Things Change

Our first Korean dance club experience involved fruit trays, a dance contest, and one naked dude. When 2am hit, it was dance contest time, and our friend Billy (shown with finger on face) was hustled out of the prize money. His stuff was no match for a backflip, a girl who finished topless and pantyless, and a dude who stripped off all 3 pairs of underwear (1 at a time of course). Yeah, we think it was rigged too. Well, 4th still wins free beer. Nice work B.

some things never change

I went to one of the three Starbucks in Gwangju yesterday with my co-teachers. Its next to a dunkin' donuts, krispy kreme, kfc, and outback steakhouse. Its weird how the Starbucks in Korea is exactly the same as the Starbucks in the states. It has the same furniture - you know those semi-comfy, purple, plushy armchairs even the same sell-out musicians are featured in the Korean Starbucks (Taylor Swift and Sia). And yes they were playing Dave Matthews Band. My co-teachers even told me their favorite drink at Starbucks was a carmel macchiatto. I confess that the green tea latte from the Korean Starbucks is more delicious than ones that I've ordered in Seattle. It was less sweet and more green-tea. Sorry Seattle....

let me count the ways

Top 10 reasons why I like Korea this week:
1. Taxis are cheap - dirt cheap
2. I have to wear slippers in the school
3. My front door has a keypad - so I never have to fumble for my key or remember a key
4. Clothing shops stay open until 10pm
5. The commercials on t.v. are wacky and have really catchy songs
6. Food is dirt cheap - eating out and buying food
7. Everyone is always overdressed
8. Shopping on a Sunday is like trying to get passed a mosh pit at a concert
9. All the students bow to their teachers
10. Paris baguette - a shop that only sells pastries and baked goods b/c no one has an oven.

Home

Internet! Finally connected to the world from our home - we don't have to leave our apartment for the whole weekend... just kidding. Can you guess what we first did using the internet?

A. Look up our city bus schedule?

B. Use skype to call home to our families?

C. Sign up for Korean classes at our local university?

D. Other.
Answer: D. Other. hmm we bought the second season of Gossip Girl through iTunes (Sorry mom! I should have called you).

Our home is now in just about the most northern part of Gwangju - called Yangsan-dong. We live in a modern and pink apartment complex. Our apartment is a one bedroom with a small kitchen and a large living area. It came slightly furnished: a bed, a small wardrobe, a table and two chairs, a microwave, a washing machine, a large flatscreen tv, and a refrigerator. All the appliances work and we have an air conditioner for all the hot days... which is like every day.

the entrance to our house (no shoes allowed)

our bathroom (the shower isn't separated from the rest of the bathroom)

the tiny kitchen

the sunny living room

the bedroom with our princess net (Vann picked it out!)

Welcome to our home. It needs a few more things - like a couch or bedside table but it really is nice. aaaaaand we live next to this........

So, we'll never get lost - in life or in our town. We can only hope tomorrow morning we wake up to the same terrible singer from last Sunday.

The Place for Superstars

Orientation:

Last night review: Korean class -> local bar + kiwi and strawberry soju + lady gaga = norebang ->1AM curfew!

our friend T with a huge pitcher of beer

V and our new friends from Bellevue: L and M

V and L singing to Taylor Swift! Nice nametag L!

Woke up too early today - at least I thought it was early. Too much kiwi soju?! Stumbled into the elevator, jammin' to my ipod - didn't run into anyone. Yesssss, I might actually be alone for once! Approach the dining hall and hear voices (through my earplugs). Lots of voices. Hmm, I guess I wasn't the only one with an early breakfast in mind - oh well might as well get a jump on the day with like 200 other people. Better 200 than 500 yah? Sip my coffee and hang out with the mellow breakfast crowd.

The rest of the day was : lecture, lecture, lecture and silly videos with tall, blonde, claymation characters. I may end today with a relaxing epersode of GG and hazelnut pocky sticks.

And then they looked at me and were upset...

When's the last time Korean women took bites of your food to show you how to eat it? Mine was Sunday. Words were inaffective so visual aids came into play. Whole chicken, rice filling, bone bucket, salt dust. I think I managed not to upset them but it's hard to say.

The way our interactions went in Seoul: I say something in English to a Korean . They furrow their brow, turn to N, and speak Korean. N looks at me, furrows her brow, and tells the fellow that she doesn't speak Korean. I forget what happens then, but it involves a lot of humidity.

Kimchi and Chicken

What we've eaten since landing :
-delicious kimchi dumplings
-bulgogi and kimchi jigae
-seafood risotto
-bacon and spaghetti
-a whole chicken in soup
-more kimchi jigae
-tuna salad
-cold and spicy noodles
-more delicious dumplings the size of a fist
-street food: seafood pancake and pineapple on a stick
-a crepe ball

Since we've gotten here we have spent most of our time deciding what we want to eat, where we want to eat and when we want to eat.

The excess in eating is countered by us sweating in the subway, on the street, in palaces, while we eat, while we sleep, and especially when we drag our luggage around the city of seoul trying to find the airport limousine shuttle. The humidity here is so extreme that Koreans put air conditioning in porta-potties.

Our extreme change in environments in both culture and weather is kind of like a super strong concentration, luckily we have found a diluter....Gossip Girl! Yes, it the perfect nightcap for our adventures and excursions. We retire to our hotel room, sip sochu, and watch another mind numbing episode of the wealthy upper eastsiders. Does V like it more than me? That's a secret I'll never tell.