Day 92

Snow.

That's all.

^__^

Day 72

Technically, it's not my 72nd day in Korea, but this blog is more about the experience rather than day-to-day summary.

I can't believe that on Wednesday, I was on a plane going back to San Francisco and today, I flew back to Seoul. I feel like each week that goes by, it gets harder and harder. Life is throwing me so many different challenges, most of which I probably would have never had to deal with had I not come to Korea. Life would've been so much easier in Irvine. I wouldn't have to deal with as much as I have here. But that's why I came in the first place. The experience has always been more important to me than the actual studying.

The last two months, particularly the last 3 weeks, have been really hard on me. Whether I'm drunk, shopping for clothes, clubbing, dealing with a variety of friends, on top of a giant roller coaster, or putting my grandfather to rest, I can say is that I've learned a lot since I've started my journey.

There are times when I've felt stuck. Like I couldn't do my own thing without feeling like others were going to judge me. For a while, I didn't feel like I was getting the experience that I wanted from studying abroad in Korea. Often, it seemed like I was trapped in a box. I wanted to leave the box many times, but I never felt completely comfortable doing so. Slowly, I took it upon myself that I had to get out and I did. Some people weren't happy with that, but I couldn't make everyone happy without making myself happy first. I've always said that if I want to be happy, I have to take it into my own hands and deal with it. And stepping outside of that box made me realize that if I'm not happy, I have to do something about it.

On the other hand there are some things that just happen, some things that I can't control. And as much as I wish things were different, the only thing I can do is look forward and grow. My grandfather is gone, and it wasn't fair. But all I can do it look at his life and all that he has done for me and my family and apply that to my own life. Everything he did was for his family. He loved us all and supported everyone, regardless of their decisions in life. He always took care of us, even when he couldn't physically stand up. Everytime my dad leaves on some trip, he always says "take care of mom." And everytime, I always take it to heart. No matter how old I get, I always will take care of her. Just like she did for my grandfather when he got sick.

Wherever he is now, I'm sure he feels free again. All I imagine him doing is throwing junk into a trash bag and practicing his ballroom dancing on the kitchen floor at Jackson St. And once he finishes, he's in the Buick, sitting me on his lap and teaching me how to drive while we wait for my grandmother to finish shopping. He'll never leave me and that's all that matters.

Day 64

One day can be amazing. The next can be heartbreaking. I don't know what else to say, but:

R.I.P. Goong Goong

<3,>

Day 60

So much has happened since last week. After so much piled up stress, I feel like more than a few weights have been lifted off of my shoulders. First, I finished all of my midterms in two consecutive days. It was really intense and I'm not exactly sure of how I did, but I was just happy to get through them and finish.

After my Korean midterm on Friday, I had my first meal in two days. I was super exhausted and napped for a while that night, until I ended up going to NB2 in 홍대 with Alex, Christine, Frank, Angie, Lily, Jimi and Misha. NB2 was sooo crowded and at times, the music was really bad. But at other times, they played 2NE1 and I was all over it. I couldn't contain my excitement over hearing their songs playing. Even Ke$ha was played, so I'd say it was a successful night.

The next morning, I was supposed to wake up at 9am to go to the G20 Concert, but I ended up leaving at around 3pm lol. The concert was at 잠실 stadium. We were pretty far back, but it was okay. There was nobody there that I was extremely excited to see. The ones who I did enjoy seeing were 4minute, Kara, Beast, BoA, Rain, etc. I fell asleep during the Taiwanese guy because I was so tired. Nothing much happened after the concert was over. We got back to 연세 and I knocked out from 5am to 4pm.

Sunday, I resolved all that happened from last week. After being Gretchen'd ("You can't sit with us!!") last week, I could finally think without having to worry about losing a friend. But if there's anything that I've learned in the past week, it's that I shouldn't have fallen into the same pattern, the same routine, with the same people. Being forced to stay away from the people I had seen every single day since my arrival in Korea, I was able to make new connections. And despite feeling like I had dug myself a hole, I pulled myself out. I feel like my life here will be different for the better.

Monday was like any normal day until dinner. I ate dinner with the original folks and we went to the place above Jessica's Kitchen (The restaurant does have a name, but I like to refer to it in regards to Jessica's Kitchen.) Dinner seemed normal until the lady at the table next to us offered us a bowl of rice. I thought it was really nice of her. She then proceeded to hand over another bowl of rice. And another. Next came the 파전 and a full 불고기 dinner! I couldn't believe it when she kept handing over stuff to us. She said she liked foreign students and we just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Finally, she gave us 4 bottles of 막걸리! It was almost too good to be true. Her and her group asked us to sing for them, and we had no choice but to. They were so nice to us! It was the best meal I had eaten in Korea so far. :DDD

Last night, I got my hurr did along with Joon and Wayne. I swear the lady who cut my hair really loves to cut hair. She took so long and even after getting it washed, she cut some more. But she styled it very nice. I swear she didn't put wax in it. It was magic. Maybe it was just because she used a blowdryer on it, but I loved it. I'm sad that it'll probably never look like that again, but I can deal with it.

Later on, I bought a phone card and called my grandparents because it was my grandfather's birthday a couple of days ago. When I called, my mom answered the phone. She seemed surprised that I called and talked about Joey's winning film and their trip down to San Diego. I wish I could've been there, but I'm still very happy for him. I told my mom to let me say happy birthday to my grandfather, which I did, but barely got a response from. He can barely speak anymore. My family doesn't even take him outside anymore because it's too hard for him to move. I feel so sad for him. I know that things just happen and you can't change it, but it's a sad thought. I can't imagine what it feels like to basically feel trapped inside of your body. You can see and think clearly, but your body won't do what it tells you to. :(

The weather has been getting very cold lately. Last night, it was down to about 36 degrees. That's the lowest it'll be this week, but it should start snowing next month. I'm excited, but I'm worried too. I need snow boots and more jackets. This calls for some Gmarket shopping.

Day 54

I'm in such a fragile state. I really feel like after my glorious birthday, everything has just come crashing down and I'm trying to carry it all on my shoulders. There's so much piled stress. I basically have 7 midterms in two days. And half of this, I don't even understand. Not to mention that I feel like I've lost a huge part of me in Korea the other night. I don't even know if my life here will ever be the same was it was before. I did come to the realization, however, that if I could go back and start this journey over, I would. And I would do things much differently. But I can't change anything and I just have to live with it. Whether I like it or not, I'm here for two semesters and if I'm gonna make the most of it, I have to keep trudging along.

But if I could go home right now for a while, that would be nice. :(

Day 51

I have to say, spending my 20th birthday in Korea has been amazing. I've never been a really big birthday person, but this time I finally let that go and I had a blast.

It all started on Thursday when we went out for dinner to celebrate for both me and Sophia. We were born on the exact same day, only 16 minutes apart. We're also both Sociology majors. Creepy.

TWINFUN!!!

After dinner, Krissy and Roger leave to get us a cake while the rest of us run back in the cold rain. The cake was cute. It had two polar bears on it, hugging each other. It was delicious too. At first, we both said that we didn't want a cake but I finally gave in just to make them feel happy for getting it for us.

On Friday, I had class all day so I didn't do much during the day. But once 8pm came along, I was getting ready to go to the club again. See, last Thursday's clubbing event was a 2 for 1 deal, so everyone got in for free. It was a pretty expensive place too, in an expensive-looking area of Seoul.

After getting wristbands, we hit up the local Family Mart, downed a bunch of 소주 and 맥주 and were good to go. The club was pretty nice, actually. At first, the DJ only played trance and techno music but finally got around to pop songs. Mostly the Black Eyed Peas, but I think that's because he was their DJ or something. Once again, I had so much energy on the dance floor. I'm surprised I didn't lose my voice either because I was singing along really loud.

We were getting pretty tired and it was almost time for us to leave, but the club never wants me to leave. Just like last Thursday, we were getting ready to go when all of a sudden, I hear Kesha. I grab Krissy and we run back in for her and Lady Gaga. It was the perfect way to end the night.

The next morning, my ears were ringing. I woke up and went to the Charlie Brown Cafe with Krissy. I think it's pretty expensive for a cafe, but I guess it's all about the decorations. There was Charlie Brown everywhere, just like the Hello Kitty Cafe. Afterwards, she bought me food from my favorite food cart in 이대 and we went back to SK.

Good grief, you're too expensive!

After going back, I left again with Frank to go to 한강. I had never been there before, so I was pretty excited to see it.

It was so nice. The water actually looked clean, unlike the other rivers I've seen in Korea. While walking around, I found 5,000 won on the ground and I also noticed there were also tons of bikers around that had the same bike, so I made us go look for them to rent. Frank was really scared because he said that he wasn't good at riding, but I made him anyway. And it was a really nice bike ride along the river for only 3,000 won.

For dinner, we had 삼겹살. At first, I said it was too expensive, but when we ate it, I realized why it cost so much. The meat was so fresh and so delicious. It was one of the best meals I've eaten in Korea so far.

After dinner, we took the subway back to 신촌 and he brought me into Baskin Robbins where Christine and Erin were sitting with a panda ice cream cake. It was sooo cute and I felt bad for destroying it, but it did taste good too.

:(

I could honestly say that my 20th birthday was the best birthday that I've ever had. I can't believe that I spent the entire time in Korea. And knowing that there are people here who care about me means a lot. I <3>

Day 49

Today, we all went to some Samsung building for a tour of all the Samsung products. It was alright. I wanted to win the prizes at the end, but I lost after getting the second question wrong. Diana eventually won the 500gb harddrive. T_T

But after the Samsung building, I went to 동대문 to go shopping with Roger, Caitlin, Krissy and Karina. We even took along a real Korean with us, Jihye who helped bargain clothes for us. 동대문 is actually kind of fun, but really intense. As soon as we walked up to the men's floor, all the sellers were all over me. They tried to talk to me, getting me to buy their clothes. There wasn't much that I looked at because I didn't feel that comfortable browsing with them hovering over me. But I did get to a jeans place and I fit the pair perfectly. The original price was 40,000, but Jihye was a pro and got them down to 32,000 for me. It was greatly appreciated. I even got a new pair of shoes from 48,000 to 37,000.

Shopping was tiring, so we tried to look for a place to eat. The restaurants at 동대문 are seriously just like the stores. The workers will try to grab you and make you eat at their place. Everything was too expensive for us, so we just ate at Lotteria.

Day 48

If last night wasn't fun, crazy, tiring, sad, precious and hilarious all wrapped up into one epic package with a bow on it, I don't know what is. There are some nights that you'll remember for the rest of your life and last night was definitely one of the very few that'll stay in my mind.

After the little girl calling me 오빠, I was in a really good mood. The next few hours, I was in a club. Now anyone who knows me could tell you that I'm not a clubbing person. I constantly tell people that I've never been clubbing because it's not really my thing. But I wanted to finally experience it and have a good time too. Immediately after getting there, I took about 1/3 bottle of 참이슬 and was feeling it within minutes. It was too early though and I decided to wait for more people on the dance floor. When we finally got to the dance floor, Krissy wasn't feeling it yet so she made me go back to GS25 and we split another bottle. At this point, we were both ready and went kind of crazy.

While being incredibly attractive at the same time. Thnx Caitlin for uploading this beautiful picture. <3

But really, I was having a lot of fun. On a regular day you'd never catch me on the stage dancing, and there I was, not caring about how I looked or what people though of me. I even did a little bit of 2ne1's 박수 쳐 dance. They kicked us off three times though, probably because they were afraid we'd fall off.

There were also some rap performances by Basick and Swings. I had no idea who Basick was, but I knew Swings from a few songs. Even though I didn't really know who he was I felt like I was his biggest fan lol.

As Krissy's best bud in Korea, I always feel the need to watch over her. Especially since she can't drink that much. It was nearing 2:30am and we were just sitting down, resting. We decided it was time to leave so we got up and headed towards the door. As soon as we started walking, my wishes came true. The DJ started playing Kesha. This is what I had wanted for the entire night. I wanted Kesha the whole night and I finally got it. We spent about five more minutes until we grabbed a taxi outside and headed to Yonsei's Main Gate.

Minutes after the taxi left, Krissy noticed that her necklace was missing. It was an expensive necklace so I insisted that we go back to the club and look for it. We got into another cab, went back in the club and looked for it for about 10 minutes. We couldn't find it anywhere and the lights in the club weren't helping any. With no luck, the two of us tried looking for another taxi. All of them were rejecting us because Yonsei was too close by and they wanted more money. Krissy suggested we waited until 5:30am (2 hours later) until the next subway train came. Obviously, I wasn't going to do this so we kept searching until we finally found a cab that would take us back.

The taxi driver dropped us off near 딸기 and we headed towards the dorm. But then I thought it might be a good idea to check the Main Gate again to see if her necklace fell off when we were getting out of the taxi. She was reluctant to go back, but when I found ₩12,000 on the ground, I was in a good mood. We started walking back and she got tired. Eventually, she hopped on my back and I carried her most of the way to the Main Gate. The necklace was still nowhere to be found so we just gave up and walked back to SK Global, this time through the campus instead of on the street. I carried her for a while until eventually my legs started to give out. We took a few breaks, but she was still walking really slowly. At this point, it was about 4:30am and we had to get back. The next thing I know, she's wearing my shoes and I'm walking around campus in socks.

Before entered the lobby, she gave me my shoes back. We looked like such a mess walking in. My shoes were both untied. Her shoes were falling apart. And we were both completely exhausted. The night was finally over.

I feel really bad that she lost her necklace because she had it for a long time. It wasn't just some ordinary necklace either. It was really nice. But the only thing I could do was help her out and make sure she was okay. When we stopped to take a break from walking, she said she hoped that the necklace was broken because she didn't want anyone to have stolen it. I told her that the future love of her life probably has it now and will probably give it to her later. Then I told her that if it fell off on the dance floor, it probably belongs on the dance floor. Just like how Rose's necklace belonged in the ocean. It's sad, but it was gone and there's nothing to do about it now.

To be honest, the entire night made us much closer friends too. It's not everyday that I'll carry someone on my back just to find a lost necklace. But I feel like that's the way I do things when it comes to friendship. Last night I learned that even though I may not take care or watch over everyone, if I pick someone to stick by and help out, I will stick by that person no matter what is in his or her way.

And in a way, the entire situation was pretty hilarious. We were probably the hottest mess in Seoul last night. People were probably staring, but I could care less. I guess you have to have that kind of experience at least once in my life and it's something that I'm going to remember forever.

Day 47

Today while I was eating dinner, this little girl and I were waving back and forth to each other. When I was leaving, I turned back to wave goodbye and she says, "오빠! 안녕!"

I couldn't have asked for a better moment. <3

Day 39

This may be tmi, but I sat on a heated toilet today. It was awesome.

Day 38

Lesson: you can't always trust who you think you can trust. That's what I've recently learned. If I could take back everything that I said, I would. I would've kept my trap shut. But it's too late for that. There's nothing else I can do, except have better judgement.

That's what I realized on Saturday night at the Global Angels MT. It was interesting to see a more rural area of Korea and see how real Koreans party. I didn't have a really good time though because I wasn't in the mood. The entire time, I was worrying over a friend and my swollen, mosquito-bitten finger. I'm glad Krissy went though, or else I wouldn't have had anyone to talk to.

All I know is that I don't think I'll be going on any more MTs. At least not anytime soon. And definitely not to the rural island we went too. As much as I enjoy being in nature sometimes, I could never grow out of being a city boy.

Day 35

I've probably had an average of 5 hours of sleep for the past two weeks. And that's with action packed, tiring days. To save me time from thinking, I'm just gonna list most of what happened.

- learned how to play Starcraft

- sat down for hours watching Kpop shows

- watched the most rain I've ever seen in my life pour down

- cooked a dinner for Chuseok downstairs in the kitchen

- chased a Chuseok fairy

- did things my mother would be apprehensive of

- did laundry

But perhaps the most exciting thing was going to Lotte World! Lotte World is basically the Korean version of Disneyland. Most of the rides were ripoffs. Mickey and Minnie Mouse were morphed into Lotty and Lorry (Raccoon?). Pirates of the Caribbean turned into a Sindbad ride. Indiana Jones was Egyptian themed, but we found the entire cast of the Temple of Doom in another ride.

Are you sure we're supposed to be here Dr. Jones?

What amazes me about Lotte World is how everything is indoors. The entrance is literally in Jamsil station. And there about four different floors with different rides on each. It makes it pretty difficult to navigate, but I applaud the complexity.

There's even another area outdoors that has a similar castle to the one at Disneyland. To copy even more, Lotte World put the castle on their tickets, just like Disneyland does.

The best story of the day was my little tiff with Roger. While we were in line for the Atlantis roller coaster, he was being grumpy. When did decided who we would sit with on the ride, we ended up together. Unhappy with the seating arrangement, he sat with Kelsey instead. I decided to just shut my trap and enjoy the ride. Once everyone got strapped in and our car moved up towards the hill, Kelsey and Roger were talking in the row behind me and Karina.

"He didn't want to sit with me."

Umm... what? And that's when I turned around. The two of us started arguing. Kelsey told us to stop. She said she was about to cry. Karina got worried. And all of a sudden, the car just blasted us up the hill without any warning. The tension was broken (sort of) and I almost knocked my teeth out as my head whipped forward.

It was a pretty lol moment thinking back on it. He apologized later and the day ended with me shoving a taper into his ear in the middle of the supermarket aisle. Awkward.

Random Halloween castle. It's under a giant dome!

Ice skating rink

:'(

We all got some form of headgear. I <3>

Sleeping Beauty's Magic Island's Castle

These pictures aren't mine, but I enjoy them. (From Caitlin, Kelsey and Krissy)

Too cool

Popping bubbles courtesy of the girl in the skirt.

Mickey & Minnie Lotty & Lorry

:D

Day 25

The following was taken from my EAP Angel Report. I'm getting 1 unit for this, folks. It's about 9 units too little.

Sometimes, it's hard to accept that you're not meant for the job that you thought you would be for. When I saw that EAP Angels had a volunteer opening at the Ewha Women's University Childhood Center, I jumped at the opportunity. When I was in high school, I worked with kids ages 4 to 8 for three years. Working with young kids is something that I find very gratifying. I thought, “This is going to be really great.”

As soon as I walked into the door of the classroom, I realized that I was going to have my work cut out for me. The biggest difficulty, and the only difficulty was that my Korean language skills are extremely limited. I just started learning Korean in class just a few weeks ago. All the children were so young, which meant that their English skills were probably just as limited as my Korean skills were.

One thing that I find interesting about kids is that you'll never know what they're going to say next. It seemed like when I entered the classroom, I was entering another world. It was somewhat intimidating to be around them. All the kids were chattering away and I knew nothing. Even though I was older than them, I felt like a stranger who had no idea what was going on. It's frustrating when you're supposed to be helping someone, but you can't even understand the language. I tried my best to read books in English to them. We also made some rice cakes.

But as much of a stranger I felt, I also felt very welcome. To me, these kids were very different from the kids I was with during high school. They were much more well-behaved for their age. One boy would take me by the hand and show me to the bathroom. I thought that was really sweet, considering I'm a tall stranger who could have easily scared him. As a guy, I'm a pretty rare sight for these kids. In a way, that does make me feel somewhat useful, but I know that I have to do extra work in order for it to pay off. Although the first day was pretty frustrating, I'm still very determined to put everything I can into the job.

To be honest, I'm surprised I was able to get through the day without passing out. Last night, I attempted to get a cell phone. It was literally in my pocket, ready to be played with when they realized that I'm still a minor in Korea and can't have a cell phone under my name. Everything was extremely confusing because the workers barely spoke English, but they were really nice to use (i.e., they gave us a lot of free stuff, including a box of ramen). But the good news is that I can get someone else to open the contract for me. The workers made jokes that Krissy had to be like my mom. So I will be getting a phone soon. It's waiting in a bag for me at the store.

I also did one of my favorite things last night for the first time: have a conversation that lasts (almost) until sunrise. Frank and I had a pretty epic, monster-sized talk that lasted 5 hours. It didn't seem like that long, but I guess time and conversation fly by at the same rate. In the end, I slept at 5:30am and had to wake up at around 8:00am for my stressful volunteering job. I haven't slept since.

"Good looking people always get more attention."
"... Huh?"

Day 23

"사랑은 언제나 아이야이야 아 픔도 있는 거야."

Just thought I'd endorse this while I'm here. Their new album came out last week, as well as three new music videos. It's so much, but it's not enough! I need more!

But moving on to other things, I went rafting and cave exploring this weekend with EAP. The rafting was so much fun. The rain poured down on us and everyone was soaked before even stepping into the Donggang River. For the most part, it was a pretty calm paddle down the river, seeing a bunch of rocks that looked like animals. I wish the currents were more intense, but I realize that I still can't swim so I might not have done well. Either way, it was an amazing experience.

Rafting on (brown) water. Yayy!!!

After rafting, we stayed at a really nice Western hotel. It was only 2 per room and the beds were so comfortable. More comfortable than the brick that SK Global House gives us.

On Sunday, we went to the Hwaam. I expected it to be a more natural-looking cave sans the little mascot, but it was still interesting to look at.

omg so magical

The rest of the day consisted of a 5 course lunch. I think it was ₩50,000. I looked at the menu and the most expensive was almost ₩2,000,000! We then stopped at a small village where I bought new hi tops for only ₩20,000!

Day 20

I skipped class today so I could go to the 연고전 baseball game against Korea University. I don't regret skipping class at all, because it was really fun and exciting. It was more like a massive baseball dance party. Almost everyone was standing up, dancing nonstop. Even in the rain. everyone kept going. The game was really good too. The very last inning was tied. Korea was up at bat with bases loaded and two strikes. The last pitch was beautiful and it ended up in a tie.


Yayeveryonewins!!!1!!1

Such. heroes.

Day 18

Koreans dance in K-pop videos. Koreans dance in competitions. Koreans dance at concerts. Koreans dance while doing school cheers. Koreans. dance.

You'd think that a school would have only a few cheers for its sporting events, but no. Yonsei University has full-fledged song-length dances. My friends and I stumbled upon an auditorium after dinner. A bunch of students were practicing cheers for 연고존. Little did we know, we'd be getting a workout. Dancing, jumping, bouncing, etc. nonstop for about 30 minutes. I was exhausting. But it's truly amazing how much school spirit these people have. Their energy is amazing and I love it. I could never do that at UCI.

Last night, I grabbed a poster off a wall from a building. The poster is a bunch of pictures of the Yonsei hockey team. I'm not quite sure whether the poster was advertising the hockey game or the hockey team's skin, but it's too lol to pass up.

Day 15

Fyi, 15 is my favorite number. That makes this post special. Tyvm.

I went to noraebang for the first time last night for Roger's birthday. It was pretty awesome, considering I usually say I'm not a karaoke fan. My Wedding Dress dance was an epic fail, but at least I did it. I won't post any pictures on here though, cause the color of my face is dramatically different when I'm intoxicated... Not cute.

But this is.

<3

Sometimes, I wish I could watch all the things that go on at home. I know my grandfather probably wishes he could see me. You see, he's been sick with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It basically means that his nerve cells are giving out on him. He can barely move half of his entire body. There is no cure.

I didn't get teary eyed when I said goodbye to anybody. Not even my mom. But I did when I said goodbye to him because I could tell that he was too. It's sad to think of what he'll be like when I get back. He's an amazing person that doesn't deserve this. Everything I have is because of him. I probably wouldn't even be in Korea if he was not my grandfather. He's the greatest.

Day 13

I'm definitely liking all of my classes so far. Here's a breakdown of what I'm taking.

1. Political Communication

2. Law & Society

3. Korean Social Welfare

4. Intro to Music and Its Meaning

5. Beginning Korean

My schedule looked so beautiful with all five of these classes. I would start class at 11am everyday. And I would have a gap everyday before Beginning Korean. But after everyone displayed their concern, I decided that 19 units wasn't a good idea. I think I just wanted to have the perfect-looking schedule. If I kept the 19 units, I would start class everyday at 11am (with the exception of morning volunteering on Wednesdays). I would have a gap everyday before Beginning Korean and I would finish that at 6pm everyday. Sadly, I had to dismantle it, but I probably won't regret it. I pretty much have all of Monday free now.

Beginning Korean is an awesome class too. I have it everyday for two hours, but it flies by pretty fast. I feel like I'm in kindergarten again, learning my vowels and consonants. Intro to Music and Its Meaning is also really enjoyable. All we do is listen to classical music and learn about how different pieces are formed. Even though I don't know how to play it, the piano is my favorite instrument. It's really nice how my teacher has a keyboard in class and plays it to help us learn. I've always liked classical music, and now I'm getting into it even more. I'll be so sophisticated by the end of the semester.

Day 12

Sorry, I know this has nothing to do about my adventures in Korea. But I've always wanted to write about this and I'm in writing mode. Bear with me.

Get a Real Major

"Sociology... Umm... so that's sort of like Psychology, right?"

I'm always a little peeved whenever anyone disses Sociology, intentionally or unintentionally. Most people say it's a useless major, but they can't even tell you what it means or what students actually learn in a Sociology class. Well, I'll tell you. Sociology is the study of human society. How do we, as human beings, create the world we live in today? Not in the tangible aspect. But in the aspect of how we function together as interrelated parts? In the aspect of how we fall apart through conflict. In the aspect of how we symbolize and attach meanings to different things in the world.

Nobody ever seems to wonder about how our world works. Everyday, we just accept the lives we live and run with it. Sociology plays a role in our lives every single day and we fail to realize how important it is. Do you know why all the Black kids live in the same neighborhood? Have you ever felt awful for eating meat after learning what they do to farm animals?? Can you tell me the difference between Weber and Marx's theories???

Sorry, that wasn't quite fair.

"So what do you want to do with a Sociology major?"

Honestly, I haven't completely figured out what I want to do periods. I know I want to travel the world. I want to understand how different people live everyday. I didn't choose my major with the idea that I want to be a social worker. Many majors don't even relate to one's eventual profession. My dad majored in Accounting and now he works as a technician. My uncle majored in Chemistry and now he sells insurance.

All I know is that Sociology isn't necessarily going to be a dealmaker when it comes to finding a job in the future. It's not fancy or impressive-looking. But to me, it's a subject that I value very much. It has given me so much insight into the world. Before starting college, I was pretty naive and knew little about the world and its problems. All I could tell you was that genocide is undesirable and a wide spread of tuberculosis would be nasty.

If anything, Sociology has contributed more towards personal growth rather than my career. That's why I've never changed majors. I take the classes because I care about what they have to say. My professors merely present me with information. The learning for me comes afterwards. Sociology teaches me how to stand up for and defend what I believe in. To me, that's more important than constructing a molecule out of plastic.

"Oh!! Wait, what??"

Hey, if you still don't understand, I'm sure Intro to Sociology doesn't have any prerequisites.

Day 9

EAP definitely treats UC students like royalty. We get class counseling and best of all, free field trips. Today, we went to Hanok Village, which has a bunch of traditional houses. We got to wear traditional looking outfits and play tradition instruments. I got to play the changgo, which is a type of drum. It was quite fun, but exhausting when the guy made us go faster.

After that, we explored Hanok Village a little more, found a time capsule that wouldn't be opened until 2394 I think, and then went off to eat dinner. The meal was quite expensive, but since EAP pays for everything, I loved it. We sat down on the floor with pillows and ate really delicious bulgogi. Walking around town was pretty fun too. I saw the only Starbucks Coffee in the entire world that was written in a different language. I felt so triumphant, even though I walked past it 10 minutes before I found it.

Java Chip Frappuccino 주세요!

Finally, we went to the N Seoul Tower, on top of Namsan Mountain. It's a tall observation tower that overlooks the entire city of Seoul.

The view was quite a sight. It went around a full 360°. The weather was perfect too. No rain, no snow, no fog.

Twin Peaks who?

I also went to the Teddy Bear Museum. It was just a bunch of Teddy Bears dressed up like ancient Koreans. My mom would die in that place. She would need all of them for her collection at home.

Awww.

The city lights of Seoul were so amazing. The city is enormous. I definitely want to come back by the end of the year. To get back down the mountain, we rode a cable car.

Sidenote 1: I went to a Hello Kitty Cafe. Everything, down to the toilet, has Hello Kitty on it.

Meow.

Sidenote 2: I had a drink called "Orgasim" the other night. Sadly, it tasted far from orgasimic. Sadness.

Day 5

Don't walk. Walk faster.

I swear, all I've been doing in Korea is walk. It's incredible exercise. I kept wondering how Koreans can live long if they drink, smoke and eat beef all the time. But now I understand. They get so much exercise from walking everywhere.

And they walk so fast too. I rode the subway for the first time today. Once I got off at a stop, I look back and there's a Korean stampede coming my way. I had to walk so fast just so I wouldn't run into them. It's funny how they get on escalators too. If you want to stand, you have to stay on the right side. If you need to walk up the escalator, you're on the left side. Why can't Americans understand this concept??

Anyway, today I went a ₩7,900 KBBQ buffet. The lady who served us tried to speak to us in Korean, but nobody knew what she was saying. Apparently she felt most comfortable with me because I look the most Asian. She took my hand and brought me over to all the food and tried to explain to me everything. I liked her though! She was so nice to us. The fact that the total cost was less than $7 makes me feel like I get ripped off in Ktown or Cerittos. Especially when the service is less than impressive.

In other news, I got a volunteer job at Ewha Institute of Childhood Education. I get to interact with 3-5 year old Korean kids. I can teach them English, read them stories, play soccer with them, etc. It's once a week, every Wednesday and I'm extremely excited for it.

Day 2

"Haha. I cockfaced you."

It was just too funny!

That's all for now.

Day 1

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Korea! The only place where it's socially acceptable to get completely wasted. We hope you enjoyed your flight. Have a nice day!

Well, here I am. And after arriving at 4:20am, I had to sit around for about 3 more hours to wait for some friends and a taxi cab to pick us up. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, the humidity hit me and I was whining within seconds. (how typical :))

Anyway, here are some pictures of my dorm room.

It actually wasn't that clean when I walked in. Since we checked in when they opened, not all of the rooms were clean. My room was full of trash, flosspicks, hair and underwear. It was so disgusting, but the cleaning lady did come and fix everything. :) My view isn't as good as expected. I wish it was something more pretty, like an entire forest or something. All the rooms in here also have a phone, where we can call each other!

There are so many rules in this dorm. You have to separate trash and recyclables properly. You can't come home too drunk. The one thing that I don't like is that I'm not allowed to enter the female floors. If I do, I risk expulsion or something. I think it's quite unfair for the gays, but I'll have to deal.

Day 0/0: Korean Air Interlude

Welcome to Korean Airlines. Please fasten your seatbelt was we get ready for takeoff.

"Huh? Wait! I'm not ready yet!!"

Any carry-on items must be stowed in the overhead compartment or underneath the seat in front of you.

"No! Stop the plane! I can't leave yet. I barely had two days at home. I need some more time. Please!"

Sir, please take your seat.

"I don't even know what you're saying. I can't understand... T_T"

Like it or not, I'm already gone. As long as this flight has been, I actually feel like it's shorter than my flights to and from Boston. Probably because I have a screen in front of me, or that I actually fell asleep for about 7 hours.

Getting from SJC to LAX was odd because I had to take a tiny American Eagle jet, hop on a bus to the main terminal and walk my way to the International terminal. I felt like I was in Asia already. Now I'm on the biggest plane I've ever been on, without about 2 hours left.

The sky waitresses here are so nice and cute. The meals were also quite good. One of them was green tea jook! My blanket did have a little too much static, but overall, I'm very satisfied with this flight.

Day -1

Tomorrow is the day that I leave for Seoul.

Am I ready? How in the world can I be ready when I just shoved donuts in my mouth? I get back from a week-long adventure, only to be rushed onto another adventure. It's hectic, but that's the kind of thing I enjoy. Just not having a full day to recover takes its toll. The good news is though, all my clothes are neatly folded courtesy of Judy.

All I can hope for at this point is that I knock out cold for 12 hours while Korean Air carries me through the skies.

Day -14

How to Make a Student Visa Sandwich

Step 1. Gather all of your requirements at home and set off for the Korean Consulate.

Step 2. Get out of the car and walk from the parking lot to the building.

Step 3. Realize that you are missing your passport.

Step 4. Panic while looking for your passport on the street and underneath cars.

Step 5. Look through the rest of your papers, see the photocopied version of passport and realize that it's in the scanner at home.

Step 6. Drive home, retrieve passport and go back to the Korean Consulate.

Step 7. Hand in all the requirements to the lady at the Visa desk, only to have your picture rejected because it's not on photo paper.

Step 8. Call brother and tell him to print out a picture at home.

Step 9. Drive home and find that your brother is still sleeping. Proceed to make a copy on your own.

Step 10. Set off for the Korean Consulate again.

Step 11. Hand in all the requirements to the lady at the Visa desk again, only for her to tell you that personal checks are not accepted.

Step 12. Go to the nearby Wells Fargo and withdrawal cash.

Step 13. Hand in $45 to the lady.

Step 14. Go back on Monday and get your student visa.

Step 15. Enjoy!

Day -20

Oh my word. Just the last few days were so stressful. Here's the story. Last week, I went to Wells Fargo and I paid for my housing fees by wiring the money to Yonsei's bank. The one thing that I noticed when I was filling out the form was that there were two bank account numbers. There was one in the Yonsei Guidebook and one from the housing website. I didn't know which one to use, so my teller (conveniently named Alex Yu) told me to just use the one from the Guidebook. He said that they probably had more than one account and that it would be okay. I agreed and I sent the wire out.

A few days had passed and my account on the housing website said that it was still unpaid. I asked a few friends who wired the money and they got a confirmation because they used the account number from the website. At this point, I was freaking out because I had just paid $1,300 and it was now missing. Worried, I called the housing office at I-House, which was less than helpful.

"Mr. Yee. You must pay to account 264-388501-18887 by July 30. I will send you email and you must pay."

"But I did pay! Can you check the other account?? T.T"

"Thank you." *click*

So what do I do when I start to panic? Call my dad of course. He always seems to know someone who can help me. He got his Korean friend to call them up and fix everything for me and within a couple of hours, my account said paid. Talk about culture shock before even entering the foreign country...

Today is the last day of July. Tomorrow marks the first day of August, which, I think, will probably be the most chaotic month of my life. I don't even know what I'm doing sitting around right now.

Day -22

Seoul is just one of many places I want to see in my lifetime. I truly don't think my life will be complete without seeing some of these places. As you can see, I like making lists of things.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Originally a Hindu temple. The architecture of this place is amazing when you look at it up close. All the walls have some sort of figure carved in to them.

Sydney, Australia

I love Australian accents. I think it's one of the better looking metropolises of the world.

The Great Wall of China

My roots, I guess. There's a place called the Hanging Temple that I want to see too. It's literally a temple that's built on the side of a cliff.

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

My sister went to Egypt last month and I'm pretty jealous about it. These, along with the Nile River would be amazing to see (while riding a camel too).

Somewhere in Africa to go on a real African Safari

Imagine being within striking distance of a cheetah. It's scary to think about, but how cool would it be to see everything in The Lion King up close and personal?

Italy

Italy > France, imo. A day feeling like gladiators at the Roman Colosseum and a romantic night down a canal in Venice. It's perfect!

Mt. Everest, Nepal

I don't want to climb it, but I want to see just how tall 29,000 feet really is.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Built by the Incas on top of a mountain ridge. I love climbing up large mountains and this one just looks breathtaking.

Petra, Jordan

The ancient city that's made out of a bunch of rocks. I don't know how they did THAT, but it's pretty awesome.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

How epic is Christ the Redeemer overlooking the entire city? I've wanted to go hang gliding over Rio since I was 11.

Potala Palace, Tibet

The palace that all the Dalai Lamas used to live in, until the current one left. I don't know what it is about me and mountains. I just love them.

Toronto, Canada

I've said before that I would live in this city if I could and I still do.

Day -35

I'm sorry. As I said before, this blog is supposed to be dedicated to me studying abroad in Korea for the year. I just realized that I never explained the reasons why I'm studying abroad. Sure, the Korean music and beautiful celebrities can account for much of my intent. That's probably the reason why I specifically chose to go to Korea. But most people seem to be scared silly at the idea of leaving for an entire school year. So why me? Why did I decide to, of all things, live in another country for almost a full year?

Here's how it all started. Back in November, I was pretty much set on going to Korea for summer 2010. At the time, it seemed like the perfect choice. I would be able to get away and have an exciting time (compared to last summer's borefest). The program was about 6 weeks, so I figured it would be a nice, long vacation even if I had to do school work. Perfect, right??

It wasn't until mi amigo Christina came back from the EAP meeting (I missed it) to tell me how amazing it would be to study in Korea for a year. This is how it went down.

"omg, I want to go to Korea for a year!!"

"lol k. Umm... I'm probably just gonna go for the summer."

"Yeah, there's more time to play and have fun. You could enjoy the city life, get internships at MTV and eat at food carts every night."

"orly??"

And that had me thinking the whole night. I sat in bed wondering, what if I really did go abroad for the entire school year? It was actually a scary thought at first. I didn't even consider it because I had the idea in the back of my mind that I needed to be at UCI or else I'd be behind. But then I thought again... "I'm a Sociology major! What in the world would I need to be at UCI for? And what in the world am I going to do here at UCI that'll be way more exciting than living in Seoul??"

If I've learned one thing since the beginning of my sophomore year, it's that love to constantly be in new settings. Sure, it's nice to settle in one place for a while. But eventually, I usually find myself bored. I haven't even left for Korea, but I think my decision to go for a year was the right one because I know I wouldn't be happy if I had to be at UCI for a third year in a row.

So the next step for me was to look at the requirements to go for a full year. It couldn't be too hard, right?

"o_____o"

Now if you knew me in freshman year, you'd know that I wasn't particularly fond of sitting in the library and studying for hours on end. I don't even remember even setting foot in the library during freshman year. Of course, this led me to have a measly GPA of 2.8. Sure, I was *sort of* close to the minimum requirement, but it was still not going to cut it. If that wasn't bad enough, it was halfway through the quarter and I already had mediocre grades on my midterms. It wasn't looking good for me, but the next day I sat myself down at the library and began an epic 5-6 week-long studying spree.

I don't think I had ever studied that much in my life before. But the more I studied, the more I wanted boost my GPA to even APPLY for EAP. It was a scary thought to know that all my hopes and dreams would be smashed into smithereens if I choked on an exam.

In the end, my grades were more than enough to raise my overall GPA. I applied. I was accepted. I was happy. Now I just have to get there.

And on top of that, all the library time during fall quarter changed my studying habits tremendously. Who knew?