Korea...for the past 2 months (sorry)

Hey~! Sorry for not posting anything for the past two months... I haven't really had much access to a computer...well, I did...but not long enough to write a blog entry. So...here goes. Korea for the past 2 months has been great. I spent 6 weeks in seoul studying korean at Seoul National University. I love getting to say that I studied there, because when I tell someone korean that I studied there...they always have that same WOW reaction. YOU~ studied at SNU? hahahaha...well...those classes were fun. On the first day we just had a tour of the campus and a breifing of what the classes were going to be like. It was said that we would finish one chapter in our textbook, and have a quiz and a role play at the end of each chapter. At first I did really well in the classes...it was the beginning and I was really eager to learn any Korean possible. So I was a nut, and i studied...well...I didn't study at all...it just naturally came to me, me being the smart girl that I am (jk) I passed all my quizes...did well in the role plays...and that was good. Then...the classes became more difficult...and i didn't do so well... I studied...and for some reason the material just wouldn't stick... but...I still got a B+ on my final exam. So...that was good. On the first week that we arrived in seoul, we did all sorts of things. We toured seoul...watched a show called Miso. We were able to explore seoul at night...I was able to see some awsome graffiti near the hotel that we were staying at, and a concert...but it was just some random people, haha. Then throughout our stay in seoul we did various things on Wednesdays, Fridays... and a few times on saturday. The first wednesday we went to Taekwondo. It was...not that fun to admit. the stretching part was good...I actually really enjoy stretching...but I didn't find kicking little pads and yelling HUH everytime I did all that exciting. Yelling is supposed to bring up your self-esteem and all...but I just didn't like it. But, I did break a peice of wood in half, and got a certificate for one day of training. That night we ate dinner at a place that served beef soup. It was pretty good...made with beef (obviously) but the beef in it was prett limited...had tons of fat on it...and you had to eat it off the bone. If you don't know this...I HATE eating meat off the bone...so I didn't eat the meet. There was also these clear noodles in it that are the bomb...I love those things. But you had to add your own salt to the beefsoup...so they had this big/small thing of crystal salt sitting on the table. for some reason I found that really interesting and cool (even though we have crystal salt grinders in my own home) and ended up adding to much salt so my soup. After the meal, I went to eat ice cream with some friends and ended up finding out that me and Lisa lived at the same subway station. even though me and lisa could have walked home together, Josh, being the big man he wants to be, insisted on walking us home. That started a long line of being walked home. hahaha. That friday...I have no idea what we did...sorry guys. I finally decieded that I was going to write this blog...but now I don't remember what we did. I'll know exactly what happened the night we did it though once I find the summer schedule. I promise I'll write again. I promise I'll finish up what happened in the past 2 months before the end of this weekend : D That was for you Aya : D I promised : D

School Placement~

Hey Guys!

So, I got my school placement the other day, and I'm going to the Gandhi School!

I was SO not happy about it at first, like seriously? I did NOT want to be so far away from Seoul at a boarding school no less! So, I thought about everything...and now I'm all good with it. jaja!

So, I'll be going there for the year, it seems pretty~ artsy. Like, everyone has there crazy cool photography Nikon camera's and what not. It seems like they have a lot of little meetings in what we might think of as Town Hall Meetings, but not in the gym. sort of like it, being that all the people sit on the floor, jaja. But more like an auditorium with a stage where people like...play their music and what not. Then they have like...manditory cooking classes and clothes making classes because they think that stuff is important. I think its pretty dang cool : D!

I thought that I was going to be boarding in these SUPER~~ awsome dorms, that are like the same dorm rooms as in HanaKimi, for those of you who have watched that show. SO AMAZING! I was SUPER excited about living there...but...........

I'm living with a Host Family.

Which is what I wanted, and was crossing my fingers for, so its allll good! Hopefully my family is super nice, hahaha. And I hope they can handle me. Haha...I don't think they'll ever see how I am in the dorms at school though, yo. hahaha...for those of you who know what I'm like in the dorm : D. hahahahaha. I really wonder what its like to live with a host family. At first I was like...oh its gonna be great. But then, after finding out that it was a boarding school and thinking about dorms and stuff, I'm feeling that being with a host family is going to be SUPER awkward...and I don't want to be a burden or anything, ya know? I mean who wants to be the cause of a host sisters jealously? Or, like...having people be annoyed with you because your not the same as them. I just hope that I'm not like preying for the end of the year after the first few months of living with them or whatever. I mean...its in a small town too...so who knows how different these people will be. I'm also assuming that I won't be in an apartment, haha, duh! But, I hope I get to live in one of those like...simi-traditional sort of houses or whatever. That have like...that big "yard" space inbetween the rooms, and the "table" outside...but its actually for sitting on, hahaha.

I wonder if I'll have a bed...or sleep on those floor mat bedish things? There are so many things I'm thinking about...like the dream I had where I ended up flinging all my food at my host father because I couldn't hold the food with my metal chop sticks. What if that actually happens? What if they don't laugh at my...stupidity(? hahaha), but they just get really mad? What if they get SO annoyed that by the half mark of the year, my korean doesn't end up being good enough still? What if they get annoyed at the beginning because I use to much water and take to long when I take a shower? What if they are mad that I like to stay up late? What if they get mad when I don't do my homework as much as my host sister does? What happens? What if they don't like me? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm so worried about this now...because I was thinking about dorms and the advantages to being in a boarding school cuz I already know what its like...! I'm like...tearing up right now...because I'm SO worried that everything isn't going to be ok. I feel like...the bride feels at her wedding and she gets cold feet. I'm getting cold feet about the host family...and its not making me feel to good *sad face*

But, I'm also really excited!

Maybe after living with my first host family for the first six weeks...I'll be ok : D

Well, if you want to check out my school heres the link

http://gandhischool.net/

have fun! and I'll totally post some great pictures of the school when I get there! : D

So, what should I do when I'm in Seoul? Is there something super cool for me to do there?

The Crying Has Begun

AH! Its the last day of school... well, the last day of classes...and I was crying during my English class...I was signing year books, and I'm just glad that we were just kind of chilling and not having a review session...so I could go to the bathroom when I wanted to. Well, I was crying last night too...I had the last advisory dinner of the year last night...with all the people that I'll never see again...because we're all leaving (what do ya know? ha!) There are three seniors, Jo is going to another school, reed and Kendall are changing advisors, and no one knows whats going on with Mario, lol. But, Ciceley and Aya cheered me up. We're all going to have dinner on Saturday, and I hope that won't be a cry-fest or something. I wonder where we're going to eat though... Well, thats all for today~ Just my sadness~ : ( ...but...I'm happy at the same time : D!!! getting closer and closer to Korea!!!

Can i talk the talk?

Today my dorm parent, Mrs. B, was on duty for the first time in a while. She was tutoring a Korean Student, we'll call him Andy, downstairs. He left for a while to get something from his dorm, and I told Mrs. B that I only had 53 days until I left for Korea. She proceeded to ask me if I had learned anything, and I told her that I had, and then introduced myself to her in Korean. Andy came back into the dorm, and Mrs. B is like, tell that to him! I was SOO nervous. I have no problem saying it to Katherine or Ala, because their friends I've had since last year. Then, after a while, Mrs. B told him to say hello to me first, but he messed everything up because he said hello in the casual, non-polite way. I was saying 안녕하새요. 저는 Elizabeth 이에요. But, its a little bit weird when he was just like, 안녕! Because I'm supposed to speak casual to him because he is the same age as me...but then again, I don't know him, but w/e. I said it, and then I thought that he said it was bad, and that he didn't understand what the hell I was saying. BLUH~ Then after bitching (sorry for the language) about it to Katherine, who said i sounded fine, I found out that he said he couldn't hear me. After all, I was upstairs, and he was downstairs. I was also facing the ceiling when I said it, because I wanted to look everywhere but at him. Well, I don't really care, it doesn't matter. I then gathered all of the Koreans numbers...well, from the people that I sort of knew. Me and Ji-Yun then ended up talking a lot. She's really nice! haha, she told me to call her if someone was mean to me, and she could beat them up. : D It was really nice of her to say that, haha. But, then again, I'm American...so some Korean girls won't be mean to me......right? Whatever, in any case, I'll be a WHOLE lot bigger than them, lol. I really hope that I end up in Seoul so that I can see all the Koreans from my school during breaks and stuff. I can show them how much I improved and stuff. I realized that I really need to get over asking questions. I get SOOO nervous, like I did when I was asked to say something to Andy. I am also nervous about asking teachers questions, whether is a boy, girl, or elephant. I just can't ask any questions. I panic, and think I'm going to sound weird, or mess up on what I say, or stutter, or the question is really stupid, or someone in the class will be really annoyed that I'm asking a question. Why am I like that about it? Don't ask me! Just because I am myself, does not mean that I can explain myself to you : P. The last days of school are really sinking in, I'm starting to realize that I'm not going to be here next year, but at the same time...I think that I will for sure be coming back to my current school next year. Every time I go abroad...which this will only be the second time...I have a feeling the whole time before I get there, that I'm not really going. My parents will say no, The plane ticket wasn't bought, my passport is messed up, my bag will randomly have like...cocaine in it and I'll be arrested until my flight leaves for them only to find out that it was another persons powdered milk that somehow ended up in my bag, the plane will crash, I'll get taken to the hospital because I have a fever when I arrive and then get sent back to America. Then...when i finally get to my destination without any problems...I realize that...I'm actually there. Then I leave...and I think that I just woke up from a long relaxing dream...until I see the presents i got for everyone, and I'm wearing the countries I went to jacket with their flag on it. That's what happens. Its a horrible...agonizing process that really makes me stress out. I mean...for a period of time...I feel like...I might die, you know? Right now...I'm a believer though...partly because of Finals. I'm using Korea as an excuse to procrastinate and think about it all the time. Its horrible, but...the horrible thoughts about dying, and problems coming up everywhere...will be coming soon enough... well see. : P

Ready to recieve iiFORMATION~!

AHH! This really makes me soo mad! grrr.
I pretty much don't know anything about this program.
I know I'm going to leave around july 4th for an orientation, and
I know that I'll be getting to Korean "hopefully" on July 7th, and staying
there for the year. I don't know what school I'll be going to, if I'm
even going to be staying with a host family (which I really hope I'll get to)!
Its really making me mad. I want to know NOW!
maybe I'm just whining to much...but, I guess I'm just to excited to
wait for all the information.
I know that this is the pilot year for this program, so I shouldn't be so
impatient.
Fridays have become the best days of the week for me. I know that
its Friday, so there is the weekend, which is just awsome anyways.
And, I've recieved three e-mails from the Korea program.
All of them, on Friday. In the last e-mail she said she would be sending
another e-mail with more information next week. So, I'm hoping
she means this Friday...or maybe even sooner! That would be great
too! Well, Elizabeth got impatient and is now off to lunch : D
Free seating today ^^ YAY!

Korea NSLI-ers on Facebook!

Yesterday I got a Friend request from a person going on the NSLI trip to Korea! We started talking, and then I decided to add some people from the email addresses you can see from one of the Ladies who e-mails us. It turns out that NSLI people have been adding each other on Facebook for the past few days, and trying to get to know each other before the big take-off. But, I really think that the only reason was to talk about how excited they are to someone thats not going to roll there eyes. I completely agree, every time I say something at school, someone is like...but you'll be gone, or just something depressing like...I wish you would get scared and come back here next year...but I'm glad you got in! ARG! Its pretty annoying. But, I've finally found some people to talk to about going and about asian stuff in general. Like their drama's and music, and they don't get annoyed with me or roll there eyes, or just plain glaze over. Its amazing! They know what I'm talking about and they completely agree with me! : D Also, today I got an e-mail from the Lady again, but this time it was about T-shirts! Everyone is going to have the same T-shirt! That is the most DORKY thing I've ever heard of! Its ok when your inside some huge church where no one can SEE you...but this is traveling around korea wearing the same T-shirt...it just shouts TOURIST!!! LOOK AT ME!! I mean...people already look at americans funnily in asian countries...should we really give them another reason to? I mean...a whole pack of them...wearing the same T-shirts for crying out loud. But, I'm glad I get a T-Shirt! I like T-Shirts <3 haha. Well, I guess I'll just have to see. Hopefully, she means we'll wear them at the same time...during orientation...in Washington D.C. rather than in Korea. That would uver suck. Well, time for bed...or staying up untill 1 on Facebook, God only knows what shall happen next... SO EXCITED! 59 days left!! ...well...actually 60 right now...but...59 in 2 hours : D I have to make the date as closseee as possible : D

64 days untill take off!

I'm so excited. My parents have turned in all of my forms, and I'm officially going to Korea! I can't believe there is only 64 days until I go. That means there's only 9 Saturdays, and 10 Wednesdays. Which, are the focal points of my week. Well, there are only 9 now...I guess considering its the end of Wednesday. Which makes me even more excited. I'm drinking soy milk and looking online at Korean street fashion. If I go there with the clothes I have now, I'll be a complete and total outcast. Not to mention that I'm extremely overweight...well not extremely, but I would definitely be considered that over there. The people in Korea are so tiny, well...the people that I've seen anyways. I asked my Dad if he thought that I should study ahead, but he said that I can't until summer. I'm not going to go against that little rule and study ahead anyways, because I think that I should really focus on my school work here. But, I'm really hoping that the school gets closed because of the Swine flu crap so that I can. I know that sounds mean of me to wish that my school would get closed, but I mean it in the best way possible, I hope that no more people die. AHH! I really want an e-mail from these people giving me more information. I didn't really find out anything on that conference call except that parents weren't recommended to come to the orientation because, they say that that is when the trip begins, or whatever. Well, my stomach is full of soy milk, and I need to write a History research paper. : D

The Start of Everything

A few days ago, I was accepted to go to Korea next year on a NSLI-Y scholarship. The whole day I was expecting the e-mail, and checking to see if it had arrived every single moment possible. All of my friends wanted to know about it, and were more excited and nervous for me than I was for myself. I wasn't nervous or excited, which was weird. I forgot about the e-mail that afternoon though, when I was sitting with my procter, Ciciley (sp?), and watched Gilmore Girls, poped popcorn in the dorms new popcorn machine, and ate popcicles. It was friday night, so we were all going to go on a school trip to Gateway, a theatre and a square for shopping with a wholefoods and stuff. I came back to my room to change my jeans because I was wet all the way to my thighs because it had been raining all day long, and I was jumping through puddles having loads of fun on my way to all my classes. I checked my e-mail after seeing my computer on my bed, and I had recieved the long awaited e-mail. I was accepted. : D My friend, Aya came in my room screaming, gave me a hug and told everyone else on the hall. All the other international students from asia came to my room and were so happy, you'd think that it was them getting the acceptance letter. We went to the movie, and all the gross parts that I just couldn't bear to watch, I whispered to myself... "I'm going to korea, I'm going to Korea!" Now its the Wednesday after that and I've got about 8 minutes untill I have to call into a conference call to the few other people going to Korea next year. I'm pretty excited and can't wait to recieve more information. I don't really know whats going to happen next year because it was through the NSLI-Y websight. Well, off I go to the dorm phone! : D