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 :)).
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