Last Few Days in Seoul

Since we got back from Japan, Jessica and I have been seriously enjoying the freedom to do as much (or as little) as we want on vacation. Since these days have been filled with a lot of relaxing, I figured I'd do one blog on the last 4 days or so.

Thursday:

Thursday after we got into Incheon, we decided to wait to change our Japanese Yen to Korean Won until we got into the city to the bank. The exchange rate at the airport wasn't very favorable, so we headed to the airport bus instead. We each had reserved enough won in our wallets to get us a ride home, but the rest was in yen. We caught the bus home without issue. However, when we got off the bus, we walked by Diaso and realized that it was closed. After a moment of confusion, we realized that Thursday was Seollal (Lunar New Year) day. Thursday, as well as Friday right after, are both "red days" in Korea. Basically government holidays where nearly everything is closed. Banks included. We realized that we would not be able to exchange our yen until Monday at the earliest. Oops!! Thankfully most places take my Chase Visa credit card (no foreign transaction fees! woohoo!) so while not ideal, it would be okay.

We headed to her apartment and spent most of the day just relaxing. We couldn't be bothered to make food, and since 99% of restaurants were closed we decided to order McDonald's for delivery. I always thought this was super interesting that they do this in Korea, but never experienced it when I lived here. Jessica's coworkers helped her set up her account a few months ago, and we decided to take advantage of it. After all, girls' gotta eat!

That evening, we met up with Alana, the other foreign teacher in Jessica's school that we had met for Butterfinger's last week, and another girl, Gretchen, for a 4D movie! Jessica hadn't been to a 4D movie yet, and I wanted to see Kingsman, so we got tickets before Japan and went to the theatre Thursday night. We got some butter popcorn and a coke and headed in. We went into the theatre and realized there were some Koreans in our seats. After attempting to tell them to move, we realized we were in the wrong theatre. The four of us all squawking about in the theatre was kind of hilarious. We managed to make it into the correct theatre and got our seats.

The movie itself was... interesting. I actually liked the style of it and it was pretty good until the end. I won't go into a lot of detail here, but, ultimately it could have been a lot better. The 4D effects were cool, though. When there was gun fire, you could feel pokes in your back and even on your ankles/feet. There was whooshes of air, and even a little water mist when there was a splash in the movie. It was a fun experience!

When we left the movie, we decided to get some food. We considered going to my old neighborhood for BBQ, but realized that it would probably be closed for New Years. We went to a couple of restaurants in the area and everything was closing/closed. We decided Itaewon would be our best bet for open food, so we took the subway there. We had Turkish gyros which were delicious! Then we went to a bar with way too expensive drinks and hung out for a while. We took a cab home and that was Thursday.

Friday: 

Friday was a shopping day. I don't shop a lot in the states; I don't particularly enjoy it, and I'm pretty frugal. But when you've been saving for a trip and know that you've got money set aside, and there are things you can buy here that you can't back home, well, you let loose a little! We went to Gangnam Station and after having lunch with my former coworker (& soon to be roomie in Austin), we hit up the shops! Mostly I wanted to get some makeup, but I ended up with so many goodies. I got some cute cheap home decor things from Daiso, a pale yellow handbag, 5 pairs of socks (so cute!), another ring to replace mine lost in Japan (this one being 5,000W instead of 25,000), makeup, more makeup, and probably plenty of other things I can't think of right now. But I got a lot of good deals and definitely finished up happy! Jessica is a great shopping partner.

We walked home in the beautiful sunshine, enjoying the weather. That night, we got cute and decided to go out. We wanted to get some American food, so we headed to HBC to get Bonny's Pizza. Unfortunately, we took a little too long to get ready and their kitchen was closed by the time we got there. We went to Phillie's for a burger, but they didn't have any fries (you can't have a burger without fries!), so finally we ended up at Brooklyn Burger. It was delicious!

After dinner, we headed to Itaewon to get some drinks. We ended up at a place called Thursday Party. I have no idea if this place existed when I lived there, but I'd never heard of it. It reminded me SO MUCH of a college bar. It was packed, kind of gross, but cheap and guaranteed to meet people. Within 30 seconds we were hit on, and within a minute of that, got hit on again. Everyone was pretty drunk, it seemed. A British guy and his friend approached us, but I was totally NOT feeling that. Eventually, we chatted with a couple of Korean guys. Around 3am, we headed to a Noraebang, one of the things on my bucket list to do while in Korea again. That lasted a while then we got back to Jessica's place around 6am. Staying out til the sun (almost) comes up - check.

Saturday:

When we finally woke up around noon on Saturday, it was super rainy. Like, disgustingly rainy and so COLD. We agreed that snuggled up in bed with Netflix was in order. While our time back in Korea (since Japan) has been LESS crazy than while in Japan, we were definitely due for a completely chill day. We tried to figure out how to order pizza for delivery, but ultimately decided to just walk down the road to Pizza Etang (my favorite of the Korean pizza places).

I ordered a large pizza (which, to be fair, is actually like an American medium...) and a Coke. I paid, and they kind of wandered away. Jessica waved her arms and was like "Hello! I need to order, too!" The guys literally gawked. I think they were so shocked that we BOTH ordered a pizza. We waited for our pizzas and laughed at how much we get judged by Koreans. We looked up how to say "fat" in Korean (gee-bang) and giggled as we left, each with a pizza box and bottle of Coke.

It was 100% worth the stares and whispers when we got in and got to taste the deliciousness. Also, in our defense, this was both lunch and dinner. Does that make it better, or worse....? We laid in bed, ate pizza, and watched The Heirs (the K-Drama I've been into while in Korea). It was a perfect day for laziness!

Sunday:

Sunday, we woke up "early" (by our recent standards) and decided to hit the jjimjilbang (spa); another thing to check off my list! Jessica is lucky and lives within walking distance to a really nice one. I had read about this place - called Spa Lei - while I was living here, but I always liked Dragon Hill and it was more convenient for me. But, this didn't require any transportation, and it's female only, so we went there instead.

I've always liked jjimjilbangs (after getting over my initial hesitation!) and this was Jessica's first ever time to go! We splurged for body scrubs (an additional 30,000W on top of the 14,000W entrance fee), but so worth it. We went in and tried out some of the baths before getting our scrub. It has been about 2 years since I got a scrub, but the memory came back to me quickly after it began. Certain parts were super ticklish, some were just awkward, but damn they really remove several layers of your poor epidermis!

We enjoyed the jjimjilbang for a couple hours; it was a very relaxing experience! We headed home and decided to go for makgeolli (rice wine), another thing on my list. We found a place within walking distance of her apartment (seriously, she has the best location!). It was called Better than Beef. We got cute, wearing our new shoes we found for 19,000W on Friday, and a good thing too because the restaurant was super nice. Probably the nicest restaurant I'd been to in Korea!

I had read about this place online, so I knew the price range. Thankfully, the information I read was correct. We ordered Samgyopsal (pork belly) for two for 19,000W and a bottle of makgeolli for 12,000W. While we didn't leave super full, the meat was great quality and we really enjoyed the meal. We also got some homemade ricotta that they make in-house (I am given to understand). The meal was great!

When we finished, we decided that we looked too good to just go home! We wandered around a bit until we found a bar and got a drink. This was certainly less chaotic than Friday night, but we still had a great time. I had somek - soju and beer - and it was great! I seriously think that soju makes Korean beer (which kind of sucks by itself) so much better! We got home fairly early - around midnight.

Monday:

My last full day in Korea!! I woke up both sad and anxious to make the most of the day. After another episode of The Heirs (if you can't lay in bed and watch TV on vacation, when can you?!), and went to Myeongdong around noon. Somehow, we managed to spend 5 hours there. I seriously do not know how we did that.

I ended up getting some makeup, a cute top, and (uhhh) some other stuff? I really wanted to find a potato tornado, and I thought for SURE I could find one there, but no luck! This ended up being the only food item I didn't get to eat in Korea that I'd wanted to. We got a snack and then headed back to Jessica's to get ready for my last night in Korea.

We decided to go back to my favorite BBQ restaurant again for my last dinner. Jessica had really enjoyed it, we all know that I LOVE it, and Jessica's friend/coworker Alana wanted to try it. We headed there around 8pm, and thoroughly enjoyed our feast!

When we first got into the restaurant, I'd noticed a table of three middle-aged Korean men looking at us. This in itself isn't strange; I generally just ignore it. One of the guys was REALLY obvious though, so I said Hello to him. He waved and was very happy to talk to me. He told us that he wanted to buy us a drink. I looked at the girls and we all shrugged our shoulders - why not? He called over the guys working at the restaurant and there was some conversation. Ultimately, beer did not appear on our table.

I can't remember who said it, but it was suggested that perhaps the men thought we were... "women of the night". The thought was so preposterous to me, but the next interaction kind of confirmed these suspicions. The man came over to our table and asked if he could sit. We didn't really know what to say, so let him sit at our table. The guys working came over and caught my eye and asked if I wanted them to get him to leave (a prime example of language not actually being necessary to communicate effectively; I knew exactly what he was asking but not a word of English was spoken). I shrugged my shoulders; most of the time when Koreans want to chat with us, its about 5 minutes and they leave. I don't mind satisfying their need to practice their English, or show off to their buddies.

After about 10 minutes, though, I could tell this guy wasn't going to go away. He proceeded to RANK US according to our attractiveness. He even told Alana she looked "strange"! I told him he was mean and we were all most beautiful. He tried to explain himself but we were all kind of over it. I got up to get more sides and told the guys to have him leave now. They came over and said something to him in Korean. A conversation commenced and the guy looked back at me and asked "You told him to tell me to leave?" Ratted out!!! I smiled and said "We need to eat our dinner!" He left as graciously as could be managed when he just got removed from our table.

He definitely went back to his table and talked about us to his friends. I heard "meegook" which is Korean for "American". Also, other tables were watching them and glancing at us intermittently. Greeeeaaaaaat.... We decided to just forget about it and have another drink! After MUCH food and drink, we paid (15,000W EACH!! So cheap!) and headed for our next destination: Dongdaemun Night Market!

Neither of the other girls had been to the market, and I was excited to show them. We took a taxi over from the restaurant. I was disappointed that the tents that usually litter the sidewalks were not there. However, we definitely found plenty of stuff inside the huge buildings full of stalls.

I was looking for two things on this shopping trip: an olive green jacket, and a maroon chunky knit scarf. I found a cute jacket at a stall and asked to try it on. The lady in the stall was nice but definitely a saleswoman. She had the jacket listed at 180,000W. I knew I couldn’t pay anywhere near that price. In my head, I thought I would maybe pay 70,000W for it. I told her sorry, no. I wanted to get Jessica and Alana’s opinions on it, but I also wanted to see other jackets. I did linger a bit, and the women kept lowering her price. She even bagged the jacket up for me and put it in my hands. Literally, she had no shame. At one point (I lingered for probably 15 minutes), she tried to reach into my bag and get my wallet. I smacked her hands and laughed and told her No! 

After much back and forth, Jessica and Alana finally showed back up and I got their opinions. They loved it. By this time, the lady had gone down to 60,000W!! BUT that was her cash price. I needed to pay with a card. We finally agreed to 60,000W on the card, plus 10,000W cash. Less than half the price. I think that once I try the jacket on with the appropriate outfit (not jeans and tennis shoes like I wore to the market), I’ll love it even more. It’s very unique and fun. 

Now I had one last item - the scarf. I wanted this scarf because I had gotten one when I lived in Korea before, worn it to China and all around Korea, LOVED IT, and then lost it at a club. I have never forgotten how much I loved it, so it was the perfect opportunity to get another. The last stall, on the last floor, I finally found one! It was originally 18,000W cash, but I got him to 14,000W card. Could have saved 1,000W if I’d cash, but I needed to save cash to take the bus to the airport the next day. We got home around 2:30am, and went to sleep shortly thereafter. 

What a successful the last night, and indeed the whole last week, in Korea! 

Cheers,

Chelsea

Chelsea in Garosu-gil

Ah... the second day of Seoul vacation! Today was a great day, although slightly less crazy than yesterday. Jessica is now officially on vacation, too, so we decided to make the most of the day.

First, we got up and took our time getting ready. I feel like as I get older, I have less and less time for "getting ready" so anytime I can do it without being in a rush it is a luxury. Once we were ready for the day, we headed to Butterfinger Pancakes - a Seoul hot spot for breakfast. Breakfast in Korea isn't really a thing... most Koreans eat kimchi, rice, fish, and soup for breakfast (and lunch... and dinner...), so there are very few good breakfast places in the city. I know I hated this when I lived here, and where I lived there was literally nothing. At least Jessica is in an area where breakfast is accessible.

I'd heard of Butterfinger when I lived here, but I'd never been since it was so far away. I was excited to finally try it! I wondered if there would be a wait, but luckily we arrived at the right time and were seated right away. Jessica's coworker - the only other foreign teacher in her school - met us there. Her name is Alaina, and I was a little hesitant to share Jessica, but once I met her, my fears were put at ease. She was awesome!

I didn't want to order something that I could easily have in the states, so I got a Waffle Cheese Bake and some eggs. Basically a Belgium waffle with lots of cheese baked on top. Jessica got pancakes and eggs, and Alaina got a meal with a bunch of stuff. The waffle was interesting; I probably wouldn't order it again, but it was good. Jessica's pancakes (which I stole a bite of), were really good. We sat there and chatted and laughed for a while and eventually decided that we should stop holding up a table. When we headed out, there was definitely a wait.

We parted ways with Alaina and headed back to Jessica's neighborhood (the restaurant was a few bus stops away at Gangnam Station) to go shopping! Jessica lives near a main shopping street called Garosu-gil, so we headed that way. I wanted to get a bunch of beauty products for my skin. I've been breaking out more recently, so I wanted to get some Korean face wash and products for it. Also, accessories.

As soon as we got to the street, we saw a small crowd near one of the alleyways. As we got closer, we realized it was a camera crew filming something. Jessica has told me about several different times when she has seen a movie or tv show being filmed in her neighborhood, so it was neat to see it with her. I think that it was actually a commercial because we only saw a couple holding hands walking through the street, then it was done. I got a few pictures of the crew reviewing the footage (couldn't whip my camera out fast enough to get a shot of them filming.)

We went in a bunch of shops and ultimately I got what I was after. I got THREE different kinds of face wash (!!) - one was like 2,500W (around $2.50) and it was made with charcoal which is supposed to be really good for your skin, a deep cleanser, another Bubble Foaming Wash for acne skin that was around 4,900 (around $5). Both of those were from The Face Shop. In that store the worker girl heard us speaking English and came to talk to us. It was super cute, you could tell she wanted to practice her English. She explained some products to us, and I complimented her English. You could tell she was so excited and started to tell me how she is applying to universities in the US and she is working now to save up for it. I asked where she is going to go and she said University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. I couldn't help but laugh to myself; I feel like so many of these universities in the (sorry) middle of nowhere get so many foreign students! And what foreign student wants to go to MINNESOTA? Sorry, Minnesotans... it's just random. Anyway, she said she also applied at UT Austin, and I told her that's where I live! I guess she's not going there though. Anyway, we got our products and continued on.

We poked in Forever21 just to look at the accessories, and I ended up getting two necklaces that were on sale for like 900W (less than $1) and 1,900W (less than $2), and an interesting bracelet/ring thing. It wasn't on sale, but it was around $5 anyway and it was kind of daring. I'd only wear it out at night or with specific outfits, but it was cool! I was also looking for tiny rings to go halfway on my fingers - I'm not sure the official name for them, I call them midi-rings but who knows if that's correct. Anyway, didn't find those at Forever, but then Jessica spotted a shop she had seen a bunch of jewelry in, so I looked there and found the perfect one. It was kind of expensive - 25,000W (~$24) but it seemed like good quality and fit perfectly and was by far the cutest one I'd seen, so I got it!

The last stop of the day (we'd been shopping like 3 hours or so by then) was Nature Republic. There, I ended up buying kind of a lot. I'd bought the face wash at the other store, but I wanted like an acne system and Jessica has been using one by Nature Republic and her face is looking great, so I splurged on a bunch of products - face wash, toner, moisturizer, and spot treatment. It is made with BEE VENOM. Like, so weird... Koreans also love products with snail in it, and other random stuff, so weird. Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers that it all works!

When we got home, I was pretty tired from shopping (which is NOT my favorite past time, but I wanted to get some Korean goodies while I'm here), so I took a nap. I woke up at 7pm; how did I sleep so long?! It did feel really great, though, and I forgave myself since I am on vacation after all!

We got up and went in search of dinner. We had decided to just eat at a kimbap shop (I wanted some tonkatsu) but when we got to her neighborhood shop, we walked in and it was CLOSING. At 8pm on a Saturday! So disappointing. We wandered around her neighborhood looking for something delicious, but since neither of us really know Korean, we had to depend on pictures and ended up at a BBQ place (surprise, surprise!) even though we'd had BBQ the last two nights.

We got samgyeopsal (pork) so at least we ate something technically different. It was pretty good but the banchan (the little side dishes you get with your meal) was disappointing. The place was mostly empty so one of the workers cooked all our food for us. I've gotten used to Korean hovering complex (as soon as you walk into a store, following you around said store, naming the thing you're holding in your hand...) so it didn't bother me but it was kind of funny.

When we got home, I used my new Bee Venom goodies and Jess painted her nails while we watched a K-drama - The Heirs. We laughed over the Korean actors attempting to speak English (the first episode is set in California) and the terrible American "acting" along side them. It was a very fun day, and while we really only shopped and ate, it felt very full! I fell asleep exhausted (despite my nap!)

Cheers,
Chelsea

Noise Basement

Well, the 3 day weekend is upon us! March 1st is Korean Independence Movement Day and it's a public holiday. Korea has surprisingly few public holidays, so we have very few days off. While I wish this extra day off would fall a little further into March (since we just had Lunar New Year, and our next holiday won't be 'til mid-May), I was still excited to get the extra day off.

A Pre-Christmas Weekend

I think I am still a little bitter that we have to work on Christmas Eve. I mean, not bitter... but, it makes Christmas not as exciting, I guess. I shouldn't let something like that affect how enjoyable my Christmas is, but knowing I still have another day to work before I am truly on vacation is really hard. It's been a good weekend, though.

Whirlwind Weekend

Well, as you saw from the previous entry, my mom is in town!!! She arrived on Wednesday night and it was fabulous! I was eagerly awaiting her arrival when the taxi driver called me. I figured he wouldn't know how to get to my building exactly since it is on a side street, but I looked out the window at the front of my building and there was a van and a little blonde standing next to it looking around! I flew down the stairs faster than I've gone in a long long time, and into my mommy's arms!

No. 2233 to Dongdaemun Night Market

Thursday (that'd be yesterday) was an unexpectedly awesome day. Wednesday was just plain crummy; the effects of cold weather and living so far from my family and friends wearing me down emotionally. I woke up feeling much better in general on Thursday. Tuesdays and Thursdays are just automatically better, thanks to a free period and generally much more awesome kids.

Seoul Lantern Festival

Today was probably one of the best Saturday's I've had in Korea. I was productive, got out of the apartment, but I was not stressed out or in a rush or hiking a mountain. This is a particularly good feeling, since the last few Saturdays I've felt were wasted by having to do one thing or another, rushing here or there, etc. Today, I allowed myself the luxury of no alarm, waking up gradually, as my body allowed. It was bliss.

An Attempted Korean Wedding

Happy Monday, readers!! I have hardly had time to sit down this weekend, and unfortunately that means I have had no time to write a blog! But, the good news is all that time spent away from the computer translates to better blogs for you :) see, I'm just thinking of you!

My blog about the weekend will be split into 2 parts. This is Part I.

Seoul Tower, Etc...

Today was jam-packed. In the best way possible!!! I had a mild meltdown last night, and got some incredible encouragement from my mom and also from my Nana via email in the AM. I decided that while I know I'll have my ups and downs, I MUST make the most of this year. I am not a quitter, and I refuse to leave before my year is over. And if I'm going to stick this out, I might as well try to retain a positive attitude even when I am desolate...

Chuseok Day 1

Well, it's Chuseok! I woke up this morning with a mission. I knew I needed to find a good pillow, because I have been experiencing the worst neck pain. The pillows I have aren't bad, but they just don't support my neck at all. I need a good down pillow that I can whack into whatever shape I need.

Tornado Potato

I didn't plan to write a blog today. Throughout my day I felt like nothing interesting was happening, but after recounting my day to my mom on FaceTime tonight, I realized that it was a pretty good day, and some things were worth writing about.

Moohak, Happy Birthday, and Costco

I can't believe its already Sunday night, and I have to go another 5 days before the weekend comes again. Boo! I definitely appreciate my weekends a lot more now that I have to work so hard for them. Which is why this weekend was so frustrating...

Saturday, I didn't have any definite plans, but Tab and I had decided to meet up in the afternoon, after she went hiking with some other people. I declined the invite since it was still undecided until the moment they left. I figured I would sleep in, get up and clean, then meet up with Tab around 2. Well, 2pm came and went, and still no word from Tab. Around 4pm, I messaged her, thinking maybe she had gotten home and fallen asleep. Around 6pm, I was legitimately worried. She had told me she would be home at 1pm, and this is getting close to 6 hours later... By 7pm, I was mad. I spent my entire day waiting for her to contact me. Finally around 7:45, I got a message from her that she had just gotten home. 

While I know she did not have a phone to call and let me know she was going to be 7 hr late, I was still pretty upset. I value my weekend time so much, and I want to make the most of every moment. I did nothing but clean my apartment, watch movies, and lay around. I know some people would love this, and it was nice, but I also determine the quality of my day by the sense of accomplishment I feel at the end of it. I felt like I had completely wasted my Saturday. When I finally spoke to the outside world around 9pm, I was in tears. 

I am a planner; no, I am an obsessive compulsive maniac planner. I had been trying to reach my friends on the military base in Seoul to try to figure out when we were going to meet up on Sunday, and had gotten no where with that, had spent my Saturday like a hermit, and all that combined made me extremely homesick. The key to not being sad when you're away from home is to do something, go somewhere, experience something awesome and new! I had done zero of that, and felt miserable. (On a side note, I think some hormones were probably a participating factor in my completely distraught state.)  

I finally dried up the tears and went to sleep before midnight (a rarity for me these days...). I woke up today with plans to meet Michelle (my Korean BFF) for church. I left my apartment around 11am and caught a taxi. Have I mentioned how cheap cabs are here? I was in this cab for around 25 minutes, and paid less than $6. I mean... seriously? It's more expensive than public transportation, but when you need a cab, you can be glad it's this affordable!

Looks like a mega-church, right?

When I got to the neighborhood the church was in, I had to ask a little old Korean woman where it was. She sweetly pointed in the direction that the masses of people were walking (duh, should have known!). I followed her family up the slope to the church - Moohak Presbyterian Church. It reminded me of a mega-church in the states with a coffee shop, kids play area, elevators, and sleek contemporary design. I waited for Michelle by the information desk, which I thought was quite unhelpful since they offered no assistance when I was clearly looking around confused. (I mean, obviously I was there for the English service, they could have pointed me in that direction!) 

But I waited for Michelle and when she arrived, we set off for the English service. We headed in the direction of this big sancutary, and I got excited - it reminded me of several churches I'd been to before. When we got to the door, Michelle asked where to go, and we were pointed down a back alley, and told to go in the far building and up to the 4th floor.

Performing Amazing Grace

I couldn't help but laugh; sure, shuffle the foreigners off to the corner! We made our way in that direction, and finally found the room. It was the size of a small classroom, with about 15 people in it. I felt so awkward; I was 1 of 2 white people. They were in the middle of praise and worship when we entered, so we found a seat in the back and joined in. 

Well, at least these guys had a projector... the only musical instrument was an electric piano, and the vocalists... well, let's just say they should probably pursue a non-musical profession. I knew a few of the songs (although at times, between the horrible pronunciation of the words and the skipping around of the verses/chorus, I didn't totally recognize them). After we finished singing, there was a little performance of Amazing Grace by a choir-ish-thing. (A line of 5 people and a violinist). THEN the preacher came up... 

Sneaky photo taken of the pastor

I said I was 1 of 2 white people - he was the other. And he looked about 19. When he said he had a wife, I think my jaw literally dropped. The kid was young. And Canadian. I attempted to take him seriously, but he just didn't have that commanding presence. Plus, the way he talked, I'd be surprised if the audience (all 12 of them) knew what he was talking about. I mean, he didn't have an accent that was hard to understand, but he used phrases that I was fairly certain most intermediate-level English speakers would not know.

After an hour, I asked Michelle if her husband was ready to go (he had gone to the Korean service), and she said yes. We left before the service was over, but I don't think we really missed a whole lot. When we stepped out, a guy followed us. He wanted to put my phone number on a text-messaging list for the people who go to the service. Michelle explained I was just visiting and lived far away, so not sure if I would return (all of this said in Korean), and I was so thankful she saved me! I wouldn't have known how to decline politely :( 

When we were far enough away to speak freely, we both had a little laugh over the situation. She felt bad, because she didn't know it was so small and basic. I told her I didn't mind, but it wasn't what I was used to. She said that the Korean service is much better, and I told her that I actually would be interested to experience that, even if I couldn't understand any of it.

I want to add that, despite the service being lackluster, it was actually really amazing to be with brothers and sisters in Christ all the way on the other side of the world. About half of Korea is Christian, the other half is Buddhist. I didn't realize how much Christianity had permiated their society, but it was amazing to see. And, you could tell they were not there out of obligation or tradition. They wanted to be there. They love Jesus too. Just like me! We don't speak the same language, we come from totally different lives, but we were connected by a savior. Pretty amazing to experience...

We met up with her hubby (I taught her that word - she thinks its hilarious), and set off for lunch. We ended up going to a shopping complex that had a lot of food options. When we were driving into the parking garage (since they have a car! which is awesome!), the attendant was wearing a baby blue sash over his uniform. From the back seat, I couldn't see it too well, but I did see that it said "Happy BirthDay!" then had some Korean underneath it. So, being the friendly American that I am, I yelled, from the backseat of these Koreas' car, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!" .... The guy looked completely bewildered. Michelle and her husband just start laughing so hard, and he quickly rolled up the window and scooted the car inside. Between fits of giggles, Michelle managed to get out, "Chelsea, I think it's the store's anniversary!" Hahahaha!!! Oh man... I explained to her that occasionally, in American, some people wear things like that to celebrate birthdays or bachelorette parties, etc. Not that they usually wear it to work, but I seriously thought this guy was just really excited about his birthday. I was wrong... Later, inside, I got a photo with a mannequin wearing the sash.  

Happy BirthDay!

When we got to the food court, they went through each place and explained what it was to me. I ended up getting some seafood pasta with cream sauce (without the "small fish spawn," please and thank you!). They got Korean hot-pot. We chatted, I taught them the word in-laws (they were going to see her husbands parents after lunch), and got to know each other better. I absolutely love her, and her husband is great, too. He doesn't speak as much English as she does, but he understands some. I just know that they will be friends for life, and hopefully we can all (I'm including Michael in this despite that he has no idea I've volunteered us) meet up once in a while, maybe go to Australia (where Michelle lived for 9 years) or Thailand! Couples vacations! :D

They took me to the lower level of the shopping complex to show me around, but then they had to go meet up with the in-laws, so we said our goodbyes. I called Ed and found out that I could pick up my stuff from him in the evening. Rather than go home and wait, I messaged Tab to see if she wanted to go to Costco, since there was one relatively close to where I was. I waited for her to get ready and catch the subway to where I was at (which ended up being around 1hr 45min...), and we set off for Costco.

I had known I wanted to go Costco, even if only for cheese. But, since they only sell in bulk, I knew Tab and I should go together. When we got to Costco, we split the price of the membership card (~$35), but since she was the only one with an ARC, she got to be the "holder" of the card. We will be going together all the time anyway, so it doesn't really matter. First thing, we got some food. Even though I ate 3-4 hours before, I was hungry again. We went to the food court, and I got the best food I've had in Korea: American style pizza!!!!! It was so good, I took a picture! And, to make it even better, a fountain Coke! (Convenience stores only sell bottles, and the only fast food I'd been to had Pepsi.) It was glorious!!!

While we were sitting, we had a Korean family in front of us. The little baby waved at us, and Tab and I discussed how extremely small children knew how to wave in Korea. Like, babies their age in America can only drool. I decided intelligence is not only a product of constant study and endless schooling, but it must be genetic, too. When we were throwing our trash out in the many different bins ("food waste", "plastic" "plates" "silverware" "cups" "paper" etc), I saw something that both grossed me out and intrigued me. An onion grinder machine. Apparently, Koreans love their onions. I knew I had smelled it while eating, but I didn't realize the mass quantities in which they were consumed. Literally, plates full of onions with mustard. *Shiver*

Onion machine

Each Korean had a plate full of onions.

We finished up and made our way into the insanity that was Costco. There were so many people, and they do not observe the walk-on-the-right rules we Americans stick to. They park their carts wherever they want, and don't take a hint to get out of the way! We stuck to the food floor, since that was what we came for. Both of us had our goals: mine was parmesan cheese and cream sauce for pasta. Tab's was granola and granola bars. We found all of that, and more! I found my pasta sauce and parmesan cheese very quickly, and we got Fiber One bars like in America. I also got some croissants, pancake mix, and eggs. Tab was having a hard time finding granola, so I asked a worker. He motioned me to follow, but the crowds were so thick, I had to leave Tab with the cart behind. I literally ran after the guy, and he took me to 2 different people before they could direct me to the appropriate aisle. But, in the end, we did find it! I also grabbed some frozen chicken breast, and Tab and I decided to split it, since it was all individually packaged. On a side note, I'm kind of proud that I am figuring out how to cook and eat without the use of a microwave. I mean, it sucks in a lot of ways, but I'm sure it's healthier too. 

We realized when we checked out that they don't offer to sell you bags at Costco. This is probably because 90% of what they sell would not fit in a bag. But, neither Tab nor I brought our reusable bags. Thankfully Tab had a backpack, and we were able to cram some stuff in that. The rest we carried. We flagged down a taxi and headed for my place. Walking to the cab, and from the cab to my apartment was ridiculous. I have a photo to prove it, too.

Oh, did I mention, this entire time I've been wearing HEELS?! Yes, my feet are absolutely killing me. When we got to my place, we split up the things we had decided to share. Then, we headed back out to the subway; Tab heading for home, myself for Itaewon to meet Ed with my package from home. 

So, more time on the subway, walking to the gate, and back to the subway loaded down with a backpack full, a bag of groceries, and a box with my foam mattress pad from the sates. I thought about cabbing it back home, but the fare is around $12 from Itaewon, and I'd already spent almost $10 in taxis today. I decided to just hack it on the subway. It wasn't that bad, besides taking a while. 

When I was waiting for my connecting train, a Korean guy came up and asked me how to pronounce something in English. And another word. And just kept talking. He got on the same train as I, and was telling me about how he is studying English, and wants to practice and there is no one to practice with, and would I be willing to talk to him, etc etc. I couldn't be rude; I talked to him for a while and he got my Kakao (Korean text messaging app) name, and wants to meet up sometimes.

He was very nice and I felt guilty telling him no, but I felt slightly uncomfortable with that idea. I politely told him that while he is welcome to text me to practice, when I am not at work, I prefer not to work. I think he understood. On the subway, he jabbered away. He was so excited to talk to an American; wanted to show off his knowledge of American things. He asked me to quiz him on the states and their capitals. Then he asked me one, and embarrassingly I didn't know. Well, no, I just couldn't think of it on a dime. Plus, he pronounced "Vermont" as "Beaumont" and I told him I didn't know that state. He probably thought I was an idiot. But, an English speaking idiot who was nice to him. Poor kid...

I finally made it to my home station, onto the bus, and finally to my apartment. First things first was to put my new mattress pad on my bed. Oh, man... does it make a difference or what!! I love it!! So happy I got something. The Korean mattresses are only slightly better than sleeping on concrete. 

All in all, my day was good but exhausting. I am looking forward to sleeping tonight, and maybe I'll make some pancakes tomorrow!! :)

My amazing, incredible, beautiful Korean BFF!!!

My Apartment!

Even though I technically moved into my apartment Friday night, today I finally started to "make it my own." I dedicated the whole day to this! I knew I needed to unpack, organize, and probably go get some things from the store for the apartment.

I started my work around 12pm, after sleeping late and talking to Michael in the morning. I so wish I had taken before photos, because I feel like I put a lot of work into getting things arranged the best way possible, and the room looks excellent now.

First thing that I knew I wanted to do was to organize the mess of cords by my bed. There was this huge bundle of cords all tangled and going every which way. I channeled my inner-Dad and got all the cords sorted and wound up so they were neat and tidy. After that, I decided that I really wanted to move my bed. I had heard that if you position the bed to where the headboard is against the wall opposite the entrance to the room, the room looks biggest. So, I pushed and pulled and got my bed turned 90˚, and against the other wall.

Since I was moving furniture, I decided to also move the fridge. Currently, it was kind of in the middle of the entrance walk way. Not terribly in the way, but awkwardly taking up valuable space. I moved it beside my wardrobe, facing the stove. This also makes getting food out to cook easier. The place I put the fridge was currently home to a hutch of sorts. Maggie had had a microwave/convection oven on it, so I guess it suited her needs. She sold that before I moved in, so the hutch was just an awkward short table-thing for me. I put it where the fridge had been, half to cover up the horrible looking floor where the fridge had been, half because that was the only place for it.

Being Chelsea - Homemaker !

My next endeavor was to get rid of the TV. The cable-cord came out right by my bed, but there was no where good to put the TV that the cable could reach. I decided that since TV rots your brains anyway (and I have a terabyte of movies on my harddrive), I would get the TV out of the way. Bonus, this eliminated a few cords that were clogging up that area. I decided to put the TV on top of the fridge, since it wasn't a full size fridge, and had a good 3-4' of space on top before the ceiling. I managed to pick up the TV, but lifting it over my head was not happening. I decided to wait until I could ask Sean to help me move it. (He came by a few hours later and we accomplished getting it up there). I also put the DVD player and remotes up there behind the TV (why would I need those anyway?)

I got some laundry going during this time and had to Google what the washer settings were supposed to be. I think I figured out "quick wash." I don't have a dryer so all the clothes go on the drying rack after the wash. (PS - it's been 8 hours since the first load came out and some clothes are still wet-ish).

Unfortunately, the result of moving furniture that hasn't been moved, let alone cleaned behind, in years is dust. Lots of dust. I began a list of things to get at the store, and the top of the list was some kind of swiffer type dust mop. Other things included: a rug, lamps, some kind of poster/wall art for next to my bed, decent pot/pan, school supplies, clock, new toilet seat (the current one was the kind with foam inside, and had a rip. The foam couldn't dry because my bathroom is a Korean style shower aka gets water everywhere. It was gross to sit on...), and lots of other things!

When I got most of the house-work accomplished that I aimed to, I set off for HomePlus, the Korean version of Target. I'd been before, but this time I had a list and I was on a mission. HomePlus is not very far from me, but I didn't know which bus to take. I contemplated taking a taxi there, but I knew I'd have to take one home with all my purchases. Somehow, I found myself walking the familiar route to school. The one time I'd been to HomePlus, I had left from school, so I knew which bus to take from there. I finally made it and got the bus just in time.

A few minutes after getting on the bus, the driver stopped at a red light... and turned off the bus. He jumped up and said something in Korean, and got off the bus. It was a red light, so there was no immediate danger, but I had no idea what was going on. None of the Koreans looked concerned, so I just kept looking around trying to figure it out. I heard the driver messing around with something in the very back of the bus (engine, maybe?) He raced back around, hopped in his seat, and the light turned green. I still have no idea what happened, but I was very impressed with his timing.

On the way to HomePlus, the bus went over a small river, When we were on the bridge, I looked out the windows and saw the best view I've seen since I got here. It was the mountains to the north of Seoul, and it really made me smile. I'm sure the Koreans thought I looked extra weird (already being weird for being a blonde American), but it reminded me that there is life outside this chaotic city, and it's really beautiful.

Once at HomePlus, I attempted to get some money out at the ATM, but it kept having a read-error. After 5 attempts, I gave up and decided to just make the purchases on the card. The fee would be more, but oh well.

This was one of those shopping trips that even though I had a list, I went down every single aisle. It was a good thing, because I found a few items I had not written down, but did need! Before I went to HomePlus, I had priced a few things at the small "everything-store" next to me, and there was a few things I was surprised were more expensive at HomePlus. Things like pots and pans and surge protectors were much cheaper at the small shop. Other things were better at HomePlus, though. I got the toilet seat replacement!! I splurged a few more dollars for the cute one with polka dots rather than ugly pink or blue.

I got a spatula for making eggs, some wall hooks for my jewelry to hang, a clock (luckily the only one that was contemporary looking, not basic black and white, was the cheapest too!), some batteries for my AC remote control, a lot of school supplies like red pens, some labels, a basket to take my things to class, a pen cup, some scissors, post-its; also, zip ties for the cords I had wrangled earlier, some hangers with grippy material on the shoulders for my tops that fall off the hangers I inherited. I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember now. I also bought some food staples: eggs, bacon, bread, special k cereal, some chips (Korean Pringles), pasta sauce (Maggie left some pasta in the pantry), milk, yogurt, cheese slices, laundry detergent and fabric softener (Maggie had left detergent, but no softener and I made sure to remedy this situation), chip-clips... hmm, I can't think of what else!

I checked-out, and filled up all my reusable bags I had brought. I lugged them out to a taxi nearby and the driver was extremely nice, a rarity in old Korean men who speak no English (in my experience!). I made it home, unpacked my groceries, and went to that small store nearby for the last few items; a non-stick pan for my eggs (Maggie's wasn't non-stick, and messed up my eggs this morning), a pot (the one Maggie left was questionable...), and a surge protector. I already had a surge protector, but it only had 4 plugs, and with all my technology, I need more.

Finally back at the apartment and cleaned up, I snapped some photos. Like I said, I definitely wish I could show you the difference from this morning. The room now feels much more open, bigger, and I've made efficient use of the space while maintaining a simplistic feel (aka: limited clutter!). Now I just need some color. I couldn't find a rug or lamp or poster for the wall. But, I did get magnets and have my photos of my family and Michael on my fridge :)

Dongdaemun Night Market

I left my apartment around 1020 and headed for the subways station. Tab was supposed to meet me around 1045, so I got there a little early. I waited at the exit I told her to meet me at. I waited for like 20-25 minute and finally saw her walking up from the subway.

When we got to the exit escalator, we discovered it had started raining. (Side note - this AM I looked at the weather and since it said "RAIN" all day, I wore rain boots to work. Walking over 1 mile in rubber rain boots is not fun, and it was SUNNY! So, heading to get Tab, I wore my crochet Toms. They have holes in them!) We grabbed a taxi right outside the station and told him "Dongdaemun Market!" He understood after only repeating 3 times (success!) and we were on our way! Tab had a big backpack that was super-touristy, but who cares. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride, and cost less than $8. Wow! And, thank goodness, this area of Seoul was not raining.

Dongdaemun is a huge area with something like 10 buildings containing all kinds of shopping both retail and wholesale. Outside the high-rise super-shopping complexes were street vendors. The first building we tried was kind of bad, so we left and went across the street to a much more neon-sign lit up fabulous looking building. On the way, we passed by some of the street vendors. We saw all kinds of fried foods on sticks (which, unfortunately, were not Oreos, brownies, or snickers... more like grasshoppers, seaweed, and squid), we saw knock off couture everything, we saw dancing singing stuffed animals. It was insanity. 

I stopped to look at a few of the knock off tables, and a Vivienne Westwood clutch caught my eye. I asked how much and she said $14 and held up 4 fingers. I'm thinking, "WOW! Maybe I can get her down to $10 hehehe" so I said "Will you take $10?" She looked like she was thinking, laughed, and said "Okay, discount. I give for $35." -- Wait, what?! Ohhhh... she meant "$40" not "$14". Ha! Well, I decided to scout my options. 

We headed into the big building, and it looked like a department store with all the different "brands" in little sections along the asile. These weren't actually "brands" like in a department store, but shops. There were some decent things, at good prices, but something at each place kept me from buying anything.

We wandered around some more, and saw a lot of interesting things. People sleeping in tents outside the buildings, specifically the wholesale market. I saw a bag in the wholesale market that was perfect for what I was looking for (something cross-body that could hold my iPad and papers for work), but alas, "no for shopping!" shouted the lady when I asked the price. Um, excuse me? What are the fifty thousand other people in here doing, then? "Wholesale!!" She shouts at me. Ohhh... damn.

We decided that the street vendors had the best stuff, so we headed back to the area where they were. After inquiring about several different wallets/clutches/handbags, I decided the original clutch I saw was the best deal and would be very useful to me. I got it for $35, and felt great! I also snagged some Tory Burch "T" style earrings for $5. And a gift for one of my friends back home. No names or description in case she is reading! I also looked for a gift for my dad for his birthday coming up, but I didn't like any of the ties (plus, he has like 200 already) and couldn't find much else. 

I wish I'd found some clothes, but that atmosphere is not ideal for me to pick out clothes. I need low-key boutique type situation. Maybe tomorrow I will have more success with clothes!

Tab and I got a taxi back to my place around 1:30am and she is crashing here for the night. Tomorrow we have big plans, and my feet are absolutely killing me! I should get to sleep since its 3:30am now... Loving my first night in the new apartment. Can't wait to make it "mine!"

The Great Cell Phone Quandary

Since before I left for Korea, really before I even signed my contract, I've been attempting to find out about using an iPhone or iPad in Korea. In the states, I did not have a contract (rather, month-to-month) and used an iPhone and an iPad with data. In Korea, I've already been having a time not having access to the internet while on the go. Subway stations are fairly easy to navigate, but the many lines and different directions on each line can be a headache. There are apps that make getting around and life in Korea much more bearable and user-friendly, so to speak. However, getting an iPhone plan here is an even bigger headache.

I would be totally okay having a basic flip phone, if I could access the internet another way. Before I got here, I'd heard that Seoul had wifi almost anywhere. While this is pretty much true, it's misleading. Almost every business has wifi, but this is confined to buildings, not on-the-go. The wifi networks outside are available but either require a login or to purchase access to the wifi.

iPhone plans are 2 year contracts, and you rent the phone instead of buying it. These two factors are deterrents for me to want to go that route. After a week of life without instant internet access, I decided that I really do need it. Well, I really do want it. :)

Now, rather than sign a whole new contract, I could possibly take over someone else's contract (a lot of expats are here for a year at a time, and need to transfer their line to a someone else when they leave the country.). I would be up for this, but it's pretty expensive. While researching just how expensive, I came across a link to KT Global Store Blog. I'd seen this before, while in the states, but it's somewhat hard to figure out all the details. Today, I looked at it again, but this time I saw the section labeled "Data Lifetime Plan" - hmmm, "data" is the word for iPads getting online, and this infers that there is no "Talk/Text" on the plan (this is a good thing).

The brilliant thing about this website is that they have someone logged into Twitter and they respond in real time to questions you have. Granted, 160 characters or less, but it's great for quick things. I asked,

@olleh_expats are these data plans for iPad by contract or month-to-month? this is for those who already own an iPad?

Here in Korea, like the cell phones, users do not purchase the iPad, but pay extra on their monthly fees to rent the device. Since I already own my iPad, I wanted to make sure the data plans were available to those who already own. I turned off the computer for a while and cleaned my room up. When I got back online just now, I had a response from the twitter account!

@chelseakaitlin Yes, these are the iPad plans, and they can be used with both existing iPad users and those purchasing new ones. :)

WOOHOO!!!! I can't stop smiling!! This is so perfect! Now, I can pay the monthly fees for data on the iPad, not worry about renting a smartphone, and just get a prepaid talk/text cheapy flip phone! This ultimately saves me a lot of money and headaches and contracts and hassle at the end of my stay. YAY!!!!!!

This is a topic I never found a clear answer to during my preparations in the states. So, to those of you who stumbled upon this blog looking for the answer to the question "Can I use my 3G/4G iPad with a SIM card in Korea?" the answer seems to be "YES!" - I'm not sure it's a physical SIM card, such as the states use, but I will find out when I go to the Global Store this weekend.

I am so happy this worked out!!! Now, I just need to find a bag/purse that I can carry my iPad around in! :) I might even be able to get an app that can call/text with Korean numbers, and avoid the whole Korean cell phone entirely! Double yay!

Sunday Adventure

3:11pm Seoul

Today has felt really long. I suppose that is because I woke up at 6:45am and couldn't get back to sleep. Up til now, I've been good about sleeping long enough and not dealing with jet lag. I don't know why I was so awake so early on a Sunday. But, I've gotten to do a lot so far today.

I got to talk to my mom for about 30 minutes, and Michael for about an hour. It was so great! I also watch a few episodes of Big Bang on the computer, took a shower, and got my breakfast at Paris Baguette again. Those pastries are addicting. While I was talking to my mom/dad, I was drinking a coke leftover from last night's pizza with Sean. (Side note: last night Sean & I tried out Korean pizza. Well, not really Korean pizza; we did ask for it with no corn!). It was about a 1.5 Liter bottle, but it was all I had. So I was drinking out of the bottle while talking to my mom and they thought I was insane. Which, I probably did look like.

While talking to mom, we decided that I really need to get rain boots. There is a typhoon warning for tomorrow, and rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. Since I have a 15 minute walk to school each way, plus need to teach after getting drenched, wellies are a necessity. All the markets are closed on Sundays; we decided that name brand wellies from a department store might have to happen. I've wanted Hunters for like 3 years, so I decided I would just get those. A bit steeper price than USA, but they will last me for the year, plus some. I won't need to get new wellies next rainy season (which is next June-August).

I looked up how to get to the department store Lotte. It is supposed to be huge and have just about anything you need. This seemed like a great place to look. I asked Sean if he wanted to come, just to get out of the motel. Not much going on today, so thought he might want to get out. He said yes, so we left the motel around noon.

The subway was much more efficient today, although there was one hiccup. The internet said to exit at Euljiro Station, but when we got to the subway, we realized there are 3 stops called that. We chose the first one, and got off. We figured if it wasn't right, we could probably walk. We got off the subway, and headed to a hotel nearby. Sean grabbed a map and asked the Concierge where we were. He circled the hotel and we found Lotte; it was not next door, but not too far either. 

We headed down the street and after about 10 minutes, checked the map again. We found where we were in relation to the huge buildings surrounding us. We had only gone 1/3 of the way to Lotte! Ugghh! But, we had already committed to walking, and I wasn't going to wimp out. It was not a hard walk, per say. Only it was quite hot and pretty humid. We kept going and finally found it. 

The place is like the Harrods of Seoul

We looked at the directory when we got in and decided to head for the food court first. We got to the basement level where it was supposed to be and found a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and a Lotteria Restaurant. We didn't see anything else, so headed for Lotteria. When we got close, we realized it was basically a rip off of McDonalds. Everything about the marketing and signage was exactly like McDonalds.

Lotteria aka McDonalds Wannabes!

I wish you could read the names of the menu items, but there is European Burger and Beef Extreme and Shrimp Burger and Veggie Burger that looks insane on the bottom right. Sean ended up getting the Shrimp Burger. And for a side...? Squid Rings. I kid you not.

No caption necessary.

Squid Rings

I didn't have anything worthy of photos; chicken fillet (aka: chicken fingers). The batter was surprisingly slightly spicy: proof that Koreans love things with spice. I got potatoes aka: french fries. I swear these guys buy from the same provider as McDonalds; these were Mickey D's fries if I've ever had some! It was a nice change from Korean food.

After lunch, we split up so I could find my boots and he could browse. I wouldn't make any boy but Michael sit through trying on and picking out shoes. That is a torture reserved for the man who loves me. ;) When I looked at a map to find Shoes, I saw that there was a HUGE food court on the opposite side of the floor we ate on. UGH. 

In shoes, I couldn't find the boots, so I asked. They told me go to Women's on Floor 3. I went up the escalators, and hunted around the countless name brands / couture clothes and finally found Hunters boots. The man helped me figure out my size, but when it came time to choose the color, I pointed to the pink ones (the only bright color they had). He shook his head no. Um, okay? Why the hell not? He explained in extremely broken English that they were out of that color. Double UGH. He showed me the colors they did have. Grey, Dark Grey, Black, Metallic Silver, Extremely Dark Green, Dark Violet, and Red. I was leaning toward Red, but really conflicted. I had decided on a bright color, but Red doesn't really count as bright. I wanted so desperately to call or text my mom, but had neither my iPad n or my iPod Touch, and had no wifi to boot. I decided to take a walk around the level and see if I could find any other brands.

Thank goodness I did, because I came across the RockFish display (another British brand of rubber boots). They had literally a rainbow of colors. Pink, Orange, Yellow, Apple Green, and many others. The lady was so nice, and I tried on Orange first, then she brought me my size in Green and Yellow as well. She insisted I try all the colors on before I decided. I came down to Yellow or Green. I used to have the same color green wellies with apples on them, back at home. I loved them so much, but maybe I should try a new color? I asked 2 other employees and one told me that Yellow was "cute" (she knew the word "cute"! Adorable...) I went with Yellow :)

I love the yellow!!

The best part of this: The Hunters were 198,000 KW, about $170. The RockFishs were 78,000 KW, but also had 20% off! Putting them at 60-something,000 KW. Woohoo! What a deal! I also got some socks that are made to go with the boots, they add some fur on the top for winter or cold rainy days. Those were an additional 40,00 KW, but in total I paid around 102,000 KW: so much less than the Hunters plus I got socks as well! I'm SO happy!

What they will look like with the socks!

The sales lady was beyond sweet, and taught me how to say Thank You in Korean properly. I already forgot how, but I said it right to her and she was so happy. Yay! 

When I was checking out with the interpreter, she told me to take the receipt to Tax Free Lounge. I wandered down to that on the first level, and they had me fill out a form and stapled my receipt. I was kinda confused with the whole thing. Later, I read the envelope they put the form and my receipt in; basically if you turn in the envelope, you get your tax back at the airport. Great! But, in the fine print, it must be turned in/claimed within 3 months of the purchase. Bummer. 

Oh well, I'm not sweatin' it. I got the boots I love, I got a great price, I got some bonus socks, and I didn't get lost!!! Great day!

Sean and I met back up and headed back to the motel. Yesterday on the train, I snapped this photo of an advertisement for SeaWorld. See if you can find what made me laugh out loud:

In case you missed it, the seal has Korean eyes. I didn't realize sea animals inherited human attribute from the area they are in. ;)

Saturday Adventure

Saturday, August 25 4:30pm Seoul

Well, my first free day in Seoul has been interesting... My body woke up at 8:45am, but I thought it was earlier since I forgot my window doesn’t let in any light, no matter the time of the day. I laid in bed and watched TV for a few minutes, watched the end of a Criminal Minds on the English channel. I got a quick shower and debated to use the crappy hair dryer in my room. I think it is damaging my hair, and I’ve only used it 2x. Is that possible? Maybe its a combination of the water quality, new shampoo, and a crappy dryer. I decided that today I should get a nice hair dryer. Being the princess that I am, I think that is one thing I could spend a little more on. I mean, I’m trying to grow my hair out, and if it’s all broken and damaged by the end of my year here and I have to cut it all off again, I’ll be quite unhappy. 

Before I did anything, my goal was to get online. Jamie stopped by my room as I was packing up my computer. We walked to the coffee shop around the corner, but she decided to leave. We discussed shopping and agreed to meet up in an hour to go. I got to post a few blogs and check my emails. Surprisingly, despite being around 8-9pm back home, I didn’t get to talk to many people. 

I sat in the same coffee shop as the other day, but got some breakfast from Paris Baguette across the street. I found a delicious pastry with blueberry and cream cheese. It also had a glaze on the top that reminded me of the Colombian pastries Michael and I had in Miami. Anyway, it was delicious! I will be back for more... I also got a sugar donut twist, which was pretty good. 

After my hour was up, I headed back to meet Jamie. She wasn’t back yet, and Sean was still out running, so I sat down to watch a Big Bang Theory episode (thanks, Moon!). Jamie came by and watched with me when she got in. We had a knock on the door and I opened it to find 2 white girls I hadn’t seen before. It ended up being Chantal, a coworker who is also in the Kindergarten area (Jamie had met her before) and her Canadian friend visiting for the week. She invited us to accompany them for some sightseeing. Jamie and Sean decided to go, but I declined. I’m not good in groups anyway, and with the addition of 2 more new people, I knew I would be uncomfortable. Besides, it had started raining last night and continued through the night which prompted me to go searching for rain boots and a light rain jacket. I had heard of a place called COEX Mall, so I decided to try there. 

So I set out on my quest. Maggie, the teacher I am replacing, gave me one of her T-Money cards (subway money cards). It is like a charm that can go on your cell phone, but had broken off. It still works, just doesn’t have the string to attach it to anything. Anyway, it saved me the $5 buying a new card. I left the motel and started heading in the general direction I thought the subway was in. As I rounded the first corner, I saw an American-looking guy. He fell in behind me, but I was too nervous to say anything to him. I passed the bus stop, and kept walking. It was pouring by this point and my shoes were soaked. I had an umbrella inherited from Maggie as well, so I wasn’t too wet, but I also didn’t know where I was going exactly. I decided to turn around and ask at the 7-Eleven. I suspected you could load money on the T-Money charm at the 7-Eleven, and I was right. I put 10,000 KW (~$10) on it, and asked where the station was. She kind of explained where to get the bus. I set off again, still unsure of where I was going. And suddenly, I see the American guy again! He was a few feet in front of me, so I ran and caught him. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around and said Hello! I was so happy he actually spoke English, my first question was “Are you an American?” HA! He said yes, and I could have cried of happiness. I was at the point where I was pretty frustrated with not knowing where I was going, and being quite wet. I found out he is also from Texas, Austin specifically. He works at a public school, but lives in the apartments right next to mine! I told him I didn’t have a phone number, but I wanted to get connected to him, so he found me on Facebook on his phone. Finally, he explained, IN ENGLISH, exactly how to get to the subway. I was so happy! I felt like God was really looking out for me at that point. He is the first American that I had met who did not work with me, and he came along at the exact moment I was in need. God is really watching out for me; I know I’ve got some amazing people praying for me back home, and I can promise you all that I feel the love and I know He is on my side! 

I walked across the street to the bus stop which would take me to the closest subway station. I could walk there, but with the rain I would just take the bus. Unfortunately, I had just missed a bus, and had to wait for about 20 minutes. When I finally caught one, it was about 4 stops til the subway; everyone on the bus got off there, and I just followed the masses of people to the entrance (thankfully I was in a crowd, otherwise I don’t know if I’d have found it as easily). 

One cool thing about Seoul’s public transportation system is that, besides being cheap, if you take a bus, then transfer to the subway (within a certain amount of time) you will not get charged for both. So, I scanned the T-Money card when I got on the bus (charged a flat fee, something around $1.50), again when I left (no charge), when I entered the subway (charged $0) and when I left the subway at my final destination (charged an extra $.10 because I went kind of far). So I just think that is pretty cool!

Well, my first experience on the Seoul subway was not the worst, but not the best either. My feet were squishy with water and if you know me, you know that wet feet/shoes/bottoms of pants/etc annoy me to no end. So I was walking all over creation in wet shoes, soaked feet. I had to change lines twice on my journey, and it was not the easiest trying to figure out which direction on the line you should go. At one station, I think I walked like half a mile in one direction before realizing that it was the wrong way. 

On one of the subway trains, I was sitting and I noticed that these 4 old Korean women were staring at me and talking to each other. I gave a small smile, and one of the women said something in direction. I smiled more, but had no idea what she said. They are all giggling at this point. She motions to her face and smiles so big; I think this meant that she thought I was beautiful (or, I look weird as hell. I’ll tell myself it was former) It was so darn cute. They were so giddy over me. I felt like the Joy Luck Club was across from me, Korean style. Haha!

Well, when I finally made it to the final station, I exited where I had read to go. I came out in this nearly empty plaza in the middle of huge skyscrapers. I walked around for a while, getting more and more frustrated, having no idea where to go. Usually, in America, if you’re looking for a huge mall, you look for the big building with lots of signs. Well, in Korea, that doesn’t work. Everywhere is a big building, everywhere has lots of signs, and I can’t read them to boot. I kept wandering, debating if I should ask someone (I am almost scared to try!), when I saw a security shack. I headed in that direction. It was empty, but the security officer was leaning on the edge of a short wall that looked like it was overlooking something below. He was looking down, so before talking to him, I looked down too. There it was! The mall was underground. I headed to the stairs at the far end, and made my way down. I saw Bennigans, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, and some other American brand food. I found an entrance to the actual mall behind all the food, and there were the stores! Finally! 

I found the shop I was looking for that I read online had “Wellies” aka rain boots. It is end of the rainy season here, so they were all on sale. However, they were not my size. Bummer. I went down a few stores and saw some more wellies in the window. I tried those on, and they fit great. They were too cute too! They were khaki color with dark brown trim and a ribbon bow in the back. The ONLY thing that stopped me from buying them was that they had a slight heel. When I tried them on, the slight incline put me off. I don’t mind heels, but rain boots just seem wrong with a heel. They were on sale for ~$45, so I decided to look some more and come back if I wanted them. 

I wandered down the hall and saw a sign for “Hyundai Departmental Store”  - that sounded interesting, so I went that way. When I walked through the doors to the store, the first thing I saw was about 50 food stalls. If you’ve ever been to Harrods, their food court is what this reminded me of. I walked along one of the asiles and looked at all the food and people eating. Everything was Asian, of course. Winding my way through everything, I spied a juicer. 

Now, at this point, I’ve been traveling for about two hours (from leaving my motel room) and I was getting “hangry” (my word for being angry as a result of hunger). I decided to get a juice, since that was healthy and safe. The sweet lady behind the counter was sooo nice. She helped me decide on which fruits. It ended up being more of a smoothie than juice, but oh well. It was something in my belly and tasted great. It was a little expensive, ~$8, but at that point I needed something. 

With juice/smoothie in hand, I headed to the escalators. I went up about 7-8 floors of high end cosmetics, handbags, shoes, designer clothes, and even a grocery store. There was a Mac store there, too! I noticed they do NOT have my specific type of foundation, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I knew I would not find my wellies there, so I headed back downstairs to the mall entrance. I thought I would try another hallway, but it lead back to the one I’d already gone down. Apparently this mall is quite small; the Hyundai Dep’t Store is the main attraction. I made a beeline for the subway and retraced my complicated route home. 

When I finally got to my neighborhood, I decided to look in BauHouse (the department store near my motel). I’d been in before, but only on the ground floor. They had a rain jacket on sale for ~$35, but I held off in favor of looking at a market for something cheaper. It is the end of rainy season anyway, so I won’t need it for too long. I explored the ~12 floors of wares. I found a blowdryer, but they were all similar to what I’ve already got. I need something a salon would use. Hmmm I might have to get creative in where I look for this. I discovered that the very top floor of BauHouse was a movie theater!!! Crazy! I’d never have known. 

By then, I was absolutely exhaused, so I headed back to the motel. That brings us to now; I’m eating dried veggie chips from Target (one of my plane snacks that didn’t get eaten). They are particularly good; I think I am just extremely hungry. One of the teachers mentioned going to a buffet tonight; Korean BBQ but you pick the meat from a display and you get as much as you could possibly want. It is a little more than I want to pay for a meal, ~$20, but I guess that’s a good price, since the only place similar in America is quite a bit more than $20 per person. We’ll see. Hopefully that happens because I’ve not eaten much today. 

Right now, I think I will watch a movie. In a little bit, I am going to talk to the front desk guy at the motel and see about switching rooms to the front room because it gets an internet connection. Woohoo! I feel like there is so much I haven’t talked about, but at the same time, I feel like I write extremely long blogs every time! Yikes! Well, for now, my hands hurt from typing....