Secret Gardens, Buddhist Temples, and Secluded Beaches

I could continue on with this title for days.
"...avid hiking, antique shopping, ceramic villages, National Art and War Museums, hot spring baths, national and provincial parks, jade mines, riverwalks, off the beaten path bicycling, amusement parks, 13th century cathedrals, DMZ tours, 'vistas of mist-shrouded mountains, maple leaves, rushing streams, and remote temples'..."

Although I have not done much yet, I started reading the Lonely Planet guide to Korea last night and this morning, and suffice it to say my mind is completely overwhelmed with things I have to see. Every morning when I wake up here it is infinitely more exciting than the day before, and this is only day four.

I got shown around downtown Gyeongju for a few hours yesterday by Stephanie-- I took lots of pictures and should be able to post them later today/tonight. I want to say that it's a crazy city, but I think that might sound a little judgemental. Judgey, if you will. And I don't want to do that just yet! But there is seriously so much to see. There are really cute, quirky shops (Hello Kitty, but doesn't sell Hello Kitty collectibles), mostly broken English everywhere ("there's a hero. if you look inside your heart."), brand name shops (Puma, North Face, Lacoste, etc.), and food on every corner. They have 711s sprinkled throughout the city, and several Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins which I know I will be desperately trying to avoid. Stephanie took me to a bakery called Paris Baguette which sells the most beautiful cakes I've ever seen.

At the Hello Kitty shop I bought a really nice lined notebook which took me about 20 minutes to finally purchase. Best notebook collection I've seen in a while. I also bought a mini notebook to keep with me so I can write things down that are important for me to remember, as well as things I need to know how to say.

I'm starting to pick up a little Korean. Stephanie wrote down-- phonetically-- common phrases and sayings that will help me to get around by myself. So for instance, if I'm at my apartment and I want to go to downtown Gyeongju, I would say shin-ay MacDonald kadg-ju-say-oh. Meaning, please take me to the McDonald's downtown. Ju-say-oh means please. If I am downtown and I want to go home, I would say young-ang-dong lotte mart, kadg-ju-say-oh. I think young-ang-dong is the district of Gyeongju that I live, and I know that lotte mart is the grocery store that is within 2 minutes of my apartment. Stephanie said it's really important to add extra syllables onto certain works like mart and McDonalds. It would need to be pronounced "mart-uh" and "MacDonaldsuh", otherwise the taxi drivers might not know where to go.

So back to walking downtown. It looks like exactly what you might think a busy Asian city would look like-- or at least to me it did. Downtown Gyeongju looked like something I may have seen on TV before with vibrant, colorful markets, raw fish and fresh fruit everywhere, authentic Korean clothing sold outside, goofy Asian knick knack vendors, and hundreds and hundreds of people. The only real downside I have found so far is the smell. Not everywhere, but many places I have walked past or been inside of (including my school) smell like fish, and what could be a mixture of any number of other types of seafood. Being that I'm not a huge seafood fan, I might have to make some adjustments. I know many of you are thinking "When in Rome, Laura..." but right now, some of the smells and food options makes my stomach turn. Seriously. I'd like to see you try and get an appetite for a live, baby octopus, squid soup, or fried grasshoppers. Sound appetizing? :) But don't worry Mom, I'm not starving and there are plenty of other, less nauseating food options. I have been eating oranges, bananas, cereal, some strangely delicious prepared weeds, bagel sandwiches, some fish shaped custard cookies, Korean candy (my students are incredibly generous with their food), and noodle soup. I have drank green tea, milk, lemonade, tons of water, sweet cinnamon tea (delicious), beer (not enough yet), and coffee, aka Korea's excuse for coffee, which are really these little instant packets of cocoa-tasting coffee that I don't really think have any caffeine in them. Trickery!

Cate took us out to dinner last night to say goodbye to Stephanie (she left this morning) in town at a restaurant next door to English World. I couldn't pronounce the name of the restaurant if I tried, but I can tell you that when we got there, we walked into a private room where we had to take our shoes off at the door. We sat on pretty, detailed pillows around a very low table that was filled with little white, porcelain-looking dishes that had all kinds of food in them. I was still super skeptical after seeing both live octopus and live fish glaring angrily at me from the tank earlier in the day, so I was careful as to what I chose to put in my mouth. Seeing as I didn't recognize any of the food, Cate's daughter Rosie was kind enough to try and help me. She would point to something and say "You must try thees-- dee-leesh-us!" I didn't trust the Korean kidlet at first, so I stuck to my rice and something of a soy sauce, just to be safe. However my stomach was growling and so I had some vegetables/weeds that Cate said are what the monks and Buddhists eat. Very bland, almost no flavor, but mixed with the right sauce I really enjoyed it. Rosie kept pestering me to try this certain soup seafood looking dish and I was terrified, but when I finally tasted it, it was just like, salty broth and some kind of cabbage-esque vegetable. Very good. Cate also bought us the sweetest, cinnamon-honey tea after dinner. SO delicious-- I need to ask her again today what it was called so I can order it when I'm by myself.

The only slightly disturbing thing that happened at dinner last night was that the lingering smell of the city was unexpectedly and disgustingly put to my taste buds. There was this big bowl of soup, and it looked like seaweed soup, so I tried it... nope. Some kind of radish soup I think, but it tasted like the smell I had been covering my nose to try and avoid all day. I'm convinced it's Korea's way of weeding out the Westerners.

Hmm. What else. Oh! My mom asked me to report on the scenery and the weather, which will be easier to do once I can upload my pictures to this thing. But for now, Gyeongju is surrounded by mountains. Not the towering type like we have in the States, but rather really large, green hills. Mini mountains. It is about 40-45 degrees here in the day, and at night it as been chilly, probably around 30, and extremely windy at times. I could be wrong about the temperatures, because it's not like it's been so cold I can see my breath, but I have definitely done my share of shivering. It is smoggy here, so sunsets, I am sad to report, are not likely to be seen. My first full day here was cold and rainy (didn't make for a happy arrival), my second day was sunnier (yesterday), and today it is looking sunny once again.

Winter is over and Spring is coming. Out with old and in with the new. I have been guaranteed that my computer will be working today once I move in, so I will be available via Skype and/or AIM video chat if anyone is interested! Seeing as my parents and my boyfriend aren't able to communicate with me today, I would love to see/talk to someone from home. For realsies. I will be on my laptop hopefully by 4 p.m. here, which is 2 a.m. your time. So that may not work, hmm. Maybe I will get on around 3:00. If not though, tonight I will be on if anyone is available to video chat with me around 11:00 or so, and will probably be on until the wee hours, making it anywhere from 9 a.m. to noon Michigan time.

We will figure this time change out. Til next time! :)