Rainy night in Yongin
Hi friends & family
It's Sunday afternoon here in Korea. I've been here for almost two weeks and I'm finally getting brave about taking public transportation and ordering food (I was so nervous about having to speak Korean the first few days I was here, I basically ate nothing but granola bars). I've been enjoying walking around and exploring my city, but I've been so forgetful about taking pictures.
I realized that I haven't taken any pictures of any of my meals, and I've been eating some interesting things. School lunch every day is an adventure. Last week there was a soup with octopus in it, and I'm not a fan. I was starving by the time I got home from work and immediately ordered a pizza, but that ended up being disappointing. The pizza sauce is sweet? It's different. I'll be trying out different pizza places in the future to compare, y'know, for science.
It took the cats a few days to not be terrified of all the new sounds that come with living in an apartment building, but now they're doing well. I felt so bad about bringing them on that 14 hour flight so I'm glad that they've settled in okay.
On the way to the airport
My coworkers have all been really nice and helpful. Honestly, everyone I've met has been welcoming. A total stranger on the bus helped me get off at the correct stop when I was taking the bus by myself for the first time, and people in stores and restaurants have taken the time to answer my questions even though my Korean is terrible.
One of my coworkers speaks English pretty much fluently and she's been an actual angel. Last week she took me to the immigration office to help me register for my ARC and we also got lunch together and spent the day exploring Gangnam in Seoul. She even took me to the SMTown COEX Artium to see all of the SHINee things.
The buildings above are somewhat famous for their architecture. I had seen photos of them on the internet years ago, so it was a bit surreal to be walking down the street like, "hey, there they are!"
I did absolutely nothing this weekend, but as the weather gets nicer I want to get out and do more exploring. There are a few temples in my city that I want to see, and I want to start doing more weekend trips to different areas of Seoul. I kind of have to wait until I have my Korean SIM card, because right now I only have internet when I'm at work, at school, or in a coffee shop that has free wifi. If I need to check directions or check the bus schedule whem I'm out, it can be a problem. After I get my ARC, I can get my phone card and open a bank account and then I'll be a real person here.
4 comments
Good morning Nikki. I'm so glad you are doing your blog.i know you said your food has been a adventure but how is the kimchi pancake? The pictures are great.The boys look relaxed now also..And soon you will be getting around Korea like a pro !!! We are going to be getting a lot of snow starting tonight but we will see what we actually do get. Stay brave and remember you got this !!I love hearing about this wonderful adventure you are on. Love and miss you ��
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! Keep them coming. Don't forget the sweet potato cart! Monica
ReplyDeleteLove the pics. Can't wait to see some food. Keep the pics coming. Mim
ReplyDeleteSo glad you've made a good friend to help and that the cats made it safely! You're missing a big snow storm here today...though it should be called a sleet storm! Stay happy! -Laura N.
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