In Korea- Incheon, Seoul, Ilsan, & Paju

Annyeong!

I apologize for the lack of update since my arrival but so much has happened and I haven't found a time to write about it. :/

Uhm... Lets see. I left off with one day left before I went to Korea and I was getting pretty nervous. Which is a totally ridiculous thought now. :P

I got to the airport at Omaha and was wedged between two freakin' sumo wrestlers and when I got off Denver I sort of got lost. :/ My plane was supposedly on time to Denver but I think I'm going to have to disagree as I was supposed to have an hour and a half layover at the Denver Airport but ended up with only having a 45 minute layover....psh. :P

Then I left for San Francisco..... That airport is huge as was the plane I went on... I got off the plane only to be greeted by 3 YFU people, one of which being Taylor, my Facebook friend and fellow YFU Summer Korea student. :) We stayed the night at a hotel but YFU only provided four starving teenagers with one pizza and two...yes TWO, small bottles of pop. :/ [By the way, people in San Francisco don't call pop pop. They call it soda...Which sounds completely weird.]

Anywho, the next day we got to the airport but was almost killed by this freakin' chinese bus driver who shouldn't even have his license...He did a U-turn in the middle of the street....WHAT THE HECK!?!?

We got to the airport and went through customs and scary security...which I passed. :) We had like, two hours to kill, so we just went to this ridiculously expensive airport food place where a botle of pop was 2.90.. I'm sorry but I have a hard time forking over 1.50 for a bottle of pop, much less 2.90....

Then we went and sat downstairs by the gate leaving for Incheon...
I swear I have never. ever. seen. so. many. Koreans. in. my. entire. life. O_0
Taylor and I go onto the plane which was a two story plane by the way, and we were wedged right by the mini-kitchen. :/ And I sat behind this Canadian guy who was so disrespectful and had his seat laid back so I couldn't even move...And then he had the nerve to ask me to stop hitting the table attatched to the back of his chair.... UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

But 11 hours and 19 minutes later we finally landing into Incheon International Airport.
It was about 3 pm in Korea when I landing making it about 1am in Omaha. And yet, I wasn't even the least bit tired. :)

We get off the plane completely lost as no one was there for us.... So we do what any normal person would do...Follow the wave of people... Which led us directly to a train.... WHAT?!
Apparently this mini subway train takes you directly to Customs and Immigration and returns every 5 minutes.... Now I have a question: Do you enjoy being crammed into a small box like cattle off to the slaughter house? Then riding the Korean subway/bus system is for you.

We get to the other side only to find a ridiculously long line of people....Who knew that many people entered Korea every day? 45 minutes later we pass through customs and go to the airport termina and we met this outrageously nice Korean boy who is living in America but visiting home for a month.. But then, all Koreans are outrageously nice. As long as YOU show them respect.

Then, we pass through the doors going into the front of the airport where people are picked up. Immediately upon passing through the doors we are overwhelmed with the strong crowd of Koreans peering in through the doors trying to see their loved ones... Taylor and I see a sign that her Eomma is holding up...

This was a huge suprise for us; We thought we weren't going to meet our famiy until Friday but we ended up meeting them on Thursday! I was honestly pretty bummed.. I was like, oh! Taylor's Appa and Eomma are here...Did mine forget about me? Attempting to push that thought out of my head, I slowly followed her but continued to look around just in case my Eomma would be here... I didn't see her... Until this happy Korean Eomma comes running up to me and grabs me in her arm taking my bag and putting her arms around my shoulders... It was my Eomma. :)

The rest of that night passed in a blur. I wasn't tired so Eomma and I stopped by Cosco... Cosco here is nothing like Cosco in the USA. They have an escalator for your carts. 0_O

Then I went home and Jiwon was waiting for us... I gave her a hug. :) I wanted to stay up and wait to meet Appa and Donghwa (who is in school until 11pm).. but I fell asleep on the couch waiting for them. :/ So Eomma sent me off to bed and I missed Appa. :( But I woke up at like, 12:30am and ran into Donghwa. I hugged him too. And we ended up staying up until 3 am on the computer and talking. Oppa skyped Donghwa but didn't know I arrived in Korea yet and was very....suprised...to see me there. :) haa. We had a lot of fun.

Which brings me to yesterday.

I woke up and Eomma and I were the only ones at home... She made us lunch which consisted of Kimchi (most famous Korean dish) and 고기 and some spicy soup... It was delicious. Not at all as spicy as I would have thought and nothing like anything I have ever tasted before. Jiwon came home at 1:30 and then Eomma, Jiwon, Eomma's friend, and I went to Haiti(?) It's basically this art village and museum village with this god-like bookstore in it. There is one thing I believe every person should know about Korea- They are always eating. Jiwon had an orange and offered me one. Then we had some cake and tea (nothing like American tea) then we had another orange as well as some hard rice.... I don't think I have ever been so full in my entire life. 0_o it was so amazing though.

When we got back home, Eomma went out to meet a friend and Jiwon and I went to a... NORABANG. :) It was a 10 minute walk...We got there and turned back because Jiwon left her money in her other wallet. :/ haha. It was so much fun though.... Oh! And I don't think I have ever been stared at as much in my life. :/ hah. Koreans attempting to speak English= priceless. :)

So off to the norabang. Oma! Probably my favorite thing I've everdone in my life.

This sounds weird, but I think it was a bonding moment for us. I felt extremely close to her afterwards and we went home with our arms linked. But this time, we took the bus home.

ugh. Korean buses. we get to the bus stop and since it was about 10:15ish a lot of students were going to another cram school so there was easily 40-50 high school students at the bus stop...All of which stared at the two of us... They were probably thinking why in the world is that Korean girl touching an American and who in the world is that American girl... haha.

We got home and Eomma was back. :) We watched music bank and a rerun of music core...Dance partyyyy!! :)

At 12:30 Donghwa came home from visiting our cousins in Seoul. Appa was out with friends because apparently it is very very common for businessmen to go to norabangs and out with friends on Friday nights....Celebrate the end of the week or something.

Jiwon fell asleep and Donghwa, Eomma, and I stayed up until....FOUR am talking and such. :) Another great memory I have. :)

Appa came home around 2 am and we met for the first time. I bowed to him and he gave me a hug... He is a great Appa.

I woke up at 9am this morning to a completely quiet house...No bueno. :)

I showered and shaved my legs!! Oh! And last night, Donghwa came home from Seoul with two gifts for me: A Korean red devil bandana and a Korean red devil t-shirt for the big game tonight!! :) AWWW!! Koreans take soccer (football) very very seriously. They are known as the red devils and the Red waves for the SEA of Koreans wearing red in support of the Nations team.

So right now I am wearing capris and my red devil shirt and my bandana, though I'm using it as a headband. :) Jiwon is up as well as Eomma and Appa...Donghwa is still asleep. :/ tiss tiss! :P

Appa says we're going to the DMZ today.... YIPPY!! :)

I'll update more in a couple days!

Saranghae.