May 14, 2011 Another Day Added to the "Best Days of Korea" Category

Today was so much fun!  We went to 인제대학교 Inje University to meet up with 박현준 Hyun Joon.  We practiced Korean with him and then we decided to grab some lunch.  We went out to 대박집 Dae-bahk-jeep which was close to the campus.  We ordered some 삼겹살 Sahm-kyuhp-sal which pretty much made my day.  :-)  If you have never tried Korean food, this is what you need to try: 갈비 Kalbi, 삼겹살 Sahm-kyuhp-sal, and 곰탕/설러탕 Gohm-tahng or Solo-tahng.  Incredible!  The lunch didn't turn out to be very filling but it was delicious.

대박집 Restaurant of glory 삼겹살!

OH BABY!!!!!

As you can see, we're all gone here because after this meal, we died and went to heaven :-)

After lunch, everyone wanted to do their own thing except me and Michelle.  We still wanted to do stuff with 박현준 Hyun Joon.  So Michelle and I went with 박현준 Hyun Joon and looked around what was in town and then studied at the university.  We went out to Baskin Robbins and got this huge bucket of ice cream!  It was worth like $15!  We got 4 flavors but Michelle and I ended up eating most of it.  I don't think 박현준 Hyun Joon was that hungry.  Ice cream is still amazing after eating Korean food.  :-)

You think that's huge?  Yeah, you're not imagining anything.  That's real.

We killed it!  This is real too.  We ate all of it. 

박현준 Hyun Joon, Michelle and I at Baskin Robbins

박현준 Hyun Joon decided that he would take another photo of me and Michelle.

He said the other one didn't turn out and would take one again....haha

We thought he was finished

We had a hard time smiling the whole long time that we bursted into laughter.

After ice cream, we went back to the university, found a bench outside, and studied.  After a while of being there, a couple students came up to us and was wondering if they could film us chatting to each other.  They said it was for a group project or assignment or something.  After they filmed us, they left but then they returned after a few minutes.  One of them came up to me and was talking in Korean but none of it made sense but I guess everyone else understood.  Michelle and 박현준 Hyun Joon just looked at me and then said, "Well, are you?"  I'm thinking, "Am I what?  Huh?"  Michelle and 박현준 Hyun Joon said, "He's wondering if you would like to be a model for their next assignment for filming?"  They explained that it was a homework assignment and since we would be at the university a lot I said sure.  Since today really was nothing I thought it'd be ok.  The director and I exchanged numbers, his name is 오효섭 Oh Hyo Seop.  Now that I told you that story, remember it for the end.  Hahaha.....

We went home to meet up with the others to go to 노래방 Karaoke!  Since my birthday is on Monday, we won't be able to do anything on that day because we're supposed to go to FHE at the branch.  :-(  So, we decided that we would go tonight.  We invited 박현준 Hyun Joon but he had to leave for 부산 Busan tonight so he declined. 

We went to a 노래방 Karaoke room nearby after dinner and it was soooo much fun!  We're still talking about this memory.  I didn't know how this would go down because although many Americans love karaoke, people are still conscious of their singing so I didn't know how this would turn out.  However, it turned out amazing!!  We had so much fun with each other and we've never laughed so hard in our entire lives!  Everyone did a great job!  I took a couple videos but they're just for our eyes for personal reasons :-)  But don't worry, I've giving you the best one below.  I got pictures of everyone except Rachael and Benjamin singing but they sang and they did very well!

노래방!  Everyone plus Benjamin but he's taking the picture!  Me, Michelle, Kenwood, Victoria, Rachael, Juni, and Stephen.

Michelle

Juni with tambs

Stephen

Juni

Kenwood

Me.  I'm surprised that I got up and did this because I'm not one into karaoke that much but coming to Korea, it's not that bad anymore haha.

Victoria

MUST SEE VIDEO!  This is us singing "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake.  Everytime we watch this, we're dying of laughter.  Especially at the person recording this and screaming and making faces.  :-)  Might I add too, what's really "Take it the chorus" in the lyrics, I thought the lyrics said, "Take it the corner."  Hahaha lol.  

 

PLEASE WATCH THIS TOO!!!  So, after 노래방 karaoke, I found this video on YouTube that I couldn't help but notice similarities between this video and our 노래방 video.  Check out the video at 7:23 and you'll see exactly what I mean!!  I told everyone else to watch it and we were passing out because we were laughing so hard!  But watch the whole video as well; it's in English subtitles so if you don't know Korean you can follow along.  I thought all of it was hilarious!

After 노래방 karaoke, we went home and pretty much had a laptop party haha.  Also, this is where you need to remember the filming story I told earlier.  So here it goes.  All of a sudden, I get this text from 오효섭 Oh Hyo Seop that said this, "아니예요.  촬영보다 친하게 지내고 싶네요 ㅋ 혹시 궁금한거나 그러면 연락하셔도되요."  That translates into "Rather than filming, I just want to spend time together.  If you have any questions about Korea let me know."  Haha, um wow, that wasn't forward at all (hint my sarcasm?)  I showed it to Kenwood and Juni to make sure I understood right and they were shocked too.  At first, they were laughing while reading it but then they got this serious look on their face.  Then everyone else saw it and it got loud.  "Are you going to do it?  Is he cute?  What are you going to do?  Are you going to respond?"  And I said, "There's no way.  I'm not going to respond.  Even though I met saw him today, I don't remember his face that well.  I realize now that what we thought was going to be a little project, I should be more cautious."  Then Benjamin said the best thing, "Julianne, he just wants a green card!"  After that, everyone bursted into laughter for a good 5 minutes.  Haha we all thought in the beginning it was nothing but it's turned out to be otherwise.  Well, he hasn't contacted since and good thing it was a temporary number.  But still, lesson learned. 

Korea has been so much fun and especially today, I felt we all got closer to each other. 

May 13, 2011 인제대학교 Inje University

We started the day off with our culture and language classes.  Man, I feel like I don't know worth squat about Korea.  In class, I swear everyone else knows what's going on and I'm a deer in the headlights.  I'm sitting in class going, "Wait, who's that?  What happened?  Huh?"  I hope that my understanding will be soldified by the end of this study abroad.  I'm reading Dr. Peterson's book on the history of Korea which has helped out a bit along the way.  :-)

After class, we went to 인제대학교 Inje University where we will get to attend a few classes and use some of their resources for the study abroad (library, etc.).  I really looked forward to this because of the students that we will meet.  I loved the Korean students at the ELC and so I thought this would be just as fun.  We got to see various parts of the campus.  We got library cards and visited the president of the university.  That was pretty neat.  Regarding presidents of universities, it's a democracy where as in America it's not democratic in its selection.  I thought that was pretty interesting when they told us that.  After, Dr. Peterson had to give a lecture at Dr. Park's class, the man who we met on the bus coming down here.  We got to meet his students for a little bit.  Dr. Peterson gave him lecture which was in  Korean.  It was a bit hard to pay attention because my head hurt so I laid down and slept during the lecture. 

After the lecture, Dr. Park treated us to lunch at their cafeteria.  They tried to make us sit with someone not from our study abroad group (so every person could meet someone new).  Well, that plan didn't work out.  We were all willing to try it but I think Dr. Park's students were too shy that only 2 students actually followed what they asked us to do.  Across from me was a student named 박현준 Park Hyun Joon.  He's from 제주도 Jeju Island (jeju-doh) which is Korea's Hawaii they say.  He's the first person I've met from 제주도 Jeju Island. It was good Korean practice.  During the lecture, we were all laughing inside because he had the same jacket as Kenwood that day!  And then he comes and sits next to us!  We couldn't help but laugh inside.  :-)  현준 Hyun Joon is really nice and wants to do stuff with us.  We're planning on hanging out tomorrow and studying as well.

Dr. Park's class

Kenwood, Victoria, and 박현준 Hyun Joon.  They couldn't stop laughing when we were taking this photo because they're wearing the same jacket. 

I'm adjusting to 김해 Gimhae even though I miss 서울 Seoul.  I thought the dialect would be really strong down here but it hasn't been bad.  In fact, most people nowadays are trying to hide their dialect (which they're really good at).  I'm excited for tomorrow!  I wonder what we'll do with 현준 Hyun Joon!