Roam if you want to

Yikes

ywis — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:09:03 +0000

I found out today who will be replacing me at work when I leave in August. Nice guy, good friend of mine from university, though we haven’t spoken since summer. Now, I’m freaking out a little bit.

I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave my dear little baby debaters, with their cute arguments and funny phrasing. I don’t want to leave behind my lazy, beautiful mornings of reading and cooking and working out and taking pictures. I don’t want to drive to work. I don’t want to see faces that look like mine all the time. I don’t want to make the big choices and bold moves that will be necessary upon reentry into my primary career path.

I’m scared, and I’m going to miss Korea.

Good job, Camera!

ywis — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:58:20 +0000

This morning, I went to the park near my apartment to do a little photo experimenting. The objective was to learn the way that aperture setting can change how moving water appears, a bit of local preparation for waterfalls I might encounter in my travels. There’s a huge fountain in the park, the size of a small pond with a wide variety of moving water apparatuses.

Check it out!

Cool, eh?

It’s really too bad that this is such an exciting achievement for me, indicating my very low level of skill with my very awesome camera– but even if it’s slowly, I’m definitely learning, and I’m having a ton of fun doing so.

Also, the cherry blossoms are coming! There was just one tree in bloom in the park, but Seoul should soon be clouded in light pink petals.

Photo Adventure April 6

ywis — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:50:52 +0000

Real Life

ywis — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:16:12 +0000

Yes, I have been absent for way too long. Here is an enumerated list of my excuses.

1. Life is just too lifey! Seoul is no longer a place where I’m traveling, I’m just plain living here. Sure, there are exciting things seen and places gone, but it’s all so wrapped up in the daily that I’m lacking motivation to describe it.

2. Lifey life is kind of boring. Not for me, of course, but for you, my supposed blogging audience. You don’t care about paying bills at the bank or the nose picking witnessed in class. Or rather, I hope you don’t, because I don’t care to hear similar experiences from your life.

3. I’m too self-fulfilled. Writing for myself in a journal is way more satisfying than the careful edit needed to accurately portray myself here.

4. I’m busy! My days are super full with the yoga, reading, photography, walking around, and being that I’ve been doing lately. I don’t have any time to write about it!

5. Better adventures are on the way. Soon enough, I’ll have all kinds of travel to write about. Why weaken this documentation with daily grind?

6. Life was hard. I didn’t want to write about all the negative feelings I was having about living in such a strange, harsh place. I choose to be the kind of traveler who expects and reports good experiences, and I refuse to be held back by my own frustrations and culture shock.

All that said, I’m going to try and get back into this. Bryce’s new foodie blog is inspiring me, and I know I’m a better writer when I write more frequently. Besides, maybe the gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe IS interesting for someone out there!

Til then,

Ywis.

Christmas Shopping, or What is Korea?

ywis — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:31:44 +0000

I absolutely love Christmas shopping. I like thinking and looking and searching high and low to find the perfect gift, the anticipation of the recipient opening it on Christmas morning, and the shared understanding of meaning based on a physical object.

This year, of course, I’m looking to create meaning with Korea stuff. Unfortunately, Korea doesn’t really have stuff. I’m not thinking hanbok dress would be much appreciated, nor socks with cheesy K-pop bands on them. It’s frustrating! Korea, get some giftable personality please.

Hiking in Samcheongdong

ywis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:44:51 +0000

This weekend, I met up with my friend for a quick jaunt up one of Seoul’s most accessible hill/mountains. Located on the northern edge of town, Samcheong park is nestled in the hills above the palaces. The quaint surrounding neighborhood is full of cute cafes, boutiques, and bakeries, most tucked into old Hanbok-style (think traditional roofs) buildings.

Much of the fall foliage had already fallen, but the sun was shining and the air was crisp and cold. From the viewpoint at the top, the sprawling city gleamed the sun back into our faces through its usual level of fog/smog. It was quite a lovely little hike and most certainly a gorgeous afternoon.

Very cool triangular gallery near the parkPretty trees! Though mostly nekked...

Seoul shining down the hill

Update

ywis — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:16:18 +0000

It’s been ages since I’ve written anything here (obviously). But, that’s actually a good thing: I’m finally settling into a pace and pattern of life here that I like. I’m busier, spending more time socializing and exploring, and when I’m not busy, I’m relishing the time for myself. Still– I’ll try to get back into blogging mode.

For Halloween, we had a little party for the students, with a haunted house, scary Simpsons episodes, plenty of activities, and even more candy. Here’s a few pics. Cute, eh?

One of my favorite classes in their natural state

Centers of Power

ywis — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:19:57 +0000

Then:

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Inside the palace

Now:

National Assembly Building

Tokyo Day 3

ywis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:37:43 +0000

This may have been my favorite day in Tokyo. Though I wandered many different neighborhoods, there were two major highlights:

Shibuya: This is the previously mentioned trendy area with the iconic crosswalk. I returned here a few times this day, in addition to almost every night. It was just so lively and busy, exciting with the people traffic. There’s a Starbucks overlooking the crosswalk, and I spent some time there snapping pictures and watching the crowds pulsing into and out of the massive crosswalk.

Shibuya lights

Harajuku: This was another favorite of mine. It resembles Ginza in terms of being a major shopping area (with a bomb H&M, I should note), but the resemblance ends there. This is where the young people gather. On Sundays, that’s where you find the groups of girls in crazy outfits, “cosplay” or playing with costumes. That’s also where they buy their crazy outfits. The area is full of bright shops and restaurants, and seems perpetually packed with interesting Japanese teens and twenty-somethings. I returned to Harajuku the next day to do a little gallery hopping and ended up sitting in a cafe taking pictures of pedestrians for an hour.

Fun ramen shop. BTW, this is ramen like none you've ever experienced. The broth is so rich and dark, it's really quite incredible.

An awesome co-op gallery

Safe sex is so darn cute in Japan.

Tangentially, I also went by the National Diet Building on Day 3. It was unfortunately pouring rain, and the building itself was closed to the public that day. Boo. You can bet it would have been a highlight otherwise. Still:

Diet and children and rain

Back in Korea

ywis — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:18:11 +0000

Though I’m still pushing through the posts on Tokyo, two things have happened to me recently in Seoul that I feel represent my existence here (on bad days, anyway).

1. Shopping at the Gangnam Underground Shopping Center, I selected a cute plaid top from a rack. I brought it to the ajumma working, and asked, via gestures and broken communication, if she thought it would fit me. “No,” she said, and she walked away with the shirt and without another word.

2. On the subway today, an old man yelled. I believe it was at me. He was looking at me, pointing, and shouting for a good three stops before he got off. Why? I have no idea, I don’t speak Korean. But all the people sitting on my row of seats moved away, and I felt like crying as I imagined the possible meanings of the mysterious verbal assault of which I felt the victim.

Sigh.