Honey I'm Home!

After an emotional goodbye (I really didn't want to leave!) and a 26hour journey, I finally arrived home at around 1am BST Monday morning having not slept for the majority of the journey (a 30 minute nap from Munich to London doesn't particularly count)! I have had such an amazing three weeks in South Korea, learning and experiencing so much and have met some truly amazing people that I hope to keep in touch with for a long time to come.

I am also extremely fortunate that it is nearly my 21st birthday and so my parents have bought me a 120hour advanced online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course as a present. Not only will this hopefully allow me to earn a few extra pennies giving lessons when I'm studying in Martinique (a Caribbean island) and Rouen (France) but also means I can return to South Korea as a teacher once I graduate. I'm looking forward to it already! When I was on the plane home, I spoke to the Korean guy sat next to me about the exchange program and my aspirations who further encouraged me to go for it, especially given my 'excellent' pronunciation of 감사합니다 (gamsahabnida - thank you) to the air-hostess. Well when it's one of the few words you can say... haha.

I'm now making the most of being at my parents, catching up on sleep amongst other things as it's only 5 weeks until I fly out to the Caribbean to begin my first semester in a French speaking country. Well, when given the choice, France just seems a bit blasé! I promise to update about the rest of my time in Korea (as well why I was actually out there in the first place for those who keep asking) but it's back to bed soon before heading in to China town in Leeds tomorrow to buy decorations for my 'oriental themed' birthday party!

The fun never stops :)

EmJ x

Taekwondo skiiiiiills

Yes that is indeed me with the Korean female champion of some event that unfortunately I didn't catch the translation of. And yes I am wearing a medal for top of the class along with Anne-Marie and Gabriel, and no, there aren't only three people in my class. Check it out!

Amazing afternoon but I'm definitely going to ache tomorrow!

EmJx

Ahn Nyeong Hah Seh Yo from e-FM 90.5!

So as if being on StormFM (Bangor University's radio station) wasn't enough, this morning I was asked to go on e-FM, Busan's English language radio station with five other international students from the program to talk about our experiences in Korea! Do I get extra points if I complete a challenge twice? :)

EmJx

I can see clearly now...

So this morning we had our last ever Korean lesson and after over two weeks of being immersed in the culture and what feels like hours and hours of lessons the only complete sentence I can remember other than 'I am from England' is 'I am eating my rice.' And the words: dog, toilet, restaurant and bag. All useful of course.

We then had a presentation from a representative of the British Council, which has confirmed my idea of becoming an English teacher in Korea. I've just fallen in love with the place. The people. Their culture. Their desire to succeed. And the fact that the shopping and public transport has nothing on the UK (I was lucky enough to visit the world's largest department store yesterday). I also want to teach everyone that England, Scotland and Wales are indeed three separate countries and no, we don't all wear bowler hats and carry round umbrellas and speak like a BBC newsreader which seems to be the general perception here.

We then had an early finish so I had chance to head to a nearby opticians, aptly named 'Eye love you' to get myself a new pair of gigs. I'm sorry Specsavers but you've just been owned. Four of us managed to walk in without an appointment and see an optometrist immediately before having our chosen pair of glasses made up in less than 20 mins. I think actually choosing the pair of glasses from the hundreds available was the most time consuming! And the best part, all of this was unbelievably cheap compared to the UK (and America and Australia by the sounds of things seen as the majority of people in my class needing specs have got some from the same store), even though I had to pay more for my lenses as I'm practically blind. Fail.

So what do you think? Pretty geeky huh? Haha.

Until next time,

EmJx

Living for the weekend!

Wow, so this weekend's been pretty special. I guess it kinda started on Friday morning when we had a day off school to go visit Gyeongju, an ancient city full of Temples, ancient ruins and archaeological sites. It was so peaceful and beautiful and I even got to kiss the 'Golden Pig' - a symbol of wealth (hence piggy banks). Apparently your meant to stroke him to bring money and prosperity, so maybe by giving him a big juicy one I should be well in the money!

We were then treated to an amazing lunch in the cutest restaurant (although the whole sitting on the floor crossed legged is playing havoc with my messed up knees) and even got to decorate our own traditional fans in the afternoon, although I'm not going to show a picture of mine as it's just embarrassing compared to some people's amazing creations haha. In the evening, we headed to Club Maktum for a girly night out, an underground nightclub that puts Occy to absolute shame! Although a little pricier than other places, we were given fans, a free drink and ginormous glowsticks on entry and the DJ set was pretty amazing. It was also the American girls' first time in a club (as they're not 21 yet) so I was super excited to take them! Unfortunately I left my camera in the taxi though and can't pick it up from the depot til Monday, but at least I'm getting it back. Everyone in Korea's just so honest (although I guess my brand new camera for the trip would already seem a bit ancient to them and not worth pinching haha)!

It was then back to the university halls to make the curfew (if you're not back by 2am they'll lock you out until the morning :|) before heading off on my homestay program on the Saturday morning. This is a program offered by Pukyong National University that allows international students the chance to experience 'real life' in Korea.

Thankfully I'd already met my homestay buddy, SooJin (above), before heading to her parents' apartment not too far from the university and we got on really well. Her Mum was adorable (although she didn't speak a word of English) and taught me how to make kimbap, a sort of Korean sushi made with seaweed and rice but with vegetables, egg, ham and crab-meat and ham instead of raw fish, that we took for a picnic by the beach with her boyfriend (who thankfully did speak English) before visiting the APEC house. In the evening, we went up Mount Hwangryeong to enjoy the views of the city at night, although I don't think the picture I pinched off someone else's blog does it justice. It was absolutely breath-taking, especially Gwangan Bridge (the longest bridge in Korea) all lit up and the full moon reflecting on the water. I think I'm going soppy in my old age!

The next morning, after a cheeky lie-in, we headed to Shinsegae, the largest department store in the world! The place was phenomenal and I could have spent all day in there although we'd just popped in so I could get a bikini and make the most of the 30 degree heat and summer sun on Haeundae beach. We hired some floats and had a fantastic afternoon with some our friends from the program, although the water was still pretty chilly despite the weather!

Once we were home, a couple of the girls and I headed for pizza where they were showing the day’s news. And guess what... the beach we'd been at was featured (we had no idea what they were saying but we assumed it was to do with how busy it had been that afternoon). The picture below gives you an idea of how crazy it gets over the summer. In fact, last year the beach broke the world record for the number of umbrellas on a beach at one time! Unfortunately we didn't manage to make it in to the background of the Korean news report but at least we had an amazing afternoon :)

But for now, bed as I'm exhausted. Again. Buona notte folks :)

EmJx

Bright Lights, Bigger City, Baseball!

Tonight we were fortunate enough to go to a baseball game (my first ever)... and Busan won! Thankfully my American friend Kelsey was there to explain what was going on although I think crowd watching was more exciting than the game. The two guys behind us even offered us some of their dried squid (a typical snack it seems). I think chewy and interesting is the best description :|

In Korea it's also traditional to make paper pom-poms to cheer on your team, and what's more, towards the end of the match they distribute orange rubbish bags (in the teams colours) that you wear on your head until the end of the match. You then have something to put all your trash in before dropping it off in the large containers at the exits of the stadium. Genius!

I also got to try my first Patbingsu, a shaved ice desert with azuki beans and fruit. Was pretty refreshing given the heat, but the beans are still taking a getting used to! The Korean girls also seemed impressed that we could hum along to the chants... well if you do use the tune to 'If you're happy and you know it' and 'We're not going to take it'...!

Tomorrow we're headed on a full day tour of Gyeongju, the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Silla and a designated World Heritage Site. Looks beautiful so will be sure to charge my camera!

Until then,

EmJ x

Ahn nyeong ha se yo!

So after another morning of Korean lessons I think I'm finally getting the hang of it, I even managed to have my first Korean conversation with the cleaner in the lift the other day. Even though it did involve a lot of hand gestures and her speaking in broken English I managed to reply: 'Hello. Yes, I am from England.' I can also count to ten. After three days of lessons. Room for improvement but still better than nothing I guess!

We then spent the afternoon learning about traditional Korean culture and the future for the country (fridges that automatically order your food anyone?). The sweet snacks and drink we got to try were definitely a highlight, as was the trying on of the traditional dress (the Hanbok) even though I did spend the afternoon walking round as if I was about to give birth/trip over the bottom of my skirt.

Tomorrow we'll be learning to play Korean drums (Nick you will be proud!) as well as giving my group's presentation about the UK and Ireland (yes, England, Scotland and Wales really are three separate countries) before heading to a baseball game in the evening. Will deffo be taking lots of pictures as apparently it's tradition to wear an orange plastic bag on your head during the game...

Well, when in Korea...

EmJx

Apologies for the lack of news recently... being a student and a tourist is so exhausting! Was lucky enough to have my first quiet night in after three weeks on the go last night (the two week annual camp prior to flying here was just as tiring) but was so sleepy I just headed straight to bed with a cup of tea (I've finally found English Breakfast here after what felt like an entire search of Busan) and a snug with Heffs :)

So at the weekend we were lucky enough to travel to Seoul on the Korea Train Express or the KTX as it's more commonly known (according to the website, the high-speed train reaches a max speed of 190mph or 305km/h for you modern folk) and a group of five of us did the usual tourist thing; hopped on the City Tour Bus which dropped us off at Seoul Tower, Gyeongbokgung Palace where we were lucky enough to see the changing of the guards, Itaewon Shopping Street and a personal favourite, Insadong (a traditional area with loads of tea houses, market stalls, craft shops and art galleries) .

After such a busy day we were glad to stop at an adorable pizza place before heading back to our luscious apartment (more on that later!) as we had to be up early on the Sunday morning for our trip to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea (will write more on this too when I get the chance as I think it deserves a post of it's own). However, this did mean I could fulfil another one of my challenges: no. 17, go underground.

The week then started again with more Korean lessons, lectures on the Hangul writing system, a discussion on culture shock (some of the answers to 'What has surprised you the most since arriving in Korea?' were most amusing!) and this afternoon we were at The Culinary Institute of Kim's for a lesson in Korean cooking. We had a fab time and thankfully this meant we could control the amount of spice were putting in our dishes so I could actually taste the flavours (food over here is usually so so hot)!

After class was over, we headed back in to town to complete some of our 'missions' - challenges set by the university such as having our picture taken next to certain monuments and trying certain foods. We also got chance to go up Busan tower which had some fantastic views over the city as night fell.

And now, time for a little more sleep before another busy day tomorrow. Need to make it to breakfast for 'cereal Wednesdays,' hurrah for normal food!

Nos da pawb :)

EmJ x

Korean Toilets...

So thankfully not too much has shocked me since I arrived in Korea due to speaking to people that have already visited and reading up on the internet prior to travelling. Apart from one thing; the toilets. Now I understand Korea is famous for its technology and small gadgets (the buttons on tables in restaurants to place an order and get refills being a personal favourite) but having quite so many buttons on a toilet is quite a novelty.

So imagine my shock a couple of days ago when I pressed what appeared to be the flush button, only to be greeted by water spraying out from the top of the toilet! Thankfully I wasn’t in the line of fire but it was still powerful enough to spray the back of the door, run down and cause quite a sizable puddle on the floor :| luckily my Korean buddy was next in line or it could have been quite disastrous as even closing the toilet lid didn’t seem to stop it’s flow. I later learnt, between fits of laughter, that these sorts of toilets also function as bidets for both parts (is that really necessary in a pizza restaurant?!) and thankfully the water sprayed out is clean.

After vowing never to touch another button on a Korean toilet again, I was once again surprised this afternoon when I sat down on a toilet seat that felt like it had been in the sun all day. Yes, a heated toilet seat. Who would have thought it? They even have buttons that change the temperature and the angle of the toilet seat. I mean, how long do they expect us to spend in there? It’s a public toilet!

I have just realised this is probably my longest post yet and it’s all about Korean toilets. On a brighter note I’m currently on the KTX heading to Seoul for the weekend!

Until next time,
EmJ x

Karaoke, Korean Style!

Well Korean's certainly know how to have a good time! After more Korean lessons and a pretty horrific yet interesting film based on the true story of a Korean serial killer who still hasn't been caught (eep!) we went for pizza and then karaoke for Kerry's birthday. For those of you who don't already know, karaoke is really popular in Korea and after tonight I can see why!

After being upgraded to the VIP room for free in a pretty snazzy Karaoke club, we then spent the evening belting out classic tunes (both in English and Korean) before heading back to halls for an early night before we travel to Seoul tomorrow :)

Hope you had a great Birthday Kerry!!

EmJ x

P.S: Apologies for the picture quality, will get a better one up soon once I've pinched them off someone else. Too busy dancing to keep in focus :P

We ♥ to BBQ!

So today we had our first Korean lesson, and I read my first few words! And oh boy is it difficult, my head hurt after just two hours :| not only do we need to learn the translation but also how to read and write it using an entirely different alphabet. In three weeks I'll be happy if I can just put a simple sentence together! It seems so strange being in a country where I can only say two words and cannot read anything (and a bit daunting at times)!

However in the evening we decided to hit the town (or should I say enormous city) for the well-deserved Korean BBQ! Another shoes off, sitting on the floor event, the raw meat was brought to the table and we got to cook it to perfection :) we also got to show the Koreans the delights of fried onions haha.

Pictures to be posted on facebook as soon as I get the chance (probably on the 2h30 long train journey to Seoul at the weekend) but for now, much needed sleep.

Nos da!

EmJ x

Nowt like a nice cup of tea to cool you down!

So yesterday we were lucky enough to visit Busan Girls' University to learn about and practice 다례, a traditional Korean tea ceremony that has been around for thousands of years. It seemed bizzare sitting on the floor with no shoes on and only being allowed to touch the utensils with certain hands as well as remembering their positioning on the tray. It was definitely interesting, but I'm not going to lie, it was a lot of effort for two of three sips of green tea from a miniature cup and saucer, which I wasn't even that fussed for by the time we got to the drinking part! Twinings in a mug it wasn't, but at least I've finally managed to buy myself some English Breakfast tea and chocolate digestives and show my Korean buddy our own British tea ceremony. The biscuit dunk and sip. Heathens the lot of us!

EmJ

Happy 4th July American Folks!

Ahn nyeong ha se yo from Korea and Happy Independence Day!

So we've finally had our 'orientation day' at the university and the program looks amazing! So far we have temple visits, dressing up in traditional clothes, cooking, Korean 'tea-parties' (Dado), playing Korean drums, calligraphy and taekwondo to look forward to! I've also met some amazing people from all over the world who I got to spend the evening with on the beach lighting sparklers to celebrate Independence day in America!

Will write more when I get the chance, now I finally have the internet in my room it makes things a lot easier. Who knew trying to find a wifi hotspot in a Korean coffee shop would be so difficult...

Until next time,

EmJ x

Happy Birthday to me...?

Okay, so apparently in Korea when you're born you're already one year old, which technically makes me 21! Which also means I haved already failed my challenge over here... boo! On a brighter note, my Korean 'buddy' for the exchange (2nd right in the photo below) is amazing and the halls (especially the views from the 17th floor) are putting the whole of Ffridd site to shame. Have also met some lovely American, Spanish and Australian girls on the course too who also love shopping as much as me, just a shame all of the shoe shops we've entered so far only stock up to UK size 5! Hoping to make it to Seoul this weekend though so who knows :)

But for now, time for bed. All these bright lights and big city life is making me constantly sleepy. As if I'm ever anything else!

Modu gusnais (goodnight all)
EmJ x

I'm in Busan Baby!

Ahhh, after over 24hours of travelling and some interesting plane food later I am finally in Busan, and what a place! Already tried the local delicacy, pigs' trotters broth, some funky vegetables and an oversized pot noodle, but more importantly, I've completed another challenge! Yup, have attended my first proper football match at Asiad Main Stadium to watch Busan I'Park beat Seongnam 1-0!

Jokbal soup - the result of entering a Korean restaurant and ordering two of whatever the person sitting next to you is having. Pig's trotters, lovely!

But now, I'm severely in need of sleep and am meeting my Korean 'Buddy' tomorrow so will add more updates as and when they occur :)

Nos da pawb,

EmJx