So we got internet set up in our dorm rooms, which is nice, and we've been pretty busy with classes and lectures, and korean lessons, so I haven't been online much. I'm having a great time 
here, and everything is really cool. The only thing I kind of dislike is how we are so isolated from the rest of Korea and it's kind of like we are in a bubble. Pretty much 24/7, I am with 700 other native English speakers, and I see maybe 30 Korean people per day. I'm slowly but surely learning more Korean (for example, I now know how to say teacher, principal, vice principal, and student). I'm supposed to know classroom names too but I am very bad at that. Anywho, I figured I would take this opportunity to share some photos with you guys and clue you in a bit on all my experiences. The first picture is a view from my window in the dorm. We are on the 15th floor of a 17 floor apartment complex. It is huuuuuge, and the elevators are really slow. Sometimes I take the stairs but it is exhausting walking up 15 flights, so I don't do it very often. Plus, we walk tons as it is.
The buddhist temple was really cool. I had never before been to a buddhist temple, and it was really quite impressive. There were several different buildings, each containing various images of buddha, and several
other major players in the buddhist faith. Plus a place that housed the four most important objects of a buddhist temple (bell, drum, wooden fish and the cloud plate). I took a ton of pictures, but am only including some of my personal favorites for you viewing pleasure. The gold and intricacies of each of the different areas and shrines was unbelievable. Really, it was an incredible place, in spite of the fact that it was teeming with over 300 EPIK teachers, in addition to the regular tourists and whatnot. Hopefully I will get some different ones up on Facebook so none of this gets too redundant for you all! ^_^
here, and everything is really cool. The only thing I kind of dislike is how we are so isolated from the rest of Korea and it's kind of like we are in a bubble. Pretty much 24/7, I am with 700 other native English speakers, and I see maybe 30 Korean people per day. I'm slowly but surely learning more Korean (for example, I now know how to say teacher, principal, vice principal, and student). I'm supposed to know classroom names too but I am very bad at that. Anywho, I figured I would take this opportunity to share some photos with you guys and clue you in a bit on all my experiences. The first picture is a view from my window in the dorm. We are on the 15th floor of a 17 floor apartment complex. It is huuuuuge, and the elevators are really slow. Sometimes I take the stairs but it is exhausting walking up 15 flights, so I don't do it very often. Plus, we walk tons as it is.On Sunday we went on a field trip! We went to a traditional Hanok village, as well as the
Kuemsan buddhist temple. I know how to write all these things in Korean, but unfortunately, I can't show off my Korean skills because I'm not using a computer that has Korean letters as an option, which is unfortunate. Anyways, the Hanok village (which just means traditional Korean village) was really cool. We took a tour of the area, and then we decorated traditional fans, which are made of hanji, which is traditional Korean paper. Han is the word for Korean, and ji is paper. There's your Korean lesson for the day. 
We also got to look around a bit, and take in the views from a lookout point. We played some traditional Korean games (one similar to horseshoes, and another like pogs, and another that was basically impossible where you had to throw
long sticks into a tall vase). The pictures here are of the view from the lookout, pots which are used to make kimchi and to prepare certain types of sauces. Basically, the pots are filled with spices and either buried (for kimchi) or left out in the sun (for sauces) for WEEKS. They smell pretty strongly of spices and what not, which is kind of crazy. Also, the picture of the room with the paper lantern thingys is a room decorated entirely with furniture that is made out of hanji. EVERYTHING you see in that room is made from one kind of tree. Crazy huh? Those Korean just think of everything!
Kuemsan buddhist temple. I know how to write all these things in Korean, but unfortunately, I can't show off my Korean skills because I'm not using a computer that has Korean letters as an option, which is unfortunate. Anyways, the Hanok village (which just means traditional Korean village) was really cool. We took a tour of the area, and then we decorated traditional fans, which are made of hanji, which is traditional Korean paper. Han is the word for Korean, and ji is paper. There's your Korean lesson for the day. 
We also got to look around a bit, and take in the views from a lookout point. We played some traditional Korean games (one similar to horseshoes, and another like pogs, and another that was basically impossible where you had to throw
long sticks into a tall vase). The pictures here are of the view from the lookout, pots which are used to make kimchi and to prepare certain types of sauces. Basically, the pots are filled with spices and either buried (for kimchi) or left out in the sun (for sauces) for WEEKS. They smell pretty strongly of spices and what not, which is kind of crazy. Also, the picture of the room with the paper lantern thingys is a room decorated entirely with furniture that is made out of hanji. EVERYTHING you see in that room is made from one kind of tree. Crazy huh? Those Korean just think of everything!
The buddhist temple was really cool. I had never before been to a buddhist temple, and it was really quite impressive. There were several different buildings, each containing various images of buddha, and several
other major players in the buddhist faith. Plus a place that housed the four most important objects of a buddhist temple (bell, drum, wooden fish and the cloud plate). I took a ton of pictures, but am only including some of my personal favorites for you viewing pleasure. The gold and intricacies of each of the different areas and shrines was unbelievable. Really, it was an incredible place, in spite of the fact that it was teeming with over 300 EPIK teachers, in addition to the regular tourists and whatnot. Hopefully I will get some different ones up on Facebook so none of this gets too redundant for you all! ^_^I forgot to mention that on Saturday night I had my first go at Soju drinking, and let's just say I wasn't feeling so well the morning of the field trips. We went to this bar just down the way from the dorms and then the sake started slowing, along with the most enormous pitchers of beer I'd ever seen. One of the girls I mentioned early, from Tampa (USF grad), was out with us, and we showed everyone how it was really done. The next day, I spoke to one of the guys that was out with us, Sean and he said, "people from Florida really know how to party!" Well, duh.
The food here is delicious, but a bit spicier than what I'm used to. I'm enjoying everything and hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to give you guys a post on some funny Korean idiosyncracies I've noticed.
That's all from this time zone!
xoxo,
A
I was hopeing to see some of your photos, yay! I hope you are having a fantastic time over there, it looks cool. If you use googlereader, you should add Jason's louisville blog. Also MJ and I just started one and I have a crafting one. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be keeping up with you!
Very cool stuff... Get skype will ya!
ReplyDelete