Last Korea update (probably)
I've been here for two and a half weeks, and most people still have no idea what I spend all my time doing. I think I should elaborate.
I've been working at Hyundai Residence Hotel in Chungmuro, Seoul. I only got the job because my uncle is the CEO, not because I'm particularly qualified to work in hotels or anything. Still, as Suejung pointed out, it's pretty cool and drama-like that I can claim to be the nephew of a "sajangnim." Sorry, no action-packed or romantic anecdotes to report though. The better part of my work here has consisted of walking/taking the metro around to different colleges under the pretense of being an American college student who wants to take Korean language courses next semester. After I had gathered up information from about thirty different schools (including the SKY schools for anybody familiar with Korean universities), a coworker and I typed up a report, focusing mostly on student housing. It wasn't exactly exciting work, but it did give me the opportunity to see a lot of the city, if only in passing. Also, I'm now in love with Korea University's campus, which is remarkably similar to Yale and Princeton's but with a nice touch of modernity thrown in with the neo-Gothic style.
It hasn't rained that much, fortunately, but on the days when the rain did come I stayed in the office all day and translated hotel informational pamphlets. Ew.
Anyway, my time here from now on is apparently going to be devoted to shopping for clothes and souvenirs. I bought four Lacoste shirts today at a pretty good price. My aunt claims there's this jean brand in Korea that's way cheaper than in America. Seven, or something. I don't know jean brands too well.
Yesterday's excursion to Lotte World was quite entertaining, for the most part. I say for the most part because the weather was not ideal for amusement park merrymaking. Hot and humid is not ideal weather for anything, except maybe for eating froyo. Tuesday was a holiday here, so the place was teeming with Koreans and tourists alike. However, as Lotte World recently adopted a "Magic Pass" reservation system, we actually didn't have to wait in many lines. Also, I met a girl who looks very much like Go Youn-ha, though I doubt anybody reading this except Clifford cares.
Strangely, the thing I miss most about America is not the food or the weather, but the diversity of the people. Everyone here (and I mean everyone) conforms to rapidly changing fads, most of which are weird to begin with. Case in point: I often see crowds of giggly, uniformed high school girls at the subway stations, but the most striking thing about them is that they all have the exact same haircut. The front is sort of like a bowl cut but with longer bangs on the sides, and the back is a little longer than shoulder-length. I'm always mystified.
This is the longest LJ post I've written in a long time, and also one of the most ineloquent. My English has already started deteriorating! Rah rah rah.
I've been working at Hyundai Residence Hotel in Chungmuro, Seoul. I only got the job because my uncle is the CEO, not because I'm particularly qualified to work in hotels or anything. Still, as Suejung pointed out, it's pretty cool and drama-like that I can claim to be the nephew of a "sajangnim." Sorry, no action-packed or romantic anecdotes to report though. The better part of my work here has consisted of walking/taking the metro around to different colleges under the pretense of being an American college student who wants to take Korean language courses next semester. After I had gathered up information from about thirty different schools (including the SKY schools for anybody familiar with Korean universities), a coworker and I typed up a report, focusing mostly on student housing. It wasn't exactly exciting work, but it did give me the opportunity to see a lot of the city, if only in passing. Also, I'm now in love with Korea University's campus, which is remarkably similar to Yale and Princeton's but with a nice touch of modernity thrown in with the neo-Gothic style.
It hasn't rained that much, fortunately, but on the days when the rain did come I stayed in the office all day and translated hotel informational pamphlets. Ew.
Anyway, my time here from now on is apparently going to be devoted to shopping for clothes and souvenirs. I bought four Lacoste shirts today at a pretty good price. My aunt claims there's this jean brand in Korea that's way cheaper than in America. Seven, or something. I don't know jean brands too well.
Yesterday's excursion to Lotte World was quite entertaining, for the most part. I say for the most part because the weather was not ideal for amusement park merrymaking. Hot and humid is not ideal weather for anything, except maybe for eating froyo. Tuesday was a holiday here, so the place was teeming with Koreans and tourists alike. However, as Lotte World recently adopted a "Magic Pass" reservation system, we actually didn't have to wait in many lines. Also, I met a girl who looks very much like Go Youn-ha, though I doubt anybody reading this except Clifford cares.
Strangely, the thing I miss most about America is not the food or the weather, but the diversity of the people. Everyone here (and I mean everyone) conforms to rapidly changing fads, most of which are weird to begin with. Case in point: I often see crowds of giggly, uniformed high school girls at the subway stations, but the most striking thing about them is that they all have the exact same haircut. The front is sort of like a bowl cut but with longer bangs on the sides, and the back is a little longer than shoulder-length. I'm always mystified.
This is the longest LJ post I've written in a long time, and also one of the most ineloquent. My English has already started deteriorating! Rah rah rah.