Kimchi in Korea

Just 3 more days...and then?!

2005-11-20T02:33:00.000-08:00

Got up late: 2 PM.

Left even later: 4 PM.

Saw:

Namdaemun Market, spent too much money.
63 Building: IMAX and Aquarium are closed till next January. Went to the observatory deck. Awesome view! 5000 Won.

Yoido: 감자탕...22.000 Won (still cheaper than the 90.000/2 persons for the 63 Buffet ;)

Status: Close to crossing the border of sanity...again :P

Stressed out.

2005-11-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about why I am being so stessed out lately. I guess there are a lot of reasons. One of them is my mom. We fight a lot. A lot more than we ever did before. Its just so hard to get her to understand that she has the talent to ask the wrong questions at the right moment. Thats why I stopped telling her things, cause then I dont have to deal with that and we both are more happy that way.

Well, its not that bad, we are still close. We are both like that. Volcanos. Oh well...at least we understand each other, even though no one else does :P I mean besides my bro and dad.

Hmm, so what was going on this week...
- MO: Pub with K&D.
- TUE: Movies with two colleagues (Ms. Kim and Ms. Park)...super funny movie: 야수와미녀. Loved it!

Check this site for more Korean movies.

- WED: Visited HK and Min-Song. Min-Jung was also there. Was so much fun. Hail to the union!
- THU (=today): Went to So-Young's house, met her mom. Was ok, nothing special, but they both are really nice.
- FRI (TOMOOOOORROOOWWW): Cant wait for tomorrow! Rabin will arrive and I will give my presentation. No dont get me wrong, not exited about the presentation, but then I will be finally through with it. Its just the topic that starts to get on my nerves...ok ok, it IS interesting...but I am not a specialist, even though I wrote 25 pages :P

Also have plans for the weekend: Want to see more of the city. Maybe go to the Palace Olga was so exited about. Then leave for 내장산 Sat night at 11:30 PM. Another over night trip. Wasnt really that bad last time. And I really want to show Rabin the beauty of this country. Cant wait to get out of Seoul again. No, no..I DO love the city. Its so vivid! Makes me more active and hyper. But the landscape with the colored leaves...OMG...its just A W E S O M E!!! You gotta love it (unless you are a 14 year old teenager who is addicted to computer games ;)

So...wish me luck for the presentation. I wish you a happy day full of sunshine and nice surprises (no, I didnt pick up the habit of drinking :P).

Love to the world :) k k k....

*crossing the border of sanity again* I think I need sleep....or chocolate....or sleep....or....a job?! ;) Life will always be a mystery me to me. Which is pretty good, otherwise it would be to dam boring. Ok ok, can you tell I am trying to find a way NOT to work on my ppt...but I gotta. So talk to you laterz, all! :)

Another year has passed.

2005-11-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

I want to blog about last year. Dave, wet underwear, elections, Emil and Sang. New trainee. Circle of life. Me: Getting old and sentimental. And an email from a friend, which I didnt manage to read yet, but which - I know - will probably make me cry. And a ppt that managed to do that already, with about 20 witnesses standing around me...

I love you guys. There will always be this LC, which has a very special place in my heart.

The "real" blog about all this will hopefully follow soon :)

Another weekend...more of Korea!

2005-11-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, cant believe I still dont have the time to keep up with my blog. This is crazy. Even worse than Canada ;)

1. The seminar is over. Went pretty well I think. Just ended not so well..k k k...went for a drink with two of the delegates and D. It was fun though, I have to admit it, was just worried a lil over D. by the end of the day. But he is the one in training, not me ;)
2. Friday. OMG, I was so tired. While D. could stay in bed I went to work and tried to make the day somehow. I actually did to my own surprise, without falling asleep on my desk. And then..I spent the first evening at home for the longest time! Yay! Watched a really weird movie with my mom though: "Let me intruduce my girlfriend" (kind of a translation k k k). To be honest: It was somehow pretty bad, but on the other hand it made me cry. Silly me. Oh well..ended up going to bed rather early (I believe it was 1 AM or something like that).

3. Got up at 8:30 to get ready for our trip to NAE-JANG-SAN, with my aunt, my cousin and my mom. Kinda funny. I always wonder if my mom feels about her siblings in the same way I feel about my brother. I guess not, as she has a lot more than I do. Which is kinda cool, yet I believe when she was younger that must have kinda sucked. My bro and me get a lotta attention...spoiled brats ;) So anyways...we left at Dong-Seoul-Station at 11:20 AM.

Oh, hey, dad...look...its not a legend, its true...the KIMCHI BURGER :)

Damn, just realized its way to late...I am just going to blog a few pics...more to come...

Missing my babies!

2005-11-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Aint it cute?

Wonder how my lil ones are doing! Cant wait to come home and see if they grew again. They did when I returned from Canada. On the other hand side I would need a bigger aquarium if they did. And I still dont know where I am heading next..hope I can take em, I dont want my dad to take care of them forever. I am so evil. I remember I bought them in August, then left in October, came back in March and left again in July ;) Sorry DAD!!!

Your first lesson about Korea: Food.

2005-11-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

When Olga came here I didnt realize I never told her about Korean food. For most people its damn spicy. Its not like the hot stuff you know from Thai, Indian or Mexican cusine. Its different. And I guess you love or hate it. Right now I am pretty much addicted to it. And its nice to eat some really red and hot spicy soup for lunch when its freezin outside. Maybe thats one of the reasons why I got rid of my cold again ;)

But to give you a better impression check out this website. It shows a lot of the every day stuff you can get in the restaurants. My fav are Bibimbap (even though after 3 months in Korea it seems a little bit plain to me), Kimchi Bogum Bab (Kimchi Fried Rice) and Kimchi Tschigae (hot brooth with Kimchi, Tuna and Vegetables). But no worries, O. just survived 12 days here, even though she doesnt eat spicy food and she loved it.

Rabin will be here soon, so he can see for himself :)

Seminar coming up

2005-11-02T23:29:00.000-08:00

The seminar we have been preparing is coming up tomorrow.

First evening I am spending at home for the longest time. I miss Olga already though. Big discussions with my mom.

Watching "S 다이어리". Funny. I am glad I like Korean movies.
http://cdn.vod.yahoo.co.kr/app/view.php?cts_no=140868

Trip to Soraksan

2005-10-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures...text will follow :) Probably when I am back in Germany k k k...

Friday night.

2005-10-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Its a friday night. And its Halloween too. But I am just to dead. I am really sleepy. O. started watching "LOTR", but the sound quality sux and I am getting a headache from trying to listen.

I am trying to recall what we did this week....

Mon - COEX, made lovely photo stickers :P O. doesnt like DDR :'( So I will have to force Rabin to go with me :) hehe...
Tue - Went to H-K. Onni's place. Met Kyung-Mi and Ji-Young. Both very nice.
Wed - Nanta, Myung-Dong
Thu - went to the hair dresser, got a 15.000 Won hair cut (so cheap compared to Germany), met up with Sandra, had Kwail Bing-su (fruit, ice, frozen milk), and walked around I-Dae till all the shops closed.
Fri - met in Ulchiro 1ga, ate Fusion Food (omrice and kimchi cheese roll-kass), strolled around in Myung-Dong again.

Friends around the Globe.

2005-10-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

Awww, thanx Mathias and Emil for your posts. Its good to know :) There is so much going on these days. Why did I ever believe it would be better after the thesis? Lots of decisions I have to make. Or a least things I have to re-define for myself. The whole goal-setting process again. Its good I have next week for myself (well not sure if I will really have A LOT of time, as we have our seminar coming up, but I am really looking forward to that!).

What do I expect from my future a job I like? One of the really big global players, where you need to be really really tough? I dont mind competition at all. Challenges are always a thrill to me. I dont mind working. Who really knows me, knows that too. Jam-packed days are quite allright for me.

Some ppl think I am nuts. Working, spending the whole evening out with Olga, staying up until 2 AM writing Emails and bloggin ;) But I really need to do some catching up!

Miss you guys! Big hug!

PS: Damn, just another week till elections!!! I am so curious. I know my favorites. I hope they will run....cant wait to see the new EB. Good luck guys, whatever you decide on!

Another day.

2005-10-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hehe, I dont know if she wants to hear it...and I dont think she will become Korean. But I think its really cool how Mel deals with Korean life. I am sure its not always easy to be open for everything and accept the Korean way of life. But it seems like she simply does. Thats good. I dont know if she will change her mind in a few months, like Jens did 10 years ago.

About the stuff I wrote yesterday. I didnt want to cause a misunderstanding. After all my roommates are not bad or anything. If they want to I will def. stay in touch. We DO have a lot of fun, and our party last friday was cool. I just think we start to get on each others nerves more, because we have spent so much time together during the last 3 months.

I will miss them, no matter what. And I really hope we will have a re-union in Germany in spring.

People I miss.

2005-10-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

I miss my lil brother. I hope his test went well...

I miss my friends who are open-minded, tolerant, silly, dont think so much about what other people think about them, do crazy stuff, dont worry about their age or looks, understand and respect other cultures, are optimistic, and much more. Especially my friends in UVic, who made it really easy for me to click with them.

Sometimes you will end up with people who dont understand you. And are not willing to. Sometimes its you who dont understand them. I never said I am perfect. I know I am not. But I like living my life my way and so far it has been ok. I am honest and sometimes to direct. But at least I will tell you what I think and not do it behind your back, unless I think you cant take it or if I told you before and you didnt pay attention.

I came to the conclusion that I am not going to blog a lot about my experiences in Korea, when related to certain people I live with. It seems to be a problem for some of them. And I am sick and tired of changing my blog around...whatever.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right now I feel pretty worn out. I am sick and tired of everything I dealt with the last 2 months. I just want to be me and do my thing and if that is what people want me to do as well, then they should be honest enough to tell me. There has been enough talking behind other people's backs...things changed a lot around here.

My mom is back and it makes me sick how people think she is so great, after all that my family has been through. Somedays I really hate her. Its impossible to explain. You cant put 28 years of experience into a few lines. When she is around or when I know she is coming, I am not even myself.

Ha, killed another mosquito. Did you ever doubt I am a psycho. I didnt. lol ok fine, that sounds scary. I am exaggerating.

I had a great evening. Away from all the troubles. Went to visit my friend H-K, her lil cutie daughter and some of her friends, who are really cool (Ji-Young and Kyoung-Mi). Its good to make new friends. Olga went with me. I hope she had a good time, even though she was really tired and had to try DDOK, a traditional rice cake type-of-food ;) I hope my Korean will improve further and I can find true friends here. It seems a bit difficult after a certain level....but then...I have Ha-Kyung, H-K, Min-Jung, my family, didnt meet Se-Mi yet. And still need to go and meet the AIESECers....lots of stuff to do. And still so many places I want to go to. And so little time...*sigh*...oh well...I wish I'd know what I want.

update

2005-10-24T01:54:00.000-07:00

1. Friday: Party, awesome, tons of fun, went out afterwards, went to bed at 6 AM, Olga was crazy enough to go with us
2. Saturday: We totally overslept, but then went to Kyoung-bok-gung, had a great time, even though I lost her. Had Bo-ssam and Kimchi-Zon for dinner. Then went to take a look at the fireworks. Was too cold and not THAT exiting. Saw a really cute police officer. Wonder why I am such a wimp. Should have asked him out for coffee :P Well, ended up in a coffee shop with Olgita for about 2-3 hours. Was nice. Chatting and catching up.
3. Sunday: Managed to get up fairly early. Went to Suwon with Sandra. She is really nice. I think the three of us get along pretty well. Tons of fun...until we woke up Olga in the subway on the way back. The lil sunshine can be grumpy when tired :P hehe....

AND we got a TV!!! Hehe, we talked about bringing it downstairs. But never did. As Mel's bf was around I thought its easier for JW and him to carry it together. Well...now its in our apt.

Other than that. I am so glad Olga is here. Its so cool. Its really exiting to see how much she enjoys Korea. And she is really brave and tries EVERYTHING...look at this... (will add pic soon).

Now that the thesis is over, I thought I will have tons of time, but its not really true. Olga and me are booked for the whole week. So much to do and see! I guess I wont have time to relax till I get back to Germany :) hehe...

Shopping.

2005-10-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Spent about 3 hours in the supermarket today - crazy, eh? But we had to go shopping for OUR party tomorrow. Is that better, BEEP? ;) I cant believe PAG is leaving next week. No I am not trying to schmuse you or anything....I really think it will be less fun. Dont you think, Mel? Who will we tease about age, without ON-NI? ;)

Ok, its hard to find regular pickles here in Korea. The ones they have taste sweet and a bit like cinnamon. Also you cant find kidney beans in the supermarket. And no KNORR FIX for Chili ;) But all kinds of seafood. And when you go to the supermarket in the evening, you can save the money for dinner, as there are sooo many things one can try. Odd. But yummy and interesting.

Thanx JW for helping with the carrying. Sorry that you didnt get the Ramen.

OLGA is arriving tomorrow. Wonder where that girl is right now...maybe still in NYC. She will arrive in umm....16 hours....

First day of freedom.

2005-10-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

Well, what else could it be?

Of course I spent my first evening of the new won freedom at the Noraebang (and just so that you finally understand what it really is...I will translate my article for the chamber magazine into English).

Other than that...thoughts about life are starting to cross my mind. Not scary thoughts. Not at all. I just wonder a lot about life and such. Emil, I wish you were here....

Probably wont be able to make it to Singapore. Sorry, Celine. But I will go there as soon as I can. I promise!

I did it!!! I did it!!! I did it!!!

2005-10-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

Cant believe it myself. I did it. I handed in my thesis, which means I basically graduated. Unless my prof decides that I totally missed the point. Which would kinda suck ;) lol just kidding. Cant be THAT bad :P

Holy cow...knowing that there are no more tests, no more papers after 8 years...that feels...odd! My life doesnt have a meaning anymore!!! I am scared!!! I am thrilled!!! Ok, to be honest...I am dead tired, as I didnt sleep at all last night and worked all day. Cant believe I was able to work on my paper without any sleep and then even stay longer after work to finish my article about Noraebang, which will hopefully be published in the first edition of the new chamber magazine :)

So, what do I want to do next?

Hmm, seriously...all I can think of is sleep. k k k...I will keep you posted on whats going on in my life. Now that I have a LIFE again :)

Miss you tons. Love you all. Drop me a line if you can :)

Das achte Weltwunder

2005-10-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltwunder#Das_Achte_Weltwunder

Places I want to go to:

Angkor Wat (Kambodscha)
Stonehenge (England)
Großer Sphinx von Gizeh (Ägypten)
Chinesische Mauer (China)
Taj Mahal (Indien)
Versailles bei Paris (Frankreich)
Mount Rushmore (Black Hills, USA)

Places I have seen:

Eiffelturm (Paris, Frankreich)
Freiheitsstatue (New York, USA)
Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, USA)
Sydney Opera House (Australien)
World Trade Center (New York, USA – zerstört)
Empire State Building (New York, USA)
Houses of Parliament mit Big Ben (England)
Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Türkei)
Great Barrier Reef (Australien)
Palm Island in Dubai

CS or ICC - you pick

2005-10-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

The other day at work something came up regarding CS and I realized how much I love that topic. Even though sometimes cultural differences can be rather frustrating. Its hard to tell. I am sure I learned a lot more about my countries (Germany, Korea) while being abroad - especially this time.

I am working on my thesis 24/7 at the moment, but I got an email from a regional coordinator for one of the regions in Germany. And I really want to go and train there and tell people about my experiences. Maybe I should look into something where I can do professional trainings. After all it would be kinda cool. Will try to talk to my ex-boss, she is in that kinda business.

The only thing that worries me about the conference is that my ex will be there...and I hope he doesnt think I am just going there cause of him, cause thats def. not the case. Due to some things I observed here in Korea and other experiences I dont think that I will be in a relationship soon. I really start to doubt the concept of "relationships and love" (PT: Maybe I'll become bitter, too ;) Well, certainly not until I settled down and finally have a place where I really live. Guess its time to say good-bye to the traveler's life. People are right, at some point one needs to be mature and responsible...blah blah...AS IF ;) hehe...

back to the thesis...DUH!

State of Shock.

2005-10-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, as I have good friends in Vic who keep me in the loop about gossip ;)...BUT Ric just dropped the bomb on me, he simply sent me the pics from his wedding...without a single word lol - Didnt expect that he would be THAT bad with keeping in touch, but it seems like his life was pretty busy these last months. And I am pretty sure he is the type of friend you can always reconnect with, no matter how long its been, and that I could drop by in Vic any time and stay as long as I want. Holy! I cant believe he got married and then to a girl our age too ;) Sorry, Ric, couldnt help it :P Wonder if his playboy life is over now. Just glad the he finally got over that other Japanese chick: Took you a while, eh? ;)

And he looks so happy on the pics! I just hope everything is allright and that he wont lose his smile. Should probably call one of these days to find out whats going on. Also with Jerry, as he is no where to be seen on the photos...thats kinda odd. Btw...here is a pic of Ric and his new wife (omg, that sounds so serious, cant really picture him married!!! I know I have mentioned that before ;):

Well, its been umm...6 months since I left Vic. Sad. Time flies. But people are gone, I shouldnt forget that either. Pretty sure Sai is heading to Turkey soon (if she isnt there yet). But at least I will see Matt for Christmas. I hope he'll like it. Good old Germany in winter...not THAT much fun, but CHRISTMAS MARKETS rock :)

Busy

2005-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Life seems so busy. Traveling, work, the thesis...once again in my life I wish a day had 48 hours instead of 24 and who needs sleep anyways? ;)

I miss my LC...well, both of them...but I have to admit I miss Vic a bit more ;) You guys are such sweethearts. I really hope I can make it to Vic next spring or summer. Maybe for one of your conferences...but then...cant really afford THAT :)

I will blog more soon next week, but this week is crazy...Mel, sorry, you'll have to wait for the pics ;)

Hana is cooking in our apt right now..and Daniel goes crazy...mmmm, mmmmMMMMMMM!!! :)

Tomorrow I get to go to Incheon with a delegation of business man from Hamburg. Dont really feel like it, but I am sure it will be very interesting and then I get to attend the sightseeing tour as well, cause they need someone who can speak at least a bit of Korean - in case of emergency :)

Now "The-Girl-Who-Lives-With-Me" (formerly known as PAG) came home...and we are going to have dinner...talk soon...lil bro, cant wait to see you!!!

Bloggin from Po-Hang

2005-10-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

Went to the eastern tip of the Korean peninsuala today. Finally saw Bul-gug-sa and Sokeoram. Having a good time with my parents. Eating lots of new and great food. Saw mountains and the ocean within the last 2 days. Life is def. good. I am grateful for the cool family I have (we are staying with my cousin at the moment, his daughters are so cool, but maybe I AM closer to 14 than 30, as I had a nice chat with my cousin's 14 year old daughter yesterday k k k ...).

PLUS I got myself a kite today and bought balloons to make balloon pets (similar to the ones we made for K's bday).

The only thing thats weird is: I am perm sleeping. I slept all day in the car (if I wasnt sight seeing or eating lol). I hope that phase will be over soon, cause I realized I only have 11 days left to finally hand in the thesis...this time, there is no way out...duh! Oh well, I have to hand it in ONE DAY...the sooner, the better...also bro is coming next week and Olga arrives on the 21st...wonder if I will have my room to myself at all before I leave ;)

big hug to you all out there, especially my buddies from VIC...its almost been a year now! Can u believe that????

Additional:
As my last blog was about being a foreigner, I have to mention that it def. has it's good sides too. The kite I got today (I actullay wanted to buy it), was given to me for free, as I am a foreigner. The only thing thats annoying is that they think we cant eat spicy food...and they always try to sell us boring stuff like Kim-bab ;)

Life.

2005-09-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

Life is good. Friends come and go. People I like, people that make me mad, people that piss me off. Actually the people that pissed me off ROYALLY as Chris would say...were the foreigners at the concert I went tonight. There was this french BITCH, sorry, its the only word that fits....while everyone was still waiting for the buffet to be opened "Ms. look at me I am so cool and dont care about politeness" walked around and ate. I gave her fiery looks, but of course that didnt bother her at all. Oh well, no wonder that some Koreans really believe foreigners are idiots. The point is...we also have foreigners in Germany, BUT they are just not THAT present. Here are not that many, so especially when they are in a group in the middle of a few hundred Koreans one HAS to pay attention to them. Oh well, I know that people think I am a foreigner myself. So I guess they sometimes think I am weird too....

Well, I should stop complaining, it wont help, and actually it really doesnt matter. I spent a fun evening with my cousin, his gf and my dad. Later on we met my mom too.
I will write more soon, also about the mussles and the other stuff I ate...=the ALIEN I ate!!! :)
k k k

Sorry, Thomek: Happy b-lated bday!!!

Boring.

2005-09-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know its getting boring. Still just the thesis and nothing else. Well, the weekend might be better, cause I might fly to China with my parents...of course I will have to take my laptop to keep working on the thesis...but oh well...CHINA! That would be so f*** awesome. Wish me luck. I dont know why...but I always wanted to see the GREAT WALL. Looks so awesome.

Notes...things I will remember about the time when I wrote my thesis:

permanently felt guilty, cause I didnt spend as much time working on it as I should (well, ok, the last 4 weeks were an exception)
eating too many chocolate cookies
smoking too much (R: I promise I will quit...sooner or later...)
killing mosquitos in between
feeling terribly tired, and knowing its still another hour until 2 AM (my deadline every night)
almost falling asleep at work
permanent headache (for the last 4 days)

Stuck.

2005-09-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Damn it, after I managed to make all the arrangements to hand in the stupid thesis on time I realized that I wont be able to finish, cause this f*** chapter just doesnt seem right. I was working on it all day, but I can hardly see any progress. I am so pissed. I want this to be over. HELP! HELP!!!!! HEEEELLLPPPPP!!!! -->Yes, I am going insane!!! *grmpf*

Expensive Thesis.

2005-09-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hmm, I think I am slowly getting there. Yet it is a lot of work left. But not tonight. Its not even midnight and I am dead. So I will try to get some good sleep and then work my butt off until Tuesday. The plan is to transform the thesis into a pdf and mail it to Frank who will print it out and then Iwona will drop it off. Am I lucky to have friends like that or what?

The only problem is, I still need people to proof read it. Hope my roomies will help me out this weekend. PAG went traveling though, K. left to see her bf and Mel is also busy with her boy toy (wonder if she will call me "DUMME" for that again..its so cute when she says that ;)

So...let me summarize...how much is a thesis:

- about 3000 copies, 5c each = 150 EUR
- TNT 30 EUR
- phone calls 10 EUR
- book shipment 200 EUR

and if I realize by monday that I wont be able to finish this week it will be even more....well, well...I cant say studying in Germany was "for free" ;) But then, ok ok, I admit it...its still damn cheap compared to other countries. Probably some of my friends pay the same amount (like I pay for my thesis) for just ONE course....and what will the money matter, when I am rich and famous one day...*giggles*...can you tell, I am seriously lacking sleep...started to halluzinate yesterday...thought Mel called me, but she wasnt even around! Scary, eh? :P

Late at night!

2005-09-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

1. I am grateful that D. fixed my WLAN. Its awesome. It works perfectly fine!!!
2. Its 3 AM. I have to get up in 5 hours, and I am not sure how I am going to survive another week of this crazyness. I know I sound like a wimp. But I dont care...lol...I am just sick of being TIRED 24/7.
3. Great news: My family called today. Dad said its 100% sure they are coming to Korea. CANT believe my dad will come back here after all these years. I really hope I can travel with them!!!

Now its time for bed! Good night y'all out there :)

quick blog

2005-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Life still sux (yeah, I should blog stuff ppl dont know *wink, wink*)
Thesis..just 5 more days, then the thesis SHOULD be done
again another lunch discussion...where to go???
Family and friends are making travel plans...wonder who will really come here, if they all come I wont have my room for myself until I leave!!!
OMG, have been here almost 2 months, doesnt seem like it! Almost a year since I left for Canada!!!
Making travel plans for October...exiting!!

Braindead.

2005-09-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am amazed about my own discipline...but I guess its about time.... ㅋㅋㅋ...as my mom would say.

I work basically from 9-6 PM, then take an about 2 to 3 hours-break and then work on my thesis until 2 AM. Its pretty crazy. But I dont mean to complain by writing this, because I am totally aware that its my own fault. I just hope I will manage to finish somehow. Only 9 days left. Wow, thats scary. But then...it would mean I AM FREE when I hand this in!!! At least for a while, PAG!!!

A comment someone made today, made me think. There is this huge gap between internal and external view on yourself. I remember the perception my friends in Canada have, and the perception people here seem to have. Pretty different I believe. Wonder if thats due to the circumstances, due to myself or due to the people here. Wont figure it out RIGHT NOW (way to tired anyways).

Things I will remember:

Talks on the roof.
Discussions around lunch. Western vs. Korean food, this store vs. that store, "not again Schön", "not this place, not that place".
Too many cigarette breaks.
Intern mtg on the roof at work. Intern mtg in the kitchen: Its all about the COOOOFFFEEEE!!!! (My daily coffee routine, not before 11 AM, unless its an emergency :P
Dog food cookies (Hundefutterkekse), and pretty chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.
PAG givin me this funny look about "Schatz" in the office. Oh, and my divorce ;)
Mel on the phone with her "Macker" ;)
K. and PAG hitting me. OUCH!!!
"The victim"
"I wont say anything anymore."
Clogged toilets and sinks.
The supermarket man and the Kimbab woman. Almost daily routines.
Looking at the clock, waiting for 2 AM to come, so I can sleep.

Cultural bits:

A few years ago, people were sharing taxis here in Seoul. I asked a cab driver today, he says its not common anymore.

Did I ever mention buses in Korea suck? No wait: Bus drivers suck!!!

Ju-sok, Thanksgiving, is coming up. Very exited. Everyone is leaving to see family. Wonder how it will be. I want to sleep all weekend, but I doubt that I will be able to. Glad to see Jang-yook Obba again. I miss the good old times when we could talk for hours and hours. Wow, that was about 12 years ago I think...

Out of jail.

2005-09-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

= left my room, where I am working on my thesis...

What a morning. Was woken up by my roommate singing songs with modified lyrics (so they all included my name). URGH...I was sooo tired. Well, it wasnt THAT early. So its good, otherwise I would have slept all day.

Then talked with random people stoping by ;) lol...ok, fine, roommates and extended roommates (the guys from above). Then worked on my thesis for 3-4 hours (dont remember exact times). Got ready to leave. Was going to meet PAG's cutie cousin, but he never showed up. Went for dinner with H., J.U. and PAG instead. Again 삼굡살. Not sure about the spelling. Anyways was good. Found a 노래방 for 5000W. But we didnt go.

Ok, well...the others are still in Myung-Dong. But I decided to head home early to get some work done...so here I am....and now its thesis time :)

PS. Its 3:48 AM right now. I just stopped working on my thesis. And I am actually getting really worried when I consider how much time I spent working on it today and how far I got :( DUH! But then I know: I am working best under pressure...and worrying wont get me anywhere either...so all I can do is keep working and reading and writing and working and...sleeping in between :) Good night!!!!!!!!!

Still no sleep.

2005-09-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

Urgh, still didnt sleep, but slowly I get used to it. At least we all are like that.

SI Corp. (Sleepy Intern Corporation). K. is the new maitre the cuisine and responsible for the lunchbox. Yummy! Better find something for D. without fish. He already feels bad enough :(

Did nothin special tonight, but H. came over to visit. Its always soo much fun with her:

WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!

After that I was on the phone with a friend for 30 mins...thanx for the phone card, C!!! Wonder if you still read this...drop us a line!

Now its almost 11 PM. And I didnt start working on the thesis yet. I have still 3 hours....more or less...and the whole weekend will be DA from morning till evening...URGH...but on the other side...in less than 3 weeks the whole neverending DA nightmare will be OVER!!! And I will have a degree. Woweee, can you believe that? That will be awesome. I will be FREE!!!!

Other than that. I think I really would like to live in Korea for a while. Get to know the culture better, have time to explore and travel. If someone wants to offer me a well paid job in marketing: Pls feel free to contact me ;) hehe...

Sleepless in Seoul.

2005-09-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

Urgh, its 2:30 AM. Cant sleep. There is this freakin moskito in my room. And actully my mom was right...they are different...they are a lot bigger and more agressive...probably its the "survival of th e fittest"....we killed all the weak ones in August. Now the ones who were smartest and the fastest survived and made MUTANT MOSKITO BABIES who became ULTRA STRONG...ok, come on, its 2:30 AM...Dont expect me to make sense ;)

I should sleep though. Only 5,5 hours till I have to get up. And its back to work. More translations. Did I ever say I like em? DUH! That must have been a while ago. Actually I have the feeling I slowly start to get confused by using three languages. Cant wait to finish the thesis and start studying hardcore Korean! - Uhu, wonder if I passed my Japanese test...*sigh* Dunno what to do if I didnt... would suck big time...but maybe I dont find a job anyways...then I will have TONS of time :P - Shouldnt even say that. And I dont worry yet... Erstmal Diplomarbeit und dann die Sinnflut ;)

A star is born....NOT!

2005-09-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

My mom's friend was so nice to get us tickets for the "LOVELETTER" show of Mr. Yoon (Yoonband).

Mel and me on the way. Practising the song text:

Here is a brief summary of the evening:
Now its my time to be cooool ;) Just kidding. The sad thing is that the part where I talked to the guy who chaired the breaks wont even show on TV..oh well, I will never be famous, sorry mom. I tried my best ;)

Besides that the concert was: so so...I mean on the one hand side it was cool to see all the stars, but there was a lot of blah blah and all in Korean, and I doubt that I understood a lot more than Mel (PAG was so nice to translate most of it for her). But I liked the part when they were dancing. Also the guy who performed first sang a song I used to know almost 9 years ago (when I was in Korea in 1996)!!

Then there was this actor I know from the movie we watched during Korean class ("8월 Christmas").

Here are some more pics....of the cute singers ;)

Family.

2005-09-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

I liked the comment from Mel...."[...] already feels like a big family...". True. Didnt think about it, but the weekend was really nice.

Thanx for understanding. Especially to K. Hugs are always helpful :)

Worked on my thesis today. I am making progress, but there are only 19 days left. Wow. Scary. Somehow I was calculating with three weeks...what did I think? Well, I guess I could send it on Monday, the 26th. Then it should def. be in Germany by Friday. Hehe...last minute delivery I would say. Will try to finish by the 23rd, as probably there is no service on saturday...

Uh oh, and I forgot...tomorrow is the concert. And then there is Ju-sok, thats another 2,5 days gone. I better hurry up, eh?

Wish me good luck!!! :)

THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR LIABILITY OF ANY KIND.

2005-09-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Update.

2005-09-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

Urgh, only 3 more weeks for my thesis. Lots of things going on. And its 1:43 AM on a sunday night (=have to work tomorrow). So I will make this short:

1. Wed, 31st of Aug: C.'s last evening with us. I was in a horrible mood (sorry, especially to PAG and Mel). We went to Insa-Dong. Nice to look around there. Took pics. Had dinner: Kalbi and Sam-gyob-Sal. Yummy. At the end of the evening we tried to talk C. into going to no-rae-bang with us, but he didnt. So in the end it was just H., PAG and me. Was fun. Felt a lot better after that. Seriously I suspect there were a few reasons why I was so bitchy that night. One of them is, that after a month of basically being together almost 24/7 it is getting to me. Its not at all that ppl are pushing me to go out, which I totally appreciate, but we end up spending a lot of time together. I think I should sometimes just take more time for myself. Its not personal at all. Sometimes I just NEED to be alone. Well, actually I think it was basically that evening....

2. Thu, 1st of Sept: Went home directly after work to say good-bye to C. Dropped him off at the Hyatt, after we had Kimbab for the very last time (with PAG and Mel). Then I had to go to meet my mom's friend. Was a bit of a journey to finally MEET her. Bought some Korean comics on the way. They just look so funny. Cant wait until I finally get a chance to read them. I am a bit mad at myself about the whole thesis thing. That my mom bugs me about it doesnt really help though.

A call I made pissed me off royally (as my ex would say ;) - and then turned into this big wave of emotions I thought I had left behind. Well, basically its what I meant when I said there is stuff I am running from. Again I realize its not working. Its like a vulcano: You cant see the lava, but its right under your feet. And then when the freakin thing explodes you are in the middle of it...I am mad and frustrated, most of all sad. I still wish I could do something about it, which I cant. And thats so annoying. I am just not used to situations which I cant control (well besides this whole moskito thing which is totally out of control *wink, wink*). Btw if you wonder: This is NOT about a boy. I am glad I never got worked up about a guy like this, and I hope I never will. *sigh* I need to find a way to deal with this. I know being me, acting like 15 at times is not going to help, but in a way its my way to deal with it. Growing up sux anyways...even though I dont care about another candle on the cake or white hairs! Honestly, PAG! ;)

3. Fri, 2nd of Sept: Stayed home and really worked on my thesis.

4. Sat, 3rd of Sept: Our new roomie arrived. I think it was love on first sight for him and Princess :P lol she will kill me for this...probably...bought a kick ass cake for K.'s birthday party. Party was fun (even though I escaped in between to work on my thesis for a bit). Lots of ppl. And even MORE food. CAKE! lol...장희 is the CAKE-HERO-MONSTER. At around 1 AM I would guess everyone was really tired, but crazy enough we decided to go to no-rae-bang again!!! Went with PAG, Assoshi, 장희 and Mel. Tons of Korean songs. That was kinda cool. I am glad Mel doesnt mind. Its so sweet of her that she realizes how happy it makes me to speak more Korean. It's so true. I am so exited and just feel soo much better. I wonder if its weird for the other people who dont understand what we are talking about, because I remember frustrating it used to be for me when I was younger and my mom was talking to my relatives and I didnt get anything. Just let us know if it starts to bug you :) Well, after we got home, instead of going to bed we were silly enough to have a "round of reflection" *grin*. Talked until about 4:45 AM. Was nice though. Then I was stupid enough to turn on my PC, so finally I slept at around 5:30 AM.

5. Sun, 4th of Sept: Its K.'s birthday. We ended up sitting on the roof all day..hmm, well we all basically got up at around 2:30 PM...so we were up there until 6 PM. And ate more. Lol...we were all soo full. It was crazy. But it was a really nice afternoon. I just hope K. enjoyed it as well (and didnt feel overrun by us).

K: You are a sweetheart! Thanx for BOTH the cool parties!!!

After that I went back to my thesis. I finally feel like I am making progress. I am just afraid I will have way tooooo much text in the end. My head is full of information I want to put into the thesis, and I love the subject, but I am just afraid its too much for a Diplomarbeit, it would be perfect if I was about to get my Doctor degree. Oh well...will see what happens...there are still 3 binders full of literature waiting for me ;)

Allrighty...will upload all the pictures soon. Maybe I can even get the video from J.U. and blog it somehow..not sure though..will see.

Big hug to y'all!!!

PS: Damn, can someone take this f**** headache away???

blueoceanstrategy

2005-09-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/pages/summary.htm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

2005-09-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

생일축하해
to two people who will always have
a special place in my heart:
장육오빠 & 미화언니!!!

I remember an evening 9 years ago,
when I met one of my best friends ever.
And I am very grateful for that...I hope you know that.

The wonderful world of communication.

2005-09-02T01:57:00.000-07:00

Its odd how different the world would be without PCs, internet and telephones. Thank god for them, or whoever *wink*...I was so down (sorry PAG, hope you got some sleep anyways...), and then I talked to some new and old friends, and all of the sudden the world was a lot better. A thing that I like the most about my friends is, that they are all from different continents...and yet they understand me, and are really close to me. Its good to know that there are places far away from home where you have someone to trust and rely on....I am still dreaming about going to all of those places. Yes, Olgasita, Colombia one day!!! And Singapore for sure!!! No worries :)

I know I should blog about the last couple of days, but its just too late...work tomorrow...tired of typing...

Laterz..and love to all of you out there...I know some of you worry about your future and your dreams, but dont worry too much...you need to go for what you want. Dont expect it to come to you.

Update!

2005-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Wonderin if it was such a good idea to let EVERYONE COMMENT ;)

Pls feel free to sign my guestbook....CLICK--> here :)

Quotes & Memories.

2005-08-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

M: Die Witze werden immer unübersichtlicher.
PAG: Lass mich in Ruhe.

Pusan, oder "Lass uns Händchen halten". Rubber gloves become a new meaning.

Und den Rest hab ich schon wieder vergessen, weil ich zu müde bin um mich zu erinnern... :(

Disappointment is a part of life....

2005-08-31T01:35:00.000-07:00

....but then there are so many others too.

Thoughts:
Talked about age tonight. I really dont think its that big of a deal. Weird. Maybe I should...NOT. I mean whats the point? I cant change it. I am 28. So what? Is that the end of the world? Does that mean I cant have fun? No. It just means I am "wiser" in some ways, and for those who know me: I am still a "child" in others. Most of the time people will think I am pretty giggly and all.

Currently I dont discuss serious topics a lot (even though I miss them). Especially not after the 4 months back in Germany. I just dont feel like it now. Maybe Korea is like Canada..runnin away a bit from the things I should take care of...

The only fact that bugs me about becoming older is that you learn and find out about things you never wanted to know about. Being disappointed by people you thought you knew. Things start to have a more serious touch.

E.g. of course I wonder about my future...where I will be in a year or two? But isnt that exiting? I could be in Korea or the UK, or..who knows? Dont know what I will be doing...cause there is so much out there! And isnt that exiting? Yeah, scary too...but every day when we walk out the door: Do we know what will happen? Not really. But we still walk out that door. And thats good.

lol...just random thoughts...too tired to have a logical string of arguments...forgive me :)

Today:
Went to 노래방 after work. With PAG. Then had Korean dinner (The 해물탕, I made yesterday). C. even tried it! Woeeheee! Talked with my roomies until 1.20 AM.

Status: Happy, being myself again and...
exited about walking out the door tomorrow :)

Decisions & memories.

2005-08-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I should go for that language course. Its about 500 EUR. But there are so many other things: Cadbury, London, Singapore, Rabin is coming...who knows what else. It would mean I def. cant leave until the middle of Dec. And I need to be home to welcome MATT for GERMAN CHRISTMAS :) I hope everything works out...it just would be SOOO COOOL: Last year NANAIMO, this year KRIFTEL *giggles* HOW EXITING IS THAT ;) THE world cities!!! That makes me think of Jerry and Emil...I miss my friends in Vic. Talked to "my bitch" today...hehe...Emil, cant wait to see you in Vic or Indonesia one day. Dont sexually harass the new trainee! Wonder if it will be another German ;) Patty just got back. PT& Sai returned from their Europe Trip. Sang returned from Korea (too bad I only met him once :( Al has been back for a bit, Jess is about to arrive...AND...the new LCP election will be soon. (Dave, I wont forget your first words as LCP :) Wonder who will run...maybe someone from the current EB? And another WRC is coming up. Wouldnt that have been cool to go there again? See crazy Edmonton and Calgary. Scream the UVic CHEER!!! And come up with something new besides "Hallelujah" and "Gesundheit" and "muuuahhhaaa"? Cant believe it has almost been a year now....11 months, since I arrived at the FERRY TERMINAL on that lil island, where I found so many "kindred spirits". I cant believe how lucky I was. Thanx to @ UVic. You made me believe in what we work for again (even though I still dont think @ XP is the solution...*muuahhhaaa* Matttttttttttt....you should experience LC reality in GERY!). FRIENDS FOREVER, you r always in my heart!

Sleeeepy sunday.

2005-08-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Dunno whats wrong. I slept 12 hours, woke up at 1 PM, and then fall asleep again at 4:30 PM. Weird. In between and ever since I have been cooking (made Kimchi Pajon again, finally I think I know how to use the stupid gas stove), working on my thesis AND arguing with C. who is trying to drive me insane (luckily I know he does it on purpose most of the time, otherwise I might really kill him before he leaves, but I was stupid enough to mention it in front of a witness...*grrr* ;).

Other than that nothing exiting happend. Cause I was just to tired to go to the AIESEC event (I wrote S. an email and I am sure I will get to meet them sooner or later). Just one thing: C. has a new pet!!! Take a look at it:

Isnt it cuuuute? ;)

AIESEC goes KOREA :)

2005-08-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Lunch:
Met up with S. (AIESEC Gery) and Kang (AIESEC Canada) for lunch in 압구정. Bought a BOA CD, so I can sing more Korean songs in the 노래방 :)

Sometimes one is lucky and sees WEIRD THINGS...

Can you see the baseball? There were 4 cars smashed by over-size baseballs...why? Dont ask me! :) Its like a moment from "Amelie" or something...just very surreal!

FOOD: Very yummy. Take a look (cool thing, it was mainly stuff I never had before!).

KANG & S. in the restaurant...the newest fashion: Aprons!

Then we went to TAKE URBAN (a cafe on RODEO) - where you can even buy PRETZELS (they are 2000W each though) - and had a YUMMY Blueberry Yoghurt Shake. Thinking about that...it was ridiculously expensive...over 5 EUR!

After that we went to an optician lol..it was Kang's uncle. And super nice. Never thought getting your eyes checked could be fun. But it was :) Tried on CONTACT LENSES. I wish we had taken one where I tried on the BLUE ones...I looked like an ALIEN :)

Cultural difference: In Korea service means a lot. When we went to Kang's uncles store his clients got something to drink when they entered. They even had coffee and tea for them. And then his employee even went to buy orange juice for us. Neat. Hospitality means just a lot in Korea.
Another thing, in the restaurant Kang asked (when the meat came): This is for one person? Cant you give us a little bit more, and then we asked for normal Kimchi (cause they didnt put it on the table)...its not a big deal. So normal.

Here are some samples from the catalogue...which one should I buy ? - just kidding...no worries....these dont work with my eye color ;)

This is probably the CHEESIEST THING I have ever seen:

It is a contact lense, and you can put the photo of someone you LIKE!

And the hightlight of the DAY: HIGH-MART and this high-tech TOILET SEAT ;)

Prices: Pretty good, the cheapest set of speakers (e.g. for the laptop), was just about 6 EUR, a nice headset with mic 7 EUR.

Evening:
Got home at 6 PM. Started working on my thesis. Chatted a bit with my roomies. Now I am back to working on my thesis and chasing moskitos :) - Sorry, I should drop that topic....

Plans for tomorrow:
1. Thesis.
2. I might to go S's WELCOME IN KOREA Party, hosted by her LC (Korea University). Do some AIESEC dances and scare my roomies (cause they are thinkin about going with me ;)

Traffic in Korea.

2005-08-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

I think I blogged about this before. But I couldnt find the post.

Kang today supported D's "joke":

There is a hierachy when it comes to cars and who can drive first:

1. Big car over small car.
2. Black car over white car.
3. Foreign car over Korean car.

So if you have a big, kick-ass, black BMW you are THA MAN ;)

But why is that?
Its all about the money: Cause if they scratch your car its going to cost them a helluvalot of money...so they rather stay out of your way.

Here a pic I took around RODEO...and this is "just" 5 lanes each side (there are up to 8 each direction in some places!).

@ Gery in Korea :)

2005-08-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

This is to S.:

!!!WELCOME TO KOREA!!!

Another German AIESECer in Korea!! Hope you will enjoy your time here as much as I do!

GO AIESEC GERY :)

FÜR DIE KARTOFFEL ;)

2005-08-26T03:19:00.000-07:00

Hey C: Hier steht warum die Busse verschiedene Farben haben-->BUSSE & FARBEN

Friday night!

2005-08-25T23:59:00.001-07:00

Its friday night. 11 PM. Some ppl probably think: Oh, my god, she is at home, how boring. I say: So what? I really couldnt care less. To be honest, I didnt work on my thesis THAT much this week. But it was a good week (looking back). I am just a lot more relaxed than these 4 months in Germany. Life is good. I am having fun, dont have to worry about the stuff OTHER people do to fuck up my life. DUH!

Well, so today after work K. and me went to the LOTTE MART, and went crazy shopping in a simple supermarket. But oh boy, its just so much fun, cause they have all this stuff WE simply dont have! Hmm, I am pretty happy that WE DONT have SOME of them though...pls feel free to try GINGER TEA...and then go figure! Very yucky.

Also, its fun to walk the cooling shelves (is that a proper English word?!)...they have all kinds of interesting SEA FOOD (I wish I had taken my cam). I love looking at it, wish someone could explain it to me one day ;)

Bought SUSHI (each piece is a lil less than 1 EUR), my fav: banana milk, Korean side dishes (potatoes, cucumber kimchi), sliced plastic cheese aka "Scheibletten"...totally ridiculous....4,50 EUR for 20 of em! But oh well, I DO miss CHEEEESE!!!

Funny memory: K. stole a SHOPPING CART :) Luckily we realized early enough, otherwise we would have had ice cubes for dinner :) After we were done with all the shopping (yes, I know I shouldnt spent that much money, "MOM" :P we took a cab home. They are just so cheap!

Then K. prepared yummy yummy dinner (I am glad I didnt have to lie :P *just kiddin*): Seafood pasta with broccoli and cheese buns (which were the reason why I almost killed C. tonight....dont worry PAG...he is still alive :P).

Then I went to start working on my thesis. Of course I had to turn on MSN...uh oh...big mistake (as always). Had a good convo regarding "KOPFMENSCHEN" though. Who came ever up with the idea that guys have their brain between their legs? I just wish it WAS like that, that would make things easier ;) - I hope my parents dont read this ;) *wink, wink* Seriously, its sad how often lovers (in the case that they meant something to each other) cant even become friends. Wonder why that is...do ppl feel akward? Annoyed? Scared? Or do they simply dont know how to handle the situation?

So...now its 11:30 PM. I am happy, but no progress with my thesis. I am just so unhappy with the STRUCTURE. Damn, usually I am good at that. But now it all doesnt make sense anymore....I guess I am just thinking too much about it...like I think too much about a lotta things at times.

And for christ's sake, can someone kill those damn moskitos...urgh!!!!
*jumps around in her room, swinging the e-moskito-killer-bat* - good you dont see me now :)

PS: Just using the colors to drive you insane, M. But they also help me when I go back and browse through the blog....but thats just a side effect really ;)

Everything hurts and my voice is gone...

2005-08-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Lunch:
Met Vivien and went to the university cafeteria with her. It was soo cheap! Food was about 1500W, which is less than 1,50 EUR. And it included side dishes, and a bowl of rice and 부대찌개. And it even tasted good!

After work:
First we (=the whole crew) had dinner at a fusion food place. 치즈롤가쓰 = CHEESE ROLL-CASS is soo yummy! PAG was right: she said its a bit like Cordon-bleu! Very delicious! Then K. and Mel took off. The rest of us really went to 노래방: D., PAG and me went to a place on Itaewon. Going there with the two of them was soo hilarious. We were yelling and screaming, and then they did a lovely duet...BARBIE GIRL!!! I think that should be PAG's new nick. I couldnt stop laughing: every part of my body was hurting....After D. headed off we staid for another 40 mins. OMG, it was soo much fun!!! We even sang 아리랑 (traditional Korean folk song), and got 100 POINTS lol - wish we could find one with DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) included....but of course after all the yelling my voice is gone...for tonight :)

Tonight:

1) EXECUTIONS
I keep killing...another 5 dead mosquitos in my room. Its so annoying to chanse them, takes soo much time, even though I have to admit I like fryin them.

2) Laptop
Right now I feel like frying my laptop though, it keeps loggin in and out of the net. ANNOYYIING!!! Did I even mention I got a new WLAN card for about 30 EUR! Neat, eh? ;)

3) AIESEC
Heard from two of my former outgoers today. Its so nice to stay in touch. I hope they both will have tons of fun on their internships...Hallo an Euch beide, falls ihr das hier lest :) Remember FAME & EROS 2005 :)
Contacted two of the AIESEC Korea members...will probably try to drop by an LCM after my thesis is done..so thats another 5 weeks...

Pouring rain.

2005-08-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Its raining again. I LOVE IT! And I found this article today, that so MATCHES this topic:

Arabs on holiday storm into India, saying "Rain, rain, dont go away"

So whats this about? Its a cultural thing. Citzens of the UAE fly to India, cause they want to experience the monsoon season. Might sound crazy to you, but after having spent only ONE day in Dubai, I can totally understand. So, Indian tourism benefits from this demand, and even creats new "tourist attractions" like "rain walks", "outdoor rain shower" and "rain dance floors" as part of its marketing campaign "Come feel the rain". Posters with the slogan can be found in UAE travel agencies!

Sadly enough the new interest of Arabs in this region of the world has another reason too: They feel a little concerned regarding their perception in the Western countries...

So now I am sitting on my computer, about to start working on my thesis, after having a very WEIRD one-hour-SKYPE-conference with my mom and brother. Look at them...does that explain why I am, how I am?! ;)

I (most of the time) DO love my family...cause you can have a lot of fun with them!!! It might take some time though, cause my bro is rather shy at first, and I can be if I get intimidated (yes, PAG, I am sometimes!!!).

Today...cultural BITES :) *yummy*

If you think about munching on a dead, dried octopus..does it make you feel like running away? Well, chances are 99% you arent Korean/Japanese/... or havent had o-jing-o in that form. And also of course I made it sound more yucky than it really is...so here is a pic:

Here...want a BITE? ;)

I think basically I only have insane ppl around me...My roomies have new nick names...POTATO and CHOP SUEY:

POTATO to CS: "May I lick...?"

Ok, it was due to an ice exchange...POTATO complained about the nuts in his watermelon ice cream...we talked about how the army makes guys HARDER...and in the end I spent another 30 mins having funny, but unproductive discussions...like how the altar for Potato will look like after he leaves....

Here some memories to begin with:
- Warum?
- Das schmeckt doch nicht.
- Warum? (pictures CS while she is imitating him!!!)
- Wasn das?
- Warum? (still picturing CS how SHE is saying it)
- CS & Jen: So which Korean food do you know? Potato: Kim-bab, Bi-bim-bab, Tuna Kim-bab, Kim-bab, ....
- Complaining while we are cooking, then having dinner with us.
- He loves shrimps.
- Stalking CS.
- Nuna baby.

I know it sounds ironic *grin*, but its not: WE WILL MISS YOU!!! And even though CS wont admit it, she will :)

And I think we should take him to a 노래방!!!

"You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Knocked out.

2005-08-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, my lack of sleep must have been bigger than I thought. I decided to lay down for a nap last evening at aroud 8:30 PM, after making PRINCESS or PAG-BAB again...it starts to become an addiction, but its very practical..you can just dump all your remaining vegetables in there. Anyways...so I thought I would take a nap...well, first time I woke up was 3 AM, and then I just got up NOW: its 7:30 AM!...so..go figure...now its already time to get ready for work *sigh* My motivation isnt exactly what it used to be..but I hope at least today I'll have more energy.

Cheerio, LOVE to the world out there, and thanx for all the umm...*interesting comments* :P

M: THIS IS JUST FOR YOU - some extra color in your life :)

Quotes.

2005-08-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here is somethin my co-worker shared with me today...some funny quotes:

We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for
masturbation. ~Lily Tomlin
I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said 'No.' ~Woody Allen

Evening on the roof.

2005-08-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

We were all home tonight. The upper apt ppl: D., K. and Mel. And us: C., PAG and me. Dinner: Pizza and Kimbab...and SOJU :P

The weather was great, the view even better:

Its amazing how quiet it is around our apt. Well if you dont count us, cause I think the neighbours must hate us by now ;) Its great how much fun we have....
and how intellectual our conversations are:

PAG: "Geh endlich zum Dongdaemun, C!!!" - "Go to Dongdaemun, C.!!!" (refering to C. buyin Korean porn at the market - which he never really intended to do, right? ;)
Jen: "Aber Du stehst ja noch nicht mal auf asiatisch, oder?" - "But you dont even like Asian girls do you?"
Out of the blue...Mel: "Mach's einfach mit dem Tisch, C.!" - "Just "do" the table!"

The Gap.

2005-08-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Too me it always seems like there is this big gap between rich and poor. Or better to say between the people who SEEM to have money and who dont.

You can find all this neat department stores with big brand names and on the other hand you have the backstreet markets with all faked brands. If you go to Korea and you see a PUMA shirt or NIKE shoes...and it not in a fancy store, you can be sure its fake (and even if you are in a store around dongdaemun, probably some of those are fake too ;)

Its not a big deal to me. What does a brand matter, really...we talked about quality today. In Korea you just cant and shouldnt expect it when you buy stuff on the market. And its ok, because things are cheap. You cant have everything, right?

There are more things that make me sad. In Korea you will see really old people, like a granny we saw yesterday, she couldnt even sit up straight, her back was crooked. She was selling chewing gum on the floor of a subway station. Odd, I never thought about that before. I mean: If you were in Germany would you buy chewing gum from someone like that? PAG and me did anyways.

Then also in th subway there are this people...you sit in the subway and all of a sudden someone will put something in your hands or put a note in your hand. Then the person keeps walking up and down the sub and will come back and collect things..unless you want to buy them, then you give them money.

Other people just come in with some kind of music box and a lil basket where you can drop money.

Then the other day there was this woman selling cucumber graters in the sub. You see old woman sellin fruits and boiled corn on the street.

Somehow I have the feeling people dont just beg though..they are trying to offer you something most of the time...

And then the shoemaker I went to today. He fixed the heel of my shoe for 1000 WON! Thats less than an EURO!!! I felt so bad.

Princess is annoying!

2005-08-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

I am forced to write this.

OUCH!
OUCH!!!!
OUUUUCCH!!!
Guess who THAT was :P

Ok, now about the movie...
We went to see a Korean movie today: "Welcome to Dongmakgol".

Didnt even get half of the text, but still got the message. Some parts were really funny, some parts really sad. The wild boar was def. funny...and the POPCORN falling from the sky!!! Weird....Korean movies are kinda brutal! Really yucky at the beginning.
PAG has the hots for the North Korean general cause of his SCAR! Wicked...it makes him look older and more MANLY ;)

Now I am forced to upload a pic!!! Just a sec...(guess who the one she likes :)

Another movie with the maybe sexy soldier(I am not going to argue with her about THIS - I am to young to die!!! ;)
-->Guns & talks

Lazy saturday.

2005-08-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

***sorry for all the colors...just have been playin around a bit*** :)

Hmm, what was the plan for the day?
--> My thesis.

Hmm, what did I really do?
--> Have a good time ;)

Ok, first of all I slept until about 1 PM I believe. I def. needed some sleep after the last couple of weeks, even though I dont think its really AGE-related, my dear M. :P - I know you were just trying to bug us ;)

After that I got up, listend to my roomies argue (like an old couple :P) and then decided that I might as well go for dinner with them and give Ha-Kyung a call, cause I havent seen her since I got here.

On the way to Ap-gu-jong:

So, this "friend" of PAG invited us for dinner to this really fancy restaurant. Kinda odd, she has only known PAG for a week and didnt know the remaining 4 of us....

Thanx for taking the pic, M.!

Look at this...those were just the SIDE DISHES!!!

Then they took of to see some cultural performance, whereas Ha-Kyung and me went for a stroll in the basement of Hyundai Dept. store. Its really neat to walk around there, you can see some traditional Korean presents you can buy, and there also is a supermarket...but watch out, most of the stuff is kinda expensive..no wonder when you look at the way they pack their melons ;)

Odd thing: Fruits are kind of expensive in Korea, even though ppl eat soo many of them (same with rice, we paid 14 EUR yesterday for 3kg of rice!). These grapes were about 12,50 EUR!

The following pic is not from an aquarium or a horror movie...but from the seafood dept. in the supermarket...isnt it cool (yeah, I know its not very nice for the crab...but Koreans just love seafood)?

After that we went for a "short coffee"...*grin* by the time I got home it was already 10 PM. Oh well...

As I realized its a really nice night I went on the roof and took some more shots of Namsan, and played around with my cam.

Look at how diff the outcome of the pics can be - depending on the setting...I am seriously thinking about taking photo classes as soon as I have a job and settled down (whenever that will be ;)

Oh, man...didnt get anything done...my roomies came back, just wanted to join them for a short chat on the roof...turned into two hours of giggling and fun...

Quote of the day: "Buy yourself a porn and go jerk off!!!" (Kauf Dir endlich einen Porno und geh Dir einen runterholen!!!)

Other things we "usually" say:
- Thats what we do in the countryside.
- Oh god...
- Lass mich in Ruh! (Leave me alone!)
- Ich liebe Reis. (I love rice.)
- I am 21 and from Bavaria.
- Das nervt.

Cultural bits:
- Stairs (see Mel's blog)
- Toilet & Toiletpaper (see Mel's blog)
- ppl often live with their parents until they get married (not if they go to university in a different town)
- Hollywood movies in the theatres come out a lot earlier than in Germany, because they are not synchronized, just subtitled
- using Taxis is really cheap in Korea, base fare is 1900W (just dont use the black cabs! their base fare is already 4500W). Its kinda mean: those are e.g. the ones you can find in front of hotels, because tourists dont know any better and will use the expensive cabs
- Korean supermarket. Its so interesting. Due to the different culture its amazing for me how much FRESH seafood you can buy in the supermarkets here. Its like you can buy fresh lobster in Canada. So different from the places in Germany, where I go shopping...maybe different if you live closer to the ocean...
- even in the restaurant, ppl eat out of one bowl (soup)

Guest blog.

2005-08-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

hehe...today I am lazy...(will try to blog tonight), but for now: Everyone who can read German can go here: Mel's blog!!! :)

PRINZESSIN REISLING!!!!

2005-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Today is another hard day...I have to endure the reign of Princess Reisling, the evil ruler of this apt. (I cant write now, Ms Reisling is sitting next to me...will post later)...

Got it! Got it!

2005-08-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yay: K. and me went to the immigration office....and after a lot of discussions we managed to convince them ;) The boss just said (direct translation sounds a lil odd): "Its difficult for this person, just give it to her." Maybe he was simply annoyed by us lol

Anyways, by the time we got home it was NOON. Had lunch with the girls in a tiny Korea restaurant with only Koreans in it. Liked that :D

Tonight we are planing on going out for dinner to say good-bye to John (USA) on ITAEWON.

Cultural bits:
- board with the number of deaths and due to traffic injured ppl
- toothbrushes in the restroom (maybe I mentioned this before)

Visa - a neverending story.

2005-08-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

PAG, Mel and me went to the immigration office at 9 AM. We left at 2 PM. Result: I still dont have a visa! Its very annoying. But I guess all I can do is go back there tomorrow morning.

After that our driver (yes, we went there with A DRIVER hehe...he is the one from the chamber, and as our boss is on vacation we were allowed to "use" him ;) took us to have BU-DAE-ZZI-GAE, which was originally called Johnson ZZI-GAE, as it was brought to Korea by the American soldiers. Its kind of a soup and it includes all kind of stuff: sausage, spam, dokg, corn, spring onions,...

After that we went to work for about 3 hours. K. & D. distracting me ;)

By the time I got home the WHITE peaches from my uncles farm had arrived!!! Sadly they still didnt taste as I remembered them, but they look yummy, dont they?

In the evening PAG and me made PRINCESS-BAB again, and this time I took a pic:

Back to work.

2005-08-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hmm, realized that a free monday has 2 benefits really:

You have a long weekend.
Only 3 days and its weekend again :) hehe...

So, what did we do today: Work a lot. Even though its hard when I keep gettin distracted by D. who tells me jokes all the time ;) - Ok, ok, I admit it...its entertaining and I really dont mind.

Finally met K. she is living in the apt above and seems really nice (She gave us a Cadbury Chocolate tonight, how cant we like her ;) and fun, even though she also started pickin on me today ;) PAG and her...uh oh, can I handle that (lol..I know YOU GIRLS probably read this one day!!!) - ok, ok, I admit it...PAG: I just like being the victim MORE than being the HAM :P

After work Mel, PAG and me went home, did some grocery shopping on the way (from one of the trucks who sell their products right on the street) and made PRINCESS-BAB for dinner. Yummy. It def. was good.

Ingredients:
Garlic (of course! We are in Korea ;), Onions, Shrimps (C. keeps stealing them all!), Ham (yes, its weird, but you cant taste it in the dish), packed Kimchi, one sliced HOT pepper (Mel & me manged to "burn" ourselves!), PAENGI mushrooms (my fav!) and of course RICE....and then GO-TSCHU-ZJANG on top...yummy! I didnt take a pic though, cause it really didnt look that yummy at all ;)

After that we had fruits (Korean style) & ice cream (well, any other country style lol) for dessert. And then watched "THE SECRET WINDOW" on Mel's laptop. Pretty much average. Even though I have to admit I wasnt bored while watching the movie.

After some more mosquito hunting (I am waiting for the day when I get ACCIDENTLY *grin* buzzed with the e-mosquito-catcher!!!)...I went to my room to work on my thesis (that was about ummm 1 hour ago, but now that my blog is back...I wanted to update everyone)....I still have 30 mins...So ttyl :)

Independence day!

2005-08-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

sorry, had to work on my thesis, will post pictures tomorrow at work :P hehe...

Yiieehaa, 60 years ago, Korea celebrated their independence from JAPAN! As I love Japan, I really dont want to get into the historical discussion, but I think its sad that till this day there are so many problems between Korea, China, the Philippines and Japan, because of history. I read a sad article about how a mother and a daughter were raped the same time in the same room by Japanese soldiers.

Its scary how war brings out the worst in people. Or how power can transform humans into monsters. Sad. Disturbing.

Well, in the end we didnt really discuss it a lot. Spent the day with friends and attended an I.D. celebration in front of the city hall.

The plan was that I meet up with Jin-Tae, a friend of mine who is Kyo-po (born & raised in Germany, but with Korean parents), who I got to know in 1996. It was great seeing him again after our school re-union in D-Dorf a couple of years back. I wish Mi-Hwa, Linda, Young-Gil, Hye-bi and the rest of the crew would have been there too. Here we are in front of our old school on Dae-hag-ro:

My roommates PAG & C. joined me. And we also dragged along Rebecca (MN) and John (OH). Met Jin-Tae at Hye-Hwa Station. Was good to be back on Dae-hag-ro. After walking around for a bit the six of us went for lunch: Kalbi and Sam-gyob-sal..yummy! Sooo good! And just 7000 Won (approx. 6 EUR). No way you can get that amout and quality of food in Germany for that price!

Then we went to Baskin Robbins..YUMMY! Jin-Tae invited me! Yay! He had to leave early though to meet up with one of his cousins. It was fun to finally hear his news though. Hope M, him and me can catch up in Germany again soon.

Then John made us walk around Lotte Dept. Store. It was soo fancy. Actually it was funny...the place is all the big brands, and really neat stores. In the middle of it are a bunch of aquariums, and there was this girl cleaning them...with a TOOTHBRUSH TAPED (WITH DUCT TAPE) TO A STICK! Very sophisticated ;)

This is something we saw on the street: MUTANT SQUID!!

Really: Have never seen anything like that. The diameter was about 4-5 cm!!!

By 6 PM we were at the City Hall, which was covered in Tae-guk-i, the Korean flag. After a while we found out it wouldnt start until 7:30 PM, but it was ok.

There was this funny elderly man who started to offer us stuff (after he stole John's Poncho): Dried Squid (I believe its C's new fav :P) and water. I was waiting for him to offer some SO-JU (Korean alcohol) to PAG :P That would have been funny. And I had my camera so I kept myself busy. Took e.g. this pic of the city hall:

Isnt the Korean flag pretty? I like it. Cause its also meaningful.

Then we watched the peformance from 7:30 PM until about 9 PM. I liked the SAMULNORI (Korean drum ensemble) the best. Its always great. I wish I could learn it, but its sooo hard to keep the rhythm! Only problem, no Samulnori pics, but this one turned out quite nice:

BIG FINAL of the night...THE FIREWORKS:

Saturday night.

2005-08-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hmm, what a FUN NIGHT...*ATTENTION: IRONY*...I am workin on my thesis.

Oh well...
1. Its my own fault.
2. Its actually kind of interesting. And its fun to see how everything is coming together.
3. I left the house at around 10:30 AM, and returned by 6:30 PM. So I really dont mind being home this evening.

This was KIMCHI's day:
Went to meet my cousin, my aunts and uncle, plus some of their grandchildren (=my cousin's boys). Had awesome Korean lunch, which - of course - cant be compared to anything I know from Germany or America. Then went to Lotte World to meet up with a friend of my mom. Korean networking. The guy and his wife were totally nice, just a few years older than me. Seemed really nice. They said they would take me to the DMZ, but not sure if that was simply being polite or if it was honest. They were so nice to drop us off at home - gave them a German chocolate instead. Its my currency for paying ppl who do nice things for me I guess ;) - After we got home I talked to C. for a while, why my mom went to hang out with her "new best friend": our landlady. I guess its cool for all of us. Mom has a new friend, and I have bonus points.
After chatting I went to work on my thesis. Finished a book in 2 days, not bad...only problem: 2 more to go and 3 binders full of literature: 4 weeks to go. - SHIT! Sorry, mosquito intervention. - Other than that, had some Korean Garlic Bread for dinner, which - of course - cant be compared to the German or American one at all. Shared an ice cream with mom before which - of course - cant be compared with the ice cream I know from Germany or America either. Saw a Korean dentist office, which... cant be compared with...guess... *grin*..wont say it again. Its funny even at the dentist you take off your shoes. Actually were were walking around bare feet in the dentist office waiting room (dentist was my uncle btw).

So...what am I am to now?
Still munchin on some of the Garlic Bread...problem: the air is sooo humid!!! The bread is already starting to get really soft. Funny thing: Same thing is happening to my copies. The paper just feels "soggy". Weird. But I dont want to complain, otherwise PAG is going to tell me off again :P Wonder where she is...didnt see her since this morning. C. was saying she might met this handsome Korean dude...hehe..wonder if that's what happend. Or if she got lost in a shopping frenzy at LOTTE?! Who knows?

Well, its back to my thesis. Its midnight already...yikes!

PS: Skipped a song on my playlist, cause it reminded me of all the weird AIESEC group dances...we are weird...but its cool to know that they are danced all around the world. Even though its weird that "Lets get it started" is danced a tiny bit diff in Germany...The first version I learned is the Canadian one...and I want to stick to it <---yes, I can be pretty stubborn :P @ Germany sux anyways :P - wonder if anyone is going to object....*hehehe*

World of Maemi.

2005-08-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

Learn more about these insects HERE.

Political Topics: Japan and North Korea.

2005-08-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. Relationship between South Korea and Japan

Mel found an article about Japan and Korea. Its sad, but true, but read for yourself (I believe it was published in the Korean Herald):

Nearly eight out of every 10 Korean feel a lack of amity toward their Japanese neighbours, a public survey showed. The poll, jointly conducted by Gallup Korea and a Japanese research center, indicated the two Asian neighbours’ ties have reached their lowest point in decades following recent territorial and historical disputes. Asked about their sentiment toward the Japanese, 53.8 percent of Korean respondents said they don’t “feel very friendly” while 25.5 percent said they don’t “feel friendly at all”, according to the poll. Only 17.9 percent of Koreans surveyed had “positive” feelings toward Japan. Most Korean respondents attributed their anti-Japan sentiment to Japan's claim to the Korea-controlled Dokdo islands in the East Sea and its aproval of history textbooks that whitewash wartime atrocities, according to the poll. Of those surveyed, 47 percent of Koreans considered current Korea-Japan relations as "quite bad" and another 7.9 percent said that the ties are "very bad". In response to the same question 41.6 percent of Japanese considered bilateral ties to be "bad". When asked about which country poses the greatest security threats to their national security, 36.4 percent of Koreans chose North Korea, followed by Japan with 22 percent, the US with 20.1 percent and China 10.8 percent.
Nearly 65 percent of Japanese picked North Korea as the security threat, the survey said. The US came in second with 10.8 precent and China third with 8.1 percent. The Korean side of the survey was commissioned by MBC television station.

2. Insight into North Korea
Here is a website I came across today...didnt read it all yet...check it out - and let me know how it is ;)

A year in North Korea

Rainy day.

2005-08-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Dong-dae-mun market with Onni!!! It was wet, but fun. Actually it was crazy...rivers flowing down the street. We got soaked - and I mean S O A K E D, nothing compared with a lil summer rain in Germany...were you ever able to wring out your underwear?! ;) Anyways, we managed to get into a mall where we were walking around driiippin, then had dinner outside at one of the street booths with all the woman screaming and trying to get you to their booth. KIMICH PA-JON (hearty Kimchi pancakes).

Still no alarm clock, but make-up and earrings...sheesh, does that sound girly or what. Did I already mention I am wearing nail-polish?! The Korean transformation has started! I remember that it was the same last time. Korean girls are just toooooo girly. It rubs off. Social pressure ;) lol...AS IF!

After we got home and cleaned up the puddles we had left in the entrance PAG (="PETITE ASIAN GIRL"), C. and me cleaned out the fridge (it was a pretty funny but also entertaining teambuilding event I would say...Kimchi...flushing down eggs the toilet)... and then we ate everything we didnt throw out :P - German sausage and beer!!!

Then we talked and talked and talked...C. told us about the usefulness of BILD (and the pervert bet of this crazy 19 year old German girl, who slept with 64 guys on one day...and PAID for it!!!)...and of COURSE I didnt work on the thesis yet...its 11:40 PM. Will head to my room now....PAG is gettin drunk anyways :P - she will hit me when she reads this :D

Cultural bits:-
As mosquitos ARE a real issue here they have so many forms of creams and prevention stuff.
1. regular ointment
2. something like a deo stick you put on so they wont bite you (no wonder they wont cause the stuff is rather smelly)
3. an electronic device which you plug in and which is supposedly forcing the mosquitos out of the room
4. something that looks like a badminton racket and electricutes the mosquitos when you hit them with the racket...mom almost electrecuted herself ;)

Men.

2005-08-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

They will come up with anything to make us believe oral sex is good!

A study published in the British Journal of Medicine showed a correlation between oral sex and healthier newborn children. Semen, when ingested orally, is thought to familiarise the female immune system with the male DNA, lowering the risk that male genes would be rejected, and thus the reduce the risk of birth defects.

Find more here.

Tired.

2005-08-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

website I found: K-Scene (where to go, what to do in Korea - restaurants, bars, clubs etc).

I need sleep. Bad. Cant do coffee one-shoots forever, eh?

So..what is going on...took a shower outside=Korean summer rain :)

Benefits of rain:
- air is cleaner afterwards, view is better from our balcony
- its cooler

Disadvantages of rain:
- roads are really dirty, so when its raining everything is a big mess
- it gets really smelly

Funny: So, it was raining...(lol...I know I said that before...anyways)...I was standing at a pedestrian crossing. It was pouring. This Korean lady was looking at me, then slowly moved closer and held up her umbrella, so I was protected from the rain. The same thing happend with another lady when I asked for directions. Very friendly! And all trying to talk English to me!

Cultural bits:
- P-turn: Next level after U Turn :)
- Its sad, but animals arent really happy when they are born in Korea. On the street I saw these crabs with a house on their back for sale.

Sang & Kimchi rockin Seoul :D

2005-08-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Met Sang! Soo cool, this is the 5th person I see from UVic since I left in March. Isnt that crazy?

We went for dinner to my favorite place. Guess what their specialty is? Yup...O-jing-o :)

Then went to buy me an alarm clock. Didnt work out again...well, Sang isnt much of a shopper. But managed to buy me a lil notebook for my vocabulary at least.

Then we went to (I still believe its fake) BR cafe. But no matter if they are fake or not...their Chocobanana Shake is SUPER YUMMY!!!

I dont know....I love walking the streets of Seoul at night. All the neon signs. Soo much to see. I am like a little child. Keeping my eyes open for new things to discover. Taking notes in my mind about places I have to come back too. It has only been about 10 days since I returned here. Time flies. My heart grows even fonder of this country every day. It is where my heart is.

Cultural bits:
Even though its a weekday you will see and SMELL so many drunk ppl around!

Weekend Update.

2005-08-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Friday:
Drove to ChunChon. Dinner with Jang-Yook & my aunt. Staid at my 1st uncle. Surprise: 4 kids were there. My beloved Da-Hye as well! Here they teach me a typical Korean card game: Go-Stop.

Saturday:
My cousin met up with some old friends from university. AND I HAVE MET THEM BEFORE IN 1994!!!

For dinner they had a bunch of shrimps & meat (gas cooker).
1. course: fried.
2. course: boiled (see photo).
3. course: san gyob sal.

Sunday:
Too hot this morning, but nice outside:

Had real Korean breakfast in the min-bak (Korean bed'n'breakfast) - I cant really imagine having a whole piece of garlic...no matter what time of the day it is...

After breakfast we went for a walk and the guys swam in the freezin cold river!

It was such a nice way to start the morning!!!

more to come...

High tech country. Robots - here they come!

2005-08-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Due to IT Korea journal 90,8% of Koreans think positive about robots, 84,5% think intelligent robots are necessary, 78% of Koreans want to buy a robot and why? To do difficult or dull jobs (top answer), especially for CLEANING – see C. I don’t even have to learn how to be “neat” ;)(Cleaning was the top answer when asked what people expect from a robot).

See e.g. AIBO, TRILOBITE (automatic vacuum cleaner).

Happy day!

2005-08-04T00:43:00.001-07:00

1. Feeling better.
2. Went to meet my friend Hyun-Kyung and her baby Min-Song. Ate DOGK (Korean sweets with sticky rice dough and red bean paste) and grapes.
3. After a long trip home (1-hour-bus-trip, mom and me wanted to save money) I heard from my roomate that I am too "fresh" (frech ;). We were all chating while they were sobering up (it was soo funny, but they were really really stinky=alcohol!!!). And my mom threw a round of ice cream for all of us.
4. Something made my day: Frank (best friend) called me :) He might come here in October (well, I know it will depend on the ticket prices...lets hope they will go down).

Ok, now its almost 1 AM. Christoph's gf and friend just returned home, and told us about today's journey. I really like this place. People are awesome. Lets hope work will get better too.

I am looking fwd to October and traveling!

Cultural bits:
- Grapes: Koreans dont eat the skin, which is thicker than in North America or Germany, and they taste different than there. - In Korea you also have home delivery - just diff kinds of food (well they have Pizza too). Incl. plastic dishes. And then they come and pick them up later on. In Germany its just plastic or paper and you throw it out afterwards. Well, here its the same with pizza (Hyun-Kyung ordered zza-zzang-mjon for us).

Shit! I am pretty sick!

2005-08-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

Great, I am sick. Super-sick. Feeling like shit. Stomach flu. Staid home all day=didnt go to work (on my 2nd day!!! Leaves a great impression.). *sigh* but I really didnt have an option. My head is about to explode! OUCH. Hell. Mom will come back tonight.

Vivien & Jenny in Korea!

2005-08-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

6 PM: Met Vivien! It's so cool that we are in Korea the same time! Finally, after all these years! First thing we did is buy mosquito stuff for my legs...man, I look like I have the measles or something. Then we went to her apartment. Her roomie has a pretty stressful relationship with her ex I would say. Talked about that and life in Korea. Upates on our lives. Its been a while after all! Then went for typical Korean student dinner: Cheese Ra-bog-gi (seems like that
is a new trend: put cheese - Scheibletten - in/on everything!) and Kimchi Kim Bab. Then took a stroll through Hannam-dong, searching vor an alarm clock, but didnt succeed. Only saw dead fish. Was pretty disgusting: There was this aquarium with fish which were supposed to be sold for eating. But when we got closer most of them seemed dead. Wonder if its healthy to eat those ;) I for sure didnt feel like. Ended up with Banana Milk and yummy Korean melon (ja-mae).

Then V. put me on the bus home (no. 402). Only 3 stops. Arrived home at around 10 PM. After taking a shower I joined the others on the roof. Checked out some of the pics C. and his gf took. Also D. told us about his newest pick-up ;) – seems she is gf material - we will wait and see though. Its so funny to listen to his stories!

Cultural bits:
- V. told me this: It seems that before cars get towed, the towing truck honks for 10 mins, so ppl have time to move their cars.

Easy going.

2005-08-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

First thing I did at my new workplace: Checked my emails. Then had a lil chat with my boss Mr. V. After that back to surfing the internet and doing some research for D. Phew! Can YOU tell me what renewable energy, geo thermic and bio mass means in Korean? Well, I found out :D

Lunch with PAG, Mel, D.: 5000 WON (jam-zi-zzi-gae = kind of tuna stew, with lots of soup, very spicy). After lunch I got a real job. Will have to write a report about the real estate Market in Korea (office buildings). But somehow at 5:30 PM everyon was gone. But we stayed untili 6 PM, which was good, cause the BOSS (who is supposedly on vacation, but keeps stopping by the office) just returned around that time. He said he was checking on us lol...but he was just jokin (we think ;).

Cultural bits:
- Office: Koreans brush their teeth after lunch, thats why you can find toothbrushes next to the sinks in the restrooms.

Test.

2005-08-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility." - Eleanor Roosevelt

SEOUL

2005-07-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

Took KAL Limousine to the Hyatt. Got picked up by Daniel and a friend. Stayed up until 4 AM to talk to Mel(anie). Learned that we have WLAN. Decided to stay online for a bit.

Summary:

Weather: TOO hot and HUMID like hell
Markets: I love em!
Apt: Cool. Everyone is nice! (we have 2 apts, 3 ppl each)
Job: not sure yet, will answer tomorrow ;)
current status: SUPER TIRED!

TTYL!!!

Meeting a GREMLIN :)

2005-07-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

Got up at around 11:30 AM, hanging around in the apt. Talking to people. Met Christoph, his gf Tina and her friend Ella. They left for Suwon.

Number of mosquito bites: approx. 40.

Nam-Dae-Mun *** E-Mart *** Myung-Dong

Met Martin at 4 PM (Daniel, Mel, Mom and me). Went to Nam-Dae-Mun, but it wasnt the place where Martin really wanted to go. So then we went to e-mart, where Daniel bought a fan and went home and Mom went to see her friend (she probably wont be back before Wednesday). I ate a raw mussel in e-mart. Also did some grocery shopping. Coolness in my mouth J Martin, Mel and me decided to go to Myung-Dong: Funny, the trip there. Oh boy! Took the wrong train, got of the wrong station. Then we found the place. Martin is really good at bargaining. Kinda scary actually.

Then we needed to find a money place. Crazy enough. Mel got a receipt but no money. So I had to call the Korean Service line and try to explain everything.

Too funny: Birkenstock SALE. 65.000Won!

Dropped off Martin & his bag at the HYATT in the evening.

So...what is a Gremlin?
A GREMLIN belongs to one of the LCP generation that lived when AIESEC was great :) Usually it is a very motivated, inspiring, charming, idealistic and stubborn being :)

DUBAI

2005-07-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

The journey has begun. WOW! I didnt know what to expect. And life taught me that’s the best way to leave for a journey…be open, just wait and see what life brings…

So, I left for Dubai. I was told that it was one of the best airlines and its no. 8 on the Top 10 of the safest airlines of the world (old list I found on the internet). Things I realized: Interesting costumes (hats don’t seem very comfortable), they have seat-to-seat calling, food is pretty good, even in ECON, you have cameras that point down and to the front, so you can see e.g. take-off and landing.

The woman next to me was German, but recently had moved to Sydney. We were chatting with the stewardess (Daniela) about life in Dubai and the best places to see. Daniela told us you can go on a desert safari for 75 Dh. And it’s a good time of the season to go (specials).

Arrival in Dubai: OMG, when you go outside its like you hit a wall. Air is hot & dusty - feels like you cant breath for a moment. Its such a relief when you enter the airport.

Then the real journey began. First I needed to find a place where I could store my stuff for the day. Hesitated to leave my laptop in the backpack, but then I REALLY didn’t feel like carrying it around all day. So I stuffed it in my backpack and was hoping for the best. Drop off was cheap (especially with Victoria station in London): 15 Dirhams per 12 hours.

Then I tried to figure out what to do. I had done some research on the internet. Was supposed to read the stuff I found out on the plane, but instead ended up watching movies (man of the house, cant remember the 2^nd one!).

So, there is this place called THE BIG BUS COMPANY. They have these hop on-hop off buses. And due to my good experiences in Skandinavia and Australia I thought that’s the best and cheapest way to see the city (for a single person - I think if you go there with a bunch of people you should probably rent a driver for a day. I was told you could get a driver for about $US 50). Well, I needed to get to the bus place first though. So this guy walked up to me. He asked if I needed a taxi. And I asked him how much it would be to go to the city. He said 30 Dh. I said ok. So we walked past the taxi stand and I was wondering. Cause we ended up getting into a normal car with no cab sign or anything. Well, well…I thought…crime rate is really low in Dubai: Get in the car. *grin* Actually nothing happened. He was nice. He just tried to convince me that it would be cheaper and better for me to his car for the day. He offered me 2 hours for 160.000 Dh. I told him that someone had told me you could get a driver for a whole day for that price. But he said that’s impossible. Anyways…he drove me to City Centre, but it was closed so I asked him to drive me to the Dubai Museum. Problem was: Obviously my info from the internet was wrong: The Museum was still closed. So I asked him to take me back to the city centre. I believe by the time he dropped me off it was 50 Dh. I had paid him. Oh well, we live to learn, eh?

The stores in the mall were still closed. Friday is Sunday in Dubai! Heard that sentence soo many times that day! (Let me explain: it just means that usually in Western countries SUNDAY is the day you go to church and spend at home with your family, chill or stuff like that. In Dubai FRIDAY is that day. Btw. They work 6 days a week!). But as I was really tired (silly me, why didn’t I sleep in the plane). As I said the mall was open, but jobs weren’t, so I ended up sitting in a really comfy chair, watching some children practicing some kind of performance and taking a nap.

At 10:15 AM I started my BIG BUS Tour. Stopped in WAFI City to change from the “City Tour bus” to the “Beach Tour bus”.

Wafi City
But there was nothing to see really. Besides that WAFI is build in “Egyptian style”. So you can take nice pictures if you step outside (IF you want to do that, cause its just such a relieve to be inside when its around 38°C outside!). Called the Burj-al-Arab to try to re-schedule my reservation. Wasn’t a problem luckily. Then we continued the trip.

Jumeirah Public Beach.
Its awesome! Really beautiful (pic didnt turn out that great) BUT…incredible hot. I couldn’t believe that people would stay there for 3 hours. I don’t think its very healthy to be in the sun from 11 AM-2 PM, while its 45°C. But oh well…

I hoped off at the Madinat Jumeirah. And I loved it. The building is really nice. The souk (market) is cute.

Then I decided to walk to the Burj-al-Arab (321 m high, 5-star-hotel), even though all the people I asked for the way told me its way to hot. Sad, must mean I look like a wimpy tourist ;) But I did it anyways…but oh boy, I was soaked by the time I got there. Funny: There is a gate, you can only enter if you have a reservation or stay at the BAA. NO ONE was walking, but me J Maybe that was the reason why people at the entrance kinda looked down on me. But then walking WAS worth it: Took some nice shoots. So when I entered the hotel the first thing I did was ask for a restroom, cause I def. needed freshening up, and I had brought another shirt and other shoes.

From the internet

My picture

Yes, I DID make a reservation to have brunch at the BAA. Its crazy, cause its ridiculously expensive, but I wanted to see the inside and I thought after the last months I just deserved something "special".

(If you are interested in doing the same thing go and check out the dining possibilities.)
But in the Al Muntaha everyone was really nice. And food was good, even though I don’t think it was THAT special. The brunch wasAED 290.00 (65 EUR, 96$CAN). Juices were freshly squeezed and FREE, what I didnt know WATER costed money (10$CAN/bottle). They also had really nice seafood: Prawns, shrimps, lobster, oysters and a Sushi & Sashimi bar. Then they had a bunch of Arabian starters, Western buffet (warm entrees), soup, bread, cheese…and tons of desserts! Too bad with all the heat one just doesn’t feel like eating much. Oh, and then...there was the VIEW:

The only thing you should keep in mind: The view is better in winter than in summer.

As I had to back for the tour bus I left at around 2:10 PM.

TO BE CONTINUED (also will add pics soon)

My workplace: The German Korean Chamber of Commerce

2005-07-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established in 1981. The chamber has the task to promote economic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Korea.

Therefore the chamber

- provides information and advice and in particular advisory opinions, market studies and reports;

- acts as an agent for the cultivation and further development of business links between firms of the two countries;

- paves the way for and fosters contacts between interested business circles of both countries;

- represents the economic interests of German and Korean businessmen in dealings with government departments, public authorities and other organizations in both countries;

- collects and distributes information on the economic situation in Germany and Korea and reports on industrial and commercial developments in the form of circulars, annual reports, newssheets etc.;

- organizes press conferences, information seminars, symposia and discussions and participates in such events to the extent that they are compatible with the purpose of the chamber;

- furnishes information on sales, procurement and investment possibilities in both countries;

- mediates in any disputes between those involved in bilateral trade;

- pursues any other lawful activity that serves the purpose of the chamber.
The activities are carried out in close cooperation with the organizations and authorities of both countries concerned with the work of Chambers. The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is recognized by the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) as an official German Chamber of Commerce and Industry abroad. The DIHK is the umbrella organization of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Germany. This ensures a close cooperation between KGCCI and it’s German counterparts.

From Germany.

2005-07-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Its Thursday. I have 7 hours left till my plane takes off to Dubai. And already I have an appointment on sunday. Its with a LCP I used to know back in the "old days" ;) Martin and me think its been 7-8 years since we have seen each other. Really wondering. Exited. Its cool to meet people you havent seen for a while!

Also my mom already made plans to go to Chunchon next weekend. She will only stay for 2 weeks. BUT I have to finish the books until then! So she can take them back :( Or I have to wait for my brother to pick them up. I can keep them 4 weeks...every book is 1EUR per week overdue. If I could return at least 1-2 of them that should be good enough.

Other than that: Packing is a pain as ever. Especially cause I realized I can only take 20 kgs with Emirates. Well, they are cheap. What did I expect? But as there are only cloths and shoes in the suitcase I managed (well, one book...). Total is 25 kg. I hope they will accept that. I dont want to start repacking at the airport. That would suck!

So...the next post should be from KOREA :) Or from DUBAI if I get to bored and decide to use the internet there while I am waiting or something.

Cheerio!
KIMCHI-->off to new adventures :)