#ThrowBackThursday to when I almost missed my plane flight.
I had a 2 hour flight from Indianapolis to Atlanta followed by a 14 hour flight to Korea. Knowing I had a very long travel ahead of me, I stayed awake the whole night hoping I would pass out for the duration of the flight. That definitely did not happen. I think I went mentally insane on the plane to Korea. Anyway, I blame the following story on lack of sleep.
My father flew to Atlanta with me to ensure I wouldn't miss my international flight. We weren't at all worried about catching our domestic flight. We should have been. Around 4:30 AM, we left for Indianapolis to catch our 6:30 AM plane. My dad dropped me off and went to park the car. Meanwhile, I checked us in and bought McDonald's breakfast for us. Shortly after finishing our food, we got in line to go through security. This was definitely the longest security line I can recall seeing at the Indianapolis airport. Surely I can place some blame on that as well.
I also think we misunderstood our flight time. Perhaps our flight departed at 6:30 and we were to begin the boarding process at 6:00. As I was taking off my shoes to go through security, a lady on the loudspeaker announced, "Garcia party of 2, please make your way to the gate. The doors are closing in two minutes."
Surely you can imagine our panic. My dad threw his shoes on and told me he was going to run for it. A slightly larger wave of terror came over me as I was putting my Mac into my backpack and I heard, "Ms. Garcia you have 30 seconds before the doors close and you forfeit your ticket."
I sprinted. I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my entire life. Seriously. I was "that crazy person" late for a flight. You know, the one pushing people out of the way with their shoes half on and bag half zipped. Of course, the gate I needed to get to was the furthest one.
As you all probably could have guessed, I made it to the gate just in time. I was the very last person on that plane. I'm also fairly confident I was the only person completely out of breath and sweaty.. What a great way to start a 21 hour journey.
7.11.2013
7.08.2013
4th of july
People keep asking me how my 4th of July was. Here's your answer -
I asked Jin if he was going to wear red, white and blue on the 4th. He replied, "No... I mean, why would I?"
The 4th of July isn't a holiday here. Americans don't celebrate the independence of other countries, so why would Koreans celebrate ours?
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays because it's summer and fireworks are cool and it means my birthday is coming up. So, it was unfortunate to miss out on all of the festivities back in the states.
Really, this was the first year that I was the only one who cared about the 4th of July. Whatever, I painted my nails red and wore a blue and white dress. That's as "Murican" as my 4th of July got.
Hopefully all of you back home in the states had a more successful celebration!
I asked Jin if he was going to wear red, white and blue on the 4th. He replied, "No... I mean, why would I?"
The 4th of July isn't a holiday here. Americans don't celebrate the independence of other countries, so why would Koreans celebrate ours?
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays because it's summer and fireworks are cool and it means my birthday is coming up. So, it was unfortunate to miss out on all of the festivities back in the states.
Really, this was the first year that I was the only one who cared about the 4th of July. Whatever, I painted my nails red and wore a blue and white dress. That's as "Murican" as my 4th of July got.
Hopefully all of you back home in the states had a more successful celebration!
acai berries
I was sitting at my desk in the lab. (That's right, I have my own desk!) I had my beats headphones on and couldn't hear the commotion going on behind me. I finally turned around to see a set table. We usually go to the KIST cafeteria for lunch. Not today. Eun Ha told me lunch was here.
I joined my fellow lab members around the table and began picking at my food. We were served meat that actually wasn't meat but artificial meat made of beans. Side dishes included the kimchi and rice staples, tiny crunchy fish, what I think was a quail egg, and some fish cakes.
The lady began presenting her PowerPoint and videos. Of course, the presentation was in Korean and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I was clueless. My guess would have been that she was with a food company trying to get us to buy their healthy food
This whole time, I was trying my absolute hardest not to laugh. Like, what was even happening?!
At the end of her presentation, she asked us questions. I tried to make it obvious that I don't know Korean to avoid being called on. The Korean speakers answered and recieved face masks, soap and packets of juice. Eventually, Uncle Brad walked in to see his lab listening to a random woman. We had to try hard not to look at each other because every time we made eye-contact, we couldn't hold in our laughter. I was in tears from laughing so much. I felt bad but I just really couldn't help myself.
Everyone who didn't already have a juice pack received one. We cut them open and drank. The woman eventually packed up and walked out.
Finally, Arong explains to Uncle Brad and I that the presentation was about acai berries and all of their health benefits. The woman was there to sell this juice to us. Uncle Brad commented, "Well, she wasn't very good! I was going to buy some!"
Arong chases the woman down in the hallway and she returns. Arong helps Uncle Brad fill out the order form.
5 boxes of acai berry juice for $400. Wait, what? Oh you know, just your average work day...
I joined my fellow lab members around the table and began picking at my food. We were served meat that actually wasn't meat but artificial meat made of beans. Side dishes included the kimchi and rice staples, tiny crunchy fish, what I think was a quail egg, and some fish cakes.
The lady began presenting her PowerPoint and videos. Of course, the presentation was in Korean and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I was clueless. My guess would have been that she was with a food company trying to get us to buy their healthy food
This whole time, I was trying my absolute hardest not to laugh. Like, what was even happening?!
At the end of her presentation, she asked us questions. I tried to make it obvious that I don't know Korean to avoid being called on. The Korean speakers answered and recieved face masks, soap and packets of juice. Eventually, Uncle Brad walked in to see his lab listening to a random woman. We had to try hard not to look at each other because every time we made eye-contact, we couldn't hold in our laughter. I was in tears from laughing so much. I felt bad but I just really couldn't help myself.
Everyone who didn't already have a juice pack received one. We cut them open and drank. The woman eventually packed up and walked out.
Finally, Arong explains to Uncle Brad and I that the presentation was about acai berries and all of their health benefits. The woman was there to sell this juice to us. Uncle Brad commented, "Well, she wasn't very good! I was going to buy some!"
Arong chases the woman down in the hallway and she returns. Arong helps Uncle Brad fill out the order form.
5 boxes of acai berry juice for $400. Wait, what? Oh you know, just your average work day...
6.18.2013
visa issues & the impossible prize
At the lab, there have been some problems hiring me. Apparently my visa is wrong and I need to get it changed. I need new pictures to apply for a new one.
For my original visa, I walked into CVS, told them I needed a visa picture, waited for them to grab their digital camera, snap a photo, and print it.
Of course it was much different here in Korea. Uncle Brad and I enter the photo store (please note that it is a separate store just for photos) to see a man at his desktop computer watching the television. In combination of Uncle Brad's broken Korean and the photo man's broken English, we effectively communicate the need for visa photos. The man tells Uncle Brad to sit down and, after suffering the whole "language barrier" thing again, he realizes I need the picture, not Uncle Brad. He proceeds to freak out. And I mean completely freak out. We thought perhaps something happened on TV. Did his team score? No. He freaked out, hardcore freaked out, because I was wearing a white shirt. Fine, I'll change.
We went to buy a new shirt seeing as we wouldn't have had time to go home before the shop closed. Again, I sat down and prepare for another mug shot visa picture. The photographer demanded that I tuck my hair behind my ears and I did as I was told. The man asked me to remove my tunnels, thinking they were earrings. He didn't seem to understand me when I told him they were holes (Man, I wish I knew Korean.) so I got up and showed him. Again, he freaked out.
I know it's kind of a "you had to be there" thing, but that trip to get my visa picture was absolutely hilarious.
After all of the photo stress, we realized how hungry we were. We decided on pizza. When we place our pizza order, we usually go explore as our food is being prepared. Last time, we strolled around the block passing coffee shops, make up shops, clothing shops, etc. This time we decided to win a prize.
Nearly every street corner has a prize vending machine. You know, one of those machines where you push a button to move horizontally and then vertically. When you release the button, the stick moves forward and pushes the prize. If you pick your position wisely, the stick knocks the prize off of the ledge and it's yours to keep.
We passed by a machine and saw a drill with many different attachments. Uncle Brad pointed out that it must be impossible to get. Someone had already tried to win it and pushed it up against the wall of the machine. I argued that it was definitely obtainable. Uncle Brad hands me 1,000 won and I accepted the challenge.
Please keep in mind that I flat out suck at these kinds of things. I don't think I've ever won a prize out of a machine. My father and brother, Zach, are actually very good at these games. They always seem to win things out of them.. but, not me. I guess I didn't get that gene.
My first attempt failed miserably. Hey, cut me some slack! I hadn't ever played before! The second time, however, I hit the drill. Uncle Brad and I both watched anxiously. It was very anticlimactic seeing as the drill did not end up falling. I was handed another 1,000 won and after a grand total of 3,000 won, the drill was ours! HOLLA, I HAD JUST WON THE IMPOSSIBLE PRIZE!
.JPG)
Here I am, proud new owner of a drill with a Korean plug that I will never use! Uncle Brad probably won't ever use it either. :) It is currently on display on the kitchen table in the apartment. As art. Also, feel free to compliment me on how long my hair is getting.
For my original visa, I walked into CVS, told them I needed a visa picture, waited for them to grab their digital camera, snap a photo, and print it.
Of course it was much different here in Korea. Uncle Brad and I enter the photo store (please note that it is a separate store just for photos) to see a man at his desktop computer watching the television. In combination of Uncle Brad's broken Korean and the photo man's broken English, we effectively communicate the need for visa photos. The man tells Uncle Brad to sit down and, after suffering the whole "language barrier" thing again, he realizes I need the picture, not Uncle Brad. He proceeds to freak out. And I mean completely freak out. We thought perhaps something happened on TV. Did his team score? No. He freaked out, hardcore freaked out, because I was wearing a white shirt. Fine, I'll change.
We went to buy a new shirt seeing as we wouldn't have had time to go home before the shop closed. Again, I sat down and prepare for another mug shot visa picture. The photographer demanded that I tuck my hair behind my ears and I did as I was told. The man asked me to remove my tunnels, thinking they were earrings. He didn't seem to understand me when I told him they were holes (Man, I wish I knew Korean.) so I got up and showed him. Again, he freaked out.
I know it's kind of a "you had to be there" thing, but that trip to get my visa picture was absolutely hilarious.
After all of the photo stress, we realized how hungry we were. We decided on pizza. When we place our pizza order, we usually go explore as our food is being prepared. Last time, we strolled around the block passing coffee shops, make up shops, clothing shops, etc. This time we decided to win a prize.
Nearly every street corner has a prize vending machine. You know, one of those machines where you push a button to move horizontally and then vertically. When you release the button, the stick moves forward and pushes the prize. If you pick your position wisely, the stick knocks the prize off of the ledge and it's yours to keep.
We passed by a machine and saw a drill with many different attachments. Uncle Brad pointed out that it must be impossible to get. Someone had already tried to win it and pushed it up against the wall of the machine. I argued that it was definitely obtainable. Uncle Brad hands me 1,000 won and I accepted the challenge.
Please keep in mind that I flat out suck at these kinds of things. I don't think I've ever won a prize out of a machine. My father and brother, Zach, are actually very good at these games. They always seem to win things out of them.. but, not me. I guess I didn't get that gene.
My first attempt failed miserably. Hey, cut me some slack! I hadn't ever played before! The second time, however, I hit the drill. Uncle Brad and I both watched anxiously. It was very anticlimactic seeing as the drill did not end up falling. I was handed another 1,000 won and after a grand total of 3,000 won, the drill was ours! HOLLA, I HAD JUST WON THE IMPOSSIBLE PRIZE!
.JPG)
6.12.2013
art museum
Uncle Brad and I went to an art museum. I love making art, but I'm not the person to turn to when it comes to art appreciation. I think it's safe to say you shouldn't turn to Uncle Brad either.
I took an arts and humanities course spring 2012 at IU. The course was titled "Magic, Science and Art in Africa." I hated this class more than you could ever imagine but I did get really good at making stuff up to explain a "work of art." This did not help me at this museum.
Uncle Brad and I spent the extra few bucks on the audio tour guide. This was cool in itself. We each received a Samsung Galaxy phone to hang around our neck with an earpiece attached. You could go through all of the art pieces and read about the specific work and even more about the artist. Or, you could walk up to something and the motion detecting phone would give you a description.
The first work we walk up to was made of hangers, Christmas lights, random plastic items, etc. The phone turns on, "This is the artist's rendition of the people of Seoul..."
Uh, what?
We walk up to a bunch of circles and squares stacked on top of each other. Again, the phone starts up, "This is the artist's interpretation of the human body in its simplest form."
Whatever you say, audio guide.
I saw a screen with a woman standing still in the middle of a crowded street. I wanted to head that way to hear what my guide had to say, but it was too crowded for me. I am so glad, too, or I never would have stumbled upon the best piece in the gallery.
It appeared to be just a large scale sculpture of a vase of flowers. My audio guide begins, "This sculpture is the artist's depiction of his sex life with his Italian porn star wife..."
....... Excuse me?
Of course, I dragged Uncle Brad over share what I had found. His reaction was priceless. We even stood back and watched other people's reactions for a while.
THANK GOD we had the audio tour guide, that's all I have to say.
I took an arts and humanities course spring 2012 at IU. The course was titled "Magic, Science and Art in Africa." I hated this class more than you could ever imagine but I did get really good at making stuff up to explain a "work of art." This did not help me at this museum.
Uncle Brad and I spent the extra few bucks on the audio tour guide. This was cool in itself. We each received a Samsung Galaxy phone to hang around our neck with an earpiece attached. You could go through all of the art pieces and read about the specific work and even more about the artist. Or, you could walk up to something and the motion detecting phone would give you a description.
The first work we walk up to was made of hangers, Christmas lights, random plastic items, etc. The phone turns on, "This is the artist's rendition of the people of Seoul..."
Uh, what?
We walk up to a bunch of circles and squares stacked on top of each other. Again, the phone starts up, "This is the artist's interpretation of the human body in its simplest form."
Whatever you say, audio guide.
I saw a screen with a woman standing still in the middle of a crowded street. I wanted to head that way to hear what my guide had to say, but it was too crowded for me. I am so glad, too, or I never would have stumbled upon the best piece in the gallery.
It appeared to be just a large scale sculpture of a vase of flowers. My audio guide begins, "This sculpture is the artist's depiction of his sex life with his Italian porn star wife..."
....... Excuse me?
Of course, I dragged Uncle Brad over share what I had found. His reaction was priceless. We even stood back and watched other people's reactions for a while.
THANK GOD we had the audio tour guide, that's all I have to say.
6.10.2013
graduation S/O to nick
What I'm trying to say is that Nick's always been there. Through everything. He's helped me out many times when he definitely knew better. My younger brother and best friend graduated high school this weekend and I wasn't there.
I almost didn't come to Korea until after his graduation, but this is an opportunity I won't have again and I knew I should spend as much time here as possible. I just really wish I was in Batesville to watch my little brother graduate and to enjoy the awesome party my mom put together in celebration.
I would talk about how sad I am that Nick is leaving for college and how I will miss him so much but NICK IS GOING TO INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL. I don't think anyone truly appreciates how excited I am to have a freshman brother living in the dorms. He bought the biggest meal plan possible.. hello wright food court and c-stores! After his year in the dorms, he'll be moving into my house on Wylie Street. This is what I am most excited for. I already have high expectations for my senior year at IU! I am beyond excited for the year that my brother and I will be living under the same roof again.
I get home from Korea 3 days before Nick moves into his dorm. Although I missed his graduation, at least I won't miss out on helping him move out of our parents' house!
6.07.2013
weekend shopping trip
One weekend, Uncle Brad mentioned a shopping trip to Myeong-dong. He had previously told me about this place - how each building is at least 3 floors of shops and the streets are narrow and packed with people. I knew he wasn't lying, but I didn't really believe him until I saw it for myself.
This picture shows just one of the many roads crowded by shoppers in Myeong-dong. I'm used to the small town of
Batesville, the college town of Bloomington, and the occasional shopping
trip to Cincinnati or Indianapolis. I'm definitely not used to seeing crowds like this.
Check this huge furbie out! The things you see in Korea.........
I brought an empty suitcase and I definitely could have filled it that day at Myeong-dong. Especially since most stores were fairly cheap. For example, I bought two dresses for 10,000 won each! (That's a little less than 10 U.S. dollars). I held back, though. I have three months here.. pace yourself Jess.
We ended our day at a restaurant that took us quite a while to find but it was worth the search. I hate spicy food so of course I get to Korea and discover that most of their food is spicy. This meal, I was relieved to find out, was not spicy. It tasted very similar to adobo, for anyone who knows what that is. Anyway, it was probably my favorite meal I've eaten here. I know that's boring and you all hoped my favorite Korean dish was live octopus, cockroaches, or dog.. But I haven't had the chance to try any of those three.. yet..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next day, Uncle Brad took me to Insa-dong. This is another shopping area; however, it is very different than Myeong-dong. It is still crowed but it is just not as crowded. The stores are a little bit different. They're tailored more towards tourists almost. It is hard to explain and I unfortunately did not take any pictures here; however, It was another great experience.
To escape the heat for a while, Uncle Brad took me to his favorite tea place. Although I typically hate tea and refuse it, I agreed to order something just to try it. I loved it. Me, Jessica Garcia, I liked the tea I drank. Korea's changed me already.
I brought an empty suitcase and I definitely could have filled it that day at Myeong-dong. Especially since most stores were fairly cheap. For example, I bought two dresses for 10,000 won each! (That's a little less than 10 U.S. dollars). I held back, though. I have three months here.. pace yourself Jess.
We ended our day at a restaurant that took us quite a while to find but it was worth the search. I hate spicy food so of course I get to Korea and discover that most of their food is spicy. This meal, I was relieved to find out, was not spicy. It tasted very similar to adobo, for anyone who knows what that is. Anyway, it was probably my favorite meal I've eaten here. I know that's boring and you all hoped my favorite Korean dish was live octopus, cockroaches, or dog.. But I haven't had the chance to try any of those three.. yet..
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next day, Uncle Brad took me to Insa-dong. This is another shopping area; however, it is very different than Myeong-dong. It is still crowed but it is just not as crowded. The stores are a little bit different. They're tailored more towards tourists almost. It is hard to explain and I unfortunately did not take any pictures here; however, It was another great experience.
To escape the heat for a while, Uncle Brad took me to his favorite tea place. Although I typically hate tea and refuse it, I agreed to order something just to try it. I loved it. Me, Jessica Garcia, I liked the tea I drank. Korea's changed me already.
6.05.2013
belly dancing
It only took a few days to fall into a routine. In the mornings, we head out to Dunkin Donuts, Uncle Brad's favorite. We go to Dunkin Donuts every single morning for breakfast.. literally every day.. The classic glazed donuts are a little bit different here. They don't seem to have as much sugary glaze on them, so I don't feel too guilty eating two donuts every morning. After donuts and coffee, we head to the lab.
For the first few days, Uncle Brad had conferences every day, all day. I spent most of my time reading up on zebrafish, a soon-to-be study organism in our lab. I kept an eye on the newly purchased fish tanks, learned everyone's name, and settled in.
Wednesday of my first week here, Uhna invited me to go to belly dancing class with her. Me? Belly dancing? Uhna was nice enough to invite me, so I felt as though I couldn't say no. I agreed to meet her at KIST's gym at 6:30. The class was super fun and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Mijin, our instructor, said I am very good especially for my first time; however, I couldn't help but feel a little silly. And who knows.. maybe she was just being nice. Here are some pictures from class last week.
This is a picture of all of the students. Uhna is the one in the green on the far left. I don't really know what our speech bubbles say.. I stole these pictures from Mijin's blog.. our names, maybe?
This is a picture of us with Mijin, our instructor, in the pink. Check out that finishing pose. (Insert fire emoji here). Also, please note that I am the only one without a jingly hip scarf. :( No worries though, Mijin ordered one for me and it will be here soon!
SIDE NOTE: Bloomington friends - at least one of you better be ready to find a belly dancing class to take with me when I get back!
For the first few days, Uncle Brad had conferences every day, all day. I spent most of my time reading up on zebrafish, a soon-to-be study organism in our lab. I kept an eye on the newly purchased fish tanks, learned everyone's name, and settled in.
Wednesday of my first week here, Uhna invited me to go to belly dancing class with her. Me? Belly dancing? Uhna was nice enough to invite me, so I felt as though I couldn't say no. I agreed to meet her at KIST's gym at 6:30. The class was super fun and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Mijin, our instructor, said I am very good especially for my first time; however, I couldn't help but feel a little silly. And who knows.. maybe she was just being nice. Here are some pictures from class last week.
SIDE NOTE: Bloomington friends - at least one of you better be ready to find a belly dancing class to take with me when I get back!
6.04.2013
happy birthday dr. baker!
Saturday, May 18
We're all well aware of the legal drinking age in America - 21. Well, the drinking age here is 19. I am 19. Excellent.
My first full day in Korea, Uncle Brad and I were up and at 'em by around 11AM (pretty good for this "jet lag" I was supposed to be experiencing). We were on our way to meet up with Alex, my uncle's friend. On the way, we picked up some beer and passed through a small market.
This market was one my mother would absolutely hate. The tiny alleys were lined with tent after tent of vendors. Various foods were available but the most eye catching of all was the seafood. We passed many tanks filled with octopi, squid, fish and shellfish. It is very common to select your seafood from a tank and the vendor will then cook it for you. It is also common to eat live octopus with the suction cups of the tentacles fighting your mouth as you eat it. Talk about fresh! I told Uncle Brad that we must try it.. just maybe not any time soon. It was just a tiny market, but it sure was a sight to see!
We finally reached Alex's place and drank a few cold ones up on the roof before heading to Itaewon. For those of you who follow up on Uncle Brad's Korean adventures, we hit almost all of his usual spots.
First, Seoul Pub for some beer. Shortly after, we trekked up to the 3rd floor of a building to another bar for a little more beer. When it was time for dinner, we went down to a Brazilian barbeque restaurant on the 2nd floor. Many friends joined us to help make the celebration a truly memorable one. Again, the food was delicious!
(SIDE NOTE: When everyone had eaten their fill, we had birthday cake topped with fruit. I picked up what I thought was a cherry but bit into it only to discover it was actually a tomato. A tomato on a cake, what?)
A special thank you to those who covered the cost of both of our meals!
After dinner, we all headed a few buildings down to yet another bar. This is where the night really began. Many more of my uncle's friends, who didn't go to dinner with us, joined us here. We decided to play a few drinking games, which was fun until we started playing all of them all at once. I'm talking more than five different drinking games happening at one time. We spent many hours here, including the midnight hour during which we serenaded Uncle Brad with mixed slurs of "Happy Birthday."
I thought we would end our night at iLot. The number of people at this "dance club" increased nearly ten fold when our group stumbled down the stairs into the tiny basement. I must admit, it was much more fun than I originally thought it would be; however, I am very grateful no one else seems to remember as much as I do.. That, or, I am grateful no one talks about that night! I'll leave those shenanigans to your imagination. I've decided that what happens at iLot stays at iLot.
Finally, we ended up back at Seoul Pub to top off the night. I managed to stay awake for the cab ride home and the climb to the 4th floor before curling up in my bed in what seemed like the middle of a spinning room.
We're all well aware of the legal drinking age in America - 21. Well, the drinking age here is 19. I am 19. Excellent.
My first full day in Korea, Uncle Brad and I were up and at 'em by around 11AM (pretty good for this "jet lag" I was supposed to be experiencing). We were on our way to meet up with Alex, my uncle's friend. On the way, we picked up some beer and passed through a small market.
This market was one my mother would absolutely hate. The tiny alleys were lined with tent after tent of vendors. Various foods were available but the most eye catching of all was the seafood. We passed many tanks filled with octopi, squid, fish and shellfish. It is very common to select your seafood from a tank and the vendor will then cook it for you. It is also common to eat live octopus with the suction cups of the tentacles fighting your mouth as you eat it. Talk about fresh! I told Uncle Brad that we must try it.. just maybe not any time soon. It was just a tiny market, but it sure was a sight to see!
We finally reached Alex's place and drank a few cold ones up on the roof before heading to Itaewon. For those of you who follow up on Uncle Brad's Korean adventures, we hit almost all of his usual spots.
First, Seoul Pub for some beer. Shortly after, we trekked up to the 3rd floor of a building to another bar for a little more beer. When it was time for dinner, we went down to a Brazilian barbeque restaurant on the 2nd floor. Many friends joined us to help make the celebration a truly memorable one. Again, the food was delicious!
(SIDE NOTE: When everyone had eaten their fill, we had birthday cake topped with fruit. I picked up what I thought was a cherry but bit into it only to discover it was actually a tomato. A tomato on a cake, what?)
A special thank you to those who covered the cost of both of our meals!
After dinner, we all headed a few buildings down to yet another bar. This is where the night really began. Many more of my uncle's friends, who didn't go to dinner with us, joined us here. We decided to play a few drinking games, which was fun until we started playing all of them all at once. I'm talking more than five different drinking games happening at one time. We spent many hours here, including the midnight hour during which we serenaded Uncle Brad with mixed slurs of "Happy Birthday."
I thought we would end our night at iLot. The number of people at this "dance club" increased nearly ten fold when our group stumbled down the stairs into the tiny basement. I must admit, it was much more fun than I originally thought it would be; however, I am very grateful no one else seems to remember as much as I do.. That, or, I am grateful no one talks about that night! I'll leave those shenanigans to your imagination. I've decided that what happens at iLot stays at iLot.
Finally, we ended up back at Seoul Pub to top off the night. I managed to stay awake for the cab ride home and the climb to the 4th floor before curling up in my bed in what seemed like the middle of a spinning room.
korea bound
Many people have told me to start a blog so they can follow me along on my adventures here in South Korea. I hate blogs. I never thought I would make one. However, I began to grow tired of repeating my "life news" to every friend and/or family member that asked. So here I am, blogging.
I'm here for three whole months and I'm missing out on a lot. My brother, Nick, graduates high school this week and I can't be there. My other brother, Zach, receives his driver's permit and I can't be there. My best friend and college roommate, Pritz, turns 21 this month and I can't be there. I'm not sure what my sister, Gabi, and the rest of my friends and family will be up to this summer, but I do know one thing - I can't be there.
Although I depress myself thinking of everything going on back home that I won't be able to be a part of, I am so excited to be in Seoul.
I left from Indianapolis to Atlanta. From Atlanta, I boarded a plane to South Korea. For those who didn't know, I hadn't ever flown alone or internationally until this trip. I knew I had a 14 hour flight ahead of me but I wasn't prepared for it. At all. Sure, there's a TV in front of you and you get meals and snacks and the seats are a little better than domestic flights.. but you're in one stationary chair for 14 hours straight. You can't prepare for that and believe me, I tried.
Upon landing, I followed the crowd through immigration, baggage claim and customs. I quickly found my Uncle Brad and sent a few "I've landed safe and sound" messages to friends and family. Then, I sat on a bus for another hour or so. GOOD GOD I WAS SICK OF TRAVELING. We finally made it to the apartment and lugged my two suitcases up to the 4th floor (no elevator, of course) and headed out to enjoy some delicious Korean barbeque. I thought I was decent with chopsticks prior to coming to Korea.. I was so wrong.
After dinner, we headed back to the apartment. I was pretty worn out after traveling so much and was ready to hit the hay. My uncle's birthday celebration was the next night, and judging by some of his previous Facebook posts, I needed to rest up.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)