summer camp True Vine + Portugal/France/Spain <3
so much to pack; so little space
so much to plan; so little time
so much to buy; so so broke T-T
so many people to see; so little time
so much to do; dropping everything to pick up when i get back hehe
excited <3
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
korean street food
now, i wrote everything and was ready to post last night, but the site was down...
and it didnt save my post =__=
siiiigh hope i remember everything i saiddd
i've done a post on food already (oct. 2010 post), but it was very brief..
so here i am to talk about my favorite topic again!
street food in korea is very common (especially around shopping districts and schools) and inexpensive way to fill your tummy with delicious snacks :)
on left: 떡볶이 (ttukppokki) on right: 오뎅 (odeng)
- the basic and the most known street food. ttukppokki is round (unseasoned) ricecake, cooked(?) in a special spicy sauce with odeng (fishcake) and other ingredients such as leek and onions. spiciness varies from bearable to super spicy (to my taste) and it goes hand in hand with odeng. these odengs in the picture are put on skewers and kept in the broth, and its really good on a cold night :)
prices: tpk=~2000won/serving (~$2); odeng=~500-700won
꼬치 (kkochi)
- literally means skewers. filled with many goodies, from fried chicken to hot dog to mixture of rice cakes and veggies, these treats are covered with sauces ranging from sweet to spicy. stay away from extra sauces if you cant handle it!
prices: ~1000-3000won
튀김! (tweegim)
- fried food! these are best with tpk and if the ahjumma (/immo) is nice, she'll cut your tweegims and pour tpk sauce on top of it! yummm usually there are fried... calamari, potatoes, kimali (seasoned clear noodles wrapped with dried seaweed), motnani (pancake-like thing made with shredded potato, carrots, etc) and so on. some places sell shrimp as well but is cost bit more than others. i <3 fried food too much and thats probably how i gained so much my first week in daegu :x
prices: 2-3 for 1000won
호떡 (hotteuk)
- made with pancake-like batter, filled with brown sugar and nuts (and seeds), fried to goodness. theyre really hot once they are ready (dur) and can get pretty messy, with sauce dripping down the napkin or the paper cup. very sweet though :)
prices: 1-2 for 1000won
붕어빵 stand!
- i went to the korean market the other day and got these in a pack :D not ask crunchy and more work, but still good :) these are fish shaped snacks, filled with sweet red beans. smaller ones are called inguhbbang at some places, and sometimes, they have different fillings (custard, cream, etc). japan also has these, called taiyaki, but the batter is thicker so the filling cannot be seen in the japanese version.
prices: 2-3 for 1000won
@공주떡볶이 (gongju tpk)
- street food is sold by vendors on the streets (dur) but there are many stores that sell these treats as well! there are even cute cafes and they tend to have better decor and some will use better(?) ingredients to charge bit more. gongju tpk is a chain specializing in tpk and fried calamari :) pictured above with the two is 납작만두 (napjakmandoo), a daegu specialty dumpling with almost no filling. sighh im really getting hungryy D:
woo, i didnt steal any pics for this post!
glad i had them from food presentation in CLiK :)
ooh, like the napjakmandoo, different cities have their own unique treat. busan, i know, sells 떡오뎅 (ttukodeng) which is a white big rice cake on a skewer, soaked in the broth with the rest of odeng. i remember eating them as a kid :)
do you have any favorite?
and it didnt save my post =__=
siiiigh hope i remember everything i saiddd
i've done a post on food already (oct. 2010 post), but it was very brief..
so here i am to talk about my favorite topic again!
street food in korea is very common (especially around shopping districts and schools) and inexpensive way to fill your tummy with delicious snacks :)
on left: 떡볶이 (ttukppokki) on right: 오뎅 (odeng)
- the basic and the most known street food. ttukppokki is round (unseasoned) ricecake, cooked(?) in a special spicy sauce with odeng (fishcake) and other ingredients such as leek and onions. spiciness varies from bearable to super spicy (to my taste) and it goes hand in hand with odeng. these odengs in the picture are put on skewers and kept in the broth, and its really good on a cold night :)
prices: tpk=~2000won/serving (~$2); odeng=~500-700won
꼬치 (kkochi)
- literally means skewers. filled with many goodies, from fried chicken to hot dog to mixture of rice cakes and veggies, these treats are covered with sauces ranging from sweet to spicy. stay away from extra sauces if you cant handle it!
prices: ~1000-3000won
튀김! (tweegim)
- fried food! these are best with tpk and if the ahjumma (/immo) is nice, she'll cut your tweegims and pour tpk sauce on top of it! yummm usually there are fried... calamari, potatoes, kimali (seasoned clear noodles wrapped with dried seaweed), motnani (pancake-like thing made with shredded potato, carrots, etc) and so on. some places sell shrimp as well but is cost bit more than others. i <3 fried food too much and thats probably how i gained so much my first week in daegu :x
prices: 2-3 for 1000won
호떡 (hotteuk)
- made with pancake-like batter, filled with brown sugar and nuts (and seeds), fried to goodness. theyre really hot once they are ready (dur) and can get pretty messy, with sauce dripping down the napkin or the paper cup. very sweet though :)
prices: 1-2 for 1000won
붕어빵 stand!
- i went to the korean market the other day and got these in a pack :D not ask crunchy and more work, but still good :) these are fish shaped snacks, filled with sweet red beans. smaller ones are called inguhbbang at some places, and sometimes, they have different fillings (custard, cream, etc). japan also has these, called taiyaki, but the batter is thicker so the filling cannot be seen in the japanese version.
prices: 2-3 for 1000won
@공주떡볶이 (gongju tpk)
- street food is sold by vendors on the streets (dur) but there are many stores that sell these treats as well! there are even cute cafes and they tend to have better decor and some will use better(?) ingredients to charge bit more. gongju tpk is a chain specializing in tpk and fried calamari :) pictured above with the two is 납작만두 (napjakmandoo), a daegu specialty dumpling with almost no filling. sighh im really getting hungryy D:
woo, i didnt steal any pics for this post!
glad i had them from food presentation in CLiK :)
ooh, like the napjakmandoo, different cities have their own unique treat. busan, i know, sells 떡오뎅 (ttukodeng) which is a white big rice cake on a skewer, soaked in the broth with the rest of odeng. i remember eating them as a kid :)
do you have any favorite?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
road shop cosmetics
during my 5 month stay in daegu, i spent a LOT of time in downtown. and when waiting for friends- or even walking around with friends- i could not resist stopping by these shops...
tony moly. nature republic. etude house. innisfree. the faceshop. skinfood. missha. bavi phat.
these are just few of the many common make up stores you can find walking down the streets of korea.
these stores are commonly called road shop stores, and they are similar to drugstore cosmetics here in the u.s.- accessible&inexpensive.
interesting observation? there are two or three of the same stores in the same area. for example, i know myeongdong has at least 2 nature republics, and downtown daegu had 3 tony molys. some of them are just a street down from another, which i find redundant. but meh
now, although there are many of these road shops, many have distinct themes so its always fun to visit them. the only thing i found bit annoying was that most of the time, the shops are filled with saleswomen who will just follow you around, even when you tell them to back off. and in the earlier days, the sales unnis in front of the stores would literally hand you a cart with a sample and drag you in (like the scary annoying cell phone salesmen) but everyone stopped dragging one day. probably a lawsuit or a law that made them change :/ anyways, i like good service, but when the ladies stand there looking eagerly to sell, i feel bad to just look around. the only way i found to keep these ladies away was by talking in english, but this wont work in heavily tourist-filled places like myeongdong, where the shops most often have salespeople who can speak korea, chinese, japanese, and english...
the thing i like most about these shops are the samples aka freebies they give out :D it can range from cotton pads to remove make up (if you stop by enough, you dont have to buy these EVER) to face packs to even fuzzy socks in the wintertime. there are also the store cards where you can get enough points to buy more products&hear about the sales they have. i know the end of the year is the best time to shop since many stores go crazy, but this could attract many MANY customers so you may have to wait in lines for awhile (like when missha had the 20% off EVERYTHING sale at the end of 2010).
now let me introduce couple of MY favorite shops...
tony moly.
[just the few tony moly items i have brought back from korea]
when yl unni asked what road shop represents me the best, i said tony moly.
&i definitely said that because i favor tm over other shops. but who could resist its cute designs and high ratings??
tony moly has i think the best designs out of all the road shops. from the green apple scrub to pore cleanser eggs to latte art creams, including little berries for lip balms, it won my heart over many other shops.
i have also read many reviews about the different products before buying things i wanted, and most reviews pointed to tony moly out of the many road shops.
favorite items have to be the gel eyeliner (khaki black), snail cream, &kisslover lipstick (lovely orange)
nature republic.
my second favorite road shop. i think i just liked to buy face packs from them since they had a large selection of it. i really like their lotions too &im so sad im almost done using my peach lotion :(
one shop i regret not going to as often is etude house. i think its pink and dollhouse-like theme kinda set me off, but i later found out they have good products- especially the lip tint that i want now :(
other items i would recommend? baviphat's sleeping apple mask (for acne troubles) & innisfree's volcanic pore clay mask.
gah how i wish i was shopping in korea right now...
i also miss online shpping&the quick delivery system D:
i remember this dream i had couple weeks ago, where i had only couple hours in korea and i was frantically trying to buy everything that i wanted -__-;;
to my friends in korea, enjoy & shop much instead of me <3
tony moly. nature republic. etude house. innisfree. the faceshop. skinfood. missha. bavi phat.
these are just few of the many common make up stores you can find walking down the streets of korea.
these stores are commonly called road shop stores, and they are similar to drugstore cosmetics here in the u.s.- accessible&inexpensive.
interesting observation? there are two or three of the same stores in the same area. for example, i know myeongdong has at least 2 nature republics, and downtown daegu had 3 tony molys. some of them are just a street down from another, which i find redundant. but meh
now, although there are many of these road shops, many have distinct themes so its always fun to visit them. the only thing i found bit annoying was that most of the time, the shops are filled with saleswomen who will just follow you around, even when you tell them to back off. and in the earlier days, the sales unnis in front of the stores would literally hand you a cart with a sample and drag you in (like the scary annoying cell phone salesmen) but everyone stopped dragging one day. probably a lawsuit or a law that made them change :/ anyways, i like good service, but when the ladies stand there looking eagerly to sell, i feel bad to just look around. the only way i found to keep these ladies away was by talking in english, but this wont work in heavily tourist-filled places like myeongdong, where the shops most often have salespeople who can speak korea, chinese, japanese, and english...
the thing i like most about these shops are the samples aka freebies they give out :D it can range from cotton pads to remove make up (if you stop by enough, you dont have to buy these EVER) to face packs to even fuzzy socks in the wintertime. there are also the store cards where you can get enough points to buy more products&hear about the sales they have. i know the end of the year is the best time to shop since many stores go crazy, but this could attract many MANY customers so you may have to wait in lines for awhile (like when missha had the 20% off EVERYTHING sale at the end of 2010).
now let me introduce couple of MY favorite shops...
tony moly.
[just the few tony moly items i have brought back from korea]
when yl unni asked what road shop represents me the best, i said tony moly.
&i definitely said that because i favor tm over other shops. but who could resist its cute designs and high ratings??
tony moly has i think the best designs out of all the road shops. from the green apple scrub to pore cleanser eggs to latte art creams, including little berries for lip balms, it won my heart over many other shops.
i have also read many reviews about the different products before buying things i wanted, and most reviews pointed to tony moly out of the many road shops.
favorite items have to be the gel eyeliner (khaki black), snail cream, &kisslover lipstick (lovely orange)
nature republic.
my second favorite road shop. i think i just liked to buy face packs from them since they had a large selection of it. i really like their lotions too &im so sad im almost done using my peach lotion :(
one shop i regret not going to as often is etude house. i think its pink and dollhouse-like theme kinda set me off, but i later found out they have good products- especially the lip tint that i want now :(
other items i would recommend? baviphat's sleeping apple mask (for acne troubles) & innisfree's volcanic pore clay mask.
gah how i wish i was shopping in korea right now...
i also miss online shpping&the quick delivery system D:
i remember this dream i had couple weeks ago, where i had only couple hours in korea and i was frantically trying to buy everything that i wanted -__-;;
to my friends in korea, enjoy & shop much instead of me <3
Friday, June 3, 2011
korean transportation II
So i have already talked about basic info about public transportation in korea.
but what i didnt mention is how it is like to ride one...
busses:
the worst. sure, when youre sitting with friends on a tuesday mid-morning or riding the first bus at 5:30, it isnt too bad. but when it is rush hour (&if your bus stops by a local high school, ooh...) and youre standing with folders in one hand and coffee milk in another, you better drop one of the items and cling onto a pole. some bus drivers are nice enough to wait, but most dont care if you take a seat before he starts to rush to the next stop. and busses going to more rural areas are crazier than the ones running within the cities.
my 1st bus to my elementary school wasnt too bad. most people got off at my stop (college campus, dur) so i enjoyed my coffee/strawberry milk (my breakfast), sitting. most of the times i could find a seat on my 2nd bus as well, and since i followed the bus-bus routine when i wrote my first transportation post, it wasnt too bad.
but as i started getting lazier, i took the taxi-subway-bus route. and when i got on the bus, it was usually lunch time... and my stop was couple stops after a local high school -_______-
i like my bubble. i dont like it when my bubble pops. but especially during finals week or during break (when students STILL go to school but end early), the busses are packed to the max, and some will just skip stops since they have people standing out to the doorsteps.
- you'll be surprised how many people can fit in a bus:
if youre able to avoid schools, the only big traffic day is saturday (busses going to downtown that is). i remember waiting over 30 minutes for a bus to go to downtown since 3 busses, jammed with people, skipped my stop >:0 ooh that reminds me, these busses WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU. you know how when you see a bus coming&run to catch up? out out countless number of busses i rode during my 7-month stay in korea, only ONE stopped for me (well, the stop was right by the traffic light and it had to stop while i crossed the street). ive seen many drivers that ignored people running after it/pounding on the door at stop lights. and if you dont stand when your bus approaches, theres a big probability it wont stop. korean busses dont like to stop when they dont have to, so if you dont press the bell [when youre in the bus] or if you dont look like youre going to get on the buss, it.wont.stop.for you :)
subways:
full blast a/c during summer & heated seats in winter. thats probably why subways are jammed packed, especially in these seasons. idk if i mentioned this but unless youre an elder or pregnant, youre not allowed to sit in the seats designated for these people, unlike on busses (where you just have to give up your seat when a senior gets on). even when people are standing and these 6 seats are empty, people wont sit there o-o
in the beginning, i thought subways in daegu stopped more abruptly than the ones in seoul, but after riding around daegu for 5 months, i think i got used to it haha
- my first subway ride in daegu:
mm interesting(?) thing about korean subways: [most] subway seats have 'grooves' so exactly 7 (i think?) people can sit in one row... probably like this since most koreans are 'asian sized'
- even costco agrees:
dont you like how ive added more pictures to my post? :D
special thanks to peppermint who doesnt know i stole these pics ;)
of course, ive only lived in seoul&daegu so my opinion can be different from people living in other cities but this is my 2 cent on the topic :)
but what i didnt mention is how it is like to ride one...
busses:
the worst. sure, when youre sitting with friends on a tuesday mid-morning or riding the first bus at 5:30, it isnt too bad. but when it is rush hour (&if your bus stops by a local high school, ooh...) and youre standing with folders in one hand and coffee milk in another, you better drop one of the items and cling onto a pole. some bus drivers are nice enough to wait, but most dont care if you take a seat before he starts to rush to the next stop. and busses going to more rural areas are crazier than the ones running within the cities.
my 1st bus to my elementary school wasnt too bad. most people got off at my stop (college campus, dur) so i enjoyed my coffee/strawberry milk (my breakfast), sitting. most of the times i could find a seat on my 2nd bus as well, and since i followed the bus-bus routine when i wrote my first transportation post, it wasnt too bad.
but as i started getting lazier, i took the taxi-subway-bus route. and when i got on the bus, it was usually lunch time... and my stop was couple stops after a local high school -_______-
i like my bubble. i dont like it when my bubble pops. but especially during finals week or during break (when students STILL go to school but end early), the busses are packed to the max, and some will just skip stops since they have people standing out to the doorsteps.
- you'll be surprised how many people can fit in a bus:
if youre able to avoid schools, the only big traffic day is saturday (busses going to downtown that is). i remember waiting over 30 minutes for a bus to go to downtown since 3 busses, jammed with people, skipped my stop >:0 ooh that reminds me, these busses WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU. you know how when you see a bus coming&run to catch up? out out countless number of busses i rode during my 7-month stay in korea, only ONE stopped for me (well, the stop was right by the traffic light and it had to stop while i crossed the street). ive seen many drivers that ignored people running after it/pounding on the door at stop lights. and if you dont stand when your bus approaches, theres a big probability it wont stop. korean busses dont like to stop when they dont have to, so if you dont press the bell [when youre in the bus] or if you dont look like youre going to get on the buss, it.wont.stop.for you :)
subways:
full blast a/c during summer & heated seats in winter. thats probably why subways are jammed packed, especially in these seasons. idk if i mentioned this but unless youre an elder or pregnant, youre not allowed to sit in the seats designated for these people, unlike on busses (where you just have to give up your seat when a senior gets on). even when people are standing and these 6 seats are empty, people wont sit there o-o
in the beginning, i thought subways in daegu stopped more abruptly than the ones in seoul, but after riding around daegu for 5 months, i think i got used to it haha
- my first subway ride in daegu:
mm interesting(?) thing about korean subways: [most] subway seats have 'grooves' so exactly 7 (i think?) people can sit in one row... probably like this since most koreans are 'asian sized'
- even costco agrees:
dont you like how ive added more pictures to my post? :D
special thanks to peppermint who doesnt know i stole these pics ;)
of course, ive only lived in seoul&daegu so my opinion can be different from people living in other cities but this is my 2 cent on the topic :)
blogging again?
already over 4 months have gone by since ive returned from korea.
so why am i blogging again?
i have finally printed out my pictures and started scrapbooking about my time in korea.
in the past two hours i have finished 5 pages -____-
but anyways, as i was reminiscing and looking over my old notes, i noticed a list of blog topic:
- jesah (제사) in korea
- street food
- teaching (fun games, expectation&reality)
- korean transportation (info&what riding on them is like)
- good&bad about dorm life
- taekwondo/dongari?
- packing list
i know its been awhile so my mind is a little fuzzy but...
since i have more time (yay summer <3) i thought i would write again about korea :)
i miss korea&my friends, and have friends who will be leaving for korea soon so i hope this blog help/entertain you :)
so why am i blogging again?
i have finally printed out my pictures and started scrapbooking about my time in korea.
in the past two hours i have finished 5 pages -____-
but anyways, as i was reminiscing and looking over my old notes, i noticed a list of blog topic:
- jesah (제사) in korea
- street food
- teaching (fun games, expectation&reality)
- korean transportation (info&what riding on them is like)
- good&bad about dorm life
- taekwondo/dongari?
- packing list
i know its been awhile so my mind is a little fuzzy but...
since i have more time (yay summer <3) i thought i would write again about korea :)
i miss korea&my friends, and have friends who will be leaving for korea soon so i hope this blog help/entertain you :)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
jan 22nd, 2011
6:00am korean time
- aunt wakes me up, telling me to get ready. my flight is at 11:40 orz
7:10am
- leave the house for limousine bus. maybe korea knew i wouldnt see snow in sunny california- so seoul decided to sprinkle snow on me and my heavy luggages.
8:40am
- arrive at icn. again, my flight is 3 hrs away... i find a scale near where i check in bags, so i decide to put my new bag on it. 22.3kg. whew, close call. i weigh my other bag. 25kg. shoooooot. i quickly try to take out any heavy, non-liquid things out and put it in my 'just in case' 3rd carry on bag..
9:00am
- fortunately, i was able to check in both bags, no extra cost :D pass security & shop around duty free for awhile.. no nature republic though so i wasnt able to buy more presents D:
10:45am
- board korean air. watch the korean movie jinho recommended :)
2:20pm
- arrive at narita airport. find a wifi spot that failed me; find a free wifi cafe, and check fb instead of eating..
4:10pm
- board american airlines. definitely realized the differences between korean flight attendants and american flight attendants. the korean fa are normally in their 20s, polished with no hair out of place; always smiling & they usually speak 2+ languages. the american fa's however, were more... humanized lol they were older and were not 'asian-sized.' they also weren't too friendly and spoke only english (think there was one fa who spoke japanese, since this was a flight from japan). i caught them complaining and showing frustration with fliers who couldn't speak english well, but one thing i liked about aa more than ka- dessert. on ka or other korean planes, you get fruits or rice cake as dessert with your meal. with aa, i got brownie cake w/ whipped cream :D i also got cinnamon roll, bread, fruits, with juice for breakfast instead of rice! the seats were uncomfortable and the ent. system was a joke, but i was able to sleep from time to time..
8:35am u.s. time (1:35am u.s. time)
- land at lax! home sweet home~ there was a problem so they wouldnt let us out of the plane for another 10 min, but no matter~ i was just excited to be in california againnn. but little did i know, my mood would go wayy down from here...
so i had my backpack, with all the books and macbook; my carry on bag; and 'just in case' bag. with duty free stuff i bought for my parents.. i finally got to security point #1, where they told me to walk all the way to the other side. i kept on walking when another security said "all visitors, keep on moving!" =__= shoot. i walked back to the other side and waited in line for 30 minutes or so.. then to pick up my bags... since i transferred planes, i asked where i should pick up my bags. security told me to go to korean air, and after waiting for awhile and asking a ka worker, i found out i was waiting at the wrong carousal =__= thanks lax. i finally got my bags and waited in line once more...
9:48
- still in line for last security check... then the security dog came and sniffed around the bag of this japanese guy standing right behind me. apparently he had oranges and apples in his luggage -__- the security guy told him to leave the fruits in the bag [don't know how they didnt catch them in japan o-o] but as soon as he left, the japanese guy took out the fruits and started eating them -___- security already marked his paper, so i really didn't see why he did that, but meh..
10:25
- finally leave lax~! and omg. weather where i dont need 3 layers, gloves, and a hat (seriously, i never got why korean people wore hat all the time till spending winter there;;). i ran into a girl wearing a t-shirt with shorts and flip flops. and she didnt seem out of place... missed you socal weather! neways, i got my in-n-out, picked up my new smartphone <3, met more family and started to unpack! well, it just looks like my suitcases blew up in my room;; but i'll organize everything later... it's good to rest for a bit hehe
this is what i did on the 22nd; my trip from korea to socal!
what am i doing now? eating leftover baby back ribs johhny got me <3
yes, i know its past 1am here =___= yes, i know my classes start tomorrow =___=
meh i'm still on break mode :/
- aunt wakes me up, telling me to get ready. my flight is at 11:40 orz
7:10am
- leave the house for limousine bus. maybe korea knew i wouldnt see snow in sunny california- so seoul decided to sprinkle snow on me and my heavy luggages.
8:40am
- arrive at icn. again, my flight is 3 hrs away... i find a scale near where i check in bags, so i decide to put my new bag on it. 22.3kg. whew, close call. i weigh my other bag. 25kg. shoooooot. i quickly try to take out any heavy, non-liquid things out and put it in my 'just in case' 3rd carry on bag..
9:00am
- fortunately, i was able to check in both bags, no extra cost :D pass security & shop around duty free for awhile.. no nature republic though so i wasnt able to buy more presents D:
10:45am
- board korean air. watch the korean movie jinho recommended :)
2:20pm
- arrive at narita airport. find a wifi spot that failed me; find a free wifi cafe, and check fb instead of eating..
4:10pm
- board american airlines. definitely realized the differences between korean flight attendants and american flight attendants. the korean fa are normally in their 20s, polished with no hair out of place; always smiling & they usually speak 2+ languages. the american fa's however, were more... humanized lol they were older and were not 'asian-sized.' they also weren't too friendly and spoke only english (think there was one fa who spoke japanese, since this was a flight from japan). i caught them complaining and showing frustration with fliers who couldn't speak english well, but one thing i liked about aa more than ka- dessert. on ka or other korean planes, you get fruits or rice cake as dessert with your meal. with aa, i got brownie cake w/ whipped cream :D i also got cinnamon roll, bread, fruits, with juice for breakfast instead of rice! the seats were uncomfortable and the ent. system was a joke, but i was able to sleep from time to time..
8:35am u.s. time (1:35am u.s. time)
- land at lax! home sweet home~ there was a problem so they wouldnt let us out of the plane for another 10 min, but no matter~ i was just excited to be in california againnn. but little did i know, my mood would go wayy down from here...
so i had my backpack, with all the books and macbook; my carry on bag; and 'just in case' bag. with duty free stuff i bought for my parents.. i finally got to security point #1, where they told me to walk all the way to the other side. i kept on walking when another security said "all visitors, keep on moving!" =__= shoot. i walked back to the other side and waited in line for 30 minutes or so.. then to pick up my bags... since i transferred planes, i asked where i should pick up my bags. security told me to go to korean air, and after waiting for awhile and asking a ka worker, i found out i was waiting at the wrong carousal =__= thanks lax. i finally got my bags and waited in line once more...
9:48
- still in line for last security check... then the security dog came and sniffed around the bag of this japanese guy standing right behind me. apparently he had oranges and apples in his luggage -__- the security guy told him to leave the fruits in the bag [don't know how they didnt catch them in japan o-o] but as soon as he left, the japanese guy took out the fruits and started eating them -___- security already marked his paper, so i really didn't see why he did that, but meh..
10:25
- finally leave lax~! and omg. weather where i dont need 3 layers, gloves, and a hat (seriously, i never got why korean people wore hat all the time till spending winter there;;). i ran into a girl wearing a t-shirt with shorts and flip flops. and she didnt seem out of place... missed you socal weather! neways, i got my in-n-out, picked up my new smartphone <3, met more family and started to unpack! well, it just looks like my suitcases blew up in my room;; but i'll organize everything later... it's good to rest for a bit hehe
this is what i did on the 22nd; my trip from korea to socal!
what am i doing now? eating leftover baby back ribs johhny got me <3
yes, i know its past 1am here =___= yes, i know my classes start tomorrow =___=
meh i'm still on break mode :/
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
xoxo
so i'm now 22 years old in korea o-o
new years was great and though it was horribly freezing and i was dead tired at the time, seeing the first sunrise of 2011 at haeundae was awesome! the dramatic theme music, combined with release of new year goals and wishes attached to thousands of yellow balloons as the sun was about to peak its head was pretty cool. so since jeju... ooh! secret santa christmas dinner in seoul! & TaLK farewell reunion last week... so i have less than two weeks left i korea now :( though i miss family&friends back home & i cant wait to see them, i'm sad to be leaving korea.. today [well technically yesterday in korea] was my last day of teaching and i'm definitely going to miss my kids :( especially my 3rd graders, who were dragging me out of the class so they could take me home with them [awwww].
i will miss the convenience of public transportation, the delicious food, freedom, and most of all, the friends that i've made. this experience has been amazing, with many firsts and great memories, with people i will never forget. as one of my kids was telling me today, "teacher, go america, me [points to head], ok?" and i definitely will remember her and others. i cannot believer it has already been six months and though i came to realize that this is just temporary and my true life is back in california, it has been a great experience. if i could go back, i wouldn't change a thing. ok jk, i may change tiny things here and there but still.. i know i still have 10 days in korea, but it's already so busy that i may not see all the people i want to see before leaving :(
this experience has helped me learn more about korea, especially about its culture&people. i definitely feel more like a Korean American now, two cultures combined. from time to time, i was homesick or sad, but the good times outweigh the bad times by like a thousand. i can't wait to drive again & go eat in-n-out [then hit fuji's, olive garden, eat ribs, chili cheese fries, nachos, & mom's cooking] and it will be nice not having to use the sink-shower or take busses&subway for hour and half to get to work. but i will miss the 50% off ice creams [specially my new fav ice cream, 'wild body,' thankyou soowan sunbae&sam], cute make up products [tony moly ftw] with free samples [and boy, there so many makeup stores everywhereee], restaurants with free desserts, online shopping&super quick delivery system [taekbae], having the convenience to travel from one side of the country to another in just matter of hours [thankyou ktx], and coffee milk&sweet potato latte.
it's almost 2am here but i'm not sleepy since i took a nap today [first time in months].. i am getting hungry though so i probably should sleep [i can't gain any more kgs T-T].. anyways, i hope i've made a positive impression on people i've met and hope they [you?] have good memories with me. it's time to get back to reality, but this has been amazing. TaLK isn't for everyone, especially for people looking at just the benefits instead the whole package itself, but i'm glad that i have been part of TaLK [exchange]. i have been dreading and pretending not to notice the amount of time i have left, but it's time to face what's here now.. even if i don't get to see you before i leave korea, definitely keep in touch; if you're waiting for me back home, definitely meet up and let's catch up :)
xoxo agnes
new years was great and though it was horribly freezing and i was dead tired at the time, seeing the first sunrise of 2011 at haeundae was awesome! the dramatic theme music, combined with release of new year goals and wishes attached to thousands of yellow balloons as the sun was about to peak its head was pretty cool. so since jeju... ooh! secret santa christmas dinner in seoul! & TaLK farewell reunion last week... so i have less than two weeks left i korea now :( though i miss family&friends back home & i cant wait to see them, i'm sad to be leaving korea.. today [well technically yesterday in korea] was my last day of teaching and i'm definitely going to miss my kids :( especially my 3rd graders, who were dragging me out of the class so they could take me home with them [awwww].
i will miss the convenience of public transportation, the delicious food, freedom, and most of all, the friends that i've made. this experience has been amazing, with many firsts and great memories, with people i will never forget. as one of my kids was telling me today, "teacher, go america, me [points to head], ok?" and i definitely will remember her and others. i cannot believer it has already been six months and though i came to realize that this is just temporary and my true life is back in california, it has been a great experience. if i could go back, i wouldn't change a thing. ok jk, i may change tiny things here and there but still.. i know i still have 10 days in korea, but it's already so busy that i may not see all the people i want to see before leaving :(
this experience has helped me learn more about korea, especially about its culture&people. i definitely feel more like a Korean American now, two cultures combined. from time to time, i was homesick or sad, but the good times outweigh the bad times by like a thousand. i can't wait to drive again & go eat in-n-out [then hit fuji's, olive garden, eat ribs, chili cheese fries, nachos, & mom's cooking] and it will be nice not having to use the sink-shower or take busses&subway for hour and half to get to work. but i will miss the 50% off ice creams [specially my new fav ice cream, 'wild body,' thankyou soowan sunbae&sam], cute make up products [tony moly ftw] with free samples [and boy, there so many makeup stores everywhereee], restaurants with free desserts, online shopping&super quick delivery system [taekbae], having the convenience to travel from one side of the country to another in just matter of hours [thankyou ktx], and coffee milk&sweet potato latte.
it's almost 2am here but i'm not sleepy since i took a nap today [first time in months].. i am getting hungry though so i probably should sleep [i can't gain any more kgs T-T].. anyways, i hope i've made a positive impression on people i've met and hope they [you?] have good memories with me. it's time to get back to reality, but this has been amazing. TaLK isn't for everyone, especially for people looking at just the benefits instead the whole package itself, but i'm glad that i have been part of TaLK [exchange]. i have been dreading and pretending not to notice the amount of time i have left, but it's time to face what's here now.. even if i don't get to see you before i leave korea, definitely keep in touch; if you're waiting for me back home, definitely meet up and let's catch up :)
xoxo agnes
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
procrastination&excuses
IT IS 21 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN DAEGU ATM. [10am]
and i get fb updates saying its 70 in socal orz
well, i realize i fail at blogging, though it lasted awhile
i've just been busy for some time..
school+work overload, being sick, finals, trips, &etc.
and i wanted to write a sequel to korean transportation
[korean busses-what it's really like to ride one]
and i'll get to that... eventually haha
so i'm back from an AWESOME trip to jeju!
got to see the jeju & ulsan TaLKers <3
we were just missing busan TaLKers to complete group 3 [GREEN TEAM]
& boy i have some stories
but i still have classes to teach
+ end of semester stuff
& lots of packing [moving into mint's friday!]
so more posts.. later :)
time to go teach about christmas!
and i get fb updates saying its 70 in socal orz
well, i realize i fail at blogging, though it lasted awhile
i've just been busy for some time..
school+work overload, being sick, finals, trips, &etc.
and i wanted to write a sequel to korean transportation
[korean busses-what it's really like to ride one]
and i'll get to that... eventually haha
so i'm back from an AWESOME trip to jeju!
got to see the jeju & ulsan TaLKers <3
we were just missing busan TaLKers to complete group 3 [GREEN TEAM]
& boy i have some stories
but i still have classes to teach
+ end of semester stuff
& lots of packing [moving into mint's friday!]
so more posts.. later :)
time to go teach about christmas!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Transportation in Korea
Since I don't have a car like I did back in California (and I actually DON'T want to drive in Korea), I am one of the many who rely on public transportation to get on with their lives. I haven't lived in Korea for very long, but here's my 2 cents on the topic...
Public Transportation card: aka T-money card in Seoul. But that only works for the province of Gyeonggido & you need different cards for Daegu and Busan. You get small discounts if you use these cards, and it's definitely more convenient to put money in a card and use it than to buy a one-time ticket (orange card in Seoul; green token in Daegu; yellow strip in Busan). For subways, you must 'beep' this card when entering AND exiting the stations, and except for in Seoul, you just need to 'beep' it when getting on busses (twice for the capital). They can come in cute & small sizes (put it on your cellphone) and it's really convenient if you take the public transportation often. Awesome thing about this card is that when you're transferring busses or from bus to subway (or vice versa) within like an hour or so, you don't have to pay for the second (or third, I've tried) set of transportation! Of course, you can't get on the same bus going the opposite direction, but this is so helpful to people who need to take 2 busses to get to their workplace (ahem, ME).
Busses.
Like I mentioned above, I take 2 busses to get to my elementary school, so this is one transportation that I use daily. Crazy drivers. But then again, this is Korea. So far, 2 of the busses that I was in ran red lights. Some drivers are considerate of the people; some are not. I loveee the electronic boards that tell you how far away each busses are (ex: 410 is... 10 min away @ KNU north gate; 503 is... 2 stops away, etc.). I think these exist only in bigger cities, but they are super useful especially if you're wondering which bus to take. Rather take bus that takes 5 more min to get to your destination than the faster bus which is 17 min away, right? Also like the electronic board INSIDE the bus, estimating arrival time in big stops.
Random fact? My favorite seat is the second to last seat on the right side lol. Because of the direction and time when I ride busses are constant, the sun shines on the left side. And since the last row is a step up, the second to last row have higher back rest. Perfect for taking small naps during my 40&50 minute bus rides.
Subways.
Seoul has 10+ subway lines while Daegu has 2 (and Busan, 3). It is faster than busses (no traffic) but since there are only 2 lines in Daegu & the closest station from my school is 30 min walk away, I end up taking busses more often. I think Korean subways are better than New York's and Japan's (more high tech & clean) and I also love the electronic board that tells you how far away the next subway is. In the summer, the AC is on full blast (so it could get crowded) and the seats in subways in Seoul are actually warm during the winter (no, it's not body heat from the last person). Seoul definitely has the best subway system I've seen, w/ its double door system & commercial TVs in newer subways, with announcements in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. There are tons of small shops inside the subway stations, and bigger stations have resting places with fountains and such. Random fact? In Daegu, the announcement includes ringtone-type songs when announcing the transfer & the last stations.
Korails.
When traveling to another city, take a train. Again, no traffic (except that the slower train slows down sometimes so that KTX, the fastest train in Korea, can speed on by), and there are different trains that you can take, depending on how much time & money you have. Slower trains like mugunghwa take longer to get to your destination, but is cheaper (and its seats are roomier). It has a train cafe where you can buy food, sing your heart out (but these walls are not sound-proof;;;) and play old-school games like street fighters. KTX is the fast but expensive compared to other trains. Buy your ticket in advance when traveling around Korean holidays like Chuseok or Seolnal because they WILL get sold out. There are two types- reserved seat or admittance, and though the later choice is cheaper, it is only sold when all the seats are sold out (so you must walk around to find an empty seat or rest at the train cafe). I went up to Seoul about a month ago, and had to buy an admittance ticket. Without realizing that it was the weekend (thus, sold out seats), I walked into the train cafe, to find all the seats taken, with people sitting on the ground, all cramped up. It really was a torturous ride, with one group of people occupying the karaoke room w/ horrible singing echoing throughout the room;;
Taxis.
Busses and subways stop running between ~11pm and 5am. So if you need to get somewhere between those hours, take a taxi. Actually, around 10pm, taxi's start lining up at the two ends of downtown Daegu, and you MUST take the first taxi of the line. It's actually pretty cheap in Korea (~2,200won starting price) and so if you're traveling short distance w/ like 3 friends, it's cheaper and more convenient to take a taxi. Some drivers like to make small talk and some don't. I've had one bad experience w/ a taxi driver but the ahjussi's are usually nice. But know where you're going because some WILL try to rip you off. Don't look drunk or lost or like a out-of-towner. In Korea, black taxi's are bit nicer so it's more pricey than white taxi's (not in Andong though, was it?) but the difference in cost isn't that great so take the black if it's the only one around and you're freezing in the cold, cold Korean autumn.
Wow, cannot believe it took me like an hour to write all this.. So what about my recent life? I attended the 30th anniversary weekend trip for TKD, where the 31st gen (including me) had to put on a show (dancing to orange caramel's magic girl/miss a's bad girl good girl);; it went well though, and it was fun seeing my sunbaes be hoobaes for once lol. I also learned how to play jokgu (combo of soccer&volleyball?) and had lots of fun :) Halloween Party w/ my students went well too, with the best activity being make-your-own-Jack-O-Lantern-balloon. Must upload pics later on fb, but gotta work on my speech & lesson plans now... I know this post was super long, but hope people find it useful! If not, I'll just stop with the info's and keep it about personal daily lives lol.
Public Transportation card: aka T-money card in Seoul. But that only works for the province of Gyeonggido & you need different cards for Daegu and Busan. You get small discounts if you use these cards, and it's definitely more convenient to put money in a card and use it than to buy a one-time ticket (orange card in Seoul; green token in Daegu; yellow strip in Busan). For subways, you must 'beep' this card when entering AND exiting the stations, and except for in Seoul, you just need to 'beep' it when getting on busses (twice for the capital). They can come in cute & small sizes (put it on your cellphone) and it's really convenient if you take the public transportation often. Awesome thing about this card is that when you're transferring busses or from bus to subway (or vice versa) within like an hour or so, you don't have to pay for the second (or third, I've tried) set of transportation! Of course, you can't get on the same bus going the opposite direction, but this is so helpful to people who need to take 2 busses to get to their workplace (ahem, ME).
Busses.
Like I mentioned above, I take 2 busses to get to my elementary school, so this is one transportation that I use daily. Crazy drivers. But then again, this is Korea. So far, 2 of the busses that I was in ran red lights. Some drivers are considerate of the people; some are not. I loveee the electronic boards that tell you how far away each busses are (ex: 410 is... 10 min away @ KNU north gate; 503 is... 2 stops away, etc.). I think these exist only in bigger cities, but they are super useful especially if you're wondering which bus to take. Rather take bus that takes 5 more min to get to your destination than the faster bus which is 17 min away, right? Also like the electronic board INSIDE the bus, estimating arrival time in big stops.
Random fact? My favorite seat is the second to last seat on the right side lol. Because of the direction and time when I ride busses are constant, the sun shines on the left side. And since the last row is a step up, the second to last row have higher back rest. Perfect for taking small naps during my 40&50 minute bus rides.
Subways.
Seoul has 10+ subway lines while Daegu has 2 (and Busan, 3). It is faster than busses (no traffic) but since there are only 2 lines in Daegu & the closest station from my school is 30 min walk away, I end up taking busses more often. I think Korean subways are better than New York's and Japan's (more high tech & clean) and I also love the electronic board that tells you how far away the next subway is. In the summer, the AC is on full blast (so it could get crowded) and the seats in subways in Seoul are actually warm during the winter (no, it's not body heat from the last person). Seoul definitely has the best subway system I've seen, w/ its double door system & commercial TVs in newer subways, with announcements in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. There are tons of small shops inside the subway stations, and bigger stations have resting places with fountains and such. Random fact? In Daegu, the announcement includes ringtone-type songs when announcing the transfer & the last stations.
Korails.
When traveling to another city, take a train. Again, no traffic (except that the slower train slows down sometimes so that KTX, the fastest train in Korea, can speed on by), and there are different trains that you can take, depending on how much time & money you have. Slower trains like mugunghwa take longer to get to your destination, but is cheaper (and its seats are roomier). It has a train cafe where you can buy food, sing your heart out (but these walls are not sound-proof;;;) and play old-school games like street fighters. KTX is the fast but expensive compared to other trains. Buy your ticket in advance when traveling around Korean holidays like Chuseok or Seolnal because they WILL get sold out. There are two types- reserved seat or admittance, and though the later choice is cheaper, it is only sold when all the seats are sold out (so you must walk around to find an empty seat or rest at the train cafe). I went up to Seoul about a month ago, and had to buy an admittance ticket. Without realizing that it was the weekend (thus, sold out seats), I walked into the train cafe, to find all the seats taken, with people sitting on the ground, all cramped up. It really was a torturous ride, with one group of people occupying the karaoke room w/ horrible singing echoing throughout the room;;
Taxis.
Busses and subways stop running between ~11pm and 5am. So if you need to get somewhere between those hours, take a taxi. Actually, around 10pm, taxi's start lining up at the two ends of downtown Daegu, and you MUST take the first taxi of the line. It's actually pretty cheap in Korea (~2,200won starting price) and so if you're traveling short distance w/ like 3 friends, it's cheaper and more convenient to take a taxi. Some drivers like to make small talk and some don't. I've had one bad experience w/ a taxi driver but the ahjussi's are usually nice. But know where you're going because some WILL try to rip you off. Don't look drunk or lost or like a out-of-towner. In Korea, black taxi's are bit nicer so it's more pricey than white taxi's (not in Andong though, was it?) but the difference in cost isn't that great so take the black if it's the only one around and you're freezing in the cold, cold Korean autumn.
Wow, cannot believe it took me like an hour to write all this.. So what about my recent life? I attended the 30th anniversary weekend trip for TKD, where the 31st gen (including me) had to put on a show (dancing to orange caramel's magic girl/miss a's bad girl good girl);; it went well though, and it was fun seeing my sunbaes be hoobaes for once lol. I also learned how to play jokgu (combo of soccer&volleyball?) and had lots of fun :) Halloween Party w/ my students went well too, with the best activity being make-your-own-Jack-O-Lantern-balloon. Must upload pics later on fb, but gotta work on my speech & lesson plans now... I know this post was super long, but hope people find it useful! If not, I'll just stop with the info's and keep it about personal daily lives lol.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
jump, dance, study!
in the past week...
have i persuaded mores students to take my class?
- yup & i have 3 more 6th graders now :)
have i jumped off a building?
- yes! sky jumped off woobang tower (123 m) :D
have i been to the library?
- almost every night! studying&working on my presentation
have i eaten breakfast at the cafeteria?
- yes! it isnt too hard to wake up for breakfast if you dont sleep in the first place...
have i eaten midnight snacks?
- more like midnight meals -___- totally necessary though lol
have i given a presentation?
- yes, at the TaLK reception! glad it was entertaining hehe
have i danced in front of audience?
- yes;;; glad this was entertaining as well haha
and have i taken my midterms?
- yes! just finished history of korea & speech&korean test isnt till next week!
i'm finally uploading videos and rest of pics on fb now!
i have to clean my room for once now so no cultural post today..
BUT! i'm going to busan this weekend! for the fireworks festival yay yayy
by the way, thank you mucho lots of c.y. for the awesome handwritten letter!
& my familia for the care package :D
hopefully ill reply back soon!!
have i persuaded mores students to take my class?
- yup & i have 3 more 6th graders now :)
have i jumped off a building?
- yes! sky jumped off woobang tower (123 m) :D
have i been to the library?
- almost every night! studying&working on my presentation
have i eaten breakfast at the cafeteria?
- yes! it isnt too hard to wake up for breakfast if you dont sleep in the first place...
have i eaten midnight snacks?
- more like midnight meals -___- totally necessary though lol
have i given a presentation?
- yes, at the TaLK reception! glad it was entertaining hehe
have i danced in front of audience?
- yes;;; glad this was entertaining as well haha
and have i taken my midterms?
- yes! just finished history of korea & speech&korean test isnt till next week!
i'm finally uploading videos and rest of pics on fb now!
i have to clean my room for once now so no cultural post today..
BUT! i'm going to busan this weekend! for the fireworks festival yay yayy
by the way, thank you mucho lots of c.y. for the awesome handwritten letter!
& my familia for the care package :D
hopefully ill reply back soon!!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
food.
so when do you know summer's over in korea?
when you're the only one on the bus/train without a jacket?
when shops start displaying fur coats on windows?
when people look at you weird if you wear flip flops?
though those things are all true,
i think summer's really gone when they start selling boonguhbbang in the streets.
boonguhbbang is a type of crispy bread, filled w/ sweet red beans (also known as taiyaki in japanese). it's really yummy and is normally eaten in fall&winter in korea. so i take 2 busses to get to my elementary school, and during my transfer stop, i usually stop by a cart for some morning snacks like fried doughy-donut or odeng on a stick. but since 2 weeks ago, the lady started selling the fish-looking snack i enjoyed last winter in korea! so of course, i just HAD to get some [plus, they were only 1,000 won for 3!].
most street food vendors come out later in the day and there are many of these carts on the near the north gate of knu. they sell food like ttukbokki [spicy rice cake], odeng [fish cake], chicken&other meat skewers, and fried stuff. omg i love the fried food way too muchhh. and theres this one halmoni [granny] who has a cart near the bus stop at the north gate & i love going there for quick eat. you can get 3 fried tempura things [squid leg, sweet potato, kimali- my new fav.] for 1,000 won [~1 dollar] and she'll pour some ttukbokki over it and its SOOOO GOOOD. like where in the states can you get something that delicious and satisfying for A DOLLAR? of course, im sure it's pretty bad for your health, but it's nice to stop by before taking a bus to downtown- the halmoni's really nice and she gives extra portions if she recognizes you haha
ooh this isn't street food, but i also found this delicious fried chicken place near the dorm. totally going there for midnight snacks again. people tell me that they lose weight when coming to korea, but i think it's the opposite for me. hopefully all the walking around the campus & taekwondo practices [which is going great btw] will even out all the unhealthy eating...
when you're the only one on the bus/train without a jacket?
when shops start displaying fur coats on windows?
when people look at you weird if you wear flip flops?
though those things are all true,
i think summer's really gone when they start selling boonguhbbang in the streets.
boonguhbbang is a type of crispy bread, filled w/ sweet red beans (also known as taiyaki in japanese). it's really yummy and is normally eaten in fall&winter in korea. so i take 2 busses to get to my elementary school, and during my transfer stop, i usually stop by a cart for some morning snacks like fried doughy-donut or odeng on a stick. but since 2 weeks ago, the lady started selling the fish-looking snack i enjoyed last winter in korea! so of course, i just HAD to get some [plus, they were only 1,000 won for 3!].
most street food vendors come out later in the day and there are many of these carts on the near the north gate of knu. they sell food like ttukbokki [spicy rice cake], odeng [fish cake], chicken&other meat skewers, and fried stuff. omg i love the fried food way too muchhh. and theres this one halmoni [granny] who has a cart near the bus stop at the north gate & i love going there for quick eat. you can get 3 fried tempura things [squid leg, sweet potato, kimali- my new fav.] for 1,000 won [~1 dollar] and she'll pour some ttukbokki over it and its SOOOO GOOOD. like where in the states can you get something that delicious and satisfying for A DOLLAR? of course, im sure it's pretty bad for your health, but it's nice to stop by before taking a bus to downtown- the halmoni's really nice and she gives extra portions if she recognizes you haha
ooh this isn't street food, but i also found this delicious fried chicken place near the dorm. totally going there for midnight snacks again. people tell me that they lose weight when coming to korea, but i think it's the opposite for me. hopefully all the walking around the campus & taekwondo practices [which is going great btw] will even out all the unhealthy eating...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
shopping shopping shopaholic
so my first official paycheck was wired into my account yesterday.
along with the settlement fee.
time for some shopping~! :D
i think i'm wayy more into shopping since coming to korea. but let's face it- korea has bigger selection of accessories and cute clothes haha. and after cleaning out my desk, i've realized that i have a collection of bows now :0 i have a feeling i won't be wearing them back in the states, but i am wearing one on my head as i type right now. gosh i hope i buy more stuff that i can wear back home... which means, more shopping for meee :D
but before that, i will be heading up to seoul this weekend to visit my grandpa's grave [that i haven't visited in over 11 years]. since i'll be at my aunt's house, i probably won't get to hang out w/ people near seoul :( then hopefully stop by my other aunt's near busan and grab a suitcase full of my winter [well, winter in cali] clothes! the weather's getting colder here in daegu, and i've only packed 2 cardigans and a jacket in my summer suitcase.. oh but i heard it's terribly hot back in california? HA HA. please excuse my lack of sympathy, but i've suffered the heat with HUMIDITY in korea for the past months lol
shoot i just realized i don't have much time until my train leaves, so i'll end the post here.
hopefully i'll have time to shop around in seoul!
along with the settlement fee.
time for some shopping~! :D
i think i'm wayy more into shopping since coming to korea. but let's face it- korea has bigger selection of accessories and cute clothes haha. and after cleaning out my desk, i've realized that i have a collection of bows now :0 i have a feeling i won't be wearing them back in the states, but i am wearing one on my head as i type right now. gosh i hope i buy more stuff that i can wear back home... which means, more shopping for meee :D
but before that, i will be heading up to seoul this weekend to visit my grandpa's grave [that i haven't visited in over 11 years]. since i'll be at my aunt's house, i probably won't get to hang out w/ people near seoul :( then hopefully stop by my other aunt's near busan and grab a suitcase full of my winter [well, winter in cali] clothes! the weather's getting colder here in daegu, and i've only packed 2 cardigans and a jacket in my summer suitcase.. oh but i heard it's terribly hot back in california? HA HA. please excuse my lack of sympathy, but i've suffered the heat with HUMIDITY in korea for the past months lol
shoot i just realized i don't have much time until my train leaves, so i'll end the post here.
hopefully i'll have time to shop around in seoul!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
granola & yogurt
yummm
i was never this happy about going to costco haha
it was good seeing all the food i used to see back home, eating free samples, and eating american pizza! of course carrying a big box of granola, yogurt, banana milk, and 2 cartons of orange juice back to my dorm was a workout, but i'm definitely going back :D i really wanted cheesecake too but i decided to wait till thanksgiving for t
anyways, the inner-hobo experience seems like it happened too long ago, so here's the short version:
after walking for about an hour looking for an open restaurant [while taking a detour at a historical king's grave], then going to the train station, then back to the bus station, only to find out that it was closed, we [well i at least] slept on the bench outside the bus station. thank you tim for staying away and guarding us haha. i woke up and hour later and by then, the bus station was open! so i found another bench inside and slept.. it really wasn't hard to find my inner hobo- i was way too tired. after knocking out on the bus, then taking a short taxi trip back to my dorm, i got ready and went to my elementary school. my mentor teacher told me that korean teachers can drink and party all night, but they're ready to work again the next day, so i decided to keep the same mentality haha
now!
this week was filled w/ many many familiar faces again, w/ TaLKers from gyeonbuk, gyeongnam, & jeonnam & ALICE! unni from seoul :). i also got to visit my uncle's for chuseok and see my cousin who i haven't seen since her wedding [9months ago]. i also got to see the national ssireum [korean traditional wrestling?] tournament which was interesting [i just cheered for guys in red :D]. i was really sick on monday so i called in sick and ordered porridge but i'm almost all better now :)
and i have all these comments about things that i find interesting in korea, but i guess i can write about that next post ;) time to clean my room for the dormitory festival! apparently the dorms will be open for visitors this mon-wed [and i didnt even know about it till last night -___-] so if you're in daegu and want to see how i live, come visit me tuesdayyy :D
i was never this happy about going to costco haha
it was good seeing all the food i used to see back home, eating free samples, and eating american pizza! of course carrying a big box of granola, yogurt, banana milk, and 2 cartons of orange juice back to my dorm was a workout, but i'm definitely going back :D i really wanted cheesecake too but i decided to wait till thanksgiving for t
anyways, the inner-hobo experience seems like it happened too long ago, so here's the short version:
after walking for about an hour looking for an open restaurant [while taking a detour at a historical king's grave], then going to the train station, then back to the bus station, only to find out that it was closed, we [well i at least] slept on the bench outside the bus station. thank you tim for staying away and guarding us haha. i woke up and hour later and by then, the bus station was open! so i found another bench inside and slept.. it really wasn't hard to find my inner hobo- i was way too tired. after knocking out on the bus, then taking a short taxi trip back to my dorm, i got ready and went to my elementary school. my mentor teacher told me that korean teachers can drink and party all night, but they're ready to work again the next day, so i decided to keep the same mentality haha
now!
this week was filled w/ many many familiar faces again, w/ TaLKers from gyeonbuk, gyeongnam, & jeonnam & ALICE! unni from seoul :). i also got to visit my uncle's for chuseok and see my cousin who i haven't seen since her wedding [9months ago]. i also got to see the national ssireum [korean traditional wrestling?] tournament which was interesting [i just cheered for guys in red :D]. i was really sick on monday so i called in sick and ordered porridge but i'm almost all better now :)
and i have all these comments about things that i find interesting in korea, but i guess i can write about that next post ;) time to clean my room for the dormitory festival! apparently the dorms will be open for visitors this mon-wed [and i didnt even know about it till last night -___-] so if you're in daegu and want to see how i live, come visit me tuesdayyy :D
Saturday, September 18, 2010
busy, busy
i know that the inner hobo story is long overdue, but ive been terribly busy haha
with working at elementary school 3 times a week,
with university classes everyday,
and the new bible study group i've joined,
not to mention that it was welcome week this week,
yea i've been busy haha
so the korean word for club is dongari, and students normally stick to one club throughout their 4yrs in college.
but i decided to just join a bunch and try them out :D so i joined the basketball, taekwondo, and catholic club.
i also wanted to borrow a football but ended up going to a football game today [you would be proud, johnny].
i met so many new people this week, and i'm just dead tired right now. i think i caught a cold and my throat is killing me :(
so please excuse my lateness and wait couple more days for pics&hobo story :D
now i shall drink some green tea and take a nap before the football group outing..
with working at elementary school 3 times a week,
with university classes everyday,
and the new bible study group i've joined,
not to mention that it was welcome week this week,
yea i've been busy haha
so the korean word for club is dongari, and students normally stick to one club throughout their 4yrs in college.
but i decided to just join a bunch and try them out :D so i joined the basketball, taekwondo, and catholic club.
i also wanted to borrow a football but ended up going to a football game today [you would be proud, johnny].
i met so many new people this week, and i'm just dead tired right now. i think i caught a cold and my throat is killing me :(
so please excuse my lateness and wait couple more days for pics&hobo story :D
now i shall drink some green tea and take a nap before the football group outing..
Sunday, September 12, 2010
"find your inner hobo"
that's what mike jokingly said when mint asked where we would be sleeping after the concert.
or at least, i thought he was kidding.
but turns out, it wasn't so hard to find my inner hobo haha
well, this weekend started off well, with the Daegu Lions vs. Lotte Twins baseball game. the game itself was ok, but i really enjoyed the atmosphere & cheering crowds. the fact that the Lions won after a tie in the 9th inning helped too ;) but anyways, i got to see alot of TaLKers this weekend. including woei :D who i haven't seen since the closing ceremony in jochiwon. he said he'll be back soon though so no worries [&we still need to go bungee jumping!]. now the other TaLKers? they were all at the Hallyu Dream Concert.
as i mentioned in the earlier post, the concert was free for all foreigners who signed up. so after arriving in gyeongju with other Daegu scholars, we got our FREE tickets & wristbands. ooh and i saw ukiss & t-ara members walking out of their cars. it my first time seeing celebs in korea haha. but anyways, after waiting in line for hours [...or getting friends to save your place and walking around...] we were finally admitted into the gyeongju sinae sports arena! i could see the young idol fans sitting in the 2nd floor seating, and many many foreigners around me.
oh! TaLK people! i saw soojee, gina, & ashley :D then the ulsan people! including ben, tiffany, clara, jihee unni, & others [&shayna, you too, but you're not part of ulsan :P]. and of course, we ran into richard & the gyeongbuk people again [after seeing them the day before and the weekend before] & many many more TaLKers! it was good seeing them after almost a month of separation.
well, now on to korean celebs! the concert was emceed by heechul, kimminyoung [actress], & taecyeon.
& in order, we saw...
ukiss, miss a, chosinsung, flower, nine muses, seo in gook, 4minute, eru, t-ara, mblaq, 2pm [minus junsu], secret, after school, davichi, beast, ft island, kara, sondambi, 2am, 2ne1, shinee, seven, & super junior.
i was really surprised to find out that shinee got more cheers than 2pm :0 & i really liked davichi&after school's perfs, and 2ne1 performed two of their new songs! there were some malfunctions so shinee&super junior had to perform again, but that was totally fine haha. in fact, since super junior was the last group to go, lots of people were leaving the arena [mind you, it's midnight and little kids were there with parents as well]. so mint and i got to go all the way up to the front to see the sorry sorry perf :D
NOW!
let me talk about the whole 'hobo' situation...
but i gotta get ready to go to my elementary school so i'll just write more when i get backkk ;)
or at least, i thought he was kidding.
but turns out, it wasn't so hard to find my inner hobo haha
well, this weekend started off well, with the Daegu Lions vs. Lotte Twins baseball game. the game itself was ok, but i really enjoyed the atmosphere & cheering crowds. the fact that the Lions won after a tie in the 9th inning helped too ;) but anyways, i got to see alot of TaLKers this weekend. including woei :D who i haven't seen since the closing ceremony in jochiwon. he said he'll be back soon though so no worries [&we still need to go bungee jumping!]. now the other TaLKers? they were all at the Hallyu Dream Concert.
as i mentioned in the earlier post, the concert was free for all foreigners who signed up. so after arriving in gyeongju with other Daegu scholars, we got our FREE tickets & wristbands. ooh and i saw ukiss & t-ara members walking out of their cars. it my first time seeing celebs in korea haha. but anyways, after waiting in line for hours [...or getting friends to save your place and walking around...] we were finally admitted into the gyeongju sinae sports arena! i could see the young idol fans sitting in the 2nd floor seating, and many many foreigners around me.
oh! TaLK people! i saw soojee, gina, & ashley :D then the ulsan people! including ben, tiffany, clara, jihee unni, & others [&shayna, you too, but you're not part of ulsan :P]. and of course, we ran into richard & the gyeongbuk people again [after seeing them the day before and the weekend before] & many many more TaLKers! it was good seeing them after almost a month of separation.
well, now on to korean celebs! the concert was emceed by heechul, kimminyoung [actress], & taecyeon.
& in order, we saw...
ukiss, miss a, chosinsung, flower, nine muses, seo in gook, 4minute, eru, t-ara, mblaq, 2pm [minus junsu], secret, after school, davichi, beast, ft island, kara, sondambi, 2am, 2ne1, shinee, seven, & super junior.
i was really surprised to find out that shinee got more cheers than 2pm :0 & i really liked davichi&after school's perfs, and 2ne1 performed two of their new songs! there were some malfunctions so shinee&super junior had to perform again, but that was totally fine haha. in fact, since super junior was the last group to go, lots of people were leaving the arena [mind you, it's midnight and little kids were there with parents as well]. so mint and i got to go all the way up to the front to see the sorry sorry perf :D
NOW!
let me talk about the whole 'hobo' situation...
but i gotta get ready to go to my elementary school so i'll just write more when i get backkk ;)
Monday, September 6, 2010
first day
i have a feeling this will be a long post.. so here it goes!
i started classes [knu college lecture classes] last week. on the last day of daegu orientation, i found out that i must work mon,tue,wed to match my co teacher's schedule. well thanks to that, i had to drop many of the classes that i wanted to take before coming to korea. which means that i now have to take History of Korea. taught in english. by a korean professor. oh joyyy. well, since i wanted to take something other than history, i sat in on couple other lectures, but no luck- education classes i sat in on were for 4th years [studying for the teacher cred. exam] and phd students OTL. well, so i missed the first 2 lectures of hist. of korea, and hopefully the professor won't be too mean about that...
moving on, i have been doing lots of shopping! of course, i want to buy more stuff :D but i will have to wait until i get my first paycheck... or until my flight reimbursement comes [this week!] >:D mm, on a side note, i think i am turning more feminine here. like so many people wear pastel pink frilly dresses on daily basis. don't worry, i haven't changed 180, but i do have more blouses and skirts now [since i don't want to wear just Ts and jeans while teaching]. and i don't feel out of place wearing skirts here in korea lol.
ooh! a random fact about korea: there are no buttons you need to push before crossing. the lights just turn green for pedestrians where ever. mm and another fact? drivers don't care about pedestrians at all. i thought cars had to stop, AT LEAST at the designated cross walking zone [where the painted white lines are], but no~ us walkers have to run for our lives when a car is approaching. & i think it's worse in daegu than in seoul :/
wow, this is getting long. but now onto my first day of teaching!
after planning what to do with my coteach on sunday [and having made my super awesome self-intro presentation beforehand], i wasn't nervous about my first day. i thought, i've already taught kids before. besides, how bad can they be? well, they weren't too bad. but handling EIGHTEEN 1st&2nd graders as my first class, while pretending not to understand a word in korean, that was a little hectic. my second class [3rd&4th] and third class [5th&6th] were much nicer since the number of students did not exceed eight in both classes. i got around to do everything planned for the day in the later 2 classes, including learning the students' english names.i did get some not-so-common names like apple, wiw [will?], pheonix, shine, happy, super mario and peach. one of the girls wanted to be called cutie and i got her to change it to katie, and there was a little boy who said his name was daisy, but i persuaded him to change it to david :)
Now! i should be looking up more alphabet song videos, but i decided to just write this post since i haven't written in the past week. at this very moment my laundry is being washed [i know how to do my own laundry now! ooh and ironing too!], and i really should get rid of my giant suitcase that is sitting right next to my bed [the room is too small D:]. i have no idea where i will put my second luggage [that's at my aunts house atm] which contains my fall & winter [well, winter in cali] clothes. have i mentioned? my closet is one of those sports lockers that football players have. perfect for stuffing all of my clothes right? laskjf mm and i haven't been able to put anything on my wall yet, since the tape keeps on slipping off D: i gotta get stronger tape that isn't sold at the dorm convenience store... ooh another thought on dorm- dorm food isn't too good. well, i guess i can't really judge since i've only eaten there 3-4 times, but it wasn't too good then. but i will actually wake up early tomorrow and try their breakfast for the first time!!
now that i'm thinking of dorms, i have much more things to write haha. so, i share room w/ another knu student & we get along :). she's a grad student here, so she's out most times, doing research in the labs [&other times, hanging out w/ her bf (;]. i have a curfew [1am-5am] and she said that if im late, she can just open the door for me since grad students don't need no curfew :D. the doors! the doors to the dorms have a vein recognition system, so i enter my code, then put my palm up to the scanner thingy! i thought that was pretty cool since i've never seen it at another place.
this is a super long post, compared to my other ones right? kudos to you if you read all of it :D
now, i promise to upload pictures onto fb by tomorrow [gotta be a good teacher & do more lesson planning now!] & hopefully i will be back soon to give more details about my life here in daegu, korea.
OOH! I ALMOST FORGOT! going to a hallyu concert next sunday :D
it's FREE for foreigners like meee & kpop groups like 2pm, 2am, kara, miss a, beast, 4minute, afterschool, &sondambi are coming! hehe i have no idea how i will be able to teach & attend lectures the next day, but i'm excited! sigh, my life never seems to take a break! haha
i started classes [knu college lecture classes] last week. on the last day of daegu orientation, i found out that i must work mon,tue,wed to match my co teacher's schedule. well thanks to that, i had to drop many of the classes that i wanted to take before coming to korea. which means that i now have to take History of Korea. taught in english. by a korean professor. oh joyyy. well, since i wanted to take something other than history, i sat in on couple other lectures, but no luck- education classes i sat in on were for 4th years [studying for the teacher cred. exam] and phd students OTL. well, so i missed the first 2 lectures of hist. of korea, and hopefully the professor won't be too mean about that...
moving on, i have been doing lots of shopping! of course, i want to buy more stuff :D but i will have to wait until i get my first paycheck... or until my flight reimbursement comes [this week!] >:D mm, on a side note, i think i am turning more feminine here. like so many people wear pastel pink frilly dresses on daily basis. don't worry, i haven't changed 180, but i do have more blouses and skirts now [since i don't want to wear just Ts and jeans while teaching]. and i don't feel out of place wearing skirts here in korea lol.
ooh! a random fact about korea: there are no buttons you need to push before crossing. the lights just turn green for pedestrians where ever. mm and another fact? drivers don't care about pedestrians at all. i thought cars had to stop, AT LEAST at the designated cross walking zone [where the painted white lines are], but no~ us walkers have to run for our lives when a car is approaching. & i think it's worse in daegu than in seoul :/
wow, this is getting long. but now onto my first day of teaching!
after planning what to do with my coteach on sunday [and having made my super awesome self-intro presentation beforehand], i wasn't nervous about my first day. i thought, i've already taught kids before. besides, how bad can they be? well, they weren't too bad. but handling EIGHTEEN 1st&2nd graders as my first class, while pretending not to understand a word in korean, that was a little hectic. my second class [3rd&4th] and third class [5th&6th] were much nicer since the number of students did not exceed eight in both classes. i got around to do everything planned for the day in the later 2 classes, including learning the students' english names.i did get some not-so-common names like apple, wiw [will?], pheonix, shine, happy, super mario and peach. one of the girls wanted to be called cutie and i got her to change it to katie, and there was a little boy who said his name was daisy, but i persuaded him to change it to david :)
Now! i should be looking up more alphabet song videos, but i decided to just write this post since i haven't written in the past week. at this very moment my laundry is being washed [i know how to do my own laundry now! ooh and ironing too!], and i really should get rid of my giant suitcase that is sitting right next to my bed [the room is too small D:]. i have no idea where i will put my second luggage [that's at my aunts house atm] which contains my fall & winter [well, winter in cali] clothes. have i mentioned? my closet is one of those sports lockers that football players have. perfect for stuffing all of my clothes right? laskjf mm and i haven't been able to put anything on my wall yet, since the tape keeps on slipping off D: i gotta get stronger tape that isn't sold at the dorm convenience store... ooh another thought on dorm- dorm food isn't too good. well, i guess i can't really judge since i've only eaten there 3-4 times, but it wasn't too good then. but i will actually wake up early tomorrow and try their breakfast for the first time!!
now that i'm thinking of dorms, i have much more things to write haha. so, i share room w/ another knu student & we get along :). she's a grad student here, so she's out most times, doing research in the labs [&other times, hanging out w/ her bf (;]. i have a curfew [1am-5am] and she said that if im late, she can just open the door for me since grad students don't need no curfew :D. the doors! the doors to the dorms have a vein recognition system, so i enter my code, then put my palm up to the scanner thingy! i thought that was pretty cool since i've never seen it at another place.
this is a super long post, compared to my other ones right? kudos to you if you read all of it :D
now, i promise to upload pictures onto fb by tomorrow [gotta be a good teacher & do more lesson planning now!] & hopefully i will be back soon to give more details about my life here in daegu, korea.
OOH! I ALMOST FORGOT! going to a hallyu concert next sunday :D
it's FREE for foreigners like meee & kpop groups like 2pm, 2am, kara, miss a, beast, 4minute, afterschool, &sondambi are coming! hehe i have no idea how i will be able to teach & attend lectures the next day, but i'm excited! sigh, my life never seems to take a break! haha
Sunday, August 29, 2010
yay for a/c!
it's sunny, hot, humid, AND it's raining.
just perfect.
according to my friend's buddy,
daegu will continue to be hot till october...
oh joyyy
well on a brighter note, i have an address now!
so here it is:
Gyeongbuk National University
Dormitory hwa-mokgwan room 238,
1370, Sangyeok 3-dong,
Buk-gu, Daegu, 702-701
South Korea
or
대한민국 대구 광역시 북구
산격3동 1370 경북대학교
생활관 화목관 238-Agnes Im
702-701
i have no idea why the english one doesnt have a place for my name but awell
i finally met up w/ other Daegu TaLKers yesterday
[seemed like i haven't seen them in years!]
and bought lots of stuff like laundry detergent&bowl&etc.
i am slowly unpacking and i hope to finish by this week! yea!
well, let me get back to unpacking/adjusting schedule/planning lessons
- feel free to send me stuff!!! :D
++ apparently i won't be teaching till next week!
but i will still go to elem. school on wed to do some lesson planning :)
just perfect.
according to my friend's buddy,
daegu will continue to be hot till october...
oh joyyy
well on a brighter note, i have an address now!
so here it is:
Gyeongbuk National University
Dormitory hwa-mokgwan room 238,
1370, Sangyeok 3-dong,
Buk-gu, Daegu, 702-701
South Korea
or
대한민국 대구 광역시 북구
산격3동 1370 경북대학교
생활관 화목관 238-Agnes Im
702-701
i have no idea why the english one doesnt have a place for my name but awell
i finally met up w/ other Daegu TaLKers yesterday
[seemed like i haven't seen them in years!]
and bought lots of stuff like laundry detergent&bowl&etc.
i am slowly unpacking and i hope to finish by this week! yea!
well, let me get back to unpacking/adjusting schedule/planning lessons
- feel free to send me stuff!!! :D
++ apparently i won't be teaching till next week!
but i will still go to elem. school on wed to do some lesson planning :)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
locked out.
yes. i am locked out.
not out of my new dorm, but my old dorm.
where all of my stuff is at the moment.
yes. even my macbook.
so how?
it all started last night...
i was talking to my cousin johnny and told him i felt down
[aka post-orientation syndrome]
&he persuaded me to take a last minute trip to changwon!
so after grabbing some belongings, i hopped on a train!
of course i had a good time, where i got to see my aunt&uncle
&eat lots of delicious shabu shabu & samgyupsal :D
but the problem is today.
i knew i had to move into another dorm today,
but they never told me what time.
so after assuming that i could move in in the evening
[and my knu buddy thought that was ok too]
i woke up late at my aunt's
then i get a text from my roomie unni,
saying they are telling us to move out by noon.
...
thanks to my awesome roomie unnie though,
i just had to move my stuff by tonight.
but when i arrived, i found out that the new girl
changed the lock combo.
&since she's not picking up her phone,
i am just sitting in the pc room of my new dorm.
[which is def nicer than the other one-
i have a bathroom w/ the room!
yay for no communal showers!]
hopefully, she'll return soon
&i'll be able to finally unpack!
*sorry if this post was completely useless&boring lol
not out of my new dorm, but my old dorm.
where all of my stuff is at the moment.
yes. even my macbook.
so how?
it all started last night...
i was talking to my cousin johnny and told him i felt down
[aka post-orientation syndrome]
&he persuaded me to take a last minute trip to changwon!
so after grabbing some belongings, i hopped on a train!
of course i had a good time, where i got to see my aunt&uncle
&eat lots of delicious shabu shabu & samgyupsal :D
but the problem is today.
i knew i had to move into another dorm today,
but they never told me what time.
so after assuming that i could move in in the evening
[and my knu buddy thought that was ok too]
i woke up late at my aunt's
then i get a text from my roomie unni,
saying they are telling us to move out by noon.
...
thanks to my awesome roomie unnie though,
i just had to move my stuff by tonight.
but when i arrived, i found out that the new girl
changed the lock combo.
&since she's not picking up her phone,
i am just sitting in the pc room of my new dorm.
[which is def nicer than the other one-
i have a bathroom w/ the room!
yay for no communal showers!]
hopefully, she'll return soon
&i'll be able to finally unpack!
*sorry if this post was completely useless&boring lol
Thursday, August 26, 2010
am i home yet?
today was pretty tiring.
after saying goodbye to other TaLKers,
i moved in to 면학관 at knu.
with only my knu buddy unni to help,
i had to get my ~50lb luggage up some stairs to the building,
only to face more flights of stairs, since my room's on the 2nd floor.
but is that it? nope.
i'm moving into another dorm on saturday.
apparently, i have to wait until summer session's over.
great.
so i can't unpack&and am still living out of a suitcase.
&i really like my roommate here!
she's really nice&entertaining (?)
anyways, i have to get up early tomorrow-
gotta go meet the older people at my elementary!
oh, another bad news?
the elem. is over an hr bus ride away from knu.
the north gate.
which is 20+minute walk from my dorm.
perfect, right?
meh i hope the weather gets better soon D:
&i just want to start unpacking!!!
after saying goodbye to other TaLKers,
i moved in to 면학관 at knu.
with only my knu buddy unni to help,
i had to get my ~50lb luggage up some stairs to the building,
only to face more flights of stairs, since my room's on the 2nd floor.
but is that it? nope.
i'm moving into another dorm on saturday.
apparently, i have to wait until summer session's over.
great.
so i can't unpack&and am still living out of a suitcase.
&i really like my roommate here!
she's really nice&entertaining (?)
anyways, i have to get up early tomorrow-
gotta go meet the older people at my elementary!
oh, another bad news?
the elem. is over an hr bus ride away from knu.
the north gate.
which is 20+minute walk from my dorm.
perfect, right?
meh i hope the weather gets better soon D:
&i just want to start unpacking!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
DAEGU!
so!
after english camp&saying goodbyes at jochiwon orientation.
9 of us headed down to daegu for another week-long orientation.
after unloading our luggage at prince hotel,
we went to another hotel for a reception
where we got to meet our mentor teachers&co teachers
[though i didnt meet my co teacher]
anyways, this orientation's been great too
seriously, i'm out most of the time,
sightseeing the city [eating shopping eating]
meeting new people [korean talk scholars&friends!]
doing cultural activities [make food! yayyy!]
or hanging out w/ our amazing daegu 5th gen ppl ;)
[no curfew yayyy!]
i think daegu poe is awesome&really good
[except for lodging at this hotel part]
ooh! &we're going to busan tomorrow!
gonna go to haeundae beach&the aquarium and other places :]
i'm really having too much funnnn
but i do miss the other TaLKers who are at different provinces :(
TaLKERS: COME VISIT IN DAEGU SOON! MISS YOU GUYS TONS!
on a side note, i shall move in to KNU dorm on the 26th,
when daegu ot is finished [&i'll be attending KNU exchange ot]
hope everyone's good&safe back home
& hope all the TaLKers are having fun&enjoying their provinces!
after english camp&saying goodbyes at jochiwon orientation.
9 of us headed down to daegu for another week-long orientation.
after unloading our luggage at prince hotel,
we went to another hotel for a reception
where we got to meet our mentor teachers&co teachers
[though i didnt meet my co teacher]
anyways, this orientation's been great too
seriously, i'm out most of the time,
sightseeing the city [eating shopping eating]
meeting new people [korean talk scholars&friends!]
doing cultural activities [make food! yayyy!]
or hanging out w/ our amazing daegu 5th gen ppl ;)
[no curfew yayyy!]
i think daegu poe is awesome&really good
[except for lodging at this hotel part]
ooh! &we're going to busan tomorrow!
gonna go to haeundae beach&the aquarium and other places :]
i'm really having too much funnnn
but i do miss the other TaLKers who are at different provinces :(
TaLKERS: COME VISIT IN DAEGU SOON! MISS YOU GUYS TONS!
on a side note, i shall move in to KNU dorm on the 26th,
when daegu ot is finished [&i'll be attending KNU exchange ot]
hope everyone's good&safe back home
& hope all the TaLKers are having fun&enjoying their provinces!
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