and supportive friends I’ve made here. I’m really blessed that he has taken the time to help me out as much as he already has. Plus his English is really good. Its nice to have someone who understands American culture AND Korean culture to talk with because you have someone who knows where you’re coming from and what difficulties you might face. Even if you don’t know what they are yourself.
I got message from him and his girlfriend, JiYoon, asking if I wanted to go to mass and then hangout in Hongdae.
Hongdae is one of the most popular places in Seoul, S.Korea. It’s got the hottest clubs, bars, restaurants, and is a general hub for the youth. Not to mention they have a ton of independent label clothing stores. JiYoon goes to Hongik University (The university Hongdae is named after) and knows the area very well. I’ve been to Hongdae a few times before, but it was only to visit the You Are Here Café and Hello Kitty Cafe. I couldn’t find anywhere else to really go to because everything was closed before the evening, and there didn’t seem to be a ton of people there. Since I was a foreigner by herself, I really had no idea what to do there, so I usually leave early and don’t explore much.
But it was a totally different sight than what I had previously seen. The area was bumping, full of youth, and the bars and restaurants were packed. JiYoon brought me to fantastic cream pizza place, beauty stores with cheap but good cleaning foam, and gave me a tour of the giant university that is Hongik. This university is known for it’s fantastic fine arts and design programs. We walked around quite a bit and ate a ton of food (Don’t worry mom: I’m eating VERY well here!). I also finally encountered a group of celebrities, but unfortunately none of which I was familiar with. The crew of Gag Concert (A popular Korean comedy show) were eating outside at a restaurant. I have no photos for proof because we were stopped by a female who held out of hand and said “No pictures.” ..but it DID happen!
Street performers are also a common sight in Hongdae. For instance we passed by a group of people dancing to EXO’s “Overdose”, and another was a female band playing acoustic covers of KPOP and American songs. At one point they were playing a KPOP song from 2010 and JiYoon and JunSung couldn’t think of the song and within a few seconds I named it (BEAST/B2ST-비가 오는 날엔 On Rainy Days). They looked at me like I had 2 heads…yeah I’m THAT bad.
We sat down and I tried some Butter Beer that JiYoon suggested (It is exactly as it sounds..buttery and it was DELICIOUS!) in the most beautiful bar I’ve ever been in.
Korean Bars
You’d be surprised. Korean Bars are actually quite different than western bars. In western bars you can go with friends or just go alone. These bars are known for being a social area and a great place to meet new people. That’s really why anyone in America will go to a bar (besides, you know, the obvious…to get a drink). It’s the most appealing factor about Western bars: You don’t have to know the person to start talking to them. But in Korean bars you bring friends with you. It’s actually weird to just go to a bar by yourself, and you’ll probably get a look if you try to strike up a conversation with strangers. Though you may be able to get away with it in Itaewon because of it’s diverse and global nature. Foreign bars for example might be the place to go.
Cafes are basically the same as Western cafes: You go in, get coffee, sit down and chill for a little while. The difference: You can stay as long as you want (Ok within reason)! But I know in America as soon as we’re done eating/drinking we leave because we feel like we need to make room for the new people coming in that might need the table. But here its quite common to stay at a coffee shop for hours. I’ve actually do a bunch of my work at coffee shops and I stay there between 2 to 3 hours, and no one gives me the look of “Why aren’t you leaving?” This might be the reason coffee shops are so common and popular here; they’re a great place to hangout and relax. If I ever get worried that I’m overstaying my welcome I just go buy another coffee or yogurt smoothie, but I think they really don’t mind.
I went a little over this before, but Korean clothing stores are a bit different from Western clothing stores. Such as you might have an employee follow you around as you browse. This isn’t because they are worried you’ll steal something, rather part of their job is to answer questions and assist you as you shop. One new difference I discovered recently is that they have a size called “Free size”, meaning that it has no size (It’s not Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, etc), though they usually are a bit big. Now the catch with this is you CANT try it on. I have no idea why, and it really frustrates me because I hate buying stuff I haven’t tried on. When I encounter this I usually just leave the store…but I actually did cave a few days ago and bought something off the 5,000Won rack ($5.00) and it looks great! But I’m still a bit apprehensive on free size clothes.
Music – BEAST/B2ST
BATOOST FOR LIIIIIFE!!! (EatYourKimchi reference)
BEAST/B2ST is a 6 member KPOP group signed to Cube Entertainment. They are one of the most popular boy groups in S.Korea right now, and are known for their phenomenal live performances. “Beautiful Night” is actually released in 2012, but it still remains my favorite song from them. And yes, the music video was shot in New York City.
Feeling: Relieved!
Listening to: 2PM-미친거 아니야?(GO CRAZY!)
You Are Here Cafe/Eat Your Kimchi
I had had a very frustrating day. What was suppose to be a relaxing day off turned into a hot, annoying, and tiring day than involved me falling down in the subway after leaving the train at the last minute when the doors closed. I was feeling out of my element, and a bit fed up with the unfamiliarity.
I decided then that I needed to find some place to relax and calm down. It was time to finally visit the You Are Here Café created by Eat Your Kimchi and Talk To Me in Korean. I’m not too familiar with TTMIK, but EYK I’m well aware of.
I arrive in Hongdae and made my way to the cafe. It was quiet and a bit deserted for an early afternoon. JUST what I needed!
It’s a place that serves sort of as a middle ground for foreigners and Koreans looking to learn more about the other, but just don’t know where to start. I was touched to witness as I was leaving a young Korean male walk over to a table with 2 Caucasian females and ask them for help on his English homework. It was really nice to see.
“You Are Here, in one sense, is what you see when you’re looking at a tourist map. It shows you the world around you, how to get to the places you want to get to, but tell you where you are, right there in the centre of it: you Are Here. Since we know that a lot of you that will be coming to the coffee shop aren’t natively from Korea, we want this place to be your center point, where you gather your bearings. Start from here, then go out and explore.” – Eat Your Kimchi
The tea was fantastic, the macaroon was to die for, and the atmosphere was comforting. It was just what I needed to get back on my feet and really to tackle Korea once again. I go there often (to the point where my American friends tell me I have a problem) because I just love being there so much. Whenever I need to get a blog post done I’m usually there doing it!
For those of you wondering, EatYourKimchi is a blog comprised of a Canadian married couple, Simon and Martina (Along with their dog Spudgy and their cat Dr. Meemersworth), who have lived in Korea for over 5 years. They at first taught English at high schools, and started to blog about their experiences to show to their friends and family back home how cool Korea was. It was also to assure them that although North Korea is nearby, everything is perfectly safe and ok. There’s more to S.Korea then the impending nuclear war N.Korea keeps threatening the world with. (In fact the day they left for S.Korea, N.Korea announced that they would bathe S.Korea in an ocean of flames…not too reassuring for their families back home.)
Little did they know that these videos would lead them to be one of most famous bloggers of all time. There aren’t many foreigners who come to Korea who DON’T know who they are. I showed my mother some of their videos, and it actually made her feel better about my own travels there. She in fact started to get excited for me to try some of the things they were doing like drinking Bubble Tea or traveling to different areas in Seoul.
Their videos are absolutely hilarious and extremely informative. This was my number one resource when it came to getting to know what Korea would be like. They have several different types of videos (That have creative acronyms to say the least):
KPOP Music Monday – Where they review some of the newest KPOP singles (Yes this is how I found them…you all know me SO well).
WTF = Wonderful Treasure Find = They buy some of the coolest/strangest inventions they come across in Korea, or other parts of the world, try them out, and review them (Nose Pushup Bra, Female Lap Pillow, Dokbokki Jenga).
There are a great recourse to use if you have any questions about Korea, and a great way to show your family and friends how beautiful the country is. Here’s a video of them going to Hongdae to a 만두/Mandu restaurant. They also talk about Korean restaurant culture as well, and how it differs from North America. Personally, one of the biggest reasons why I love the EYK videos, is the chemistry of Simon and Martina’s as a married couple. I’ve always said that if I ever get married in my life time, I want my relationship to be similar to theirs.
My Hair Catastrophe (Where to go for hair care in Korea)
I suppose this is going to be one of those “You’ll laugh hysterically about this 10 years from now” stories…
It all started Monday when I went in to get my hair dyed. My trade mark bright blonde hair is, in fact, not my real hair color. My original hair color is a mix between blonde and brown. Dirty blonde? Call it what you want, but it’s a fairly odd color. I decided that in order to reduce the hassle of dying my roots and trying to find an appropriate bleacher in S.Korea, I would just dye my hair back. Plus the price they charged me for was way cheaper here than it would be in America
To avoid any issues, I won’t say exactly name and location of where I went. When I went in, I showed them 5 pictures of my hair to show them what I was looking for. I also used Google translate and they knew enough English to know what I wanted. So there was no miscommunication. She said to me that in order to go back, she had to dye it a few shades darker because the color will fade. I assumed she meant a lighter shade of brown, so I agreed. She put the dye in, left in on for approximately 35 to 45 minutes, washed my hair out, and sent me on my way.
This is what came out…
The picture makes it look better than it really was. You can’t tell from the image, but this actually had a tint of blue to it when it was in the light. The 2nd day it was more blue than black, and the 3rd day it was purple. I’m not joking. This REALLY happened.
I’m not going to pretend I was brave and not effected by this. The absolute truth is: I was miserable, and a basket case. I had to force myself to go to class because I was mortified to be out in public, and as soon as it ended I ran back to my room. Praying I wouldn’t see anyone who knew me. I could only muster up some confidence by wearing sunglasses wherever I went, because they somehow made me able to hold my head up high. You can say I was being petty or dramatic, but I am human. For a woman, your hair is one of your most important and cared for feature. When something ruins your hair, it’s a huge blow to your confidence. I have always been a blonde, and I went from one side of the hair color spectrum to the COMPLETE opposite in less than an hour. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the color and it probably suits many others. It’s just not for me, and it’s certainly not my style. I didn’t know how to handle this dramatic change.
I feel bad for my friends and acquaintances, because I complained A LOT. Especially my roommate, who took it like a champ and really helped me because she knew a lot when it comes to dying/bleaching hair. I also appreciate the amount of people who told me that it was a fantastic new look for me and that I looked great either way. It took a full day of feeling sorry for myself and being angry at the world when I woke up the next day and self-coached myself by saying: “Ok Taylor. You can do this. There are worse things that could happen. You’re alive, and breathing. It’s time to rock this hair out like a champ until you can fix it.”
With this new resolve, I messaged my friend EunHye to see if she could go with me to the salon to ask for a refund. She told me normally refunds aren’t really given, and we weren’t entirely sure if it would work. But if there was any situation where a refund was deserved, this would be a text book example.
And guess what? I did. No questions asked and there was no debating. EunHye also told me that there was, like I said, no misunderstanding of what I wanted, they just got confused because of my dark roots (Though my roots aren’t black and there is in no way any hint of blue to them..).
After that, I was recommended by a family friend that maybe I should press the salon to fix my hair. But at this point, I didn’t trust that they knew how to properly do that. So to avoid any more hair upsets, I decided to do some research and look for a salon that was experienced with foreign hair. I knew right where to look first: EatYourKimchi. I didn’t have to look far to find an article Martina wrote many years ago. She and Simon had their own hair episodes in Korean when they would go in a salon for a trim and their hair would end up being butchered. They recommended that the best place for foreigners to get their hair cut and/or colored is a place called Juno Hair Salon. They are well experienced when it comes to foreign hair. Looking for a second opinion, I looked for other recommendations online and I found several other bloggers in Korea recommended the same place, so I decided this was going to be it.
EunHye called Juno Hair Salon and told them my situation. She couldn’t go with me due to class, so she wanted to make sure there would be no upsets this time. They luckily have employees that spoke enough English to communicate with me so I could go by myself. But they couldn’t promise that they could do anything. Because my hair was just dyed a few days ago, doing anything more on my hair could cause serious damage. So I might have to wait at least a month before anything could be done, but they wouldn’t know for sure until they saw my hair in person. I was disappointed, but I understood where they were coming from. I had to put my big girl pants on and realize that my hair is not going to be fixed as quickly as I wanted it to.
They told EunHye that they would write my name down and look for me this afternoon. What do I look like?
EunHye *in Korean*: She’s an American-
Me: I’m an American female with blue/purple hair. They can’t possibly miss me.
*EunHye continues to talk trying very hard not to laugh, but ends up giggling profusely *
As soon as she was off the phone, I immediately headed toward Ehwa Women’s University. When you get off the train leave out of exit 2. Walk down the street and go right on Ewhayeodae3-gil Street. You’ll see it on you’re left.
As soon as I walked through the door, they knew who I was.
Female Employee: “Taylor?”
Me: 네/Nae = Yes
They immediately took me upstairs and sat me down. And there was not one, not two, not even three, but five hairdressers surrounding me. Examining my hair, muttering in Korean to each other, and I swear I heard some clicking of the tongues.
Female Employee: Can you show us [a] picture of what you wanted?
Me: *Get’s out high school picture of my natural hair*
All Five Female Employees: *Gasp*
FINALLY!! A hairdresser who understands! And not just one, but five of them!
I don’t know a lot of Korean, and the majority of what I do know is not grammatically correct nor is it formal. But I know a few words and phrases to express myself in various situations.
Me:미치겠어../Michigesseo.. (Translation: I’m going crazy over this..)
*Hairdresser nods with understanding and pats my arm*:미치겠어!/Michigesseo!
I think from the shocking condition of my hair, they decided to go forth with the bleaching. They didn’t waste any time and immediately started to work. Unlike the previous salon, the girls first tested some strands to see the color and condition of my hair after the bleaching. They showed me the strands that were tested and ask for my opinion.
And what I saw was my beautiful old hair. A glimmer of hope.
With my permission, they started with the rest of my hair that took almost 2 rounds of bleaching. As they worked they served me ice tea and crackers, which come to find out is part of the Juno Hair Salon Service. The women were very careful with my hair and very apologetic for any pulling, hair tangles, and I think for the entire situation itself. At one point when I was getting my hair washed one of the stylist sat down nearby and had a small conversation with me. The stylist washing my hair knew more English so she helped translate some of the conversation.
Stylist*In Korean*: Where are you from?
Me: 미국/Miguk = America
She nodded excitedly.
Stylist*In Korean*: How long have you been here?
Me *holding up my fingers to show the number 4*: Four weeks (I didn’t know how to answer this in Korean.)
She seemed surprised that I haven’t been here for very long.
Me: 국민대학교 / [I go to] Kookmin University
Stylist: *Says something in Korean*
Me: I’m sorry?
Stylist washing my hair: She says your Korean is very good.
Me: Ah! 감삼니다!!!/Gamsamnida!!! = Thank you!!!
As they took me into the other room to blow dry my hair, I could finally see the finished product. Even though I was getting the treatment of a queen, I was still nervous I was going to come out of the salon with green hair…or no hair at all! I looked in the mirror…
And after 3 days of desperation, I could finally breathe. I was back to my normal blonde self.
Stylist:괜찮아?/ Gwenchanha? = Is it ok?
Me: 함복하다!/Hambokhada! = I’m happy!
She laughed a lot, and when the main boss came in to check on things she pointed at me and said: “함복하다/ Hambokhada” She laughed. She looked at me and said “You had very difficult hair.” I nodded. I’m sure my blue hair is a case she and the rest of the stylists will never forget.
I owe a lot to Juno Hair Salon for correcting what I consider one of the biggest hair crises for a foreigner in Korea (My roommate: The only way I can think of anything being worse is if you lost all your hair). I paid A LOT to get my hair fixed, and I had to pay extra because I had to buy a product to get protein into my very damaged hair. It had to be done. I even have to go back in two weeks so they can make sure my hair is healing properly. And, hilariously, I’m STILL finding some blue strands!
Some people think I was stupid to not wait to get back into America to dye my hair in the first place. I never considered Korea a place that is uncapable of handling foreign Caucasian hair, and I still don’t. Juno Hair Salon is proof of that. What happened was a freak accident that really could have happened anywhere. It was just a huge mistake. I do however think that part of the problem was that she overestimated the strength of my hair. Believe it or not, Asian hair is very different from Caucasian hair. Asian hair is more thick and strong while Caucasian hair is super fine. I think this misunderstanding may have led to my hair catastrophe. But I’ll never know for sure.
And for the record: I am not mad at the salon who screwed up my hair. I’m just disappointed at how things turned out. I am grateful that they had no qualms with giving me my money back, and for that I have no grudges. The reason I am writing this post is to save stress, time, and money for anyone looking for a reliable place to get their hair worked on during their time in Korea. If you are doing any research, you’ll see the name of Juno Hair Salon. I’m here to honestly tell you: The positive reviews are 100% correct! I recommend this place, and will talk this place up until the day I die.
IF YOU HAVE IGNORED ALL THE SONGS I HAVE RECOMMENDED IN MY POSTS, I URGE AND DARE YOU TO TRY THIS ONE!
What time is it?
It’s 2PM baby!
2PM is a 6 member boy group signed to JYP Entertainment, one of the top entertainment labels in Korea, and are one of the most popular boy groups. I know I said in an earlier post that SHINee are the best dancers in KPOP, but 2PM is right up there and would be their main competitor for the title. Known for their acrobatic/tumbling abilities, 2PM has some of the best party songs and dances you can’t help but think “Damn! I want know how the dance to this!” 미친거 아니야?(GO CRAZY!) is no exception, and is probably my favorite KPOP single so far in 2014.
Unfortunately, this will be the last we see of 2PM for about 2 years. 5 out of the 6 members are going into the military together. In S. Korea, all men have to do a mandatory military service for 2 years before the age of 30 (Nickhun, the 6 member, is from Thailand so he is not required to do it). Celebrities are no exception. But I dare say they are ending on a powerful note.
Listening to: UV-Itaewon Freedom (ft. JYP)
Feeling: Calm
Myeongdong Cathedral
With everything that had happened so far and with me finally making it to Korea, I felt like it was important to take the time and pray before my journey went any farther. I also wanted the time to collect my thoughts and think about the things I should do to make the most out of my trip here. With this in mind, I thought what a great opportunity this was to visit the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. I had heard all about it weeks before I left the states when the Pope visited and the 800,000 people that gathered to see him…
Umm..can you say “Holy snikies”?!?!
Directions
Take line 4 until you reach Myeongdong, and then leave out of exit 10. This map will also make things easier. The huge dark grey area is the cathedral.
When you leave the subway walk straight until you come across the 삼일대로9길/Samil-daero street and take a left (you’ll see a Dominos pizza on the other side). At this point just keep walking straight for a fair distance.
And FYI as you walk toward the cathedral you’ll see another huge church on your right. I got confused and thought “Oh wow! That must be it!” But it’s not. It’s the 영락교회 church you see on the map. Think of it as a marker that you’re going the right way.
Then finally you’ll reach an intersection. Stay left and walk into Myeongdong-gil street. If you see a Starbucks it means you’re on the correct road. It wont be long until you see the the cathedral. It’s huge!
They have service at these times: 7:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00. Whats more awesome is that the mass at 9:00AM is an English mass! The inside of the cathedral is beautiful. They have TV’s in the back so everyone can see the service.
Catholicism is known for being the same no matter where in the world you are attending mass, and that held true to the service I went to. The only noticeable differences I saw was:
There was no knee rests on the floor, so there was no kneeling. At any time during the service.
Instead of shaking hands to show a sign of peace, they instead put their hands together (like how you do when you are praying), bowed, and said “peace”. I guess this is a faster and less of a germ sharing method to doing things.
Afterwords I walked around the complex and took pictures, and a lady was nice enough to take the picture of me in front of the cathedral. I also looked into the store next to the church to find a rosary for my mother, but I didn’t find one that I liked enough to buy (Working on it Ma!). I then met up with another SEE student, EunHye, and she took me to see Itaewon.
Itaewon
Itaewon is one of the most diverse places in Seoul and is the foreigner hub of the city. They have so many different types of bars, clubs, and shops (Mexican bar, transgender club, a bar for foreigners, an Islamic section of the area). They even have a beautiful muslin temple that lights up at night. It’s a place full of diversity and a mix of the random. If you’re looking to meet people of the same or a different country this is the place to go.
I went with my friend EunHye as she showed me around and we ate the most delicious pizza I’ve ever had in my life at a popular place called Pizzarium. Later we stopped and had coffee as we compared and contrasts each others culture. We also made a list of the places and things I needed to do before I left Korea so I would have no regrets when I returned home.
I went back to Itaewon a few days later with my friends EunJi and Jee at night, and the atmosphere was totally different. Things are much more lively at night. We went to a foreigner bar where the girls laughed at me when I obnoxiously sang the English songs that came on (Three Doors Down’s “Here Without You” came on and I just couldn’t hold myself back), and just altogether caught up since we last saw each other in Maine. The waiter and barmaid weren’t Korean, but spoke both Korean and English.
I have never looked more sophisticated in my life.
EunJi has this app on her phone that can create 3o sec videos that are like little montages of an event. Her and Jee made these videos all the time back at Husson whenever they would do an activity such as bowling, lobster dinner, or their visit to Acadia park. She made one for our little get together at Itaewon.
McDonald’s Delivery
It’s 10:00PM. My roommate and I are starving and we really don’t feel like making the trip outside to go to the store or find a restaurant.
Me: Hey. You know what me should do?
Roommate: What?
Me: Order McDonald’s delivery.
*Silence*
*Roommate gets up and grabs her computer*
Roommate: OMG we should! Let’s do this!
Yes. You read right. McDonald’s delivers here. This is the site we use:
It was a bit tricky at first because you have to put your entire address in Korean, and the entire ordering process is in Korean (Note: Google translate is your best friend!). You also need to give a Korean phone number they can call if there are an issues, and I was blessed enough to have a friend who translated and volunteered to be our “messenger” (ie use his phone number).
The McDonald’s menu is basically the same as it is in America. Big Mac, McNuggets, Happy Meals, snack wraps, etc. The only thing I saw differently was:
They have chicken drumsticks which have a slight bite to them.
They only have 3 condiments: Sweet Chili, Cajun, Sweet and Sour sauce, and Ketchup. No ranch, mustard, and, worst of all, no Mayo. Sad face.
You’ll get a window in your browser that shows the status of your order so you can be on the look out for the delivery guy. You can pay with either cash or a debit/credit card. They deliver the food on a yellow moped with the McDonald’s logo on the side.
And not just McDonalds. Several other well known titles such as Pizza Hut and Chinese restaurants deliver as well
The fruit of our labor ladies and gentlemen:
Wooooooorth it!!
Music – UV
UV is a two man project band and are comprised of comedians Yoo Se Yoon and High Syde’s Muzi. I can’t think of a song more suitable for this post than their notorious “Itaewon Freedom” song!
This is one of the most random, crazy, ridiculous, and hilarious music videos I have ever seen, and is right up there with “Gangnam Style”. It doesn’t help that its also so addictive and catchy! The entire time I was there I was going “Itaewon FREEEEEEeedom!”
I couldn’t find a English subtitled video for the song, but they are basically just singing about the diverse and awesomeness that is Itaewon!
It’s the Saturday after the first week of classes, me and another American at Kookmin decided it was high time for a girl’s day out. She mentioned to me that she loved Hello Kitty, which sparked the idea of visiting this place I heard of: The Hello Kitty Café in Seoul.
Directions
Take Line 2 to Honsik University (This is also the Hongdae exit) and go out exit 9. Walk straight toward the intersection, and then turn left. Walk up the street to eventually cross the road and then turn at your second right. Keep looking toward your left and you’ll see it. It’s hard to miss!
This is the map I used to get there and much to my surprise I didn’t get lost! It was easy to follow and I didn’t get confused and go down the wrong street because of bad navigating. Just keep an eye out for the stores on the route and you’ll be fine.
This is a huge tourist attraction, and is a recommended stop for foreigners in Seoul. The food is a bit pricey, but I think it’s worth at least one visit for the creative decorations and adorable atmosphere.
This was what the food looked like…
We actually sat there for a few minutes thinking “I really don’t want to cut into this adorable masterpiece”. But my stomach’s need for food was greater than Hello Kitty’s cuteness. So I stabbed my fork into it’s cheek and dived in…Sorry Kitty.
I bought a Cheesecake and strawberry yogurt smoothie while my friend got a Waffle and another sort of Strawberry cake. We shared our food to get a taste of everything, and I have to say that the waffle was the best out of all of them and I don’t like waffles to begin with.
Transportation in Korea
It’s really simple to get anywhere you want to in Seoul. There are three modes of public transportation: Subway, Bus, and Taxis. And to pay for all of them you can just use what they call a T-Card (Transportation Card). You can get this card any place with the T Store logo on it. You can also put more cash on your card at the T-Store, or you can just do it at the machine in the subways.
These are what the T-Cards look like:
Subway
The subways are super clean and very clear on it’s directions on where exits and stops are. They are a great way to get where you need to go.
Now take a deep breath.
This is Seoul’s subway map….
Don’t freak out! It’s really not as bad as it looks! What makes this easy are the smart phone apps available to you. The app that I use is for the iPhone called Seoul Metro that has been an absolute life saver and a must have for me.
It’s called Explore Metro. It’s completely free and in English. You can calculate your route, search different stations, and even see the street view which can show you where each exits leads to. I use this app almost everyday. I highly recommend this.
Some things to know about the subway is that there are selected seats that are only for the elderly, disabled, and pregnant women. They are at the front and end of the cars, and usually are about 3 seats in a row. There will also be signs so it’ll be hard to miss them. Some people are more picky about this than others and you might just get the stink eye, but I would steer clear of these seats just out of respect for people who truly need them.
Bus
The buses in Seoul are like any other bus in the world. There are a lot of them and usually within 10 minute increments. When you enter the bus press your T card on the box you see in front of you. Then when you leave make sure you do the same thing. If you scan your card when leaving, if you get on another bus within the first 30 minutes after scanning you will get a discounted price.
The bus route and schedule is a bit too complex for me so I’m not very familiar with it. The schedules are on the side of the bus stops, but they are completely in Korea. Although I can read it, I’m still unsure of where locations are and where everything is. So I find it easier to just use the subway.
Taxi
I have only ridden in a taxi once since I’ve been here, and that was with EunJi in Insadong. I was surprised at how clean the taxi was, and how you can just use your T card to pay the taxi rather than paying with cash like I do in back home. Taxi’s in Korea are cheaper than in America. The only downside to Korean taxi’s is that they usually do not understand English which can be tricky. I believe there are ways to get around this though such as taxi services specifically for foreigners and numbers you can call that can translate directions for you.
Shopping in Korea
Shopping in Korea is not that different from shopping in America, but there are some things to be aware of so you don’t get caught off guard.
First and foremost…
THIS IS NO TAX OR TIPPING IN KOREA!!! So when you go into any store and buy something, the full amount will be on the price tag. There is not tax added to that amount. What a nice change!
Some of the marketing tactics are different from what I’m use to in America. Such as there is usually someone outside throughout the store’s open hours. Clapping their hands, yelling out new sales and products all day long. And in 3 different languages (Korean, Japanese, Chinese). They even do this thing where they give you a free sample, but you can only keep it if you go in and browse the store.
Also very important to know is that when you go into some stores an employee may follow you around as you browse. This isn’t because they are worried about you stealing. They are actually just there to assist you if you have any questions or want to know more about a product. I’ve mostly encountered this is beauty and skin care stores. But don’t be nervous or feel pressured to buy something. Just do your thing and when you leave they’ll just politely say goodbye to you.
Korea, to me at least, seems to be more aggressive in their sales department than what I am normally use to. They really are skilled when it comes to advertising and selling a product to people in the store. I’ve only been in one uncomfortable situation when I encountered a saleswomen that, unfortunately for me, knew a great deal amount of English and was trying everything she could to get me to buy 50,000Won-60,000won ($50.00-$60.00USD) product and I flat out refused and told her that that was way out of my price range. She seemed a bit irritated, and even tried to throw in a free product, STILL persisting that I buy it because there was no deal like this. But $60 is A LOT for me, so I just said no, bowed, said thank you, and headed out the door.
Music-2NE1
2NE1 (Short for New Evolution of the 21 Century) is a 4 member girl group signed to my favorite label in Korea: YG Entertainment (The same label as world famous Psy). They are are on the top of the pyramid when it comes to girl groups in Korea, and their popularity has even reached different parts of the world. Including America. And I’m not talking about KPOP fans either. Their song “내가 제일 잘 나가/I Am the Best” made world headlines for it’s success, and they even won MTV’s Iggy “Best New Band” in New York City for the song in 2011. I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard is somewhere. They even work with designer Jeremy Scott quite often, and were in an AMERICAN commercial for his shoes sold by Adidas.
I’m actually showing the video for the acoustic version of their newest single “Come Back Home” because it’s so fantastic. This was performed after the Sewol Ferry incident, and is probably one of the best live versions I have ever heard.
Also, as an added bonus for my American friends, do you guys know the song “Turn Down for What?” by Lil Jon? Member CL (2nd from the left) did a remake of it on their new album “Crush”. It’s called “MTBD/Mental Breakdown”, and it’s one of my favorites.
FUN FACT: Member Bom (3rd from the left) went to school at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine…GO MAINE!!!
We just sat beside the lake side and talked. We talked about our experiences in our visits to each others country, talked about the different parts of each others culture that shocked/bugged us, what we planned on doing in the future, and the dating culture in each country. Which is actually quite different.
My Days as an Exchange Student in S.Korea 