I changed around my schedule to only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I don't have class today, but I'm gonna head down to Temple anyways. It's gonna be so lonely. A lot of my friends have graduated. On Saturday, I went to Jenn's going away party at Fado's. Manchester beat Arsenal, so of course Jenn was happy =) Unfortunately, I prolly won't be able to see her again until she leaves for the airport....
First class of the day at 11am to 12:20 will be Chinese Politics, or as the teacher has renamed the course, "The State and Globalization Reexamined: China, Global Power or Political Decay?". Gotta head over to Tuttleman for that one There are only 7 of us in this class, including Linh Chia and Lauren Tarnoski, so I already know about half the class. Woot. Should be fun.
Next up after that is Disasters: Geology Vs. Hollywood in Barton Hall from 2-3:20. I know Justin Fortmeier and Michelle Provencher in that one so once again it doesn't have to be an awkward first day.
Third up from 3:30-4:50 is also in Barton on the same floor, so I don't have to worry about switching buildings in my 10 minutes, and just relax. This one is my Poli Sci capstone. I don't know anyone in there yet, or at least I don't recognize any of the names, but there is one name that stuck out for me. Someone there has the name Liya Groysman. That's so weird, cause she's also a Russian Jew from my county, Bucks County, and she has the same name as my mom before she was married. Hmmmm.
Next on Tuesday I have Nationalism: Ethnic Politics in Anderson Hall from 5:30-8. There's this one girl Ivana in it from my Urban Politics class last semester. I don't know her that well, but oh well, better than nothing.
Same time slot on Thursday I have Psychology as a Social Science in Tuttleman Hall. It's a 75 person class, but I don't know anyone x.X
In Miles news... yesterday Nelly told me to be more stern with him and not take him out for walks so many times a day cause he keeps pestering me for walks. So I only took him out 3 times yesterday as opposed to 5 or 6 times. So to punish me... he walked into the room at 3:20am this morning and woke me up. Wouldn't let me go til I at least took him out back. Don't dogs sleep at nite? ._.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Back in Philly
Since I got home, thing have been back to their old routines at home...
I had a bunch of job interviews lined up, but didn't get anything. At this point I'm just desperate for work and to get out of the house, so I'll take just about anything. Just to earn enough for maintainence for the fall semester before I leave again so that I don't spend the money I have saved up for when I leave. I have another interview as a server at a vineyard on Wednesday. I hope I get it!
School starts next Tuesday. I arranged my schedule to only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 11am-8pm.... full day! We'll see if I can manage.
Been seeing a lot of family since I got back. It's good to visit them. Especially Arthur got so big! He's having his first birthday in November. But he's gotten so fat, he's like a miniature buddha.
Also, last Sunday I went to Gettysburg and Harrisburg with mama, Eric, and Max. Gettysburg is a very cool battle ground. And so well documented. The only problem was that mama bought a bus tour for us, and the tour guide was quite good, but the windows were too high, and they only stopped to let us out to take pictures like twice. After that, we stopped in Harrisburg on the way home. We'd never been to our state capital before, and the capitol building was gorgeous. And all the streets were named the same as they are in Center City Philly. The Susquehanna also ran though it, and the city was divided by a bunch of pretty bridges. Middle of nowhere, but altogether a pretty place.
As of Thursday, I'm dog-sitting for my mom's cousin Nelly's dog Miles. He's a big dog, a lab and shepherd mix. He's very calm though, so he's easy to take care of. Except for when I walk him, and he tries to chase every dog, cat, and squirrel down the street. Nelly's home is in Fishtown, which I've been told is a pretty cool neighborhood. I left DSLR at home, but I'm going home shortly on Tuesday night, so I'll grab it then and take some pics. From here is just a 30 minute walk to school and 40 minute walk to Olde City. She told me First Friday in Northern Liberties is pretty awesome, so I'll have to check that out next Friday. Also next Friday, Cliff is having a party at his new place, but I'm not sure if I'm going yet.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
I'm finally home...
Home life back to normal. Yesterday, I was a total of 21 hours enroute between Korea and Philly, not including cars to and from the airports... This past week I mostly hung out with friends, and then I had exams on Thursday and Friday. I once again got a 94% for the second session. Good enough for me. Billy's talking about starting a blog in Korean. I'm kinda considering trying to write some bits on here in Korean (maybe Russian too) on here. We'll see.
Friday was also graduation.
Saturday was mostly SHOPPING! and hanging out.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Up north
We were supposed to go to Panmunjum and the DMZ a couple weeks ago, but the trip was cancelled because the UN closed the area up for that week we were supposed to go. So instead we went this Friday, August 7th. Some of the other parts of the tour were closed up, but at least we got to go to the main important building, and take pictures there.
I stepped onto North Korean soil for two minutes!! Does that count as being there? If you go into the negotiations room, while South Korean tours are going on, no North Korean soldier can step inside. If North Korean tours are happening, no South Korean soldiers are allowed inside. It was actually quite intimidating cause the soldiers were taking pictures of us in the background, as if they were tourists on holiday or something. Also, when we were in the room, they kept staring in on us, and taking more pictures. Our guide told is it was so they could use our pictures in propaganda materials.
We also went to eat lunch at this one restaurant where the performer was North Korean. He seemed quite assimilated to South Korean life.
After we returned back to Seoul, I went to Yongsan (용산) to meet Hojin. She's a friend who studied ESL at Drexel for a year when I met her through some people. We had dinner, then went to karaoke. I stayed at her house, which had a gorgeous view of the Han River from a big window. Prime Seoul real estate.
Saturday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn to take the first subway at 5:45 to East Seoul Express Bus Station. I got a 7:20 bus to Sokcho (속초), and arrived there at 11:00. On the way there, I saw a bit of Seoraksan aka Mt. Seorak (설악산) which I hiked later. It was a beautiful view.
I checked into my hostel, The House Hostel owned by Mr. Yoo and his mother. I really loved it there. Mr. Yoo gave me so much helpful information about how to get where I wanted to go, nice places around Sokcho, and places to go eat. For just 30,000W (about $25) a night, you get your own room, free laundry, free internet, free bike rentals, and free breakfast. The place is traditionally a love motel, as most cheap accommodations in Korea are, but it's been spruced up to reflect itself in an international hostel style.
I took a bus to Seoraksan, and got there at 1. Mr. Yoo advised me to book the cable car first, and then go to one of the other tracks cause the cable car had a big line. It proved to be right, because the next available one was for 1:50. I got one for 3 instead, and hiked up to Biryong Falls (비령폭포) and then came back and went up the cable car. It was so cloudy that I couldn't see more than a few meters in front of me. But regardless, Seoraksan was beautiful. Afterwards, the rain started down pretty hard, so I headed back to Sokcho.
I took a walk around Sokcho for about 3 hours, and went to the beach as well. Sokcho is a really nice city, and actually kind of reminds me of Atlantic City, but with cleaner beaches. I walked around the length of the harbour, and then had to take a barge back to the other side to avoid making my 3 hour walk a 5 hour walk. The swim I took was about 7:30, so the water was FREEZING, but once I got all in, it felt so nice.
When I got back to the hostel, while checking my emails in the kitchen, I met an Australian man who used to work for Nestle Korea a few years back, since he works for Nestle Australia back home. We talked for several hours, and had some soju he bought. Then went to bed when the kitchen closed at 12.
Sunday morning, I went for a morning bike ride up to the lighthouse and looking points. After that, at breakfast, I met the Australian man, and an older French couple I spoke to briefly the day before when they checked in. We chatted for about an hour, then I headed up north, my eventual destination the Unification Observatory, the northern most tip of South Korea that touched NK.
Mr. Yoo told me to take the bus to Hwajinpo Lake(화진포), and then hitch the rest of the journey. I didn't even get to Hwajinpo, because the bus I took said it didn't go all they way up and dropped me off. The next two buses didn't go there either. So I stuck my thumb out and waited. Eventually, this little grandpa and grandma picked me up and took me til Hwajinpo. They offered to take me all the way up north, but it was out of their way, and I insisted that I would be fine til there.
Hwajinpo is a huge gorgeous lake that empties out into Hwajinpo Beach, which is equally beautiful with clear clean waters. The lake is most famous for the fact that Kim Ilsung (김일성) and Rhee Seungman (이승만), the first two presidents of North and South Korea respectively, had houses on opposite sides of the lake facing each other.
After this, I hitched a ride up to the front gate to where you have to enter the north most bit of South Korea, that requires going through a military check point. The man who gave me a ride til this point was an old man who fought in the Korean War for the south side, but his family is originally from the North, and most of them are still stuck there unfortunately. It was also amazing that he could speak both English and Russian. He said he learned it in the army.
At the ticket counter, the girl told me that I could not pass the checkpoint on foot, and I must go in a car. She said she often paired foreigners with couples who had cars, and would take them there and out. The couple she paired me with didn't initially seem to take any interest in me, and I thought that it would be a pretty boring ride. Once we got to the observatory, on the way up, they started talking to me a bit, and I found out the husband used to lead tours to Geumgangsan or Mt. Geumgang (금강산). This mountain in North Korea was one of the few places people could enter NK from the South. It was a tourist resort maintained by Hyundai Asan (현대 아산) that has since been closed down since tension between the North and South has escalated.
The observatory itself was not that special, but the site from it was breathtaking. Untouched beaches and mountains all around us. Afterwards, they were returning back to Seoul where they lived, and offered to drop me all the way back down to Sokcho, which they pretty much needed to pass to get home anyway. I gratefully accepted, and we had a bit more conversation, then me and his wife both dozed off.
I got back to Sokcho at 5, and took the bus back to Seoul at 6. Because of traffic coming back, it took 4 hours instead of the 3 it took to get to Sokcho. It kind of reminded me of traffic driving into Guadalajara. The bus dropped me off at the terminal, and I found the stop to take the 1112 bus back home. Walking along the stop, I saw James waiting for the bus as well, so we just chatted for the whole ride home about our weekends. He went to Andong to meet his Korean in-laws.
I stepped onto North Korean soil for two minutes!! Does that count as being there? If you go into the negotiations room, while South Korean tours are going on, no North Korean soldier can step inside. If North Korean tours are happening, no South Korean soldiers are allowed inside. It was actually quite intimidating cause the soldiers were taking pictures of us in the background, as if they were tourists on holiday or something. Also, when we were in the room, they kept staring in on us, and taking more pictures. Our guide told is it was so they could use our pictures in propaganda materials.
We also went to eat lunch at this one restaurant where the performer was North Korean. He seemed quite assimilated to South Korean life.
After we returned back to Seoul, I went to Yongsan (용산) to meet Hojin. She's a friend who studied ESL at Drexel for a year when I met her through some people. We had dinner, then went to karaoke. I stayed at her house, which had a gorgeous view of the Han River from a big window. Prime Seoul real estate.
Saturday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn to take the first subway at 5:45 to East Seoul Express Bus Station. I got a 7:20 bus to Sokcho (속초), and arrived there at 11:00. On the way there, I saw a bit of Seoraksan aka Mt. Seorak (설악산) which I hiked later. It was a beautiful view.
I checked into my hostel, The House Hostel owned by Mr. Yoo and his mother. I really loved it there. Mr. Yoo gave me so much helpful information about how to get where I wanted to go, nice places around Sokcho, and places to go eat. For just 30,000W (about $25) a night, you get your own room, free laundry, free internet, free bike rentals, and free breakfast. The place is traditionally a love motel, as most cheap accommodations in Korea are, but it's been spruced up to reflect itself in an international hostel style.
I took a bus to Seoraksan, and got there at 1. Mr. Yoo advised me to book the cable car first, and then go to one of the other tracks cause the cable car had a big line. It proved to be right, because the next available one was for 1:50. I got one for 3 instead, and hiked up to Biryong Falls (비령폭포) and then came back and went up the cable car. It was so cloudy that I couldn't see more than a few meters in front of me. But regardless, Seoraksan was beautiful. Afterwards, the rain started down pretty hard, so I headed back to Sokcho.
I took a walk around Sokcho for about 3 hours, and went to the beach as well. Sokcho is a really nice city, and actually kind of reminds me of Atlantic City, but with cleaner beaches. I walked around the length of the harbour, and then had to take a barge back to the other side to avoid making my 3 hour walk a 5 hour walk. The swim I took was about 7:30, so the water was FREEZING, but once I got all in, it felt so nice.
When I got back to the hostel, while checking my emails in the kitchen, I met an Australian man who used to work for Nestle Korea a few years back, since he works for Nestle Australia back home. We talked for several hours, and had some soju he bought. Then went to bed when the kitchen closed at 12.
Sunday morning, I went for a morning bike ride up to the lighthouse and looking points. After that, at breakfast, I met the Australian man, and an older French couple I spoke to briefly the day before when they checked in. We chatted for about an hour, then I headed up north, my eventual destination the Unification Observatory, the northern most tip of South Korea that touched NK.
Mr. Yoo told me to take the bus to Hwajinpo Lake(화진포), and then hitch the rest of the journey. I didn't even get to Hwajinpo, because the bus I took said it didn't go all they way up and dropped me off. The next two buses didn't go there either. So I stuck my thumb out and waited. Eventually, this little grandpa and grandma picked me up and took me til Hwajinpo. They offered to take me all the way up north, but it was out of their way, and I insisted that I would be fine til there.
Hwajinpo is a huge gorgeous lake that empties out into Hwajinpo Beach, which is equally beautiful with clear clean waters. The lake is most famous for the fact that Kim Ilsung (김일성) and Rhee Seungman (이승만), the first two presidents of North and South Korea respectively, had houses on opposite sides of the lake facing each other.
After this, I hitched a ride up to the front gate to where you have to enter the north most bit of South Korea, that requires going through a military check point. The man who gave me a ride til this point was an old man who fought in the Korean War for the south side, but his family is originally from the North, and most of them are still stuck there unfortunately. It was also amazing that he could speak both English and Russian. He said he learned it in the army.
At the ticket counter, the girl told me that I could not pass the checkpoint on foot, and I must go in a car. She said she often paired foreigners with couples who had cars, and would take them there and out. The couple she paired me with didn't initially seem to take any interest in me, and I thought that it would be a pretty boring ride. Once we got to the observatory, on the way up, they started talking to me a bit, and I found out the husband used to lead tours to Geumgangsan or Mt. Geumgang (금강산). This mountain in North Korea was one of the few places people could enter NK from the South. It was a tourist resort maintained by Hyundai Asan (현대 아산) that has since been closed down since tension between the North and South has escalated.
The observatory itself was not that special, but the site from it was breathtaking. Untouched beaches and mountains all around us. Afterwards, they were returning back to Seoul where they lived, and offered to drop me all the way back down to Sokcho, which they pretty much needed to pass to get home anyway. I gratefully accepted, and we had a bit more conversation, then me and his wife both dozed off.
I got back to Sokcho at 5, and took the bus back to Seoul at 6. Because of traffic coming back, it took 4 hours instead of the 3 it took to get to Sokcho. It kind of reminded me of traffic driving into Guadalajara. The bus dropped me off at the terminal, and I found the stop to take the 1112 bus back home. Walking along the stop, I saw James waiting for the bus as well, so we just chatted for the whole ride home about our weekends. He went to Andong to meet his Korean in-laws.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Birthday week
On Wednesday, I turned 22 (I'm 23 in Korean years). Erin bought a cake from Paris Baguette, and some snacks. We ate it during our break, and Peter shared blowing the candles out with me cause his birthday is August 9th.
The day was pretty uneventful otherwise. I cleaned my room and studied a bit.
For our usually Wednesday special lecture, we had a congresswoman from the Grand National Party (한나라당) come to speak to us. It was quite a bit more interesting than most of the other lectures we've had until now. Most of what she said was of no surprise to us, but she was still an interesting person.
Today after class, I went to Itaewon and had burgers with Joyce and Sean at The Corner Bistro. The place got good reviews, and it definitely didn't disappoint for me. After that, we went to a cafe, and we ate another Paris Baguette cake that Sean bought for me.
The day was pretty uneventful otherwise. I cleaned my room and studied a bit.
For our usually Wednesday special lecture, we had a congresswoman from the Grand National Party (한나라당) come to speak to us. It was quite a bit more interesting than most of the other lectures we've had until now. Most of what she said was of no surprise to us, but she was still an interesting person.
Today after class, I went to Itaewon and had burgers with Joyce and Sean at The Corner Bistro. The place got good reviews, and it definitely didn't disappoint for me. After that, we went to a cafe, and we ate another Paris Baguette cake that Sean bought for me.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Back to class
Sunday was spent at home doing mostly nothing... Our power was out in the dorm, so I went to a cafe to start on my new homework assignment. From this day on, I will try to translate one piece of news in Russian and Korean a day. We'll see how long this keeps up. I hope I do keep going with it. I really need the practice.
Today in class, I forgot that we had a quiz, and I didn't study. I think maybe I got at least 7/10. I hope I didn't get worse than that. Everything else is pretty much business as usual...
Also, I got up at 3am this morning because I had a webinar that was from 2-4pm in the US. I then realized that it was TONIGHT at 3am. It means I have to get up tonight at 3am again, and I'll be tired in class again tomorrow.
Today in class, I forgot that we had a quiz, and I didn't study. I think maybe I got at least 7/10. I hope I didn't get worse than that. Everything else is pretty much business as usual...
Also, I got up at 3am this morning because I had a webinar that was from 2-4pm in the US. I then realized that it was TONIGHT at 3am. It means I have to get up tonight at 3am again, and I'll be tired in class again tomorrow.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Jeolla-nam (전라남도) and Jeolla-buk (전라북도) Provinces
Thursday
One last breakfast at the Dabichi Condo, and we were off to Gwangju (광주). Gwangju is the capital of Jeolla-nam province, but more recently famous for their democratic movements and protests in the 80s. Our first stop was the 5.18 Cemetery, a memorial for those lost on May 18, 1980 over the protests against then president Chun Doo-hwan (전두환) who disbanded the National Assembly and enacting martial law over the country. Telling the army and the rest of the country that Gwangju had be overrun by communists, the atrocities left more than 200 civilians dead and over 1000 injured.
When we got to our hotel in Namwon (남원), I was too tired to go out so I just spent the whole evening in my room.
Friday
We went to Gwanghallu (광한루), which is famous for Korea's version of the Romeo and Juliet tale, ChunHyang (춘향). She was a daughter of a courtesan and he was the son of an official. Gwanghallu is very beautiful. So was the rest of Namwon, which we got to see after we left the grounds of Gwanghallu, which the downtown of Namwon surrounds.
For dinner, we went to Tofu Town (두부마을), the best restaurant of the trip yet. The food was totally delicious. Various tofu and vegetable dishes, I swear I could go there every single night for dishes. I should open up a Tofu Town in Philly!
After dinner, we watched a traditional Korean instrument and dance performance. Those people had so much stamina to keep up playing and moving as much as they did for a whole hour.
Saturday
Our last stop was Jeonju (전주) before we came back home. We had some famous Jeonju Bibimbap (비빔밥) for lunch, then went with my class for some tea at a famous tea shop. After that, I walked around town a bit, then returned to the bus.
We got back to Suwon at 5:30pm. Everyone agreed that even though we had a great trip, it was great to be back "home".
One last breakfast at the Dabichi Condo, and we were off to Gwangju (광주). Gwangju is the capital of Jeolla-nam province, but more recently famous for their democratic movements and protests in the 80s. Our first stop was the 5.18 Cemetery, a memorial for those lost on May 18, 1980 over the protests against then president Chun Doo-hwan (전두환) who disbanded the National Assembly and enacting martial law over the country. Telling the army and the rest of the country that Gwangju had be overrun by communists, the atrocities left more than 200 civilians dead and over 1000 injured.
When we got to our hotel in Namwon (남원), I was too tired to go out so I just spent the whole evening in my room.Friday
We went to Gwanghallu (광한루), which is famous for Korea's version of the Romeo and Juliet tale, ChunHyang (춘향). She was a daughter of a courtesan and he was the son of an official. Gwanghallu is very beautiful. So was the rest of Namwon, which we got to see after we left the grounds of Gwanghallu, which the downtown of Namwon surrounds.
For dinner, we went to Tofu Town (두부마을), the best restaurant of the trip yet. The food was totally delicious. Various tofu and vegetable dishes, I swear I could go there every single night for dishes. I should open up a Tofu Town in Philly!After dinner, we watched a traditional Korean instrument and dance performance. Those people had so much stamina to keep up playing and moving as much as they did for a whole hour.
Saturday
Our last stop was Jeonju (전주) before we came back home. We had some famous Jeonju Bibimbap (비빔밥) for lunch, then went with my class for some tea at a famous tea shop. After that, I walked around town a bit, then returned to the bus.
We got back to Suwon at 5:30pm. Everyone agreed that even though we had a great trip, it was great to be back "home".
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