Things are Looking UP!!

So as you recall from my previous post, I was missing home, sweet Los Angeles!! However, with the changing of the weatherr, (get this) sunny and 76 degrees today and has been for a whole week, and coupled with the fact that my dear friend Winnie came to visit me from Hong Kong this past weekend, things are definitely looking up! It was amazing to have a bit of home come visit me in Seoul. Here were some of our excursions:

Picture Above: We went to the Korean Folk Village where Winnie got to pose with women/girls dressed in traditional Korean gowns. The girls were ecstatic to pose with Winnie and quite excited as they got to practice their English!

Picture Right: Winnie and I are posing at the National Folk Museum~ a traditional boy and traditional girl.

Picture Left: We also took a visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace from the Chosun Dynasty. It was so serene and beautiful here. Of all my visits to Korea, I have never been to a Palace. There are apparently 4 palaces just in Seoul. And because I was so impressed with my first visit, I plan to view all the palaces before I leave Korea. In the picture to the left, Winnie and I are posing in front the Kings main sleeping quarters.

Picture Below: We also did some shopping and eating at Myung Dong, the fashion district of Korea. As you can tell from the pics, Winnie and I did some eating and some shopping. The bottom picture are traditional Korean sweet buns filled with a touch of honey. Mmmmm....

    

Home Sweet Home...

It's week 5 in Korea and while I am adjusting to the busy life in Seoul, I cannot help but miss home. Los Angeles, home sweet home!!! The things I miss most are:

1. My Car. You may think that's a joke, but in all honestly, do you realize how much I walk on a given day? Imagine living on campus at Pepperdine  (Drescher) and having to walk down and up to the undergraduate campus for classes everyday. Actually I have to walk that hill on a daily basis in order for me to get to civilization. And once I get to civilization, guess what? MORE WALKING~ whether it's to the subway station, bus stop or hailing a cab. I know, I know, I sound like the typical American who MUST drive to a store that's a minute down the street. But years of habit is hard to break. And not that it's any excuse for my whining, but the weather is 88 degrees and 100% humidity in Seoul today. Yup... so can feel the sweat as it drips down my back at the moment?? And do not even let me get started on the mosquito's here!! So to all my peers at Pepperdine who are enjoying the perfect sunny 80 degree, Malibu breeze.. I N.V. you so so much right now!

2. The Family. I have had the finest dishes Korea had to offer and let me tell you, it's a total treat! Everything I have eaten here have been delish since life in Seoul is very Westernized. But there is nothing like my mom's cooking. Or maybe it's that I miss helping her cook while we converse about life. And I miss my weekly Sunday breakfast with my dad as well. As an only child, I am very close with my parents, and at times I miss LA the most because I miss my parents. 

3. My Friends. As I get constant updates on Pepperdine mixers, speaker series, events and occasionally "stories" from my friends; I cannot help but feel that I am missing out on my 3rd semester at Pepperdine. Don't get me wrong, coming to study at KAIST is one of the best decisions I have made in my life, but I feel as though I am missing all the action back at home. And it really saddens me that I only have 1 more semester left as a Pepperdine MBA student. But I am moving way too ahead! But bear with me as I am missing home so so so much right now. :)

On a lighter note, someone from home will be visiting me later this week! WINNIE-POOH!! My fellow classmate/close friend from Pepperdine who is studying abroad in Hong Kong will be staying with me for 4 days in Korea. I cannot tell you how excited I am and what great timing it is for her to come visit me. I will definitely update on her lil visit next week~

Exploring more of Korea~

Picture Right: It's a Saturday afternoon and I am sitting outside by the tennis courts on campus, watching the boys play. It is Germany vs. Korea today. My fellow classmates have decided to play a friendly competitive game for some HITE. (Korean Beer) And of course being American, I "pretend" to be neutral. :)

Picture Left: Earlier this week, I visited KRX, the Korean Stock Exchange in downtown. I totally expected Wall Street, where you have men and women in dark gray suits on the floor yelling at each other. But unlike the NYSE, KRX has been automated since 1997. So I arrived in an empty floor that was once like the NYSE. 

Picture Right: And mid-week, I went and explored Dongdaemun for some much needed retail therapy with my friend Cora. In the picture to the right, I am resting by Cheonggyecheon Stream  (in Dongdaemum) after a 5 hour shopping spree.

Picture Left: On Friday, we are in a bus going to dinner and a club in Kang-nam, which is considered the "Hollywood of Korea." 

It is week 3 of my classes and it's very similar to Pepperdine in that many hours are spent on group work and case analysis. (Good ole' Harvard Business Cases!) But I am amazed in that I am getting much more European perspective from my fellow exchange students. I had presumed I would be getting a lot of Asian business influence from my Korean peers. But in my cross cultural class for instance, I am gaining much knowledge from the Europeans. A German exchange student had mentioned in class that Americans are self indulgent and too busy all the time. Hmmmm, I wish I had a solid come back but I know nothing about the Germans except bratwurst and War World I (a touchy topic I would NEVER discuss anyway). So while studying in Korea, I have decided to widen my knowledge and read up on European history and economy. Europeons are well versed on current American economy, political news and history. And I am ashamed to say that I know very little about Europe in general. But what a great experience for me as I begin to come out of my little LA bubble!

My week..

It's a beautiful, sunny day in Korea today. I am outside, enjoying a UV break before classes start, sipping my banana milk. Yes, that is correct, I am sipping fresh banana milk and it is delish! 

I attended 9 different classes this week, trying to decide which classes to take. I love them all and wish I can take all! But due to time constraint, I have chosen to take Cross Cultural Management, Human Resources Strategy (my fave class BTW), Asian Economics and Doing Business in Korean Culture. I enjoy the classes because as you can imagine, the majority of the classes are Korean students. And as my Cross Cultural Management Professor explains it, "I get to see through their (the Korean students) lens on different topics." And with the Asian market growing at a rapid pace, I think it is very important to develop a sense of Asian culture. 

Other than classes, what an eventful week! Friday night, all 19 exchange students plus our international coordinator Youjin, went to dinner and a karaoke room in the College District. Karaoke is very popular in Korea and I must say, listening to a Denmark trying to sing/dance to Thriller was much more entertaining than I had ever imagined!! And I find it hilarious as ALL the exchange students from Asia and Europe knew the lyrics to Britney Spears songs. 

   

Pictures Above: Youjin is demonstrating to me how Korean people drink in teams. But because this night was a school related event, she used Yoplait Yogurt instead of Soju (the traditional Korean liquor). So here, a 4 person team would each take a shot glass.

Picture Below: Is a few of the exchange students "trying to sing Fergalicious...

  

And on Saturday, my friend who had just graduated from the MBA program at Korea University took me to a Rugby game at the Olympic Stadium. I was shocked because all the students had so much pride and it was literally 95 degrees with 60% humidity. (I was dying) I suddenly yearned for the perfect Malibu weather. But the students were jumping up and down, hugging each other and screaming away, showing school pride. The whole event was almost like a huge concert in that instead of cheerleaders at the side lines, it was a stage with people singing. (No joke, the proof is in the pictures!)