Reunited with 'the guys' in Seoul

Being back in Seoul for about just more than a week, I am finding myself not really in the mood to socialize all the time, compared to my time in Spring this year. I don't know if it's because I still have a lot of impressions I have to organize in that tiny head of mine from my short stay in the US, my Belgian friends coming, my stay in Vancouver just before that, or maybe even all the things that happened here in Seoul back in Spring. Actually I still did not tell everybody that I already arrived in Seoul. Part of me wants to be a little bit on my own, but another part of me is really seeking for human contact. Like now.

Sitting at Dunkin' Donuts zipping a Latte because I have been inside all day - studying in that not even that tiny room of mine : 8 square meters - it could got worse because I got an offer from the manager again for the 4 square meters room this Monday... making me doubting again, recalculating costs, advantages and disadvantages. Eventually LJ convinced me, knowing the person that I am, I would go crazy in a small space. And he was right. I already kind of felt claustrophobic after 12 hours in my room without real human contact. Except for the cleaning lady who's living in the same building too... and with whom I had an interesting discussion in the weekend about 'refrigerators'... in Korean of course.

But, I did meet people in this week that I have returned to Seoul. This Monday I went to the area of Ehwa Women University to meet some of my closest friends here. Seoul's most famous and biggest women university is situated in the heart of the student's district with Hongdae, Sogang and Yonsei university. When you arrive at Ehwa... it's really a funny sight : almost no guys, because this is really WOMEN territory!!! Even the shops around Ehwa University are all women orientated. First I thought that Ehwa was educating emancipated women, but later I found out that women graduating here would major in topics that are even more emphasizing the stereotypical role that women play in this still male orientated society of Korea. I even have heard that there were majors like 'household economy'... making me think : 'Do women go to university even to make a perfect (house)wife in the future? Omg - Oh My God!'
This place is also a very nice hang out for guys for 'beautiful sightseeing' - read : fresh young women ;p. So that's what they were doing, my friends :Sang-yul, Kyoung-ju, Kibashi-san. I am married anyway, so I don't really bother ;p.


Sang-yul just graduated this year from fashion management and now doing internship. His hometown is Daegu, somewhere in the midst of the country. His father owns a middle scale large Hanbok-company - Korean traditional clothing - and he's going to take over that firm in the future. First time that I met him was at the first Crimson House roof party.

I found him a little over energetic at that time. First I thought that he was drunk, but later I found out that he was just like that :). Maybe that's why I like him. And he's not shy to speak at all, nor in English, nor in Korean, nor in body language. My Korean is not good at all, but it is said that after 2 beers your language skills miraculously improve, as well for listing as speaking. I really like his accent of Daegu. Reminds me of 'Limburgs' accent in Belgium : little bit like singing but with a very friendly undertone :). It is said that the accent of Daegu is the most outspoken in Korea.


The other friend is Kyoung-ju who's studying fashion too and wants to become a good fashion designer. Kyoung-ju's nickname is 'Marc Jacobs'. He actually studied computer science at the university at first, but in the end he felt not fitting in that direction so he changed course to what he's always wanted to do : fashion. I think he's very passionate and I know he can handle a needle quite well too. Who knows he might become a celebrated designer one day having models wearing his creations....And last but not least Kibashi-san - a 61 year 'young' Japanese man who's passionate about the Korean language and customs. Although a lot older than us, he's very young-minded and he doesn't mind that we see him as a 'friend' rather than as an elder person. He really likes hanging out with us and we can speak casually to each other. Actually that's not so common either, being an older Japanese man himself. Actually he reminds me a lot of my late father, being the same age and the same kind of spirit. We used to get together all the time, the 4 of us. Dinners, lunches, festivals, pubs even just simple student activities at the campus.


But actually there were the 5 of us, because Heli - the Austrian guy who lived in the same dormitory as me - is now in Austria. My Korean friends say that's not that common to stay closely in contact with a 'Western' foreigner after the period they stay in Korea. And to have such a good friend like Heli, it's just not a common thing. I completely agree with that :).


On this Monday's reunion we talked a lot about our past, mostly about how we met this year. And how the friendship grew within time. Finding it amazing that people with different backgrounds, different nationalities, different interests and even different age could come together and still meet. Even after a break of 3 months. To be honest, we haven't been knowing each other that long before I went back to the US, but we did meet a lot in a short period. Maybe it was the intensity and the nice memories as well that made the difference.
I hope to stay in contact with them after this semester too, because it will be the last time that I go abroad for studying.


Yeah, bringing up those memories from a young past... it's really nice. Luckily LJ met most of my friends in that very short period that he stayed here in Seoul. It was really important for me that he met everybody. My friends liked him a lot and vice versa. Now he can understand the good kind of friends that took care of me here during those 3 months of Seoul daily life.

Because that time being here in Seoul, I really felt like that he was missing out on everything that was happening to me, although we talked almost everyday over the phone. A part of me was missing. That's maybe the reason I tried out a lot of things, I never thought I would do. That's maybe why, I became a bit more full circle here, even without him by my side... just on my own.

Last time in June, just before LJ and I left for traveling to other parts of Korea, we had a last big gathering with dinner and BEER. Some were leaving afterwards to their home country or traveling to other Asian countries.


And the very last day, the night before we left for the US, we had one of the most crazy karaokes EVER with wigs and the right amount portion of melancholy. That time it was just me, LJ, Sang-yul and Kyoung-ju.


Thinking back, yeah, those were really the times : without and with LJ. I am just so happy, I could share that part of my life in Seoul with my husband. Because right now, at moments like this, I just wished he could be here.


But I am not sad right now. Because I am in good hands here :).

So we took some pictures on our reunion on Monday : the 4 of us. Just to be funny and silly - no matter what age : one beautiful picture in an ordinary elevator :)).

Exploring Korea's tradtions

Like most Asian cities, Seoul is a shopping paradise... food paradise... entertainment paradise. Where ever I go in Seoul, I never get bored of the sights because at every streets corner, in what ever sub center of Seoul, you will find new shops, coffee corners, restaurants over and over again. Seoul's buildings and facilities are packed densely and not just per square feet, but also in the height. At night neon lights all over. It's hard to really orientate sometimes. Busy during daytime, crowded with 70 percents of female shoppers, the streets come even more alive at night, when people get off from school and work. Some shops even have special sales during certain times in the evening giving all their products away with 20% discount. Shopping around 7pm is like crazy, I think.


Sometimes I feel lost in such a big city. Although I am not alone and surrounded by people, I feel lost. I am always surprised, when I find a spot of nature or park in the midst of this bustling city, where not too many people tend to come.


Last Saturday, I went to visit one of the Royal Palaces Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo Royal Shrine situated near the City Hall of Seoul and in the vicinity of the other grand palaces in Seoul. Actually to be honest, I don't really see the difference any longer between one and the other palace, because the architecture looks a bit similar. Maybe I am loosing my touch of observation as an architect, being jobless for almost one year ;p. But still, I like visiting ancient buildings, because they breathe history and have been standing there through time and space.
And I also like the surroundings of those palaces, most situated in a quiet and serene green 'park' environment. A nice break from the city's never ending stream of people, cars and consumption.


Nice thing about Changgyeonggung is that it's actually not as popular among tourists as the bigger Gyeonbokgung and Changdeokgung, but visitors can enjoy some very nice traditional cultural events like tea ceremony and cookie making course.


Actually I kind of by accident rolled into one of those events and I am glad I did. I was just in time to make the dough for the sesame and peanut cookies. Just sat down next to some Korean mothers and their children, as I was part of their tea party :). Being a daughter of a former Chinese baker and a mother who's all crazy about making Chinese Moon cakes lately, I felt some melancholy to my late grandmother's bakery in Hong Kong.


The recipe is quite simple : just mixing some honey with peanut powder or sesame powder and pushing the dough in some molds. After the cookie making the Korean hostesses taught us the movements how to drink Korean traditional tea... I did quite well they told me... or maybe it was just politeness towards a foreigner ;p.


In the evening, I walked towards Insadong, wanting to explore some of the remaining traditional houses in the city center, but eventually I ended up lost again - my night vision and orientation get worse by dawn - finding myself a nice cup of coffee at Starbuck's, drying up from the rain.

It was Saturday night, and guess what? I did go out on myself eventually in the Hongdae area. It's a bit stupid, I admit, nobody goes out on their own, but I just wanted to be outside on Saturday evening on my own, so I just DID. So I visited Jane's Groove after 3 months, my favorite bar in Seoul. Because the female owner of the bar is my friend. I listened to some music, enjoyed a Leffe and danced of course. Ended up talking to her best friend who's the manager of the bar. He had a very strange English accent, very familiar and yes... it was as I thought : he had a Dutch-English accent. Korean guy who has been living in Amsterdam for about 3 years, even being able to speak Dutch to me. I was really surprised and happy at the same time :)). The world is really small from time to time to meet people that have something in common with you.

Took the first subway back to my dormitory. But had to wait for about one hour. People outside were drunk and happy, I was just wandering around on my own, observing people. It's really funny to be the only sober person among all those young students... I was fascinated by the lively scenery that early in the morning but felt lonely at the same time. Luckily near my subway station there was a small eatery with a kind ajumma - middle aged lady - where I could wait and where I had a very nice - actually DELICIOUS - red bean rice porridge on the wait :))... I LOVE READ BEANS. Although Saturday was a moody and lonely day for me - partly because of the rain - I experienced some warm and comfortable moments too, all linked to Korea's traditional food, served by kind-hearted people :)

Back in Korea

It took me a while, but I finally got to the point that I have been postponing all the time : updating my blog here ;p. I am finding myself at some Starbuck's coffee shop near Insadong, not because I like the coffee... but because there's some wireless internet that I can use. Today was not a very good day to do some exploring : it rained practically whole day and my feet are wet. Luckily I did bring my umbrella along, because I felt that it would rain, even though the weather report did not really forecast rain for today.
So as most of you already know, I am back in Korea, since this week Monday evening. Actually, it has been quite a hectic few weeks, just before I left for Korea again, but that's another story.

Flew with Asiana Airlines from San Francisco to Seoul, nothing special on the flight, the food was not spectacular, so were the female flight attendants : those from Korean Air are more pretty, even I as a female can see that. But even then, the service was quite good, if you get a Korean flight attendant at least. Mine was an Indonesian or some other South East Asian country, nice young lady but very casual while interaction with the passengers and at some point even almost impolite. She was more laid back compared to her Korean colleagues.

Arrived in the Monday evening, luckily I knew my way tot the express bus and the language as well, because the bus driver eventually passed my bus stop without any announcing, making me walk for about 20 minutes like a fool in the dark to the dormitory with my big and small suitcase trolleys. Hell of an arrival I would say. It was hot and humid and I was tired. But I made it fine. Luckily this did not happen the first time I came to Korea in March this year, because I would not know where I had to tell the bus driver to stop.
Luckily this time, I did not pack that much and this for 3 months. I actually didn't even pack winter clothes, for it's summer time in Korea right now, the last few days up to 28*C by daytime and 20*C by nighttime. Actually warmer and more moisture than in San Francisco Bay Area.

The manager of the dormitory was not there at my arrival but she left the key of my room to my neighbor. I got a bigger room than I asked for, actually I was thinking of having a 4 square meters room at the corner of the building - 2 windows - because I thought I would manage without too much space. Eventually today, after long hesitating between function, space, light and costs, I decided to stay at the bigger room, about 8 square meters with less daylight. I might need the extra space to move I think, in case I become over energetic... "De kogel is door de kerk...."

The first few days, I did some shopping to make my daily life more comfortable, especially a lot of food and daily hygiene products that I did not bring along. Yesterday I had to take the subway to the main office of my cell phone company to register for a cell phone number. I should have done it earlier, but I was too lazy. Because of the heat I think ;p.

I already went jogging again - on Thursday - yes at night again. Nothing to worry about, Seoul is a safe city, as long as there are people outside, having dinner, drinking soju, in the nice warm hot and humid evenings and nights.

Meanwhile I have also met some friends. It's nice to be back in Korea. Although it feels strange as well to be back. Some people have gone, some people stayed. This time, the environment is not really new to me. I know my way, I am acquainted with the language and the habits, I even have my friends living here, a kind of social life. Already met with 2 of the Japanese girls - Eriko and Yuka - of my former spring-class this year and yesterday I had dinner with my good friend Sang-yul. Also by accident bumped into a Chinese guy that I call my 'younger brother' because I am much older than him. And that's about it.

I could call some more people, like for tonight : it's Saturday night and I could go out and dance... Yeah DANCE... but I think I will call it for today, because I already feel a cold coming up : itchy nose feeling like there's fog hanging around all the time, itchy throat, annoying cough during night time. I think it's because of the climate change and the air co in my room. And still, I think I really take good care of myself.

Today, is a moody day. My first day of exploring again. Exploring the places that I forgot about the first time I was in Korea. I do enjoy traveling on my own, from time to time, but when it's raining I tend to get moody and melancholic. I miss LJ. I miss my home. I miss Belgium. I miss our friends. I even miss our swimming pool in the USA. I really have to find a nice place to swim here.

Still sitting at Starbuck's. I am about to leave. My Caffe Latte is almost finished. At the background noisy people talking but I feel like I live in my own cocoon of thoughts. It's still raining outside. Despite the rain and my wet feet and wet travel guides, I did experience some 'warm' moments in the colder rain today, making me thinking back of a certain night last week at Santa Monica beach near Los Angeles ;).

A lot has to do with hot instant coffee from the vending machine - you can get it everywhere here, lucky me :) -


free pop corn and participating at Korean cookie making and tea ceremony I attended during my visit to one of the Royal Palaces in Seoul. Learned a lot about how to drink tea in Korean way :)). Graciously.

So... off I go now. Next entry will be with pictures and so. About today's experiences. Rethinking the structure of this blog, I might jump back from time to time to last semester's trips I made when my husband came here on holiday. We will see. At least, I started writing again :)).