The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The past few weeks in Korea have been simultaneously busy and restful, if that is possible. Work-wise things have slowed down as we finished the fall session so I haven't had any stress on that front. However, it is the holiday season and I've had plenty of things to celebrate in my first Christmas season away from home.

To start, I ended up having an amazing birthday weekend thanks to my friends in Korea. A good friend of mine who lives in Seoul came down Thursday night for dinner and trivia, and brought me some delicious cookies and tea! My coworkers surprised me with cake and sparklers at lunch and then Britny and I had people over for an End of the World party, where I got some truly thoughtful presents. It was so nice to spend the day amongst friends and it definitely made me feel less alone and more settled heading into Christmas.

I spent Christmas day in Seoul as the guest at my friend's work potluck gathering. I had such an great time and about half of the people there were from Virginia so I was able to play the "what-friends-do-we-have-in-common" game. Its funny how small the world can be sometimes! Anywho, I ate yummy food, stole some presents during White Elephant, and had a blast playing Catchphrase. I headed back down to Anyang for the evening so I could prepare my first solo Christmas strata and skype into Christmas morning back home. My parents connected me to the TV so I could see everyone and it was almost as good as being home. I'm a little surprised at how easy it was to be away from family during the holidays, although I have to give a lot of credit to technology for making communication so easy.

It may be the season, but I have been very contemplative the last few weeks. I have been examining my  friendships and figuring out why the people in my life are so important to me (many of you will be getting letters about this in the near future). Since I have been in Korea, I have found myself questioning many of my beliefs about life and what I want out of it. It is slightly terrifying because I consider these beliefs to be central to who I am, and without them, I feel less sure of myself. I feel like I am in limbo; behind me are the things I thought I wanted, in front of me are the things I actually want, but I am in the middle and can't see either very clearly. I'm trying to embrace the confusion and stop over thinking and just enjoy whatever life chooses to bring me.

Hopefully, my vacation will give me some time to sort things out! That's right, tomorrow I leave the snowy, 13ºF that is Seoul for sunny 82ºF Palawan! I have never taken a trip with less planing, and my only real goal is to swim and hike and read. My satisfaction threshold is really low, so something would have to go outrageously wrong for me to be disappointed on this trip!

xo Julie

Hitting My Stride

Things have been going good in Korea. Well, let's rephrase that, things have been going great in Korea.  As the title implies, I really feel like I'm finding my place in here. My parents will tell you, I was a bit of a mess my first week or two here. I was completely overwhelmed not only by a new culture but the huge life transition of leaving the familiar (college, home, friends...) for a real life with real responsibilities (bills, work...). I was excited and terrified and nervous and jet lagged and there were a fair share of tears.

But slowly and surely, I began to make this place a home. A home that is full of friends and adventures and laughter. I've pursued my passions, both old ones and new ones. I've made the unfamiliar familiar. I'm a regular at (many) coffee shops. I've managed to navigate banking and bills and setting up a cell phone in another language. And although my Korean is still terrible, I can get around OK on my own (with the help of my translating app and some hand motions).

There are still things that surprise me about Korea, and things that excite and frustrate me as well. And I hope that it will continue to be that way for a while. But its nice to feel comfortable here and to know I have people to be with when I don't want to be alone. Although I'm sad not to be with my family during the holidays, I'm excited to spend them with people who have quickly become very important to me.

Anywho, I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and are eating all the good food I can't cook here (although I finally got a toaster oven and can (try to) bake some goodies). And happy end of the world! If something goes down I promise I'll give you a heads up :)

xo Julie

Cold

I love winter. I really do. It is my favorite season, full of rosy cheeks and snow and sweaters and hot chocolate. But winter in Korea might truly test my resolve. Veteran English teachers have told me that this cold snap we're in is unusual and came far too early and that it shouldn't get *too* much colder, but I hesitate to believe them. Korean cold is the kind that seeps into your bones, leaving your extremities permanently cold (perhaps that might just be the lack of heating in my office, but I rarely feel comfortable and warm). Korean cold is wind that cuts to your core. Korean cold is wearing three layers on every part of your body. Korean cold means snow and ice that never seem to melt, creating an outside venture into an ice skating adventure. 

To combat this cold, I've just booked a vacation to Palawan in the Philippines! I have a week of paid leave between each session, and mine falls the week of New Years. I leave at 8:00 AM New Years Day and am planning on just staying up the night before to ring in the New Year and then heading to the airport. It is a short trip, 5 days/4 nights, but I found a decent deal on a flight and my 3 STAR HOTEL was only $140 for the whole trip and is on the beach! I'm so excited to relax and explore the island and the Filipino culture (and eat delicious food!!).

 This is where I will be in 3 short weeks!

I had a very relaxing weekend decorating and organizing my apartment. Saturday night, an Irish friend in Anyang had a mulled wine party (probably my favorite winter drink) complete with delicious mince pies! I got terribly lost trying to find her place, but made my way there eventually.

I had a proper 'lie in' on Sunday (this is one of my favorite British terms as it perfectly describes lounging in bed but not sleeping) before meeting a few friends to go to an art exhibit in Seoul. The museum had a special exhibit on Anish Kapoor, an artist I really only came to appreciate after taking a 3D art class and learning just how difficult it is to execute abstract 3D art. After the museum we went and delicious food at this noodle place. I also had my first 7brau, a Korean IPA that was so good it made up for the disgrace that is Cass and Hite. All in all, a very excellent weekend! 

7 brau makes 3 types of beer: Pilsner, IPA, and Stout.

This is my favorite piece by Anish Kapoor. When you stare into the blue hole you truly loose all sense of orientation and it looks like you are staring into the abyss.

xo Julie

And I just got hit by a car...

To top off a glorious day of food poisoning, a car legitimately hit me in a crosswalk on my way to trivia (granted at a very slow speed and it was just my arm....but still...). Expats here talk a lot about how Koreans are terrible drivers and never yield the right of way to pedestrians, but this was the first time I have had a car actually refuse to stop when my crosswalk light is green. The driver also had the audacity to roll down his window and ask for my number in case his car was damaged! Sometimes Korea.... you drive me crazy!

xo Julie

Snow and Food Poisoning

Well the big news here is that is snowed! We got about 5 inches total yesterday and it was magical...until the cars started driving and turned the city into a gray-brown slush pool. But anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE snow so I was excited to see the first snowfall!

My new wind/water/snow-proof jacket arrived just in time!

Snow from my office building!

On the bad side, I spent the entire night up with a grueling case of food poisoning. Not sure if I got it from the restaurant I ate lunch at yesterday or contaminated kitchen stuff cooking chicken last night, but either way today has been a lay-in-bed kind of day.

Lucky for me, the new instructor arrived last week and because today was pretty light on classes, she was able to go in and teach them for me. Its so nice to have another foreigner in the office to talk about Korean-isms that can be frustrating. She's also my roommate and things have been going great so far!

So what have I been up to the past few weeks....  Well I've hiked a couple mountains (surprise surprise) and explored Seoul a lot. I spent one Sunday with a friend shopping for Christmas presents in Insadong, an area known for its traditional handmade crafts. We also visited an English bookstore in Itaewon (the 'forgiener section') which I will now make many pilgrimages too as they sell used English books at a great price! I also explored another adorable area called Samcheong-dong after a hike where I finally tried honey bread- a monstrous dessert served in coffee shops here. For some reason, Koreans think this is an American dessert, which, to my knowledge, it is not. It was ok, but for 1000 calories I would choose to indulge in something with a little more substance!

Honey bread...really only something you can appropriately order in large groups.

So that's been life in Korea. Not too exciting I guess. Sometimes I forget that I am living in Asia. My life has become somewhat routine, just like it would anywhere. Work, friends, hobbies. Sometimes, usually on the bus ride home from work, I have one of those moments where I think to myself "God I LIVE in ASIA. I have to remind myself that I am living in a completely different culture and I need to go out and see more of it. Other times, I think of all the time I have left here and how I want to focus on building a life with good friends and adventures, not building a photo album of tourist pictures. The key is to find a balance, which I will hopefully strike one day. But in the end, I think life is life anywhere.

xo Julie

A Quick Thought...

Sorry for the lack of substance in this post, I swear I'll update you all on how things are going in the next few days.

I stumbled across this article the other day and it is definitely resonating with me during this adjustment period. 19 Things You Should Stop Doing In Your 20s

I'm a recent college grad with a decent amount of life experience, but still terribly naive in many ways. Starting my first real full job has forced me to learn some hard lessons fast. Those realizations are only multiplied by the fact I'm working and living in a foreign country. Some of my favorites (and most applicable) are:

1. Stop placing all the blame on other people for how they interact with you.
13. Stop considering the same things you've always done as the only options there are.
15. Stop approaching adverse situations with anger and frustration.

If you have the time, read the article and let me know what you think about it!

xo Julie

Bukhansan, Noraebangs, and Volunteering

Hello Internet world! Its been a busy, busy week here in Korea. I feel like I'm starting to find a good balance at work between my teaching duties and all the administrative things I need to get done, so I've been feeling pretty productive. The next instructor arrives in a week. I'm working on making sure she has everything she needs in her apartment so her transition can be smooth (hopefully!).

Good news, I found a place to play trivia in Anyang! This summer, my dad's friends graciously let me crash their weekly guys night trivia game and I had been hoping to find a place here to carry on the tradition. Luckily, there is a pub right near my house that is run by an American and does English trivia on Thursday nights! Its also a great place to meet other expats living in Anyang.

On Saturday I did another hike with Climbing in Korea. I'm starting to think I should rename my facebook album "Pictures of Julie on Mountains (in Korea)". I'm really loving the challenge these hikes offer. Just the right combination of aerobic and strength exercise plus the added adrenaline rush from the crazy routes we take to the peak. This time around I felt a bit more knowledgeable about what to expect and found people asking me questions about the best way up various sections and such. I also got to reconnect with the girl I met from UVA a few weeks back! Its good to feel like I'm starting to create a group of friends in Seoul/Anyang that I can explore the city with!

Icicles on the mountain!

The view of Seoul from 836 meters up.

It says 0 Celsius. Enough said.

After hiking, I had my first noraebang experience. This is the Korean version of Karaoke, but you and your friends are in a private room belting your hearts. This was definitely an activity that was eased by some soju, but I had a pretty good time. Worth the experience, even if I don't go again (although I was able to show off my rap skills, which if I may say so, are superb). See Anthony Bourdain's take on the noraebang for more context here. We followed this with a round of bowling, which caused me to miss the last subway train by less than a minute, resulting in a pricey cab ride back to the city.

Lastly, on Sunday I went into Seoul again with another teacher I met at trivia to feed the homeless. The organization meets every Sunday to buy food, package up the meals, and then distribute them to the homeless around the area. I didn't notice many homeless people in Korea at first, but lately have been seeing many people living in the subway stations. I really enjoyed volunteering for this group, although when it comes to volunteering I like to know more about the particular issue to give my actions some context in the greater socio-economical surroundings. I also like to have a bit more personal interaction with the people I am helping. However, the experience was really rewarding and I met some great people who showed me ways to find other volunteer activities.

I don't have too much planned for this week expect for Thanksgiving themed trivia which *may* include pumpkin pie....

xo Julie