After [eating] our way through Yeongdeok and Gyeongju we were ready for a little more time at home, which ironically just meant more food. I managed a successful stop at the outlet mall in Daegu, thanks solely to Uniqlo and we had equal success at a buckwheat noodle restaurant in the Palgongsan area of the city. Noodles in Korea are, for me, a hit or miss. Half the time I'm bored after a few bites, but on the other hand there are times I want to dive into a never-ending bowl. I had high hopes for this one, but it was actually the ddeokdorimuk and buckwheat pancake that stole the show. I thought surely I would be able to skip dinner that evening, but shortly after arriving home I was presented with a take-out menu and asked what we should order for dinner. Magically I was able to put away a heaping plate of jokbal and of course a handful of shots to go with it, I mean I couldn't say 'no' to sampling dad's liquor collection.
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With the school year underway we're all adapting to the odd hours that is the life of a boarding don. With mornings off, and the weather still beautiful I feel compelled to be outdoors as much as possible. I'm still adjusting to the fact that I live here, and will thus have plenty of time to get out and explore, remembering that spending some of my free time from work at home relaxing, reading and blogging is okay too. Before purchasing a car being outside mostly meant walks around the GEC, not wanting to spend half of my free time on a bus, but with a car though the door to possibility opened and everything is a quick 20 minute drive away. Last week Monday I decided to test my balance of work and play with a morning at the beach.
This was my first year in Korea without a solid plan for the Lunar New Year holiday. For the first three years I lived here, I took these days off as an opportunity to travel outside the country. The first coinciding with my winter vacation to Malaysia, Singapore and Bali, while the second year I celebrated in Hong Kong. Two years ago I had a completely different experience, celebrating family style with my ex-boyfriend, his parents and even an afternoon visit Grandma's house - my first and only 세뱃돈 (New Years Money). A few students asked me if I would go home to see my family during the new year, a question I've gotten in previous years as well, but one that still surprises me. Not only do Americans not really celebrate the Lunar New Year, but there was no way I was about to do a 15+ hour round trip for a four day weekend. Funny that most Koreans consider a weekend trip to Seoul (roughly 3 hours) too long, but my 15+ commute home would be understandable. Not wanting to stay home alone for the weekend, I decided to take the opportunity and head down to Busan.
When I told my (Korean) friends that I’d be visiting Jeju again, this being my third trip, I received a lot of jealous and envious feedback. I guess it’s true that you don’t travel much in your home country because despite being a 1 hour plane ride away some of my friends have never been. I actually felt kinda bad because I wasn’t all that excited about my trip, in fact as I waited to board the plane part of me wished I were on a bus to my friends apartment in Mokpo. I get carried away sometimes and it usually involved buying airplane tickets, but then when the day comes I begin to think “Who signed me up for this?” sounds weird, I know. Nevertheless I was on my way to Jeju, first to meet a friend and then hang out and explore on my own for an unknown period of time.
Last Monday was a national Holiday in Korea - officially 석가탄신일 referred to as Buddha's Birthday, thus providing me with a three day weekend. Having the extra time I knew that I wanted to take full advantage of the weekend, so Sara and I decided to explore Geoje Island, South West of Busan, but accessible by bus. The weekend snuck up faster than expected and we had failed to look into train tickets early so we wound up on the 6:55 am train from Waegwon - really not a problem as it provided us with more time on Saturday. Travel to Geoje went better than expected and we were on the island enjoying a lunch by noon.
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AsiaKoreaWhere to start. After living on and off in this country for nearly 10 years I have memories, experiences and stories galore. I'll now always be a bit partial to the Land of the Morning Calm. Filled with delicious foods, beautiful nature and friendly people, I'm always happy to return. Archives
June 2023
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