Ice Skating at City Hall

Today I went ice skating with my friend Yunhee and this cute boy I met on Christmas day. The ice rink was pretty cool. It is outside and costs 1,000 won (less than a dollar). You can skate for an hour and get your rental skates, as well. Yunhee doesn't know how to skate, but I might make her practice. Yong was very sweet and skated around with me. The ice was too pitted and the skates weren't sharp, so it was very hard to skate. I'll go back earlier in the day.

Yunhee putting on her skates.

Yong and I on the rink.


Yunhee decided that Yong and I should have a date and she left early. Yong bought me 삼겹살, my favorite Korean food. It's like bacon that we barbecue at the table. I eat it like a veggie wrap with lettuce and other stuff, but it's also good just dipped in this oil/salt combo. Super 맛있었어요. Yong wanted to take me home, but I didn't think that would be comfortable for me. Instead, we walked around holding hands and hugged goodbye. He smelled 맛있었어요.

Just another wonderful day in Seoul.

The lovely scene.

Okay, and story one: Arrival In Korea

I arrived in Korea on August 17. I left Greenville, SC on August 16. I cried as I hugged my parents and brother. I didn't think I would have cried, but I did. I turned and went into my terminal.

Then a short flight to Atlanta and I quickly grabbed two glasses of red wine before my flight to Seoul left. It was going to a long ride.

Seventeen hours later, I arrived in Seoul. Feeling sick because the big P started on the plane and I wasn't very well to begin with. But I lived and got through customs. I did have trouble finding the EPIK people who where going to take me to orientation, but eventually I found them and a Coke Zero.

I slept on the bus ride to the University we were staying at. My room was strangely arranged. Two twin beds, headboard to headboard. I would have not liked that as my dorm at all. My roommate was very nice, though.

It was almost two weeks of making friends and getting a crash course in Korean life. The best thing was getting soju the next day in the afternoon as soon as we were released. Every night was a party at the local convenience store (and I mean party. I'm sure the locals hated us.).

At the end of our time together, I found out that I was nowhere near any of my new friends and sadly waved goodbye to them, sure I would never see them again. This was not the case.

My coteacher picked me up on a rainy day. She took me to my new apartment and helped me buy stuff and bought me a delicious dinner. It was a good start.