Wednesday: Another Day in Korea

So now we come to Wednesday…and pictures! We started with a Korean history lecture, which was very interesting since I’d never learned much about Korean history before. After lunch, we visited Gyeongbokgung ("Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven") Palace, which  was built in 1395. It was absolutely beautiful, and it took about two hours to tour it. Even so, this tour was only through the 25% of the palace that has been restored! Here are some of the promised pictures:

Gwanghwamun Gate

The King's Throne Room

(that's the closest equivalent I can think of)

Min A and me 

After the tour, we were allowed to explore the city on our own. First, we went out and had frozen yogur (frozen yogurt).

Then we visited Insadong, which is a section of Seoul where there are many shops selling souvenirs and traditional items. We had lots of fun looking in the shops and making our purchases.

Then we went out for chicken, which was sort of like wings, except it was baked. Because there was a long wait for our table, the owner let us use her karaoke room for free. This is a room with comfy couches, a table, and a karaoke machine with hundreds of songs on it. Thankfully, there were some American songs on it. My Korean friends sang us some Korean pop songs, and I sang American ones, including a John Denver song. Yay country music!

Min A, Soo Min, Diana, and me singing karoake

Dinner was delicious, but we were really tired afterwards, and had to go back to the college before curfew (11 PM). So we took a subway and a bus, and back we went!

Good friends, good food, lots of fun. Yep, definitely an awesome day.

My First Few Days...

Yes, I know. This is long overdue. But it’s been a busy couple of days. I got to Korea (finally!) on Monday. After getting out of the plane, we found that a taxi had been sent to meet us. The driver put our bags on a cart, strode out of the airport, and began jogging briskly across roads and down streets. This was new, but he had my bags, so I ran too. He actually looked very normal doing it, while I’m sure I looked like a crazy American teenager who’d had too much caffeine.

Anyway, I got to the school and met my roommate Min A Suk, who was very enthusiastic and welcoming. She showed me around, and invited me to go shopping with her and her friends. Very fun-and finished off with an iced cappuccino. Perfection. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera for that expedition, so I don’t have any pictures. If I found any that they took, I’ll post them.

So that brings us to Tuesday. First we had a lecture which gave us some background on Korea; it was a good starting point, sort of a summary of some things that Korean students learn in elementary school. Then we had an “ice-breaking” event, which included a watermelon-eating contest. Yum! Then we hung out, played cards and the Korean “alphabet game,” and ate patbingsu, which is shaved ice, strawberries, and ice cream. Great day.

Ok, more blogging very soon, I promise! Including pictures…

Best Laid Plans vs. Divine Appointment

      Today someone told me about a skit by the comedian Brian Regan, where he explains that the captain of an airplane never tells good news. It's usually something unwanted, something to do with engine failure or fire or a vital piece falling off. And that certainly remained true today (not the piece falling off mid-flight, by the way). I was ready to board my flight to Tokyo when it was announced that the maintenance crew had to repair the brakes and replace the tires, and that this would probably take "20 minutes." You can probably guess that it didn't last just 20 minutes. When we finally got underway, about an hour late, we suddenly came to a stop before takeoff. It seems that one of the tires was losing pressure. We went back to the gate, got it fixed, and took off 2 1/2 hours late. This would have been fine, without one small problem: our connecting flight left Tokyo exactly 2 1/2 hours after we were originally supposed to land. 

     So to make a long story short, I'm sitting in a Tokyo hotel room (paid for by the airline) after eating dinner (paid for by the airline). This wasn't exactly how I thought the first night of my trip would be. Although I went to college by myself this past year, this is my first time really staying alone (after all, at school I had my awesome roommates). I figure there must be a reason. I may never know it, but there's a reason we didn't meet that original itinerary. This is one of those issues I categorize as "God's problem, not mine."

     And I was thinking that this trip is a lot like life, too. We make our plans, we organize everything, we have itineraries all mapped out for the next ten years of our lives when God suddenly sends us in another direction. So, my fellow travelers, hang loose, enjoy the journey, and let Him pry the intricate schedules out of your fingers. Let God take care of it, not you.

"Aren't You a Spanish Major?": How I Got Started On This Journey

When I told people I was going to Seoul, South Korea for the summer, I got a variety of reactions:

My mother: "What?! I thought you weren't leaving the country until next summer!"

My friends: "Wow! That's really cool! Bring back lots of pictures!"

My boyfriend: "Don't get lost!" (he knows me too well)

My adviser: "Oh my goodness! That's so exciting! What a wonderful opportunity! You'll love it!"

But that leaves out the reaction I got from most people:

"Wait...aren't you a Spanish major?"

     As a matter of fact...yes. I'm a Spanish Education major at a small liberal arts college. I like to dance and play piano and make things and read books and learn about the past. None of these hobbies, however, has much to do with Asia in general or South Korea in particular. So why will I be boarding a plane to South Korea in less than a week? Well, therein lies the tale.

     It all started back in February. I ended up having lunch with an upperclassman named Sarah. During the conversation, we ended up talking about what we had done over the summer. She mentioned a program that had allowed her to spend four weeks in Seoul, studying the culture and staying with Korean students. Huh, that sounds interesting was probably my only thought at the time. It sounded reasonably priced, and she seemed really excited about it, so I climbed to the third-floor Office of International Education to get some information.

     I got a brochure and started thinking about the trip. The more I read, the more it excited me. It seemed to fit my summer very well. Desired length of time? Check. Reasonable price? Check. Cultural immersion? Not quite...but the closest I could get without moving overseas long-term. I had prayed about visiting another country this summer, and the Bahrom International Program seemed like it might be the answer. Now to talk to my parents about the idea...

     They weren't exactly thrilled, I have to admit. I'm their baby and only daughter, so it makes sense that going abroad wasn't their first choice for my summer activity. But God definitely intervened and pointed in that direction (too long to talk about here). So I filled in the application, attached a check, and ordered my passport. And here I am, four days away from my trip.

     Although I'm a Spanish major, I do think this will be valuable for my future. Why? Because any experience in another country will broaden my horizons and make me more aware of other areas of the world. Because I want to stretch myself by experiencing new things. Because I want to go out on a limb and let God teach me. Because I'm ready for a new adventure. And I'd be thrilled if all of you joined me on my adventure through this blog!

Until next time,

Laura