Now as most spring semester exchange students from Yonsei have mostly filtered out of Seoul and back to their hometowns, Korea has definitely changed and become more of a place where I have to start my life. As a college grad (woot!), "real life" comes a-callin' and I feel a lot of the pressure of having to begin padding my resume and getting some work experience. On top of that I have the dilemma of choosing between adding some substantial experience to my resume (unpaid/low pay internship) or teach English and make some bank (but does help me much with my work experience). I'm leaning towards the internship but if that doesn't work out, any American can fall back on teaching English and live fairly comfortably out here.
On a happier note, my sis came to pay me a visit a couple weeks ago. We had come to Korea before in 2006 to do all the touristy stuff around Seoul and the rest of Korea so this time was more about doing whatever we wanted to do in Seoul. More about showing her what my life has been like the past 5 months. I introduced her to some of my friends that were still left over from spring semester as well as some of the native Koreans I met from my days back in the Cruz. My sister being a girl, we did an unprecedented amount of shopping (window-shopping for me) and carrying her bags around. We also met up with a lot of family that we weren't able to see in 2006 and even met new relatives. All in all, we had a great time and it was good seeing her again.
Gonna hit the sack so wish me luck in the job hunt (as I am sure many of us recent college grads badly need) and I will talk to you guys soon!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
With a bitter end comes a bright new...
As the semester at Yonsei University has come to a close and people are slowly making their ways back home, I am forced to let loose these bonds that I have created with these great people over the last 4 months. Although, I still love it Seoul it will not be the same without these people here by my side. Most of us got here in February not knowing anything about this place. We all went thru the same feeling out process and by the end I can safely say that everyone enjoyed an experience in their life that they will never forget. Hope all you guys go back home safely and I hope our paths cross and some point in the future.
Along with the end of the semester, comes a new chapter in life for me. No longer is there a set progression of events in life. No longer a red line on a map telling me where to go. The coming months and years of my life will truly show what I have learned over the past 22 years of my life. I am sad and nostalgic about the great times I have enjoyed while attending school whether it be college or high school but it is time to move on. I will be the first to admit it that it is indeed scary not knowing what the future will bring especially in a foreign country such as Korea but I am excited at the same time. So much I want to accomplish yet not knowing exactly which in which direction to start. So much to come, so little known, so exciting... let's get started!
(for starters, Thailand tomorrow for a week!)
Along with the end of the semester, comes a new chapter in life for me. No longer is there a set progression of events in life. No longer a red line on a map telling me where to go. The coming months and years of my life will truly show what I have learned over the past 22 years of my life. I am sad and nostalgic about the great times I have enjoyed while attending school whether it be college or high school but it is time to move on. I will be the first to admit it that it is indeed scary not knowing what the future will bring especially in a foreign country such as Korea but I am excited at the same time. So much I want to accomplish yet not knowing exactly which in which direction to start. So much to come, so little known, so exciting... let's get started!
(for starters, Thailand tomorrow for a week!)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
AKARAKA!
So it's the day after Akaraka and of course it's raining yet again in Seoul. My friend, Daehan, who used to live in the room next to mine, came up to Seoul from Daejun, a city a couple hours south. My sister also made a short pit stop in Seoul for a night one her way to Incheon airport to go to Guam. So my sister and I met up with Daehan Thursday night to enjoy the pre-Akaraka festivities that had been going on the past couple days. These festivities basically include clubs setting up tents where they make food and have people sit and drink. I had definitely never seen anything like it before. Just a long line of tents along the main road on the Yonsei campus with people just talking and drinking the night away with friends. My sister and I got to meet some of Daehan's friends who were all Economics majors.
In Korean universities, most college students are friends through special interest clubs (called dong-ah-ree/동아리) or by major which is in many ways another type of club. So we sat down and enjoyed some Korean style pancakes and drank some soju and makuli (I think it's a Korean rice wine). The festivities were wrapping up and people began to clean around 2am, we called it a night.
The next day was Akaraka! Akaraka is a very renowned concert in Korea organized by Yonsei University. It also takes place on campus and it is an event where the school invites some the country's biggest names in the K-pop music world and also is an opportunity to promote school spirit through school cheers. I went to 1 class in the morning on Friday and then met up with Daehan again to get some lunch and then go to Akaraka. When I first walked in I was amazed by the sea of blue (Yonsei's school color) and the amount of pride these Yonsei students have in their school.
It was really something to be a part of and special because back at home our school doesn't really put on many events like this where school spirit/pride is really promoted. The single thing that really surprised me the most was how EVERY single student knew all the Yonsei school cheers along with all the dance steps/hand motions to all the songs. Many of the cheers involve students putting an arm around the person next to them (whether you know them or not) and dancing that way. As cheers were going on I would find myself staring into the sea of blue and watching the whole crowd move in unison a certain way/direction after a certain word in a song. It reminded me of when you watch the Discovery channel and see a giant school of fish moving through ocean in unison. As for the concert I had heard of a couple of the groups that were performing (Kara, Super Junior) and it was entertaining to watch them perform some the songs that I hear on repeat walking through the streets of Seoul. I mentioned Super Junior in my last blog about the "Sorry Sorry" song being one of the most popular in Korea. All in all it was an awesome experience to see that even in the rainy conditions, thousands of Yonsei students came out to enjoy some musical performances and just have a good time among fellow university friends.
In Korean universities, most college students are friends through special interest clubs (called dong-ah-ree/동아리) or by major which is in many ways another type of club. So we sat down and enjoyed some Korean style pancakes and drank some soju and makuli (I think it's a Korean rice wine). The festivities were wrapping up and people began to clean around 2am, we called it a night.
The next day was Akaraka! Akaraka is a very renowned concert in Korea organized by Yonsei University. It also takes place on campus and it is an event where the school invites some the country's biggest names in the K-pop music world and also is an opportunity to promote school spirit through school cheers. I went to 1 class in the morning on Friday and then met up with Daehan again to get some lunch and then go to Akaraka. When I first walked in I was amazed by the sea of blue (Yonsei's school color) and the amount of pride these Yonsei students have in their school.
It was really something to be a part of and special because back at home our school doesn't really put on many events like this where school spirit/pride is really promoted. The single thing that really surprised me the most was how EVERY single student knew all the Yonsei school cheers along with all the dance steps/hand motions to all the songs. Many of the cheers involve students putting an arm around the person next to them (whether you know them or not) and dancing that way. As cheers were going on I would find myself staring into the sea of blue and watching the whole crowd move in unison a certain way/direction after a certain word in a song. It reminded me of when you watch the Discovery channel and see a giant school of fish moving through ocean in unison. As for the concert I had heard of a couple of the groups that were performing (Kara, Super Junior) and it was entertaining to watch them perform some the songs that I hear on repeat walking through the streets of Seoul. I mentioned Super Junior in my last blog about the "Sorry Sorry" song being one of the most popular in Korea. All in all it was an awesome experience to see that even in the rainy conditions, thousands of Yonsei students came out to enjoy some musical performances and just have a good time among fellow university friends.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"'Gainst my window, I cant stand the Rain!"
Just when you think the weather might be getting better, Seoul slaps you in the face with some rain for a few days. Today is no different. After a few days of temperatures in the 60s, we get a dark and dreary day with rain coming down all day. It's all good though, in a couple hours I'll be heading out to Gimpo Airport to pick my sister up. She'll be chillin in Seoul with me and other relatives for about a week. It conveniently worked out that the room right next door to mine is vacant so the 하숙집 lady said it'd be alright for her to stay there for a week. So I'll be showing her what I've been up to the past few months, if anyone has any pointers for what's a can't-miss for a visitor while in Seoul, hit me up!
(here's the view outside of my place on this rainy Saturday)
Among other things, there's also AKARAKA coming up! Akaraka is a yearly held concert organized by Yonsei University for the students to attend. The event attracts the biggest names on the Korean music scene, so all those songs I've been hearing in restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, etc. will most likely be performed on that day. It's a fun event where all the students wear blue t-shirts and all the students raucously chant Yonsei's various school anthems. The concert is only 1 day but the festivities last for 2 or 3 days. I'm not positive but I think it's in about 2 weeks, so I'll definitely be looking forward to posting after that!
For those of you interested in keeping up with the hilariously poppy and ever changing handful of songs that the entire city of Seoul has on repeat, here's a couple...
Sorry, Sorry - Super Junior (about half of Seoul is trying to perfect this dance)
Lollipop - Big Bang (the most popular group right now)
(here's the view outside of my place on this rainy Saturday)
Among other things, there's also AKARAKA coming up! Akaraka is a yearly held concert organized by Yonsei University for the students to attend. The event attracts the biggest names on the Korean music scene, so all those songs I've been hearing in restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, etc. will most likely be performed on that day. It's a fun event where all the students wear blue t-shirts and all the students raucously chant Yonsei's various school anthems. The concert is only 1 day but the festivities last for 2 or 3 days. I'm not positive but I think it's in about 2 weeks, so I'll definitely be looking forward to posting after that!
For those of you interested in keeping up with the hilariously poppy and ever changing handful of songs that the entire city of Seoul has on repeat, here's a couple...
Sorry, Sorry - Super Junior (about half of Seoul is trying to perfect this dance)
Lollipop - Big Bang (the most popular group right now)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Ahhh... YES
After a long week that seemed like it was never gonna end, it has FINALLY ended. After 4 midterms and an essay, my hell week of midterms and assignments is over. Now, as you might have guessed, it's time to party... Korea style. Although maybe you could say my celebration started yesterday because some of my friends and I went to a Mexican restaurant called "On the Border" which served all you can eat Mexican food and all you can drink MARGARITAS! We had 2 hours to get filthy. Since we had an allotted time between 7-9pm, we were trying to go as quickly as possible. I got pretty crunk and by 2am, a hangover had already set in due to the extreme sugar intake from the margaritas. I could barely go to bed cuz my head hurt so bad.
Anyway, tonight I'm getting dinner with a friend and we'll see where that leads us afterward. Bar, club... maybe the usual Friday/Saturday night? Tomorrow morning, the UC program organized a trip for us to go to the DMZ, the heavily guarded boundary between North and South Korea. Sounds like a pretty cool trip, but I just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow as it has the past couple days. Anyway, just thought I'd give the blog a lil' update. Now that I'll have more free time, I'll try and update more often!
Peace,
ChrisP
Anyway, tonight I'm getting dinner with a friend and we'll see where that leads us afterward. Bar, club... maybe the usual Friday/Saturday night? Tomorrow morning, the UC program organized a trip for us to go to the DMZ, the heavily guarded boundary between North and South Korea. Sounds like a pretty cool trip, but I just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow as it has the past couple days. Anyway, just thought I'd give the blog a lil' update. Now that I'll have more free time, I'll try and update more often!
Peace,
ChrisP
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
31 Ways You Know You're An American in Seoul
In order to commemorate the Korean drinking game known as Baskin Robbins, here are 31 ways you know you are an American when in Seoul
1. If you hold doors open for people in public places (i.e. shopping centers, restaurants)
2. If you are female and do not carry around a giant Louis Vuitton tote bag around campus
3. If you are female and attend class without wearing high heels
4. If you don't include ^^ or ㅋㅋㅋ in a text message
5. If you expect liquid soap in public restrooms instead of bar soap
6. If you say "excuse me" or "sorry" when trying to get through a crowd of people
7. If you pour your own shot
8. If not sure whether to tip after every type of service (i.e. dining, haircuts, taxis)
9. If you use Google instead of Naver
10. If you are stunned/repulsed by a squatting toilet
11. If you dislike the smell, taste, and/or sight of kimchi
12. If you don't know the words to "Gee"
13. If you don't have a dangling thing-a-ma-jig hanging off your cell phone
14. If you have whip out your cell phone to make metric conversions
15. If you do not throw up a peace sign when posing for a picture
case in point (L to R): Korean, Korean, American, Korean
16. If you dislike sharing the same soup with a group of people
17. If you are not a professional at using chopsticks
18. If less than 99% of the pictures on your digital camera are of you posing by yourself
19. If you just glance at a reflection of yourself rather than staring at it to check if everything is perfect to the smallest hair
20. If you think every beverage in Korean vending machines are too small to quench your thirst
21. If you are a male and have a pants waist size larger than 30 inches
22. If you grab a soju bottle and drink straight out of it
23. If you show you show teeth while posing for a picture
24. If you are a male and smile in any sort of identification card picture (i.e. school ID, driver's license)
25. If you are a female and you don't cover your mouth when you laugh
26. If you are a female and walk in public with another female without locking arms
27. If you have the urge to say "you're welcome" when someone says "thank you" but don't know how to say it in Korean
28. If your stay at a restaurant is longer than 30 minutes
29. If you feel the need to sleep in a bed larger than a twin size
30. If you do not drink coffee after every meal
31. If you cannot sit in the cross-legged position for longer than 10 minutes
Until next time,
ChrisP
1. If you hold doors open for people in public places (i.e. shopping centers, restaurants)
2. If you are female and do not carry around a giant Louis Vuitton tote bag around campus
3. If you are female and attend class without wearing high heels
4. If you don't include ^^ or ㅋㅋㅋ in a text message
5. If you expect liquid soap in public restrooms instead of bar soap
6. If you say "excuse me" or "sorry" when trying to get through a crowd of people
7. If you pour your own shot
8. If not sure whether to tip after every type of service (i.e. dining, haircuts, taxis)
9. If you use Google instead of Naver
10. If you are stunned/repulsed by a squatting toilet
11. If you dislike the smell, taste, and/or sight of kimchi
12. If you don't know the words to "Gee"
13. If you don't have a dangling thing-a-ma-jig hanging off your cell phone
14. If you have whip out your cell phone to make metric conversions
15. If you do not throw up a peace sign when posing for a picture
case in point (L to R): Korean, Korean, American, Korean
16. If you dislike sharing the same soup with a group of people
17. If you are not a professional at using chopsticks
18. If less than 99% of the pictures on your digital camera are of you posing by yourself
19. If you just glance at a reflection of yourself rather than staring at it to check if everything is perfect to the smallest hair
20. If you think every beverage in Korean vending machines are too small to quench your thirst
21. If you are a male and have a pants waist size larger than 30 inches
22. If you grab a soju bottle and drink straight out of it
23. If you show you show teeth while posing for a picture
24. If you are a male and smile in any sort of identification card picture (i.e. school ID, driver's license)
25. If you are a female and you don't cover your mouth when you laugh
26. If you are a female and walk in public with another female without locking arms
27. If you have the urge to say "you're welcome" when someone says "thank you" but don't know how to say it in Korean
28. If your stay at a restaurant is longer than 30 minutes
29. If you feel the need to sleep in a bed larger than a twin size
30. If you do not drink coffee after every meal
31. If you cannot sit in the cross-legged position for longer than 10 minutes
Until next time,
ChrisP
Monday, March 30, 2009
I did a lot of things...
I haven't posted in a while so I don't even remember where I left off last time... OK, I got it. Since the last time I posted, I along with about 30 others from the UC EAP program went to Jejudo (a small resort island off the southern tip of Korea), Mina & Soohyun are no longer single (no more clubbing with you guys), Chris Greer (the homie from the Cruz) came to pay a visit for a week, went on an MT (membership training- will be explained later) trip which included a tour of the Hite beer factory, gave the nightclub life a try with Greer and Jong, and classes are well underway. About a couple weeks ago the UC EAP took care of all flight and hotel costs and paid our way to Jejudo. Although the weather wasn't as warm as I would have liked it to be, it was nevertheless a great trip. Jeju is known for many things but among others, their oranges and heuk-dehji (literal translation: dirt pig). Now I tried both but the latter definitely has a better story to it... They call it "dirt pig" because apparently they feed this pig HUMAN SHIT and it supposedly makes the meat more tender. So naturally what better to eat as our first meal in Jeju then some soju and human-shit fed, grilled pork?? When in Korea, right?... To be quite honest, it was really good.
The next day in Jeju was full of random activities like horseback riding, ATVing (awesome), and visiting some random tourist spots on the island. The day ended with a huge Korean-style sashimi dinner with the entire program. Once we all made it back to the hotel about half of us went to the downstairs hotel bar to get our drank on and naturally we found our way to the nohre bang (karaoke room) to sing our hearts out. As short as the trip was, I was really happy our program organized a trip like this so that we would have a chance to bond with the people from the UC system. If it weren't for this trip, I probably would've never meet most of the UC kids.
Right when we landed in Seoul at the Gimpo Airport, I had to zoom to Sinchon to meet up with the one and only Chris Greer who had landed a couple hours prior and had been waiting with his bags in front of the McDonalds by one of the busiest subway stops. Greer's week in Seoul was quite a blur involving large amounts of soju, beer, and fun. One Friday, Jong introduced me and Greer to the nightclub life. I had heard stories about this whole nightclub and booking thing but I wanted to see what it was all about. So when we walk in, the waiters usher us into a private room where drinks and beers are laid out on our table. The club assigns a waiter to our room and his job is to basically go outside to the dance floor area and drag girls into our rooms based on their looks. The waiters literally grab girls by the arm and put them in a room that the waiter thinks would be a good match. Quite awkward to see girls being treated like that but then again, they did voluntarily come to the club. It was pretty difficult for me to converse with these girls so you can imagine what it was like for Greer who knows about a handful of phrases/words in Korean. It was quite the odd experience full of awkward moments and confusion on what to do/say at certain points. Nevertheless it was fun but not an experience I am looking to replicate.
The IYC (International Yonsei Club) MT (Membership Training) was the next day. An MT is a fun trip that every university club organizes. It almost always involves the club renting a hotel or large space and giving club members an opportunity to meet each and have fun together (drink a lot). The day started with a bus ride to the Hite Beer factory. After being forced to endure a series of Hite commercials in a theatre and a tour of the factory, our group was allowed to drink an unlimited amount of beer for 20 minutes.
After chugging down some beer for 20 minutes, we stumbled our way back to the bus to get to the hotel located in the middle of nowhere. The drinking resumed this time with soju included. Our group of about 90-100 people split up into smaller groups to play some Korean drinking games which involve either an element or combination of rhythm, counting, or asking questions which progressively get harder through the night as you drink more. Drinking continued on through the night with a slight interuption by a bonfire that included some Yonsei school pride chants. After the chanting festivities, hip hop from the States started playing from speakers and everyone danced, sang and had a great time.
The next day in Jeju was full of random activities like horseback riding, ATVing (awesome), and visiting some random tourist spots on the island. The day ended with a huge Korean-style sashimi dinner with the entire program. Once we all made it back to the hotel about half of us went to the downstairs hotel bar to get our drank on and naturally we found our way to the nohre bang (karaoke room) to sing our hearts out. As short as the trip was, I was really happy our program organized a trip like this so that we would have a chance to bond with the people from the UC system. If it weren't for this trip, I probably would've never meet most of the UC kids.
Right when we landed in Seoul at the Gimpo Airport, I had to zoom to Sinchon to meet up with the one and only Chris Greer who had landed a couple hours prior and had been waiting with his bags in front of the McDonalds by one of the busiest subway stops. Greer's week in Seoul was quite a blur involving large amounts of soju, beer, and fun. One Friday, Jong introduced me and Greer to the nightclub life. I had heard stories about this whole nightclub and booking thing but I wanted to see what it was all about. So when we walk in, the waiters usher us into a private room where drinks and beers are laid out on our table. The club assigns a waiter to our room and his job is to basically go outside to the dance floor area and drag girls into our rooms based on their looks. The waiters literally grab girls by the arm and put them in a room that the waiter thinks would be a good match. Quite awkward to see girls being treated like that but then again, they did voluntarily come to the club. It was pretty difficult for me to converse with these girls so you can imagine what it was like for Greer who knows about a handful of phrases/words in Korean. It was quite the odd experience full of awkward moments and confusion on what to do/say at certain points. Nevertheless it was fun but not an experience I am looking to replicate.
The IYC (International Yonsei Club) MT (Membership Training) was the next day. An MT is a fun trip that every university club organizes. It almost always involves the club renting a hotel or large space and giving club members an opportunity to meet each and have fun together (drink a lot). The day started with a bus ride to the Hite Beer factory. After being forced to endure a series of Hite commercials in a theatre and a tour of the factory, our group was allowed to drink an unlimited amount of beer for 20 minutes.
After chugging down some beer for 20 minutes, we stumbled our way back to the bus to get to the hotel located in the middle of nowhere. The drinking resumed this time with soju included. Our group of about 90-100 people split up into smaller groups to play some Korean drinking games which involve either an element or combination of rhythm, counting, or asking questions which progressively get harder through the night as you drink more. Drinking continued on through the night with a slight interuption by a bonfire that included some Yonsei school pride chants. After the chanting festivities, hip hop from the States started playing from speakers and everyone danced, sang and had a great time.
Following the bonfire, my memory begins to get a bit hazy but from what I remember we went back inside the hotel and some resumed their drinking games and others began singing along to the karaoke machine in a drunken stupor. I woke up the next morning, a bit hungover and the bus about to leave without me. I hobbled to the bus still half asleep to find there were no seats left (awesome) so I had to make myself comfortable in the aisle. From the aisle, I passed out for the rest of the trip back to the Yonsei campus.
Well that was just some of the highlights of the past 4 weeks. I know that wasn't everything but I'm tired now so maybe some other time. Until next time folks, laaaater.
ChrisP
Well that was just some of the highlights of the past 4 weeks. I know that wasn't everything but I'm tired now so maybe some other time. Until next time folks, laaaater.
ChrisP
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