But I have to write a Korean blog for assessment so I might-as-well do a practice one in English.
I'll try and start from where I left off as a memory exercise (I could probably use that kind of thing).
The day after I arrived I woke up kinda late. It made sense. I had no appointments and a whole year in which to explore Korea. Sleep was the perfect option. But at that time my stomach had to but in and remind me that I skipped dinner the night before and had only really ate airplane food the day before.
I knocked on my neighbour's (Eungsan's) door after 12 (or 1 even). He had said he would be heading to SNU to hand in some translations and he would be able drive me/show me the way. He hadn't even woken up but he quickly got ready and we headed to SNU for afternoon brunch.
The food was as traditional as you could get.. maybe. but it was sundubujjigae (a spicy stew with tofu), some fish that I enjoyed then and for some reason can't stomach now, and the regular panchan (side dishes; usually a kind of kimchi, rice (not really panchan) and some small nibbly things like mandu (dumplings)). The fish was small but it was the entire fish, and you basically had to skin it and bone it with your chopsticks. Talk about trial by fire.. But to my new friends surprise I had no trouble eating it. We went after that to try some coffee (my first in Seoul) and I spied on the menu the option of "nokcha latte" (green tea latte). We went then to my friends office, and on the way I saw snow being shoveled out of the walkways. The funny thing is, I hadn't seen snow the whole time I had been there. It was as though it snowed only in a space of 10 square meters and everywhere else was fine. warm even. On the way to Eungsan's office he said how he was surprised that a white guy like me was studying Korean and could eat Korean food. Apparently, in his experience, a lot of the exchange students from America don't try to learn Korean and neither do the military personnel who stay up to 8 years.
I went to the student center to check it out (and get a much needed Ethernet cable) and saw a lot of coffee machines around. Seriously a lot. Everything from cans of coffee like the one's you can get in Australia (from Korean marts) to warm and hot cans of coffee and big machines that dispense a paper cup for you (that for some reason usually have "PMS" written on them (and smiling guys giving a thumbs up)). Also the regular soda machines don't really have as much coke style sodas. They're there sometimes, but it's usually some kind of vitamin citrus drink or "pokari sweat" (korean powerade)". That discovery, when combined with the scarcity of overweight Koreans around led me to think that Koreans care more about health than Australians (and actually care, as opposed to yo-yo dieting when their feeling insecure).
I had my camera with me so I tried to capture the coolness of the campus. (including one from my first cyber bathroom experience. Just like the Japanese toilets. Yes, they have those here too. and you should know which button is the off button before you start pressing the others...)
(there are more on facebook if your that interested)
While I was aimlessly wandering around the University a Korean guy asked if I needed a hand finding somewhere. I wasn't really going anywhere in particular but I went over to say hey anyway. I can't remember what we talked about but it was probably all the obvious questions to which the answers are often soon forgotten. hence I cannot remember.. but he said that we should totally go clubbing together. I was like, yeah. but I didn't have a phone which complicated things so he went upstairs to grab a business card (all the post grads in SNU seem to have them) and we exchanged emails. He then quickly ushered me out, as a superior came in who couldn't speak English. He said that it's not cool in Korea to show someone above you (wissaram or above person) their shortcomings. He also said that clubbing is pretty expensive in Korea but he knows a few good places where the girls are cheap girls are cheap. Yeah, I did a doubletake as well. Apparently Korean clubs were somewhat different to Australian ones. But I knew that eventually I'd have to try. I emailed the guy once since and.. I should probably do it again... later..
That night I went to my first mart in Korea and was surprised to find that everything pretty much costs the same. That saddened my wallet and me, but I got a few necessities, like ramyeon (noodles)(you gotta..). Shortly after I endured a sickness unlike any other I've experienced. The second day in Seoul didn't exist for me I was just a wreck in my room and praying that I would eventually have the energy to find food and avoid starvation. I actually thought I was gonna die (I was kinda delirious so..).
The next morning despite feeling like utter crap I went to the orientation held the next day. And the bus didn't stop at the uni. And it rained. but that be another episode in a months time..
I swear these posts'll get shorter.. you know, when all the days blend into just drinking (that's actually gotten boring now though so I'm being more productive. yay!)...
I'm not gonna bother with the government endorsement from now as I'm doing it on that Korean blog and that's actually gonna appear on the school website.
