Christmas in Seoul

I spent Christmas in Seoul, like I spend most of my weekends.  I made my way to Seoul on Christmas eve, the good thing is my co-teacher was also going to Seoul so I was able to catch a ride with her.  I really enjoyed the ride because we discussed music and I introduced her to a few of my favorite artist including Alejandro Sanz, Michael Buble, Juanes, Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Muse.  After getting to Seoul, I went to Itaewon to have lunch with a friend.  We went to my new favorite place, the Wolfhound, and I had fish and chips, a Stella and we split an apple crumble.

I spent Christmas day with the bf, for Christmas I got him a Chelsea jersey (one of his favorite teams) and a stuffed panda.  Like always we had a late start to the day.  We went to Dongdaemun and walked around but only for a short time because it was raining, then we had lunch. After lunch we went to his area and had coffee at Dunkin Donuts, which is everywhere in Korea.  After  a while it started to snow, so much that we had a snow fight, which I wasn't expecting until I had a face full of snow. 

I did really miss my family over Christmas, especially the food.  Kimchi and tuna soup just isn't the same as ham and dressing.  The next day  I met up with friends, they went to have a haircut and I got my first manicure ever, i was pretty nice and only 20,000 won, so about $15.  After that we went to a bookstore called, What the Book.  While there I bought "Of Love and Other Demons" by Garcia Marquez and "The Elephant Vanishes" by Marakami, and I also picked up a Farsi phrasebook.

That evening my friends, bf, and I went out to Hongdae.  First we went to a hookah bar named Bricxx, it was ok, the music was a little repetitive and the hookahs were 10,000 won for 30 minutes.  They weren't as good as the bf or even the one I had at home.  They generally lasted 20 minutes.  After that we went to Gogo's and a few other places that I couldn't remember.  We all decided to stay out until the subway was open again, which meant staying out until 5:30 am. 

The next day the bf and I went to Itaewon to try food from his home country.  I have to say it's really good stuff.  I have a weakness for lamb and good tea. 

It was also interesting to hear the bf talk to people from Iran.  They were really nice and I definitly plan on going back.

After lunch we went to Starbucks, his new favorite place.  To have coffee and talk.  I really enjoy being able to sit at Starbucks and look out the window at the snow falling in Korea.  It was very relaxing.  Then I showed him that I had purchased a Farsi book, which he quickly went through and proceeded to teach me how to pronounce things.  He even marked a place for me to learn, so now I'm official learning Farsi.

This week is also the beginning of my 3 week long winter English camp, I'm finding it very hard to teach 3 and 4th grade, which I knew would be a problem.  I hoping to finally get pictures of my class next week when we learn about birthday celebrations in the US.  So in the meantime, enjoy some pictures from a very cold and snowy Korea :)

Good morning starshine the earth says hello...

So I've been watching too much of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since I've been here.

Anyway, except for knowing the Korean language I'm practically Korean, I crave kimchi, I push people out of the way to get on the bus or subway, and I annoy my bf by saying a whiny "ye" whenever he ask a question.  Every time I do it he tells me "you're just like the Koreans".  I think I would make a great Korean ajuma when I get older,

they are the most vicious people in Korea, they will yell at you, hit you, and push you out of the way.  I love them :)  because they have always been really nice to me...granted I did get full on shoved once by a ajuma in a hurry.

So this past weekend I had dinner with my co-workers and a few parents.  I have to say Koreans love to drink, especially soju.  I declined any offer of soju by keeping a full glass of beer.  I was offered strange food by two of my students fathers, one was a fish that smelled of ammonia and another was live squid/octopus.  I didn't really care for either but if I had to choose I would go for the live squid.  A few of my co-workers got a bit plastered and then made their way to norebang  (Korean karaoke) I declined and made my way to Seoul.

During my weekend in Seoul I did some shopping and ate way too much fried food.  Saturday I made my way to Itaewon...the bf had to work so I went with a few friends, which was great because I was also going to buy his Christmas present.  First we went to an Irish pub called the Wolfhound, I had fish and chips, apple crumble and a black and tan.  The fish and chips was ok, the black and tan was terrible but the apple crumble was amazing...not quite the apple crumble I had in Cyprus with custard but it was pretty close.

After that I went on a search for the bf's Christmas present, which I will write about after Christmas because I'm not sure if he reads this or not.  Anyway, the search turned up nothing so we made our way to Insadong, it's the best place to go to buy cultural Korean things.  I was thinking of getting something to send home, but I think I'll wait until I go home after my year here...btw I am planning to stay another year :)

After Insadong and successfully finding a gift for the bf we made our was to Dongdemun, which is a big shopping area.  We were on the quest for a elusive street food that was a hot dog covered with french fires on a stick.  Korea is known for their street food, it is good stuff.

After partaking in fried street food I made my way to the bf's to hang out but he ended up working late.  So we just hung out and smoked the hookah...which is a major plus for me because neither of us actually smoke but for the past few weekends we have sat on the floor of his apartment eating fruit and smoking the hookah..which I prefer to going out and paying crazy amounts of money.  He informed me that we have been dating for 54 days, which I didn't know...we constantly joke that the roles are reversed in our relationship because I didn't remember the date for the day we met but he did and he talks more than me.

For some reason in South Korea it doesn't feel like Christmas, maybe the lack of Christmas decorations everywhere has me thinking Christmas is weeks away.  Last Christmas I was in Venice so it's very strange to be in Seoul this Christmas, but it makes me excited when I wonder where I will spend next Christmas.  

2 months in the "land of morning calm"

Today(Dec 13) is my 2 month anniversary of being in South Korea. So much has happening during my time here including a new beau, new friends, weekends adventures in Seoul, and lots of other randomness.

I found out I will be teaching 3 weeks to winter English camp, so it's 3 classes a day.  I'm not really looking forward to it because I usally teach the students 2 days a week.  But for winter camp I will be teaching combined classes 1&2, 3&4, and 5&6...I'm looking forward to 5&6 but 1st and 2nd together is going to be very difficult.  In other school news I found out 4 of the 7 teachers will be leaving.  I'm a little disappointed because I really like them but the two that I get along with the most will be staying, granted they are being forced to stay.

In bf news, I spent the weekend with him watching movies and pretty much doing nothing.

  I really like him and enjoy spending time with him but I'm trying my best to explain to him that I would like to spend one day with just my friends in Seoul.  Guys are a lot different from girls when it comes to hanging out, I'm not sure if guys ever feel like the third wheel but I know girls do.  I'm finding it hard to balance bf and girl friends when I've always been with my female friends for the pass 6 years.  But it is interesting discussing the differences in culture, he tries to teach me Farsi but I can't get the guttural sound to save my life.  It took me a long time to learn how to roll my r's in Spanish.  So I know it will take me ages to get the guttural sound used in Farsi right. Now I'm trying to learn Farsi and Korean, I'm doing much better on my Korean because it's becoming very natural, especially to use a whiny "neh" or "ye" or "yo" when someone ask a question.

In other news I'm in the process of planning a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and  Thailand for my winter break, I'm a little disappointed I won't be going with the bf, but the girl I'm going with is lots of fun.  I'm very excited about the trip.  I'm also hoping to squeeze in a weekend in Japan.  I'll keep everyone updated on the upcoming trip. 

The week before last I went to an art show at Seoul Arts Center, it was my second trip, but at 2,000 won (about $1.50) I couldn't pass up a chance to go again.  So are a few of my favorites from the show:

I'm still alive...

It's been a while since I last posted, so much has happened.  The neglect is due to lack of sleep and time.  I spend my week at school and my weekends balancing friends and a bf (yes, me and P are dating)...the balancing act is going horribly.  I want to spend time with him but I'm also just making friends, so I end up canceling on someone a few times a week.  Today was his turn and he is not happy about.  I honestly don't mean any harm when I cancel on people, sometimes I'm just to tired to be bothered.

Anyway, on to things that have been happening...

I spent Thanksgiving with English teachers in my area, we had Chinese/Korean food.  Overall, it was a good time and good food. 

  

After that, I was suppose to go to the bf's soccer match on Sunday.  But I canceled due to some time changing on his part.  Instead I went to the old prison and the Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was closed by the time we got there.  While at the palace I had dumplings at the cafe, they were amazing.  After that I took the hour long bus ride back to Ildong to catch up on some rest, but spent the night explaining why I canceled and they I would attend his game on Sunday...which he didn't believe.

On Sunday I made the trip with a new teacher in the area, she also lives in Georgia.  We came to Seoul to open an account to transfer money home.  After a long bus ride, subway ride, and a walk in the rain and cold, we discovered the bank wasn't the right one, it was only a cash point.  I was suppose to introduce her to Itaewon but canceled (I common theme for me in Korea) because I needed to go to a soccer match.  So I meet the bf for lunch, after walking about a bit I pointed out a chain restaurant called "Paris Croissant" the food was ok,but the mini sandwiches I got had strange cheese on them so he ended up eating the rest of them.  Then we got on a bus to go his soccer match, which a few minutes into the bus ride turned out to be the wrong bus.  So we got off a few minutes later and decided to catch the right bus, but his friends happened to drive by and pick us up.  The game was cold and it was raining.  But I enjoyed it because there was another girl there who was funny and I enjoyed talking to her.  They ended up losing 3-2.

After that we went to Starbucks, which he's never been to.  Talked for a while and then went to see 2012, which was bad.  He fell asleep in the beginning and then I fell asleep near the end.

From Monday to Wednesday I've been attending an orientation in Anseong.  It was nothing more then a event for Westerns to come together and drink large amounts of alcohol. 

 

 So I made it back to Seoul today I went to KEB to finally open the account and it took forever to find the bank. I ended up canceling on the bf again today, so he's mad again...he let me know via facebook, which I think I'll have to address because I think it's a private matter than shouldn't be plastered all over facebook.  I don't have any excuse for canceling on him except that I really wanted to get home and I wasn't going to spend much time with him.  So instead of sleeping tonight I'm pretty sure it will be another long conversation about why I canceled.  Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the hassle, because it's so early on in my trip and I'm still making friends, so to balance a bf, teaching and friends is more stressful than I wanted my time in South Korea to be.