Election day : sports day at Kyunghee University

On Wednesday this week we had the day off because it was a public holiday due to the elections for the Korean parliament. As in many countries in the world people here have the right to vote in stead of having the obligation to do so - in Belgium we HAVE to vote, at least I don't because I have the citizenship of the Netherlands :p. I didn't really follow the elections here in Korea - neither was I really doing this with the president's candidate elections in the USA - but I read that the parties in Korea do not differ so much from each other, having most similar programs.

I did took a picture of the most important party heads. Anyway, cut the crap about politics, so I was saying we had a day off on Wednesday. Yippiehey!!!

Heli asked me to join the sports day of the 'International Friendship and Culture Club' at Kyunghee Uni, located just a few bus stops away from Korea University... Because I still don't know many people at Korea Uni, I tend to hang out more with people of Kyunghee, especially the exchange students, all through Heli en Jen who stay at our student home. And I must say I am glad I was there that day.

Although I didn't know most people, the atmosphere was very 'studentikoos' and fun. Lot's of kind and friendly people : Korean students, students form Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Austria, Australia... The day was well organized : we gathered at the sport hall of Kyunghee Uni and got a Tshirt with emblem and had to draw a colored string deciding what team you were in. I was in the RED team.

We had lunch at the stairs of on of the main buildings and took some pictures. I got into a nice chat with a Korean girl (Eun-seon) and two girls from Japan (Ami and Hae-young) who are studying in Seoul. (The group pic is taken by Eun-seon).

After lunch we went back to the sports hall to find our team members and the competition between the 4 teams could start. It was quite funny because I haven't been in a 'school team' for ages ago and I felt like being in high school again ;). We played a lot of games like limbo dancing, dodge ball, some kind of charade (Yeay, I really liked this, reminds me of playing Cranium) and some dancing.


It felt good being part of a team although you don't know each other so well. The cheering in Korean "Aja aja 아자아자, Fighting. Team Red fighting" was really fun. It really made people bond and winning was even more fun sharing the 'high fives' and laughter with each other :)). I had so much fun during the games I didn't even feel my bruises when I fell on the back of my head during limbo dancing - not so bendy any more like I used to be in the good 'young' days - or when I fell on my knee to avoid a ball during dodge ball. My knee is know going to have all the colors of the rainbow for the coming week, starting with a beautiful fleshy kind of blue ;p.

We ended the day with some kind of dance in a circle where you had to switch partners every time. Fun fun fun. A bit like folk dancing, khekhekhe. Ah yes and not to forget the mention : the RED team came out as the winner of the day. We all had two stamps on our arms, meaning that we had won two games.

After the activities I joined a few Korean and Japanese girls and a Russian guy called Nikolai to an eatery near the campus where we had a 'budae jjigae' 부대찌개. It was a big metal bowl in the middle of the table on a stove with kimchi 김치, other veggies, sausage, rice cakes 떡 and where transparent noodles and ramyeon 라면 are added. And we were all eating of that same bowl. Very cosy and warm.

We talked in English and in Korean, but when it was in Korean it was sometimes hard for me to follow, but I didn't really mind. On the contrary, I try to understand and pick up as many things as I can, for that's the only way to learn it.

After dinner I went back to Crimson House to study and bumped in to Jen on the bus back. She's had coffee with Heli and some others. When it was time to get off, my T Money card didn't want to check out so I didn't get off the bus in time. A bit in panic I asked the bus driver to stop, but he was saying he will just stop at the next stop... I think. So I walked my way back home, in the pouring rain, without umbrella.... There was no nice Korean guy that offered his umbrella or coat to a 'young' - ahum ahum - lady like me like in most romanticized Korean dramas :'(... Hahahaha, but there was someone waiting for me : Jen !!
Wet but not completely soaked when I got back in my room and already feeling a minor cold and snotty nose coming up. Hope I won't get sick here. But it didn't kill the nice memories of good team spirit and bonding I felt during that very day :).