So, when I first got assigned Busan, the thing I heard right away was "You won't see snow." LIARS.
Yesterday, much to everyone's surprise, snow started coming out of the sky! It was so great. I never thought I would miss snow, but as it's December 8th and I hadn't sang a single Christmas carol before yesterday, I realised I hadn't fully come to the conclusion that it was ACTUALLY Winter and that this year was almost up. So when I saw the snow fall, and when I was out playing in it with my friends, it finally started to actually feel a little bit like the holiday season.
Although, when I woke up and it was 40 degrees and sunny, I kind of forgot again.
I'm so excited for the next month, mainly because of the holidays and the new year. These past (almost) four months have been amazing, and I cannot wait to see what the new year brings!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
30 things I've learned since I've gotten to Korea
In no particular order or organization, I bring you my list of 30 things I have learned about Korea since I arrived here 95 days ago.
1. Korea loves technology. They love to learn, and they really love to work hard, as a community, Koreans just love to work all the time, and improve everything.
2. People will hate you if you hold up the subway line, even if there are other terminals open, they just stand behind you, making noises.
3. Korean people eat SO much. You'll go to a buffet restaurant order a main course, then go to the buffet and get three plates of food. Seriously. And they snack all the time, too.
4. It's all about respect for your elders here in Korea, you have to add "-yo" to a lot of phrases when talking to someone older, or use a different, more formal phrase altogether. You also have to bow when you leave the elevator/before you walk away/when a teacher leaves a classroom/etc.
5. Their phones are huge. When I first got here, I was like..."Is that a tablet?" and then I'd see them put thi hulking thing up to their ear and call someone.
6. Koreans love little games, my friends in school all play a game similar to jacks, except with little beanbags, and they also play a lot of hand games. This includes phone apps, too. Almost all koreans play this one game on their phone that is called "안니퐁" or Anipong, that they play on the subway all the time.
7. They are really serious about school here. My friends go from 8am-9pm on weekdays, and they started going from 5pm-9pm on Saturdays (I think, I only go on weekdays, for a portion of the time.)
8. You always wear a school uniform to high school/middle school. And there are no co-ed classes like we have in the US.
9. They recycle everything here, in my house/school they have rubbish bins for every type of trash.
10. Ironically, they leave lights on constantly, and they leave the water running, too.
11. Korea is a very nationalistic country. They love Korea, they buy Korean, they think Korea is the best country in the world (and in many ways it is).
12. The threat of N. Korea is non-existent. Koreans don't worry at all. It's not even thought about, and if it is, it's laughed at.
13. There are old people everywhere.
14. No Korean girl thinks she is pretty, apparently, even though it's hard to find a Korean who isn't pretty. And they get tons of plastic surgery here (STARTING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL) to look more western. (more western eyes, nose, etc.)
15. Koreans are also really insecure about their English. Even students who have ridiculously amazing English for never even conversing with a native speaker before are terrified to say hello to me because they think I'll make fun of them.
16. Everyone here is super nice. Everyone always smiles and corrects me really sweetly if I make a mistake.
17. You use chopsticks and a spoon when eating, but if you look like you need it, they put a fork down, too. (which I indignantly pushed to the other side of the table until my host family made the waiters stop bringing them, and they stopped doing it at home, too.)
18. I haven't seen a big truck/SUV since I got here. Maybe because:
19. Their roads are like alleys, or they have 8 lanes. It's either one or the other.
20. You have to bring you own TP to school.
a. If the bathroom does have it, it's outside the stalls.
b. Normal public bathrooms only have 1-2 sitting toilets, the rest are squat.
21. YOU NEVER FLUSH THE TOILET PAPER.
22. Korea is really safe, I don't think there's a Korean thief in Korea. Maybe foreigners steal things, but I don't really think any Korean ever has.
23. No one has a shower curtain. The whole bathroom is your shower.
24. I got lucky and got a mattress, but most Koreans sleep on a mat, or raised platform with a mat on it.
25. They love convenient stores here. There are GS25's and 7/11's everywhere. But you rarely see gas stations.
26. They eat dog here. Not a lot of people do, but in certain markets, you can go and they have dead dogs laying out, just like any other meat. The dead ones are also right next to cages of live ones. (Keep in mind, on the same street you can also buy fresh duck, chicken, beef...dog is just another meat, albeit less common.)
27. They also have fish markets with live fish, octopus, squid, crab, and lots of other seafood in big warehouse-like buildings.
28. Lots of old women have rather large carts selling fruits and vegetables that they pull around to different locations. These ladies have to be almost 90, and they're still doing hard, physical labour.
29. Thirty years ago, Korea was poorer than Malaysia and Mexico, so it's thanks to all of the ubiquitous elderly people, and ladies like the ones still pulling the fruit carts that Korea is now a powerhouse for amazing technology. (If you want to read more on Korea and how they changed their economic standing just google "Korea's economic miracle" as it's known, or read this article from Time: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2029399,00.html)
30. I love Korea and all of it's amazing-ness. It's ambition as a whole brought it to where it is today, and I love being able to be in such an amazing country, and I think the world has a lot to learn from this little peninsula.
1. Korea loves technology. They love to learn, and they really love to work hard, as a community, Koreans just love to work all the time, and improve everything.
2. People will hate you if you hold up the subway line, even if there are other terminals open, they just stand behind you, making noises.
3. Korean people eat SO much. You'll go to a buffet restaurant order a main course, then go to the buffet and get three plates of food. Seriously. And they snack all the time, too.
4. It's all about respect for your elders here in Korea, you have to add "-yo" to a lot of phrases when talking to someone older, or use a different, more formal phrase altogether. You also have to bow when you leave the elevator/before you walk away/when a teacher leaves a classroom/etc.
5. Their phones are huge. When I first got here, I was like..."Is that a tablet?" and then I'd see them put thi hulking thing up to their ear and call someone.
6. Koreans love little games, my friends in school all play a game similar to jacks, except with little beanbags, and they also play a lot of hand games. This includes phone apps, too. Almost all koreans play this one game on their phone that is called "안니퐁" or Anipong, that they play on the subway all the time.
7. They are really serious about school here. My friends go from 8am-9pm on weekdays, and they started going from 5pm-9pm on Saturdays (I think, I only go on weekdays, for a portion of the time.)
8. You always wear a school uniform to high school/middle school. And there are no co-ed classes like we have in the US.
9. They recycle everything here, in my house/school they have rubbish bins for every type of trash.
10. Ironically, they leave lights on constantly, and they leave the water running, too.
11. Korea is a very nationalistic country. They love Korea, they buy Korean, they think Korea is the best country in the world (and in many ways it is).
12. The threat of N. Korea is non-existent. Koreans don't worry at all. It's not even thought about, and if it is, it's laughed at.
13. There are old people everywhere.
14. No Korean girl thinks she is pretty, apparently, even though it's hard to find a Korean who isn't pretty. And they get tons of plastic surgery here (STARTING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL) to look more western. (more western eyes, nose, etc.)
15. Koreans are also really insecure about their English. Even students who have ridiculously amazing English for never even conversing with a native speaker before are terrified to say hello to me because they think I'll make fun of them.
16. Everyone here is super nice. Everyone always smiles and corrects me really sweetly if I make a mistake.
17. You use chopsticks and a spoon when eating, but if you look like you need it, they put a fork down, too. (which I indignantly pushed to the other side of the table until my host family made the waiters stop bringing them, and they stopped doing it at home, too.)
18. I haven't seen a big truck/SUV since I got here. Maybe because:
19. Their roads are like alleys, or they have 8 lanes. It's either one or the other.
20. You have to bring you own TP to school.
a. If the bathroom does have it, it's outside the stalls.
b. Normal public bathrooms only have 1-2 sitting toilets, the rest are squat.
21. YOU NEVER FLUSH THE TOILET PAPER.
22. Korea is really safe, I don't think there's a Korean thief in Korea. Maybe foreigners steal things, but I don't really think any Korean ever has.
23. No one has a shower curtain. The whole bathroom is your shower.
24. I got lucky and got a mattress, but most Koreans sleep on a mat, or raised platform with a mat on it.
25. They love convenient stores here. There are GS25's and 7/11's everywhere. But you rarely see gas stations.
26. They eat dog here. Not a lot of people do, but in certain markets, you can go and they have dead dogs laying out, just like any other meat. The dead ones are also right next to cages of live ones. (Keep in mind, on the same street you can also buy fresh duck, chicken, beef...dog is just another meat, albeit less common.)
27. They also have fish markets with live fish, octopus, squid, crab, and lots of other seafood in big warehouse-like buildings.
28. Lots of old women have rather large carts selling fruits and vegetables that they pull around to different locations. These ladies have to be almost 90, and they're still doing hard, physical labour.
29. Thirty years ago, Korea was poorer than Malaysia and Mexico, so it's thanks to all of the ubiquitous elderly people, and ladies like the ones still pulling the fruit carts that Korea is now a powerhouse for amazing technology. (If you want to read more on Korea and how they changed their economic standing just google "Korea's economic miracle" as it's known, or read this article from Time: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2029399,00.html)
30. I love Korea and all of it's amazing-ness. It's ambition as a whole brought it to where it is today, and I love being able to be in such an amazing country, and I think the world has a lot to learn from this little peninsula.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Public Transportation: Oh, the Angst
So, as someone who had never been in a taxi, on a subway, and had relatively little experience on buses, public transportation was one of those big things I had to thrown into right away. Now that I have gotten used to it, though, I feel like I get so angry with other people who clearly have NO idea what they're doing there.
I just have to get this out.
1. If you get right near the doors at a transfer station (big station to get on trains going in all different directions), you better not step out onto the platform and then stop to look where you need to go. MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOORS or you will be pushed, and if I have to push you, don't you dare look at me like I'm the bad guy, I might miss my train because of you!
2. Don't make the old lady ask you for your seat, yes, I know the elderly have special sections, but those fill up super fast. You're 13, she's 445326, you can stand for the 6 minutes until your stop.
3. On the bus, I go the farthest back. But there's that one middle-aged Korean man who's on his smartphone thinking "Oh, this foreigner is smart enough to work out the buses, but not how to ride them" and thinks he can go farther, thus, when discovering he cannot, pushes me farther up to then take my spot. NOT COOL, BRO.
4. Back to the subway, I get it, you and your boyfriend want to stand side by loving side, but I'm trying not to be more late than I already am, and I'd like to not get stuck behind you when you go half-way up the escalator and then just stop. I would like to continue walking, please.
5. To those groups of teenage boys joking around and talking about me, I understand your Korean, and even if I didn't I can still understand your fingers pointing at me. Thank you for making me think my hair is messed up every time I get onto a bus or subway.
6. When you have a large bag and are holding it in front of you so no one can tell, thank you for getting on the bus right in front of me, and then deciding to move it behind you with no warning whatsoever and hitting whomever is behind you (aka. me) in the eye with it, then not saying sorry. I really appreciate you.
7. To the old men who decide to sit next to me in an otherwise empty metro car or bus, thank you for scooting really close to me, and then making me try and get smaller, while you stretch out and take up enough room for three people. I really enjoy being pinned against the railing/window. It's really a fun time.
8. Thanks to the other foreigners who stare at me more than the Koreans. Yes, I know I'm in a school uniform. You're wearing a puke-green scarf, but you don't see me staring at you for it.
9. I almost forgot to thank all the Koreans for staring at me all the time. Even when I stare back. Really, I enjoy feeling everyone in a bus stare at me for 15-20 minutes until I get off.
I love public transportation, and I love Korea, I just had to get these pet peeves out.
WARNING: the above post might have slight sarcasm.
I just have to get this out.
1. If you get right near the doors at a transfer station (big station to get on trains going in all different directions), you better not step out onto the platform and then stop to look where you need to go. MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOORS or you will be pushed, and if I have to push you, don't you dare look at me like I'm the bad guy, I might miss my train because of you!
2. Don't make the old lady ask you for your seat, yes, I know the elderly have special sections, but those fill up super fast. You're 13, she's 445326, you can stand for the 6 minutes until your stop.
3. On the bus, I go the farthest back. But there's that one middle-aged Korean man who's on his smartphone thinking "Oh, this foreigner is smart enough to work out the buses, but not how to ride them" and thinks he can go farther, thus, when discovering he cannot, pushes me farther up to then take my spot. NOT COOL, BRO.
4. Back to the subway, I get it, you and your boyfriend want to stand side by loving side, but I'm trying not to be more late than I already am, and I'd like to not get stuck behind you when you go half-way up the escalator and then just stop. I would like to continue walking, please.
5. To those groups of teenage boys joking around and talking about me, I understand your Korean, and even if I didn't I can still understand your fingers pointing at me. Thank you for making me think my hair is messed up every time I get onto a bus or subway.
6. When you have a large bag and are holding it in front of you so no one can tell, thank you for getting on the bus right in front of me, and then deciding to move it behind you with no warning whatsoever and hitting whomever is behind you (aka. me) in the eye with it, then not saying sorry. I really appreciate you.
7. To the old men who decide to sit next to me in an otherwise empty metro car or bus, thank you for scooting really close to me, and then making me try and get smaller, while you stretch out and take up enough room for three people. I really enjoy being pinned against the railing/window. It's really a fun time.
8. Thanks to the other foreigners who stare at me more than the Koreans. Yes, I know I'm in a school uniform. You're wearing a puke-green scarf, but you don't see me staring at you for it.
9. I almost forgot to thank all the Koreans for staring at me all the time. Even when I stare back. Really, I enjoy feeling everyone in a bus stare at me for 15-20 minutes until I get off.
I love public transportation, and I love Korea, I just had to get these pet peeves out.
WARNING: the above post might have slight sarcasm.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Almost 3 months...Another Update...Sorry!
I'm sorry! I'll try and be better, I really will.
First of all, let me see if I can cover what has gone on in the past month or so since I last blogged.
It's 3 days away from 3 months.
Let's see, I'm going to do this event by event to give a more detailed summary of how AMAZING each thing was.
The week after you last heard from me, I biked around a baseball stadium with my Korean friends (10/19). I went with my whole class, and it was really an interesting experience.I loved it so much! Since we're in Busan, there's not many trails that are large enough for you to take bikes on, and you definitely can't take them on the roads unless you have a death wish, so Koreans share their baseball stadiums with their bike enthusiasts! My class had just finished exams, so as a reward, they all voted to rent bikes and bike around this huge stadium. We biked underneath the stadium, mainly. And one of my good friends even learned how to bike, and it was so fun! I wish I could do that every Friday morning instead of school.
I also went to an amazing fireworks festival that made me feel like I was in the best city in the world (because I am) (10/28)! It was amazing. As someone who never gets to see fireworks except on Fourth of July, I was really excited to begin with, then factor in how much I love fireworks, and you get an event I'm jumping up and down excited for. And I was NOT disappointed. Busan is really amazing about the whole thing. They do it in front of the diamond bridge on the beach, and it's breathtaking. They go on for an amazing 50 minutes or so, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the light show. It was truly spectacular. And yes, yes that is a bird firework.
The week right after that, I went to 2 opera concerts (10/30 and 11/3, same week!). One was my host mom's concert. She's a pianist and was accompanying a tenor. It was really beautiful, and the tenor sang in German, French, and Korean. Afterwards, we went to a Korean barbecue thing. It's not barbecue like Americans think of barbecue it's just what we call it. Basically, they have fryers built into the table, and you cook your own food right there. Needless to say, it's delicious. We went with a large group of my mothers host friends, and when they sang a traditional Korean song right there in the restaurant in perfect harmony as a group(about 30 people) I was almost moved to tears. It was absolutely beautiful, and so simple and unassuming. Here in Korea, family and tradition are a big part of their lives, and being let into such a loving and tight-knit community really amazes me. Even though all I could do was sit back and listen to my host family and all their friends sing, I couldn't help but feel like I was part of the group, too. 4 days later, I got the opportunity to go to another concert, this one was with the other exchange students, and included percussion and multiple singers. It was more fun and the dancers broke out into Gangnam style during their final little song, where they sang an upbeat Korean song, and encouraged the whole audience to sing along. Like I said, Koreans really have a sense of community and I'm reminded of it almost everyday, in little ways.
This past weekend, a week after the opera concert, Korea has a holiday called 빼빼로 데이 (Peppero Day). It's on 11/11 because the ones look like 4 sticks of peppero standing up. Basically, people buy each other boxes of peppero and exchange the with each other. A lot of times it's between boyfriend and girlfriend, but a lot of friends do it, too! (For those who don't know, pepper is similar to Pocky, except better, because it's Korean, and everything is better when it's Korean.) On 빼빼로 데이 I went to a soccer game with my Korean friends. Even though the game ended with no goals, I still felt like I had won at the end. I got to do all of the chants and fight songs in Korean and at half time, they gave away prizes, one of these went to the best dancer, and guess who won a 100USD gift certificate to get their hair did? I did! No one can deny my mad dance skillz now. I'm almost certain it was because I was the only foreigner in the entire crowd and Busan loves foreigners, but let's pretend it's my mad skillz, I like that better. Now all I have to do is decide on what to do with my hair...
Now for upcoming events...
I WILL BE GOING TO JEJU NEXT WEEK (11/22-11-25) I AM SO EXCITED.
Basically, Jeju is this vacation-y island off the coast of Korea and we're going there as a little trip with RYE. I'm so excited because Jeju is supposed to be really beautiful and I can't wait to fly out and get there! And in December I'm going to SKI. I can't wait to do all of this, and I will be sure to do a better job of updating everyone on how I'm doing!
I hope everyone stateside and worldwide are doing well!!
First of all, let me see if I can cover what has gone on in the past month or so since I last blogged.
It's 3 days away from 3 months.
Let's see, I'm going to do this event by event to give a more detailed summary of how AMAZING each thing was.
The week after you last heard from me, I biked around a baseball stadium with my Korean friends (10/19). I went with my whole class, and it was really an interesting experience.I loved it so much! Since we're in Busan, there's not many trails that are large enough for you to take bikes on, and you definitely can't take them on the roads unless you have a death wish, so Koreans share their baseball stadiums with their bike enthusiasts! My class had just finished exams, so as a reward, they all voted to rent bikes and bike around this huge stadium. We biked underneath the stadium, mainly. And one of my good friends even learned how to bike, and it was so fun! I wish I could do that every Friday morning instead of school.
The week right after that, I went to 2 opera concerts (10/30 and 11/3, same week!). One was my host mom's concert. She's a pianist and was accompanying a tenor. It was really beautiful, and the tenor sang in German, French, and Korean. Afterwards, we went to a Korean barbecue thing. It's not barbecue like Americans think of barbecue it's just what we call it. Basically, they have fryers built into the table, and you cook your own food right there. Needless to say, it's delicious. We went with a large group of my mothers host friends, and when they sang a traditional Korean song right there in the restaurant in perfect harmony as a group(about 30 people) I was almost moved to tears. It was absolutely beautiful, and so simple and unassuming. Here in Korea, family and tradition are a big part of their lives, and being let into such a loving and tight-knit community really amazes me. Even though all I could do was sit back and listen to my host family and all their friends sing, I couldn't help but feel like I was part of the group, too. 4 days later, I got the opportunity to go to another concert, this one was with the other exchange students, and included percussion and multiple singers. It was more fun and the dancers broke out into Gangnam style during their final little song, where they sang an upbeat Korean song, and encouraged the whole audience to sing along. Like I said, Koreans really have a sense of community and I'm reminded of it almost everyday, in little ways.
This past weekend, a week after the opera concert, Korea has a holiday called 빼빼로 데이 (Peppero Day). It's on 11/11 because the ones look like 4 sticks of peppero standing up. Basically, people buy each other boxes of peppero and exchange the with each other. A lot of times it's between boyfriend and girlfriend, but a lot of friends do it, too! (For those who don't know, pepper is similar to Pocky, except better, because it's Korean, and everything is better when it's Korean.) On 빼빼로 데이 I went to a soccer game with my Korean friends. Even though the game ended with no goals, I still felt like I had won at the end. I got to do all of the chants and fight songs in Korean and at half time, they gave away prizes, one of these went to the best dancer, and guess who won a 100USD gift certificate to get their hair did? I did! No one can deny my mad dance skillz now. I'm almost certain it was because I was the only foreigner in the entire crowd and Busan loves foreigners, but let's pretend it's my mad skillz, I like that better. Now all I have to do is decide on what to do with my hair...
Now for upcoming events...
I WILL BE GOING TO JEJU NEXT WEEK (11/22-11-25) I AM SO EXCITED.
Basically, Jeju is this vacation-y island off the coast of Korea and we're going there as a little trip with RYE. I'm so excited because Jeju is supposed to be really beautiful and I can't wait to fly out and get there! And in December I'm going to SKI. I can't wait to do all of this, and I will be sure to do a better job of updating everyone on how I'm doing!
I hope everyone stateside and worldwide are doing well!!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Almost 2 Months - An Update!
So, I'm 4 days away from 2 months, and I can't believe how much everything has progressed. I can read and write Korean now, though slowly, and I think my speaking is coming along really well. It's strange to look back and remember when I couldn't read or write or speak at all, and it makes me think of how how far I've come in such a short amount of time. Tomorrow (Friday the 12th, it's 10:30pm here.) I head to Jinju to go to a lantern festival. I'm really excited, I get to miss school, and go to this beautiful festival that I have been really looking forward to! The exchange group also got to go to BIFF, Busan Int. Film Festival, on Tuesday. It was such fun! We saw a Chinese movie with Korean and English Subtitles and it was an action film that was really funny and we all really enjoyed it.
Last Saturday we also found out when our trips are (somewhat)! We are going to Jinju for the Lantern Festival this month, next month is Seoul, and in April will be my trip to China! And that's just the plan for now. I really hope to do so much more than just those things though! I have so many things that I want to do, and Busan is such an amazing, opportunity-filled city to find things to do in. There are so many hiking trails and new areas to explore, the city never ceases to surprise me, which is such a nice change from little ol' Mattoon!
For those who don't know, I have been on a 1 month long Facebook break, which has been really helpful. I feel like it has really helped me immerse myself in this vital time and it has definitely helped me focus on my Korean and just have my mind on Korea, although I will be glad to have it back in 9 days, I haven't really missed having Facebook that much and I think I will be taking more months off of Facebook in the future. You can be sure that once I'm back on, there will be a flood of new pictures in store!
I hope everyone is doing awesome and staying safe!
Last Saturday we also found out when our trips are (somewhat)! We are going to Jinju for the Lantern Festival this month, next month is Seoul, and in April will be my trip to China! And that's just the plan for now. I really hope to do so much more than just those things though! I have so many things that I want to do, and Busan is such an amazing, opportunity-filled city to find things to do in. There are so many hiking trails and new areas to explore, the city never ceases to surprise me, which is such a nice change from little ol' Mattoon!
For those who don't know, I have been on a 1 month long Facebook break, which has been really helpful. I feel like it has really helped me immerse myself in this vital time and it has definitely helped me focus on my Korean and just have my mind on Korea, although I will be glad to have it back in 9 days, I haven't really missed having Facebook that much and I think I will be taking more months off of Facebook in the future. You can be sure that once I'm back on, there will be a flood of new pictures in store!
I hope everyone is doing awesome and staying safe!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Korean and Chuseok
Well, first off, I am taking one month off of Facebook. I started it about 4 days ago, so I'll be back on October 20th, or so.
I decided to take a break after I realized that I haven't been working hard enough at learning how to read/write Korean. I can read it al-right now, it just takes me a second it process the letters and such. Tomorrow when I go into school (It's Monday for me right now), I'm going to start reading The Great Gatsby in Korean. With my Korean dictionary in hand, I think that this will be a good start and I'm going to start working through other books I read before, in Korean, once I've completed this one. It will, hopefully, teach me a bit about Korean sentence structure, as well as teaching me new words and making my reading more fluent.
I've been out and about a lot lately, and one of the things I most enjoyed was going to a hiking park. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it felt nice to breathe some fresh air again. The smog has been really thick lately, and it was nice to escape it for a while.
Unfortunately, the fabulous day of climbing and hiking and fresh air was tarnished by my knack for losing things. My ipod is gone. I was, and still am, really upset with myself for not noticing its absence sooner, and since we went all over this really popular shopping district, as well as hiked the mountains I highly doubt I will ever see it again. My host parents have been in contact with the subway and bus lines, but they haven't found anything, and it's only a hope that I even lost it in one of those. it could've easily fallen out at the mountain, or on the street in the shopping district when I was rifling through my purse.
I cannot be more disappointed with myself for losing it, especially because I will not only have to feel terrible, I'm literally paying the consequences of being scatter-brained by having to buy a new music player with my limited allowance. Let's just say I'll probably be the poorest exchange student in the world for the month of October.
At least I know the lower I go, I higher the highs are going to seem. I have an amazing city, and an amazing trip to China to look forward to, and if I can't listen to music, I guess I'll have to talk more, and that means more learning.
I know it will all work out and be amazing in the end.
I decided to take a break after I realized that I haven't been working hard enough at learning how to read/write Korean. I can read it al-right now, it just takes me a second it process the letters and such. Tomorrow when I go into school (It's Monday for me right now), I'm going to start reading The Great Gatsby in Korean. With my Korean dictionary in hand, I think that this will be a good start and I'm going to start working through other books I read before, in Korean, once I've completed this one. It will, hopefully, teach me a bit about Korean sentence structure, as well as teaching me new words and making my reading more fluent.
I've been out and about a lot lately, and one of the things I most enjoyed was going to a hiking park. It was absolutely breathtaking, and it felt nice to breathe some fresh air again. The smog has been really thick lately, and it was nice to escape it for a while.
Unfortunately, the fabulous day of climbing and hiking and fresh air was tarnished by my knack for losing things. My ipod is gone. I was, and still am, really upset with myself for not noticing its absence sooner, and since we went all over this really popular shopping district, as well as hiked the mountains I highly doubt I will ever see it again. My host parents have been in contact with the subway and bus lines, but they haven't found anything, and it's only a hope that I even lost it in one of those. it could've easily fallen out at the mountain, or on the street in the shopping district when I was rifling through my purse.
I cannot be more disappointed with myself for losing it, especially because I will not only have to feel terrible, I'm literally paying the consequences of being scatter-brained by having to buy a new music player with my limited allowance. Let's just say I'll probably be the poorest exchange student in the world for the month of October.
At least I know the lower I go, I higher the highs are going to seem. I have an amazing city, and an amazing trip to China to look forward to, and if I can't listen to music, I guess I'll have to talk more, and that means more learning.
I know it will all work out and be amazing in the end.
 |
Another bright spot on the near horizon is Chuseok, or the Korean Thanksgiving that is coming up this weekend. I get some school off, and I get to eat the most traditional foods for a weekend. Excited doesn't even describe it. I'm hoping I get to wear my hanbok again, too, because it is so pretty.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
One month in S. Korea!
I can't say it's all been good. I can't even say today has been perfect. But I feel like that's what it's all about. Having every day feel like it's home makes me realize how quickly I've slid into my Korean life. Although the language is still my biggest barrier and challenge, I know I've learned so much since I've been here. I knew I would learn a lot, but I don't think I could have ever imagined how much of an adventure every single day is. I will set out saying that I'm just going to class and then straight home, and end up utterly lost in the randomonium of Korea and not getting home until and hour before my curfew. Eating Korean food, exploring Korean stores, learning the Korean language, I couldn't imagine wanting to go home at this point, I can't imagine being anywhere else. all in all, this past month is amazing, and I'm happy that I have so many left to explore every nook and cranny of this gorgeous city and country.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Bug Bites, Postcards, and Fish Eating
Just about two weeks ago I was laughing at my friend Rosa, who was scratching her leg after receiving what seemed like her billionth bug-bite, and now... let's just say I understand her pain now. I have amassed a grand total of 21 demon bites, and my hatred for the little buggers has increased substantially. On a positive note, I find it helps my vocabulary to describe how fed up I am with their existence ("But what purpose do they serve?!")...or maybe that's just my complete immersion in literature as of late.
So far, in the past 12 days of school, I have inhaled The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lovely Bones, The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, The Foreign Exchange Survivor's Guide, and the first three books in the Harry Potter series, with the rest to be completed this next week, I expect. I really have nothing else to do in classes other than read and revise my Korean notes. I just can't keep up with the Korean curriculum yet, due to my lack of language training. However, with my Korean classes having started this Monday, I have made great leaps in reading. Once I learn the rest of the alphabet (there's no song, I'm afraid) then I'm going to re-read The Great Gatsby in Korean, I bought a copy with both versions, and then go from there.
Not only have I kept busy with my reading, but I've also kept quite busy outside of school as well, This week I started Korean on Monday and then went out to a lovely little dinner with the other exchangers.
Tuesday, school was cancelled because of city-wide testing, and we had no extra class, so I woke up an went to lunch with Rosa(US) and Myriam(Canada-the french part) at Gwangalli, a really pretty beach near Rosa's house, then the three of us went to Haeundae, another famous Busan beach, to meet Yasara(Germany) and almost all the other foreign exchange students for a little birthday celebration for Yasara! It was really fun, and both beaches were beautiful.
Thursday, Myriam, Emilie(France), Mike(Canada-the English part), and I went to the Busan aquarium which was so fun! There were sharks, and I couldn't help but make Spongebob and Nemo references almost the whole time. There were belugas and jellyfish, and afterwards we went and ran around on Haeundae, which was really fun, since I love the beaches here so much!
By Friday, I just went straight home after Korean class to sleep. Today (Saturday), I went to an International Travel Fair at BEXCO(top left), it was quite entertaining, and I picked up a lot of free food, including a dried little fish(bottom left). It took me like 5 minutes to finally eat the thing, and while I was eating it, it wasn't bad, but the aftertaste....let's just say I ran for some soda after that. I'm just proud I ate it, and also that I held it down. I also got some free postcards there, and I plan on sending out some overdue mail.
I get to climb and mountain tomorrow.
Hope everything stateside and worldwide is good!
So far, in the past 12 days of school, I have inhaled The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lovely Bones, The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, The Foreign Exchange Survivor's Guide, and the first three books in the Harry Potter series, with the rest to be completed this next week, I expect. I really have nothing else to do in classes other than read and revise my Korean notes. I just can't keep up with the Korean curriculum yet, due to my lack of language training. However, with my Korean classes having started this Monday, I have made great leaps in reading. Once I learn the rest of the alphabet (there's no song, I'm afraid) then I'm going to re-read The Great Gatsby in Korean, I bought a copy with both versions, and then go from there.
Not only have I kept busy with my reading, but I've also kept quite busy outside of school as well, This week I started Korean on Monday and then went out to a lovely little dinner with the other exchangers.
Wednesday we had another round of Korean classes, and then went to dinner again.
Thursday, Myriam, Emilie(France), Mike(Canada-the English part), and I went to the Busan aquarium which was so fun! There were sharks, and I couldn't help but make Spongebob and Nemo references almost the whole time. There were belugas and jellyfish, and afterwards we went and ran around on Haeundae, which was really fun, since I love the beaches here so much!
By Friday, I just went straight home after Korean class to sleep. Today (Saturday), I went to an International Travel Fair at BEXCO(top left), it was quite entertaining, and I picked up a lot of free food, including a dried little fish(bottom left). It took me like 5 minutes to finally eat the thing, and while I was eating it, it wasn't bad, but the aftertaste....let's just say I ran for some soda after that. I'm just proud I ate it, and also that I held it down. I also got some free postcards there, and I plan on sending out some overdue mail. I get to climb and mountain tomorrow.
Hope everything stateside and worldwide is good!
Friday, August 31, 2012
It's been 17 days!
I can't even begin to process the fact that I've been in South Korea for 17 days. It just doesn't seem possible.
Last night, the last day in August, was an amazing night, I had an orientation from at 2-5(ish) at the YMCA. Yes, they have YMCA's here. It's quite strange. Anyways, after that the exchangers all wanted to hang out and grab something to eat so we walked around the district and found some restaurants. None of us could really agree on what we wanted, but my friend Casey and I both really wanted to eat at a Korean restaurant right by where we were, so we split off from everyone else and went to eat there. We ordered dumplings, and if I d say so myself, they were absolutely delicious. Casey and I also did a pretty good job of finishing off all of the little dipping sauces and sides that came with it, and all in all, for the equivalent of 4 US dollars, I think we ate pretty well.
After we left, we discovered the rest of the group had gotten onto the subway and were now at this huge subway transfer station. We started to make our way there, but on the way we took a shortcut through a really cool little street market with live fish and lots of fresh fruit and grains all on display. I realized in the middle of this giant, bustling city how quiet it was in this little street market, and it was strange not to hear any car or mechanical noises seeping from the surrounding areas. We walked through the market, and it spit us out almost directly on top of a subway station. Casey and I boarded what would have to be the most cramped subway car I have experienced to date, and headed to the transfer station, where we could not find anyone. We decided to go above ground, and after a few shopping detours ( I got a new purse! ) we finally made our way up. we stopped and ate street food, and even met someone who had been an exchange student in Canada! He was really nice, and he knew right where our friends were eating (a fast food restaurant with basically American food, soooo adventurous) when we explained what they had said, and was nice enough to lead us there, while telling us about his experience in Canada and his trips to the Eastern part of the US.
In the end, we were reunited with the others and after a long, really fun day, made it home safely.
I think it was a pretty amazing way to say goodbye to August and welcome September in! I can't wait for more adventures like last night, and I know there won't be a lack of them this year. Oh, and some of those adventures will be in China! Yes, I get to go to China this year as an extra trip! I'm really excited and I don't know when exactly, or where exactly, I just know I get to go! Which is the best news of all!
I hope everything worldwide and stateside is as fantastic as it is here!
Last night, the last day in August, was an amazing night, I had an orientation from at 2-5(ish) at the YMCA. Yes, they have YMCA's here. It's quite strange. Anyways, after that the exchangers all wanted to hang out and grab something to eat so we walked around the district and found some restaurants. None of us could really agree on what we wanted, but my friend Casey and I both really wanted to eat at a Korean restaurant right by where we were, so we split off from everyone else and went to eat there. We ordered dumplings, and if I d say so myself, they were absolutely delicious. Casey and I also did a pretty good job of finishing off all of the little dipping sauces and sides that came with it, and all in all, for the equivalent of 4 US dollars, I think we ate pretty well.
After we left, we discovered the rest of the group had gotten onto the subway and were now at this huge subway transfer station. We started to make our way there, but on the way we took a shortcut through a really cool little street market with live fish and lots of fresh fruit and grains all on display. I realized in the middle of this giant, bustling city how quiet it was in this little street market, and it was strange not to hear any car or mechanical noises seeping from the surrounding areas. We walked through the market, and it spit us out almost directly on top of a subway station. Casey and I boarded what would have to be the most cramped subway car I have experienced to date, and headed to the transfer station, where we could not find anyone. We decided to go above ground, and after a few shopping detours ( I got a new purse! ) we finally made our way up. we stopped and ate street food, and even met someone who had been an exchange student in Canada! He was really nice, and he knew right where our friends were eating (a fast food restaurant with basically American food, soooo adventurous) when we explained what they had said, and was nice enough to lead us there, while telling us about his experience in Canada and his trips to the Eastern part of the US.
In the end, we were reunited with the others and after a long, really fun day, made it home safely.
I think it was a pretty amazing way to say goodbye to August and welcome September in! I can't wait for more adventures like last night, and I know there won't be a lack of them this year. Oh, and some of those adventures will be in China! Yes, I get to go to China this year as an extra trip! I'm really excited and I don't know when exactly, or where exactly, I just know I get to go! Which is the best news of all!
I hope everything worldwide and stateside is as fantastic as it is here!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A Lot Has Happened!
Sorry for the delay. It's because Korea is so amazing.
Let's see, my first week went about as smoothly as a first week could. I finally got my uniform and people stopped staring as much, but every single person who passes me in the halls says "Hi" and it kinda makes me feel really....watched. I don't know. At least my class has gotten over the shock of having me. The classes are really hard, I mentioned Calc and Japanese, but I'm also in Chinese writing, Ethics, and, luckily, two different English classes.
This week, for the one day I've been there so far (I'll get to that in a second), I've been presenting to different English classes in my grade. It's really fun and I get to talk about all I do, but making the power-point with pictures of all my favourite people made me really homesick for the first time since I've been here. I think I'm about over this first little burst of homesickness. School has been really boring other than English class, and sometimes Japanese when the teacher tries to engage me, but other than that the teachers don't even acknowledge me most of the time which is fine with me, because it's not like I can understand anything right now, anyways. However, for the past two days, I've stayed home. Tuesday my district chair for Rotary had all the students stay home because of the typhoon. No big deal, just A TYPHOON. It created some really beautiful waves though? My host family also went to Seoul to send of my host sister to New York for the year. So I was home alone for majority of the day. Then, my lovely foreign exchange friend here from NC, came and rescued me from a night of solitude. We went to dinner with her host mom, and another foreign exchange student, Yasara, from Germany, and her host mom. It was really amazing, and we made Korean traditional candy that was like a lollipop in "Burnt Marsh-mellow" flavour. It was delicious. After that, Rosa and I went back to Rosa's and from there we walked up and down Gwangalli beach, where the Diamond bridge was lit up, and there were waves because of the typhoon, and it was like a scene from a movie, it was so beautiful.
Today, I woke up and my stomach just didn't feel very good. Neither did my head, so I stayed home from school and have been sleeping it off. It's 11am here, 14 hours from Illinois, in case you were wondering.
I think that's all the important stuff! Hope everything stateside and worldwide is fantastic.
Monday, August 20, 2012
First Day
My first day was pretty awesome.
I live about 25-30 minutes away from my school, which is a really long way in this town. I have to take a bus to the train station, then a train for about 15 minutes, then I get off that train and transfer onto another for about 10 minutes, then about a 5 minute walk to my school.
I did all of this very smoothly this morning, if I do say so myself...and then came the umbrella.
So, it started raining when we got on the subway, and so we bought a really cheap umbrella, sounds like a good plan right? well, all was going fine, we (my host mom and I) were literally on the front steps of my school when it stopped raining and I started to close the cheap umbrella...at which point I proceeded to slice my finger open on the exposed metal of the now broken in half metal part right above the handle.
YEP.
Two cups of water, a nurse's office, and an extravagantly large bandage and I went to class. Where no open desks. So I awkwardly sat in the back of the class with a circle of giggling Korean girls around me asking me all sorts of questions ad every single one of them saying "HI" to me, and then giggling more.
My school apparently loves embarrassing me, because twice, once in front of the entire school and another for the entire class period, I had to introduce myself and answer questions thus revealing how little Korean I actually knew.
Let's see...anything else?
Oh yeah, I'm taking Calculus and Stats(MIND BLOWING) and a dog barked at me for like 30 minutes because i'm not Asian or something.
I think that's it.
I need some sleep.
I live about 25-30 minutes away from my school, which is a really long way in this town. I have to take a bus to the train station, then a train for about 15 minutes, then I get off that train and transfer onto another for about 10 minutes, then about a 5 minute walk to my school.
I did all of this very smoothly this morning, if I do say so myself...and then came the umbrella.
So, it started raining when we got on the subway, and so we bought a really cheap umbrella, sounds like a good plan right? well, all was going fine, we (my host mom and I) were literally on the front steps of my school when it stopped raining and I started to close the cheap umbrella...at which point I proceeded to slice my finger open on the exposed metal of the now broken in half metal part right above the handle.
YEP.
Two cups of water, a nurse's office, and an extravagantly large bandage and I went to class. Where no open desks. So I awkwardly sat in the back of the class with a circle of giggling Korean girls around me asking me all sorts of questions ad every single one of them saying "HI" to me, and then giggling more.
My school apparently loves embarrassing me, because twice, once in front of the entire school and another for the entire class period, I had to introduce myself and answer questions thus revealing how little Korean I actually knew.
Let's see...anything else?
Oh yeah, I'm taking Calculus and Stats(MIND BLOWING) and a dog barked at me for like 30 minutes because i'm not Asian or something.
I think that's it.
I need some sleep.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
What I've Learned So Far.
1. Everything tastes like fish, including the donuts.
2. Koreans firmly believe that if they drive at a busy road full of cars, a space must open up for them, because they are NOT slowing down.
3. Everyone stares at a Westerner, especially girl ones.
4. Everyone says "Hi" to a Westerner, then runs away giggling.
5.For some reason, the clouds are always moving. Like, always.
6. Sidewalks are not only a place for walking, they are for driving, parking, selling clothes, selling food, dumping your meals, and hobo bedrooms, too.
7. Cops aren't too harsh. Been here 4 days, and I've seen one cop....watering his flowers.
it's 8:15pm, first day of school tomorrow, going to sleep.
#sotired
2. Koreans firmly believe that if they drive at a busy road full of cars, a space must open up for them, because they are NOT slowing down.
3. Everyone stares at a Westerner, especially girl ones.
4. Everyone says "Hi" to a Westerner, then runs away giggling.
5.For some reason, the clouds are always moving. Like, always.
6. Sidewalks are not only a place for walking, they are for driving, parking, selling clothes, selling food, dumping your meals, and hobo bedrooms, too.
7. Cops aren't too harsh. Been here 4 days, and I've seen one cop....watering his flowers.
it's 8:15pm, first day of school tomorrow, going to sleep.
#sotired
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Busan is...
Busan is...
the best place on the planet.
without any traffic rules, apparently.
the only place with roads at 90 degree angles and once you get to the top a U-turn.
where you go under a mountain for 15 minutes in a 20 minute commute.
where nice Korean ladies tell you your pretty, then continue on in Korean and you have no idea what's happening.
where you get hugged by everyone new, and bow to them, too.
where the buildings are all beautiful, even the really decrepit ones.
where your school is a 5 minute walk from your 40 minute train ride.
where you can see the ocean from your apartment building, through all the skyscrapers.
This city is (of course) amazing. Everyone has been so inviting and they all make me feel right at home.
My family is even more amazing, I have a host sister, who is off to New York in a week or so, a host brother, and a mom and dad. They have done so much for me already, the only word for all of this is AMAZING.
Also, Busan rocks.
the best place on the planet.
without any traffic rules, apparently.
the only place with roads at 90 degree angles and once you get to the top a U-turn.
where you go under a mountain for 15 minutes in a 20 minute commute.
where nice Korean ladies tell you your pretty, then continue on in Korean and you have no idea what's happening.
where you get hugged by everyone new, and bow to them, too.
where the buildings are all beautiful, even the really decrepit ones.
where your school is a 5 minute walk from your 40 minute train ride.
where you can see the ocean from your apartment building, through all the skyscrapers.
This city is (of course) amazing. Everyone has been so inviting and they all make me feel right at home.
My family is even more amazing, I have a host sister, who is off to New York in a week or so, a host brother, and a mom and dad. They have done so much for me already, the only word for all of this is AMAZING.
Also, Busan rocks.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
First day in Korea (kinda)!
I'm here in Korea!
Flight was good, food was a s good as flight food could be!
It's so fantastic here, a girl literally just gave me a piece of chocolate! For nothing!
Oh, and I broke my camera. In the lamest way possible. I sat on it. Great.
My school starts on Monday and I know the next 4 days will be full of school uniform fittings, shopping trips, and family events, which I am so excited for. My Korean has already improved just by being on the flight to Korea and using Korean pleasantries!
Flight was good, food was a s good as flight food could be!
It's so fantastic here, a girl literally just gave me a piece of chocolate! For nothing!
Oh, and I broke my camera. In the lamest way possible. I sat on it. Great.
My school starts on Monday and I know the next 4 days will be full of school uniform fittings, shopping trips, and family events, which I am so excited for. My Korean has already improved just by being on the flight to Korea and using Korean pleasantries!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
3 days left.
I can't believe it's this soon, and everything feels like one big, stressful dream. I know everything will be alright once I'm there and that I'll have an amazing year, but it still feels stressful.
3 days.
3 days.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The Countdown is winding down, I'm like a really slow rocket.
9 days.
I just made some new friends, and hearing them make plans with the people I was with, a realizing I would be well into my year in Korea is mind-blowing. Thinking ahead to what I'll be missing, like homecoming, ACT's, and seeing my friends graduate is heart breaking, but I know that I would regret not going on this amazing opportunity and that I'm going to experience so much more while I'm gone. It seems weird to think I wont be here in three weeks, heck, I won't be here for two more weeks, and that is mind-blowing. I have a feeling the words mind-blowing, exhilarating, and incredible will be used a lot in the next 11 months- and for the majority of that, they most likely wont be said in English, again, MIND-BLOWING. ♥
10 days.
I can't believe I will break the single digits tomorrow. I remember being in school and saying "3 months left!" and how soon that seemed, and now with less than two weeks left, I keep looking back on all the amazing friends I've made, how much fun I've had getting to know an amazing group of people from all over the world, and I know it only gets better from here. I cannot wait to get on this roller coaster, because I know it'll be a roller coaster that only goes up. ♥ thank you to everyone.
I just made some new friends, and hearing them make plans with the people I was with, a realizing I would be well into my year in Korea is mind-blowing. Thinking ahead to what I'll be missing, like homecoming, ACT's, and seeing my friends graduate is heart breaking, but I know that I would regret not going on this amazing opportunity and that I'm going to experience so much more while I'm gone. It seems weird to think I wont be here in three weeks, heck, I won't be here for two more weeks, and that is mind-blowing. I have a feeling the words mind-blowing, exhilarating, and incredible will be used a lot in the next 11 months- and for the majority of that, they most likely wont be said in English, again, MIND-BLOWING. ♥
10 days.
I can't believe I will break the single digits tomorrow. I remember being in school and saying "3 months left!" and how soon that seemed, and now with less than two weeks left, I keep looking back on all the amazing friends I've made, how much fun I've had getting to know an amazing group of people from all over the world, and I know it only gets better from here. I cannot wait to get on this roller coaster, because I know it'll be a roller coaster that only goes up. ♥ thank you to everyone.
Friday, August 3, 2012
11 days, basically.
10 days and 22 hours until I embark on one of the mos significant trips of my entire life. Lets just say I may be freaking out a little bit.
I fly out of Chicago at 12:45pm on August 14th, and arrive in Seoul on the 15th August, Liberation day for Korea, arrival day for me.
There is so much let to do here before I leave, so many people to see and so many things to buy. I have so many loose ends to tie up, it's kinda crazy. I think the packing will be the easiest part of this whole thing. I wasn't ever big on buying and keeping tons of physical possessions and that's coming in handy now, because while everyone else is struggling to get all their stuff into three suitcases, I'm struggling to fill up two. And they're not big suitcases, either.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I Can't Quite Comprehend It.
I realize how much I have changed since I became a Rotary kid, even before I get on that plane.
My whole group of friends has changed, my ideals have changed, and over all I have definitely matured since I found out there are other students out there that are just like me.
It amazes me sometimes to realize that I'm a PART of this amazing community, and I will be for life.
I look around at all the people that take part in this and say to myself how amazing and talented they are.
I don't wonder anymore, though, why I am a part of this group, or doubt that I belong anymore, though because for once in my life I have started to realize that I fit in with them because I am amazing and talented, too.
And I can't wait to see who I will become.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
2 months to go.
It's crazy, it really is. Time is literally flying by, and although I am excited to leave, at the same time I really want it to slow down, I want to savor every moment of this entire year, even the buildup to my departure. Sometimes it feels like it's so far away, and then other times, like the past couple weeks, it seems like I'll be getting on that plane tomorrow. There are no words to describe how excited I am, nor how happy I am to be part of something as amazing as Rotary Foreign Exchange.
Just this essay...
What is exchange?
Exchange is change. Rapid, brutal, beautiful, hurtful, colourful, amazing, unexpected, overwhelming and most of all constant change. Change in lifestyle, country, language, friends, parents, houses, school, simply everything.
Exchange is realizing that everything they told you beforehand is wrong, but also right in a way.
Exchange is going from thinking you know who you are, to having no idea who you are anymore to being someone new. But not entirely new. You are still the person you were before but you jumped into that ice cold lake. You know how it feels like to be on your own. Away from home, with no one you really know. And you find out that you can actually do it.
Exchange is learning to trust. Trust people, who, at first, are only names on a piece of paper, trust that they want the best for you, that they care. Trust, that you have the strength to endure a year on your own, endure a year of being apart from everything that mattered to you before. Trust that you will have friends. Trust that everything’s going to be alright. And it is seeing this trust being justified.
Exchange is thinking. All the time. About everything. Thinking about those strange costumes, the strange food, the strange language. About why you’re here and not back home. About how it’s going to be like once you come back home. How that girl is going to react when you see her again. About who’s hanging out where this weekend. At first who’s inviting you at all. And in the end where you’re supposed to go, when you’re invited to ten different things. About how everybody at home is doing. About how stupid this whole time-zone thing is. Not only because of home, but also because the tv ads for shows keep confusing you.
Thinking about what’s right and what’s wrong. About how stupid or rude you just were to someone without meaning to be. About the point of all this. About the sense of life. About who you want to be, what you want to do. And about when that English essay is due, even though you’re marks don’t count. About whether you should go home after school, or hang out at someone’s place until midnight. Someone you didn’t even know a few months ago. And about what the hell that guy just said.
Exchange is people. Those incredibly strange people, who look at you like you’re an alien. Those people who are too afraid to talk to you. And those people who actually talk to you. Those people who know your name, even though you have never met them. Those people, who tell you who to stay away from. Those people who talk about you behind your back, those people who make fun of your country. All those people, who aren’t worth your giving a damn. Those people you ignore.
And those people who invite you to their homes. Who keep you sane. Who become your friends.
Exchange is music. New music, weird music, cool music, music you will remember all your life as the soundtrack of your exchange. Music that will make you cry because all those lyrics express exactly how you feel, so far away. Music that will make you feel like you could take on the whole world. And it is music you make. With the most amazing musicians you’ve ever met. And it is site reading a thousand pages just to be part of the school band.
Exchange is uncomfortable. It’s feeling out of place, like a fifth wheel. It’s talking to people you don’t like. It’s trying to be nice all the time. It’s bugs.. and bears. It’s cold, freezing cold. It’s homesickness, it’s awkward silence and its feeling guilty because you didn’t talk to someone at home. Or feeling guilty because you missed something because you were talking on Skype.
Exchange is great. It’s feeling the connection between you and your host parents grow. It’s hearing your little host brother asking where his big brother is. It’s knowing in which cupboard the peanut butter is. It’s meeting people from all over the world. It’s having a place to stay in almost every country of the world. It’s getting 5 new families. One of them being a huge group of the most awesome teenagers in the world.
It’s cooking food from your home country and not messing up. It’s seeing beautiful landscapes that you never knew existed.
Exchange is exchange students. The most amazing people in the whole wide world. Those people from everywhere who know exactly how you feel and those people who become your absolute best friends even though you only see most of them 3 or 4 times during your year. The people, who take almost an hour to say their final goodbyes to each other. Those people with the jackets full of pins. All over the world.
Exchange is falling in love. With this amazing, wild, beautiful country. And with your home country.
Exchange is frustrating. Things you can’t do, things you don’t understand. Things you say, that mean the exact opposite of what you meant to say. Or even worse…
Exchange is understanding.
Exchange is unbelievable.
Exchange is not a year in your life. It’s a life in one year.
Exchange is nothing like you expected it to be, and everything you wanted it to be.
Exchange is the best year of your life so far. Without a doubt. And it’s also the worst. Without a doubt.
Exchange is something you will never forget, something that will always be a part of you. It is something no one back at home will ever truly understand.
Exchange is growing up, realizing that everybody is the same, no matter where they’re from. That there is great people and douche bags everywhere. And that it only depends on you how good or bad your day is going to be. Or the whole year.
And it is realizing that you can be on your own, that you are an independent person. Finally. And it’s trying to explain that to your parents.
Exchange is dancing in the rain for no reason, crying without a reason, laughing at the same time. It’s a turmoil of every emotion possible.
Exchange is everything. And exchange is something you can’t understand unless you’ve been through it.
Kamylla Pedo
Exchange is change. Rapid, brutal, beautiful, hurtful, colourful, amazing, unexpected, overwhelming and most of all constant change. Change in lifestyle, country, language, friends, parents, houses, school, simply everything.
Exchange is realizing that everything they told you beforehand is wrong, but also right in a way.
Exchange is going from thinking you know who you are, to having no idea who you are anymore to being someone new. But not entirely new. You are still the person you were before but you jumped into that ice cold lake. You know how it feels like to be on your own. Away from home, with no one you really know. And you find out that you can actually do it.
Exchange is learning to trust. Trust people, who, at first, are only names on a piece of paper, trust that they want the best for you, that they care. Trust, that you have the strength to endure a year on your own, endure a year of being apart from everything that mattered to you before. Trust that you will have friends. Trust that everything’s going to be alright. And it is seeing this trust being justified.
Exchange is thinking. All the time. About everything. Thinking about those strange costumes, the strange food, the strange language. About why you’re here and not back home. About how it’s going to be like once you come back home. How that girl is going to react when you see her again. About who’s hanging out where this weekend. At first who’s inviting you at all. And in the end where you’re supposed to go, when you’re invited to ten different things. About how everybody at home is doing. About how stupid this whole time-zone thing is. Not only because of home, but also because the tv ads for shows keep confusing you.
Thinking about what’s right and what’s wrong. About how stupid or rude you just were to someone without meaning to be. About the point of all this. About the sense of life. About who you want to be, what you want to do. And about when that English essay is due, even though you’re marks don’t count. About whether you should go home after school, or hang out at someone’s place until midnight. Someone you didn’t even know a few months ago. And about what the hell that guy just said.
Exchange is people. Those incredibly strange people, who look at you like you’re an alien. Those people who are too afraid to talk to you. And those people who actually talk to you. Those people who know your name, even though you have never met them. Those people, who tell you who to stay away from. Those people who talk about you behind your back, those people who make fun of your country. All those people, who aren’t worth your giving a damn. Those people you ignore.
And those people who invite you to their homes. Who keep you sane. Who become your friends.
Exchange is music. New music, weird music, cool music, music you will remember all your life as the soundtrack of your exchange. Music that will make you cry because all those lyrics express exactly how you feel, so far away. Music that will make you feel like you could take on the whole world. And it is music you make. With the most amazing musicians you’ve ever met. And it is site reading a thousand pages just to be part of the school band.
Exchange is uncomfortable. It’s feeling out of place, like a fifth wheel. It’s talking to people you don’t like. It’s trying to be nice all the time. It’s bugs.. and bears. It’s cold, freezing cold. It’s homesickness, it’s awkward silence and its feeling guilty because you didn’t talk to someone at home. Or feeling guilty because you missed something because you were talking on Skype.
Exchange is great. It’s feeling the connection between you and your host parents grow. It’s hearing your little host brother asking where his big brother is. It’s knowing in which cupboard the peanut butter is. It’s meeting people from all over the world. It’s having a place to stay in almost every country of the world. It’s getting 5 new families. One of them being a huge group of the most awesome teenagers in the world.
It’s cooking food from your home country and not messing up. It’s seeing beautiful landscapes that you never knew existed.
Exchange is exchange students. The most amazing people in the whole wide world. Those people from everywhere who know exactly how you feel and those people who become your absolute best friends even though you only see most of them 3 or 4 times during your year. The people, who take almost an hour to say their final goodbyes to each other. Those people with the jackets full of pins. All over the world.
Exchange is falling in love. With this amazing, wild, beautiful country. And with your home country.
Exchange is frustrating. Things you can’t do, things you don’t understand. Things you say, that mean the exact opposite of what you meant to say. Or even worse…
Exchange is understanding.
Exchange is unbelievable.
Exchange is not a year in your life. It’s a life in one year.
Exchange is nothing like you expected it to be, and everything you wanted it to be.
Exchange is the best year of your life so far. Without a doubt. And it’s also the worst. Without a doubt.
Exchange is something you will never forget, something that will always be a part of you. It is something no one back at home will ever truly understand.
Exchange is growing up, realizing that everybody is the same, no matter where they’re from. That there is great people and douche bags everywhere. And that it only depends on you how good or bad your day is going to be. Or the whole year.
And it is realizing that you can be on your own, that you are an independent person. Finally. And it’s trying to explain that to your parents.
Exchange is dancing in the rain for no reason, crying without a reason, laughing at the same time. It’s a turmoil of every emotion possible.
Exchange is everything. And exchange is something you can’t understand unless you’ve been through it.
Kamylla Pedo
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Start
Hey guys, this is going to be my blog for my foreign exchange year in South Korea and all the important stuff involving it up until I leave! I'm going to try and post regularly, I really will, but I'm not making any promises.
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