Let's Go!

So I've already checked out Columbia University last March with Brandon, and we both loved it :D. However, I was a bit iffy about it since, of course, I'm a California girl, and I love warm weather, and the whole snow in March thing just doesn't sit well with me. Well, I guess snow is a sacrifice for the great school that Columbia is, but still, I like the warmth of the sun that comes in January :). Therefore, I headed down south about 2 hours to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to see about their graduate program in Master's in International Relations and Pacific Studies.

Esmeralda and arrived in SD about 7PM after dropping off my aunt, Sr. Angie, in Lake Elsinore. We stayed at Jessica's apartment that she was subleting. We put our things down and relaexed a bit before going out. We went to about 5 places, and one by one we found out they were ALL CLOSED. Apparently, everything closes around 9-10 on a weekday in SD. -_- not a good sign...But finally we found TGIFridays that was open until midnight so we were able to get ourselves some dinner...at 10:30 at night -_-# We then wanted to rent a video...but we weren't surprised to find out that blockbuster was also closed.

The next day, Jessica tooks us with her to UCSD (she's working there as a researcher's assistant or something engineering-ish), and then Esmeralda and I walked down to the IR/PS building. The program's school is pretty small, with a main circle and buildings surrounding that main circle. But the program itself is unique as it specifically focuses on studies on the Pacific Rim. Its also best for Californians seeing as that tuition for a California resident is about 3$0,000. The UC system is always the best bang-for-your-buck :D. When I visited, the school just felt right, like I could really see myself studying there, a feeling I didn't quite get at Columbia (or maybe I was just overwhelmed by its grandeur lol) The assistant admissions director was really nice and excited to tell me all about the school. Hmm, well she was also Filipino, so maybe its another reason we got a long. I had done a lot of reading up on the school and the program is defintiely up there on there on the places I want to apply to. The program seems also very close knit, and the asst. director told me that she can name about 90% of each class. The program fosters community as much as it does academica and preparation for professional work. I think I can get used to that :)

Sadly, it was a gloomy day in San Diego, so the beach was ruled out :(. Instead, Esmeralda and I found two comfy seats next to a coffee table in the Giesel Library and slept there until Jessica got off of work.

So that was the extent of our trip to San Diego. No, we did not go crazy and party at the base or crossed over to Tijuana (although I threatened that to Esmeralda if she misbehaved, because she didn't bring her pasaporte) but, our trip was enjoyable. It was actually my first road trip on my own, without my parents. The drive was killer! When we arrived in SD I was so tired! Then I was just as tired when I returned home. We were also in SD when we found out Michael Jackson died. Which was ironic because we were just talking about him the night before. That, and because Esmeralda had missed school at UCLA...which is where the King of Pop had died. Oh the irony -_-.

Hello there! After almost three weeks here in New York, I'm on my way home! Lol Its funny because most of my family is on an airplae going somewhere. My sister is on her way to Seattle and my cousin is flying to New York as we speak on the same airline I'm travelling. We decided to wave to each other in the air lol.

Its always interesting to see who are sitting at the departure gate. When I leave for New York, its usually full of business people and the occasional hillbilly who wants to see the big city and take picture of the Statue of Liberty. However, the departure gate to Los Angeles seems to always have the same array of people. You have the giddy tourists who dress for their occasion wearing summer wear...even if it is the dead of winter. These tourists are easily spotted wearing brightly colored clothers. You have the princesses with their matching suitcases and dolled up faces and the moment they hit the airport theyre going to beverly hills for shopping ::rolls eyes:: this girl (or boy lol) can easily spotted talking non-stop on her cell with her newly manicured nails at the airport spa. You have the casual business people who have unbuttoned their first button and wear jeans with a briefcase. and then theres a bunch of people like me, twentysomethings who have finally learned how to travel light and comfortably.

hmm well it is time to board so time to go!!!

oh god help me....a crying baby...

My family is just really interesting, in that one person gets an idea and then within a few minutes...we're actually going to do it lol. My aunt had to meet her niece in Maryland in order to give her something because she is going to the Philippines in a couple of weeks. So my aunt mentioned to my second cousin and our plans to take a bus down, but my cousin insisted that we drive instead. So guess what... we did! My two aunts, my uncle, cousin, my second cousin and her husband and three kids all piled into her Honda pilot for a 3 hour drive from Northern Jersey to Maryland. We left NJ around 9pm and got in around 12:30. If you counted up the people...yes there were more of us in the car than there were seat belts...but as my family puts it..."we're cowboys", meaning we can do anything and sleep anywhere lol.

The next day we went to church and they headed over to the Harbor in Baltimore. We ate crabs at Phillips'Seafood and then called Auntie Joy to rub it in that we were in Baltimore eating crabs lol (hahah family joke :P). She then told Uncle Alex, "Oh honey I want to go to Baltimore to eat crabs!". It was a pretty humid day and one of those convincing factors that I love LA weather so much more than anything else lol. I saw shirt that had "pepsi cola" written in Korean...but of course it was spelled wrong lol, but it was cool anyways. We spent some time exploring the harbor, and then we headed back to New Jersey. We stopped in Atlantic city on the way back, and ate Julie Mae (my cousin) and I walked along the boardwalk while her parents went gambling in the casino and my second cousin and her family went window shopping. From Atlantic City to North Jersey took about 2 hours and we got back around 1:00. We passed through a friend's hometown, and I thought "hey that's Anne's city" lol so I texted her. Of course I texted her, I was sitting in the "American Row" as the backseat of the car was dubbed as the three of us were glued to our cellphones and iPods texting the outside world lol.

Then two days later, I was back in New Jersey! I took the D train to the A train and then took a bus from Port Authority to Six Flags. Then Brandon met me there and then we picked up Anne and Tom at a nearby Wawa's, which I think its a look chain of 7-elevenish type of store. They dropped off their car at the outlets close by, and then we freaked out because we thought the police was following us out of the parking lot hahahaha! We then went to the park. It was cold and on and off showers throughout the day, which in a way worked in our favor because there wasn't as many people in the park, thus making the lines that much quicker. The park was very similar to magic mountain at home in Valencia, but it was still tons of fun :D. One thing that was really annoying is that you could take absolutely nothing on the rides, and you had to put it in a locker. But you could only access the lockers once, and so if you wanted to carry your stuff with you, you would have to pay a dollar every time you went to a ride. SOOO LAAAAME!! So we put all our stuff in a locker therefore not so many pictures in the park T_T. We actually went all the the big rides and then when we were done we're like "um so now what do we do?"

So after we went to get sushi at a place near Anne's house and ordered a boat but it didnt come in a boat T_T. Lol but it was good anyways. When the bill came we spent like 20 minutes trying to figure out how to split it up and then we realized that we didnt figure in tax HAHAHAHAHA! oh god ._. Then we went to Toys R Us to digest...and play with the bikes Hahahahha! We then finished the night and had ice cream at Friendly's. Then said goodbye because WE'LL NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN. lol. I stayed at a friend's house in NJ then made my way back to the Bronx the next day :D

Hello everyone! I'm writing from Middle River, Maryland after a 3 hour car ride from Rochelle Park, New Jersey. One thing you should learn about filipinos is that we can say that's theres room in the car but in reality emeans the two youngest get to share a seatbelt lol. imagine 10 people 3 generations in one car. lol fun times with the family :) anyways...the car ride was a bit tortureous with all of us sucking out the oxygen at the same time lol. but we made it all in one piece so all is right in the world once again.

ever since I came to new york I never realized how much family I had here on the east coast. but I have a bunch of second cousins and cousins of cousins that live here lol. and I've met a couple for the first time! lol life is interesting like that :D

Hello everyone and greetings from New York! My trip here isn't exactly a vacation, as I am actually here to stay with my uncle as he recovers from surgery. But, I've had an opportunity to experience a bit of the city while I've been here. Friday, I was able to meet up with Caryn in the Bronx at the New York Botanical Gardens. The flowers were beautiful and it was the only nice sunny day that week ^_^, talk about luck! We went to the conservatory and then took the tram around the garden. We got off at one part where we could see endangered species...but it turned out that we could only see one room hahahaha! So we waited about 20 minutes for the next tram to come around. We also saw a really cute bird hopping around kinda strangely...then it pooped as we were staring at it :P But the flowers were beautiful and made me love spring that much more, which is a lot to say because I love winter. It was so much fun just hanging with Caryn again, and sometimes I feel like I talk more to my friends from Korea than the ones I do at home, no offense you guys! :P

Actually, I've enjoyed my time here as a non-tourist because you live a life instead instead of snapping photos of it. First thing I noticed about the bronx is the different spanish that they speak. Well, I mean you can still understand it but the the speed and how the speak is much different. Most of the spanish speakers here are from the Dominican Republic. So not only do they speak different spanish, but they also look more African-American than they do Hispanic. So I'm always like WHOA, who was that?? Lol. Here, there are also much more Africans speaking African languages, which is interesting because as much diversity as there is in Los Angeles, you don't here the different African languages as often. So, the diversity here is much different. I love the walking lifestyle, and I think if Los Angeles had an actual consistent public transportation system, we (when I say we, I actually mean myself) wouldn't be so fat hahahaaha ^_^.

So that's my update for now, more later ^_^

San Salvador, El Salvador

Well, I always like oto do some kind of update at the airport, so I think I'll make this a short one just to say i updated here ^_^

Today we woke up early to go see the Cathedral where Monsignor Romero's crypt lies. We didn't get to go to the crypt, but the catherdral itself was very nice. Dr. Gary was commenting on how all the paintings and statues depicted Jesus as a pasty european, when everyone knows that Jesus was middle-eastern. But anyway...afterwards we had breakfast and then headed over to the airport. Not too eventful, but nevertheless, im here at at the airport. Our flight is at 1pm.

usually i use this time to reflect on the trip or just soak up everything that has happened. However, I feel that nothing matches more than the excitement that I felt the night I wrote about the elections. To my friends back home, who are the children of those who were here during the civil war, and to see how attached and excited they were for this election was amazing. I've said it so many times, but I'm so honored to be here at such an historic time in El Salvador's history.

So now as I leave, any final thoughts? I thought it was strange that it was my first time really being in a spanish speaking country. I love languages, like i've always said, so it was actually quite fun being able to use my spanish that i learned such a long time ago. I was actually pretty comfortable using it, and realized i should since i studied for three years, much longer than anything else ive studied hihihihi. Oh, im also covered in bug bites. but more on that another time ^_^

I am sticky, dirty, grungy, smelly, and overall swollen tired, but today has got to be one of those days where I will tell this story till the day I die. So wow, where to start?

We woke up today around 4:00am in order to be set and ready to go to leave at 4:35. We arrived at the central plaza of sensutepeque a little before 5:00am and waited for the JRV (Vote Receiving Board) to come and set up their voting booths. It was still very early morning, and the sun was not up yet, so the groups began setting up by flashlight or using the street lights. There is a whole procedure that is needed to ensure that the votes are counted correctly and fairly, and so I was there to observe and ensure that no fradulent acts were committed. Not like the police or anything like that, but mainly, the TSE (the tribunal that is in charge of the election system) feels that a neutral observer could place some pressure to create a transparent election. But continuing with my story, I observed three tables, and the main one i focused on went off without a hitch. The other two seemed confused from the get go, but other than that, they were able to be ready for votes at 7am.

The day continued with walking back and forth from the tables and noting any strange occurences. The voting was pretty clean, despite what each party said about each other, and the those at the table were very decent in working with each other. We had about 45 minutes break for breakfast, and we walk to a house about 4 block away from the center plaza. After breakfast, I was allowed to go to church, so I attended mass at the Santa Barbara church which was right in the central plaza as well. After, I returned to my post, and was on and off observation and breaks until the closing at 5pm. Like I said, there wasn´t much trouble with my booths, but there was plenty of commotion going on everywhere else. From catching expired ID cards to campaiging within 100m of the voting area, its your typical election.

The polls then closed at 5pm, and immediately after, the ballots were counted. The specific group I monitored was 140 votes for ARENA and 78 votes form FLMN with 1 impuned and 1 abstained. They count the votes one by one, and it was funny to hear their comments about each other, being all in good fun of course. FMLN would count 1 vote for their party and then the ARENA rep would say (1 vote for Cuba, 1 vote for communism). It took them forever to put everything away, but mainly because they were confused about the process and what not, but as long as they get it done and get it done correctly. I then escorted the sealed ballots to the counting center and then met up with the rest of the observers as we waited for results.

The counting was done in a theatre, which was in the middle of a street. If you go up the street you´ll be met be met by ARENA supporters, and the other side, FMLN. The two had a cheer off you could say, and it kinda makes you want to say ¨GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL!!¨We scoffed when the FMLN started chanting ¨Si Se puede (yes we can)¨, which of course, had been coined by the Obama campaign. It was even funnier because ARENA said the same chant. Then FMLN started saying Ïts okay to cry¨and then ARENA responded ÿou already lost¨, many of their cheers being comparable to that of a high school cheer off lol.

We then went to dinner, and watched TV to hear the rest of the results from the rest of country. As of right now, the race pretty much belongs to FMLN with 90% of votes accounted for and 51% belongs to Mauricio Funes.

To be here in El Salvador and to actually witness a real significant change in the country is amazing. Many have been waiting for this change in political parties for 20 something years, and for this to occur can be comparable to how many african americans felt when obama won. When Funes came on TV today and thanked the international observers who came, I was shocked of how much our presence means to the people of the country, and it gave me chills to think I may have in some way helped contributed to this momentous occasion. The streets after a proposed winner was called, was filled with fireworks and horns honking and the FMLN campaign teams running through the streets with flags. Everyone here is just excited for a new government, and they believe its finally time for a change.

So, even though I smell soo gross and im sweating liking no other, today was amazing, and I can´t wait to see how today will change the future of El Salvador.

background of what´s going on here:http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/13/el.salvador.election/index.html

Greetings from Sensutepeque, El Salvador! I´m here with Dr. Roberts and Adriana and tomorrow we will be International Observers for this epic election. Right now we are staying in a seminary about 5 minutes driving distance from the central plaza where the voting polls are situated.

So today, we woke up around 4:30 and were on the road to Sensutepeque by 5. This town is about maybe an alomst 2 hour drive away from San Salvador, and is also about couple miles away from the Hondouras border. We arrived here around 9 after stoping in San Pedro (i think) for breakfast. Right after our arrival we headed towards the center of town to meet with the FMLN headquarters for a Q and A session. Their major concerns are that ARENA may try to pull many fradulent acts such as bussing in Hondourans to vote under false names or switching around the voting areas, which was an accused tactic that they has used in the January preliminary elections. The FMLN is very hopeful that there can be change in the current government which they believed has failed them for the past 20 years, and they hope that this will be the election to do so. The headquarters itself was vibrant, fully decorated in their partý´s official color, red, and people were constanting running in and out working on final details of the tomorrow´s elections. Alongside their FMLN flags were also displays of Che Guevara and the Cuban flag.

After our visit to FMLN headquarters, we then went to the ARENA headquarters. The head of campaign was late, so we waited for about 20 minutes for him. The headquarters was pretty quite, and few people walked in and out. it was definitely quieter than the FMLN headquarters. Inside was painted the party´s colors of red white and blue along with pictures of the past 4 el salvadorean presidents, who have all been from the ARENA party. The ARENA´s main concern is the violence that FMLN may bring during the election, and their fear that if FMLN wins the election, that the country will become a communist state. ARENA usually wins the Sensutepeque municipality.

we then went back to the seminary for lunch, and then afterwards met with a social organization and listened to their opinions about tomorrow´s elections. everyone here seems to be glad of our presence (although we know its not a unanimous feeling) and are counting on us to ensure a transparent election.

afterwards, we went to the central plaza where preparations were being made. booths were being set up and streets were being closed off. I was able to walk around with Dr. Roberts and Adrianna and we were able to just saunter around and see the truer side of El Salvador. We then returned back to the seminary and had a final debriefing of tomorrow´s events.

im both excited and scared and nervous about tomorrows elections. as an observer i have to remain neutral, but one cant help but choose a side. its been interesting to hear both sides of the story, especially hearing the older generations who have lived through the civil war. yesterday, we were talking with a woman who had lost many family members during the war. she told us that she hopes that this will be a change for her country and she hopes that this will be the election where they will see victory. she was explaing all her hardships which she believes has been caused by the lack of sufficient governing by the current administration.

being here in el salvador at this time and playing an important role in the election process is an experience that is completely and utterly amazing. i know i say this all the time that my experiences are amazing no matter where i go, but stil this is something that will be a story i will tell for years to come. no matter who wins, this election symbolizes where both el salvador and potentially central america is headed for as far as politics. you can feel the excitement of all the people here, and every corner is plastered in propaganda from both parties. although the american elections were exciting, this election is one that cant even be compared. everyone has an opinion, and everyone feels so strongly about their position. every other car has either a FMLN or ARENA banner and posters are everywhere. Tomorrow is going to be amazing and I´m so honored to be a part of it.

Its getting much more exciting here in San Salvador as we start closing in on Sunday's election. I hope you've gotten a chance to read up on El Salvadorean politics, even though I'm kinda of pertrubed that this morning when I went on CNN the first thing that was up about the DNA findings that all the last Romanovs were killed by the Bolsheviks (which happened almost a century ago, and most people already assumed that anyways), and not the latest preparations for El Salvador's elections. But anyways...

Today we went to Equipo Maiz (http://www.equipomaiz.org.sv/HisTodo.html)<-- Sorry, this site is only available in spanish but Google Translate will give you a somewhat decent translation of the site. Its a group that tries to educate the masses of the politics and history of El Salvador. We learned about the roots of their current problems in El Salvador, and many of it comes from years of colonization and the fight for who has right to the land. The politics involved is complicated, and this elections goes beyond just the current economic situation and the poverty struggle in El Salvador. Its linked to years of civil war and human rights violations, and the US has played a major role in changing the dynamics of this country's politics.

There are two major parties with candidates running for president: FMLN and ARENA. ARENA is the incumbent, and has been for the past two decades. This year FMLN has a strong candidate and the potential to create a change in the party in power for the first time in 20 years. There is so much going around each party, and the propaganda used by each party is both creative and hilarious. FMLN has a billboard that says "Vota con Sabiduria no votes por el ex-policia" (Vote for wisdom, not for an ex-police [a reference to ARENA's candidate participation in the police] and they use the policeman character from the Simpson's. The ARENA party has retaliated and have made flyers stating that a vote for the FMLN party is allowing El Salvador to be run by another Hugo Chavez. Today we were able to visit the FMLN campaign headquarters, but not the ARENA one (they were closed). Today is also supposedly the last day to campaign, but these offices show no signs of shutting down until the last day of elections.

After those visits and lunch, we then went to Instituto Universitario de Opinion Publica (IUDOP) from the University of Central America, where we learned about the latest public opinion polls of the election. The polls pretty much solidified the information we already knew about the current trend in El Salvador. Many Salvadoreans believe that there is more poverty than before, that crime has gone up, and that there country is not improving. There is little confidence in the TSE (the group in charge of the electoral process) and many fear that there will be fraud in this election, although they are unsure of what kind of fraud will take place. There has been suspicions that the ARENA party has allowed foreigners from neighboring countries like Nicaragua and Honduras to come in and vote, other suspicions have been that names of the deceased have been put on the registered voters list. Continuing with more of the opinion polls, 60.5% of the population believe that ARENA should not continue running the country and 59% believe that FMLN is ready to assume power. Our speaker was very informative and gave us a better understanding of where the Salvadoreans stand so far on the election.

After the talk, we went to the site where the November 16, 1989 assassination of 6 Jesuit priests and 2 women occured. We first we were in a museum type of place where there was a collection of the priest and women's belongings and their story. In addition, there was also a collection of Archbishop Romero's clothing. Currently, there is a rose garden planted in memory of the Jesuit priests. The roses are planted in the spot where the bodies of these priests were found. These men amongst many others were killed during the civil war in El Salvador that occurred during the 80s. The room where the two women were killed was also available for visiting, and we were told that the room is available for prayer, but I would hope that in the future they would close this room off in memory of those two women.

Today was definitely a plateful. From the morning to evening, I have been trying to piece together the complex and tragic history of El Salvador, and how much of it climaxes to this Sunday's election. The struggle for liberty, freedom, and justice in the country has been hard and many have died in pursuit of these goals. Monsignor Romero said "Si me matar resucitare en el pueblo salvadoreno" (If I die, I will rise again in the Salvdoreans), and I feel that this sentiment is being lived and hoped for in today's politics. Many Salvadoreans are hoping for change in the government and in their country, and to live out the El Salvador that people such Monsignor Romero hoped and died for.

Tomorrow we begin our Election Observation Training. We will be in amongst other international observers who are here to ensure a legitimate election takes place. Being here as an American is both exhilarating and honor, yet also patriarchal in a sense. Of course we want to take part in such a momentous occasion in El Salvador's history, yet by coming here we assume that the elections will be fraudulent. Even though there is a resounding opinion that yes there will be fraud, it still makes one wonder, "Well does anyone send election observers to the United States?".

Its been quite a long day and reaching almost 1 am here in San Salvador. My head has been spinning as we listened to speakers, and I've been trying hard to translate what they say in Spanish before the English translation is given. I've remembered a lot, surprisingly enough, and I still have some reading skills which I applied as I tried to read the morning paper. I realized that this is the first time I've been to a Spanish speaking country. Actually, this the first time where I've been to a country and I've formally studied the language for longer than one semester ^_^. But anyways, I'll be back tomorrow to update once again!<input ... ></input><input ... >

Bienvenidos a El Salvador! I'm here in San Salvador, El Salvador and the weather is beautiful! I thought it was going to be extremely humid but its ben great so far, a great extension of spring break! So anyways, its about 5:30 central time here, and we just got back from getting our documents. I am here with a group from my college, and we're here to observe the elections in El Salvador this week. I'll update more in the politics when I've got more time this evening ^_^.

We left Los Angeles close to midnight last night and arrived this morning in El Salvador around 5am. Lol, I realized as we landed that this is the first time I've been to a Spanish-speaking country. ^_^. So immigration took a little longer than expected for some reason, and they really take their time to read our passports. Then they asked me questions like "Are your parents American?". I thought it was an awkward and possibly a trick question. If I said no, and said they were from the Philippines would they stop and ask more questions? Lol, well their nationalities are technically "American" so I avoided more questions and limited what I said anyways. lol. That question kinda stuck with me and I kept thinking, well, what am I anyways? blah, anywyays, we also had to pay a 10 dollars for a tourism card. BOO. lol.

We then took a 45 minute bus ride into the city and then checked into our hotel. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant and ate pupusas, which a traditional food in el salvador. I ordered in spanish, but he thought I ordered a coke instead of coconut juice TT_TT. le sigh. Dr. Roberts made us a proposal that we should see how long we could go without eating or drinking anything from America. AHHH, so starting tomorrow I shall take the challenge. voy a tomar y comer salvadorena cosas!

So now we are going out in a couple minutes to have some pupusas so I'll update later! ^_^

Spring Break 2009

So I'm waiting for my departure flight to LA from JFK at gate 7, so I figure I have the time, might as well update my journal! This seems like its going to be long, so I probably will have to continue on the airplane lol.

On Wednesday, Uncle Mike had the day off so we went caught a matinee broadway show. We watched Guys and Dolls starring Oliver Pratt and Lauren Graham (from Gilmore Girls).I love musicals! This was one was just especially good because it was just one of those shows where you don't want the intermission to come and just want the story to keep going. The music and dancing was wonderful and, really, there is nothing else like broadway ^_^.

Aftewards, it was around 4pm so we had about three hours to kill before we met my cousin, Ate Julie Mae. So my uncle and I took the subway to Radio City Hall, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. We took several pictures, then headed back to Koreatown for dinner with Ate JM and her boyfriend, Mike. We ate a restaurant called Kum Gang San and had kalbi, bulgogi, jap chae, and haemulpanchan. (google those for explanations lol). Food was delicious!!!! They gave us this dessert and we had no idea what it was, but it was like a sour ice cream? Ahhh Korean food! I've the most korean food here in New York than I ever did in LA hahaha! After dinner, we headed back to the Bronx to sleep early ^_^

The next day, March 5, was Gaylie's birthday! Happy Birthday Gaylie!!!
My uncle and I caught a Chinatown bus (bus that actually operates between chinatowns lol) to Washington DC. The bus ride was about 4 hours, so similar to the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I didn't mind the ride so much because I slept most of the way. However, in the seat behind me was this lady talking nonstop (literally) in Mandarin, and was probably having a fight with someone because I recognized some words...and I only know the bad words (lol thanks Wang Hu...) So ANYWAYS.... we arrived in DC somewhere around 1pm and then headed off to see the monuments. We were able to see the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Basilica located next to Catholic University of America. I loved DC!! It was definitely slower paced than New York, but enjoyable nonetheless. It seemed to be bustling with politics, and it was everything that my friend have always described DC. I hope I get an internship there! That would be amazing! To save time, my uncle and I took taxis from place to place and so we were able to cover alot of ground within a few hours. We missed the Chinatown bus by like 5 seconds, so we ended up taking a literally last minute business class train ticket home. Our tickets were bought at 8:43 and we left at 8:45. The train ride was about 2 hours, and everyone on the train was attached to their computers lol. When we got to Penn station, we ended up taking a taxi home.

Then on Friday, March 6 ,was my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

This time instead of the Chinatown bus, we took a greyhound bus from Port Authority from New York to Philadelphia, PA. We made two stops in New Jersey before arriving in Philly. The trip was much shorter, it was about 2 hours. When we arrived, we searched for a map, and then took the subway station on the Liberty Bell and the Constitutional Hall. The subway system is ridiculous because you can only go north or south and east and west bound are not clearly marked anywhere, and if you get on the wrong side, you have to go up to the surface, cross the street, and then go back down. And if you go in the wrong direction, you have to pay to go to the other side. UGH!!! Anyways, Liberty Bell was definitely smaller than you thought it would be, and other than it having a historical significance, it wasn't something that amazing hahahaha. Then around 4, we headed to the City Hall to meet Caryn, Brandon, and Anne. The shuttle that was supposed to take Caryn never arrived, so she had to public transport. Lol, it reminded me of this time in Korea where Mike and I were waiting for Caryn at Hongdae for 45 minutes. HAHAHAHA!! =D Oh Caryn!! While we were waiting, her friend, Franchesca, met us there too. She's filipino, lol, yes I had to mention she was filipino. Anyways, so we chatted until Caryn arrived. AHHH CARYN I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!! Caryn came with her friend Eddie, who looks like Tae Yang from Big Bang Then a few minutes later, we saw Anne with her boyfriend, Tom, and Tom's roommate (sorry roommate I didn't catch your name!). We stopped by an apartment, I'm not sure whos, and then Caryn's friend Nichole came. We then walked for about 20 minutes to Jim's Cheesesteak, because you should eat a philly cheesesteak when you come to Philadelphia! ^_^. And apparently, you have to eat it with cheese whiz to make it authentic, but Caryn thought thats utterly disgusting hihihihi. So dinner was rushed because I had to be at the train station by 7 and we met at 4. ::sigh:: AH!! But to see my Korea-Abroad friends again was so nice. I missed you guys so much, and I'm bummed we didn't get to spend more time together!! But now I have a legit reason to be friends with TOM!! HAhahaha That, and now I know Tae Yang. lol. It was nice getting to reminisce about our GS Runs and cheap Korean food and HO BAR with Caryn. AHHH!! So around 6:00 we raced towards the subways station on 5th street so that I could get to the train station by 6:30. We were racing and then taking pictures, and we were able to take at least 1 picture of all of us together ^_^. I madei t just in time to throw 2 dollars at the lady to let me through the turnstile. I looked outside the train and grabbed the doors as they closed as I waved goodbye at my friends TT_TT. So Korean Drama ^_^. At least I didn't cry this time lol. I then met up with my uncle at gate 3 for the train to New York, and then headed back to New York.

Now I'm here in the airport and what perfect timing, they're starting to board! I hope all my friends on the East Coast can make out to LA sometime soon! But until then we'll continue to keep in touch! (THAT MEAN YOU TOO CARYN!!!!!!)

today I had fun just getting lost in the city!!

so, first I met brandon at columbia university to get information about the graduate school and tour the campus. it was so weird but really cool to actually go school shopping for graduate school. ahh we're getting old so quickly!! as we walked around we tried figuring out what to do with the rest of our lives and figured out that we have no idea hahaha!! so anyways...

we headed off to union square area so we could met with crissy, one of my best friends from elementary school. it is pretty neat to have my friend from way back when from LA meet a friend that I met in korea that's from jersey and we all meant in new york for pizza =D. its just so amazing lol.

after lunch brandon and I headed over to uniqlo in soho. lol there were also a bunch of japanese taking pictures in front of the sign hahahaha!! we went shopping for a bit, and I love that uniqlo is just as reasonably priced in the US as it was in both korea and japan. lol

then after uniqlo we headed over to the serendipity which was conveniently located near 59th st. we had their frrozen hot choclate which was huge but equally delicious. lol I wanted to go to this café ever snce I saw the movie by its namesake "Serendipity" which means a fortunate accident. you know me I love visiting random sites. lol they also totally gauged the prices due to its popularity and basically paid 7 bucks for chips and melted chese which I couldve easily made at home. but that's what I get for being a tourist lol. but we enjoyed ourselves reminiscing about our time in korea and all fun times we had in seoul =) and listening to brandons secret stories of seoul hahahaah!!!

after the café we parted ways on the subway and I headed back on line 4 to the bronx. im totally getting used to this subway business. so used to it that I fell asleep hahaha! but it was ok. then I met uncle mike at the hospital. we had italian food at the restaurant then headed back home.

tomorrow we are going to watch a show on broadway and then celebrate ate julie mae's birthday near koreatown! yay!

hello again and greetings from the big apple! My uncle mike doesn't have a steady internet connection so I've been using my cellphone constantly. lol id hate to hear my mom when she sees the bill lol.

anyways today I got to see yuna and brandon! Yuna (or I call her unnie) met at lexington and 25th for an indian lunch. surprisingly enough this was my first time eating indian food! I had the chicken tikka masala. lol the waiter was asking me what I wanted as one of the extras and the waiter was reading off all these indian things and I was like whaaaa? lol. I also met yuna's friend, shine, and shes been in the us for about 7 years. shes also from korea but from busan.

after lunch yuna and I went to union square where we had dessert at max brenner. omg fondue!! it was sooo good lol. yuna asked the waiter whose face was printed on the napkin, and the waiter pointed to a guy sitting on the table across the way. we thought he was joking and was just pointing out a bald guy in the rom. turns out the guy was actualy max brenner, the owner of the chocolate place lol =D.

speaking of bald guys, after the chocolate fiesta we met brandon at grand central station. he had a meeting at the UN building so we decided to tag along at tour the lobby lol. and I went shopping in the gift store.

yuna and I then headed home and parted at the subway =o(. I headed back to the bronx to meet uncle mike for dinner. we had santo domingo food and the dish we ordered was the seafood paella, which looked like seafod fried rice. omg that was sooo good! I then also had a something sonando which was orange juice blended with milk. then we headed back to the apartment =).

tomorrow is going to be another fun day! im going to meet brandon at columbia and then head downtown to met crissy for lunch. yay!!!

Hello everyone and greetings from New York! im currently in the Bronx in my uncle's apt and drying my clothes that are wet from the snow! I arrived today around 3pm at JFK and from there my uncle and I took a taxi to his apt. after I took a little nap we took the subway to koreatown where ahhh I had REAL korean food for the first time sice I've been back from Korea. omg so good! it brought back dinner memories of Korea lol. Anyways...after dinner we went to the empire state building and it was so ol because my uncle can name all the buildings there lol. then after the empire state buildong we took a ped bike to times square and took pictures!!! we then got cheesecake at this place called Roxy's which is known for their chesecake...and it was sooo good! lol well itbetter be since it was 10 bucks a slice lol. then we headed back home and yay it started snowing!!!

now im making plans with friends and ill get to see yuna and brandon for sure tomorrow!! then my uncle made plans this week as well. were going to maryland, DC, and philly on friday to see caryn!! this week is gonna be so much fun!!!

SO today I was sitting in my Politics of the Former Soviet Union Class and we were watching a documentary on Tsarist era in Russia. Then halfway through, the projector overheated, and so we took a break. Of course then, my mind wanders, and I thought about all the places I want to go within my lifetime. I guess I could consider this my to-do list for my life, lol. The Top 10!

Destination #1: Russia
Maybe its because I'm getting of that high of watching that documentary, but those summer palaces in St. Petersburg looks AMAZING with its grandiose fountains and architecture. Moscow, which started out as small town that eventually took over the Mongols in the beginning years of the empire grew into the huge and bustling city it is today. Think of all the time that has passed and the change it had underwent within all those years!

Destination #2: China
Many of you are probably wondering why this is number 2. I'm wondering too! Nevertheless, there was no way I could make this list without putting down China. When I think of China I think of its thousands of years of history, and I'm blown away. Culture, language, dynasties, and family registries that can date back all those years, really its just mind blowing. The history of yesterday mixed with the politics of today, who wouldn't want to go to China? Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China, Terra Cotta Soldiers, Mao Zedong's birthplace: I have to see it all. As my friend Henry Lee said, "You could spend your lifetime traveling China" (and for politically sensitive reasons, Taiwan and Hong Kong are included when I say "China")

Destination #3: North Korea
I love controversy and danger. If you tell me I can't go, all the more I want to. I had overheard a conversation of someone who had gone to North Korea and they had said "It's like stepping back into the 1960s". Kim Jong Il! A country that is so secretive and stagnant compared to the rest of the world is worth the risk of entering. I was steps away from entering North Korea! Wait, can I even call North Korea a country? North Korea is the Germany of our day. I just better visit before North Korea no longer exists!

Destination #4: Cuba
I told you I liked controversy. I'm also an I Love Lucy fan. Stamp my passport and lets see what happens!

Destination #5: Antarctica
So its not really a country. But technically neither were my past two desired destinations. Actually, its governed by a treaty made between several countries. But you get to go around in the world in like a minute! Its cold, freezing, uncomfortable, so why would I want to go there? Think of all the unspoiled environment and life that exists on that piece of land. You can potentially step on land that no human has ever stepped on. Plus, bragging rights doesn't hurt either.

Destination #6: Greece
I've watched so many movies showing those beautiful blue Grecian waters and those white stone houses looking over the sea always looked picture perfect to me. I want to take pictures there and smell the sea salt and feel the ocean breeze.

Destination #7: Austria
I got to admit, I really just want to go and visit my friend, Michelle. But other than that! Its the birthplace of Mozart! Music capital of the world!

Destination #8: France
I want to climb up the Eiffel Tower, visit Lourdes and swim in its waters, drink coffee in a cafe while wearing a beret and a red scarf, and do all the typical touristy things. Plus Uncle Alex can help with all the translating! ^_^ Family trip!

Destination #9: The Holy Land
The birthplace of my religion. And basically everyone else's religion too. It's right up there in holiness of the Vatican.

Destination #10: India
With 1 billion people living there, I have to see what all the fuss is about.

So I guess I better hurry up, graduate, work, make money for a couple of years, then take the time off so I can do all of this! Ah, there are so many places to see in this world, and we're limited by the years in the average lifetime. Oh well, the world awaits!

It is 7am in the morning, yes folks, it is 7am here in Seoul and it is my last day here of my semester abroad. I am yet to finish packing but decided I would like to update my livejournal. I am an idiot, I know...

-----------

i wanted to include that part...as it was a restored draft from before I left Korea.

It's almost a month since I've left Korea, and Korea seems like it was a dream and the memories seem so far away. As the weeks pass by, I'm slowly starting to forget how tall people are or what their voices sound like, and are now being replaced by the pictures and videos that I took while on the trip. It feels unreal to me that I was in Korea at all! I reread some entries today, and I had to think to myself "Was that really me? Did that really happen? Was that my life?". Right now it feels like I was reading another person's life, and that for four months, someone else has gone to Korea. But for a happier note, it was one of the happiest and most enjoyable times of my life, and a memory that will stay with me forever ^_^.

Hmm so what I could remember of my last days in Korea? I documented it ALL by pictures and the pictures pretty sums it all up ^_^. After the stresses of all the finals, they all finished by Wednesday, and hence the start of trying to cram every touristy thing possible in my last days. I made a dash to insa-dong with Caryn to buy last minute presents. We then headed back to school, in which we got off the wrong stop, but then got back on the bus, and were nearly tempted to go Ewha for shopping on the way back lol. Now, if I recall correctly, that was our last day of class, so it was bit of a bittersweet class. It would literally be the last time any of us would be in the same room together. Its just a weird feeling because for four straight months we had seen each other everyday at the same time. OK, so it actually just wang hu and i that showed up to every class, but thats besides the point. Our class inside jokes and the good times with H-ban were great, lol, but all things must end and we all have to grow up too ^_^. Thinking back, I don't have any of Josh's contact info T_T.

The next day I headed to yongsan to get gayle's nintendo DS as well as my mickey mouse MP3 player. Xiaozheng met me there, but didn't buy anything, I don't know why...But anyways...we walked around yongsan looking for a pizza place but couldn't find one at all! We then took a taxi to myeong-dong to meet with Michelle and Christine, but they had already eaten. So we ate pizza and then made our last round at myeong dong. I headed back home and strangely enough, when I boarded the bus, Yu Na, Anne, Seong Ah, and Brandon were on the 171. Then when we passed the World Cup Stadium, Stephen joined us. It was pretty cute and ironic lol. Then that night we went for a night of mayhem because it was Caryn's last night in Seoul! Mike (from my Philosophy class) met us in Hongdae, and since we were out, we waited for Caryn as well. Little did we know it would take her an hour, but it was okay, because according to Mike, "we were on a date". Lol. So once Caryn and Morgan came, we headed to where everyone was waiting for us. We first went to this trippy place with like hanging effigies or something like that? I remember just being creeped out because I had to take off my shoes...soooo not expecting that...but we quickly left that place because it was too expensive for us anyways lol. So we went to, of course, Ho Bar. We just orderd some drinks (like i said, we´re legal hihihi), and enjoying our last moments with each other ^_^ And Caryn went crazy with taking pictures of herself on my phone (hihi which are still on my phone btw...thanks Caryn lol). Hmm so recap: the group that came out with us was: Yu Na, Caryn, Mike, Stephen, Seong Ah, Morgan, Brandon, and Anne. I only remember this specifically because I looked back at the pictures ahaha! So anyways, we then split as half of us went to noraebang and the other half went to another bar. On our quest for noraebang, it started raining, and then we saw foreigners getting into a fight with a native. oh typical! Lol, but then we found a noraebang! and we sat in and sang a bunch of songs in korean and japanese and every other language but english. Oh and Christine met with us later came with us to NRB! We then went home after that because it was almost 3am. I went home with a sinking feeling because I didn't get to say goodbye to Mike properly, and it didn't dawn on me until we were in the taxi that I would probably get to see him ever again. T_T So this what they were talking when they said people didn't get to say goodbye! But as the hours went by, more and more goodbyes were being made, and it only got harder T_T

The next day Christine and I went to Namsan, Seoul Tower, and the Teddy Bear museum! It wasn't as coupley as I thought it would be, but we skipped the stupid locks part lol. Oh, so Namsan & Seoul Tower is notorious for couples to come and declare their love for each other. They come together and lock a lock to a fence in Namsan to mean that they will be locked together forever. Pretty ironic seeing as that a guy could be seen coming to Namsan twice in a week span locking locks with two different girls. oh you korean players... ANYWAYS...Christine and I headed to Sinchon where we met up with Brandon Anne Seong Ah and Stephen and we headed off to eat our "nicer" samkyeopsal, and eddie then joined us. After, we continued with out to-do list of things to do in korea before we left, and we had ice-cream fondue at Baskin Robbins. We then came back, and everyone slept in our apartment and we put our beds together for our sleepover. Christine, Michelle, and Brandon slept over.

I was up all night (literally!) packing, and had a near panic attack because I thought I wouldnt be able to fit it all in my luggage! But it was okay because Michelle and Christine were there to keep my company as I packed my luggage ^_^. I also left a huge mess behind (sorry Seong Ah!!) and ended up leaving my jacket behind too! (but thank you to seong ah for mailing it to me!) Xiaozheng ended up coming at 6am in the morning and slept at the apartment too. (sigh, and took my bed...so i slept on the floor my last night in Korea lol) I slept for about 3 hours, and then met with the group for lunch and the kimbab place. But I was just too nervous to eat! But i tried hard to soak up my last meal with my friends, and then headed back to the apartment to finish packing. Then when we got back, the ELEVATOR WAS BROKEN. did i mention i live on the ELEVENTH FLOOR?! So we climbed those stairs all the way back. I finalized my packing, and woke up XZ for us to go. Anne walked up those stairs just to say goodbye =(!!! Then thankfully, the elevator started working right before we started heading down all those stairs. We walked to the bus stop, (Anne Brandon Seong Ah and Brandon with no sweater lol) Oh how I dreaded for that bus to come! But as it pulled up to the curb, I turned around to say goodbye to my friends, and I started crying. Of course! Its built into my name, I have to cry! So after saying goodbye, which was really really hard T_T, I finally boarded the bus. Xiaozheng came with me, and it was about 45 minutes to the airport. We just talked the whole time, and I was half falling asleep because I was at the time running on 3 hours of sleep. We reached the airport, and my heart was racing. I was really leaving! As I walked up to the counter to check in, XZ came up with me, and the lady asked "One or two passengers?". Oh how i wish any one of my friends could travel with me home T_T!!!! Sigh, but it cannot be... so xz loaded my luggage onto the conveyor belt, and we headed for security. We saw Brian, Nate, and Peter right before the security. But it was still a bit early, so I went with XZ to go and get his ticket home. We said goodbye at his bus stop, which was also really hard because he was the last of my close friends that I was going to see in Korea. I started to cry again, but that is no longer a surprise to anyone lol.

I headed back to where Nate and Brian had so nicely baby sat my luggage lol. Andrew had come by this time and looked at me and said "You look so sad!". We went inside the pre-departure area, and I made last minute text messages to friends as well as my last chance of internet! I boarded the plane, sat down, and listened to my ipod to calm my nerves down. The song "Missing You" came on, and I just started crying all over again. Needless to say, it took me almost a week before I could listen to my ipod again. But when I arrived in San Francisco, I had never been so happy to see my Mom and sister again. It was so wonderful to be reunited with them again! We flew back to LA that same day, and to my surprise, my mom had planned a Surprise birthday party for me and my whole family was there, and so were my best friends since forever, Steph and Laura!!!

So, if you've made this far in the narrative, let me know, because you are an awesome friend for reading that much ^_^. Thank you! lol. But how has it been since I've been back? Its been a bag of mixed feelings. I love being back in beautiful sunny California where everyone speaks english (for the most part lol) and I'm back with family and friends that I've know forever. But I also miss the spontaneity of Korea and new things I would learn about the city and the culture. I miss the bus system, the ttargi restaurant, KLI, DMC lobby, the GS, friends, enemies, stories, the ajummas, the 25 minute trek to McDonalds, NRB, and so many other things of Korea. I'd like to go back someday, and I hope that its still a possibility in the near future. Of course, it won't be the same because the same people won't be there, but the country itself was amazing, and Seoul is definitely underrated.

I've kept in touch with most of my friends from study abroad trip in Korea. Its becoming less and less as most of us start to assimilate back in to our lives, but we all do our best to keep in touch by just saying hello on AIM/MSN or leaving posts on each other's walls on Facebook. Its also been kinda tough since now we're in all different timezones. But its kinda cool because I have four world clocks on my computer: Seoul/Tokyo, Beijing, Vienna, and Philadelphia. Its kinda neat to think that I know people in four different timezones, and at one point in our lives we were all in one timezone that wasn't our own.

Since I've been back, I also enrolled in a Korean Language class, where I actually tested into Intermediate 1! Im hoping to keep up with Korean language, hopefully master it as well ^_^

한구를너무보고싶어요! 다시가고싶어요! 사랑해!

But now I'm in the process of planning my next trip, El Salvador!

Can you believe it, I'm 21 years old?! Yes, of course, I act younger than I actually am, maybe this number doesn't suit me? But anyways...

This is my first birthday to celebrate outside of the US, as well as to celebrate it without any family. So for me it was a bit sad because I'm used to the dinner with the family, usually Mom, Dad, Gayle or with auntie Joy and uncle Alex, and we'd go out for Chinese food and eat noodles for long life, lol. But even as far away as I am, my family still can make me feel so loved. My mom sent me flowers and a huge package of just all junk food and macaroni and cheese lol. She then of course called at 6am in the morning here because she wanted to be the first to greet me, =D. Then my sister skype called me later on that day and wished me happy birthday as well. Lol, then my number was circulated around the family, and then my aunt called me at school !

Of course, my friends here in Korea made my birthday abroad even more special. I took a nap right before midnight and then had my roommate wake me up. I woke up at midnight, moaning and frustrated because I couldn't make much use of my hour nap. I come outside the door and there's Seong Ah, Caryn, Anne, Brandon, Stephan, and Morgan in my living room screaming "Happy Birthday!!!" and scaring me soo bad lol. But I love them just the same =). Then we stayed up for another hour taking random pictures on my MacBook. And putting hair on Brandon. ^_^

Classes were cancelled all day! So I didn't come to school until around 1:30ish. Hung around global lounge with Xiaozheng until class at 4. Class was just sooo long because we were just too excited to go out and eat dinner afterwards.

We went to this place called 민토(Minto) and its a cute castle-like kind of place where they served western style food. We had our own room and I think there was about 10-12 of us in there? We went there straight after Korean, Caryn and Mike met us there, and Xiaozheng followed after (they all skipped/don't have Korean class). It was a great night of just talking and hanging out with friends. Sorry to disappoint, but I actually did not drink any alcohol on my 21st birthday ^_^. That is because I had my North Korean final the next day, thus could not take the customary 21 shots (but I don't think you'd want me to anyways =P). But anyways, it was a very enjoyable night hihihihi ;)

Looking back a year ago, I had no idea what was going to happen within the next year. (http://kaystles.livejournal.com/79013.html) Oh how far I've from being the ramen-eating girl in Rossiter 11. I love seeing how much I've changed and grown through the years, and how much I have learned from the mistakes in the past. But furthermore, I'm still in awe on how I've gotten to this point in my life. If you had told me a year ago that I would be spending my 21st birthday in Seoul, I would've thought you were crazy. If you had told me a year ago that I would get to travel so much in 2008, I would not have believed you. So stop making expectations on what your life should be and just live it. Write about it and look back. Enjoy life for what it is!

AND...THANK YOU TO CARYN AND ANNE FOR PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER!
AND...MIKE, CANDACE, BRANDON, STEPHEN , YUNA, MORGAN, ANNA, MICHELLE, CHRISTINE, SEONG AH, AND XIAOZHENG FOR COMING! ^_^

and i am very happy at this point ^_^

My 21st Birthday

So has a lot happened this week? Maybe so, hopefully I can remember enough to type it here!

Wednesday, I met with a fellow Filipino here at Yonsei University. His name is Mel, and he is originially from Bohol, where my uncle-by-marriage is from. Apparently, the Bohol Islands breeds perfect husbands, and once I told my mother that he was from Bohol, she said I should marry him. Oh, silly Filipinos. It was so nice to finally meet another fellow Filipino estudyante didto sa Korea. Not that we could speak in Bisayan or anything due to the fact that I can't speak any, but it was really nice to find a fellow countryman here. Then that night, I went out with the only four girls (or maybe four out of five?) from my Korean class. Our class is four girls and 8 boys, and us four girls sit right next to each other, or at least we used to >_<. It was Michelle , Candace, and Christine. We went out to Edae, which also a hangout for Ewha University Students, comparable to what Sinchon is to Yonsei. We had five dishes for the four of us, and I had Korean chicken soup which was so delicious. However, Christine wouldn't let us eat unless she took pictures of our food first, lol. After dinner, the four of us went out for desert and a place called lucygelato? I think thats what it was called. It was a really fancy place for waffles and ice cream, but we bought dessert anyways. We then went out to go shopping in Edae, even though it was sooo cold! I ended up buying a coat ^_^. All four of us were pretty amazed at how much Korean we were able to use, lol. We parted ways after Edae shopping, but Michelle and I continued to eat some more and stopped at a takoyaki stand on our way home.

Then Thursday was almost the start of my four day weekend (with the exception of Korean class). After Korean class, the Korean girls, Michelle, Candace, and Christine, came home with me and we had a girls night in dinner at my apartment with Seong Ah and Anne, and Caryn came after dinner. We ate chicken, pizza, chips, cookies, soda, and everything imaginable that was bad for you. We followed up with soju, sake, and drinking games. Was this a typical night in? Of course not! We went out to a club after we were done at home. It was almost the entire CIEE group that went out, but is was more like we all passed by each other throughout the night. Xiaozheng met up with us in Hongdae around midnight, but had to catch a taxi because all public transportation had stopped running. So all of us danced and partied the night away. Then Candace and Christine slept over at my house, and when we got home, we all ate mandu and tonkatsu...because we're girls and enjoy this continuous eating...

Friday night was Yuna's performance. Before her performance, we went to eat live octopus! It was Caryn, Anne, Brandon, Catherine, and Dominick. The octopus tentacles squirm and climb up your chopsticks, and then when you put them in the sauce, they flip around! Well actually its cool that they flip around on their own because then it does all the work. Then when you eat it they stick to the inside of your mouth! Lol. I chewed on it quickly so that it wouldn't stick to me, but it did anyways, lol. After dinner, We then headed off to what Yuna do her do traditional Korean drumming, which was pretty cool, but it would've been cooler if we knew Korean, lol. They served Korean rice cakes, tangerines, and Korean liquour, but I just stuck with eating the sweet tangerines. Afterwards, we went to a Korean 술집 (soorjib) which is kinda like hangout where they serve food and alcohol. If you've watched Korean dramas, you'll understand what I'm trying to describe. I didn't drink because I woke up that morning with a cold =(. Oh Korea and your coldness!! I then headed home with Caryn and fell right asleep once I hit my bed.

Saturday was restful, and around 430 I headed out with Brandon and Stephen to meet Caryn and Anne at Yeouido for another one of our touristy outings. We went to the 63 building, which is one of the tallest buildings in Korea. You can only ride up to the 60th floor, but the views are pretty amazing. On the 60th floor there is also a Hello Kitty exhibit, which I guess is supposed to be some kind of post-modern art, but I don't really get it. I'm not an artsy person and don't really attempt to understand it. Call me ignorant and what not, but what I lack in artistic understanding I make up in other ways, lol. But whatever, there was bunch of morphed Hello Kitty stuff lol. Seong Ah met us there, and then from there we took taxis to Sinchon where we had KALBI. The Kalbi ended up being more expensive than we thought, so after Kalbi, we went for a small round of Samkyeopsal. Needless to say, we will all be going to the gym this week. Then when I got home, I took nyquil at exactly midnight, and knocked out until 11:30 on Sunday.

Today is Sunday! I woke up and Caryn IMs me about going to Kimbabchunggug, so we head out and had lunch. This restaurant is a chain throughout Korea, and is known for kimbab, which is like Korean sushi vegetable rolls, for lack of a better description. Afterwards, I headed out on my own to Hyehwa so I could pick up a couple of things for our Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday. I'm planning to make Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and possibly Pancit (Filipino noodles) depending on how brave I am. I am currently no w in Sinchon, attempting to make my presentation for my Modern Korean History Class. Its not going well as I am updating my livejournal instead of reading the book on North Korea, lol. I've been in this coffeeshop for a good three hours, just staring out the window, and grimacing at all the couples in Korea. AH! Korea is such a coupley country, and they really know how to make us single folk feel crappy, lol. HAHA, but enough of this bitterness, lol. Oh, but how nice it would've been to fall in love in Korea! Ok, enough of watching Korean dramas for me...

It is so sad to think that in less than a month I will be going back to the United States! I wonder how much I've changed since I've been here, and how much my friends and family have changed within these past 6 months. I refuse my "I miss such and such" post yet, because that just means it brings me even closer to the fact that I won't be in Korea much longer. I thought I was ready to go home, but just being in the city by myself today made me realized that I've fallen in love with Seoul. Oh if I could just stay one more semester! I'm still here, but I'm already missing it so terribly! T_T