Dongdaemun History and Culture Park
Cake Decorating with NSLIY at cake decorating shop in Hongdae
Noraebang with NSLIY kids
Found "Talmud" in Taerung subway station, but it was too expensive so I didn't buy it.
Buying uniforms and going to Namsan Hanok Village with host family
Ate at restaurant where you take whatever open sits are available, even if there are other people at the table. Like Joe's Shanghai in New York's Chinatown. We met a woman from Minnesota here on business.
Free Namsan medical service. They felt my pulse and my forehead. Told me I was tired and a little stressed. They told me to get some sleep and drink the tea that they gave me.
Myeongdong with Jun and his nuuna (older friend).
First time I took a class shoeless. In computer graphics class, everyone leaves their shoes at the door.
Played traditional game (where you make two folded squares from pieces of paper and try to flip the other one by slamming on the floor).
Welcome party at the end of the first week of school. Each month they have a party for everyone who had celebrated their birthdays earlier that month- but this one was also for my coming.
Walked up flight of stairs not knowing where it would take me. Near Hangangjin station. Nice nature trail that connected the lower street of Itaewon-ro to where the Grand Hyatt is around Namsan mountain.
Leeyum Samsung Museum of Art
Olympic Park stadium for the Lotte Family Concert 2013 with Jun. Tickets from homeroom teacher.
Walked around Asian park near Olympic Stadium.
Thanks Nature Cafe- a unique cafe in Hongdae where they have sheep. There are plenty of cat/dog cafes, but this is truly one of a kind. Chocolate waffles were delicious.
First time having mulnaengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles. Given scissors to cut the noodles up if they were too long. Scissors are a common kitchen and table utensil.
Uijeongbu for Chusok holiday
Papbingsu with the cousins
Bukchon tour with Andy, a woman I had met at Chabad. She was living in Seoul as a diplomat with her husband. Bukchon is one of the only Hanoks still standing in its original construction after the Japanese occupation and Korean War. Most were either partially or entirely destroyed. Very touristy. We got to see her house- one quarter of the Bukchon area has been taken up by diplomats. We were able to go into Andy's house. Looked like a regular home in the United States, minus the view of the ancient village. The diplomats' houses have been constructed to have all the amenities of modern life inside, but look like hanoks on the outside in order to preserve the Bukchon "feel". We also went with Zach, a student from George Washington University studying conflict resolution for his semester abroad at Yonsei University. Met him at Chabad as well. In addition, many of the Hanoks in Bukchon are being used for traditional museums. Some have been bought by wealthy Koreans to use a "getaway".
Hiked Surak mountain with the family. Jun was feeling exhausted so he didn't go up the whole way, but Omma, Appa, Hyeong and I did. All the way to the top! At the top there is a man selling ice cream, soju (Korean liquor) and snacks. We got some ice cream and then began the descent. At the bottom we visited a Buddhist temple. Ate at restaurant- bean mul naengmyeon, Acorn dish.
First time ever jimjilbang-ing.
Shilla Hotel visit.
Naksan park with classmates for club activity. They put me in the "exercise" club activity and so we went to the park and climbed to the top. I didn't know at the time that we were at the ancient walls of the Fortress, but the walls surround one side of the park. If you follow the walls down, you arrive at Dongdaemun, the East Gate. Met Teehui. He studied at an English Academy (hakwon), as opposed to a math or computer graphic academy, and so he spoke English very well.
Went to SeoCheon, a city about 2 hours south of Seoul. Stayed in "hotel", but there were no beds. Just a big room with wooden floors. Beautiful view, though. Noraebang-ed in the hotel lobby's noraebang room. Played pool with Jun and Hyeong. Touching the water of SeoCheon made me feel Florida. Went to seafood festival. Found ssal, uncooked rice, that had the farmer's picture on the cover. Not common in commercially grown rice, but thought it was an interesting touch.
Flashcarding with Appa.
Korean translation, 년[neon,nyawn]: year
Korean translation, 년[neon,nyawn]: year
To whoever is looking at this blog, know that while although one of the functions of this blog is to inform others of my time here, I also use this blog as a way to document what I am doing in Korea for myself. I do this so that come a year, two years, ten, twenty from now, I can look back and remember some of the the amazing people I met, the places I went and the meaningful experiences I had.
Why am I in Seoul, anyways?
Why am I in Seoul, anyways?
I'm studying language in Seoul for the year through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth operated by the U.S. State Department. While in Seoul, I attend a local Korean high school as a regular Korean student and have intensive language classes three times a week at an international institute in Seoul. My school is a digital media vocational school. Both in school and in many other settings, I am often the only American they have met and almost always the only Jew. As such, I have an important role, not only as an American or a Jew, but as The American and The Jew. Because of this, I have been prone to some alarming, but insightful questions. Like when it was drizzling outside, weather that does not necessarily warrant carrying an umbrella, but being asked by my host brother, "Do all Jews not use umbrellas?" I am constantly being put in new situations. I make mistakes sometimes. Like when I clearly asked for "not spicy," however later realized, tears in my eyes, that the woman's shocked expression when I ordered "meh-un tteokbokki" was not from my Korean ordering skills, but was because I had probably been the first foreigner to specifically ask for the spiciest food on the menu.
These year as the non-umbrella-carrying-spicy-food-eating-American-Jew living in Seoul has been exhausting and exhilarating, but a year of experiences I will bring with me for the rest of my life. .
