Tag Archives: korea

You Can Call Me… Grape?

How would you feel standing up in front of a group of Koreans and telling your life story???

Monday night, that’s exactly what I did.

Perhaps now is that time when you are sitting there wondering how I managed to get myself in this situation. I’d say that’s a fair question.

Well… it all started when I joined the – don’t laugh – traditional Korean drum and dance club. It’s called pungmul -풍물. Have I ever played drums before? No. Do I have any rhythm? I’m white… so no. So why did I join? I joined for a few reasons. 1) I never had the chance to learn Korean drum, so what better place to learn than in Korea?! 2) It’d be a fun skill to say I learned while abroad 3) This could be a great chance to meet and interact with local koreans at my university. And lastly, 4) WHY NOT?!

One of the traditinal drums: 장구 – Janggu

From the very first club meeting I went to, I knew I made the right decision. The people there were so kind and fun, I immediately felt welcomed. And that’s saying a lot, considering hardly any of the club members speak English (and we all know I hardly speak any Korean). But the best part is it doesn’t matter, most of the meetings I just spend the time laughing and learning the instruments. We can still joke around and enjoy each others presence, and I’ve really enjoyed every meeting so far.

We had our first performance this past weekend! We went around to multiple restaurants in Sinchon 신촌, a popular area for young people that is located near our university campus, and played for the restaurant owners. From my understanding, this tradition comes from when 풍물 players used to go to farms in the olden days and play for farmers to bring them good luck in their harvest. We play for the restaurant owners to bring good luck to their business. In return, they gave us free food and drinks (!!!!!).

Where there is free korean food, you will always find Paige.

When I showed up for the performance, I had no idea it was going to be such a big ordeal. Our club has about 10-15 consistent members, but for this performance, we teamed up with other universities and played, so that there was around ~75 people. And at first, I was literally the only non-asian. My friends from my program are Korean-American and Chinese-American, but they could still blend in. But me? Whiter than white? It was the first time I was really aware of my whiteness, as strange or shocking as that seems. It was the first time I was really reminded that I was a minority, and it was… an interesting experience to say the least.

We lined up in parade form, and played all around 신촌. The drums aren’t exactly quiet as you can imagine, so it wasn’t long before people would turn to look at us and take out their cell phones to record. It was so much fun!

We ended the night by heading over another popular young area in Seoul, called Hongdae 홍대. There we found a spot in the street and put on a full performance. Afterward, all of the university students went out and ate and drank together! With the help of my good friend soju, I was able to actually hold some conversations in Korean, which I count as a success!!! The entire experience was one I’ll never forget.

That’s all good and fun, but now may be the time you’re wondering why I had to get up in front of everyone and tell my life story?! Get to the point already!!!

In this club, everyone goes by their nickname. They don’t call each other by their real names… ever. And in order to get a nickname, you stand up in front of all the members and tell them your life story. Your family, your friends, your dreams, your failures, your ideal man or woman, your favorites books and movies, etc etc etc. The whole ordeal takes about an hour, but it was SO much fun! Through all this, you really get to know each member. Then, at the end, potential nicknames are thrown out and everyone votes!

My nickname is 포도! Literal translation is Grape, but it comes from ‘포장되지 않은 진실된 도음” Which basically means someone who is sincere and pure in all their help, since I am someone who really enjoys volunteering and hope to work for an NGO one day. I absolutely love it, and when I was given the nickname, I truly felt like I was part of the club.

Aren’t we the cutest club you ever saw????

(((Credit to the lovely Ashuka Xue for the pictures in this post! Thanks for the memories girl)))

Location: Seoul, South Korea

Oops.. My American is Showing

One of the reasons why my transition to Korea was surprisingly so easy was because I had studied the korean culture for various years before arriving. It made the transition almost flawless. I knew some of the language, the traditions, the mannerisms. Had you thrown me into the middle of say… Morocco, Brazil, or any other culture that I haven’t had the chance to really study yet, I probably would’ve had a much harder time.

That being said, there are still times when Korea throws me off. But I’m all for it, because when you’re uncomfortable that means you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone, and when you’re out of your comfort zone, that’s when you truly begin to grow.

So my last post was all the praises I had to give to this great country, and now here’s all the times I’ve been aboard the struggle bus. (more like driving the struggle bus…)

1. Squat Toilets
WHY. Why why wHY WhY why WHY? A squat toilet, in simplest terms, is a glorified hole in the ground. It boggles my mind. In a country so developed as Korea… why are squat toilets still around? Don’t get me wrong, there are still many normal toilets, but every once in a while you find a squatter (is that even a real term? I just made it a real term). And you find it in random places, like some subway bathrooms or even bathrooms in my class buildings! It makes it feel as though it’s Russian Roulette every time you push open a stall door…

2. No Trash or Water. Anywhere.
Dear Korea, why do you hate trash cans? Why do you hate water fountains? Why do you hate me???? I told my friends that finding a trash can is basically like playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ One of biggest mysteries of the world is how Korea is so spotless when they HAVE NO TRASH CANS. I generally can walk for a solid 20-30 minutes with trash in my hand before I finally stumble across trash cans… or a water fountain, too. As a result, if you ever see me around Seoul, it’s almost a guarantee I am dehydrated and my pockets are filled with wrappers.

3. Gym Shoes
I pulled the classic “dumb foreigner” card the first week I was here, and I still get embarrassed when I think about it. It was a struggle and a half for me to get a gym membership, and when I finally managed… I got turned away my first day trying to go. I feel as though it was a sign that I should just take the semester off working out and get fat off korean food, right?!?!
Why did I get turned away, you ask? Because I didn’t have another pair of shoes. Yup, Korea (or at least my university gym) requires you to have outside shoes, and inside gym shoes. Don’t worry friends, I have cheated the system and bring my other pair of outside tennis shoes in a bag so I can change into them as soon as I step inside the gym. (Don’t tell anyone)

4. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.
So you know in America how they have cross walks? And side walks? And red lights that people actually pay attention to? Yeah well Korea doesn’t really care about that. Pedestrians are the last thing on the driver’s mind. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to dodge a motorcyclist who was driving on the sidewalk. Yes, the sidewalk. It’s a dog eat dog world out here, guys. Don’t worry mom and dad – I’ve made it so far!!! The danger is what makes the walk to dinner or shopping that much more exciting!!!

5. CCTV
You’ve all read 1984, right? “Big Brother is watching you.” Well there’s basically that here in Korea, which is something I had NO IDEA about before coming. There are virtually no police anywhere, and Korea is a crazy safe country. How is that possible? Because there are cameras everywhere. All over the streets, in restaurants, in the dorms. They’ll catch you if you do anything wrong. CCTV is watching. They’re always watching.

(If you ever want to see my freak out, just reference CCTV in my presence. It makes me feel like I’m the protagonist of the next big dystopian YA novel)

So those have been the biggest struggs thus far on my journey. And I’m sure there will be more. Bring it on, Korea! I’m ready for them.
(Except CCTV…)

Dear America, Take Note.

As the second week of classes are coming to a close, it’s hit me that I’ve been in Korea for nearly three weeks. THREE WEEKS. How can so much happen in three weeks? How can three weeks feel like three months? (in a good way, of course)

In my three weeks in Seoul, I have noticed that Korea just gets it. There are some parts of this culture that make so much sense I can’t believe America hasn’t jumped on board.

DEAR AMERICA, TAKE NOTE.

1.) Call Bells
Call bells are REVOLUTIONARY. Truly. Imagine this, dear Americans: you go to a restaurant. You look at the menu. Everyone decides what they want. Then… you press a button on the table. A waiter appears within seconds, you tell them the order, they disappear. Soon your food is brought out. Everyone eats. Everyone is happy. But WAIT! Someone needs a refill. And… you press the button again. Boom, waiter. Boom, refill. So simple, so easy. This way, you don’t have a waiter interrupting your conversation every few minutes to check on you. And this way, the waiter doesn’t have to plaster on a fake smile and act as if they really care about you and your dinner. (Added bonus: Korea isn’t about the tip life. It’s actually insulting if you give a tip.)

2.) Street Food
I could write an entire blog post declaring my love for street food. No, I could write an entire NOVEL dedicated to my love for street food. Street food is truly something special, friends.
Practically anywhere you go in the city of Seoul, there are little stands all over, all bearing some of the greatest food you will experience in Korea. And all for around $1-$3. Does it get any better than that?!

Pictured above: Ice cream waffles, Fried chicken and fries, and 호떡 (hotteok) so good it will singlehandedly convince you to move to Korea (호떡 are mini pancakes with filling that will change your entire life)

3.) Karaoke
Forget all you know about karaoke, because Korea’s karaoke is not only different, but way better.
In America, many people associate karaoke with you in a crowded room or bar, rolling your eyes as someone clearly intoxicated stumbles their way to stage and sings some slurred, earsplitting rendition of “Oops I Did It Again.”
But in Korea? They have 노래방. Literal translation: Singing room. You and your friends can actually rent a ROOM, equipped with TV, fun lights, microphones, and couches. You can also get drinks if you wish. Not so that you can down them in hopes you won’t hear the next painful karaoke stranger, but so that you can drink them and have a fun time rocking out to your favorite songs with your friends. It’s one big party, and you can spot about twenty 노래방 places on one street of Seoul. They’re everywhere.

4.) Sharing Culture
My personal condolences to any germaphobes who travel to Korea. Sharing culture is huge here. It’s very common to go out to eat and order one bowl of something, and everyone eats out of it. I’ve become so used to trying everyones food and tasting everyone’s drinks that I don’t know how I’m going to adjust back in America when that’s not really a thing. The best thing about sharing culture is dinners tend to be pretty cheap. You can end up having a bill of around $30 for a group of 7 or 8 people. And you don’t end up eating as much as you would back home, because you’re sharing it with everyone. Here are some pictures from some (crazy delicious) meals I’ve split with others…

5.) Cheap Textbooks
I have a total of eight textbooks right now. And you know how much I spent overall? $170. For eight textbooks. $170 back in the States can’t even buy me a pdf file of one textbook. The struggle is all too real.

6.) Dessert Cafes
This is probably one of my favorite things about Korea, and I’m sure those who know me reading from back home are just shaking their heads and saying “Oh Paige…” But listen! Dessert cafes! You order your yummy dessert, share said yummy dessert with friends, and sit and talk for the next few hours in this cute, cozy cafe. Doesn’t that just sound like paradise?!

So America, I hope you were listening carefully. I expect these all to be happening when I return in June. 🙂

(Gotta give credit when credit is due… all food photos credit to Anne Feller! aka one of my fave people to discover Seoul with)

Jung (정) in Jeonju

정 – combination of compassion, empathy, and bond on a very soulful level. It is a connection that is formed between people.

정, pronounced Jung, is a word that doesn’t exactly have an English equivalent, and when I learned it in my korean class last semester, I didn’t fully understand what it meant. Now I do. Jung isn’t just a word – it’s an experience. It’s a feeling.

This past weekend, I traveled to Jeonju, South Korea.. about a three hour bus ride from Seoul. I wasn’t too excited for it. To be honest, I was just exhausted at this point. Our program had us go go go nonstop from the moment I landed in Korea, and all I really wanted was one solid day to rest and overcome my jetlag. Yet here we were, off to Jeonju! So drink an extra cup of coffee and pack your bags!

I hadn’t even heard of Jeonju prior to this excursion. Aside from Seoul, I had only heard of a handful of other cities in Korea.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU. JEONJU WAS WONDERFUL. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WAS WONDERFUL. So many people were dressed in 한복 (hanbok), korean traditional dress. There was a traditional village, side by side with the modern buildings. We even went to a Buddhist Temple, Paper Museum, and learned traditional korean drum & dance… all probably sound incredibly boring to you but I promise it wasn’t. Not even a little. I loved everything about Jeonju!

But what I loved the most was the atmosphere, and the people. It was just entirely different from Seoul. Like night and day. Seoul is great, and I love it a lot. But it’s crazy busy to the point where it can be overwhelming. People are all on a mission. They’re going to work, they’re going clubbing, they’re going shopping. They energetic and busy and all over the place at every hour of the day.

But Jeonju is more slow pace. They have smaller shops. People are out and about just for the sake of it. I referred to them as the “little Jeonju people” at one point.. because that’s what they were to me! Just sweet little Jeonju people going about their day. The city (if it can even be called a city?) was so cute and quiet and lovely.

On Friday night for dinner, my group of friends and I were struggling to find a place to eat… which never really happens in Seoul. In Seoul, you turn down one street and there is ten food places. You turn down another and there’s fifteen more. In Jeonju, the food places were a bit more spread out and hidden. When we were passing by one, an 아줌마 (ahjumma – older lady) came out of the restaurant and gestured us towards her. We quickly learned that she didn’t speak any english, but she was so sweet and excited to see a group of foreigners that we really couldn’t say no.

We entered and saw that we had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor at one of the low set tables. I love when I encounter experiences like this. It’s cool to come across parts of a culture that are so different from my own, and I’m always eager to give it a try.

We ate bulgogi, which is marinated beef and happens to be my all time favorite food in the history of ever (yes, ever). I was stoked when I saw they had it. When we finally got all our food, I was more than ready to dig in!

That’s when the 아줌마 came up next to me, a huge grin on her face, and began to prep my food for me. I tried to tell her I was okay, I didn’t need help, but before I knew it she was holding the food up to my mouth and literally feeding me. When I took a bite, she laughed loudly and slapped my bum. I kid you not. I feel as though in that moment I gained a korean grandmother and all was right in the world.

That, my friends, is 정. We were also given free soda drinks for dinner without even asking, and they didn’t charge us any extra for the extra bowls of rice we ate. 정 정 정!

Ahhhh, Jeonju. I was very sad to leave so soon, but I will be back before I return to America. I miss the little Jeonju people already!

More information on the concept of Jung if you are interested!

Location: Jeonju, South Korea

En Route to Seoul!

It’s been a long time coming, but I am FINALLY on my way to Seoul, South Korea! My past few months have consisted of me sitting at home pathetically missing Penn State, religiously keeping up with all the adventures on this geoblog, and enduring a constant stream of “North or South?” jokes by anyone who finds out I’m studying in Korea.

Unfortunately, traveling to the other side of the world isn’t exactly the easiest. Currently I’m on a four hour layover in Detroit – proudly wearing my THON hat – and then I head to Seattle for the night. Tomorrow morning starts my official eleven hour flight to Korea! (Thank God for Netflix, amiright?!)

I’m definitely a firm believer in journaling and blogging, so I intend on taking you all on this four month journey with me, if you let me. Like I said, this trip has been a long time coming. I’m not talking about the past two months at home by myself. I’m not even talking about since last summer when I got accepted to study at Yonsei University. I’m talking about since 2011 when I first became interested in the Korean culture. I used to stay up all night and just dream about visiting Seoul… and now I can’t believe that in just a day I’ll be living there! High School Paige is so jealous right now. It’s surreal and scary and crazy and ridiculous. If I’m being honest, I was starting to have cold feet this past week. Big time. But here I am in Detroit, so I might as well fly all the way!

I still haven’t figured out if the next few months will pass quickly or not, but I have decided that I don’t want to waste a single day. I only have four months. I want to make the most of every second.

I have two major goals, and I am determined to complete them:

1 – Have an entire conversation in Korean. I will never stop being amazed by people who are multilingual, and I hope to join them one day. I have been studying the language since my freshman year, taking four semesters. Although my 선생님들 (professors) have been angels sent directly from heaven, I still struggle with the language. It’s a really fun language, and I love learning it, but I get very shy when I speak it. I’m not capable of having a conversation in all Korean just yet, so when that day finally comes, I will let you all know. There will probably be lots of caps lock and exclamation marks in that blog post.

2 – Educate the rest of the world on how cool South Korea is. When I tell people I’m interested in Korea, I normally get a lot of Kim Jong Un jokes. (I mean, a lot). Which is all good and fun(ish), but then I realize that people genuinely don’t know a lot about Korea. I had someone ask me if I was going to have running water where I going! Seoul is comparable to New York City. It’s truly the city that never sleeps. Of course I could never blame people for not knowing much about Seoul or South Korea… I mean, thinking about it, there are so many countries in this world that I know nothing about. Up until a few years ago, I knew nothing about Korea as well. I just got a fortune cookie the other day that read “Every wise man started out by asking many questions.” So fear not friends, I will take you on this journey with me and by the end of it all, you’ll all want to travel to Korea for yourself!

Next blog post will come at you from the other side of the world! And I’ll be sure to incorporate a seoul pun title so painful it’ll have you all rolling your eyes. Until then, 안녕 (Annyeong)! 🙂

페이지 / Paige