Just the Beginning

Day 2 in Seoul, and my journey finally beings. After a whole day of being stuck inside my uncle's house with me, myself, my book, and my cousin's pet poodle, Sasha; I am finally let out into Korea to begin exploring.

I surprisingly woke up at 7:30am! WHOO, go me! I was preparing myself all night, so I don't look shameful to my relatives who have graciously offered me their place during my trip. My mom kept reminding me before I left, to not disappoint her like I do at home with all my laziness and never wanting to clean my room or do dishes, so hopefully I'm making her proud! haha.

The morning is interesting because I bow and show my respect to my aunt and uncle, brush my teeth to get rid of the morning breath, and eat breakfast. I never eat rice for breakfast and I never eat kimchi either, but it's Korean custom so I better get used to it. I remember when I arrived in Seoul yesterday, instead of preparing rice and the Korean sidedishes for breakfast, my aunt gave us Korean pastries to eat. For my uncle, who is a traditional Korean man, he kept saying I feel so hungry as if I didn't eat anything... he needs rice to feel right and full, something which I found interesting. After breakfast, I brush my teeth again, to get rid of the kimchi smell, I guess I found the smell more apparent in the U.S. because the Korean people seem not to notice the smell anymore. I have definitely already started to appreciate kimchi more already.

My first experience outside the house was amazing! I don't think I would ever see a more magnificent river in another capital. In Seoul, the Han River is amazing; it's large, beautiful and fits in perfectly with the surroundings of the hustle and bustle that continues in Seoul all day. The best part is, that I have a clear view of this river from my bedroom window although its a tiny view stuck in between two apartment buildings, I love and appreciate it so much. From the kitchen I could see two points of the river, I feel and I will fall more in love with this the longer I stay. My mom used to always tell me, that in our family, we all need some water around us, whether it's a simple water fountain in the house, or some water in a cup; WE NEED WATER! [so does everyone else, it's how we survive].

I can now say that I got the opportunity of what it was like for a typical Korean to go to the spa in the morning, feel rejuvenated and finally start their day. My aunt and uncle took me along their regular morning routine to the Sofitel Hotel Spa. For those of you not accustomed to what a Korean spa may be, let me explain. At a Korean Spa, all the men and women get naked (only allowed in the specified gender area), then they shower and do everything you would to typically to wash yourself and then spend at least 30min-1 1/2 hours in the sauna, dry room, steam room, or the ice cold water pool. The alternating temperatures of dunking your body into hot hot water and icy cold water is refreshing and allows your body to have more circulation. The dry and steam rooms allows your body to produce more sweat to get rid of the toxins in your body, hence why all the clothes needs to be taken off your body. Going to the sauna consistently definitely helps explain why Korean people can look young and healthy, [and perhaps why they may be so pale, other than the fact that they protect their skin to a ridiculous amount, and they do not produce as much melanin compared to other ethnicity].

I finally road the SUBWAY! I finally get the chance to learn and experience how to ride the subway by myself. It isn't the first time I ever rode a subway, but the times I actually did ride them, I was in a big group and someone was always guiding us, not anymore for me! YES! The Seoul subway system has around 12 different lines you can ride, but it is fairly simple because all the lines are color coated and displayed on a colorful maps of where all the lines lead. Hopefully I can find myself around Seoul, actually I know without a doubt that I can ride these babies and have the time of my life in Korea! I am definitely excited to try to find my way around this amazing city by myself. YAY!

Also, got to visit my aunt and uncle's store named Clue. It is really cutely decorated with so many different Korean accessories, all of which I loved. The theme is pink and black with adorable victorian, 70's poodle skirt, pin-up girls style with a modern twist on all the adornments. I learned that it is a franchise brand and there are around 70 stores all around South Korea, and is definitely popular with the younger generation of girls.

Last but not least, my journey finally ended with me traveling to YONSEI UNIVERSITY! The university's campus is BEAUTIFUL! I love it!!! It is something I always looked for in a university with its charming old architectures, and forests that are spread throughout the campus, its simply wonderful. I will definitely post my own pictures instead.

AAHH!! I seriously hope that every college students considers studying aboard during their undergrad or graduate experience. It is truly like no other, and I have yet to experience all the good stuff, I haven't even really done anything extreme in Korea and I'm loving it already. I have always been an advocate in studying abroad, so make the most of life and experience something new. Enjoy!

[*Disclaimer: I'm sorry to say, but the pictures used for today, yesterday and possibly the next couple of days, will be pictures searched from Google, I will definitely upload my own pictures as soon as I purchase a memory card. The pictures are used for visual interpretation and to get my point across, of what I am experiencing in Korea. Oh, and my posts will hopefully most likely always be long, as this is a memory of what I experience throughout the day. ENJOY!]