2 Semesters Come and Gone

So this second semester I have been slacking in blogging. I promise next semester (my final one) I will keep up to date! For me after a while things become routine therefore I stopped blogging as often. However, as the next one is my last I think I want to document everything.

10 months have come and gone, I am now at the airport waiting for my flight back to Vancouver. I have had an amazing time here in Korea. This journey has not quite ended yet since I still have one more semester. BUT it is so nice to be heading home to my family and friends. It's been a while and I have missed them. I will definitely enjoy my time there for the next 2 months!

As for now, I will just chill out at Incheon International Airport and drink my Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks in a HOLIDAY cup and wait for my boarding call.

Happy Holidays everyone! Merry Christmas =D

Visiting a Korean Army Base :)

I had a special opportunity to visit a friend on one of the Korean army bases. I thought this was a unique and rare opportunity and I really thank my friends for asking me to come along with them. In my first semester I made many freshman friends. Quite a few of those friends entered the army in the second semester and I didn't have an opportunity to meet them anymore.

However, there was one group of guys that I had become closer friends with and they wanted to visit our friend Roscoe (성호) in the army together.

We went on Saturday December 3, 2011. The weather was chilly but it was a beautiful sunny day none-the-less. Understandably I do not have any pictures inside the base. When we first arrived at the gate the soldiers there check you in. One person from the group leaves their ID behind and we are given a visitors pass. Then we are to wait in the visitors area (a small building with tables and chairs) for our friend to arrive. Inside this building we are allowed to take pictures with our friend. We are also allowed to order take out food and eat with him.

I went along with 4 other friends MoonGu, BoHeok, HyunSu and DaJeong. We ate Korean "Chinese" food and pizza. I felt very blessed at this moment to have met so many wonderful friends at SCH and our friend Roscoe told us he was very happy we had visited him. I am glad we made his day.

International Students Play Competition

On Friday November 4, 2011 the 10th Annual Korean Play Contest for Foreigners was held at the prestigious Korea University (고려대학교). I am so happy I had the opportunity to participate in this event. I am not an actress, I try but I definitely cannot say I am talented in this area whatsoever. However, this competition gave a chance for us International Students to do a bit of acting in Korean.

I wanted to challenge myself with the Korean language. This is my second semester now and last semester the Korean Writing contest was my challenge and this semester I was happy this play competition became my challenge.

At first it was so difficult to memorize my lines. I did not know a lot of the vocabulary and the verb conjugations. However, with help from my fellow cast mates soon all of us (no matter our levels) had our lines down pretty well. Even though we were only together for a short period of time rehearsing (late into the night), I do feel we put our best performance out there and did a good job!

The trees lining Korea University!


The stone buildings that gives Korea university a classic English feel.

Annalee winning best female actress!

I am happy to say after our hard work we were able to win 2nd prize at this years festival. Overall 6 schools competed and everyone did an amazing job! It was really neat to see students from all over the world speaking Korean. One of my main goals being in Korea is to improve my Korean and to hopefully be at a conversational level before I leave. I'm working hard towards that goal and having a lot of fun along the way.

Global Village Fall 2011 Sports Festival

Every semester Global Village holds a dorm wide sports festival. It's more like relay games. This semester we were split into 4 giant teams. My suite was apart of Team D!!! After the sports festival there is always a giant fest. This semester it was held on Saturday October 15, 2011.

Massive Tug-Of-War game!

My suite mates! I was lucky enough to have another awesome suite this semester.

During one of the games we had to blow up balloons. Afterwards there were so many extra balloons we just made balloon flowers!!! As you can also see during sports festival we are given either a t-shirt or a hoodie. This year we received these wonderful navy blue hoodies, til today everyone is still sporting them around Global Village! I am one of these people, that hoodie is really comfortable.

Naksan 낙산 & Seoraksan 서락산

On the weekend of October 1 - 3, 2011 Kristen and I took a trip to the East Coast of Korea. I was so excited because that means for the first time in my life I was able to watch the sunrise off the horizon. Vancouver is located on West Coast of Canada so I have seen the sunrise surrounded by mountains (also very beautiful), but I have never see it come above the water so this was going to be very exciting.

We were also going to visit one of the famous mountains in Korea, Seoraksan. We stayed in a small city called Naksan a short bus ride away and the beach plus the temple there was gorgeous as well. Definitely a must see if you are coming to visit Korea!

My travel buddy for the weekend =)

Naksan Beach

Naksan Beach Sunrise =)

Wishing Rocks, on the way up Seoraksan

The rock face that we climbed up of.

The view at one of the "peaks"...it was a giant rock face and we're not sure if it was actually a peak, but we were high up and could see pretty far. Really gorgeous!

Foreign Students Play Competition

So I decided to join a play production for foreign students. We will be competing with other foreign students from universities all over Korea. Basically this is a chance for us exchange or international students to perform a play using the Korean language. I've only been here 8 months so my Korean speaking skills are not that good, but I would like them to improve so I decided to join this play.

Learning and memorizing lines in Korean is difficult =( We're been practicing every night for about a week now. However, I am determined that I can do this!

The show is next Friday November 4, 2011 at Korea University (고려대학교). My friend was there for exchange 2 years ago and their campus is really beautiful! I haven't had a chance to go back and visit since I have no connections to the school so I was happy to find out the competition will be there.

I cannot wait for the final product of our play. During rehearsals some good things are coming along so I'm excited!!! Wish us luck =)

Awesome Classes!

This semester I decided to take some more interactive classes than the last. Besides CID, Korean Speaking and Writing this semester I am also taking Korean Folk Music (Samulnori 사물노리), Intercultural Performance and Introduction to Korean Film.

Korean Folk Music is a pretty neat class. There are two different types of drums you can play the Janggu and Buk. The sounds of the Janggu and Buk are inspired sounds from nature. I have this class on a long day so it helps relieve stress (if you have any) and put some energy back into your day!

Intercultural Performance is a dance class. We get to learn other cultures through different types of dance styles. So far I have learned Salsa, African & Korean Traditional dance. It has been a very fun class, super difficult because I am not much of a dancer but super fun none-the-less. The teacher is amazing and is a ridiculously talented dancer.

Lastly Introduction to Korean Film! Another aspect of learning about Korean culture through film studies. This class is pretty neat because the teacher picks themes for the week and then a movie he thinks displays the theme well. Also after the movie a group will present about the topic through some outside research as well. We have a short discussion on the topics after each presentation. It's a very relaxed class but I feel you do learn more aspects of Korean culture and history through this class.

I am really loving the semester so far, I didn't think I wouldn't, but it's been a blast. I cannot believe a month or so has passed already =( Time just zooms by way too quickly.

Happy Chuseok 추석 and Mid Autumn Festival 中秋節

Today is Chuseok (추석) here in Korea. It is equivalent to thanksgiving at home. In the Chinese culture we also have a holiday on the same day (Lunar Calendar August 15). We call it mid autumn festival where we eat moon cakes, drink tea and appreciate the moon all the while being thankful for a good harvest. Korea's holiday is a bit more extensive. It actually lasts 3 days, the day before and after actual Chuseok. People usually go to the eldest son's house or the eldest person's alive house (ie. grandma/grandpa). There they eat, they might do the ancestral bowing ceremonies if they are not Christian or of any other religion that does not allow bowing to other "gods".

It's just a big time for family and train and bus tickets are booked way in advance. Traffic is unbelievably crazy, a normal 4 hour drive turns into 10 hours during this holiday.

I chilled in the dorm today but a friend of mine was able to bring me some moon cake so I can celebrate the Chinese way. One day it would be nice to see how the Korean's celebrate this lovely holiday but for now I only know tidbits.

So for all my Korean friends out there 추석 잘 보내세요! And for all my Chinese friends out there 中秋節快樂!

Another Chapter Begins SCH Fall 2011

I am alive and well! I am returning to my blogging life. I think I will post once a week unless something moves me to post more than once.

Another semester has started and we have another great group of people. This time the Canadian numbers are upped =) There are 5 other students from my school here, YAY! Not that I wasn't getting along with the other people just fine BUT having that little piece of home nearby helps.

I am in a new suite with a completely new set of students, I will meet all of them tonight during our suite party. My roommate is really nice, once again. I actually met her quite a few times last semester so the familiarity I think also makes it easier for us to fall into place as roomies. Here's to another great semester with a group of fantastic new people!

I can't wait for things to start and get a rolling. SCH Fall 2011 ready, set, go go go!

Summer Break

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write an entry...

I have not fallen off the face of this planet I am still alive and well!

After the semester ended things just became some what crazy. I went to Thailand for 10 days and then there was a lull back at SCH where I did nothing for about 3 weeks. I joined an International Forum (at SCH) where we able to discuss and meet new friends from a partner school in Nanjing, China. After that the 3 weeks of Summer camp began and before I knew it here I am in Taiwan.

This summer has flown by and there were those amazing highs and of course the lows where I had to say farewell to some really really really good friends that I made during this semester. I think we will meet again so 이따봐! (That means see you later.)

I will regularly start posting again as semester number 2 will begin soon. A new group of people and another new exciting 4 months. Until then I still have a stop in Hong Kong before I head back to GV.

Happy Summer everyone!

Winding Down the Semester & Farewells :(

June 10 - 14, 2011

The semester has pretty much ended. It was super busy with my last final exams from Korean class and then saying good bye to everyone who will not be returning next semester. Since I was leaving on a trip to Thailand on Wednesday June 15, I had to say goodbye to many wonderful people I have met this semester. AND have a final suite dinner with my lovely and very awesome suitemates! I was very lucky to have such a wonderful suite and am even more lucky to have such an amazing roommate!!! It was really hard saying good bye but with technology these days its not that hard to stay in touch =D

My Korean Speaking and Korean Writing Teacher

Kristen and I won "The Best Exchange Team" Awards, we're not too sure what they used to evaluate that but we won and our prize was 30 000won to Pizza Hut. We enjoyed a fabulous meal with Sarah, Tim and Maggi!

The next day Maggi, Tim and Kristen took me to On The Border (a Mexican restaurant that is from America). It was delicious. It's pretty funny how I've eating so much Mexican food here compared to home. I mean I do like it and I eat it in Vancouver too but I've definitely had more in this period of time. On the Border is located in COEX, a shopping mall & convention center located in the Gangnam area.

I also seem to have ice cream after almost every meal here (lunch/dinner). But how could I resist Strawberry Haagen Daz ice cream!!!

MONDAY - The last CID class filled with lots of flag signing and picture taking.

It was also the last time hanging out in the exchange lounge

My roommate and suite mate So Eun!

TUESDAY - The semester started with a gathering at EZ's and it seemed appropriate to end off the semester too =) Before I had a good dinner with K-Fo, Bo Hyuk, Jae Geon and Fregie!

It has been a great semester. I am sad this one is over but having made so many new friends around the world it has been really fun.

Much love to everyone from this semester! I hope to cross paths again in the future =)