Hi Family and Friends! Sorry I haven't posted an update in a while. I've been so busy. Here's a quick refresh of my Jejudo Trip and life update...
So, last Thursday I went immediately after Korean class with my friends Rachel, Penny, Feng and Morgan running with our luggage to the Sinchon subway station. Class finished at 5:50 and our flight to Jejudo from Gimpo airport left at 7:55. We were going so fast haha! We made it on time and hopped on the Eastar Jet plane. The flight attendants were so accommodating and stylish with their uniforms. The flight was quick and there was an in-flight game of the Korean rock-paper-scissors to give away a free ticket. All my friends had no idea what was going on lol. In the evening, we took a taxi to our pension home at the north part of the island. The taxi driver was so nice, and he agreed to take us on an island tour Saturday.
The pension was comfortable and homely. I slept on the floor mats again but I think it's okay. We all got settled in and talked about the plan for the next day, sleeping only two hours! I awoke at 3:30 am to take a taxi to go to Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). We hiked to the top of the mountain and sat at the observation deck only to watch the faint light of the sun appear in the fog :( (This is our trip secret that we didn't actually get to see the sunrise, but the experience was good enough). Next, we stopped for some delicious seafood. Poor Rachel is allergic so she couldn't taste the sea urchin, crab, lobster, abalone, muscles, clams and fish like I did. Finally on Friday, we took a ferry boat to Udo Island (it is supposedly shaped like a cow but I didn't see it). We took an island bus tour to see a horse park, incredible landscapes and a beautiful white sand beach. All the other girls rode horseback, but I decided not too as the horses were sprinting up hills and across the valley, and that terrifies me. I tried peanut gelato and liked it a lot. At this point, my back was very sunburned and we had been up for over 12 hours so it was time to head back. Rachel and I went back to the pension house and ordered jajamyeong. That night I slept for 14 hours.
Saturday morning we got going around 9 am and met the nice taxi driver for our day adventure. He took us to Hallim Park first. It was very pretty with many flowers, bonzai trees, a traditional Hanok village, "the garden with beautiful birds," and large ugly ostriches. That day, the temperature was 32 degrees C and too hot! We drove along the coast and stopped at the most beautiful landscape with HallaSan in the background. We had an authentic local lunch; I ate seafood soup again only for 6,000KRW :) I've been eating so much here. Teddy Bear Museum followed the beach. It was hilarious to see historical events played out with Teddy Bears. Then, we made our way to the Five-Sand beach. The sand has five colors in it and when we got there, it was the perfect moment. The sun was slowing coming down and the water was just right.
Lastly we went to Chongiyeon Waterfall (Rachel's Korean name) to take some final pictures and try this delicious fluffy bread with red bean paste inside (I'm sorry but I have already forgotten the Korean name). I have come to like the taste now of the red bean paste, especially in pastries. Black pork Samgypsal was our dinner and we paired it with the local soju that tastes stronger than the stuff in Seoul. The full day with the taxi driver only cost 20,000KRW each. I got some Jeju chocolate tangerine souvenirs and brought back orange makegolli which tastes like orange bread to me and not very good lol. The trip was a success and a good friend-bonding experience. Thank goodness we had Rachel to speak fluent Korean because Jeju had less English speakers than in Seoul in my opinion. I hope to return to the Island one day. I returned to campus Sunday afternoon after carrying about ten pounds for over two miles haha. Exhaustion was an understatement.
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Since last week, I have been sick with a cold. I am doing my best to rest and get better especially since school is picking up. I am feeling better today though, and feel like the worst is over. I will meet Lucy Huh this weekend at Costco for a fun evening and attend YonKoJon rugby and soccer games on Saturday. This sporting event showcases the biggest college rivalry there is in Korea. I'll be in the stands cheering for Yonsei with my new hoodie. Classes are going well. I'm really enjoying cinema class and Korean language.
Last night, I had my first FLC (Free Language Class) after KLI. In this class, I am able to learn informal Korean and slang (basically, the stuff that comes much later but is used most often among friends). I just got back from Gangnam, a more wealthier part of Seoul with my friend, JungAe. We went out to eat at this place called GORILLAS IN THE KITCHEN and I enjoyed it very much. All the beautiful clothes here make me want to toss my wardrobe at home and start fresh :P
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