TVXQ and Many Other Idols

So that next Friday, Soojung and I went to Mustoy to try out Korean Doll Painting. I heard about this through a video done by Simon and Martina at Eat Your Kimchi and I've been excited to do this since I got to Korea. Basically, you go to the cafe and then pay 15,000 won to decorate a porcelain doll and keep it. It's a Japanese company with materials made in China with a cafe in Korea. The full Asian experience! Anyway, I made a Lorax for my father and Soojung made one of the characters from Kakao Talk. It was super fun and honestly, I might even do it again next semester. I wanted to buy one of the ones that people left behind (10,000 won to decorate and not keep) but that was expensive so I restrained myself. Super awesome experience though!

The cafe

I really wanted that blue and black one in the middle.

That same weekend I also went to Jaejoong's bar - creatively called Holic J - and a cafe owned by a friend of Yunho. It was rather disappointing though because no one in Korea goes to bars until like 11 and one of my friends has a midnight curfew (Ehwa, ew). So we just ate out and decided to go back in a couple weeks when she can apply for a night out. As for the 85st. Coffee Shop... well... it was closed. I went with Hemi, who is also a TVXQ fan, and she said she's never seen it closed before. Oh well. Excluding the dolls, I just struck out that weekend. But you miss every ball that you don't swing at! (or something inspirational like that)

85st Coffee Shop where Yunho sometimes decides to work as a barista. 

During the following week, there was the End of the Year Foreigners Festival. Soojung and I decided to hang out at the Mouse Rabbit Cafe while we waited for it to start. The Mouse Rabbit Cafe is right by campus and owned by Yesung's sister but I hadn't gone before because I don't really care for Yesung. But then I heard from someone that the cafe is just super cute so I decided to go. It's adorable! I can't even take how cute it is, it's ridiculous. The festival afterwards was pretty cool too and my friend Stephanie won first place in the talent show and won 500,000 won! Wooh!

The outside of the cafe.

How cute are these drinks?

A couple days later, Summer and I finally got to go ice skating at Lotte World. I haven't skated in six years and I forgot how hard it is! Ice skating is exercise people! But we had a ton of fun as I attempted to skate around the rink and Summer held my hand most of the time so I wouldn't fall. Like a boss. The skates were actually super crappy; they were too big for me, not very sharp, and didn't have a stop. But despite the conditions, it was a ton of fun and I would recommend it for those coming from warmer environments especially, who haven't skated before. I'm used to lakes so it was a little strange but still awesome.

The rink.

Summer and I blocking the flow of people.

Me trying to be cute while still keeping my balance. It's harder than it looks.

The next day, Amy, Stephanie, and I went to the Studio Ghibli Exhibit. It's only in Korea until March 1st so I was super happy we got it done. The exhibit itself was absolutely amazing and worth the 15,000 won (although some other friends didn't think so). The official gift shop, however, is aimed at the country the exhibit is in so it only had products from the top three movies in Korea; Spirited Away, Totoro, and Kiki's Delivery Service. However, there's a store in Hongdae that sells Ghibli stuff too so I might go there. The exhibit is stunning though. Some of the exhibits move and just the way it's presented, feels magical. After going to the exhibit, I really want to go to the museum in Japan too. That would be fantastic. 

Howl's Moving Castle. And yes, it did move.

Porco Rosso! Chillin like a villian

The iconic Spirited Away bridge.

Yes, sometimes I hang out with No Face. What can I say? 

The day after Ghibli, I went to the TVXQ T1ST0RY concert in Seoul. I can't even talk about it like a normal person. My mind hasn't exploded but it was amazing anyway. Yunho was so silly and beautiful and Changmin's voice was stunning and it just all meant a lot. It was also their 4000th day since debut (WOW) so the energy was really good. I can't. I love Yunho and Changmin so much. I didn't cry, I thought I would. My eyes got a little misty a couple times when all 15,000 people were chanting for TVXQ but I held myself together. And some random fans also just gave me merchandise which was super awesome. WE ARE T!

Tour merchandise~

And then yesterday I skipped school like a good student to go to a Arirang TV Simply K-Pop recording. I was at the studio for 13 hours and saw 19 different acts, because I went to all the pre-recordings and the main recording. The interaction of the idols with their fans was awesome but it made me sad how exhausted and hungry the idols looked. Stephanie and I also were given the chance to introduce an artist so I'll be on TV! Mom, look, I made it! I'll post that link later. Overall, it was an utterly exhausting day (and weekend) for me but it was totally worth it. I got to talk to a bunch of K-pop singers and learn who sings live and who doesn't. HALO made a special impression on me out of everyone I saw because I wasn't a fan of them before but they were so friendly, I think I shall have to support them in the future. We weren't allowed to take pictures so we'll just have to wait for that video~

Art and Entertainment

So that Wednesday we finally, finally, went on our culture trip. The students were given three choices and we got to pick which trip we would go on but they were all in Seoul so I was pretty disappointed. All of the trips had two locations, with one interesting and one uninteresting in my opinion, so I would have been okay with all of them. The trip I ended up with was the Seoul Museum of Contemporary and Modern Arts and the Seoul Grand Park. The museum was extremely interesting and I wasn't ready to leave after the hour and a half they gave us to explore ran out. I'm not usually into art museums but this one had a couple very interesting exhibits and I especially appreciated the sculptures. The Grand Park was pretty boring in comparison because it was mostly a zoo and since it was November, all the animals were either sleeping, hiding, or shaking. And, as I said previously, the conditions for the animals are absolutely terrible here. We spent most of our time in the botanical gardens because it was warm and there weren't sad animals. I would definitely recommend the museum, however; it was very beautiful. 

This honey sculpture was Lena's favorite.

There were a lot of hidden details in there. 

This was one of my favorites just because it brightened the room. 

This was another favorite of mine. It's difficult to see in the picture but this entire thing is made up of Korean papers folded into triangles.

Twisted Furniture. 

I'm not even sure what this is but I like it. 

The beautiful botanical gardens.

That Friday, a couple of the people I met on the cruise, Soojung, and I all went out. Before meeting the others, Soojung and I went shopping in Myungdong and got me a winter coat for $50. Winning. After connecting with the others, we went to a Japanese bento place for supper, which was alright but not worth the hype. Then we went to Kim Jaejoong (of JYJ)'s cafe J Holic. All the tables were shaped like J's and the drinks weren't ridiculously priced, which was a surprise. It was actually a pretty comfortable cafe and I really enjoyed the styling and their music. After the cafe, we went to karaoke. Honestly, noraebang (karaoke) is one of my favorite things here. It's just so much fun! 

The next day, a Chinese friend, Summer, and I went to go visit some entertainment companies. Actually, four of the big companies in Korea are all in the same area so they were pretty easy to find. Cube Entertainment also has a cafe so the fangirls and fanboys can drink something warm inside while they wait for their celebrities, which is an incredibly intelligent decision on their part. They must be racking in the dough while the other companies just leave the fans outside, or in an unrelated cafe. We didn't see any celebrities but I wasn't really set on it anyway so I just had fun seeing the different companies.  

J Holic's symbol.

The receipts come with Jaejoong's signature. 

Cube Entertainment (Beast, 4Minute, BTOB, A-Pink, G.Na, etc)

Mr. Chu~ by A-Pink

The best cafe mocha I have ever had in my life. Like, I might go back to this cafe just for the drinks and be that one person not facing the windows. 

The Cube Cafe had a bunch of signed merchandise and hand prints of all their artists. 

JYP Entertainment (2PM, Wonder Girls, Miss A, Got7, etc)

10 Points Out of 10! by 2PM

SM Entertainment (TVXQ, Super Junior, SNSD, SHINee, f(x), EXO, etc)

Sorry, Sorry by Super Junior 

Gee by SNSD

FNC Entertainment (FT Island, CNBlue, AOA, etc)

The next week I made homemade Mac n Cheese for my friends at my goshiwon. It's pretty difficult to make recipes from home here because the ingredients just aren't in Korea. I couldn't even find butter so I had to use margarine instead. There's probably butter somewhere but all I could find was margarine and I Just Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Despite the hiccups in ingredients, the pasta turned out pretty well and my friends liked it so hey, success!

That Wednesday, I went to Interstellar with Soojung at the Lotte Cinema. Korean movie theatres aren't that different to be honest but I enjoyed the movie although Soojung liked it much more than me. The music was composed by Hans Zimmer so it was outstanding of course. I cried three times and Soojung cried four times so it's a bit of a tear-jerking. I regret that I didn't get squid there (the one snack at the theatre unique to Korea) but I had some at Caribbean Bay so it's not a big deal. 

On Friday, we had a class field trip for my globalization class to Arirang Tower. Arirang tries to spread Korean culture to the rest of the world through TV shows and radio stations broadcasted to 55 different countries. The tower was pretty cool to look through as people are still working during the tour. I also got to meet Sam Carter from LunaFly! He was there recording his radio show and I had to get a picture with him because my best friend back home loves him. A couple of us are going to try and win tickets to be in the live audience so we can see the recordings live. After the tour, Ana, Stephanie and I went to the Seoul Arts Center, which was pretty much across the street. It wasn't that interesting in comparison to the Seoul Museum of Contemporary and Modern Arts but the complex was just huge. After returning to the university, I went to my second movie in three days as part of a program put together by our university and the Korean Movie Administration or something like that. It was a big deal and the point was to spread Korean movies to the international audience. So we saw "We Are Brothers" with English subtitles. It was actually super funny and I would really recommend it. 

That Saturday, Sonnet, Stephanie, and I went shopping at Gangnam Station and the Express Bus Terminal. I got a couple souvenirs, including a sweatshirt I had been looking for since I got here. It was pretty fun and both of those stations have huge underground shopping centers that were just never ending. And the Express Bus Terminal is uber cheap. 

Lunch with an off campus friend, Byul.

Arirang Radio in the Arirang Tower.

Sam Carter!

Random Thoughts

I do get pretty homesick actually. Now that I know I'm coming back for the second semester, it's like I feel free to miss home, like I don't have to be guilty. I have four weeks and on one hand that scares me because times flies so fast but I'm happy on the other hand because I miss my family, my friends, my pets, my bed, and most importantly, food. I miss food from home so, so much. I love Korean food, I really do, but I also have a list of food I need to eat while I'm home, Cereal is on the top of the list <3

New Home

So in Korea, they sort of celebrate Halloween. They don't do trick-or-treating or make Jack-O-Lanterns but the clubs and amusement parks still have Halloween themes and some people do dress up, especially in Itaewon. Because we're foreigners, Sonnet's Korean friend, Sofia, asked us over to her house for dinner. It was the first time in two months I had eaten a home-cooked meal and it was absolutely amazing. Her mother made us pumpkin porridge, bulgogi, don katsu, chapchae, and tteokbeokki. I can't even write about it without salivating, it was that good. The conversation was a little awkward at times because it was the first time most of us were meeting them and their mother didn't speak any English, but it was still a ton of food. We had great food and good company so it was a good Halloween. Sofia's mom was super funny (she compensated by using a lot of body language) and her brother was also pretty fun to hang around. After we were done eating one of the best meals I've had in Korea, we played a couple Korean drinking games and then a couple traditional Korean games as well. All in all, an amazing night. Their whole family came with us to the bus stop and we actually almost cried leaving them because they were so affectionate and kind to complete strangers. Her mom even told us that we could come crash any time we wanted to. I totally plan on taking her up on that.

Sofia's family and the foreigners eating our feast. :)

The next day was Saturday and also the day I moved out! It took me a couple hours to completely pack everything and transport it to the goshiwon but I did it all myself. A ton of couple offered their help but I didn't want to make it a big thing so I could carried everything. My room is super tiny but I kind of love it. Like, it's so tiny it can't help but be adorable. My dad said it would be a good exercise to see just how little room I truly need and I like to think of it in that positive way. I get my own room and then we all share one kitchen, one bathroom, and one shower. But if the bathroom is full, then there are two more right outside the goshiwon doors. So it's actually pretty good. I got to know some of the girls here and we cook together sometimes so it's really fun. I don't regret my decision. :)

My little room. Isn't it just the cutest?

The day after I moved, a Korean friend and a Chinese friend and I all went to Gangnam for the Gangnam Tourist Center. We also went to the Hyundai department store and the Apgujeong Rodeo Street. Now, the GTC was supposed to be like an interactive K-Pop museum but that's a lie. It was super tiny and not very fun, to be honest. I didn't tell my Korean friend that because she was the one who suggested it but it was very disappointing. The Hyundai department store was absolutely huge and mostly filled with designer brands. But there's an entire floor dedicated to food! It was amazing; I only took pictures of all the food that day, Apgujeong Rodeo Street wasn't very interesting either because it was all designer brands too and I'm just not rich enough to afford that. So it was a rather boring day but it was still fun to hang out with my friends. No time is wasted when it's spent with good people.

After that came the school week and that just sucked. Let me say that we're all working hard here. College is just as challenging as always. However, on Thursday my Korean Culture Club went out on a cruise on the Han River. It was actually super boring because after about ten minutes of excitement you realize that you're on a really slow boat on a river for another hour and a half. But the KCC has members from all over Seoul so I got to meet some brand new people and we went out for dinner afterwards which was wonderful. We're actually going out this weekend too (with those new people) so I can't regret the boring, and freezing, cruise road.

Then, on Friday, Soojung and I went to My Chi Chi, Hong Seok Cheon's Italian restaurant. Hong Seok Cheon is pretty much the only gay celebrity out in Korea right now and he has done so much in the past ten years to change Korea's opinion of homosexuality. Most celebrities trust him with their deepest secrets and he hasn't done anything to betray that trust. He's just a man to admire and he also happens to own like eight restaurants all in the same strip of Itaewon. The food was rather expensive, as it always is with celebrity restaurants, but it was really good too and we now have a map of his restaurants if we want to try them all. If I have the money, I'd like to go to all of them but we'll see. Twelve dollars for a cone from his ice cream shop (his newest addition) just seems like a bit much to me.  Still, the Margarita pizza and Bacon Gorgonzola Pasta was amazing. I definitely recommend trying it out. In fact, just go to Itaewon to eat. They have so many unique, delicious restaurants there, it makes you want to eat there for hours.

That Saturday, I left on a trip to Pyeongchang with the UNESCO branch in Seoul, called Heritage in Korea. I didn't think I would make the application process because I was only a student (and their goal group is ambassadors and teachers) but I did and I'm so happy about it. Forty foreigners total went on the trip and I made a ton of new friends. The goal of this program is to provide foreigners with a FREE opportunity to experience Korean culture and at the same time, add to their network of people. I love it and I'm so glad they're continuing it next year (and one of the destinations for 2015 is Jeju Island! For free! I can't even hold in my excitement and now I have more of an opportunity to get in because I'll be returning as an invitee). Anyway, the goal of this trip was to participate in kimjang, which is making enough kimchi for the winter. We went all the way to Pyeongchang for this trip, which took about five hours by bus. Pyeongchang is supposed to host the Olympics in 2018 but I'm worried about them. The whole area is just little country towns and there isn't any construction going on. But who knows, if anyone can get it done that fast, it's Korea. The first day, we went to a temple in Pyeongchang, made our own kimchi under the guidance of a strict ajumma in hanbok, and had a bonfire. The second day we went to a market that's been on that street since the Joseon Era and also explored a nearby park before returning to Seoul. It was all very amazing and the food was delicious. I can honestly say I look forward to all the programs after this and I'm so glad to have met so many new and amazing people.

New friends!

This pagoda was in the temple we visited and is the only thing there that wasn't burnt down during the Korean War and then rebuilt. It's actually rather amazing because the pagoda is from the Goryeo Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Era, making it almost a thousand years old. The temple was actually built around the pagoda and the pagoda was the only thing left standing. 

We also stayed in a traditional Korean house, called a Hanok. It was awesome! The whole resort was absolutely stunning. The hanoks didn't have Western style beds, only Korean mats and blankets, but it was so comfortable, I slept the best I had in like two weeks. 

The whole group together. I couldn't tell you everyone's name (I'm terrible with foreign names unless they're Korean or Japanese) but I could tell you their nationality and I also talked to each and every one of them. 

Look at my awesome kimchi! Our teacher came over to yell at me multiple times about me making my kimchi so spicy but in the end, mine was the prettiest and best shaped. So there! It's in the fridge in my goshiwon right now and I hope the others help me eat it because I can't possibly finish all that by myself. 

Today's Wednesday and I actually finally went on my culture trip with the International House here but I think I'll talk about that next time. My friend had a better camera so I let her take all the pictures and she hasn't uploaded them online yet. And I'll like to have pictures to illustrate, especially so we went to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts. Til next time~

Random Thoughts:

Autumn on campus is absolutely lovely. However, the reason it's lovely is because of these stupid ginkgo trees. Apparently, there are two different types of ginkgo tree and one if going extinct so Konkuk University is trying to save them by planting them everywhere on campus. I honestly couldn't care less if these trees died out. The reason they're endangered is because the two kinds look exactly the same but one kind has these horrible stinky berries. You might think I'm exaggerating but these berries literally smell like dog poop and they fall from the trees for almost eight weeks straight. It's absolutely horrid. I'd just prefer the other kind please.

The pretty yellow trees are the ginkgo trees. Unfortunately, their pretty autumn colors aren't enough to make me forgive them for their berries. Dreadful things, I tell you.

Secondly, Korean teachers are scary. I think this is just an Oriental thing but in Korea, teachers are right. Always and absolutely. If you have a different opinion or a contradicting question, you keep it to yourself or the teacher will destroy you. As an American student who has always been taught to question knowledge and that debate is one of the best tools of knowledge and perspective, this is incredibly difficult for me at times. However, I keep telling myself that it's just their culture and that it's a good thing to experience new ways of life. This was one of my biggest examples of culture shock for me and it's still ongoing.

Mid Terms

So that weekend was just as boring as I expected it to be. I spent both Saturday and Sunday in a study cafe, desperately attempting not to fail my classes. Remember when I talked about how Korea has this obsession with themed cafes? Well, this is what I'm talking about. A study cafe is a cafe where you buy ridiculously expensive drinks and then you get to study. No joke. Depending on the study cafe, sometimes there is an hour limit you can be there. Also, the accommodations change depending on the cafe; the first one I went to had a talking floor and a non-talking floor and a smoking floor. In the non-talking floor, where I was, there were at least four different types of sitting areas so you can be the most comfortable while you study. There was normal tables, individual desks set into the wall so you won't get distracted, couch like seats down below the floor and then a little raised area where you had to talk off your shoes and sit on the ground. It was very interesting, overall. That cafe was in Gangnam though and had been recommended to me for being very diverse. On Sunday, I went to one closer to my university and the drinks were cheaper, there wasn't a time limit, but it was smaller. The second study cafe only had one floor and there were much fewer seats, if you didn't buy extra for a study room. Either way, I studied my butt off. Oh, and I was the only foreigner both days.

Mayville Cafe. This one was in Gangnam and I really enjoyed the various places to sit. 

Pobu Cafe. This one is super close to my university and I think I'll stick with this one because it was much cheaper. 

After all that studying, you'd think I would ace the exams but no, no, no. I had a tough time with three of my exams because the teachers told us what to study and then they put other stuff on the tests. Not cool. I actually don't know my scores yet because they have until midnight tomorrow to upload them. So here's hoping~ Honestly, most people were pretty stressed but it's not like there was anything we could do about it so I don't worry about things like that. Why invite stress into your life? But when Friday came, a couple of the Americans decided to celebrate by going to a noraebang (karaoke room) and I was really looking forward to it. We drank a bit (the drinking age here is 19, and the 19 is in Korean age) and then went to karaoke and drank some more. I didn't get drunk but everyone else did so I tried to get everyone home in time for curfew but three of them really wanted tteokbeokki so I just let them go. They're adults, they can take care of themselves. Honestly, noraebang wasn't that fun because a couple people hogged the book and kept playing songs only they knew. Whatever. Saturday, my roommate was supposed to go to Everland with a big group but she got too drunk the night before and accidentally slept it. I almost cried. I had looked forward to that Saturday for weeks because I could just have a me day and write if I wanted to (it's my hobby) but then she was in the room and it messed with my concentration. Oh, and I didn't go to Everland because it was a Halloween special and we have Valleyscare like twenty minutes from my house. 

Sunday, I was supposed to go hiking with a group of four but then one of them got sick and the other two had gone to Everland the day before so they said they were too tired to go hiking for three hours. So I went by myself. It was such a beautiful day, I couldn't give up the opportunity. It was absolutely amazing. I went to Bugaksan, which is actually a military zone because of it's proximity to the Blue House. Because it's a military zone, you have to register to be allowed in and in the fall, registration ends at 15:00. So I gave myself two hours and fifteen minutes to get there and still almost didn't make it. Why? Because the tourist information lady gave me incorrect directions and I ended up on the wrong mountain! Instead of Bugaksan, I hiked the mountain next to it, in Samcheong Park, for an hour and a half before I finally made it to Bugaksan at 14:57. The registration people almost didn't let me because I didn't have a Korean phone number but I think I looked pretty pathetic (I was drenched in sweat and desperate to get in) so they let it pass. The soldiers laughed at me as I skipped up the stairs but I didn't care; I made it. Again, because it is a military zone, there are soldiers in look-outs along the Seoul Fortress Wall and then there are even more soldiers to make sure you don't take any pictures facing the direction of the Blue House. It's super funny though because the soldiers that watch for cameras don't wear uniforms. They all wear the same sweatpants, Columbia orange and purple jacket, purple hat, and goggles. It's kind of hilarious. Because they're all dressed the same and look similar with their goggles covering half of their face, I actually thought the first three soldiers were the same guy. 'I must look suspicious or something' I thought to myself while I tried to figure out how he always got ahead of me. I felt so stupid when I finally figured it out that I burst out laughing. Now, most people take between two and threes hours to hike Bugaksan (and it is NOT an easy hike) but I did it in an hour exactly. This is because I was so excited from finally making it that I pretty much jogged up the mountain, which turned out to be a terrible idea from my sweat. I looked so terrible but I was smiling the whole time. By the end, my knees were actually shaking when I stopped moving because the stairs going down (and the whole way down is stairs) were steep and uneven so I literally had to jump from stair to stair and then stop myself from falling forward. And there was no railing. Honestly, it was just awesome, even though I looked nasty and I couldn't take many pictures. There's so much history in the location; from the 1.21 Incident Pine Tree, to the North Gate that goes back to Joseon times, to the Seoul Fortress Wall. It was amazing to take it all in and I can't wait for my next hiking adventure. 

 One of the few areas I could take pictures in,

 Here's my pass! "I Made It" was pretty much my theme song for the day.

Here's part of the Seoul Fortress Wall!

After Sunday, my first week of classes after mid-terms started, although I did actually have my last mid-term yesterday. Today's Thursday and the day before Halloween and I can't wait for the weekend. I'm moving out of the dorms this weekend into a goshiwon. My roommate and I have been having a lot of problems lately and I just don't want to deal with it anymore. So I'm out. Of course, this means I can't live in the dorms next semester and I lose a lot of money but I'm alright with that. Packing didn't actually take that long and I'm ready. My goshiwon is pretty cheap because I lost so much money from moving mid-semester but I can deal with it for two months. Next semester I'll get a more expensive one that will be bigger. :) 

Random Thoughts

I got TVXQ tickets! I'm so excited it's ridiculous. I still haven't won any Inkigayo tickets but I'm going to so many concerts, it should make up for it. TVXQ is one of my two favorite Korean groups so I'm pretty much dancing with happiness every time I think about it. 

The international house also hasn't told us when our field trip will be or where to but I really hope it's to the DMZ. I'm going to the DMZ no matter what but it would be nice if someone else organized it since it might have to be an overnight trip. 

Korean McDonald's taste almost exactly the same as American McDonald's. It's great. I've been missing food from home lately (not that I eat McDonald's that much at home anyway) and McDonald's is the cheapest option out there. Keep in mind that I can't cook in the dorms and the ingredients would be incredibly expensive here anyway. The biggest difference I noticed wasn't in the way the food tasted but in the service. In Korea, you can't get your own refills, ketchup, or napkins: you have to ask for everything, which is kind of annoying. But hey, McDonald's delivers here so that's something. 

Busan Vacance~

So the Seoul International Fireworks Festival was absolutely amazing. Soojung and I got there about three and a half hours early (only) and we still got really good seats in front of the fireworks stations out on the river. There were a ton of people there and it was just insane but I loved every minute of it. I waited in line for the ladies room for over an hour, that's how many people there were there, to give you a hint. I almost missed the start of the fireworks because while I was in line, literally all of the empty spaces between the blankets on the ground had been filled up by other people. We were all squished in there pretty tight. I made it back to Soojung in time though and then we watched the most amazing fireworks for over two hours. There were four teams there; Japan, China, Italy, and Korea. I expected China to dominate since they invented fireworks after all but it was Italy and Korea that truly impressed. Japan and China were good, for sure, but the ones following them showed them up. The Italian team was very impressive with their coordination of their music (which was mostly classic American rock and K-pop) and their fireworks while the Korean team won on their sheer scale. 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205478957680475&l=6875058511780652683 Just two minutes of the Italian Fireworks Team.

The day after that, I went to a free JYJ concert. I repeat. Free. JYJ. Concert. It was amazing. We waited for over six hours and I could still barely see the boys but I'm so glad I went. This concert was their last before they all three enlist (as Yoochun revealed) and Junsu started crying. I was trying not to cry too. I bought their new album and I have been listening to it constantly for over a month to prepare for this concert. It's super great; I would really recommend giving the entire album a listen. The concert organizers had predicted that 33,000 people would show up and over 50,000 people came so it quickly got crazy. JYJ fans are nuts. And I say that with love in my heart. But anywhoo, I saw JYJ live. Just saying.

 My JYJ wristband. :) They sold out of official merchandise before I could get to the stand so this is all I have left. 

So the concert was Sunday and then came the school week. Fortunately, we had Thursday off for Hangul Day and we decided to skip Friday to go on a trip. Which leads me to the title of today's post: Busan Vacance! That's right, Soojung, Ting Ting, Reyhan, and I went to Busan! Busan is the second largest city in Korea and it's a port city so it's known for it's beaches and seafood. If you don't understand the reference I'm making, there's a Korean song called Busan Vacance that pretty much talks about the scenic areas of Busan. The music video is pretty lame but the song was super popular and I love it. I'm including the link here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q3k-96dqRM Busan Vacance by Skull & Haha

We had a planning day on Tuesday and then we left campus for Busan Thursday morning at 5:00 AM via a taxi and then the KTX. The KTX is pretty nice and before we knew it, we were in Busan at 9:30. We went straight to Jagalchi, the largest seafood market in Korea, and ate lunch there after wandering around. I've never seen so much seafood in my lunch but the image that stuck with me the most is that of the live eels that had been skinned before they were killed. They were squirming around and in pretty obvious pain. I'm not sure how that's not animal cruelty but it was disgustingly fascinating. After lunch, we went to the Trick Eye Museum. After about an hour or so of taking awesome pictures, we looked around one of the displays for the Busan International Film Festival and ate hotteok. Hotteok is available in Seoul as well but it's famous in Busan, plus the Busan version has nuts. Hotteok is delicious. I may or may not have gotten it three different times in so many days. Then we went to go check into our guesthouse, the Cube Guesthouse, which had an amazing location and was super cheap. That whole process took a while and then we headed over to Dadaepo Beach. Dadaepo Beach itself isn't famous (but it should be because it's stunning) but it is famous for it's fountain; the Daedaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams, which is the largest flat fountain in the world. This fountain show, complete with music and lights is gorgeous. It went for twenty minutes and I could honestly see myself going there every other night if I lived in the area. After the show, we ate at Lotteria to save money and headed home.

Jagalchi Market sign.

 Soojung and I as angels. 

 Scary!

Dadaepo Beach at sunset. 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205571010421736&l=578194062715789422 Just three minutes of the Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams. 

On the second day, we spent most of the day in the cliffs. We started the day at the Haedongyonggung Temple, which is a Buddhist temple located in the cliffs. It was just gorgeous and I loved the architecture. I'm not religious myself, but I think Buddhism is a really interesting religion. We also ate lunch there after exploring the temple and drinking water for the mountain. There was an area to make a wish to Buddha and if you could throw the coin in Buddha's bowl from the bridge, then it was granted. I actually hit the bowl but didn't make it in so every time something little went our way after that, we said it was Buddha helping out where he could. There were many sculptures and statures and also the twelve zodiac animals had majestic statues. After the temple, we went to Taejongdae, which is another cliff area known for it's lighthouse, dinosaur discovery site, and the fact that Japan can sometimes be seen from there. Taejongdae was just gorgeous and we went down the cliffs to the area where dinosaur fossils were discovered too. I have never gone up and down so many stairs in my life. At the bottom, though, the wind was ridiculously strong and we had to hold each others' hand to keep from blowing over. Literally. I was afraid one of us would blow over and then trip on the rocks. After we went along the 4.3 kilometer path at Taejongdae, we headed over to Nampodong to eat and shop a little before going to a tower nearby that lets you look out over Busan. It was super beautiful but we were happy to get back that night and just sleep. 

The temple.

A pure gold Buddha.

 Taejongdae Lighthouse.

Me down by the sea near the dinosaur site. It reminded me of the Bad Hills, with how careful you had to place your feet, but I'd done that before so it was a lot of fun for me. 

On our last full day in Busan, we mostly stuck to the Haeundae area. There was actually some drama because one of the girls was upset with our planning although she was there when we planned, so she left a day earlier. The last day was the best though, in my opinion, so she missed out. There were things I loved about the first and second day but the third one was the best as a whole. First, we went to the Busan Aquarium, which is just an aquarium to be honest but it's the biggest one in Korea so it's still a big deal. Afterwards, we walked along Haeundae, which is the most famous beach in all of Korea. When it's summer, you can't even see the sand from above because there are so many umbrellas. Right next to Haeundae is Dongbaekseom, which is called an island but is actually a peninsula. From Dongbaekseom, you have a perfect view of Haeundae. Dongbaekseom also has small cliffs, walking paths, a temple, many statues, and the APEC building. It was super pretty and I would want to exercise there every day if I lived in Busan. The APEC building was interesting in a political way, plus the building itself is unique. After Dongbaekseom, we went to Spa Land, which is a spa/sauna in Busan that's pretty famous. It's amazing. I can't even stress how much fun it is. There were over twenty different themed sauna rooms, outdoor foot baths, massage areas, naked baths for each gender individually, both indoor and outdoor, and so much more. We had a bunch of fun playing games to escape the hotter sauna rooms and just relaxing. It's Korean tradition to eat eggs and bingsoo in saunas so we did that too but it was super delicious, despite its less than pretty appearance. I had to leave my phone in my locker, which I super regret, but my friend made a video so hopefully she'll send me that soon. After four perfect hours of greatness, we went to check out the main building for the Busan International Film Festival. It was a building, not going to lie. But hey, famous people had been there. We then headed back to Haeundae for supper and to walk in the ocean. Meat is cheaper in Busan and I had the best meal I've had since I came to Korea in a little place where we got three different kinds of meat and a billion side dishes for only $7 each. I can't even think about it without my mouth watering. When we could walk again, we wandered along the full stretch of Haeundae. The others wouldn't go in but I rolled up my pants and walked in the ocean. Waves are a problem. I don't get how anyone can swim in the ocean. Reluctantly, we went home the latest that night and tried to get some sleep for our trip home. 

A cut off view of Haeundae from Dongbaekseom. 

Sunday morning, we took the slow train (Mugunghwa) home and watched the countryside go by for about five and a half hours. I've never seen so many rice fields in my life but it was lovely. As a whole, Busan reminded me a lot of Duluth, with its cliffs and beaches. I adore Duluth so I had a lot of fun in Busan and I honestly wouldn't mind going back at all. Like now. I want to go back now.

Next week is mid-terms so it's been pretty busy since I got back. Today's Friday but I had an extra make up session for Korean class today and this weekend won't be much fun either since I'll be studying so much. Mid terms are more serious here because they use a different grading system. Grades here are competitive. You can get a 94% and still not get an A because if 40% of your classmates did better than you, you get a B. Personally, I think that's ridiculous but there's nothing I can do about it but study harder and hope I'm in that top 40%. We'll see how this goes. My scholarship is GPA-dependent so I can't do poorly. 

Random Thoughts

I made my decision. I am officially staying for another semester. It was a really difficult decision and I spoke with all of my friends and loved ones, and made two pros and cons charts before I decided. It pretty much came down to money, which is what made my decision for me. I'm going to be in debt anyway, why not be in even more debt? I freaked out about it for a bit after I sent my adviser the email but I'm happy about it now. This decision aligns more with my future goals. However, now I have to try and find housing for next semester because I refuse to stay in the dorms again. No. Just no. I've been looking into staying at a 고시원 (study room that's super small and pretty cheap) or a 하숙집 (pretty much the same but with food included) but all of the sites are in Korean so I'm having a little bit of trouble. I think I'm going to have to ask a Korean friend for help but my friends all don't want me to do it because the rooms are so small. Oh well. At least it would be my own and I could do what I want. 

Oh, I also got my alien registration card on Wednesday. I road the subway for about two and a half hours in total and was in the Seoul Immigration Office for less than two minutes. No joke. I walked in, they didn't even look at my passport, they took my fingerprints, and gave me my card. That was it. And guess what! It expires next year before I leave so I get to do it all over again next semester. That's what I get from deciding so late. On the plus side though, I can go to the DMZ and variety shows now! I've already signed up for Inkigayo so hopefully I'll win tickets.