Tickets...

TICKETS ARE BOUGHT!!!


We will be arriving at O'hare on Saturday January 24th at noon.  (Our plane leaves Incheon at 11 on Saturday but we are 13 hours ahead, so that works out).  We will be leaving Saturday February 7th at 11am.

Cannot wait to see all of you and introduce you to the boyfriend.  <3

Kimchi making...

This weekend was interesting.  I made kimchi with the boyfriends mother.  She is leaving for work related stuff on Wednesday (going to Thailand) and wanted to make kimchi before she left.  And because I am her "daughter-in-law," it is my duty to make kimchi with her.  Because this is the 1950's and only women do the cooking and cleaning.  It is "our duty and we should take pride in it."  According to her.  Ha.  She would be flabbergasted by the fact that her son is the one who  (9 times out of 10) cooks us dinner and does the dishes after.  We split the housework, like it should be.  No one person gets off easy in our relationship but I will pay this role because I kind of like the boyfriend.  Not worth making a fuss over, because at home it doesn't work like that and the boyfriend knows it.  He is great.

Anyways, making kimchi.  So, because it was my first time making kimchi I got relegated to the cleaning of vegetables and stirring of pots.  There is a lot going on when you are making kimchi.  You have various pots of liquids that go together and make the sauce for the kimchi.  Then you have the cabbage that needs to be cut down to size.  And the various veggies that need washed, three times because that is how the "mother-in-law" likes it done.  Once everything is washed and cut, you mix the sauces together and then put in the veggies.  No cabbage yet.  Because this is a hard part, the boyfriend did it.  You basically knead the veggies and sauce together.  I guess you have to see it to understand but it is similar to when you knead bread.  Best way to describe it.  After the sauce thing is done you get down to putting it in the cabbage and storing it.  That takes up most of the time.  You sit on the floor and separate each leaf of the cabbage and put the sauce concoction into it.  Once all the cabbage is done, you are finished.

It really wasn't that bad of an experience and didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.  About 5 or 6 hours total.  The "mother-in-law" is happy that I can now make kimchi for the boyfriend.  And she taught me how to cook this pork thing too.  Because we all know I cook.  Ha.

On a serious note.  The "mother-in-law" isn't that bad, she means well but sometimes her draconian thinking is a bit much for me and the boyfriend.  I understand that her heart is in the right place and she is doing things this way because of how she was raised and Korean culture.  I am thankful that the boyfriend does not support this line of thinking and actually helps.  To each their own.

East Sea and beyond...

This past weekend, I went to the East Sea with my boyfriend and his parents.  It was our first trip together and I was kind of scared.  It was only supposed to be a one day trip but turned into the whole weekend.  On Saturday, we went for a hike in Sokcho and then went to a nice sauna after.  It was lovely.  We ate lots of fresh seafood and enjoyed the day.  Sunday we drove home and I cooked them all lunch (because they think I am the one who should cook and not JiHoon; nevermind the fact that that isn't how it works in our relationship but whatever to their oldtimey ways and patriarchy).

Some parts of the trip were great but I have to say it was draining.  His parents are so conservative and his mom is a bit idk.  Both of us got told to exercise more, even though we told them we work out before work every morning.  I was told that I need to only cook Korean food because everything else is bad for your health and only Korean food is healthy (which is hilarious because a lot of Korean food is high in sodium).  Korea is the best country in the world because our people work so hard and no other country works as hard as Korean people (not taking into account that most of the baby boomer generation were hard workers too.  Most countries can say this to some extent and it came off as rude and disrespectful)  You should kick the cat out of the house, they are dirty and no good animals (even though JiHoon loves the cat and the cat is clean).  "You must understand I am Korean."  It was insane what she decided to nit-pick.

Now, I understand that in many ways what she was doing was VERY Korean of her and that she was only acting like a Korean from her generation but seriously.  I bend over backwards to try and not rock the boat but I am to my limit.  She needs to understand that I am American and sometimes, I make American food or do American things.  AND KIMCHI DOESN'T GO WITH PASTA!!!

She also decided that next weekend we would make kimchi together because she leaves for Thailand and wants to make kimchi with me.  I had no say in this plan and had to reschedule plans I had already made with my friends.  Super annoying and over it.  I will be nice to her but sometimes it really drives me crazy because she is so conservative and nationalistic.  So over it.

Anyways, here are the nice parts of the weekend.  Some pictures from the hike and the fish markets we went to.  That was the fun part of the weekend.  Just some minor issues with his mother.

The fresh fish markets:

The Mountain "Hike":

Homecoming Cont...

As most of you have heard, I am coming home January 24th to February 7th (with the boyfriend).  Though it is the second week of December, I feel like time is going by so slowly.  Before I announced that I was coming home, time seemed to speed by but now that I am looking forward to something, it seems to be dragging on.  Needless to say, January 24th cannot get here fast enough!  I miss your faces!!!

Homecoming...

Originally I was planning on coming home during my summer vacation (2015) but somethings happened and I am no longer coming then.  I am now going to come back to America for a visit this winter.  The boyfriend is also coming.  We will be in the US from January 24th to February 7th.  See you all soon!!!

Horrible December

It is day 3 in December and it has not been a good month so far.  The boyfriend had a flat tire coming back from Wonju.  It ruined the tire completely.  Some sort of rode or something got stuck in the tire and ruined it.  Today, he got in a car accident outside of his work.  The guy stopped in front of him on the curved road and JiHoon hit him because he couldn't stop because of the snow.  Needless to say the boyfriend is having a hard time right now.  Just no good.  Hopefully the rest of the month gets better...here is hoping.

Here are some photos of the tire and accident.  Boo.

New Freshman interviews...

I have been in Korea for a little over a year now (almost 15 months) and I have loved every moment of it.  Yes there are the day to day grinds of craziness and such but my life here is wonderful.  Today we have the new freshman interviews and it reminded me of when I first moved here.  New and freaked out but ready for something different.  Over the past year I have grown up and feel like I am a real adult.  I was an adult before but it is different when you have a full time job and are taking care of all the bills.  Something I did before but now I am paying down my student loans, which feels really adult like.  I am also in a committed relationship with someone who treats me well and I can see going somewhere more.  The pieces feel like they are falling into place.  Who knows what the future holds but I have changed and that is good!

Happiness and Rice Fat...

Not sure how many of you know this but I have gained a few pounds.  (about 6)  There are two possible suspects.  One, the boyfriend.  Two, rice.  Or a combination of both.  No idea.  Anyways, I joined a gym about two months ago and liked the gym, however, the boyfriend hated the gym.  He thought there were too many old people there and that we should go to his old gym.  I reluctantly agreed.  I like working out with ahjummas.  They are harmless and not scary.  Well, we started at his old gym this morning.  Not good.  There was only one other woman there and she was being trained by the personal trainer.  Of the ten or so people there, all were men, save for her.  And not harmless old men, but men men.  The kind that are crazy with weights and super intimidating.  Needless to say, I hate this gym but I am going to deal with it because I paid already and why not.

One the positive side, the gym is new and clean and warm.  Which the other gym wasn't (well the other gym was clean but not new or warm).  And the owner/personal trainer is super nice.  I was doing my squats incorrectly and he came over and showed me how to properly do them.  Here is hoping it gets better, because I really want to get back into shape and work out.  Just intimidating with all the muscle men around.

Mom Problems...

I have met the boyfriends family (twice in fact).  Everything went well.  I was a bit awkward but the first meeting at his mothers art show was good.  His father was very polite and sweet.  He showed me around the exhibition and spoke English with me.  His mother was a bit scary but overall nice.  His sister was wonderful.  Super awesome in fact.  I really like his sister.  Anyways.  After we first met, his mother was asking him "when will you marry," "go visit her family in America," and "when are you going to have babies."  I let it go because it was a good sign that she accepted me, which was a problem before.  She was anti-foreigner but slowly changed her mind and then met me.  I thought everything was fine but man this woman is a roller coaster.

After the Seoul visit, his mother calls him.  She starts complaining to him.  She "noticed" how I didn't treat him like a "king" and that I need to do this and that and blah blah blah.  The issue is, the boyfriend was acting normal for our relationship and that upset the mom because he wasn't "sweet" to her and only me.  He carried my bags for me, even though I protested.  He took Trixie outside for me twice, even though I was going to do it.  He also took over doing the dishes, that I had been doing.  His mother didn't like that and thinks it was me that made him do it.  I did not make her son do those things.  He did them on his own.  He is a sweet man and he cares for me, and shows it by doing those types of things.  It is normal behavior for him.

What really bothers me is the whole "treating him like a king" thing.  She has no idea but I do all sorts of things for this man.  He is currently having issues with his work and them not paying him, so I have been paying for almost everything.  Which is hard with the bills and such I have to pay on my own.  I also do his laundry and clean and organize.  She is just uncomfortable with the fact that I am not the stereotypical "housewife" that she wanted for her son.  Not that he would want that anyways, he likes cooking and doing the dishes.

The other thing that gets to me is the fact that she wants me to do it all but her husband is the one that cleans the house, not her.  Pot calling the kettle black.

Seriously though.  It is really frustrating for me to hear her berate her son about me and him just sit there and listen/agree so he can pacify her.  Just kind of over trying to impress this woman.  She flip flops more than a politician and I am sick of it.  Just over it!

Seoul...Day 3

Saturday was the Ko-Yon Jeon (or Yon-Ko Jeon: depending on which school you are from).  This is a college rivalry between Yonsei University (Yon) and Korea University (Ko).  Seoul National University is the number one school in the country but Korea and Yonsei are also very prestigious and fight it out for who is number two and three.  Every year there is a battle between the two colleges.  Five different sports are played (soccer, rugby, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey) and the university that wins the most games, wins the competition.  Since my boyfriend graduated from Korea University, he wanted me to experience Ko-Yon Jeon.  We went with his father, since he too graduated from Korea University.  We only saw the final day, with the soccer and rugby matches but it was fun.  I enjoyed the people watching (we all know I am not really into sports) and the activeness of the students.

*Korea University won all 5 matches...btw.

Seoul...Day 2

On the second day in Seoul, we decided to go to one of the Palaces.  I have never been to any of the palaces in Seoul and was really looking forward to seeing it.  We went to Gyeongbokgung, which is by far the most famous palace in Seoul.  It has beautiful gardens and rooms.  Another perfect day.

We arrived when the guards were doing the guard changing ceremony.  We had no idea but it was so cool.  After watching the show, we went inside the palace and took a ton of photos and enjoyed ourselves.

  

The first ranking official.  Ha.  Obviously me!

The throne room.

  

The queens chambers.

The gardens.  In the spring, there is a huge garden tour of the palace.  I plan on coming back to do the tour because it was beautiful in the fall, I can only imagine what it will be like in the spring.

  

The boyfriend is a huge dork.  <3

After the palace, we went to my boyfriends college (Korea University) to pick up some t-shirts for the following day.  It was a beautiful campus.

We ended the day in Gangnam.  I took the boyfriend to one of my favorite hookah bars in Seoul (Rainbow) because he had never done hookah before and I knew he would love it.  We had a really chill night and it was great.  Love Gangnam, especially at night.  

He thought it would be funny to act like he was high because of...movies.  Ha.