Mood: Stressed! MIDTERMS!!!
Listening to: Busker Busker – Cherry Blossom Ending
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.
BUNNIES!!
My Days as an Exchange Student in S.Korea 