Hello, Busan: A Weekend in the South, Part 1

Last week was quite the whirlwind.  Besides having midterms, my friend Will and I were in the midst of planning our weekend trip out of Seoul.  While there’s still a plethora of things to do here in the capital (take a look at my “to do list” for the specifics), I wanted to take advantage of my one 3-day weekend of the semester and go on an adventure.

“Summer Vacation” in Busan

I’m officially done with midterms!  The testing period ended today with the writing and reading comprehension exams; we took the speaking and listening tests yesterday.  Whew.

This means we now have our “summer vacation”, which is hardly a vacation

My 빙수 (Bingsoo) Obsession

If patbingsoo were good for you, I’d eat it three meals a day, seven days a week.  It’s that good (see my previous ode to bingsoo).

So there’s this little place in Sinchon called 호밀밭 that always has a line out the door and around the corner.

Delectable Porridge: Too Good to Be True?

Porridge.

When I hear this word, the first thing I think of is the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. Then, I think about how sad it is that the word “porridge” sounds so… dreary.  

National Museum of Korea

I admit I have some catching up to do…

When there are a few consecutive days when I don’t post (as has been the case recently), it’s often because I’ve been out and about more than usual (a good thing!).  So, let us return to last Thursday, when I visited the National Museum of Korea.  

Life in Korea, Anecdotally

Some of my more interesting thoughts from my first month in Korea…

Student By Day, Tourist By Night (And Day)

Dear reader,

Let me be honest.  While I am technically spending this summer studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, I haven’t really been doing much studying.  Don’t get me wrong — I am taking my classes seriously and have been doing my homework; I just don’t spend hours every day after class studying.  Maybe I should, but I have yet to find any desire to sit inside, reviewing my textbook, when all of Seoul is out there waiting.

Coex: A Shopper’s Haven on a Rainy Day

Ji Young and I spent this past rainy Sunday at Coex, “a business and cultural hub located in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul’s business district” (according to its website).  It’s home to Asia’s largest underground mall, Coex Mall, where we spent most of our time.  It’s huge and full of stores, restaurants, and people, of course.  I would’ve gotten lost if it weren’t for Ji Young, who knows her way around pretty well.  Thank goodness.

A Korean Haircut

Last week, I felt I was in dire need of a haircut.  My hair was just long enough to begin to brush my shoulders, and that was too long for me.  I called up my cousin Ji Young and asked her to take me to her hair dresser, because there was no way I was going to put the future of my hair in the hands of a stranger without having moral and translation support.  Besides, I love spending time with Ji Young.

Learning to Make 잡채 (Japchae)

Last Friday, my class spent two hours of our normal class time learning to make 잡채 (japchae), a traditional Korean stir-fried noodle dish.  I love japchae, so I was really excited to learn how to make it (and eat it of course)!  It’s an easy recipe, so I might try to make it on my own in the dorm kitchen at some point.  I’ll keep you posted.