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So, I’ve decided to start sharing random thoughts I have about Korea in my blog.  First of all, I think one of their greatest inventions is the button at tables in restaurants that you push if you want service. It is a fantastic invention. Along with the beer cooler built into the table, another great invention that needs to make it’s way to America. 

Last weekend I went to Seoul on Friday after school to meet up with Hadley and a bunch of other foreigners for a night out on the town. Everyone who knows me well knows I like my sleep. Well, Korean culture is to stay out until the sun rises the next morning. Friday night was no exception. We did a little bar hopping, hanging out, dancing, and ended the night with Korean bbq. Hadley and I got back to her apartment at 5am… Korea is killing my sleeping schedule! Now don't get me wrong, this isn't every weekend that I stay up till the early morning, but it definitely happens. Here are a few pics from Friday night... 

 

This is so normal, to see people passed out randomly near the bars... Haha. Hadley thought it was a good photo op! 

Saturday Hadley and I headed to Myeong-dong to check out the markets. We walked around for a bit and checked out some stores. We ended up staying there for most of the day just wondering the streets and getting lost. I had to head back to Hongcheon Saturday night because I had a game early Sunday morning. When we left Myeong-dong Hads and I decided to check out Wangsimni (a subway stop where we end up meeting often when I come to town). It ended up being a really cool area that we stumbled upon! It had a neat little mall and a great outside area to hang out at. Needless to say, I think we will be hanging out there more often now!

One of the tasty treats Hadley and I ate Saturday. Potatoes on a stick... I've had them at the state fair before! 

These people with the bottles and silver and blue balloons are advertising for some "sprite" like pop. They were walking all over the markets making a scene and giving away their pop... Hadley and I had a sip and threw ours away. I'm not the pop drinker to begin with but when it's free,  I'll try it! 

This girl was in the mall in Wangsimni right outside of Starbucks. She was a "mechanical" doll type thing. She had mad skills... 

This was a tower clock in a park area right outside of the mall in Wangsimni. Hadley and I sat out here for a while to people watch.

Koreans love hanging things from their cell phones. They put little keychain looking things on them. Most cell phones here have antennas too to watch tv on their phones. It’s crazy how much they love tv, especially their Korean soap operas (Karley you would love it).  Some of their cell phones are almost as big as an iPad… those ones are crazy.  Anyways, I saw the most ridiculous cell phone decoration the other day with Hadley. This girl legitimately had a stuffed animal hanging from her cell phone… check it out!

The new replacement for my pita chips is now tofu chips that Hadley introduced to me from Paris Baguette. They were a great find Hads. I love them. When I went to Daegu to visit Kalie I was talking about them all the time and she said “Oh wow Julie, this is going to be like your obsession of pita chips all over again…” haha. Good thing they’re not expensive...

Sunday morning I had a soccer game bright and early. One of my teammates picked me up at 7:30. I didn’t get back to Hongcheon till 11:30 on Saturday night so I was exhausted to say the least. We ended up playing grandpas… I’m not kidding you. They were 60+ and 70+ teams. The team was telling me that I can’t push them… Haha. It ended up being a little mini tournament type thing. I never know what I’m getting into when I go to these soccer “games”. Half the time when I go it ends up being a couple of teams that are at the game and we play a long half with each of them. I learn to just go with it… even if I have questions, no one speaks English! The team is doing a lot better though I will say at trying to learn English. I know a handful of words now too because of them. And yes, we did beat the grandpas. After the games I took a long nap. Later that night Dajeong (the captains daughter) called and wanted to hang out with me. She’s 16 and speaks English very well. I use her as my translator a lot. I love her; she’s super nice and tells me all the gossip about the team! Haha. Here are some pictures below of a game I had a few weeks ago. Hadley and Addie (Hadley's friend I met here from Chicago) came to my game to cheer me on!

Coach talking to me... My translator, Dajeong, was there so I understood a lot more of what he was telling me to do.

Addie, Hadley, and I

Dajeong!

Daegu!

This weekend we had a three-day weekend because of Memorial Day. I went to Daegu to visit Kalie Jean. It was so much fun! I arrived late Friday night and left to go home on Monday around 1pm. Daegu is a larger city, the third largest in Korea. It can be compared to the size of Chicago. People in Daegu, I feel, are a lot nicer and genuine than people in Seoul. Daegu is super pretty where Kalie is. She lives on the southern side of the city.  Mountains surround the city of Daegu. One of the more famous ones to hike is a short bus ride away from Kalie, which is really nice. We didn’t have time to go hike it this past weekend but next time I visit we will definitely go! It was really good to hang out with Kalie and be big bums. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we’re in Korea. 

Kalie's street. Her apartment is in the white I believe to the left. There is a school to the right.

The pretty wild roses blooming randomly everywhere throughout Korea!  

Trump World. One of the most expensive apartments in Daegu. All of the students who attend Kalie's school live either here or the nearby apartments just like these. 

The nearby lake that takes about 7 minutes to walk to from Kalie's apartment. It's super cute and about a mile around. It has a lot of little restaurants and coffee shops along the path.  

To the right in the distance you can see an airplane.... Apparently that is an airplane restaurant where you eat in the plane!

These things blow air so you can clean your shoes after walking around the lake... They didn't really help Kalie's "white" crocs.

When we walked by Saturday morning they were setting up for a race, we think it was going to be a bike race.  

Kalie's school, Bono.

The random girls dancing in front of stores to promote them... They're all over Korea. 

This place brews their own beer. We obviously had to go. First time in a while I've had a beer that tasted like a beer. Haha. The beer here in Korea is subpar to say the least...  

Being awesome! 

Kalie reading the menu at the restaurant we went to eat at, little providence. This place was so cute and delicious! 

They kept bringing us more food after we were done eating... they call it having "good service." It's fantastic. The US really needs to learn to do this. Also, the amazing thing about Korea is that you don't tip, I guess it's actually considered rude; fine by me! 

One of the streets in Downtown Daegu at night. 

Kalie buying a drink in a bag, what a great invention. 

 

Naturally we went to Starbucks in the morning where I made a new friend named Jane! Haha 

I almost attempted going back there...  

Starbucks was the second and third floor!  

Kalie and I were sucked into this place because mr. snack man told us to try all the different snacks for free... needless to say we were hooked and ended up both getting a huge bag full of all different traditional korean snacks. After the man weighed our bag and told us it was 2,000 won (about 2 dollars), he asked us to pick two different bags where he took ginormous heaps of the crackers and put them in our bag for "good service" It was a fantastic place where I will be returning when I go back to Daegu! 

There were chickens, rabbits, cats, and puppies in the market...

The poor little puppies, I wanted to take them all home with me.

Kals and I sporting our new hats we bought from this little old Korean lady.  

Picture of the market from the outside 

So, I thought since Kalie has been living in Daegu for 4 months now that she would know her way around.... Nope. She still is a little challenged when it comes to directions and knowing what buses to take. After we went to the markets on Saturday we ended up unintentionally taking a 3 hour tour of Daegu by bus when we were trying to get to Costco. I thought we were never going to see the red and blue sign, when we did I couldn't believe it. 

Kalie on the escalator ramp in Costco. Both the Costco's I've been to in Korea have been two levels; one for things and one for food.

 Kalie's bedroom. We slept on the floor Saturday and Sunday night because we wanted to watch a movie before bed. Her cable for internet is only in her room. 

The laundry room 

Bedroom from a different angle 

Kalie polishing up her snack bag in the living room... 

The kitchen 

Bathroom 

We found a little hiking path near her home that we decided to hike up because the map said it was about a half mile to the top. We justified that thinking it's only two laps around the track... 

The mountain ended up being extremely steep.... 

We got super lost on our "little" hike up the mountain. Let's just say we took the path less traveled and got into some trouble. We ended up having to hop over a wire fence to find a road that leads to this locked gate across from the police station. There was no way I was hiking back up that mountain so we ended up sneaking under the gutter area to get free to the street...  it was quite an adventurous morning to say the least! 

The little mountain that we got lost on... 

The trump towers. Behind the towers is a view of the city. 

Kids come up to their roof to play, it's also where a lot of people hang their laundry to dry and often times do some gardening.  

Kalie's rooftop area. It's super nice that she has a rooftop where she can lay out in the sun, dry her big blankets, and grill some food.

The pretty drive home