An Empire State of Mind

I know it's been a really long time since I've posted, and I still have a lot to catch you up on!  I'm home now in New York; I'm on a different continent, in a different time zone, and even in a whole new year!  I haven't deserted my blog though, and I fully intend on finishing it up, but it took me awhile to navigate back to this page since I've been home because of how much I miss Seoul.  Reading through these posts takes me right back to Korea, with all of my abroad friends, frolicking through the bustling streets of Sinchon.  I've been trying not to think too much about my experiences in Korea because of how much I miss it, but instead I've realized that I should be doing just the opposite!  So I'm back to tell you about my adventures in Taiwan, our last few nights in Sinchon, and wheeling over 100 lbs of luggage down the street to the airport bus stop.  Enjoy, and welcome back!

A Very American Thanksgiving- In Korea!

For Thanksgiving the whole group got together and we had our own version of a very American Thanksgiving here in Korea!  We all chipped in to rent an apartment to have our dinner at.  We needed the use of a fully stocked kitchen to cook everything, and SK Global House isn't the most festive of locations.  The apartment belonged to an older Korean couple who went to the States to visit their daughter for the holiday.

Jim and Rosie did almost all of the cooking.  They made delicious stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and many other things.  With the money that we all contributed, we bought many "American" items like dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc. from the American base, as well as an American grocery store that's in Itaewon.  Also, we ordered our turkey from the American Base.  I even made a cheesecake, which despite the doubts of some particular family members, came out great!

I went with my friend Steve to pick up the turkey and the pumpkin pies at the U.S. Army base in Itaewon, Yongsan Garrison.  It was very cool seeing the base.  We had to show our alien registration cards and get checked in.  We ordered the food from the hotel that's on the base.  It was a very nice hotel, very Western looking, with a beautiful lobby and restaurant inside.  It was nice not to be the minority for a little while; we were surrounded by fellow Americans.

When the turkey came it out it was a lot smaller than Steve and I were expecting, we were a little nervous at first, but it ended up being the perfect amount for everybody.  We were 14 people total and we did an excellent job of demolishing all the food, no leftovers for us!  As we ate we all went around and said what were thankful for.  I said I was thankful for my amazing family encouraging me and affording me this excellent opportunity.

Later on in the evening we watched the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".  We all stayed the night since the apartment was still ours until the next day.  The next morning we made scrambled eggs, pancakes, and banana bread, continuing with the American theme.  Around 11:30 we snapped into gear because realized we had to be out of the apartment by noon and we still had a lot of cleaning to do.  We got it all done though, and after a million dishes (the apartment did not have a dishwasher!), many remade beds, and a thorough vacuuming, we checked out of "Hotel Nice-Korean-Couple".

It was a lot of fun spending Thanksgiving with all of my study abroad friends, and it was so much fun organizing our own little American holiday.  I definitely missed Thanksgiving with the family though, and it made me a bit more excited to go home.

Our delicious Thanksgiving dinner made by Rosie and Jim

Jim carving the turkey

So Long, Gyeongju

It was our last day in Gyeongju and Andrew and I decided to rent bicycles to get around town.  This way we could finish up seeing everything we had wanted to without having to worry about the less-than-accurate bus schedule.  Kara had gotten up early and headed back to Seoul already because she had to tutor later in the day.

Andrew and I grabbed breakfast and then headed into town.  We once again returned to the park with the burial mounds, but this time we actually bought tickets so that we could go inside one of them.  The park was beautiful.  It was so peaceful, and as I've previously mentioned the colorful leaves were just amazing.  Being in a city for so long made me forget how much I enjoy the foliage.

Entering the park, so beautiful!

The mound was very neat.  We walked inside and it was set up like a museum, there were a few artifacts and exhibits that we could read about, and of course, the actual burial of one of the kings.  We left the park and headed towards the tourist complex to rent bikes.

We set off for a different part of town that we had not yet been to.  Our first stop was the Poseokjeong, which is a small park and garden featuring rocks placed in the shape of an abalone.  The Poseokjeong is also part of a small waterway and it's said the be the place of an ancient Shilla villa.  After walking around the park we decided to bike around the village.  We "off-roaded" a bit and biked down a cement path through some farmland.  It was a lot of fun and a very relaxing way to spend our last day.  We headed through some of the villages a bit and it really surprised me how rural some of these homes still were.  It's astounding that Seoul, a city so huge, complex, and developed is only a few hours from this part of the country that seems to be years behind.

The Poseokjeong, shaped like an abalone

The village was very pretty and it was nice to be out of the city for awhile.  We stumbled on a huge Buddha sculpture and decided to take a closer look at it.  It appeared to be simply part of somebody's backyard, but as we cautiously approached, nobody stopped us.  This Buddha was so big that we couldn't help but want to climb up on it.  The only thing I could think of was that it'd be cool to sit in Buddha's lap!  So quickly, Andrew climbed up and I snapped a few pictures, and then I climbed up and he did the same.  Mission accomplished.

Big Buddha and me!

Tired, a little stinky, and very hungry, we headed back to town to get lunch, grab our things, and get going.  We had a delicious lunch of soybean porridge.  I had mine with brown sugar and rice cake and Andrew had his with noodles.  We said goodbye to our hosts at Sa Rang Chae and then walked to the bus station.  Unfortunately, the earliest bus available wasn't until 6pm, but we didn't mind waiting.  The bad news was that the normal 4 hour trip turned into a 6 hour trip because of all the traffic heading into the city.  It was a bummer getting back into Seoul so late, but stopping for some midnight Korean BBQ before heading back to SK Global House definitely put Andrew and me in a better mood!

Saying goodbye to our wonderful hosts at Sa Rang Chae 

Day 2 in Gyeongju

The next day in Gyeongju we woke up and had some breakfast in the kitchen/common room which was adjacent to our "family room".  We helped ourselves to eggs and toast and we got to meet some of the other guests that were staying at Sa Rang Chae.  There were other people from different parts of Korea, the States, and from Europe.

The Bulguksa Temple is one of the most well-known temples in Korea and it was only a short bus ride from our hostel so we knew we had to see it.  South Korea has ranked it number one on the list of most historic and scenic sites in Korea, and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The temple was beautiful!  The sun was shining and it was warm out, we had a great time just walking around the park, through the different parts of the temple, and taking lots of pictures.  We were lucky to get to see the amazing fall foliage because in Seoul the leaves were already gone.

Loving the fall foliage at the Bulguksa Temple

In front of the Seokgatap, a beautiful 13-century old pagoda inside the temple

Another famous site is the Seokguram Grotto.  This was only a few miles away from the temple and we took a shuttle up to the top of the mountain where the grotto was located.  Unfortunately, the opening was blocked by plexi-glass, but the stone carved Buddha inside was beautiful.  We took pictures and then headed back towards the shuttle.

The view from the top of the mountain where the grotto was.

When we got back into the main part of the city, we had lunch at a delicious "juk" restaurant.  Juk is the Korean word for the famous porridge that is served here in the winter time.  My all-time favorite Korean food is "hobakjuk" which is pumpkin porridge.

We headed back towards the guesthouse but stopped first at a park that was filled with mound burials of the old kings.  We walked around the area for bit enjoying the scenery and taking in the friendliness of the historic town; we realized that we had just missed a pumpkin carving contest!  There were beautifully carved pumpkins all over the park.  Located in the same area is the Cheomseongdae, which is the oldest surviving astrological observatory in East Asia.  Although not as big as I was expecting, it was still really neat.

In front of the Cheomseongdae Observatory

That night back at the hostel we ordered McDonald's for dinner.  We hated being "such Americans" but we were too tired to head back out and in Korea you can get anything delivered!  Chinese was our first choice, but they stopped delivering at 8.  I gotta say though, a burger and fries was not a bad way to end the evening.

Going to Gyeongju, Day 1

Two weekends ago I went to Gyeongju with Andrew and Kara.  Gyeongju is a city located near the southeastern coast.  It is most well-known for being the capital of the Silla Kingdom which ruled Korea between the 7th and 9th centuries.  We left on Friday afternoon by bus from Seoul and arrived that evening around 5pm.  Kara made us reservations at an awesome guesthouse called Sa Rang Chae.

The guesthouse was really nice.  It was run by a cute older couple and they were really helpful the whole time with directions and tips.  The guesthouse was made up of a few Korean style rooms connected in a rectangle shape so that there was a small courtyard in the middle with a little garden, picnic tables, and a fire pit.  We had reserved the "family room" which was the biggest room they had and it had a private bathroom.  The rooms were Korean style which meant we slept on the heated floors, also there was a couch and a TV.

The first night we walked into town where most of the famous tourist sights were.  There was a big park with many huge, grassy mounds which are the tombs of all the Silla kings.  Also in the park is the Cheomseongdae observatory which was built by the Sillas; also it's one of the most famous astronomical observatories because it's the oldest one still standing in East Asia.  We walked around the park and the tourist complex for a bit before looking for the restaurant we wanted to eat at.

We had dinner at a restaurant that was recommended in Andrew's guidebook.  The area is known for ssambap and so that's what we decided to try.  Ssampbap refers to rice wrapped in lettuce along with many other items that are served as side dishes, these are called banchan.  The side dishes we received included fish, soybean paste, soup, sesame noodles, pickled vegetables, kimchi, a leg of some unknown creature, and a few other items.  I was not impressed with the dinner and although it was nice to experience the area's specialty, I just wanted some meat!

Our table at dinner; many, many side dishes!

After dinner we walked through town to Anapji Pond, a gorgeous pond and park that was built by the Sillas.  The pond and the pagodas were beautifully preserved and it was especially nice to see everything lit up at night.  It was quite cold at this point so we did a quick walk-through and then headed back to our hostel to get cozy with some tea.

Andrew, Kara, and me in front of the pond at the Anapji Park. 

The reflections in the water were my favorite part. 

Historical pagodas from the Silla Kingdom. 

Seoul Lantern Festival

Last weekend I went to the Seoul Lantern Festival with my friend Kara.  It was a beautiful festival along the Cheonggye Stream consisting of over 27,000 lanterns from 24 different nations!  There were large life-size lanterns in the middle of the stream and then many other smaller ones along the sides of the stream.  The festival opened just in time for the G20 and it was absolutely packed.  Kara and I went around 9pm in order to avoid the large crowds from the opening ceremony, but it was still so crowded it was hard to get really close to the water.

The view from the end of the stream where the opening ceremony was held.  Yes, that's a Bennigan's in the background.  

Is that Bambi?

I've previously written about the Cheonggye Stream, it's a beautiful man-made stream that was part of a big restoration project that got Korea's current president, Lee Myung-bak elected.  The festival was one of the many "Hi Seoul" events, which were basically a series of projects and events to spruce up the city for the G20.

It's never to early to get in the holiday spirit!

Some of the lanterns were really amazing.  They were all beautiful, but the life-size ones were just amazing.  It was hard to get good pictures because it was nighttime, but I was able to get a few shots.  My favorite lantern was a rotating globe and standing on top of the globe were miniature models of all the G20 leaders holding their respective flags.  Very impressive.

A shot of the G20 world leaders!

Lady Liberty made it all the way to Seoul!

Also there were some cute projects for the kids to do at the festival.  One of them was making lanterns out of a cardboard cut-out.  The kids were decorating them and writing messages inside of them (not that I could read what they were writing).  They were then given a candle to put inside of it and then set them free on the stream.  It reminded me something we would do on the lake at camp; also I felt an overwhelming desire to go over to the crafts table and start helping the kids like a camp counselor!

Korean kids are too cute, look how sassy she is!

Bye Bye Busan

It was our second and last day in Busan.  It was a short trip, but we all had to get back for class on Monday (yes, we do actually go to class sometimes).  We left out motel and then walked along the Gwangalli beach for a bit.  We hadn't seen it in the daytime.  The ocean was beautiful and the temperatures were much warmer than Seoul.

We grabbed a quick breakfast at a coffee shop and then headed for the subway.  We were going to check out the famous hot springs in a northern part of the city.  There are many spas you can go to with water from the springs, but we decided just to check out the water from the springs that was right in the middle of town.  When Busan hosted the APEC meeting in 2005 they built a little foot bath with water from the hot springs.  It was really neat!  We took off our shoes and sat with our feet in the pool; the water was extremely hot but it felt good.  There were many older Koreans sitting there and like usual, they didn't hesitate to stare at us.

Felix taking a picture of Rosie and me at the springs. 

Nothing like starting your day off with a little foot soak! 

We then continued toward the base of Mt. Geumjeong, a mountain located in the northern area of the city.  We took a cable car up to the top and the view on the way up was spectacular; we could see the entire city of Busan.  At the top of the mountain is Geumgang Park, which is a famous tourist destination of Busan.  Koreans love to hike and so there are many different hiking trails at the top of the mountain.  We were most interested in seeing the Geumjeongsanseong, which is an old fortress in the park.  It was built in the 18th century to protect Korea from both Chinese and Japanese invasions.

A shot of the cable car from the top of the mountain.  In the background you can see how big the city of Busan is!

While hiking through the park on our way to the fortress, we encountered a bizarre, yet fun group of Koreans hanging out at the restaurant that was at the top of mountain.  There were all sorts of families and adults, including many kids and older Koreans.  It kind of had a "family-reunion" feel to it, although we think that it was just a big group of locals enjoying a Sunday afternoon.  Those that weren't eating or socializing were playing a game on a volleyball court that was a volleyball-tennis-soccer variation.  They were really intense about it and we realized quickly that they were playing for money.

Rosie and me at the top of the mountain in Geumgang Park.

The scenario by the restaurant was so intriguing.  We couldn't help but stop watch them play for a bit.  In no time many of the locals came up to talk to us.  Very few of them spoke English, but they asked us to join the game and even offered us food.  Rosie and Felix headed in to join the game.  It was so funny watching them try to learn the rules to the game; from what I could understand you could kick, bump, or head to ball back over the net.  At one point Rosie even "scored" and all these old Korean men rushed over to her and started hugging her and yelling something that I couldn't understand.  It was pretty funny!

Rosie scored!

I was sitting at a table watching them play but also talking with these cute little Korean kids; sitting with the kids is much more up my alley than playing the game.  The kids were so adorable I just wanted to take them home with me!

When the game was over a group of older women brought out trays and trays of Korean food.  They literally pulled us over to the table and just started feeding us.  I mean, literally, these women were so aggressive, they were shoving kimchi into my mouth!  I wasn't complaining though, they were really nice people and I think that they were just so excited by our presence.  Also they were pouring shots of Soju (Korean vodka) and Makoli (Korean rice wine) and were insisting that we drink with them.

Andrew trying to understand the wonderful and old Koreans as they merrily force-fed us. 

Displaying hospitality in any kind of situation is deeply ingrained in the Korean culture.  So although these Koreans were extremely aggressive in feeding us and making us drink, it was their way of welcoming us to their get-together.  We stayed for awhile longer and then kept heading towards the fortress.

The remains of the fortress were beautiful, most of it had been knocked down, but the main gate remained almost completely in tact.

The entrance to the fortress. 

It was slowly beginning to get dark so we headed back towards the cable car and took it back down to the base.  Andrew and I were taking the KTX back to Seoul, but the others were taking the bus and had to head to the bus station.  

Andrew and I took the subway back to Busan Station and purchased our KTX tickets and then went looking for somewhere to get dinner.  Across from the station is Busan's China Town, although very small, we managed to find a yummy Chinese restaurant for dinner.  Afterwards we wandered around some more but then headed back to the station for our 8:40pm train.  now.  All in all, it was a great trip.  We didn't do as much as I had wanted, but it's hard with such a big group.  After a quite speedy 2 and half hours, we were at Seoul Station.  Arriving back in Seoul is always nice because now it feels like home to me.