Soju: 소주

Soju is a popular Korean alcohol. It tasted like a slightly watered down version of vodka, and is apparently really good when mixed with fruit. I was given my introductory lesson in Korean alcohol the other night at Sandy's going away dinner. Lori and Petra made spaghetti and chicken, and then we taught some of Sandy and Lori's Korean friends American drinking games, like Kings, a very modified version of beer pong (we didn't have ping pong balls), and we tried to teach them Asshole, but no one really knew how to play. I managed to impress the Korean's by holding my soju well!

Before my night of socializing, Lori and Petra took me to Emart, which is like the Korean equivalent of wal-mart. You can get everything there! I was a little overwhelmed, there was so much stuff! But I did manage to pick up a few groceries and some useful items, like hairspray and laundry bags (apparently if you do laundry here without putting your clothes in laundry bags they will get ruined). I was particularly fascinated by the 'pick your own squid/octopus/gigantic crab' tanks. Just like the pick-your-own lobster tanks at home, these are in the grocery section of emart, and you can select a live squid, octopus, or king crab (HUGEEEE king crab) to take home or have boiled for you. I need to start thinking about what kind of meals I want to make so that I can actually cook, I was too overstimulated yesterday to make anything more than the most basic purchases. I also found the pet section, so after Friday, when I am settled into my official home for the year, I can set up a small aquarium. And yes, they have bettas here!

Yesterday was also my very first monsoon. It puts any rainstorm I've seen in the states to shame.

Some other fun things about Korea:
I found a TV channel that appears to just be showing people playing starcraft.
In Korea, I am 23, not 22, because your age starts at 1
K-Pop reminds me a lot of early 90s pop, especially in the music videos (bright colors, highly choreographed dancing)
Mattresses here are extra firm because many Koreans actually prefer to sleep on the floor on little mats
Koreans are obsessed with staying slim and staying out of the sun. Even on the hottest days many people will have on long sleeves and pants to keep from becoming tan, and many skin care products are whitening

I'm spending the rest of the day consolidating my stuff and cleaning up the apartment, because Lyn leaves tomorrow and will be staying here in Britton's apartment with me until Friday! And after Lyn arrives, you won't just be subjected to my ramblings, and this should get a lot more interesting!
~Hannah