Good Evening!
My midterms are finally done! Wednesday (today) to Friday are the general class midterms and no classes are scheduled for those days, so I have an extra long weekend!
This past weekend, I have been studying inside. Nothing too exciting. However, for this long weekend, Jarenn (a FISH scholar) and I will be going to Thailand! We are very excited! We went to the Noryangjin fish market today, along with some other friends, to discuss the trip. At the fish market, we bought 10 baby octopuses and a large king crab.
It was everyone's first time eating live octopus! They sure liked it! It was chewy, but tasty! The king crab was cooked and served to us whole, so we cut it up and dug in. It was so delicious! What a mess we made! Well, I like to think that if it isn't messy, it wouldn't be as fun or tasty. After the fish market, we went to eat a frozen yogurt waffle. It was amazing! Frozen yogurt was put in between a folded fresh waffle. I'll definitely have to go back.
Tomorrow morning, Jarenn and I will be waking up early to catch out flight over to Thailand. We can't wait!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Good Morning Seoul!
Midterms are coming up! I have been staying indoors lately because of all the studying. The temperature has also been dramatically dropping! It's about 60 degrees here throughout the day, and even colder at night! Yikes, I am not prepared for the winter!
Last Saturday was the International Fireworks Festival. My friends and I wanted to watch it, but was told that the park was going to be very crowded. Therefore, we went to the Banpo Bridge instead, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fireworks and also see the water fountain show. We were lucky enough to see the fountain come on and shoot out water from the bridge with lights coloring the water! The lights and the water jets changed and danced to the music that were accompanying the water show. The music played from under the bridge so that all could hear. It was an amazing site! We also could see the most of the fireworks, but they were small because we were far away.
Sunday, and this upcoming weekend will consist of a lot of studying! Jarenn (a FISH Scholar) and I have been planning a trip to Thailand! So far on our itinerary, we are planning on riding elephants, feeding tigers, seeing palaces and temples, and going through a floating market. I am very excited for the trip! We will be going after midterms, of course. =]
Have a good weekend everyone!
Midterms are coming up! I have been staying indoors lately because of all the studying. The temperature has also been dramatically dropping! It's about 60 degrees here throughout the day, and even colder at night! Yikes, I am not prepared for the winter!
Last Saturday was the International Fireworks Festival. My friends and I wanted to watch it, but was told that the park was going to be very crowded. Therefore, we went to the Banpo Bridge instead, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fireworks and also see the water fountain show. We were lucky enough to see the fountain come on and shoot out water from the bridge with lights coloring the water! The lights and the water jets changed and danced to the music that were accompanying the water show. The music played from under the bridge so that all could hear. It was an amazing site! We also could see the most of the fireworks, but they were small because we were far away.
Sunday, and this upcoming weekend will consist of a lot of studying! Jarenn (a FISH Scholar) and I have been planning a trip to Thailand! So far on our itinerary, we are planning on riding elephants, feeding tigers, seeing palaces and temples, and going through a floating market. I am very excited for the trip! We will be going after midterms, of course. =]
Have a good weekend everyone!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Gangnam Style!
Last night, I went to a free PSY concert! There were at least 50,00 people there to get a glimpse of him performing. The performance was at 10pm, and my friends and I went around 8pm. It was already PACKED! He seemed very humble and did a lot of bowing to the crowd. He performed his hit song "Gangnam Style" twice! The second time (which he sang as the last song), he took off his shirt! The crowd went crazy.
My mom and aunty came to visit me last week! They came in last Thursday night and left yesterday morning. Since it was the Chuseok Holiday (Korean Thanksgiving), I had a lot of time off to spend with them. I took them to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jogyesa Temple, Seoul's largest Buddhist temple, and we did A LOT of shopping! We shopped at Insadong and Namdaemun, which are placed to buy souvenirs (and anything you can possibly think of), and we also went to Myeongdong and Dongdaemun (more shopping districts). I had a chance to show them around my school and they got to see my dorm.
They also brought me many goodies from back home in Hawaii, such as li hing sour apples and dried mangoes! I've been having cravings for tastes of home! I hope they had a great time with me and will return again!
Last night, I went to a free PSY concert! There were at least 50,00 people there to get a glimpse of him performing. The performance was at 10pm, and my friends and I went around 8pm. It was already PACKED! He seemed very humble and did a lot of bowing to the crowd. He performed his hit song "Gangnam Style" twice! The second time (which he sang as the last song), he took off his shirt! The crowd went crazy.
My mom and aunty came to visit me last week! They came in last Thursday night and left yesterday morning. Since it was the Chuseok Holiday (Korean Thanksgiving), I had a lot of time off to spend with them. I took them to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jogyesa Temple, Seoul's largest Buddhist temple, and we did A LOT of shopping! We shopped at Insadong and Namdaemun, which are placed to buy souvenirs (and anything you can possibly think of), and we also went to Myeongdong and Dongdaemun (more shopping districts). I had a chance to show them around my school and they got to see my dorm.
They also brought me many goodies from back home in Hawaii, such as li hing sour apples and dried mangoes! I've been having cravings for tastes of home! I hope they had a great time with me and will return again!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Good evening!
School has been catching up to me and making me more and more busy! Regardless, I still try to get out on the weekends and explore new things.
Last Sunday, where I left you, I was on my way to a hike. We went up Mt Inwagsan, known as the mystical mountain. At the bottom was a temple, and on the way up, there were little shrines. It was amazing to see the rocks balancing on the edge of the mountain! At the very top was a beautiful view of Seoul. It looked as if the city went on for miles. We could also see the Blue House, which is equivalent to the U.S. White House. There were two guards up there to make sure no one took a picture in the direction of the Blue House. Imagine hiking up a mountain to go to work! We made it back before the storm hit. It came on Friday night but didn't affect us too badly!
This past Friday, we hiked up Mt Hwagaesa, the tallest mountain, which leads to Bukhansan National Park (on the top of the mountain). We did not go ALL the way to the top (that required mountain climbing gear!) We did get very high up to the point where the air was thinning! There wasn't much of a view because of all the trees. On the way down, we managed to stumble across a flowing lake and mini waterfall! It was a such a pretty sight.
On Saturday, our Ewha PEACE buddies took the international students on a farm experience! The bus ride took 2 hours! When we finally arrived, we were broken up into 4 groups. Our group started off making rubber band guns out of chopsticks, zipties, and of course, rubber bands. The next station was pounding dok, or mochi (a ricecake). We all got a chance to pound the rice to make it sticky. When it was ready, it was rolled in soy powder, cut, and served to us. It was delicious! The third station was digging for sweet potato. Our group dug up buckets full of sweet potato. It was just like digging for gold, and was a lot of fun. The final station was cooking potato pancakes. We were well fed that day!
On Sunday was another hike! This one was to Mt Yongmasan. At the bottom was supposed to be the largest man-made waterfall in Asia! However, it was off that day =[ Anyway, the mountain wasn't as high as the others, but it was sure hot! We had a nice view of the river and downtown Seoul. At the top, there was an old man selling icecream! He must be in really good shape to hike everyday and carry icecream! We continued on to Mt Achasan, which was the next mountain over. There wasn't too much a view at this peak, however, there were LOTS of people picnicing and drinking soju! They even set up tables to place their food on. Amazing!
What gets me is that half way up the mountain (or sometimes at the top), there are workout stations! The workout stations are fully equipped with weights and even hula hoops. The equipment is all well maintained and there are lots of people using them! Even the old ladies here are in great shape! As my friends and I are huffing and puffing up the mountain, the old ladies are passing by us as if we are slow! Ha!
This upcoming weekend is Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). We wet next Monday and Wednesday off. My mom and aunty are coming in tomorrow (Thursday night) to visit! I am very excited to see them! I have let them decide what they want to do, and it is my job to plan it and take them there! We will see what this weekend has in store =]
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Aloha!
Another week has past, and there is going to be another typhoon on the way! It has just hit Okinawa and is now heading for Korea! Uhoh,.
I have done lots of exploring on these past two weekends! Last Saturday, I went to Lotte World with Jarenn Nagaishi-Choi (a FISH scholar) and Erin Fukumoto (another Freeman scholar!). Lotte World was a part indoor and part outdoor amusement park. It was fairly decent sized, with lots of rides and attractions. At 7 p.m., there was a parade with fireworks going off in the indoor section of the park! Amazing!
Last Sunday, a few people from my dorm and I made our way up to the Seoul Tower. it as approximately 800 stairs going up! What a hike! It all paid off in the end, when we were able to see out from the top of the tower and the "Locks of Love." The "Locks of Love" is where couples write messages to each other, and lock it up on the fence at the bottom of Seoul Tower.
After making it to the top, we decided to visit the National War Memorial and the National Museum of Korea. The National War Museum was where they honored the fallen and talked about all the wars throughout Korea's history. It was a great site to see, and a great place to learn about the history of Korea.
At the National Museum of Korea, we looked at artifacts and Buddhist statues. The museum was very big and well kept.
This past Friday, I visited the Hangok Village, an old village that was kept in tact to depict how traditional Koreans used to live. I went to a traditional medicine doctor, where they took my pulse and gave me some medicine. It was quite the experience!
Yesterday, my friend and I went hiking on the mountain that is located right behind our school. At the top was a wonderful lookout area, where you could see most of Seoul. Then we went to a baseball game! The energy was very high and fans were chanting a cheering! Those are the best kind of games to go to!
Today, I will be going on another hike, and I will hopefully be back home fast enough to beat the storm!!
I'll keep you updated!
Another week has past, and there is going to be another typhoon on the way! It has just hit Okinawa and is now heading for Korea! Uhoh,.
I have done lots of exploring on these past two weekends! Last Saturday, I went to Lotte World with Jarenn Nagaishi-Choi (a FISH scholar) and Erin Fukumoto (another Freeman scholar!). Lotte World was a part indoor and part outdoor amusement park. It was fairly decent sized, with lots of rides and attractions. At 7 p.m., there was a parade with fireworks going off in the indoor section of the park! Amazing!
Last Sunday, a few people from my dorm and I made our way up to the Seoul Tower. it as approximately 800 stairs going up! What a hike! It all paid off in the end, when we were able to see out from the top of the tower and the "Locks of Love." The "Locks of Love" is where couples write messages to each other, and lock it up on the fence at the bottom of Seoul Tower.
After making it to the top, we decided to visit the National War Memorial and the National Museum of Korea. The National War Museum was where they honored the fallen and talked about all the wars throughout Korea's history. It was a great site to see, and a great place to learn about the history of Korea.
At the National Museum of Korea, we looked at artifacts and Buddhist statues. The museum was very big and well kept.
This past Friday, I visited the Hangok Village, an old village that was kept in tact to depict how traditional Koreans used to live. I went to a traditional medicine doctor, where they took my pulse and gave me some medicine. It was quite the experience!
Yesterday, my friend and I went hiking on the mountain that is located right behind our school. At the top was a wonderful lookout area, where you could see most of Seoul. Then we went to a baseball game! The energy was very high and fans were chanting a cheering! Those are the best kind of games to go to!
Today, I will be going on another hike, and I will hopefully be back home fast enough to beat the storm!!
I'll keep you updated!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Good morning from Seoul!
We had an orientation last Thursday, and our peace buddies walked us around the campus and it was POURING rain! Not to mention, our campus is on a hill, so all the water was gushing down the roads. It was a great way to meet a lot of international students, along with local Korean students!
My first week of classes are finally complete, and i was fortunate enough to get into all of te classes that I tried for! There has been a few problems with the other international students in regards to registration. I am taking financial management, strategic management, managerial accounting, and macroeconomics. All these classes seem tough, but I should be able to keep up! Some of the professors are really enthusiastic about teaching us, which makes the class fun!
As for sightseeing, I took a tour of the Gyeongbokgung palace on Sunday, and saw beautiful structures, and learned about the King's daily tasks and events that were held in the palace. I also went to Insadong, where there was a large flea market and was full of tourists! It was a lot of fun to see the local gifts and treasures that vendors have offered.
This weekend, I am going to try find another temple or palace, see the World Cup Stadium, and possibly the Olympic Stadium, although it is a little far away. Hopefully I won't get too lost!
We had an orientation last Thursday, and our peace buddies walked us around the campus and it was POURING rain! Not to mention, our campus is on a hill, so all the water was gushing down the roads. It was a great way to meet a lot of international students, along with local Korean students!
My first week of classes are finally complete, and i was fortunate enough to get into all of te classes that I tried for! There has been a few problems with the other international students in regards to registration. I am taking financial management, strategic management, managerial accounting, and macroeconomics. All these classes seem tough, but I should be able to keep up! Some of the professors are really enthusiastic about teaching us, which makes the class fun!
As for sightseeing, I took a tour of the Gyeongbokgung palace on Sunday, and saw beautiful structures, and learned about the King's daily tasks and events that were held in the palace. I also went to Insadong, where there was a large flea market and was full of tourists! It was a lot of fun to see the local gifts and treasures that vendors have offered.
This weekend, I am going to try find another temple or palace, see the World Cup Stadium, and possibly the Olympic Stadium, although it is a little far away. Hopefully I won't get too lost!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Hello from Seoul!
I have finally arrived in Seoul on Monday night. Someone from the university came to get me from the airport and took me to my dorm. Boy is it hot and humid here! Unfortunately, the next day, Tuesday, there was a typhoon coming, so we were told to stay in our dorms. The wind was strong and there was lots of rain, but it was bearable.
Today, we had a Korean language placement test, so that we may take a Korean course here. Later, I met up with the FISH scholars, Jarenn and Huy, from Yonsei, and we ate lunch and walked and shopped around the our schools.
Tomorrow is the international student orientation, where all international students will finally get to be in one place and meet each other. I a really looking forward to that so that I can make more friends! I'll let you know how that goes!
I have finally arrived in Seoul on Monday night. Someone from the university came to get me from the airport and took me to my dorm. Boy is it hot and humid here! Unfortunately, the next day, Tuesday, there was a typhoon coming, so we were told to stay in our dorms. The wind was strong and there was lots of rain, but it was bearable.
Today, we had a Korean language placement test, so that we may take a Korean course here. Later, I met up with the FISH scholars, Jarenn and Huy, from Yonsei, and we ate lunch and walked and shopped around the our schools.
Tomorrow is the international student orientation, where all international students will finally get to be in one place and meet each other. I a really looking forward to that so that I can make more friends! I'll let you know how that goes!
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