The Hongkongese Gang

I went out to the Seoul Tower last night with my Hongkongese friends. As usual, we had lots of fun. I don't know whether it's me being sensitive to laughters/jokes or me being lucky meeting funny people, but I always find my friends extraordinarily hilarious. The Hongkongese friends are big guys and look like big guys, but they do goofy things such as self picturing. It's been a while for me to be around by native Hongkongese. I find it very memorable. They even taught me some new Hongkongese words. 中伏 means falling into a trap. They use it when they visit a recommended sightseeing spot and find out the place isn't good. They are such a group of funny people.

The Goofy Us

Jessie and I decided to go to the Trickeye Museum in SangSu in the afternoon. It's a goofy place, but we enjoyed our trip. Starbucks in Korea makes different coffee. My favorite, ice Mocha, tastes a little bit sweeter here, compare to the one in the U.S. Just like the way I want it. Early dinner made us feel awkward in a restaurant. Waiter and waitress checked on us frequently to make sure we were served well. I guess it was good since we received extra care, but being stared at felt weird. It was another long day to me. I am so exhausted, and school starts tomorrow again. Zzzzz....

My Korean Face

People told me I looked like a Korean, in the subway, on the street, and in the market. Many people approached me for directions or to retail. Although I am thrilled  when people misunderstand my Asian face, I have no choice but answer "No Korean." I wish I can speak fluent Korean so that I can pretend one of them. I went to Chonggye stream on Friday night and hung out with Jiyuen near SeoHyun on Saturday. Chonggye stream area is mostly for couples at night. People hug, kiss, and even make out there. My friend, Roy, and I made fun of those pervert couples. I guess I wasn't acting much like a Korean, and we almost got into trouble. Laugh out loud! Jiyuen lives in a suburban area in Korea. I don't know if it is considered within Seoul, but it looks very different from other places that I have been to in Korea. We were planning to watch people do bungee jump, but the place decided to close for a day. We then walked around the park and journeyed to more places. It was an exhausting week, and I should get some rest on Sunday. Ugh, but laundry is waiting for me. >.<

Raining Season

It has been pouring rain all day. An advisable suggestion for a traveller would be researching a city's weather before departure. I had to run in the rain because I forgot my umbrella this morning. Semi is a very nice person. She let me use her backup umbrella which was kinda for her boyfriend. I think I have been meeting many friendly, welcoming people in Korea. Semi, Kyong A, Jemin and Hyeran are the ones I am close with. We always have lunch together and hang out after class. The field trip for the second week was Lotte World, the biggest amusement park in Korea (maybe in Asia). Jemin is our 오빠, big brother, but he lied a lot. He repeatedly told me that the roller coaster there was not scary at all, and I fell for it. My neck is so sore now because of the too much fun I had. Waiting in line for every attraction was time consuming. We all soon got into a lying game called "where are you from." It's basically answering the question as quickly as possible with a whole bunch of lies. At the end, I became a Nigerian who turned white after staying in the U.S. for too long. Semi became Egyptian, Kyong A became Indian, Jessie became Laotian, and Jemin was North Korean. I got some other new friends into the game too, but they were not as good as us. Wahahahaha! My neck is still hurting. I really hope I feel better tomorrow.

Meeting Old Friends

A random Facebook picture or comment may reconnect two old friends from freshman year. Eun Byung and I used to live on the same floor in the dorm about three years ago. We never really hung out or talked, and I didn't even remember his name until tonight. We first went to a restaurant for dinner and a coffee shop to catch up. Time has changed people. I am glad my friend is so much better than ever. I find it very fascinating that two old friends get to meet up again on the other side of the world. It doesn't happen to me often, and I cherish the little connections between me and my friends. Three years later, I had changed, and so did my friend. Am I going to change more in another three years? I am very curious.

Something New

My class in Korea is technically easy. No tests, but one presentation and one paper due at the end with four other people. I met more new friends in my class. They can speak apparently better English than the ones I have been hanging out with, which means less body language is required throughout the conversations. For some reason, I prefer simple, funny talks. When the food is good, we put out two thumbs; when I want to tell I like my friends, I first point at myself and the people I like, then shape a heart with two hands. It sounds goofy, but it's Korean-ly cute! After meeting more people from different backgrounds, I now realize how big the world is. I was always fussing about my living environment, food, and even people, but now all these have been very unnecessary to me because I shouldn't be restricted within a small world concerning every little detail in my life. There are too many things to see, to explore, and to experience. I thank whoever contributed in my life and changed my life. You have no idea how much I enjoy my life now. Chilling.

Second Week of My Korea Trip

I have been so busy hanging out and exploring Seoul with friends in the past few days. I went to Gang Nam to meet up with an old friend, JiYeun, on Saturday and Myeong Dong to shop like a Korean with Jessie on Sunday. Gang Nam is more like a shopping place for Korean young adults, and Myeong Dong has been dominated by Chinese. I bought a few things, such as makeups and Korean glasses. You can tell I am trying really hard to fit in this foreign country. Smiley! Following the end of first week, classes start today in the morning. Some of my new friends are taking the same class with me, International Economics. Hopefully I will get to hang out with them some more after class.