Bush in Seoul II

Today on my way to work:

Bush in Seoul

Tonight the American president Bush arrived Seoul and I only hope that the still ongoing protest demonstrations against the Korean government won't get out off hand again...

A visitor!

I really met Kevin who came to Seoul for two days. I got to know him last year in Xi'an. After he couldn't get a visa to get back to China after a visit at home because of the Olympics he had decided to work in Korea for a while.

Friday night we met after my class and wanted to join people at the KOPRA-meeting. Finally we were sitting in the bar by ourselves and went to another one later on which was called "Jazz"bar but where there was played anything else but Jazz...

On Saturday we had some lunch together before Kevin headed off for Gimcheon in the South where he will be teaching English for two weeks.

Photo session on 1th August

On Friday I had to get up early because we had to correct some examinations again. We really made it to be finished til noon and had some lunch outside together then.

Hyoun-A, the DAAD assistant who works for us as a substitute during the summer vacation, and me added a little photo session afterwards:

The National museum...

... is, concerning its area, the largest museum in Asia and one of the biggest in the world. I didn't know that before I read about it after my visit there last week. One of my colleagues had the idea to hang out together so her husband drove us and her daughter to this huge complex which opened two years ago. That's why we didn't find it at first, they hadn't been there themselves... But finally we arrived at the enormous parking garage under the building.

The entrance is free and we spent more than three hours watching at least parts of Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Indian culture. I'm planning to go there again and take my time to take closer looks at everything inside the National museum. One one hand there were too many romping and screaming children and on the other hand there was too much to see for only one visit.

Jinyoung

I have a very nice student in my beginners' class. Her name is Jinyoung and she's very motivated to learn German. Just for fun, actually - she works in a clothes store and doesn't plan to study or work in Germany. She seems to be a little devoted and wants to hang out with me a lot - which is great, I like her, she seems to be different.

Once she asked me whether I wanted to try Korean 'Ddeok' and brought a whole box of them to Goetheinstitut. Hmm, I really enjoyed these soft, glutinous rice cakes with different fillings of fruits and nuts but you can't definitely not eat too many of them!

On last Sunday of July we spent the whole afternoon together. Jinyoung invited me for lunch to a very cosy, wooden decorated restaurant where I had Kimchi Jeon for the first time. Hmm, soooooo delicious...

After that we walked a bit through Insadong and I could get a closer look at it. In this quarter you can buy lots of souvenirs so there are quite a few tourists. But it isn't too crowdy and the atmosphere is rather comfortable, supported by street performers. Jinyoung showed me one of the places she loves to go to, a teahouse which was a good place to relax.

And...

It was also in July, by the end of the month, that I finally got my E2-visa! And since I'm staying more than 90 days I'm now the owner of an "Alien card" ;o)