June 27, 2011 I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane!! Goodbye Korea!!

The dreaded day has finally come. :-(  Yes I've missed the internet, my cell phone, friends, and family but not yet!!! I can't leave already!  지현 Jihyeon took me and 할아버지 to a 갈비 kalbi/super good Korean beef restaurant.

Another sad part was since 할아버지 grandpa had to go to work back down south west, he pretty much left without saying goodbye.  :-(  I think it's because he knows he'll see me again for Jeanie's wedding but still!  I was sad.  지현 Jihyeon dropped me off and I went to go park.  She told me to wait but I had to go since my flight was leaving in an hour!  We got there a little late and I was nervous.  As much as I love Korea, I couldn't be stuck here.  I had to go home.  I wasn't able to contact her where I was in the airport since I didn't have the cell phone anymore.  When you don't have a cell phone, it's super scary and add a foreign country....ah!!  I was able to find where I needed to check in and 지현 Jihyeon found me.

Can I just say I love Korea's airport?  It really is the best.  They're so fast, know English with a smile, and are respectful.  It's also nice here too.  It's no wonder it's ranked #1 in the world.  After I checked in, I went to go through security and they said that my carry on was too heavy.  This freaked me out because I'm running late and I need to bring everything back.  I went back to check in and they just put it with my other suitcase and I was off to go.  Wow, they're smart.  I said goodbye to 지현 Jihyeon and I was on my way to home.

I think they had better food on the plane ride to Korea but it was still good.  I felt more tired on the plane ride home since it was always dark outside.  Since I'm flying west, it's like that.  The passenger next to me was very nice and he went to Korea on a backpacking trip with some friends and we ended up talking for many hours.

Ok, I hate the San Francisco airport service.  It's terrible.  They're employees are rude.  I had a hard time putting my suitcase on the conveyor belt for security and the security guard just stared at me, wouldn't help me, and said, "Use gravity to push it up."  What's that supposed to mean?  I'm trying to do my job and you're not helping me out.  You're holding up the line because you won't help me.  You have to check my bag anyways so why won't you do your job properly?  Grrr...... And oh domestic flights.....how tiny you are......

I got home safely in one piece as well as my luggage.  At first I couldn't find it but I guess it came before our flight and they put it in lost and found so I got it.  It was so good to see the family.  Minus Jeanie though since she's still in Fiji.  Wow, America or at least Utah, is soo different than Korea.  There's not as many lights compared to Korea or high buildings.  Wow, how did my mother survive all these years?  How did I?

When I got home, this awaited for me.  Awww....I just love my family.  I miss Korea and it's good to be home.  Wow, what an incredible journey this has been!

June 24-26, 2011 Back to 할아버지!!

As much as I was excited to go back to 할아버지 grandpa, I was sad to leave Shawn's.  Even though I couldn't do much there for being sick, I have loved everyone I have stayed with.  지현 Jihyeon picked me up and we drove for a while to 남양주 Namyangju where I stayed the first time.  It was so good to see 할아버지 grandpa again!

Sadly, I haven't been able to do much with him.  He can't speak English and so it's still hard to communicate what we could do.  지현 Jihyeon can't take us anywhere since she's busy with work.  He really wanted me to meet my cousin 채연 Chaeyeon but she lives in 서울 Seoul and we're both not sure how to get there.  So 할아버지 grandpa has been frustrated lately.

We all went to 포천 Pocheon where my 할머니 grandmother's grave is.  This place is beautiful and so green!

It's my last day here in Korea!! :-(  I got to do so much and it's been life changing.  Every stress, tear, worry, anxiety has been worth it.  I could spend a few more months here honestly.  I'm really sad to go back.  I do miss my family and friends but Korea, you will always be in my heart.  I can never truly express how grateful I am for the experience.  My heart is overflowing with joy and happiness for everything.

June 21-23, 2011 Shawn's House

I feel so bad for Shawn's mother.  Here you are hosting someone from America and they show up to your house sick the whole time.  I couldn't sleep very well for a couple reasons:

1. I'm sick and so I'm running from my bedroom to the bathroom.
2. It's the beginning of the rainy season and so it's very damp and humid. It's so humid you can feel it inside.  Yuck.

I sat in my bed all day and studied and watched dramas.  I couldn't do much.  I couldn't even eat or I would feel sick.  Even the smell of food made me nauseous.  It's not the food but when you're sick, everything is sensitive.  I guess I got sick at the right time because when it's the rainy season, it's hard to do anything.  Could you imagine summer where you're supposed to be playing outside, enjoying the weather, and instead it's raining the whole time. Bummer. There wasn't any good dramas uploaded or being shown right now so that was another bummer.

I felt a little better the next day but I couldn't stand or walk for a long time or I would get nauseous.  They took me shopping at a department store but it was difficult since I would get nauseous.  Wow, I guess it takes some strength to go shopping haha.  Then Shawn and I went to see "Green Lantern" at the movie theater. I felt better during the movie.  I think it's because I got to sit down, relax, and just watch a movie where it doesn't take much thinking.  But somehow shopping does.....?  Beats me!  But wow, "Green Lantern" was awesome!  I love Ryan Reynolds!  While we were waiting for the movie to start, I saw the funniest commercial!  I couldn't stop laughing.  I love Korea and their commercials.

Here's a better quality version

It's still raining and it feels really humid.  I love the rain but wow, it feels like you will never dry up.  I feel like I can a bit more now.  I can eat anything that has a strong smell.  So x-ay on Korean food.  :-(  I did more or less the same thing as two days ago.  Study, sleep, watch dramas, repeat.  Way to celebrate or soak up the last week here in Korea huh?

June 20, 2011 청와대, 북한산, 남대문시장, 멀리

Only one more week left!  :-(  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today started out as a good day and then it went downhill.  You're thinking how could things go wrong in a wonderful place like Korea?  Today was the day.  It was extremely hot.  You wait outside for 3 minutes and you're sweating.  I'm not from a humid place so it was harder for me.  재원 Jaewon was so nice to take me around today again out of her busy schedule.  She doesn't get days off and so for her to take time out of her schedule is a huge blessing.  Benjamin was still in town so we met up and Jonathan Wright from Korean class came to visit for a few weeks and so we all met up.  재원 Jaewon kindly bought us lunch and then we wanted to see 청와대 Cheongwadae/The Blue House which is Korea's version of the White House and it's where the President of Korea lives.  We saw the outside briefly because it's heavily guarded by security and so we couldn't get close.

It's called 청와대 Cheongwadae/The Blue House because the roof tiles are blue.  Go figure!  It literally means "pavillion of blue tiles."  We hiked this place called 북한산 Bukhansan (boo-kahn-sahn) Bukhan Mountain but not all the way since it was really hot.  It's a major landmark for hiking, bird watcing, and rock climbing.  It was so hot outside that our cold water bottles were boiling.  Ugh..... As we were walking around and enjoying the scenery, I wasn't feeling too well but I thought that it was just the heat and that I was uncomfortable. 

북한산

북한산

북한산

북한산

북한산

I wanted to check out 남대문시장 Namdaemunsijang/South Gate market.  Man, I love street shopping.  You don't see a lot back home so it was refreshing.  I loved the fruit on sticks they would sell.  Big chunks of watermelon and pineapple along with other fruits looked even more amazing because of the heat. 

Cute little 한복!!

What on earth does that mean??  I think they're trying to say "FITS ALL 16" KIDS" but do you know of any 16" kids?? 

I said goodbye to Benjamin and Jonathan since I was leaving tonight to go to Shawn's house (he was a neighbor of mine back home and he's in Korea now).  I loved 재원 Jaewon and her family so much.  They've treated me so well here.  Already, I've built wonderful memories with them.  Just last night, we were all eating dinner together and 재원 Jaewon's youngest child can speak with an American accent really well and I mean really well.  I was so surprised.  He would say English words that most Koreans would have trouble pronouncing correctly.  So 재원 Jaewon's husband would say an English word with his best American accent and then the son would say it.  Of course, because he's younger, the son was better. As they kept trying it out, they asked me, "Julianne, who's better?"  I didn't want to make 재원 Jaewon's husband lose face so I just said, "I need to eat my dinner" and that set it off.  They were laughing HYSTERICALLY at that.  They couldn't stop laughing and thought that was so witty and clever.  I'm going to miss them so much.  It's with every family I've been with here, including the study abroad family.  I grow attached to them and love them so much.  Each of them have sacrificed so much for me to be here.  Especially 재원 Jaewon, it was so great.  Getting to be your mom's best friend is really neat. 

재원의 가족 Jaewon's family!

Now it's time to go to 성남시 Seongnam!  But then trouble hit.  As we were driving, I felt really sick and my stomach was killing me.  We pulled over and man explaining what's wrong with you when you're sick really sucks if you can't explain it properly in another language.  재원 Jaewon and her husband thought I needed to go to the hospital but it wasn't that bad to go to the hospital.  Sure, I felt like dying but not to the extent of going to the hosptial.  If you know how I deal with sickness or pain, you know I'm telling the truth.  I got some fresh air as we pulled over and they made me do some stretching exercises.....Haha interesting but it helped a bit.  We finally reached Shawn's house.  It's a good thing it's the closest city to 서울 Seoul or I would have been miserable.  When I got to his house, it hit me again.  I sat by the toilet for hours and during the middle of the night I made frequent trips.....Way to put a damper on the last week in Korea.  I feel bad for Shawn's mom.  She's so generous to let me in her home and now she's taking care of a sick person.  :-(