How I'm Doing
I think some higher power might be trying to discourage me from being in Korea. 10 days before my scheduled flight my dermatologist decided she needed to test one of moles to see if anything serious was up, then the day before I left she wanted to get the whole thing removed. So, yeah, that's how I ended up getting a minor surgery the day before a 13 hour flight.
Not only did I have this health concern to think about but due to the growing corona virus threat Yonsei decided to postpone the beginning of classes 2 weeks, and they notified us that dorms would house quarantined students from Asian countries. This presented a problem since I was due to move into the dorms, so I frantically began searching for a new place to call home. I'd already bought a flight ticket for a couple days before I reached the 60 day limit my scholarship allows me to stay in another country, so even if I had no where to return to I was still required to return. The school later clarified that I could move into the dorms as originally planned, just into an area separate from the one used for quarantine. Even so, after days of considering I'd decided living outside the school would make a welcome change, and likely a safer one since the dorms would now include possibly sick inhabitants.
Since I wanted to see the places I was interested in in person my friend had agreed to lend me her bed for a few nights. It was incredibly kind on her part because her place is so small we could barely fit my suitcases in, and I had to stack one on top of the other. This lack of space made me feel burdensome, even though my friend made no remark to indicate my presence made her uncomfortable, but it was hard to allow myself time to look thoroughly for the right place for me. That kind of thinking was a mistake. After a positive interaction with a landowner and a quick tour I hastily signed a contract for a room in a goshiwon, and moved in after only 2 nights at my friend's place. I discovered so many issues upon move-in I immediately regretted my choice and wanted to leave right away, but I'd already paid the first month's rent so that wasn't really an option. The first night in the new place all my anxieties came to a head, and my mind flitted from one issue to the next without rest. Each issue seemed so important I felt I might die if I didn't fix it right away. I worried whether the swelling on my face caused by the numbing agent used during surgery would ever return to normal; I worried someone would come into my room; I worried my bodily aches weren't from a long flight and stress but because I'd contracted the corona virus and was infecting everyone I met; I worried I'd made the wrong choice on where to live and wouldn't find a better place, etc... All these worries kept me from getting the sleep I needed to heal my anxious mind.
Yeah, it was a hard week.
Thankfully, God is good. I've moved elsewhere, I feel safe, I'm getting enough sleep, and I've started to get into a comfortable schedule. The place I live now is called a goshiwon (고시원). It's a uniquely Korean type of home, as far as I know. The place is pretty much a dorm but anyone, not just students, can live there. Every tenent has a room of their own, sometimes a bathroom, and all share a kitchen. Some places have free kimchi and rice. I figured it a good fit for me because I've tried living alone and oh buddy do I dislike it. I wanted to leave the school dorms not because I wanted my own space but because I don't want to surround myself with other foreign students anymore. I know that sounds snobbish, but I get so busy with studies that I have time for little else but class and study at the dorm. But Yonsei's dorm is literally RIGHT NEXT to the building where all my classes are, and non-Korean students make up the majority of my classmates. With no reason to leave campus I felt pretty distant from the Korean community last semester—certainly not an ideal situation for someone who fancies herself an anthropologist. So I moved. The goshiwon I'm in now shares similarities to the dorms in that the kitchen and bathrooms are communal, but my room is my own. It's safe (you need a fingerprint to enter) and in a great location (there are literally dozens of coffeeshops within a 5 minute walking radius and it's close to both Yonsei and Ehwa Universities). The room is small (the walk-in closet at the place I rented in Kirksville was bigger) but I don't need much space. I'm just happy to have somewhere to recover and relax until classes begin.
Of the two years I've lived in Korea this is my first time living outside the school. I'd almost chickened out, and even called the dorm to UNcancel after I cancelled and then contacted them again after that to UNcancel my UNcancel. Yeesh. But I know if I don't step out I won't experience the things I feel I need to experience. Circumstances beyond my control like anxiety and health concerns try to keep me from doing what I love. That'll always be the case. But I'll just keep making mistakes and pushing on. Grace upon grace.
Korean Culture
Enough about me. Korea time!
Geography
South Korea covers 38,750 sq mi, whereas Missouri covers 69,704. That makes my home state nearly twice the size of the country I've devoted my studies to. Even with North Korea added to the mix Texas easily eclipses the entire Korean peninsula.
What I'm Watching
What I'm Listening to
I think some higher power might be trying to discourage me from being in Korea. 10 days before my scheduled flight my dermatologist decided she needed to test one of moles to see if anything serious was up, then the day before I left she wanted to get the whole thing removed. So, yeah, that's how I ended up getting a minor surgery the day before a 13 hour flight.
Since I wanted to see the places I was interested in in person my friend had agreed to lend me her bed for a few nights. It was incredibly kind on her part because her place is so small we could barely fit my suitcases in, and I had to stack one on top of the other. This lack of space made me feel burdensome, even though my friend made no remark to indicate my presence made her uncomfortable, but it was hard to allow myself time to look thoroughly for the right place for me. That kind of thinking was a mistake. After a positive interaction with a landowner and a quick tour I hastily signed a contract for a room in a goshiwon, and moved in after only 2 nights at my friend's place. I discovered so many issues upon move-in I immediately regretted my choice and wanted to leave right away, but I'd already paid the first month's rent so that wasn't really an option. The first night in the new place all my anxieties came to a head, and my mind flitted from one issue to the next without rest. Each issue seemed so important I felt I might die if I didn't fix it right away. I worried whether the swelling on my face caused by the numbing agent used during surgery would ever return to normal; I worried someone would come into my room; I worried my bodily aches weren't from a long flight and stress but because I'd contracted the corona virus and was infecting everyone I met; I worried I'd made the wrong choice on where to live and wouldn't find a better place, etc... All these worries kept me from getting the sleep I needed to heal my anxious mind.
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| Photo link |
Yeah, it was a hard week.
Thankfully, God is good. I've moved elsewhere, I feel safe, I'm getting enough sleep, and I've started to get into a comfortable schedule. The place I live now is called a goshiwon (고시원). It's a uniquely Korean type of home, as far as I know. The place is pretty much a dorm but anyone, not just students, can live there. Every tenent has a room of their own, sometimes a bathroom, and all share a kitchen. Some places have free kimchi and rice. I figured it a good fit for me because I've tried living alone and oh buddy do I dislike it. I wanted to leave the school dorms not because I wanted my own space but because I don't want to surround myself with other foreign students anymore. I know that sounds snobbish, but I get so busy with studies that I have time for little else but class and study at the dorm. But Yonsei's dorm is literally RIGHT NEXT to the building where all my classes are, and non-Korean students make up the majority of my classmates. With no reason to leave campus I felt pretty distant from the Korean community last semester—certainly not an ideal situation for someone who fancies herself an anthropologist. So I moved. The goshiwon I'm in now shares similarities to the dorms in that the kitchen and bathrooms are communal, but my room is my own. It's safe (you need a fingerprint to enter) and in a great location (there are literally dozens of coffeeshops within a 5 minute walking radius and it's close to both Yonsei and Ehwa Universities). The room is small (the walk-in closet at the place I rented in Kirksville was bigger) but I don't need much space. I'm just happy to have somewhere to recover and relax until classes begin.
Of the two years I've lived in Korea this is my first time living outside the school. I'd almost chickened out, and even called the dorm to UNcancel after I cancelled and then contacted them again after that to UNcancel my UNcancel. Yeesh. But I know if I don't step out I won't experience the things I feel I need to experience. Circumstances beyond my control like anxiety and health concerns try to keep me from doing what I love. That'll always be the case. But I'll just keep making mistakes and pushing on. Grace upon grace.
Korean Culture
Enough about me. Korea time!
Geography
South Korea covers 38,750 sq mi, whereas Missouri covers 69,704. That makes my home state nearly twice the size of the country I've devoted my studies to. Even with North Korea added to the mix Texas easily eclipses the entire Korean peninsula.
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| Photo Link As it's so small, I'm amazed at the distinctions Korean people manage to make between provinces and districts. Various cities maintain they are THE destination for certain experiences and goods. If you want the best bibimbap you have to go to Jeonju, Ganeung has the famous cafe street, Jinhae has the best cherry blossoms, Nonsan has the best strawbarries, Jeju has the best tangerines, etc. Considering the size of Korea I sometimes find advertisements for how wonderful a city's dish is compared to another' comical. I mean, just how much better can the strawberries in Nonsan be than the next town over? |
The districts inside Seoul follow the same pattern. They may not advocate for the superiority of their food, but other specialties exist. Myeongdong is popular for name-brand shopping, Insadong for traditional goods, Yeonam-dong for trendy cafes and restaurants, Hongdae for music, Itaewon for foreign food, Ewha for cheap clothing, etc. And these distinctions change often. Even just 10 years ago Hongdae was the coolest hangout for young people with hip underground music clubs, but now more people talk about Yeonhui-dong or Yeonam-dong. When I was an exchange student 4 years ago those two districts weren't on anyone's "cool" radar at all.
The other provinces of Korea may become the same. A new festival or food trend may spring up somewhere and assume its role as the district's special feature. Korea's dynamic like that.
What I'm Watching
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Burning (link to trailer)
- Burning was Korea's 2018 submission to the Oscars Best Foreign Film category. It's a mystery-thriller based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, the author of 1Q84. The plot follows three people: a young man, a woman from his childhood, and a mysterious businessman with whom the woman develops a friendship. Like its title, the movie itself feels like a slow burn, and the characters' unpredictable actions keep the audience good and confused to the end. In my case that confusion lasted after the end.
Photo Link - Chocolate (link to trailer)
- Now that the North/South Korean romance, Crash Landing of You, finished Chocolate's my drama of the moment. It's about a moody couple who won't let themselves have feelings for one another because the male protagonist's best friend liked the female character. For that reason I find the main characters frustrating, but like the drama's hospice setting and supporting characters. Though I know the leads will eventually end up together and they're just making things hard for themselves in the meantime, I do enjoy seeing their relationship inch along. If you're a fan of shows that pull at your heartstrings but still maintain a light mood I recommend it! (On Netflix!)
Ha Ji-won (left) and Yoon Kye-sang (right) in Chocolate (2019) Photo Link
What I'm Reading
- The Dog Doesn’t Know / The Unknowing Dog Knows by Song Seungeon
- This is a great short poem for any of you dog-lovers. It made me smile.
- "The dog doesn't know: why you're sad today. But the dog knows: that you are sad."
- Madame Myeong-du by Ku Hyoseo
This short story alludes to many aspects of Korean culture such as shamanism, the country's impoverished past and rapid economic rise, and what I've noticed as the urge to live well for the sake of those who do not live well. What I mean by this last part is this theme I've noticed in Korean storytelling in which one party feels obliged to live a full life in return for another's sacrifice. For example, children should live well for the sake of the parents who gave up much to raise them; the same of those who's lovers leave in hopes the beloved might be better off; and of parents who give up their children so they themselves might live. This transaction is rarely optional. One party decides they will give up or they will take, while the other party must simply accept it.
Madame Myeong-du during a consultation for her shamanic advice. Photo Link
- Hyukoh
- New Album--> through love (link)
- I mentioned this band once before but their new album's fantastic and I felt it time to mention them again. Hyukoh's an indie band that rose to mainstream popularity a couple years ago with singles such as 위잉 위잉 (Wi Ing Wi Ing) (link) and TOMBOY (link). They have a chill vibe but touch on heavy topics such as religion (Jesus Lived in a Motel Room (link) and depression (Wi Ing Wi Ing). They've also written songs about simple love (Love Ya! (link) and the joy of laying in the sunshine (Gondry (link). I'm personally drawn by the depth of Hyukoh's lyrics; they're not afraid to be sad or be in love or be confused.
The band, Hyukoh. Main singer, Oh Hyuk, in front with guitar. Photo Link - Lyrics from Wi Ing Wi Ing (translated from Korean, retrieved from lyricstranslate.com)
Wiing wiing, goes the fruit fly
It flies far away as if it’s laughing at my sadness
Bing bing, the world spins
It squirms as if it’s laughing at me too
Tell me tell me, please don’t tell
The side I haven’t heard of would be better for me
Tell me tell me, please don’t tell
The side I haven’t seen would be better for me
- Lyrics from Love Ya! (lyrics show the playful banter of a couple)
Who would you save
If your best mate
And me are drowning
I’ll save my friend
Cause you’re like a monk seal
You’re like me
And I’m like you
What you’re thinking right now
It’s always the same as me
That’s why I’m so in love
I love ya! I love ya!
I love ya! I love ya!
- Lyrics from TOMBOY (about a maturing love) (translated from Korean)
The younger us
Can’t see the tree rings
Blinded by bright lights, our eyes fading out
I didn’t know well back then
The only things we had in common were our differences
Then falling into maturity
Now I resemble you
What I'm Doing (Photos)
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| February Coffees and Sweets! |
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| February Foods! |
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| My little birthday cupcake |
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| Just something I saw while walking around Seoul |
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| People wear masks often even on normal days, but they're a bit more prevalent now. If you have any questions about the virus situation ask me in a private message! |
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| People take such good care of the comfort women statue; some considerate people even provided her a mask. |
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| Hanging around Jamsil station because we can't stay inside all day, can we? |
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| Meeting friends makes my heart happy! |
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| And of course, my family means everything to me. |
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