Family and Fun

 Hey folks! Sorry it has been quite a while since I've posted. I'll  try to cover the most pertinent highlights:
  Adventurous eating! Mariem and I have been working off a Seoul bucket list and noticed we hadn't yet paid a visit to the local fish market. We went for a late dinner and picked out a live squid for $2.50, and 15 shrimp for only $10. What a steel! We took the fish back to the restaurant, where they chopped up the squid and BBQ'd the shrimp. We were literally eating moving tentacles, folks! The taste was not bad, but having something move around on your chopstick/in your mouth and suction cups on the tentacle getting stuck to your teeth/gums is truly a unique experience. They say "chew thoroughly, or you might have tentacle stuck in your throat." I never thought I'd do this in a million years, but it remains a highlight of my stay here.
  My parents came to visit and we went to an array of museums and palaces, including the beautiful "Geongbokgung" palace from the 14th century. It was lovely to have their company and eat lovely dinners with them! Shortly after, my sister (Alyssa) and her boyfriend (Grant) came to visit Seoul as well! We had fun walking around the shopping district of Myeongdong, dressing in traditional Korean "hanboks" with Mariem, and even trying out another escape room (we made it out with a minute to spare).
  Protests have continued. After hanging out with my friend Nuri (she was an exchange student at Coe, originally from Seoul), we actually went to the site of the protests at the time it was happening. Incredible at how peaceful they are, considering there are a million people in attendance.
   It's a busy season in school. We have a lot of group presentations and papers to prepare for finals. I can't believe I only have 2.5 weeks left here. Time has truly flown by! I am trying to appreciate every moment I have here and to enjoy the remaining weeks. What a blessing it is to be here with amazing people.

We stumbled upon this beautiful temple with flowers that still manage to stay in blume even though it's December (flower steroids?)

My fam in traditional hanboks. Many people were taking pictures and telling us "yopoyoh!" (Beautiful!)

Protestors before sunset 

Week 11

   Brrrr... It is getting chilly here! I have heard this will be the last "warm" week to enjoy the beautiful fall leaves and autumn weather. Lately, I have been preparing some presentations for my Fair Trade and Education for Development classes that we will deliver next week. I also visited some fun sites in Seoul, including the "Trick Eye Museum" in Hongdae, where you can take wacky pictures with your friends (see my favorite below) and the Lantern Festival a few blocks away from me. Large lanterns (comparable to floats you see in parades) are placed in the middle of the stream for a few blocks. You stroll along the stream and gaze at them in admiration, as well as learn a little about Korean history along the way. Mariem and I also made our own lantern that we sent floating down the river!
  There has been much political tension going on in South Korea, if you haven't yet seen on the news. I was able to witness thousands of individuals walk and chant down the street last Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Park Guen-hye. President Park is accused of being manipulated by a close confidante in many political affairs. The confidante allegedly has no political experience and is associated with a cult leader. President Park still has a year left in her term and has immunity while in office, hence the people's cry for her resignation. Her approval ratings are now dipping below 5%.  I was very impressed at how peaceful the protest was, considering the vast number of people involved. I have heard that protests will persist until Park steps down.
  I am also attaching a video I have compiled of Mariem and I's Jeju Island trip a couple weeks ago (see my last post for a detailed description). I hope you enjoy it!

Taking up ballet at the Trick Eye Museum. 

A display at the Lantern Festival. 

Montage of Jeju Island!

Jeju Island

I have just returned from one of the most glorious vacations to Jeju Island. Jeju is known as Korea's "Hawaiian Island", about an hour plane ride south of Seoul! Mariem and I booked tickets about a week ago and made the most of our 5-day trip. We did so much, so I'll just stick to the highlights:
  On our first day, we took a bus ride and a ferry to Udo Island, a small island off the coast of Jeju. We rented an electric scooter (similar to a small moped) and cruised along the coast of the entire island, enjoying rural and beach-side sceneries. We were a bit shaky in getting the hang of the scooter at first, but soon got the hang of it!  It felt like something out of a dream. Along the way, we stopped to dip our toes in the water and also enjoyed a peanut-chicken burger for lunch. It was surprisingly delicious! I find myself still craving it.
  On Saturday, we visited a lovely botanical garden, a few waterfalls, and spent some time at Jungmun Beach. It was shockingly  empty (as was our time on Jeju Island-- it's the off-season, we were some of the only foreigners, and it was a nice break from the giant population of Seoul). We swam in the sea (the Koreans were shocked by this), soaked in the sun, and ran around on what felt like our own private beach.
  Another great treasure we found was a natural swimming hole near Oedolgae Rock (pictured below). Encouraged by some picnicking Koreans, we hopped on into the pool and were carried about by the incredible current that flows in it. We swam, cliff-jumped, and even snorkeled about in it (thanks to a kind man who lent us his goggles). The picknicking Koreans gave us some oranges to eat afterwards, a fruit Jeju is famous for and that you see growing everywhere. We loved this place so much that we visited it twice!
 In addition to our day trips, we enjoyed the bonfires and karaokes that the hostel provided on the weekend-nights. We met and talked with so many Koreans (and a few foreigners). It was interesting to hear their  perspective on Korean culture and ask us about ours. We gained a lot of insight and really enjoyed ourselves.
  That's all for now! Enjoy your week :)

Scootering around Udo!

Delicious peanut chicken burger on Udo 

A beach near Sunrise Peak-- a crater-like formation we visited before Udo

The swimming hole! We swam in the right-most pool in front of the two rocks. 

One of the many waterfalls we visited.

Midterms

Annyeong haseyo!

  In contrast to other posts, these past ten days have been relatively uneventful due to the vast amount of midterms we had. They all went very well! I figure this would be a good time to explain what I have been learning in my classes.

  I'll start with Korean. Update: my first Korean test went horrible. I'm talking about one correct out of fifteen listening questions (am I really that bad? Yes I am). This was not due to lack of studying--confusion sets in when there are three different letters for a consonant that sounds almost exactly the same in all three cases. But oh well! My second lesson test (dates, numbers, etc.) went very well and my midterm was decent at best. The lesson at large? Learning a second or third language is difficult, but incredibly beneficial. Am I embracing Korean culture? Absolutely. But I think a culture cannot be fully experienced unless you can fluently speak that language. Apart from Korean, almost all of my friends here are fluent in 2-3 languages. It is beautiful and fascinating to listen to them switch from one language to another. It's motivating me to improve my German and learn other languages (It's never too late, folks! There are plenty of mobile apps that can teach you a second language for free.)

  My global media class has been very thought-provoking. We essentially discuss US/Western media companies (CNN, Fox, BBC, etc.), as they're the most prominent. The most intriguing topic to me so far has pertained to how the media has covered the candidates of the 2016 election. I was shocked to learn that according to the Tyndall report, 1/3 of all coverage given by CBS, NBC, and ABC in the early primaries in 2015 was devoted to Donald Trump. The value of his news coverage at that time was calculated at over $1.8 billion--some speculate the media did this to improve their ratings as news outlets. The main questions that arose: Are these corporate media companies, or even public broadcasting companies, capable of being non-partisan and fair? Whose interests are they serving? Does the media hinder candidates from having a level playing-field, is it hindering democracy? This is a topic I continue to think about critically.

  My remaining three classes all relate to development. Ever wonder what that "fair trade" sticker on Ben and Jerry's ice cream is all about? I have been learning what's involved in this process: giving small-scale farmers access to the global market in a way that meets international labor standards, ensures a decent pay for farmers, and also develops that area through a social premium. We compare fair trade to free trade and direct trade. I would encourage you to do a quick google search if you ever find yourself twiddling your thumbs. In addition, I've been learning how education is one approach to a country's development, as well as studying all sorts of theories about international relations.

I won't bore you anymore! Enjoy some random pictures from the past days. Thankful for all of you.

Enjoying some wonderful sushi at a restaurant near school. Took us 15 minutes to try and translate the menu and order. We weren't really sure what we ordered in the end.

Turns out this was some fancy California roll with orange fish eggs sprinkled on the top. "Omg, Annie ate fish eggs?" Well of course I wiped most of them off, but naturally still consumed some ;)

A portrait I took of Mariem on our beautiful campus. Clearly, autumn is setting in. 

The Climb

Hey friends and fam! It was quite the eventful weekend, but that's Korea for you. Let's start with Friday:
  I didn't have class today because my professor was at a UN conference for the weekend. Mariem and I decided to go to one of the most famous malls in Korea--the Coex mall. It's no Mall of America by any means, but it did smell nice and was squeaky clean/white. One of the things Coex is known for is its massive aquarium. We weren't happy about the $20 entrance fee, but we decided to go in anyways. It was worth every penny, simply incredible! We spent 2-3 hours in there. I was impressed by  all the exhibits they had-- from Koreas "backyard garden" featuring Koi, pond fish, giant toads (even some garden stingrays?), to an Amazon exhibit with MASSIVE river monsters, to a deep sea exhibit with tons of sharks and majestic stingrays, and even a biology room, where you could see each step in a breeding jellyfish process as well as look through microscopes at tiny micro organisms.. We were mesmerized, and it was almost spiritual. My FAVORITE part was sticking my hand into a pool with fish that are super eager to suck off and eat your dead skin cells. Freakiest thing.
   I didn't sleep Friday night. Instead, I boarded a bus by myself and headed off to Seoraksan national park to venture on a 12-hour "intermediate hike." This was no intermediate hike. It took 4 hours to ascend to the peak in the pitch dark (we began at 3am), and during that time I felt everything from pounding headaches, nausea, stabbing pains in my feet, exhaustion, cold sweats, hot sweats, muscle failure, the list goes on.... I can't even remember what I thought about during that time. Along the ascent, I actually saw an elderly man pass away. I think he had a heart attack, and by the time I reached his location to pass him, his body was being covered in jackets. It was quite shocking. On a happier note, I made a Korean friend who I hiked up with the rest of the way. Out of nowhere, he pulled out his pet Suagr Glider from his backpack-- I had never seen anything like it! He brings it with him everywhere and it was a cute little morale booster.
  The peak was stunning. We were about 5,500ft in altitude and we watched the sun rise from up there and rested for a while. The remaining 8-hours were just as gorgeous, and a different kind of painful. This time it was my knees--every single step was cringe-worthy. But the valley, the waterfalls, the red and orange autumn trees, were some of the most beautiful sights I've seen on Earth so far. I was praising God every other step in awe of what He's created. I dipped my acheing, swollen feet into the ice cold stream and it felt so refreshing. I hiked with a great group of mostly Americans, some teaching here, some stationed at the air force base. They kept my mind off of my crying body.
   Although I slept on a mat on the floor that night in a nearby hostel, I slept like a rock. We spent the next day in the city of Sokchosi. Fun fact for Pokemon fans: this is the only city in South Korea where you can play Pokemon Go. South Korea doesn't want all its geography/points of interest to be accessed by the North, so that's why it's this way. We saw some fun Pokemon ads, in the forms of floral arrangements (see pics below). This place also has a very lovely beach. One of the guys from the air force base  treated a small group of us to go on a wild boat ride! It was like riding a jet ski on massive ocean waves, except on a small boat! Such a wild time! A smile was plastered on my face the entire time. We spent the remaining hours listening to music on the beach, and then boarded the bus back to Seoul.
  A long post for an exciting weekend. Thanks again for reading!

My Korean friend's pet sugar glider. 

Almost to the peak of the mountain.

Enjoying the peak of the mountain with friends (I'm in back in the hat).

A beautiful view from the valley

Pokemon Go garden

Enjoying the boat ride!

Week 6

My oh my, how the weeks are passing by quickly! Per usual, I will share some highlights of the past week:
  Last Wednesday was my first test in Korean. Did it go well? Debatable. The teacher would say some random word in Korean 3 times, and we had to write what we heard in Korean (a test of dictation). 3 times may seem like a lot, but when the words are multiple syllables and the teacher is going way too fast (to the point where students are begging her to slow down), it was rather difficult. I suppose it makes me feel a bit better that none of the class felt it went well. Results will be revealed soon!
  On Thursday, the school threw an event for the international students in which we practiced calligraphy in Korean. I thought it would be casual, but I was surprised when there were at least a dozen photographers and videographers sticking cameras in my face as I tried to work. "Act natural," they said. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am anything but natural in front of a camera. Nevertheless, my Korean buddy told me I made the Korean news! Apparently they promoted this in honor of national "Hanguel" day, celebrating the creation of the language (I'm starting to get overwhelmed by the amount of national holidays here).
  Mariem had heard that we can rent free bikes throughout Seoul. On Saturday, we hunted down one of the facilities and biked miles and miles down the Han River. It was a perfect day-- sunny,  a light wind, 60 degree weather. Though it was in the city, it felt more secluded and nature-like. I was reminded of home with the bike trails, foliage, and blue herons bathing in the calm River. I don't know what it is about moving water, but it's very therapeutic.
  Right after our bike ride, we went to an international fireworks festival on the river. I heard from a semi-reliable source that there were 5 million people in attendance. It sure felt like it-- the park was PACKED, I could hardly move. We also had a drastic temperature drop (thank GOODNESS, I was running out of sweat to sweat) so it was a perfect chilly night (according to my MN standards). The fireworks were impressive and lasted an hour and a half. Afterwards there was a DJ that spun some great tunes to dance to and flashed some funky lights.
  All in all, a good week! Chilling out and enjoying my time here in the meantime. Midterms are next week, so maybe I'll be reading a bit more. Miss you all, have a great week.

Some news website displaying the calligraphy we did. We smiled way too long for them, it was tiring. 

Biking the Han. Urban backdrops with hints of nature.  

The crowd at the fireworks fest before it got crowded.

Friends at fireworks!

National Foundation Day

  Hello friends and fam! Yesterday was the National Foundation Day of Korea, which celebrates the creation of ancient Korea in 2333 BC. We had the day off of school and took a very random trip!
  Last week, Mariem had found an event on Facebook that promoted a free day-trip for foreigners around Korea on this holiday. A lot of our mutual friends were planning on attending the event (college students are naturally attracted to the word "free"), so without really reading the details, we signed ourselves up. We took the train to Dongdaemon at 6:30am, found some spots on a lovely coach bus and were on our way by 7am!
  Our first stop on the trip was Naesosa Temple, about 2 hours south of Seoul. We enjoyed a decent lunch beforehand and explored the traditional temples, with golden buddhas and other such decor inside. Some Koreans prayed inside of here. I personally was fascinated by this 1,000 year-old tree. Mariem filmed me attempting to narrate this phenomenon, when we were interrupted by father and his two children. He was teaching his children English and wanted them to practice with us (the children were clearly quite embarrassed). I am attaching the video link below (its 2 min) if you'd like to watch!
  Our next stop was about 20 min away and was a "Gomso Salted Sea Food Festival." Maybe it was the rain, but the festival was quite empty (though there were many tents set up). We tried some strange pizza, some spicy squid tentacles (it wasn't alive for the record), and some pancake-things. Some of the international students with us lined up at a table and participated in a kimchi-making activity. I'm assuming it was being used for promotional purposes because 1) it was being filmed and 2) it reminded me so much of a game show. The host asked the participants where they were from then randomly BLASTED some loud music (some of it very inappropriate in English, I'm not sure they realized...)  and forced them to dance in their chefs hats for an uncomfortably long period of time. It was quite comical!
  We left the seafood fest and drove a whopping 3 hours to the very southern coast of Korea (I had no idea we were going this far) all to spend a mere hour at an "international medical expo." Yeah, we were very confused. Especially because we were in the most gorgeous, mountainous and seaside area where we could've hiked or took a swim in the beach. Nonetheless, we made the most of it and I bought some dipndots for about $3 (pretty cheap compared to the $7 I'd pay in the US). We toured some of the medical tents, which looked cool, but we couldn't understand any of it for it was all in Korean. Even if we could understand, we only spent an hour there so we were very rushed.
  Not a bad trip for it being free and all! We got some good laughs and memories out of it. In other news, tomorrow I have my first test in Korean class (I've been studying so I expect I'll do decent) and some upcoming presentations in other classes to prepare for (very low-pressure, I'm not concerned). Thanks for reading, enjoy the week ahead!

The bus!

Inside of the temple. 

Old Tree/Korean Family

^^(Click link to view video. This will work best on your computer.)

Strange Kimchi-Making activity

^^(Clink link to view video. Will also work best on a computer.)

A view of the sea, not far from the seafood festival.