In Korea

A photo from the last time I was in Korea

So my last few days in Vancouver was a complete whirlwind to say the least. Some of my friends had fun watching me litterally run back and forth incessantly, forgetting things, remembering everything all at once, and trying to bite off way more than I could chew.

Having said that, however, I totally did it. I stayed up until 5am, packing, unpacking, weighing bags, and trying to get everything all done, but I finlly got to lay my head down for three glorious hours of sleep -  the only sleep I got until well in Korea, at my friends Aunt's house, who is so graciously hosting me for the time being. My first day in Korea was definitely epic. I met up with my best friend (who is so awesome, that she also moved to Korea for a few months!), and another friend of a friend who is in town, and we all went to the local theme park, Everland!

Holy crap that was a fun day. Rides, rides, and the official scariest rollercoaster I've ever been on.

Things are bright, busy, and fun in Korea. People are constantly taking photos of us or saying hello so they can talk some english, and I can't wait until i speak more Korean so I can joke around a bit more fluently, but am so greateful I can speak some already and read the signs and words around me. Even that little bit makes it more understandable and easier to connect.

This place is so advanced in technology that it totally throws me off guard. I have a fob to get into my apartment, the same one opens the building, the gates surrounding, and the front door, with no keys to carry around. The card that I use to pay for the bus, train, and whatever other public transit they may have around, also works in taxis, pay phone booths, and I'm sure more once I've been here longer than two days.

The house I'm staying in verbally announced when the owners car was approaching from down the street; that by far blew me away the most. Since then, I've heard that when your fridge is running low on eggs, it will even text you to ask if you want more - if you say yes, it goes ahead and orders them for you!

But then there is also that mix of old, traditional culture. You see old people who would normally be well into retirement in North America carting around wares for selling, or even just out and about moving around rather than being sedentary. They still prepare traditional Korean meals in homes, and eat Kimchi with everything (yum!), and have the craziest, cheapest street vendors selling things I have ever seem in such a large metropolitan city. Obviously, that being said, I have far from been everywhere, but I have definitely made attempts to see as much as I can around the world so far.

People do like the New Yorkers and try to sell things on the subway - yesterday was pop ballad karaoke music in the morning, shammy gloves, and previously I've seen toothbushes being sold by a man with a toupee and trying to challenge Don King to see who can wear the most amount of chunky gold rings on their fingers.

I love it here.