Hongdae

서울 (Seoul) is a vibrant city with something to do every hour of the day. One of the most unique places in Seoul, is the area of 홍대 (Hongdae). Hongdae is the arts district and is home to the top art university, 홍긱 대하교( Honggik University), in Korea. These students have carved out an area of Korea, making it like nothing else in the entire country.

Hongdae is home to a place where graffiti is encouraged, daily free live music shows plays, artists sell their own homemade crafts, yummy foods, unique cafes, and vibrant night culture.

Hongdae is perhaps best visually known for its stunning street art. Some of the most famous pieces of street include the Tiger Rabbit (which is now sadly gone), a playground covered in graffiti, and the month of October. The month of October is a special time in Hongdae. This is when Converse comes and holds a contest; encouraging students to paint the most unique Converse shoes are the Hongdae area. October also marks the month where the street artists display and sell their best work. It is an event not to be missed!

Saturday is a big day in Hongdae. This is the day where the Saturday market is open. The streets are flush with artists selling their crafts, from paintings, to watches, to earrings; the street market has it all. 

Food in Hongdae, like all of Korea, is everywhere. But in Hongdae, competition is stiff, so unique places pop up. One of the most famous restaurants is not actually a restaurant; it is a food stand called Bob’s Barby. For Australians, it’s a little piece of home offering Mutton Pies, but it is also famous for having the best hot dogs in Hongdae. For me as Texan, Mexican food is an integral part of my diet. Thankfully Hongdae has me covered with some very tasty Mexican food at the restaurant, Dos Tacos. And for those that really want a piece of home, there is also a Taco Bell. 

 One should know how important cafes are to Koreans. This being said, Hongdae, like everything else, has made cafes in its own ways. Hongdae offers a huge variety of cafes from the cutesy Hello Kitty Café, cat cafes (where you can play with cats while you enjoy your coffee), to a butler café.

Hongdae though is perhaps best known for its pulsating night scene. The streets of Hongdae are littered with bars, Hofs (a place to drink beer and soju), as well as small and large clubs. On Friday and Saturday nights, the streets are packed with the young people of Seoul out to take a break from the strains of university classes and have a great time.

The best night for going to the clubs in Hongdae is the last Friday of the month. This is Club Day. Club Day is where you pay 15,000 원 (won), or roughly $15, and you get into a select list of 15 or so of the best clubs in Hongdae. Be warned though, because while fun, the clubs immensely crowded on this night, and some of the patrons can be a little rowdy. 

Drinking Customs

In connection with my last post, drinking in Korea is an integral part of its culture. Drinking though, comes with its own set of customs, and knowing these customs is crucial.

           

First comes accepting a drink. You NEVER pour your own drink. It’s rude and it comes with the saying, “If you pour your own drink, you will be alone for 20 years.” Your senior will generally pour your drink if you are drinking with work colleagues, or by your business partner in a business meeting. When accepting the drink, you want to hold your glass with your right hand, and then, you put your left hand under the glass, put your left hand under your elbow, or accept with both hands. You put your left hand under the glass if the person is very important, i.e. your boss, and you put it under your elbow if it is someone closer, i.e. a friend, and with both hands for accepting a shot of soju. NEVER ACCEPT A DRINK WITH ONE HAND, even when you are with friends.

Accepting a shot of soju with both hands

This goes the same for pouring the drink. Once your drink has been poured, you are expected to the pour a drink for the person who poured yours. Always do this with both hands with the right hand pouring and the left hand under the bottle.

Notice how both of his hands are on the bottle. 

When it comes to actual drinking, there are even more rules, but these rules usually apply to when it is a more formal setting of drinking such as drinking with colleagues or business partners. When drinking from your glass, turn your head to the side, facing away from the senior member of the group (this person is usually your boss, a senior member who is hard to approach, or someone who is older than you by ten years, not a friend or close colleague), cover the drink with your hand, and then drink. This is because it is rude for the senior of the group seeing you drink alcohol.

Now these rules seem so strict, but try to follow them. If you don’t get it precisely, do not worry. Koreans will be delighted with the fact that you are trying and forgive the mistakes.

Readjustment

When you start calling a place home, it is difficult to forget what it taught you. After living in Korea for a year and a half, Korea became a place that left a deep impression on me and gave me habits that will never leave me. I never thought readjusting to American society would be so difficult.

Crowds I am used to, so trips to the mall or grocery store to pick up small things came with ease. It is things like driving and dressing that cause me the greatest trouble.

Crossing a street still takes 5 seconds of hesitation, making sure no one will run the red light and hit me. Traffic is now doable. I’m no longer constantly on edge for people looking for 5 feet to cut me off. But with every car’s swerve, I hold my breath, waiting for them to rush into my lane. I feel danger.

Dressing, I am finding, has become the hardest to get used to. There was not a day in Korea where I went without make-up. There was not a day where I did not dress my best to attend class or merely walk on the streets. But, amongst this sea of American students, I now stand out. My hair is neatly kept, a fresh layer of make-up is applied to my face, and of course, I am wearing fine clothes. I sit wearing these things amongst ranks of sweatshirt and pajama clad students. I am alone.

I walk through campus, amazed by the amount of space it takes up. Why does it need this much space? Why is it organized like this? Nothing flows. The buildings are harsh and obtuse, haphazardly placed throughout dusty ground with no consideration of how it fits in its surroundings. I cringe.

As I walk past campus food courts, I shudder, nearly pinching my nose shut. I am amazed at how fatty and fried the foods are. There is no consideration for health. The price shocks me even more. I can get a single sandwich for $5 whereas I used to be able to a get a full me with side dishes for $3. My wallet aches.

When classes begin, I find myself sighing with relief; there are quizzes AND homework assignments, not just 2 exams. I look at the students around me who groan about the course load, but I smile. I am a better student?

Korea is still in me. A month should have been enough time to adjust myself back into Western society, yet here I am, still stuck in the East. I am alone. I am singled out. I am special. I know the world. 

Packing for Home

They say that packing to go to your destination is the hardest part, but in reality, it’s packing to go home.

Coming to, you only have to worry about what to bring, and what ever is missing can be purchased upon arrival. But, packing to go home, whatever you leave stays behind. Whether that be a sock, a friend, a favorite coffee shop, or boyfriend. If these are not packed, they stay behind forever.

These things last as memories. They last a receipts kept in you wallet, ticket stubs tossed in your purse, pictures on your camera that you never got around to uploading. The strongest thing you have to keep is a memory of brilliant smile.

What I remember here? Who will I remember? Will I remember the feeling of 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal, pork belly) as it burns my tongue, the bitter taste of 소주 (soju, Korean vodka) as I do it in “원셧!” (One shot!), the sight of street vendors selling every knick-knack that you can think of?

As I pack things into my suitcase, I trace my hand across my Korea University shirts. At Texas Tech, I only own one shirt that I bought quickly before a football game, but here, I have over 6 shirts with Korea University proudly displayed on the front along with several sweaters of the same variety. Why have I collected these? Will these things be my memory of students who have given me my most cherished memories?

I can only hope as I pack my remaining souvenirs into my bag, that I will return to Korea one day. I have lived here for so long and have become so comfortable calling it my home. How can I not come back when this place has become all that I love and know?

The Death of Kim Jong-Il

There have been reports for the past 3 years that Kim Jong-Il’s health has been ailing, so it came as no surprise to me when he was pronounced dead this morning.

Like all of my friends in Korea, I had the news on when the TV announced that he was dead. At first I was shocked, but in an instant it was overtaken by unease. What does this mean for the Koreas?

Kim Jong-Il’s successor, Kim Jong-Un, is barely 30, and in a culture that values age over almost everything, it’s hard to see him holding the reins of the country. My fears are like everyone else’s, what will happen now?

In reality, there is little to think and only to watch. With the news from North Korea so tightly guarded, it is hard to believe what is really happening in the country. One can only know what is truly happening until it happens outside of the country.

All that we can do now is pray and hope that nothing ill will come of this event, and even hope that maybe this will lead to these two lands divided becoming one again.  

The Last Day

I didn’t really think about. With projects and finals crushing down on me, I didn’t even have time to think about. Sleepless nights, caffeine overload, a burst eye vessel from too much studying—so many things to make you go numb to what you’re supposed to be feeling.

I raised my head from my desk as my 5 a.m. alarm went off, warning me that I was stupid and fell asleep while studying. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes, and stretched, cramming for the last few precious hours I had before my last final. As I slipped on fresh clothes and packed up my bag, I looked at my table and saw my camera. In an instant, emotion ran to the back of my throat—today was my last day at Korea University.

I began cursing myself, angry that I let myself get so overwhelmed with school that I didn’t let myself enjoy the last few precious moments that I had at this wonderful place. Before running out the door, I quickly snatched my camera; I don’t know why, the day was grey and I would be meeting no one since they were just like me, too absorbed in their books.

Rushing to the bus, I ran through cold air, trying not to think about my final, and least of all, my time coming to a close. When I arrived at the school, I sat in the business lounge, like I had so many times before. Seated in a plush red chair, I looked around at the astounding room. Glass reaching the ceiling three stories high, couches and tables neatly aligned for comfort and efficiency, students leaning over papers, desperately cramming in the final minutes before their test. I breathed deeply. Would this be my last breath here?

When the final ended, I walked out of class, thinking of going straight to my bus stop so that I could go home and get some much needed sleep, but I paused as I took out my gloves. I wanted to stay here, just for a little bit longer. So I shoved my gloves back into my bag and began to walk down Korea University’s famous underground passage. With each step I took, I inhaled deeply and memorized every detail that I could.

Will I remember how my shoes clack on marble floors? Will I remember the smell of books from the libraries that line the hall? Will I remember the intricate patterns on the floor that I have ignored so many times before? Will I forget the frustration every time someone suddenly stops in front of me? As I reached the end of the hall, I looked back at the crowd of students behind me, desperately trying to get into a study lounge. Will this be the last time I see it?

I left the warmth of the underground to the harsh cold outside, but suddenly, it didn’t feel cold. I felt so warm. I looked around me as I watched students run to their final and couples meander down the street. I thought of the times when these people who I barely knew helped me in my times of need, people who barely knew me who would smile and talk to me when they saw I was alone, people who filled the university with the love and warmth that Korea is famous for.

As I walked around every last inch of campus, I remembered all the friends who I had met over the last year and a half. Who would I remember them 10 years from now? Who would remember me? Will I ever forget this place that I have called my home for so long?

I sat down at the bench near the main gate, looking at the gorgeous architecture that Korea University possessed, and began to be filled with bittersweet thoughts. My time here was been a blessing. The people I have met, the places I have been, I do not have the words to describe how wonderful they are. My life here has been nothing short of amazing, and I find myself shocked with how comfortable I am calling this place home. But…

Will I ever come back?

Breaking a Bone

Believe it or not, this not the first time I have a broken a bone in Korea. Nor is it the second. It is actually the 3^rd time. How is this possible? Quite honestly, I don’t have an answer to that. This post is about what to do when you break a bone in Korea.

We’ll start with my first experience, from last year when I feel down in the ice and broke my elbow. When I told my friends that my elbow was broken, they at first didn’t believe but soon came to realize that it was indeed broken. At the time, we had a Korean friend with us who doubted that my elbow was broken. He told me, even if it was broken, if I went to the emergency room at night (which it was then), then all the staff would do would be to put some ice on it, maybe a splint, and sending me home with a $300 bill. I didn’t believe him, but none of my friends would escort me to the hospital, so I had to wait until the morning until one of my friends who could translate could help me at the hospital.

I went to Korea University Hospital, which is one of the best hospitals in Korea (and was conviently right next to my dorm). They didn’t take my insurance card and I had to pay cash up front, about $200 (though my insurance would later reimburse me for this). The doctors took an x-ray, determined that yes, my elbow was indeed broken. I was fortunate because that day for elbow specialist was there, and I received excellent treatment when it came to fixing my elbow.

Fast-forward about 5 months, and I am 2 days from going home. I got knocked over by a man and ran my wrist into the counter, successfully breaking it. I refused to acknowledge to my friends that I had indeed broken my wrist and did not get it treated until I returned back to America.

For the most recent incident, I managed to break my ankle. Being the clumsy person I am, I was leaving a friend’s dormitory when I took a wrong step on some uneven cobblestone and came falling to the ground. I heard a nice, loud snap as I fell and instantly knew what had happened. The problem was that it was about 9 o’clock at night, and I remembered the story my Korean friend once told me. But I was in agony and knew that I needed to get to the hospital.

I was lucky enough to have two friends escort me to the hospital, the nearest being Korea University Hospital, whose support I appreciated greatly as we tried to navigate the way to the emergency room with the help of a Korean friend translating on the phone. When we finally arrived to the emergency room, we quickly realized that we wanted to leave. There was not a single doctor present, only interns who didn’t know what they were doing.

After playing with my ankle in many agonizing ways, I was finally sent to get an x-ray, but not before I shelled out $250 for it (my insurance wasn’t taken there). After my x-ray, an intern came out to greet me saying, “I can’t see a serious break, but I’m pretty sure you have a hairline fracture, but I can’t tell. So I’m going to put you in a splint and you need to come back in 5 days and see a real doctor so he can tell you if it’s broken or not.”

Silence hit the 3 of us as soon as those words left his lips. Alas, I was in agony and decided a splint was better than nothing. Before that though, I had to pay an additional $150 for said splint. After paying, I was escorted into the casting room where the same intern sat nervously looking at my foot.

Now, I’m not someone who’s weak to pain. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and can handle a lot more than most, so when I say it hurts, IT HURTS! I was sobbing and screaming in pain yelling “아파요!” (Apayo!, That hurts!), and “하지마!” (Hajima!, Stop it!), as the intern fumbled with my broken ankle. As I sobbed, I heard my friends cry, and I tried not to imagine the sight that the doctor and I were creating. Once finished, the doctor lopsidedly smiled at me and said, “Come back in 5 days,” before quickly leaving the room.

As the doctor left, I struggled to get up from my lying position. My wonderful friends were kind enough to help me sit up and held me as I, white with pain, began to sob, having endured one of the painful moments of my life.

The doctor came back shortly and handed me a prescription for pain medication. We were then directed to the pharmacy where they handed me my medicine. My friends asked for crutches for me, and the pharmacist looked at me, my right leg in a huge splint up to my knee, and frankly said, I didn’t need it.

As soon as my wonderful friends took me home in a cab and delivered me safely to my room, I realized how much I was really going to need those crutches, because even with the splint on, I could not put any weight onto my foot.

This became more of a challenge when I had to attend school, which I could not afford to miss because I had a midterm that Monday and strict attendance policies in my remaining classes.

On Wednesday, I volunteered at the Fire Department, helping them film a training video. Whilst there, the paramedics noticed my splint and pointed out to me what I already knew—the intern had put the splint on wrong. And with great generosity, the paramedics at the Seongbuk-gu fire station put on a new splint for me—for free.

So, if sick or injured, unless it is life threatening, DO NOT go to an emergency in Korea at night. Wait until morning, where the price will be cheaper, and there will be doctors present.

The Frailty of Human Life

Tragedy strikes in many ways. From the death of a goldfish when we are five to the death of a grandparent when we are teenagers, death is a tragedy that follows us wherever we go.

I was sitting in the study lounge at Korea University when a group project member walked in for our meeting. Her face was pale, and she was clearly shaken. She looked at me with moist eyes. I asked her what happened, and she only shook her head.

Moments before, she had witnessed a fellow Korea University student be hit and killed by the on-campus shuttle bus.

In one moment, there was a small girl walking to her next class, and the next there was a girl on an ambulance, struggling for her life.

Death teaches is many things. In this case, safety. The roads in South Korea are notoriously dangerous. The drivers don’t yield to you, you yield to them. At all times, you have to be alert, because not even the sidewalks are safe; motorcycle drivers regularly get on the sidewalk and expect you to move out of their way.

This brings up the importance of always being aware of your surroundings. Unlike at Texas Tech, where we are free to walk around with our iPods in and our eyes glued to our smart phones because we THINK the driver will stop for us, here it is just the opposite, we KNOW the driver will not.

The young girl’s death could have been prevented. When the bus hit her, she had been walking a across the street, playing with her phone. Being a small girl, she was already hard to see, and when she walked behind the bus, which was backing up, it was impossible for the driver to see her.

In instant she was with us, and in an instant, she was taken from us. Life is fragile, and can be gone as quickly as we blink. Think of safety wherever you go. Never assume the driver will stop for you or know you’re there. Yes, the driver is supposed to yield to you, but you should always yield to the driver. They may never see you.

To Grow a Rock

There is a saying in Asia, “Watch the rock grow.” Knowing this saying is integral to understanding the culture. For many westerners, the saying may be confusing because, after all, a rock does not grow.

Watching a rock grow means learning patience, as well as finding peace. You will learn patience by watching something that will not change, and find peace by learning patience.

There are many frustrations when it comes to moving to another country. Firstly, you are displacing yourself from something that you have known your entire life. Secondly, many of the cultures around the world are different from the one that you are used to. This usually leads to culture shock.

Culture shock comes in many different forms and affects every person differently. As much as I try to say that I am immune to culture shock, I am not. For example, I often times find myself frustrated in certain situations, a common symptom of culture shock.

Korean culture can come as a great shock to many westerners. Everything is done very last minute, and rarely is anything ever set in stone. Plans are made the day before or day of, and deadlines of contracts are almost never met. For instance, as I mentioned earlier in this blog, I was informed 1 week before I came to Korea that I had nowhere to live. In the west, this delay of notification would be unacceptable, but in Korea, it’s the norm, there is nothing wrong with informing someone of something last minute, even if it’s as important as telling someone that they have nowhere to live.

Other frustrations come from the general lack of organization. I had great difficulty registering for classes because everything was full and they weren’t letting any exchange students (who are the last to register) into any full classes like they previously had. I realized that when I got upset over this, that things change—nothing will every stay the same.

I fully realized that when I had to go to the immigration office to apply for my alien registration card. Having been through the process once before, I made sure that I had all the proper forms with me, the exact same forms that I had brought with me the time before. After waiting in line for 2 ½ hours, I approached the desk only for the receptionist to tell me that one of my forms was wrong and that for a D-2 visa (student visa), a Certificate of Admission was no longer the proper form, and I now had to have a Certificate of Enrollment. “Sorry,” she said. “Just come back another time.” This meant that I would have to come back, miss my classes again, and wait in yet another long line. I wanted to cry, but one must learn patience to accept things as they are.

If something doesn’t happen in just the way you want it to, like you don’t get the classes that you want, or you’re frustrated that you have to walk everywhere. Stop. Take a moment. Find a rock and watch it grow.

Know that nothing will go as expected. Be prepared for what will or will not happen. Don’t get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. Learn to be fluid. Like a plant in a stream—bend with the current of the water.

Safety Tips

Having been almost kidnapped once in Thailand, I take safety very seriously. While Korea may be one of the safest countries in the world, there are some precautions that should be taken.

Some drunken Korean men are not the most courteous and can even sometimes be dangerous. For example, one night I was at a restaurant with some friends. At this particular restaurant, the restroom was not inside, but rather one had to go outside of the restaurant to use it. I made the bad decision of going to the restroom by myself. On my way there, a drunk Korean man grabbed me and tried to attack me. At the top of my lungs I shouted “하지마!”, “HAJIMA!” or “STOP!”. My shouting caught the attention of one of my male friends who came out to stop the man. So girls, never go anywhere by yourself, even if it’s just going to the bathroom. This is the same for going home.

If you are a girl and insist on going home by yourself at night (particularly if you are intoxicated), only take the subway, which is one of the safest ways to get home. Last train is at about 12:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday and 11:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Friday-Sunday. If you are a girl, try not to take a taxi alone at night, especially if you are intoxicated. A Taxi cab driver assaulting a woman is not a common event, but it does happen with reports coming out about it 2-3 times a year. At night, always take a cab in a group, even if alcohol has not been involved in the evening.

Korea is now becoming more of an international country, with many foreigners now living there. Most Koreans are very accepting or excited for foreign residents, but there are Korean nationalists. Typically, a nationalist is someone who is older, but it is not unheard of for a young person to think that Korea should only be for Koreans. When confronted by one of these purists, keep your calm, and simply walk away from the situation. Don’t let it lead to a confrontation. Most importantly, if they start hitting you, don’t hit back. When and if the incident is reported to the police, the foreigner runs the risk of being deported because they fought with a Korean. Keep your calm if the person insults you by calling you a “F---ing foreigner” or “round eye”; these events happen, just take them in stride.

It is important to use common sense. When a situation feels wrong, get out of it, your instinct is usually right. Don’t take drinks from strangers, don’t go to 노래방, ‘Noraebang’ (Karaoke) with men you don’t know, and never go alone anywhere, especially if you are a woman.

Korea is one of the safest countries in the world, so something bad happening is low, but always be prepared. Never take your safety for granted.

The Subway

The Seoul subway is super easy to use, and it is a wonderful form of transportation that can get you just about anywhere in Seoul. The entire map of the subway is in each station both in Korean and in English, so it’s easy to navigate. Once you have paid, there are more detailed maps where the subway cars arrive. These maps will let you know where to transfer and what car is best to get in when transferring.

To get a ticket for the subway, there are ticket machines inside of each station. All machines have an English language option available, so it’s easy to use and get a ticket for where you need to go. Simply click on One-Way Ticket and select the station that you want to go, and then insert your money. If staying long-term in Seoul though, getting a T-Money card is recommended. With a T-Money card, riding the subway is cheaper and way easier because you don’t have to stand in line every time you want to ride the train. A T-Money card can be bought at most 7-11’s and can be bought at several subway stations. A T-Money card dispenser is different from a ticket dispenser. It will usually advertise that it’s a T-Money card dispenser. The cost of a T-Money card is 3000 원 (“won” pronounced ‘wahn’) and it also comes with a coupon pack exclusively for foreigners. You’ll have to recharge your T-Money card every once and a while though. To recharge your card, simply go to one of the ticket dispensing machines and put your card in the big spot that says “T-Money”, click the English language, select card recharge and the amount that you want to put on your T-Money card, and then insert the amount selected. Wait for the machine to prompt you that the card has recharged and you’re ready to go! Another great thing about T-money cards is that they not only can be used in the subway, but that can be used on buses, taxis, and even some convenience stores and department stores as well. It’s a must have for transportation in Seoul.

The cost of one subway ticket is 1000 won (or roughly $1) for the first 30 minutes and 100 won for each additional 10 minutes. A ticket machine is available at each station and will cost 1500 won or more depending on the length of your trip. After leaving the subway, there will be machine where you can return you ticket for a 500 won refund. With a T-Money card, it’s 900 won for the first 30 minutes on the train and 100 won for each additional 10 minutes, and you don’t have to go through the hassle of retuning your ticket every time.

To get around the subway though, you will have to do some transferring. Transferring is fairly simple with Seoul’s grid-like structure. When transferring to a different line, look out for that line’s color on the wall. For example, if you’re transferring to line 6 heading towards Korea University Station, you’ll want to look out for the burnt orange line that runs across the wall. Follow the arrows in the line, and it will take you to the line that you need. But be careful! Most of the time, the cars for a particular line are in the same spot, but sometimes, they are on other ends of the station so to speak. Also, each line has two cars running in opposite directions, so watch out for both of these or you’ll end up going in the opposite direction that you want to go. So, when transferring, look for the last subway stop on each side of the line, and then remember the last station for the direction that you want to go in. This works best when the subway line is separated, but when the subway cars are together, the last station isn’t listed and you have to look at the subway line’s map to know which direction you want to go to. It’s sounds hard, but after two or three times on the subway, it’ll become super easy to navigate.

Here are some things to look out for though in the Seoul subway:

The subway is jam packed during rush hours which are 7:30-9:00 a.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. so try to avoid those hours if possible, just for comfort reasons. Last train is from about 12:00-12:30 a.m. Mon.-Thu. and 11:30-12:00 a.m. Fri.-Sun. varying from station to station. Last train is always crowded but if intoxicated or if you don’t want to spend money on a taxi, try to make last train. First train is 5:30-6:00, so if after a late night, you decide you don’t want to pay for a cab, just wait around the station until the train arrives (a favorite is going to McDonald’s or Burger King for most, but others enjoy going inside the station and sleeping on the benches until the train arrives).

Another subway warning is the older people. The last six seats on each end of each car are reserved specifically for the elderly, so do not sit in these seats. It is also polite that if all those reserved seats are taken to give up your spot for an elder person (as well as a pregnant woman, small children, or someone who is disabled). The elderly can also be quite rough on the subway when it comes to getting a seat on the crowded cars. Old women are known for their deadly elbows: when someone is in their way on the subway, some will elbow you to get you to move out of the way. Since Korean women are quite short and the older women hunch over to boot, the elder women’s elbow are quite literally on par with the groin area for many westerners. I have had quite a good jab or two to the baby-maker to make me keel over and gasp for breath. Old women can also be very violent when it comes to getting on and off the subway. They will have their elbows locked, ready to jab anyone who gets in their way of entering of leaving the subway car, so beware. Older men are not as “violent” as the women, but they are known to take their thumbs and jam it into the spines of the men who get in their way. Thankfully I am a woman so I have never experienced this, but a quite a few of my male friends have.

Another warning is something that you won’t be able to do anything about it. If you’re a westerner (with no Asian looks), you will be stared at wherever you go. This can sometimes get uncomfortable on the subway when Korean purist (i.e. a Korean who thinks Korea should only be for Koreans) gets on. Usually, they’ll just mutter mean things under their breath, or menacingly glare at you. Occasionally though, as I’ve experienced, you’ll get one that wants to turn it into a fight. One night my friends and I were coming home from a movie and an old, drunk, Korean man got on the train. He instantly came up to our tall, American friend and started yelling at him. The old man even went to the point of knocking off our friend’s hat. The best thing to do in this situation is simply to walk away and go to another car. The worst thing to do is to get into a full-on confrontation. If a foreigner gets into a fight with a Korean, no matter who started it, the foreigner runs a high risk of getting deported. Keep that in mind when a Korean tries to fight you.

Other than extremists, you also have to think about people who are just, well, crazy. The other day I was on my way home from school when an old woman got on. Her eyes got really wide, and she started pointing at me. I looked around to see if I was doing anything wrong, like standing in the aisle or blocking her or someone else’s way, but I wasn’t. The woman slowly walked around me, pointing and staring at me the whole time. As she did, it caught the whole train car’s attention and now I have 30+ people staring at me. I take out my earphones to try and hear if she’s saying anything to me, but she’s not. Eventually, everyone realizes that I’m doing nothing wrong and they ignore the woman who is very obviously mentally unstable. The woman continues to stare and point at me for two stops until she gets off, but she makes sure that her eyes and her finger are pointed at me until I finally leave her line of site. Honestly, it was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had on the subway, and though I don’t think that this is something that would be a common occurrence, just be aware that things like that could happen.

Though it can be confusing at first, the subway is great tool to get around Seoul, so utilize it. After a week or two, using the subway will be like second nature, and very little confusion will remain.

A great site to use though, if confusion arises is: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp

This site lists all of the Seoul Subway stops and the time it takes to get from one station to another. It makes a wonderful tool for getting around, and I found myself using it on a near daily basis.

Classes Begin

Classes have now begun! With my first two days of classes out of the way, it is now time to predetermine what my classes will be like (whee?).

First up, comes Operations Management. The class seems interesting and will certainly give me new perspectives on how the interworking of a business goes, but I’m a little worried because the professor speaks very softly. Thankfully, I’m sitting at the front of the class, so I should be able to hear most of what he says.

Next comes Financial Management. Now this is the class that I am most worried about. Even coming 30 minutes early to class, I was forced to sit 5 rows back (I’m a first 2 rows kind of person), and I can see why. I could barely hear the professor! I am immediately intimidated because the classroom, which is only supposed to for 50, is filled with 70 people, and I’m only 1 of 2 foreigners! While it will give me the chance to practice my Korean, it’s still intimidating. To add to the stress, the teacher announced just how hard the class will be—she expects us to fail!! She expects us to fail so much, that she’ll pass us almost no matter what. The only way to actually fail the class is to be in the bottom 5% of the class AND have below a 50. So if I had a 35, but am not in the bottom 5%, I still pass. While this gives me some comfort, I now know that I will need to do some serious studying for this class. I’m thankful that one of my roommates is studying for her CPA exam, because I have a feeling that I’ll be asking her a lot of questions.

After Financial Management comes Marketing Strategy. One of my passions is marketing, so I know that I’ll enjoy the class just because of that. I’m also excited because the professor is engaging, and we’ll get to design 2 products throughout the course of the class (always my favorite kind of project).

Finally, my last class in Beginners Korean 2. I’m actually a little upset about this one because I was hoping to place into Intermediate 1 since I studied Korean all summer. I seriously underestimated how hard the placement test was going to be, because I only understood about 10% of what was on the test. So in one sense, I’m sad that I’m a place lower than I want to be, but at the same time, I’m glad that I’m not biting off more than I can chew. The professor for my class though is going to be great. He’s very passionate about helping us learn to speak Korean and wants to make learning the language as fun as possible (because, in his words, “What’s fun about learning a language?”).

I’m very disappointed that I’m taking 12 hours instead of 15, but all of the classes were full by the time exchange students were allowed to register, and unlike previous semesters, they wouldn’t let exchange students into full classes. So, even though I literally had 10 alternative classes lined up, every single one of them was full. Even the extra Korean classes (like colloquial (modern) Korean, speaking Korean, and writing Korean) were full!

On the bright side of the first day of classes is the meeting a Korea University professor (not one of my teaching professors). Korean students dress for class, and since I’m in another country I follow the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This effort paid off when I met the professor. We talked and he treated me to coffee (Korean tradition for the senior to treat the junior). While drinking our coffee, I practiced my Korean conversation with him, and, impressed, he asked me to meet him and some of his students for dinner next week so that we could all do language exchange. I am very excited for this new contact, as well as meeting new students to do language exchange with.

Despite my disappointment when it came to registering for classes, it seems that I’ll have a fun time this semester. I’m just going to need to study hard and keep my energy up!