Winter break;

Hi from Seoul! I've temporarily moved for the winter break........ away from Mokpo, and into a closet-sized room next to Ewha Women's University. I'm here to take language classes, and to get to know Korea's capital better.


I went to Namsan Seoul Tower this week........ although I actually didn't go up the tower (it's so expensive!) The tower is located on top of a TALLLLLLL hill (mini-mountain?) so you still get a nice view for free.


This place is a very popular date spot. I'm not sure why, but it's a common thing for couples to put a lock on the fencing...... and write a message saying things like, "100 Days together, our love will last forever!" Oh, so cheesy/sentimental.


Why hello, slightly unseasonal Christmas tree made of bears.

Hell, let's throw in some Mokpo pictures while I'm at it, seeing as I'm not doing that much in Seoul right now:


My (ex) office, at school. The kettle is the middle of the room is placed on the heater for humidity. Our school has no central heating, so.......


...... The hallways are freeeeeeeezing! And very cheery-looking, aren't they?


School lunch! This was actually a good day; we had fruit.


I've recently changed home stays: this is the front entrance to my new house (apartment). Nice, isn't it?


And here's the living room. The big windows look out onto the ocean.


Hi, my room!


My host parents preparing food for the lunar New Year. While in China, it's traditional to eat dumplings on the New Year (as well as blow up loads of fireworks, I've heard), Koreans eat a lot of fried foods. Everything that could be fried (potatoes, vegetables, fish, beef, etc......) was fried.


TWIGIM! (Fried food) This is fried squid and sweet potato--since Mokpo's on the ocean, there's always a lot of seafood served at traditional events.


Non-deepfried fish. This is just pan-fried. Also, this fish is from Mokpo! Koreans still believe quite strongly in eating locally and seasonally, although globalization is beginning to change that...... (in Seoul especially, since there is so little agriculture close to the city.)


Halmonni (grandmother) cleaning up in the kitchen on lunar New Year's Eve.

Well, that's it for now. I have to go study for my Korean placement test tomorrow........ =\