Reverse Homesickness

Is it even possible to feel homesick for a country you cannot call your own? Unfortunately, I am daily learning that it is.

Since coming home from Korea in late December, hardly a day goes by when I do not miss the beautiful country of South Korea. Although I only spent four short months there, I fear there is a part of my soul that will never return to the States. As much as I loved Korea before I studied there, I love it even more after doing so. It is both a freeing and painful love, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I imagine every student who studies abroad feels a bit of this same struggle. In a way, we can all unite and sympathize with each other over this. But that can only go so far. We all had different experiences overseas. We went to different countries, studied different areas, lived in different housing, met different people, and ate different food.

Other than the few people around who have studied abroad and can somewhat understand what you’re going through, nobody else quite gets it. Even if they think they do, they really don’t. And no matter how much I tell them about Korea, they’ll never understand. You don’t know how much I miss red bean donuts until you've tasted it for yourself. You don’t know how beautiful the view of the city is until you've seen it in person. The list goes on and on like this until you realize that you can’t really share your experiences with the people you love, because they simply don’t understand it like you do and words aren't an adequate substitute for experience.

I’m not writing this as a search for sympathy. I’m simply writing this because it is a hard truth that I have come to face. I think I was hoping that living in Korea for a few months would satisfy my desire to see more of the world; that I would go there and it would break my infatuation with the eastern world because I would find it didn't live up to my expectations. However, I didn't really accomplish that. In a lot of ways, Korea exceeded my expectations and just expanded my interest in the world. For that, I am both grateful and bitter.

I know that if I ever go back to Korea, it won’t be the same. I likely won’t be on Konkuk University’s gorgeous campus. I won’t be experiencing all these wonderful things for the first time. And, most importantly, my wonderful study abroad friends wouldn't be there. I honestly don’t think it would be the same without having Kate to talk to on the subway and Chris to awkwardly bond with the red bean donut vendor and Jenna to navigate the streets.

Korea was a horridly valuable experience that has changed my life forever, and it is an experience that I would recommend to absolutely anyone interested in studying abroad. I just wish missing it didn't have to be so painful.

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Bungee Jumping, Spa Day, The World's Largest Church, and Snow!

Well, there's quite a bit to catch up on, everything from the adrenaline high of bungee jumping to the calm relaxation of a Korean spa. I'll try to keep everything short and sweet!

Let's start with bungee jumping! There really isn't much to say about it, other than it was super fun! I went with three other friends of mine, all of us determined to scare ourselves to death. We jumped off a platform over the river equivalent to the height of a 15 story building. I still don't know how I had the courage to actually jump! But I'm so glad I did! It was definitely a fun experience, and I hope to go bungee jumping again sometime!

In sharp contrast to bungee jumping, I also visited a Korean 찜질방 (Jjimjilbang), which is like a spa/sauna. This one had really cool rooms called "fomentation rooms." Each room had places to lie down and each room had a different theme. For example, there was a charcoal room, oxygen room, jade room, etc. Each was kept at a different temperature and had different positive effects for your health and skin. It was really cool to experience all the different rooms! I especially liked the Salt Room. Instead of having a solid floor, you would lie down on a sea of smooth salt rocks! They were warm and it was even deep enough that you could bury yourself in them. The Jade Room had the same kind of rock floor, but made out of Jade instead. Overall, the rooms were very relaxing! Some people even spend the night at the Jjimjilbang since it's so comfortable. (It also presents a cheap alternative to a hotel room)

I also got to do some religious tourism while here in Korea! First, I visited the Martyr's Museum with my Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class. That was super interesting! We learned about some of the early missionaries to Korea and got to visit the graveyard where nearly 150 missionaries and their families are buried. There was also a museum which hosted early Bible transcripts, letters, etc. I also went to one of the world's largest churches, Yoido Full Gospel Church. It was a beautiful church, especially since it was decorated with lights for the Christmas season. It had an impressive worship band (which was more like an orchestra), choir, and pipe organ. I can't say that I got much out of the service, though, since it was all in Korean. Experiencing their prayer was interesting though! Not only did they do prayer in the traditional Korean style where everyone prays out loud at the same time, but they were also a Pentecostal congregation. Needless to say, energy was high, and so was the volume! Another thing I found interesting about the church was their programs! This is of special interest to me, since I worked at my local church in the states over the summer and creating the weekly program (as well as designing a new program) was a large part of my job. What struck me about their programs was that they weren't folded! It was just a large, flat piece of paper that the attendees had to pick up from a table and fold themselves. Honestly, that would be so much more convenient for the church office! Folded programs are something people take for granted, but it really is time consuming, even with a folding machine.

Lastly... On my Korean Bucket List, there was one item that was completely out of my control. I very very desperately wanted to see it snow! This Monday, I finally got my wish. I woke up to snowflakes falling outside my window! As quickly as I could, I bundled up and went for a walk. I very quickly realized how snow in Korea differs from snow in the United States. The snow was very light, but the wind was crazy! At one point, I ended up walking into the wind and I literally couldn't look straight ahead of me. The wind and snow blowing in my face wouldn't allow me to open my eyes. I had to walk with my head turned to the side if I wanted any hope of seeing anything at all. Once I was back to the dorms, I looked out my window and I saw snow, leaves, and even debris blowing straight up into the air because of the wind! And I live on the fifth floor, so they made it pretty far up. However, since this is the only snow I've seen, maybe it isn't always like that. And despite the insane winds, the snow was absolutely magical! I hope it snows again soon.

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Bibap!

I just got back from what was probably the most fun activity I've done here in Seoul: the delicious musical Bibap! It was a wonderful blend of acting, comedy, singing, dancing, acrobatics, martial arts, beatboxing, breakdancing, and audience participation. It has been a long time since I've laughed as hard as I did tonight! Seriously, if you ever find yourself in Seoul, go to this show. It's essentially Korean Broadway, and it's worth the money.

The premise: There are two master chefs (Red Chef and Green Chef) who battle over who can make the best food with the help of their sous chefs (Cutie Chef, Iron Chef, Sexy Chef, and others). Throughout the show, audience members "order" food from all over the world, like sushi, Chinese noodles, and pizza. ("order" is in quotation marks because they don't actually get to pick what kind of food, but the audience is still involved.) Hilarity ensues as audience members find themselves in situations like a date set up in a fake "Italian restaurant" to go with the pizza, joining in the group's dances, etc. For the grand finale, the chefs face off cooking Korea's famous dish: Bibimbap! (Bibimbap is a mix of rice, vegetables, and beef)

Now, let me tell you about my part of the show... all my years of theater in high school did me good today!

During the introduction to the show, Green Chef came out and greeted all the audience members. He talked with us, asking some of the audience where they were from and things like that. When he saw me, he stopped and said, "WAH!" He came down to my seat and asked where I was from, then called me up to the stage with him. (luckily, the performers spoke English) He had me sit down on a chair in the middle of the stage and, much to my delight and horror, started serenading me, all the while folding a napkin rose that he gave to me at the end of his song. Just then, Red Chef burst in from the opposite side of the stage and serenaded me with a song of his own, throwing my napkin rose on the ground and replacing it with a real rose! The chefs began arguing over who's girl I was, which ended with Green Chef grabbing my rose, throwing it at Red Chef, and both of them storming off in opposite directions. Leaving me awkwardly alone and roseless on stage. Much to my relief, a stagehand motioned for me to go sit back down in the audience.

I watched the rest of the show from my own seat.

...... until the final cooking showdown.

And it was a showdown indeed! Both chefs cooked like mad to make their very best bidimbap! At the end, they called me back up to the stage to settle the competition once and for all! Although the food for most of the show had been fake, they brought out real bowls of bidimbap for me. I was so nervous as I tried them that my hands were shaking! Cutie Chef even asked if I was okay. I was, it was just so much pressure having to decide! They even brought me water between trying one bowl and the other, to be sure I cleansed my palate between the dishes.

When it came time for my decision, I was actually caught in a moral dilemma. You see, I liked Green Chef better, because he was funnier. But I liked Red Chef's bidimbap better!! I know it shouldn't have mattered to me who won, but I was caught between who to vote for. In the end, I decided I had to make it fair, judged solely on their cooking. Red Chef was the winner.

There was a short dance number, during which Cutie Chef told me to stay right where I was and not leave the stage! And then everyone else left.... except Green Chef. Awkwarddddddd! For a while, he just glared at me from across the stage. Then he pulled up a chair for me and told me to sit. Scared of his anger, I quickly obeyed. Then, to my terror, he pulled out a huge sashimi knife!! (and by "pulled out a huge sashimi knife," I really mean, "pretended like his arm was a huge sashimi knife," which was a running gag from the rest of the show.) He "threw" his knife, and I pretended to dodge them in my chair. He got frustrated with my lack of enthusiasm, insisting that I scream. I let out a half-hearted fake scream, which just left him more exasperated than before. He actually had one of the chefs come out and mime with him the proper response he was looking for. This time when he threw the knife at me, I let out a loud, heartfelt scream and flailed my arms like mad! Luckily, my terror satisfied him, and we could move on with the show.

At long last, Green Chef opted to try Red Chef's so-called amazing bidimbap. When he did, a look of rapture crossed his face and a new musical number started! And, much to my surprise, the cast dragged me into it with them. I followed their lead, dancing, jumping, and even taking props off set like they instructed! It was all horridly fun. In the end, I got to take a bow with the cast and head back to my seat. But before I could get there, Red and Green Chefs yelled, "STOP!" The look of condescension on their faces was horrid. They pointed to a chair left on the far right side of the stage. REALLY?! They were upset I left a chair on stage? I wasn't even part of the cast! But, regardless, I ran back up on stage to take it away as my final part of the show.

Overall, it was so fantastic! It was a ton of fun, especially since they involved me directly. They gave me a commemorative Bibap mug, too, as a souvenir. It was definitely an experience I will never forget!

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Awkward in Korea Round II

Well, I managed to achieve another awkward moment here in Korea, which I'm sure is no surprise to anyone. My friend Kate and I were going to visit the Konkuk University library for the first time, which was a struggle in and of itself. We heard that there was an English section, but we didn't know where. For a while, we wandered around aimlessly, hoping to stumble upon the section on one of the six floors. During our search, we heard an announcement in Korean accompanied by some music, but didn't think much of it. Eventually, we did manage to stumble upon the right section! We looked around for a while, searching for a book for a report we had to write, and then just browsing for fun.

When we were done, we started going down the long flights of stairs. Weirdly enough, they were really dark... And come to think of it, we hadn't seen anyone in the library for a while. Much to our dismay, we found the floors below the one we had been on were completely dark except for the evening light through the windows. When we finally got to the first floor, we discovered with panic that all the exits had been padlocked shut! But it was barely after 9 pm!

Yes, we definitely found ourselves locked in the library.

I guess that was what the announcement we heard earlier was about. A notification that the library was closing. Luckily, we found a kind security guard fairly quickly who was willing to let the stupid foreigners out of the library. Looking back on it, though... I kinda wish we had gotten locked in for the night. Wouldn't that be such a grand adventure? Let's be honest, most of us have dreamed about being locked in a library, a zoo, a mall, etc. overnight at least once.

Maybe next time I'll be lucky enough to be stuck in a foreign building overnight without a bed or any other comfort. One can only hope~!

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Gyeongju, Nami Island, and Volunteering

My Saturday was like a tourist's dream! I got to wake up at 6 am and spend a total of 10 hours on a bus! Okay, so maybe it was more like a tourist's nightmare when you look at it that way. But in spite of the long hours, it really was a fantastic trip! We went to Gyeongju, a small city outside of Seoul. It had such a different feel since it was so much more rural and relaxed! Almost every site we went to had beautiful trees colored bright red and yellow by the fall leaves. It was so gorgeous! We also got to see some cultural sites, like a temple, the oldest astronomical observatory in Asia, and tombs of the kings. The tombs were really odd! They looked just like small, weirdly perfectly shaped hills. The actual tombs were inside the hills, which were even covered with dirt and grass. A very unique way of burying the dead!

My second adventure of the weekend was Nami Island! Nami Island is a small island in the Han River about 2 hours outside of Seoul. Once we got to the ferry boarding site, though, my roommate and I opted to take a different route to the island. We took a zip line from the mainland to the island! It was one of the most terrifying and awesome things ever! It was fairly short, but it had a beautiful view of the river and island. Definitely worth my time and money. The island was really beautiful too! Nami Island is famous for it's beauty in the Fall. The more traditional, sleepy feeling of the island, like Gyeongju, was a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.

On our way back from Nami Island, my roommate and I stopped in Dongdaemun to see the Pikachu parade they were hosting there! This year, Korea won it's first Pokemon World Championship, and was holding a celebration in Dongdaemun. Thursday through Sunday there were supposed to be photo-ops with Pikachu and several Pikachu Parades each day. Unfortunately, once we got to Dongdaemun, we discovered the remaining Pikachu Parades had been cancelled! Apparently Koreans are so crazy about Pikachu that they had flooded the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and mobbed the Pikachus. There were so many people that it created a safety hazard and the rest of the parades had to be cancelled. (If you want an idea of how insanely cute and crazy this whole thing was, look at this article! http://www.soompi.com/2014/11/14/pikachu-invades-seoul/)

The last topic of discussion is what I did with my afternoon today. Rather than go to my marketing class, I joined a troupe of students volunteering in the community! Me and two other girls from my study abroad program teamed up with many other Korean students for about 4 hours to pass out a total of 3,000 charcoal briquettes to low-income households that still use the old heating systems that require the briquettes. Overall, it was a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too! Hauling huge briquettes up to houses on a hillside gets exhausting fast. But in the exhaustion, I also felt really encouraged! So many students showed up to help out! And none of them seemed to be complaining or anything. They really did seem genuinely happy to help out! It was a very refreshing view of community service. As a thank you for helping out, all the volunteers were given a cute plush charcoal briquette cell phone charm! It is so cute and totally Korean. I could definitely get used to a country like this!

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Pepero Day, Short Shorts Kid, and My Awkwardness

Today was 빼빼로 (Pepero) Day! For those of you who don't know Pepero, it's like the Korean brand equivalent to Pocky sticks, which are long, slender, rod-shaped biscuits dipped in chocolate. 11.11 is Pepero day, since the numbers resemble the shape of Pepero sticks. On Pepero Day, couples give each other Peppero in hopes of growing taller and thinner (which is ironic, since you're giving each other chocolate covered biscuits....). Me and my roommate decided to give each other Pepero to make up that neither of us have boyfriends in Korea. It's a perfect lonely-girl holiday: an excuse to be sad, eat chocolate, and complain about the fact that you're too short and stout. 

Now for the next subject in the random collection of stories that is this blog post... There's a kid in my Knit Textile Design class that my friend and I have officially dubbed "short shorts kid" due to his apparent affinity for strangely short cutoff jean shorts. Don't get me wrong, this kid is awesome! In my Knit class, the teacher explains the knit techniques to the whole class in Korean, and then teaches it to me and my friend again in English since we are the only two foreign students. It's pretty apparent that almost nobody else in the class speaks English. Except for short shorts kid! He speaks some limited English, and I always appreciate when he tries to use it. Last week in class, he asked me and my friend Serena if we dressed up for Halloween. I said that I didn't really do anything for Halloween. Serena told him that she dressed up as a school girl. Short Shorts kid got a really excited look on his face, and exclaimed gleefully, "ME TOO! I have a picture, let me show you..." I thought it was odd that he dressed up as a schoolgirl, but I attributed it to his limited English. He probably misunderstood. When he showed us the picture... Nope. He definitely understood. I found myself confusedly staring at a picture of him in a wig, makeup, and Japanese Harajuku schoolgirl uniform complete with short skirt. It was the funniest, strangest, most disturbing thing I have ever seen. Serena and I probably laughed for ten minutes straight, much to the satisfaction of short shorts kid. I have since decided that this is a kid I must be friends with. 

Today I also had my first horridly awkward school blunder in Korea. I was heading to my Global Fashion Marketing class, and as I was opening the door to the classroom, I heard a teacher's voice inside and saw everyone else was already in class! Panicked by the fact that I was late, I raced into the classroom as everyone stared at me (since the door to the classroom is in the very front) and took the first seat I could. Once the initial panic wore off, a new kind of panic set in. I realized the teacher was talking in 100% Korean. And I didn't recognize anyone else in the class. Turns out, I got to class 15 minutes early and had accidentally joined the tail end of the class before mine! At that moment, I was faced with a choice... remain in the classroom and endure the shame or leave and not only be shamed again, but interrupt the class again with my exit. I decided the first option was probably less disrespectful, so I sucked it up and just joined the last 10 minutes of the class. It was more awkward than I can even put into words. 

In conclusion.... Pepero Day is awesome, Short Shorts Kid is awesome, and I'm just awkward. 

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Demilitarized Zone, Joint Security Area, and the Trick Eye Museum

Not too long ago, I had the change to go see the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea as well as the Joint Security Area (JSA). It was a tour that my study abroad program booked for all the students here in Korea, but it was different from our other excursions because Jaehoon, the employee who usually serves as our tour guide, wasn't allowed to enter the DMZ. In fact, no South Korean citizens are allowed to go in, even for organized tours.

In case you don't know, the Demilitarized Zone is a sort of buffer zone between North and South Korea. It's about 2 1/2 miles wide and includes military outposts from both sides, the JSA (which is essentially a military camp on the official boundary between the North and South), and several small villages.

A group of myself and about 30 other people boarded a bus with our tour guide and set off for the border. The excitement started almost immediately, with our tour guide briefing us on our way there. He informed us that there was a long list of taboo clothing items such as ripped jeans, sleeveless shirts, mini skirts, short pants, military cloth, exercise clothes, round neck t shirts, and sandals, but if we needed to change he had extra clothing we could use. Next, he told us that there is a strict NO PICTURE policy unless he specifically informs us that it is okay to take pictures. There is also no communication allowed with the Northern people, troops, or personnel, including pointing, waving, etc. Lastly, the only thing you can carry with you is your camera and whatever you can fit in your pockets. There are no purses, backpacks, etc. allowed in case something happens and you have to make a run for it. Scary, right? There were also three separate security points we had to pass through, and they checked the passport of every passenger at each one.

There's a lot I could say bout the DMZ and JSA, but I'll try to keep it rather short. There were a lot of interesting facts along the way. For example, on the road to the DMZ we kept passing huge concrete walls on either side of the road. Turns out, those were anti-tank walls. In case of an attack, TNT can be used to topple the walls onto the road, effectively blocking North Korean tanks. Also, all the soldiers at the DMZ are required to wear sunglasses at all times, regardless of the weather, because staring contests or "eye fighting" became common between the Northern and the Southern soldiers. 

One fascinating thing we got to see was the Bridge of No Return. Basically, it was a bridge connecting the Northern and Southern countries, over which prisoners of war were returned at the end of the war. North Koreans held captive by the South were given the option to stay or return to their homeland in the North. But once they made there decision and crossed the bridge, there would be no opportunity to return. Hence, the name. 

We also got to see the JSA, which has the military demarcation line run through it. We entered one rectangular building in the JSA, and our tour guide told us to look out the window at a rectangular cement block on the ground outside. He then informed us that the block was the official dividing line between North Korean and South Korean territory, and we were standing on the North side! Although it's allowed in that building, it was still a weird feeling to be in North Korea. Not very many people they've been in North Korea and returned safely! 

Overall, the tour was pretty awesome and educational as well!

Switching to a completely different and much lighter topic... I went to Hongdae last weekend and did some very fun things! To start with, we went to a sheep cafe! Literally, a place where you can buy coffee, juice, waffles, etc. and then pet sheep. Yep. There was a little pen outside the cafe with very clean, well-kept sheep. It was pretty odd but pretty fun! 

Next, we visited the Trick Eye Museum. It's basically a museum of paintings and props that, if you take a picture of it at a certain angle, make very unrealistic scenes look very real. For example, you can make it look like you're in a famous painting or like you're being eaten by a giant fish. It's very fun to do and you get some hilarious picture from it! 

But even more impressive than the Trick Eye Museum was the Ice Museum we got free admission to with our purchase of Trick Eye Museum tickets. It is literally a huge room that is kept at a temperature below freezing and there are all sorts of ice sculptures you can pose with! There are igloos, Santa's sleigh, a horse-drawn carriage... there's even an ice slide you can go down! There's also an entire, life-size living room and bedroom, including chairs, a television, a bed, a fireplace, and even a piano... all made of ice!! It was very impressive. Super cool.

But anyways, I'm tired of writing and you're tired of reading, so I'll sum it all up in one statement: South Korea is an endless fountain of fun things to do that will take your breath away!

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