ASHLEY ANNYEONG: June 2013

Mixed Signals

This past month it's seemed like the universe is trying to really make my question my move home.

The first thing is I cannot for the life of me find a proctor for an exam I have to take. I've called over 20 people and no one can help me. Waiting to take this exam until I get back to the States means I have to wait an additional 3 months to take my first CPA exam section, something I don't want to do. Korea is seems to be against me becoming an accountant.

Second, I was talking on Skype with my dad a couple of weeks ago about how I have to get a new iPhone when I get back and he said he thought I would change my mind and stay. So my own father thinks I should/will stay.

Third, when I was telling this to my mom later, she mentioned that she thinks I'm going to go back to Korea in a year or two to work again. So my mom doesn't think I'll last that long either!

Another thing was earlier this week I got a call from a expat recruiter about a position they are filling now for a client. The CEO of Hyundai welding needs a foreign executive assistant and the unnegotiated pay is the same as what I am making now. Even though being an executive assistant sounds super boring, it could have been a way to get my foot in the door and network with a bunch of people. Afterexchanging emails and talking on the phone with the recruiter, I declined the chance to interview.

Last, one of my favorite bakeries in Seoul just opened literally meters from my apartment. It's so cool and they have REAL bread and lots of vintage repurposed furniture to drink coffee and lounge on. I'm totally going there this morning for some coffee once they open. ^^

So universe, you seem to be really tempting me with some signs that Korea is my transient home. Unfortunately for you, I'm pretty stubborn and am committed to 1-2 years back in the States. I will book my flight within the next week. I already sent letters to all my family with my arrival date so I'm making it work!!

A cafe I went to earlier this week to work on writing some letters home

Cryptic cafe receipt.

Korean coffee & indie music

Sundays are a great day. This semester I have to teach on Saturday mornings, which means Sundays are the only day of the week that I can completely do whatever I feel like doing. I have an accounting exam coming up in less than 2 weeks, so generally I'm burning the midnight oil at Starbucks or a local cafe. I go get coffee somewhere literally every day. You would too if you lived in a 200 sq. ft apartment.^^ For the past 4 months, I've been working on wrapping up my classes for my Korean and accounting classes and getting my accounting license paperwork in order. I'm insanely more productive if I bring my half-charged iPhone and textbooks and notebooks somewhere than just trying to get work done at home.

Today was a perfect day at two awesome indie cafes in my neighborhood. The first cafe I went to is a place I go to often and it's always quiet, cool, and awesome. They always play some seriously curated English indie music and have pillows, blankets, magazines and even outlets to charge your stuff. I will admit to staying here until they close at 11 pm before.

Sundays were made for good music, coffee, and getting a jump start on the week.

After I finished up my accounting work, I headed a few blocks over to another cafe and enjoyed a latte and a book out on their patio in the beautiful weather.

(I bought the final book in this series over a year ago in the Tokyo airport and I'm finally getting to it. Bookhoarder problems.)

The Korean cafe aesthetic cannot be replicated. The feeling of everyone working quietly with their headphones on in a quaint little cafe with indie Korean cafe music is a definitive portrait of real, modern Korea.

If you are interested in listening to some Korean indie music and use 8tracks, I recommend these playlists for you.

카페에 앉아 from poistroc on 8tracks Radio.

chill kpop from stinkeyjean on 8tracks Radio.

A Day with Eunha

Today I met up with my Korean tutor Eunha for a kimchi and tteokbeoki cooking class. I hadn't seen Eunha for about 3 months since I started my Korean class at Yonsei so it was nice to hang out again. She's one of the coolest, most interesting Korean girls I've met. She worked in the import-export business in China and Vietnam for a bit after finishing university but decided the industry wasn't for her and started tutoring Korean to the expat community in Seoul. She teaches all different kinds of people - CEOs, English teachers, international high school students, Samsung MBAs, European interns, etc. She is also really good at K-pop dancing, studies at a dance academy, and wants to open her own dance school some day. She speaks English, Korean, and Chinese and is super open-minded and really good at dancing. Such a cool person!

I've decided to take a break from learning Korean until around September to focus on my upcoming travels and accounting exams. I will continue to study with her through Skype once I'm settled in the States, which she has done with several other of her students. The thought of laying in my big bed at home with the AC blasting and a can of Diet Mountain Dew in my hand while speaking Korean with Eunha sounds amazing!!

Our cooking lesson was at Kimchi World near Insa-dong. They had hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) for us to try on and take pictures so naturally we opted in.

First we made kimchi. Kimchi World is operated by the world famous kimchi brand Chongga. One of the secrets to their kimchi recipe is using sun-dried sea salt (I bought a little bottle to take back to the States). We had fun spreading all the spicy mess into the napa cabbage leaves.

Our finished kimchi take-home containers. The kimchi needs to ferment for about 2 weeks in room temperature.

When Koreans make kimchi and eat it, they hold a big piece up and eat it at once. The instructor and Eunha wanted me to do the same so I did and they were laughing at me while I was taking this picture and telling me I was a real Korean. : )

After the kimchi we made royal tteokbeoki. Street tteokbeoki is made with red pepper paste (which I generally find to be too spicy to be delicious) but royal tteokbeoki is made with soy sauce. It tasted really good! I will prepare this nice and easy dish when I introduce Korean food to friends and family back home.

The instructor and I.

After our cooking class, we walked around Insa-dong and headed to the basement of Ssamziegil, where you can make a lot of different hand-made things. We decided on wood carving. We were given little pieces to practice on before marking our purchased materials.

The finished product: a wooden pen key chain!

Then we stopped for a snack: funny poop-shaped stuffed pancakes and sikhye, a traditional sweet Korean rice drink.

Last, we came across these funny Korean statues. In the old days, these statues were the guards in small towns and kept out evil spirits. Now they are funny tourist photo spots - haha.

We ended up having dinner together, talking in Korean about traveling, her other students, men, what "real America" is and a bunch of other random stuff. In a touristy area fully of... tourists, it was cool to be able to eat and talk naturally with a Korean. What a great 2 years it's been in Korea. I hope I have a chance to come work here again in a few years. Eunha, I love you! Thanks for everything! Let's hang out again before I leave and see you on Skype. <3

Japanese Photo Booths

Last weekend while wandering around Myeongdong with Justine, we ran into a Japanese photo booth store and instantly decided we should do it. In Japan, sessions typically cost about $3 and in Korea they are $7 but it's so worth it!

I've kept all these funny photo sessions over the years because they are just so funny. They make great souvenirs and are some of my prized possessions from Japan.

My Japanese friend Narumi and I would do these every time we went to Sapporo on the weekends.

While revisiting Japan on my 22nd birthday last year, Narumi and I snapped a reunion shot!

Other funny photo sessions from my semester in Japan..

I'm happy to say Narumi is coming to Seoul next month to hang out before I leave. Narumi, let's take lots of these pictures when you come. ^^^^^^

Stephany & Dowon's Wedding

Yesterday was one of those super special days where everything is fun. Days like these make living in Seoul and dealing with cultural differences worth it. My Canadian friend Stephany got married to her then Korean boyfriend of 3 years Dowon. They are a really great couple and I'm so happy for my friend!

Stephany and I became friends because we lived in the same apartment building my first year in Korea. After seeing each other every morning in the elevator and running into each other at the subway station all the time, I suggested we meet for coffee and then we became instantly good friends! We soon found our morning commutes overlapped and would try to take the subway a few stops together and in the morning we would always wind up talking about Dowon proposing to her and how it would all work out! Our favorite thing to do in the Sinjeong area was to have BBQ nights sitting outside on the patio, drinking beer and laughing at all the crazy stuff our jobs threw at us that week. One time we wandered to get $5 acupuncture, a hilarious adventure of Stephany trying to explain in Korean that she had insomnia and me finding out my stress levels are "dangerously high." We laid on these little cots, with needles in our bodies and occasionally talked to each other through the shower curtain that separated us. Stephany knows all the cool stuff to do in Seoul due to the extensive time she has spent here. Stephany - thanks for being my friend!!!

Here are some pictures from their traditional wedding ceremony yesterday. Stephany was so beautiful and did a really good job with everything!

Last night at the reception Stephany and I talked about how I'm leaving Seoul soon and how it's so sad! During our BBQ nights we would joke that we would be the expat ladies in Seoul with Korean husbands and adorable mixed babies who brunch together. Last night Stephany at one point said "Oh, I KNOW she'll be back." Walking home at 1 AM last night after one of the funnest, craziest, whirlwind of a day I've had this spring/summer, it's hard to think of leaving all these amazing people behind.

Don't worry Korea, I have a feeling I will be back too. ;)

May Recap

May started off on a pretty rough start due to some changes and just as things started to return to normal, the temperatures have soared. Ughh. I can't believe this is my 3rd summer in Asia, I feel old!

June is going to be a good month... My Canadian friend is marrying a Korean guy next weekend and they are doing a traditional ceremony. My Thai friend from Korean class wants to climb Mount Bukhansan soon. My Korean class finishes in a week and a half (phew). Six of my exchange-student friends from Japan who live in Korea are planning a road-trip around Daejeon later in the month.

I've decided to go backpacking through Thailand and Cambodia for two weeks before heading back stateside and have started to plan for that. Hello, elephant rides!!

May Recap:

Week 1: Work was incredibly boring with midterms. Other teachers are swamped with grading but I essentially had nothing to do. Grabbed street food before Korean class. Started feeling domestic and made Korean bulgogi!

Bulgogi

Took 3-hour lunches during midterms week..

This rice cake shop near my place has the cutest old guy. I always stop by to buy something on Friday afternoons. :)

Street food. Bought the red stuff - so spicy it burns!

Week 2: Packed up stuff to mail home and drop off at Beautiful Store. Wandered all around the city in search of the perfect Mother's Day presents. Began bubble tea binge.

Homeward bound~~

Waiting for the subway..

Mother's Day cards :)

Week 3: Teacher's Week in Korea. Went to the Seoul Lantern Festival with Justine. Went to Damyang and Boseong (see here) with Choi for Buddha's birthday. Had a Sunday night board game cafe/pizza date with the girls.

Present from a student.

Downtown.

Losing at Uno is a major bummer.

Road trip!

Weeks 4/5: Discovered an amazing snack at a convenience store - strawberry ice cream inside a rice cake and made excuses to eat them whenever possible. Finished my last accounting assignment (hurrah!) Met Lauren for Moroccan food and bubble tea in Myeongdong on Sunday night. Had a school dinner at a cool Indian restaurant. Stood next to a British journalist I have a fangirl crush on on the escalator at Itaewon station. Was interviewed for TBS eFM Prime Time about shopping in Korea. Went out for celebratory drinks with my Korean classmates to have some fun before our final exams. Attempted calligraphy - I suck.