UPdate

School started up and as always I’ll be switching up my schedule almost completely (just like in the states).  Originally I came to Korea thinking that I’ll just take easy classes and have the time of my life, but my responsible side came out and now I’m going to take “International Trade” and “Developmental Pyschology” which will both hopefully transfer over for my Econ elective and Human Development double major (which I’m still debating about).

One of my room mates thought that I was ganster when I first moved into the apartment -_-.  This is like freshmen year of college all over again.  I’m tired of so many people in the world living in a bubble where if you dress a certain way or look a certain way that is marginalized from the norm, then you are automatically stuck into a category that appears less than ideal.  I’m probably one of the nicest and most easy going person that you will meet, but because I don’t dress like a dork, then I must be ghetto.  AND, I know I don’t dress ghetto either.  I’ll take it as a compliment for now though. haha.  Which leads me to another point.  I like how according to my room mates I’m Black because I like fried chicken and for lack of a better phrase “knows whatsup”.  The chicken in Korea is HELLLLLA good and I’m always down to eat it so I’m categorized as Black.  Culture shock.

Since I’m on the mood of venting…somehow I’m coming across as stupid when I’m in Korea.  It really bothers me that I know I’m being disrespected when people are challenging my intelligence.  I’ve been called “simple minded” or simply disregarded when I try to give directions to people (“Don’t listen to him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about”).  I have no idea how this even came up in Korea.  Maybe I am a little more lost here than I should be, but I’m adjusting and I think I’m adjusting fine.  I think my intelligence has always been a touchy subject for me because I know that I’m not naturally smart.  I don’t understand things quickly.  I work my ass off to understand and get through college and everything that I have right now.  I do what I gotta do and it doesn’t mean that I’m stupid.  I may not be book smart, but I know that I’m going places.  Challenge me, it makes me work harder to prove you wrong.

Anyways, hit up a club in Hongdae last night called Cacoon.  It was dooooope!  It looked like the Usher music video for Yeah cuz there was green laser beams everywhere.  Best thing was the foreigners got in for free :D.  I showed the guy my ID and he essorted me into the club.  It was crazy and the music was good.

Today I took the bus to Sinchon and basically just looked outside the window.  I got that “Wow, I’m in Korea right now” feeling and it was nice to just sit there and take everything in.  I’ll be leaving Korea in about a month from now to start my adventures in Europe.  Excited, nervous, excited.

First Day of School

So I stayed up late ‘cuz I was trying to make sure that I was going to the right classes in Korea tomorrow since I never wrote them down and the internet at my apartment SUCKS. Slept a little after 2am and then had to wake up at 7am to catch the 8:10am shuttle to Yonsei.

and the story begins…

Right as I get off the bus, monsoon season decides to start up and it rains like no other. Good thing I decided to NOT go back for my umbrella today after I went down the elevator in my apartment. Anyways, so I basically went to my class sharing a small umbrella with this girl I kinda just met a few days ago so we weren’t super close under the umbrella. By the time we get to our classroom, my whole left side is soaked as in my my t-shirt was sticking to me and my shoes and socks are incredible wet. Same story with her right side. Went to a class that actually transfers to UCSD, but its only required for Management Science majors, but since it’s pretty much the only class that transfers for Econ, I think I’m going to take it. The prof seems cool. He said that when he teaches at his home university, he’s really hard, but then he shows us a pic of France and says, “What does this have to do with you guys?” Long story short, when he was in college, he studied abroad in France to improve his French but when he was finished, his French didn’t get better but he had the time of his life, so he knows whatsup.

So after “Introduction to Corporate Finance” I went to “Korean Cinema” and sat in the back with my friends. We did the whole “introduce yourself” thing and there are helllllllllllla UCSD kids in the class and I don’t know any of them. Got out early and ate lunch with my friends. Ramen and a drink for about $2 american. So freakin’ cheap. After we eat and cut out early to go to class. Since my backpack is freakin’ soaked, I was trying to rearrange it so that my books don’t get wet. I pulled everything out and I FOUND MY UMBRELLA. I didn’t leave it at home. To top this off, I bought a new umbrella on campus right before lunch. So I have two umbrellas now. YAY.

haha, but it’s whatever. I’m currently sitting in the computer lab drying my wet feet behind my desk. Hope nobody notices haha

Oh, my last class is Marketing….I’m only gunna stay in it if it’s going to be easy though.

Hope all is well in the states.

Daniel

Korea 2

In the past few days that I have been living in Korea, there have been a few things that I have notice.

-Almost every Korean older woman looks like my mom circa ‘98.  Permed short hair.  Colored.

-All the Korean-American girls here talk about how pretty the Korean actresses are, but then usually follow with “She had soooooo much plastic surgery”

-Most of the girls wear heels no matter where they are going.

-I’ve seen a surprising good number of middle-eastern/Indian people.  I mean, not like a lot, but more than I expected.

-The subway/bus is so incredibly efficient and I really really appreciate it.

-BUT, most close at midnight and this is the time when taxis cost more ‘cuz its night time and they know there is no other way to get around

-The markets are crazzzzzzzzzzzy.  I get super intimidated ‘cuz last night I was in Dongdaemun and the guy was basically begging me to buy something “I’m soooooo hungry!!!” haha, but I think he was joking…if he wasn’t..it’s kinda sad.

-I’ve only seen at most 3 homeless people.

-The service is really good here, but if they aren’t servicing you, they’re kinda rude.

-DRIVERS HERE DON’T CARE ABOUT RED LIGHTS.  It’s like a stop/yield sign to them where they’ll slow down, and then look for cars and just go.

-Everybody here is a bad driver, but actually, I think it makes them good drivers. haha.  Since everybody has the whole “who cares” attitude, nobody gets offended when you cut them off.  BUT, when you bring these drivers to America, where most follow the street rules, then people get ticked off ‘cuz there’s the “free-rider problem” haha.  If you’re an ECON major, you’ll get that.

-The TV stations here actually have a few good American movie channels, which is basically what I watch.

-There is no tip or tax and it’s considered rude to tip.

-Most of my meals have been around 5,000 won, which is under $5 and its super plentiful and good.  The soda is expensive and small though, if you buy one.

-Washer and dryer are all in one.  It takes four hours to finish one load, but you don’t have to move your clothes from washer to dryer..it’s all in one haha.

Dear Maia:  I bought a notebook last night and started the journal thing.  I’m glad I did.

Dear Brent: My thing about blogging/aim/facebook/twitter/etc is that sometimes it makes it unnecessary for other to physically interact with each other.  I’m just saying.  Stop trying to debate me. haha

Korea

Too many things to write, but here it goes…(writing style influenced by Mr. Arnold Rafael)

-Transformers II midnight showing

-Leaving Transformers II early ‘cuz moms was mad and I had to pack still

-Sleeping for an hour and then waking up to go to SFO

-Lots of traffic, made my flight with only 20 minutes to spare

-Buying a $3 bottle of water at SFO

-Tossing my $3 bottle of water at LAX ‘cuz no outside liquid allowed on the plane

-Buying a new bottle of $3 water at LAX from the inside

-12 hour flight to Korea

-Getting punked out of my window seat due to my broken Vietnamese

-Asking to get another window seat

-Got it.

-Scared I wouldn’t get through customs/quarantine ‘cuz Jackie gave me her cough this week

-Airport checked everybody’s temperature, but I passed

-Searching for Qui at the airport

-ACTUALLY finding Qui at the airport via Truman and meeting her for the first time in person

-Taxi driver trying to get us to take his taxi

-No.

-Bus 6012 to Worldcup Complex 7

-Meeting “My-T” from Berkeley

-BOMB hotel apartment

-Meeting first apartment mate Digo.

-Going to GS25 (like 7-11) for water

-Randomly running into Sylvia from UCI on the streets of Korea

-Stopped and talked for a long time at the crosswalk.

-Random girl talking to us at the crosswalk. “Do you know her?”…”No.”…thus, Jane Doe has been formed.

-Still talking, but now in the hotel outside of the elevator

-Jane Doe comes back 3 more times.

-Conservatively using my laptop due to no power converter.

-Getting scared by my room mate at 6am when he came home.

-I went back to sleep and he went to bed.

-Later in the morning, actually meeting him, Dustin

-4 hour trek in HUMID and hot Korea for power converter.

-Subway, wrong line, back track

-E-Mall

-1000s of camera everywhere and lines of salesmen trying to get you to buy one

-Ordering Chinese food in Korea (though Korean influenced Chinese food)

-Meeting Dustin’s friends

-Watching some Korean concert on TV

-2am + 2pm = One Day…”that’s only 12 hours…” huh? Shh, we’ll talk about this later haha

-Meeting 4 room mate Albert

-Shawshank Redemption on TV

-Legit Korean BBQ for $12 and some soup that was super spicy.

-Searching for Dustin in “Hong-Dae Ip-Gu” …spelled PHO-net-TIC-lee

-Still searching

-Yeah…still searching ‘cuz there are so many “Family Marts” and Dunkin’ Doughnuts

-Finding Dustin and meeting more of his friends

-Club Day (Fourth Friday of every month.  20,000 won, about less than $20 gets you into a bunch of clubs and a free drink)

-Club 1, whack

-Club 2, whack?

-Club 3, better, super crowded

-Club 4, whack.

-Club 5, the best, super crowded.

-3am

-Karaoke bar for two hours.

-5am.  It’s still going?

-More time on the machine, somehow.  Albert explains later way.

-Sleeping at Karaoke.

-Home a little before 7am.

-Realized I’m homesick

-Gets worse.

-Reminds me of when I first started UCSD, called mom and told her I hated UCSD and wanted to come home.

-Learning how to use my phone card.

-Called mom.  She cried.

-Didn’t tell her I was homesick

-Albert wakes up, talk to him for awhile (about Korea and stuff since he lives here, but goes to school in the Indiana…not about being homesick)

-Feel a lot better and a lot less homesick

-Decided to blog.

-Blogging.

-Finished.

Final