The email I wrote my host parents and dong-hyeok was all in Korean. VERY basic Korean.I basically introduced my self by saying some of my favorite things and that I was going to college next year. I had my best friend Yena translate a sentence or two about that I was leaving for NYC in a couple of days and then off to Korea.
I made one major mistake though. I was trying to look up how to say Mr and Mrs in Korean. I trusted the first site I found since I thought Yena would make sure I did everything close to right before I sent it. The site to add ? and ? I think to the end of their last names. Yena texts me back like maybe ten minutes after she sends me back my corrected email that ? and ? are for people younger than you. BUT THE THING IS I DO NOT GET THIS TEXT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY since I leave my phone on silent. At this point I am like OMG KAJDSFKL;ADSFJAKLS;DFJASDKLF I JUST DISRESPECTED MY HOST FATHER AND HOST MOTHER. THEY ARE ALREADY RECEIVED THIS EMAIL. AHH MY HOST FAMILY WILL DISOWN ME BEFORE I EVEN GET THERE. yeah so I scramble to write a reply email in ENGLISH so there is no mistakes. I felt sooo bad since respect is such a large part of Korean cultures and the Korean language emphasizes it so much.
The email I got back from my host dad is like way over my Korean knowledge. I understood some words and like two sentences but the rest i was kind of like o_O. However, I did try to google translate some of it. I think I got the basic gist of it.
He said my Korean was very good. He said Korean is a hard language so it is okay that I made a mistake. He was surprised how good my Korean was for an American. But then he started talking about food? From what I got from google translator, it was like Korean food is very different. You need to be open to talking about it. WAIT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT MY DIFFICULTIES WITH FOOD? Google translator I think you may have failed me. I need to ask Yena about this part. I think it would make more sense later that I need to be open to practicing my Korean. he also said something about having a safe trip and being careful. wooo thank you host ?? for a wonderful email.
I didn’t go to work today because of the bad (bed) weather. Since I’ve got nothing to do and all the shows I regularly watch are currently on season break (except for Pretty Little Liars), I decided to download Marry Me, Mary and give it a try. I don’t really know the stars of the drama except for the Coffee Prince barista but the 3 of them kind of grow on you as the show progresses (I don’t really like the other girl :|). I’ve only watched 2 episodes but it’s pretty good so far.
What really caught my attention though were the places that I’ve actually been to! Most scenes were shot in Hongdae which is the entertainment area and clubbing district in Seoul. We went there not for the night life but for Babtol’s since one of our friends was a big Super Junior fan so we tagged along to support her fangirling (side note: we actually met Yesung’s eomeoni and I don’t even know Yesung and the rest of SuJu ;p). What I didn’t know was that Hongdae is also known for being the nation’s capital of underground rock music community - probably the reason why Moo Kyul is always there. Here is one scene that made me sit straight up when I saw it because this place is pretty unforgettable for me and my bestie:
Hello Kitty Cafe - I love their coffee art and the free wifi of course!
A smaller branch of the Coffee Prince cafe - not the one in the drama though. Tip for tourists: there are 2 Coffee Prince cafes in Hongdae! Their coffee is delicious but a bit pricey.
We passed by this road quite a few times when my bestie and I got lost in Hongdae one bitter cold winter night (while looking for a dog cafe lol) before our friend Karen came to our rescue and fetched us at the Tourist Information Center.
I’m looking forward to finishing this drama and seeing more of South Korea! I didn’t think I’d miss it to bits but apparently, I do! :( I’m definitely coming back next year! Preferably, in autumn. ;)
14030009 (by Shuting:))
Seoul ~ how i miss thee..
While getting yesterday’s photo was a waiting game this one was more of a stalking game. The scene was this: an outdoor exhibition of Korea photojournalism over the last 5 decades.
While walking around and looking at the shots I spotted this girl between two diaplay boards, just as you see now. I did take a photo but it just didnt work. The photograph was one of a riot, and it just didnt seem to say anything, there was no relation to the girl. But I remembered seeing a photo of a fashion show from the 1950s. So now, I decided to follow her around, hoping she would again appear between two display boards just like this. And to my happy surrpise, thats the direction she was going. The final part was easy. Go and wait. I did just that, setting myself up so as to get the old photo in the frame, I set the focus using other people who passed between the two boards and waited. And when she got in position, I snapped.
The photo you see on the right is one of a fashion show from the mid 1950s. Its interesting how much it resembles traditional Korean hanboks. Very traditional. What you see on the girl is what Korean women wear today. Not traditional at all. Obviously as Korea had progressed from a poor nation to one of the more advanced nations in the world, things like fashion have followed suit, reflecting a modern society. On the other side, where the girl is looking are photos of old riots that were, and still are, quite frequent in Korea. As Korea is now a society that looks to the future, I wonder what the young generation thinks of what it was like not so long ago. The riots that happen are usually politically based, and mostly revolve around anti-American feelings of a fringe leftist minority. There have been some major ones recently against American base relocation. However, as vocal as the left are, it seems that Koreans are about to sweep the leftist rulling party out of office in the next 2 years. In its place they will vote in the opposition conservative party which is a very strong pro-US party. So dont let anti american riots fool you, Korea isnt really that anti-American.