Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Sunday is not a rest day

This past Sunday has been an eventful morning to say the least!

Currently, I am living in hotels until I move to my own apartment in May. I actually have to move to a new hotel this past Sunday so I was up since 10AM packing away. Between stuffing shoes in bags and sitting on my suitcase to close it, I was finally able to finish packing by the 12PM checkout time. Right on the dot. I managed to get a taxi within 10 minutes thinking I was well on my way to the new hotel. Now the fun part begins here…

I told the taxi driver the neighborhood I was going to in Korean- Success
He asked for the specific hotel name and address, I handed him the booking confirmation I printed that is bilingual with both English and Korean- Success
He asked a few questions in Korean but I can only said “Sorry, I don’t speak Korean” and pointed at the confirmation sheet- Success

So he inputted the hotel name into the GPS but nothing came up- Failed
He inputted the address in Korean into the GPS but nothing came up- Double Failed
He asked if I could call to ask the hotel but I told him I don’t have a working phone. So he used his phone to call the number but the number didn't work – Triple Failed
(I actually asked my Korean Colleague afterwards and learned that the Korea country code is 82, the Seoul area code is 2, and the hotel number included 222...I think all the 2s confused us)

After all attempts failed, he then suggested going to the police station to seek help. You know, with me being a foreigner and all…We both laughed hysterically at how ridiculous this situation is as he drove to the police station. Just when I was about to give up hope, I saw the road name in the interaction stop of the “correct” road of where the hotel was located. It matched the English address on the paper 100%, so we finally managed to find the hotel.

Icing on the cake: when I took a second look at the confirmation paper, I realized that the English and Korean address actually don’t even match up! The numbers are totally different. It doesn't take a Korean person or genius to know that the Korean address was WRONG. Epic Failed.

Good thing I saw the road sign just in time, so there’s an itty-bitty bit of luck on my side. Can you image if I had to go to the police station just to find a hotel?! 
Actually, that would be an awesome story…but not so awesome of a Sunday for me. Sunday should be rest day. However, for me, this Sunday is not a rest day.

#JustanotherdayinKorea


BUT, I’m glad I found my new hotel because I love it!


Thursday, April 9, 2015

Break It Down

I went to my first dance show in Seoul tonight for a bboy musical: the Expression Crew.

Actually, it's been a while since I've been to one so it's a nice yet different thing to do after work. It reminds me of the good old dance days back in college. Oh, how time flies!

They are quite good and I was impressed by the creative story line, use of props, lighting and technology. The scenes with the ghost busters and transformers are probably my favorites. As expected though, bboy techniques are great but choreography can be stronger. Personally, I think it's difficult to excel at both free style and choreography. Even friends of mine fall into either one category or the other, they are just so different. There are always exceptions of course.

Alright, it's time to start looking for some hip hop classes in Seoul! 

Check out our photo with the dancers after the show in the lobby! Yay :)



Some cool videos as well:

Expression Crew on Youtube

#Justanotherdayinkorea


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

There's a Saying

My colleagues and I explored today and went to a new place for lunch. On the way there near City Hall station, we walked by a palace surrounded with people sitting outside sipping coffee. Beautiful day!

Apparently though, the walkway surrounding the palace has this saying, almost like a Korean urban legend.

If a couple walks down this walkway together, then their relationship will not last long.
"WHY?"
I asked, but I didn't get a real answer. 
"Just because."
That's what they've heard and how it's always been.

Guess I won't be walking there with anyone I'll ever date. 

#Justanotherdayinkorea


P.S. I just found out as well this is one of the most common superstitions. Check out this link for more information:

Korean Superstitions


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Daily Routine

Given that I've only been in Seoul for a month, everything is new and strange to me.
I started noticing that girls always brush their teeth in the restroom after lunch. Maybe it's a one off thing? 
Nope, it's not. 
Maybe some girls have that habit? 
Nope, not that either. 
It's pretty much EVERY girl, like a social norm. 

I mentioned this to my colleagues who all giggled at my "expat" remark. Shortly after, they all took out their own tooth brush and tooth paste they kept in the drawers at work. Off to the restroom they go...

I guess it's time I buy myself an office tooth brush and tooth paste. 

#Justanotherdayinkorea