So I'm back in the States--pretty much recovered from jetlag (which has had positive effects on my sleep pattern--sleep early, wake up early). Pardon the delayed blog post--jetlag caused me to be too tired to update each time I attempted to haha, and I came back Friday night and I didn't want to write my last post before coming back. But this last week was good :). Tense, hectic, rushed, but above all, super fun and satisfying.
I gained from Korea what that tourguide in Gyeongju said we needed--a new perspective. It was kind of a reverse culture shock to be back in the States, which I think the Light Fellowship told us about haha. Random "네"s (yeses) and "고맙습니다"s (thank yous) almost or actually slipping out at times. Went to noraebang the night after I came back--after karaokeing three nights in a row before haha. Eager to use Korean whenever I could and excited to hear random Korean on the street...and of course, missing the great friends I made in Korea. Ahh 섭섭하다...is the best way I can describe it. The word means "to be sad or regretful because of separation," and that's how I feel about my friends there. Ah, how difficult it is to have friends on both sides of the Earth no?
On my last day in Korea, I saw my emos again. They told me that I looked handsomer (as Korean people seem to like to say) but also that I looked more mature, which I also dismissed as "stuff Korean people like to say when they haven't seen you for a while," but I realized that I did mature over this summer. My line of thought has changed, and I've grown to not care about things I used to, to care more about other things, not to mention that I've grown to be more self-sufficient, something that was always a nagging problem. This trip has also made me realize how much traveling abroad is going to play a role in my life. It's pretty much solidified my decision to go to China/Taiwan for a semester and Korea for the other semester (granted I can win the Light Fellowship again) and even beyond that I know I'll be wanting to travel to foreign places a lot. I just crave the new and my first experience REALLY abroad by myself helped confirm that desire and help me gain more of a sense of independence.
So besides all that badly worded corny realization, here's my last photo update :).
Starting with yummy yummy 파전 pajeon, delicious (oily) scallion pancakes mm!
First day of studying for the interview final. Our favorite café été. Check out Andy and Rie hard at work! And all our coffee. Oh the coffee...
The next morning we meet up--to study again. Here's a set of random Korean food I haven't taken pictures of yet. Seafood fried rice across from me, cheese ramen at the left (cheese goes surprisingly VERY well with ramen), and kimchi mandu (dumplings). Such simple food but so delicious!
Haha large milkshake Rie's got there. And Andy's iced tea which is the same price as tonkatsu LOL! Our last day of studying before the dreaded interview!
Well we survived the interview test! Now to just watch the graduation ceremony while fearing our test results. Eep! Left to right: Our 선생님, Christina (Romania), Min Jie (China), me, Battsettseg (Mongolia), Saeko (Japan), and Reiko (Japan). Diverse!
One of Sogang's students sings a song that he originally wrote in English.
Another performs on the flute, skillfully played ^^.
Girls take a picture together.
Series of pictures showing 선생님's reaction to the flowers we bought her ^^.
Class picture with 정영미 선생님 joining us as well! Missing a lot of students BTW haha.
My writing teacher 박다래 선생님, such a good teacher!
Bye to writing class classmate--Hanae!
Bye Thai friends Patchrin and Tanicha!
Reiko is a master meat shearer haha.
Hahahaah oh Jonathan.
Better.
Our teacher joins us!
Kang, Saeko, and Christina!
Okay yes, karaoke pictures will be aplenty...three nights in a row, phew! Here, we make our teacher sing Tell Me hehe.
Kang and Min Jie sing a Chinese song.
Reiko and our teacher sing a Japanese song.
(The next day)--YES, MORE KARAOKE! The night before Andrew's departure with Andy's class friends (+ Reiko and Greg).
I've become fully Asianified with the peace sign!
Delicious Italian food my emos bought for me the last day ^^.
Then 비앗따 이모 took me to eat yummy patbingsu.
That night, I went to eat 산낙지 Sannakji, live squid tentacles (which are just cut off the squid and served to you still wriggling around. See the difference in movement!
Me eating messily those delicious delicious tentacles :D.
Check out more tentacle movement haha. This is the mixture that will be mixed with hot soup to make a spicy soup broth (not moving tentacles).
The fried rice made with the leftover broth for us at the end of the meal mmm!
Last dinner in Korea!
Third karaoke night! Chikae and Yoshiko ^^!
Rie delivers me to the airport. GOODBYE T_T *섭섭하다!*
Why lookie here! A familiar face! On our flight back to New York Jessica and I actually see Estelle from our Korean class at Incheon airport! This picture's taken at Narita airport just before we part to our different flights.
And alas, history repeats itself as I get another miso ramen soup from Narita airport :). And to wrap up my post, pictures from my trip around Sinchon and from my brief moments in Gangnam for Andy's last day party. Enjoy and 안녕! ^_^
