So today I found out that Osama bin Laden was killed! That is so crazy! I thought someone was playing a joke until I saw President Obama’s speech online. Oh my goodness!! It’s unbelievable!
Korean news on Osama bin Laden’s death.
Today was the day that the study abroad group was supposed to meet up at the Seoul, South Korea temple. It didn’t matter what time we could arrive there because Professor Peterson wouldn’t be getting into Korea until midnight or so. Since I had some time, Aunt Sookhee 숙희 이모 and her dear friend took me around to see more parts of Seoul 서울. She had to attend a seminar at Konkuk University 건국대학교 first so I walked around their campus and then went to the Lotte department store 롯테백화점 (department store=bae-kwa-johm). I thought Konkuk University 건국대학교’s campus was beautiful but since I didn’t have any business there, I just walked around and then went to the department store. But this part is really cool, Minho Choi 최민호 from SHINee 샤이니, that’s right, goes to college here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I should have peeked inside their Fine Arts departments just to see if he was there. But he wouldn’t be since he’s with SM Entertainment in Europe…..boo…….
Konkuk University 건국대학교
Campus.
Lotte department store 롯테백화점 is really close to Konkuk University 건국대학교 so I just walked there. This department store has everything but I think I prefer the Coex Building 코엑스 빌딩 and Hyundai department store 현대백화점 but Lotte was still pretty cool. It’s hard to take photos in the department stores but I tried my best. They have the cutest brands there! I found so many stylish things. Ugh, too bad it would wipe a chunk of my bank account if I bought one thing there. I’m absolutely in love with the brand “Jiggot” and “Bombyx R. Moore”! So darling! These brands make Anthropologie seem cheap! Also, I believe that the Korean drama Secret Garden 시크릿 가든 was filmed in some areas because the store’s logos and trademarks are very similar. I was so exhausted that I took a nap on the top floor. It wasn’t very comfortable but I can sleep anywhere luckily. I did happen to get a few pictures there but I had to be sneaky. I tried to take a few photos of the clothes I tried on but it just so happens that the stores I went to just happened to have no mirrors in their dressing rooms….yeah weird… But anyways, it was a lot of fun going shopping (more like window shopping haha)!
Walking to Lotte department store 롯테백화점. The weather was so beautiful!
I think this was the 3rd or 4th floor.
So cute! I fell in love with this place.
Ok, now that was just creepy. Mannequins are already odd but that was just scary.
After Aunt Sookhee 숙희 이모’s seminar, she took me back home to pack and then drove me to the temple where I would be meeting the other students for the study abroad. However, we didn’t have to arrive at a designated time and the traffic was pretty crowded and so we decided to do a little more sightseeing and then leave later. She picked up her childhood/school friend who I met the other day and we went to her friend’s university, Ewha Womans University 이화여자대학교. Their campus was really cool to visit as well! I love visiting the universities here; surprisingly it’s pretty fun! I still need to visit Yonsei University연세대학교and a couple others. The buildings are kind of interesting. There’s this big wide open space with what looks like just walls are actually entrances into buildings. I can’t explain it very well but you’ll see what I mean below. The numbers are doors/entrances to levels and floors. It’s cool because it doesn’t look like a building at first but it very much is a building. We went into their bookstore to take a look and haha just like Young Min 영민 and Ji-Young 지영, they bought a gift for me behind my back. Man, I need to get good at spotting them before they do it! They bought me this little study pad, I guess you could call it. It had a mini notebook, pens, post-it notes and tabs. Korea LOVES paper products and study materials and they’re cute too haha. I think I better stock up because I can’t find anything similar in Utah and for that cheap; at least not that I’ve seen. Haha never would I have ever thought about getting crazy over buying something like that before. Korea’s craze is slowly sinking into my mindset and blood….muahahaha…..haha….ok that’s enough of that.
Ewha Womans University 이화여자대학교.
Isn’t that pretty? It looks like the Eastern coast.
Aunt Sookhee 숙희 이모.
Here is what I tried to describe earlier. The numbers are the floors to the building. Interesting huh?
These stairs were pretty steep.
After looking around, we went to 이대앞 (ee-dae-ahp) which is just an area that has shopping, restaurants, and fun things to do close to the university. It was close to dinner time so they took me to this restaurant called haha get this “Original” 오리지날 because this restaurant has been around since the university was built. It hasn’t changed a lot since it was built and so they thought it would be fun. The food was pretty good but oh my gosh; I get full so fast here. It’s like once I got off the plane, my stomach shrunk to the size of a toothpick. I got 돈까스 (don-gga-seu) which the closest thing that I can describe it to is a pork cutlet. It’s really good and so if you’re a picky eater, this is pretty safe and good to eat. J I can’t remember what the other thing is called that we got but it was good too; spicy but delicious. Mom, you’ve made it before I’m sure so let me know what it is. So many names are coming to my head but if a Korean saw what I was trying to name it, they would laugh so I’m not going to try to name it and wait for you to tell me. After dinner, we went shopping around at the stores. I’m super picky when it comes to shoe shopping because I hardly find something that I like but holy cow! Korea is so creepy in the sense that I think they knew what I liked and I saw so much that appealed to me. Haha, another funny thing is that most of them were high heels. Does that say “Julianne, Julianne, Julianne” or what? As were walking, I saw this face/cosmetics store that had a Nichkhun 닉쿤 from 2PM life size cut-out out front. I just wanted a picture by it but then we went inside to see what they had. I heard about BB Cream from commercials saying that most women use it when they don’t want to use makeup but cover up their skin. I tried some and that stuff is amazing! It looks like foundation but it’s not. It’s really light and it covers up well. I think I might invest in some. Aunt Sookhee 숙희 이모 got a membership there but in the end, she gave me the card which had Nichkhun 닉쿤’s face on it! Now I have to get something there; J haha lol.
이대앞 (ee-dae-ahp).
Shopping.
There were lots of cool things inside.
Original Restaurant 오리지날 부식.
Pork Cutlet 돈까스. So good!
The other dish that we got that I can’t remember the name of at this moment. But seriously so good; it’s wasn’t finished cooking so that’s why everything looks like it’s in piles.
Sweet potato/고구마 (go-goo-mah). My new favorite vegetable. ^^
So much food…………… we got full really fast.
I was just a BIT twitterpated to see Nichkhun 닉쿤. He’s only just the best looking Thai person ever! J
This is for you mom. Here are two of your most favorite things: Micky Yoochun 믹키유천 (the one on the right) and things on sale. Tee hee hee J
the DISH.
Gelato.
After a fun filled day, I went to the temple where everyone was meeting up for the study abroad. The Seoul, South Korea temple is pretty much impossible to find. It’s hidden a ways back that a GPS is necessary. It’s pretty secluded whereas temples in Utah are out in the open; almost a landmark. It’s so beautiful. The temple is very Korean with the architecture, furniture, interior, etc. but that same spirit is there. It’s a pretty small temple but so beautiful. The first time I met the temple president, I thought he was intimidating and scary. But he’s pretty nice. Professor Peterson didn’t arrive until midnight and the temple president didn’t like the idea that the boys and girls would be staying in the same building without our director here so he had the boys stay in the actual temple house and sent the girls to the dormitories. The dormitories are really nice! I didn’t get many pictures of the dormitories because it was late and I was tired.
Here’s my aunt’s childhood friend. She was so sweet to me and so fun! Also in the background are the dormitories. You can’t see it very well but we slept and lived well in those dormitories.
Ugh, I don’t feel like studying now because Korea is a party! Not ready to get serious yet. However, I’m reading to become more proficient in the language and more knowledgeable about the history and culture. Korea is so much fun. I think I’ve adjusted well. I haven’t felt culture shock here at all. In fact, I’ve settled in and adjusted very well. Haha in fact, if I see a white person, the thought comes to mind, “Woah! It’s a white person!” I think when I go back home, then I’ll feel culture shock. I was on facebook the other day and now white people are starting to all look the same! Haha yes, I’m quite aware they don’t all look the same. But for a while, I was like, “they all look like Barbies!” hahaha. Whenever I see Korean people now, I can tell they’re Korean but they look different enough to me from other Koreans. Haha, isn’t the cool or what? Korea has been the best experience yet so far. No regrets whatsoever!
I wanted to try out how my camera took pictures. Didn’t this picture turn out well? Haha, doesn’t this picture look like something that would be on a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD? I can see it now.
This is kind of how I feel among the Koreans. Not quite purple (Korean).
