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)

July

I didn't write as much or as frequently as I wanted to so here's a short review on last month. In August I will be trying to catch more ordinary experiences from daily life which seems to become more and more difficult since I got settled in quite well so far. How fast this happens...

I have less than two months left - half time next week!

During the first weeks I haven't met so many but a few real nice people. I get along very well with Lena - almost every day I see her at work and sometimes she waits for me to get back from work to have a late dinner together. We're mostly having our beloved Sun Du Bu Ji Gae which get a single entry soon ;o)

Every first Friday in a month KOPRA is having a meeting. In July some people met on Namsan hill beneath the TV tower which was illuminated by a fantastic laser show. We had a lot of fun til the moment when one of us ended up tragically in a bike accident but things seem to be getting better for him now. What a great easygoing night it was at first...

There were quite a few rainy days this month but the rainy season was much acceptable than I thought it would be. No continuous precipitation! And fresh air, over and over again after hot days. But unfortunately I also had to stay home a few times and cancel what I had planned to do.

But I still got to see some of Seoul. I was around Hongjik University which has a famous Art faculty and a lot of small cafés and tiny, by Korean standards alternative shops in its neighbourhood. Here and there you can discover a book or art store and from time to time a lovely decorated flowershop. At some corners some anonymous artists have left their marks. Nearby you will find Chinatown and another foreigners' district and also Prague "castle" isn't far ;o)

I went out with Koreans a few times, so I had dinner with some students from my B2-class after our course on a rainy Saturday. Another time I had delicious barbecue and I finally tried a Korean drink called Baek Sae Ju.

Last saturday I went out for lunch in Insadong with some colleagues. Because of the rain I only got a few impressions from this quarter while we were eating (me: Bibimbap for the first time) and having some coffee later on. It was quite nice with them, they speak German so well but somehow there's something missing and we don't seem to have a lot of things in common...

That was July though. Tomorrow I'll be having a visitor, maybe - if so I'll be reporting soon...