Happy Chuseok, everyone! 메리 추석 여리분! 저는 내일 부천에서 부산까지 갈 거예요... ^^ Tomorrow I am leaving Bucheon to go to Busan... :) This will be my first trip there, and I'm so excited!
I would like to write a blog post about my adventures, but for the sake of not making the post terribly long (and satiating my current desire to write), I am going to write about the pre-trip everythings right now :)
I can't take much credit for the planning, though. My friend that I am travelling with handled it all. I'm so lucky! And inherently lazy. So I'm really lucky...
(Transportation)
But! Down to business. We are leaving from Sopoong Bus Terminal (소풍터미널) tomorrow at 5:50 pm. It's fortunate that we have a big terminal so close, because the only other terminal I am currently aware of is in Gangnam, which is to the northeast of Bucheon (ohhhh, backtracking). We just need to go down for what everyone is saying will be around 8-9 hours. It's great living so near to Seoul, but because everyone else thinks that too, it means that everyone else will also be travelling south to visit their families this weekend.
No, it isn't always that long of a trip. The traffic lengthens the bus ride, but there is also an express train, the KTX, that can get you from Seoul to Busan in three or four hours. Why didn't we choose that? It sells out pretty quickly around Chuseok, it seems. The bus is quite a bit cheaper, though. Each way costs less than 30,000 won ($28.00, maybe?). I believe the KTX runs about 60,000 won each way...
Yeah, buses! Another awesome thing about Sopoong is that it is attached to a huge shopping center, theater, and grocery store, not to mention the coffee shops running along the outside of the building. Delightful <3. So I'm probably going to swing into Kim's Club (food) to get things for the road. No coffee. No tea. No soda. Only one bathroom break. And I ALWAYS have to pee as soon as we start driving. Like clockwork, baby.
(Accommodation)
But once we get there we have a really cool hostel to stay at. And I mean, like, phenomenal. At least that's what I've heard :). It's called Zen Backpackers and is located in Seomyeon (서면), Busan. All of the reviews are more than positive, loving both the hostel and its owner. He offers tarot card reading, hand acupuncture, and a super groovy living space. If you want to check out the website for this hostel, please click here. It costs either 30,000 won or 22,000 won per night depending on the type of room you choose. There is complementary breakfast, a kitchen area with a microwave, stove, oven, rice cooker, and dishwasher, along with a good-sized plasma TV with a selection of movies to watch. He also offers acoustic guitar lessons and a few other things. I'll let you read them on the site if you're interested.
He has such a good reputation, though, because he gets involved with those who stay in his hostel. If he is free, I've heard that he'll go around and show you (or just tell you) all of the places you need to see. And the location of this hostel is another perk. It's a ten minute walk away from the subway, and right by a great neighborhood to go out in (day and night)!
(Activities)
So what are we going to do once we get there? ...I don't know, actually. Hahaha, there is so much to do! And so much to see! But this is a vacation, so I'd rather have a few things in mind and then just see what we feel like doing at the time. Reelaaaaax a bit. There are some helpful websites to look at if you ever want to go yourself.
Here are links:
Top10 and Then Some
Oh, the Places to Go
BestBest
I liked picking through those links, and I hope they will prove useful and interesting for others, as well. Ha, for the link names I just pictured my parents trying to remember which link went to which site and having to say my link titles over and over. "No, click 'BestBest'!" Haha. I am a wonderful daughter.
A wonderful daughter who is about to go on a wonderful trip.
Take care and have a great Chuseok! Or just a good weekend for those of you who aren't Korean or in Korea, and won't be practicing Korean Thanksgiving.
:)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Transportation Observations
So I've been watching for a while, now. It's easy to do, really, when you're in a foreign country that speaks a language you don't... But after six months of observing, I find it's time to share.
First: The Bus.
Buses don't like to stop. Hold on tight. Also, I've found that some of the passengers that I ride with every morning have preferences regarding which side of the bus they sit on. Sounds strange? Maybe it is. But I do understand. You see, the sun shines in really brightly from the right side of the bus in the morning. So the left side is better then. On the way home, it's the opposite. There's one woman who is usually on the bus with me, and one morning I sat next to her (left side). It was in one of the back seats. Halfway through our journey, she got up and sat two rows in front of me. I was taken aback! At first, my thoughts were, "Is she offended that I'm a foreigner? Do I smell? Is my iPod up too loud?" But this morning, she did it again. She was sitting one row in front of me (right side) and got up to move up one row (left side). My philosophy on that is that it's the morning, and I would like to move as little as possible in the morning. Apparently she and others on my bus don't share my anti-morning sentiments.
Also, when I first arrived in Korea, there was a woman I would see walking almost every morning. She has rather sharp features, really. I hadn't seen her for a few months until this morning. I saw her again! It was strangely comforting... Haha (I'm totally not creepy or anything.)
Another thing to note about public transportation is that you don't really raise your voice above a soft indoor voice. Unless you're young and with a bunch of your friends. It's best to take up as little space as possible, too. Common courtesy for those about to sit next to you. :)
Second: The Subway
Not really much different from the bus, except for the fact that it's a really smooth ride. If you stand in line with the direction of the train, you probably won't almost fall. And by that, I mean having one side of your body pointing toward the direction the train is heading, and the other pointed toward the direction the train is leaving. Don't stand facing the direction the train is going. You will end up looking like you're dancing as you try to catch your balance.
The elderly get seats before the young folks, as it should be. Most of the subway rides I've taken I end up standing. I don't really mind, though. Public transportation is like a good lullaby here. If I sit down, I will want to sleep. The subways are clean, and it's not unlikely that there will be someone walking through trying to sell something. Sometimes they're useful items, sometimes they boggle my mind.
Subways are also really fun to watch people fall asleep. Most people are absorbed into their smartphone, but sometimes you get awesome faces on the people who've passed out.
Public transportation here is quite effective. Sure, driving a car yourself or taking a taxi would be the quickest way to get anywhere, but the public transit is cheap and reliable. One thing I do hope I pick up while I'm here, though, is the ability to fall asleep and wake up right before my stop. Like clockwork. I've seen it so many times, and boy am I jealous.
That's it for this post! A bit strange, but I wanted to write something and I don't have anything fun or interesting going on until next weekend when I take a little trip to Busan :)
Bye-Bye
First: The Bus.
Buses don't like to stop. Hold on tight. Also, I've found that some of the passengers that I ride with every morning have preferences regarding which side of the bus they sit on. Sounds strange? Maybe it is. But I do understand. You see, the sun shines in really brightly from the right side of the bus in the morning. So the left side is better then. On the way home, it's the opposite. There's one woman who is usually on the bus with me, and one morning I sat next to her (left side). It was in one of the back seats. Halfway through our journey, she got up and sat two rows in front of me. I was taken aback! At first, my thoughts were, "Is she offended that I'm a foreigner? Do I smell? Is my iPod up too loud?" But this morning, she did it again. She was sitting one row in front of me (right side) and got up to move up one row (left side). My philosophy on that is that it's the morning, and I would like to move as little as possible in the morning. Apparently she and others on my bus don't share my anti-morning sentiments.
Also, when I first arrived in Korea, there was a woman I would see walking almost every morning. She has rather sharp features, really. I hadn't seen her for a few months until this morning. I saw her again! It was strangely comforting... Haha (I'm totally not creepy or anything.)
Another thing to note about public transportation is that you don't really raise your voice above a soft indoor voice. Unless you're young and with a bunch of your friends. It's best to take up as little space as possible, too. Common courtesy for those about to sit next to you. :)
Second: The Subway
Not really much different from the bus, except for the fact that it's a really smooth ride. If you stand in line with the direction of the train, you probably won't almost fall. And by that, I mean having one side of your body pointing toward the direction the train is heading, and the other pointed toward the direction the train is leaving. Don't stand facing the direction the train is going. You will end up looking like you're dancing as you try to catch your balance.
The elderly get seats before the young folks, as it should be. Most of the subway rides I've taken I end up standing. I don't really mind, though. Public transportation is like a good lullaby here. If I sit down, I will want to sleep. The subways are clean, and it's not unlikely that there will be someone walking through trying to sell something. Sometimes they're useful items, sometimes they boggle my mind.
Subways are also really fun to watch people fall asleep. Most people are absorbed into their smartphone, but sometimes you get awesome faces on the people who've passed out.
Public transportation here is quite effective. Sure, driving a car yourself or taking a taxi would be the quickest way to get anywhere, but the public transit is cheap and reliable. One thing I do hope I pick up while I'm here, though, is the ability to fall asleep and wake up right before my stop. Like clockwork. I've seen it so many times, and boy am I jealous.
That's it for this post! A bit strange, but I wanted to write something and I don't have anything fun or interesting going on until next weekend when I take a little trip to Busan :)
Bye-Bye
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
ReverseReverse
I've been having songs from the 80's and 90's running through my head like mad lately (and I raaaaan, I ran so far awaaaaay)...
This post is more of an update than anything :)
I did decide to drop my course at Sogang University. As I mentioned in the previous post, they only offer part A in the fall and spring semesters for their evening classes. Unfortunately, I need part B. It's a bummer that my level doesn't fit in with their schedule, but I will continue to study independently for now. I am considering starting to learn at a hagwon (private school) next month, though.
For more exciting news... I will be dying my hair tomorrow! Yeah!!!!!!! And yeah, still Korean hair dye. Hahaa I'm going to mix a box of what I used last time (a good friend of mine picked up a box for me, and this one ISN'T expired!) with a box of something dark. Half and half. Save the other half for the next time I need to dye my hair. I am quite curious to see if this will work or not... Oh well. At least I teach elementary school, where the kids have purple, red, and green hair (I like to think I started the trend on that last one).
We have a new principal at school, and she decided to change the greeting that students say to teachers from the usual "Hello!" (안녕하세요) to "I love you!" (사랑합니다)! She said people will laugh and be happy if they greet others like this. Well, it's true! It's really funny. And my kids are such tarts, too, that some of my sixth graders just keep on going! "Teacher! I love you! You're so beautiful!" Warms my heart. <3
Especially considering that the boy I was seeing and I have split. He has no time right now, and really, I have no patience. It sucks and it hurts more than I thought it could, but what can I do? Relationships are all about timing. What will come of us? Who knows. But! But:
At least, I want to be.
Hahaha, I love this song in every language. I'm sure those of you who know me well can only imagine the number of songs flying through my head from this situation. Most of them also from the 80's and 90's. I just can't escape it (and I raaaaan, I ran so far awaaaaay)...
Take care, everybody! :)
This post is more of an update than anything :)
I did decide to drop my course at Sogang University. As I mentioned in the previous post, they only offer part A in the fall and spring semesters for their evening classes. Unfortunately, I need part B. It's a bummer that my level doesn't fit in with their schedule, but I will continue to study independently for now. I am considering starting to learn at a hagwon (private school) next month, though.
For more exciting news... I will be dying my hair tomorrow! Yeah!!!!!!! And yeah, still Korean hair dye. Hahaa I'm going to mix a box of what I used last time (a good friend of mine picked up a box for me, and this one ISN'T expired!) with a box of something dark. Half and half. Save the other half for the next time I need to dye my hair. I am quite curious to see if this will work or not... Oh well. At least I teach elementary school, where the kids have purple, red, and green hair (I like to think I started the trend on that last one).
We have a new principal at school, and she decided to change the greeting that students say to teachers from the usual "Hello!" (안녕하세요) to "I love you!" (사랑합니다)! She said people will laugh and be happy if they greet others like this. Well, it's true! It's really funny. And my kids are such tarts, too, that some of my sixth graders just keep on going! "Teacher! I love you! You're so beautiful!" Warms my heart. <3
Especially considering that the boy I was seeing and I have split. He has no time right now, and really, I have no patience. It sucks and it hurts more than I thought it could, but what can I do? Relationships are all about timing. What will come of us? Who knows. But! But:
Hahaha, I love this song in every language. I'm sure those of you who know me well can only imagine the number of songs flying through my head from this situation. Most of them also from the 80's and 90's. I just can't escape it (and I raaaaan, I ran so far awaaaaay)...
Take care, everybody! :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Studying Korean
I think I may review what I learn on here, in order to further my practice and overall learning. Also, that way everyone can study with me!! FUN, RIGHT?! ;) Yes.
So today. TODAY! This is my first day at Sogang University. I am signed up for their evening classes which take place three days a week (MonTuesThurs) for two hours each session. The course runs 10 weeks for a total of 60 hours. It is different from what I would expect out of an evening class, though. Unlike my assumption, the evening course is not accelerated. You learn half the material that the regular class does. Yes, you only meet for half the time, so it seems fair, but it means you will need to be in school longer if you plan on taking Korean courses for a while. At Sogang, the regular courses learn book A in the first half of the semester, and book B in the second half. The evening courses only learn book A in the fall and spring courses. To learn book B, you need to enroll in the winter or summer semesters.
Still, though, when you sit back and think about it from a logical point of view, there is a day job to do. People only take evening classes (another assumption) because they have work or other things during the day. So it's good that it's not accelerated, because otherwise the students might not be able to keep up...
Anywho. Today... I have not bought my book or paid my tuition. I know the building my class will be held in, but I do not know the room number or the floor. I am going straight to the university after work today to try and get all of that sorted. They are prompt with their responses, but I felt that I needed to make sure to contact them with the question first. Like, "How do I pay my tuition?" Then, I received an email with a box of options to choose one from. Their program is supposed to be quite outstanding, though. While other schools focus on grammar, and what I would consider test-oriented nuances, Sogang focuses on speaking and communication (instead of it only being 25% of the curriculum). It is why I chose Sogang University.
But let's have a look, shall we?
Which schools offer Korean language courses? Where are they located? How often and for how long do they meet? What does it cost? Here are the stats for two universities in Seoul:
( For more locations, please click here. There is a list of universities that offer Korean courses throughout Korea, including Incheon, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, Gwanju, and alllll of those other places! Prices outside of Seoul are cheaper, although class sizes may be larger.)
*Example: Kyungbook National University in Daegu offers a class that meets during the same days, for the same hours, but it costs 1,200,000 won. The average class size only jumps to 15.
Sogang University (서강대학교)
- Located in Seoul between line 2 (Sinchon or Ewha Women's Uni stops) and line 6 (Daeheung stop).
- Exact address: 35 Baekbeom-ro Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 640,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.50pm to 8.40pm and continue for ten weeks (60 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,515,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12 students
*Sogang does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.
Yonsei University (연세대학교)
- Located in Seoul by line 2 (Sinchon stop)
- Exact address: 134 Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 750,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.30pm to 9.00pm and continue for ten weeks (90 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,616,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12
*Yonsei does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.
A third university in Seoul that I must mention is Seoul National University. The stats are essentially the same. I'm sure you could guess just by looking at the above two. But. Here is their link!
So look around if you're interested! Regular course programs are also grounds for a VISA, so if you just want to study and get away from wherever you are for a while, then maybe this is for you!
I'm off!
Take care, everyone!
So today. TODAY! This is my first day at Sogang University. I am signed up for their evening classes which take place three days a week (MonTuesThurs) for two hours each session. The course runs 10 weeks for a total of 60 hours. It is different from what I would expect out of an evening class, though. Unlike my assumption, the evening course is not accelerated. You learn half the material that the regular class does. Yes, you only meet for half the time, so it seems fair, but it means you will need to be in school longer if you plan on taking Korean courses for a while. At Sogang, the regular courses learn book A in the first half of the semester, and book B in the second half. The evening courses only learn book A in the fall and spring courses. To learn book B, you need to enroll in the winter or summer semesters.
Still, though, when you sit back and think about it from a logical point of view, there is a day job to do. People only take evening classes (another assumption) because they have work or other things during the day. So it's good that it's not accelerated, because otherwise the students might not be able to keep up...
Anywho. Today... I have not bought my book or paid my tuition. I know the building my class will be held in, but I do not know the room number or the floor. I am going straight to the university after work today to try and get all of that sorted. They are prompt with their responses, but I felt that I needed to make sure to contact them with the question first. Like, "How do I pay my tuition?" Then, I received an email with a box of options to choose one from. Their program is supposed to be quite outstanding, though. While other schools focus on grammar, and what I would consider test-oriented nuances, Sogang focuses on speaking and communication (instead of it only being 25% of the curriculum). It is why I chose Sogang University.
But let's have a look, shall we?
Which schools offer Korean language courses? Where are they located? How often and for how long do they meet? What does it cost? Here are the stats for two universities in Seoul:
( For more locations, please click here. There is a list of universities that offer Korean courses throughout Korea, including Incheon, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, Gwanju, and alllll of those other places! Prices outside of Seoul are cheaper, although class sizes may be larger.)
*Example: Kyungbook National University in Daegu offers a class that meets during the same days, for the same hours, but it costs 1,200,000 won. The average class size only jumps to 15.
Sogang University (서강대학교)
- Located in Seoul between line 2 (Sinchon or Ewha Women's Uni stops) and line 6 (Daeheung stop).
- Exact address: 35 Baekbeom-ro Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 640,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.50pm to 8.40pm and continue for ten weeks (60 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,515,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12 students
*Sogang does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.
Yonsei University (연세대학교)
- Located in Seoul by line 2 (Sinchon stop)
- Exact address: 134 Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
- Evening course fee: 750,000 won
- Classes meet three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6.30pm to 9.00pm and continue for ten weeks (90 hours total)
- Regular course fee: 1,616,000 won
- Classes meet five days a week from Monday to Friday, and run from 9.00am to 1.00pm (200 hours total)
- Average class size: 12
*Yonsei does have other course options. Please visit their website to learn more.
A third university in Seoul that I must mention is Seoul National University. The stats are essentially the same. I'm sure you could guess just by looking at the above two. But. Here is their link!
So look around if you're interested! Regular course programs are also grounds for a VISA, so if you just want to study and get away from wherever you are for a while, then maybe this is for you!
I'm off!
Take care, everyone!
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