Day 10 in Korea

Countdown: 105 days.

Early morning, I was invited by Muugii's teacher's friend to attend a Korean church service in Yuseong. The service is very family style and the pastor (knowing that Muugii and I don't understand Korean), requested the P.A. crew to translate the message in english. Woah~ I feel like a VIP man!! It is a baptist church so the way they conduct the service is a little different from what we do in Bethesda (brethren church). After service, I was invited to have lunch fellowship with them, of which I saw many disabled children joining in. I then realized that this pastor setup the church 5 years ago and because he was also a disabled person, he opened up the church as a centre to take in these kids and care for them during the weekdays. A very noble person.

Muugii and I then head back to dormitory where we chilled and rest. In the evening, I went to school to look for Enazi and we had cheap pizzas, potato wedges and fries. We met Malcolm along the way - a very cool Saudi Arabian casanova who owns an apartment here in Daejeon and a Hyundai coupe!! Power~

Nothing much to do on a Sunday evening since tomorrow is school day so we head back to ICU Munji dormitory to play a game of pool and now I am here blogging.

Sian~

Day 9 in Korea

Countdown: 106 days.

Today is what I would term as the most boring Saturday in my entire human living on this planet. I ask Enazi to bring me around, he just murmurs to himself and started taking me to places i don't wanna go - all the places I have been before. Enazi doesn't seem to have any more clues about where are the happening places in Daejeon.

Good thing that I found Coffee Bean cafe near the Starbucks Coffee and I ordered a flavour that Singapore doesn't have - Green Tea Ice Blended!! Small cup - 5500 won (equivalent to SGD $7.50). Wow~ Also, their service is damn good. They got a beeper that they give to you upon purchase of any coffee, then you bring the beeper back to your table. When your latte or whatever order is ready, they will beep you and your beeper will light up and vibrate. How awesome!! I went with Muugii to chill, but he doesn't wanna try the coffee. Sad guy - he don't know how to enjoy life. I saw a girl who looked similar to Li Shi (from KR). Have a look.

Oh, today I have also been to what Singaporeans would have called - Takashimaya. But for the Koreans, it is called Time World and today is its grand opening. How lucky!! I was just in the region. They have all the fashion apparels and accessories and cosmetics and sports stuffs and kids stuffs and movie theatre - all in one complex!! It is gonna be my favorite hangout for now.

Also I tried a new Korean food today - Gimbap (Rice fried with Korean spices, seaweed and peppermint leaves). Good stuffs. After that, we went to Hollys Coffee (hmm, I think coffee joint seem to be the favorite thing in Korea)!! As usual, I ordered Green Tea Latte and it is FREE OF CHARGE cuz Enazi treat me to drink (I think Sher Yum would kill to be in my position).

Okie, I am too tired to blog anymore. Maybe tomorrow.

Day 8 in Korea

Countdown: 107 days.

 I attended class for "Movie and Society". This module is ultra slack. 3 assignments over the course of 13 weeks and the mid term exam is just a discussion. We have to write 2 assignment papers on the movies (films) we have watched and evaluate them in 2-3 pages (wow!!). The lecture is supposed to end in 2 hours, but this week is first week, so cut short to 1 hour!!

I hang out with Enazi, Malaz and Simuel for lunch this noon @ the one and only (boring) cafeteria in school. I had Fried Rice with Gimchi and Tuna (ultra spicy, but not so bad). I forgot to take photo, but this dish is going into my dislike list. Afterward Enazi borrowed his bike to me and I agreed to help him topup to full tank.

Now I am back in my room and I am blogging and chatting with my *ahem*. Oh, she sent me some nice photos we took before I came to Korea. I will upload them for your perusal and you will realize how lucky a guy I was and will be. I am gonna head out soon with Enazi and company, probably to town or something; will post more stuffs later.

In the evening...

Enazi is a gre8 guy. He brought me round to get a mobile phone so I can use it, but the variety isn't that much so I decide not to buy it yet. We then head down to ALI BABA TREASURE, woohoo the best restaurant I have been to in Korea since I came 8 days ago. It is opened by an Algerian guy who is currently part studying as a researcher in KAIST. He stays in France and he is a uber rich dude and he don't really care if he makes a profit out of his restaurant. He just loves cooking and enjoys seeing people satisfied. He is quite rugged for a guy of his age, but he is really a casanova. To you who is reading this blog (you know who you are), I wished I could spend this dinner with u because the setting is so romantic with warm lights and some candles + the special Arabian scent.

We went to the Shisha House again to look for Mr Fred again. This time I tried the Cinnamon Cappuccino while Enazi had his usual Chai Tea Latte. A pity I did not bring my camera out cuz I keep taking photos but I did not charge the poor fella. Better luck next time.

Anyway, I am back in my room already. So tired, waiting to shower and probably take a break then sleep. Tomorrow is the WEEKEND!! Time to partay!!

Day 7 in Korea

Countdown: 108 days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!! Yay~ Today is my birthday finally!! I have aged and become 1 year older *duh* Today is a good day. I never miss my classes, but then I got a problem - my "Computer Animation" class might be called off due to lack of students and if it happens, I am completely screwed cuz I don't have any core modules left to take and that my time in Daejeon would have been completed wasted. I mean, since all modules are S/U here, why dun I take core modules right?? I can score better @ non-core modules and if I take all non-core modules here, it means I would have to go back to SG to take core modules (and I am so dead!!).

Lunch was rather good today and I had "ramen" (Singaporeans love to call it Maggi Mee). It had cheese melted on top of it, so it tasted extra good, but also extra unhealthy. This dish will stay in my favourite list. Today I made 2 new Korean friends - James and Max. Max is our tour guide and he showed us around school. A very nice fella. Afterwards, we all (the 4 French ladies, me, Muugii, Enazi, Max, James and Fawaz) headed down town to Time World where we had our 1st McDonald meal together. After dinner, we went to K-Box (or what the Koreans would have termed as Noraebang). We totally sang our hearts out and party like wild buggers!! *see photos* The girls thought us some dance moves and it was smoove!! It was funny to see how Enazi and the guys were enjoying themselves. I think it is the 1st time they ever let loose and let go and I think it is healthy for them especially when they are always so caught up with their studies and research.

We then headed down to E-Mart (ooh the place where u can test out lotsa foodies and not pay for them!). I bought pancakes back to eat, as well as some snacks. In the end, we took a cab back to Hwaam dormitory. My dear roomie even bought me a present - an alarm clock (okie I am not being superstitious here alrite, but yeah it is just not a good gift although it is the thing I need the most in order to wake up on time *lol*).

I might be heading down to Seoul tomorrow to find fen and company. Till tomorrow, thank God that another day has passed and I am 1 day closer to home. I miss you guys so so much already!!

Day 6 in Korea

Countdown: 109 days

I woke up @ like 2pm, washed up and got changed into my new red-checkered shorts and head off to school for lunchie. Today, I ate the Oyako Donburi (a Japanese cuisine), but they did it in Korean style so no matter whatever dishes I ordered, they will still taste Korean food. Darn~ What was worst was when I stepped into their Co-Op - the pricing is incredibly DAYLIGHT ROBBING!! The prices of the stuffs there are more expensive than Singapore by easily $1-$2. Crazy man. The textbooks are limited, but the prices are sky high!! Woohoo!! I am so DEAD, somemore I don't think Singapore using same textbooks as Korea so I will have a hard time offloading them once the semester ends.

Later, I went for my noon class - Social Service @ 4:30pm. This course is PWNAGE!! My lecturer bought us sandwiches and cold drinks. Her name is Jina Lim. She started speaking in Korean language for about 10 minutes before she realized my cramped facial expression and asked if I am an international student *lol* Good, now I can pass off as a Korean guy!! This course is ultra slack, no lectures, no exams, no academic readings - just need to complete 20 hours of CIP during the 13 weeks when we are in school and we will meet on the last week of school to share our experience and feelings, then we will get a PASS & 1 credit (or 3 credits in Singapore Edu System). ROCKS!! So now, it is as though as taking 4 modules, but getting the credits for 5 modules.

Okie, finally I met Enazi, the super duper nice Saudi Arabian dude who always pay for the meals and he will keep telling me "It is okie, first time I treat, next time you treat.". But heck I have been out with him like numerous times and he always tell me that!! Is he senile or is he just rich?? I felt guilty cuz he always beats me to the bill... Cannot cannot... Blessing campaign eh!! I must bring him out to eat and bless him and maybe pray for him (which I will do later cuz he is bringing me to buy card reader, so I can upload wonderful photos for u guys to see!!).

The sky is turning dark now and oh yah, tomorrow got like a tour around school, organized by the Centre of International Affairs, so I may join them and take a tour around school (although school ain't that big, but yeah should be "fun"). Hopefully I can upload my photos to facebook later for all of your perusal.

1 hour later...

Yeah, I finally met Enazi @ the bike area and he is taking me to City Hall area to buy my stuffies. I got a chance to ride his motorbike again (without helmet). Oh yah, I thought Enazi was crazy when he told me to ride up the overhead bridge, but in the end we did!! And it was seriously crazy to the maximum!! I took a couple of shots for it. Shiok-ness!! Imagine riding above the road, woohoo!! I feel like a King!! Shortly after we went to buy the card reader (which cost me 15,000 won and they sell it for 18,000 won in school), we head onto the place where I feel like I am back in Singapore - STARBUCKS!! I ordered my fav GREEN TEA LATTE, but sadly the price is like SGD $1.50 more. The distance from ICU to City Hall is like from Kent Ridge Hall to VivoCity!! Yahoo!!

We tour around the area, but Enazi told me that weekend will be more fun cuz it will be crowded with people. I finally see some light in the midst of my darkest period of exchange.

City Hall - Here I Come!!

Day 5 in Korea

Countdown: 110 days.

Second day in school isn't that good @ all. I started off the day by being 15 minutes late for the 1st class - Game Theory cuz I was late for the early shuttle bus that goes to school. Game Theory, sounds very tempting, but the actual content is far from being tempting. It has nothing to do with Games @ all, but rather, how decisions of one object and affect the decisions of other objects, like how game operates. However, there are 3 redeeming factors in this class - Girls, girls and still girls haha... I finally have 3 pretty Korean female students in the same class as me!! But doesn't matter lah, my heart is settled on 1 already. Anyway, I noticed Korean guys like to have this kind of messy hairstyle, while the ladies dressed very elegantly with thick makeup smacked on their faces and they like to wear high-heels to class - the higher, the better!!

Lunch time as usual, met the French ladies, Enazi, Rakib and a couple other nationalities @ the canteen in basement 1. Sian man, I just realized the menu got like 10 over edible foods to choose from and I figured I got 3 months more to go, so I have to permutate the 10 dishes to make sure I don't get bored of them before the term ends. I managed to get my internet fixed so I can use the internet service in my room. Afterwards, I attended this class - Introduction to Multimedia + Lab which is completely sick cuz the dude is like murmuring all the way and he is like Hiro Nakamura from Heroes - he can stop time when he starts talking!! I almost dozed off in class. In the end I checked, the lab clashes with the lecture of another important module I have. So shucks, I attended this class for nothing.

I went back strai8 to dormitory to sleep before coming out in the evening for dinner. I came to the same cafeteria with my roomie, Muugii (the Mongolian dude) and I ordered Chicken Curry Rice. Woohoo!! Overall rating for the food - 3/10. Failed!! I now left with 9 foods to permutate for the rest of the semester. Feeling not full and unsatisfied, we went over to the Munji dorm (which is smacked in the middle of school) to play table tennis. Not long after, we went down to Jeonmin-dong to walk around the streets. Pretty boring for a night I would say and Enazi supposed to bring back to the Shisha House yet I can't find him anywhere.

Looks like I am gonna return back to my dorm and chill over there. I eagerly awaits the dawn of a new day!!

Day 4 in Korea

Countdown: 111 days

Last night was a blast. Fauwah (my dorm mate) took me, my roomie and Enazi (another Saudi Arabian student) to eat tak-kau-be (Korean BBQ) in Jeonmin-dong area behind school. Power feast although I already had dinner, but chinese always like to eat right? (It is in our blood).

Afterward, I took a free ride on Enazi's bike to go down to town area to meet up with Mallas (a Syrian student in ICU) & Simuel (a Bulgarian student in ICU) @ the Shisha house. I ordered my green tea latte, which doesn't taste as expected (but still good). Enazi and Mallas had chai latte while Simuel smoked Shisha with Mallas (Apple flavour). I don't know what it is, but they told me it isn't addictive, just tobacco. I tried a couple of puffs and it tasted good, but nah, I am not a smoker so I just take for fun (Don't stone me please. Just trying out only). Enazi then gave me a ride back around midnight cuz school is starting.

Today is a good day and for the first time in varsity life, I am early by like 10minutes~!! I am so proud of myself. I went to my lecture theatre L401 and when I stepped it, it is like going into a tutorial class. What happened to the large hall with power up sound systems? Their LTs are like our tutorial rooms. No bull!!

I had my first lecture in ICU - Organizational Behaviour, conducted by Mr Chanhoo Song. He identified all the foreign students, but not me. Why? I don't looked un-Korean? Darn!! I figured it is easy for him to spot ang-moh than me. Sh*t. This first lecture gave me a verry bad impression of him because he got that "FEAR ME" kind of air around and the way he questioned the students is like demoralizing them. Some students dropped out of his classes for pevious semesters and he goes like "Hey you, you dropped this course 2 times right? What makes you so sure you gonna stay in this course again?". Wah lau eh, I feel like smacking him. He totally have no sense of humour and he did not know that he is subtlely crushing the student's pride. Dammit!! With me in the course are Emilie and Annie, the 2 of 4 French girls I know from my dormitory. We all have equal sentiment about this professor and he is definitely the last to be on my adviser list.

Lunch time beckons and we had a hearty lunch @ the cafeteria beneath the school. They served a variety of foreign cuisines, done in Korean style (haha how interesting). Enazi loaned me his motorbike to go Expo Core to have my passport photo taken (for alien ID registration). For the 2nd time in history, I have rode a motorbike in foreign land. POWER!! The feeling is shiok and good thing is, I dun have licence and I did not wear any helmet!! Woohoo!! Freedom!!

At the outside of the Expo Core, I sighted the 1st eve CHIO Korean babe i have seen in my 4 days in Daejeon. Coolio!! I took a snapshot (no actually 3) but very hard to see her face cuz she keeps turning away. Haix. Sucks. I will upload the peektures soon. The Expo Core isn't very much exciting and the stuffs they have there - pathetic. It is very messy and the stuffs there are like China goods. Damn~ Nonetheless, I came back to ICU a happy dude cuz now I can get my alien ID done and it takes 2 weeks to come (how comforting).

With the alien ID, I can pass bus card, phone lines and open bank account etc. Wowee. So troublesome. Anyway, smarty me brought digital camera to Korea without bringing my card reader, so now got problem uploading them to the net. Sorry but please wait, it is only temporal. I will upload the peektures soon enough.

Apologies.

Day 3 in Korea

Countdown: 112 days

Last night I met up with a group of wonderful people and got introduced to a couple of nice dishes @ the dining area. Amongst them are Fauwah (a Saudi Arabian) who is darn good and cleans up all the dishes for us, Sunny (a Ghanian) who is like a fatherly figure, Ackmah (an Afghan) who is totally far from a terrorist. We had a gre8 feast and chat alot about different cultures and stuffs. I realized they are all graduate students and they started scaring me with all the work loads, projects, assignments and sh*ts like that. Afterwards, we sat down and enjoyed "The Departed" movie and also ate loads of takeway pizzas.

Today is a darn lazy day cuz I slept @ 5am in the morning, then I woke up @ 5pm in the noon - a total of 12 hours rest. Besides, there aren't much entertainment spots here, so I figured I will be better off resting than hanging out. I washed up and dressed up and then head to school for dinner. There aren't much makan places near my dormitory and it is 10 minutes away from school. Sucks!!

We had like fried nuggets, some kimchis and curry + this soup that tasted no different from water & rice. Total cost is 2500 kwon (which is around SGD$3+) and you can eat as much as you want. Cool right? Good place for a glutton like me. Afterwards, my roomie decided to hang out in the computer room to do his stuffs (he is pretty much a geek though, but a nice guy definitely) and I went out of the school through the back gate to venture into Canaan!!

True enough, Canaan was not very far from sight. There are alot of makan places here, shop houses, bars, beers, young Korean people hanging out!! Woohoo!! Lo and behold, I am back to my neighbourhood!! Too bad, I did not have enough time to move around cuz it was dark and I did not want to left hanging out alone. So I head back swiftly like Caleb and the 12 spies to report good news to my roomie. Sadly, he doesn't seem the least bit interested. Poor chap, I gotta educate him about how to enjoy life. I also discovered a couple of churches here where I can attend next week cuz I overslept and missed the session completely *guilty*

To all my friends out there: I really miss you guys and this trip magnifies your importance in my life. Darn it, I hate it when I can't hang out late and when there isn't any 24 hours eateries for me to choose from. Shoots~

I will heading back dormitory soon. School starts tomorrow - no orientation, no mid term break, no nothing. I am so screwed!!

Day 2 in Korea

Countdown: 113 days to go.

You know, it is not very good to have a room mate that wakes up early and then keep asking you "hey are you okay?" because he just disrupted my beautiful sleep 3 times & I mean I can't blame him because he is a Mongolian so he is pretty in order. Anything that falls out of place, he will just go bersek. For me, not having breakfast and probably skipping lunch is okie, but to him, every meal is important. It is only day number 2. I am starting to feel a little annoyed.

Anyway, I finally dragged myself off the bed @ 2:30pm (slept @ 10:30pm last night), washed up and took a bus to school (because I can only take a bus from school to town). I happen to meet a Korean student, who is in charge of international students and his name is Howard. Apparently, we are taking the same bus, so I chatted with him abit to find out more about life in Daejeon. The night life here isn't the most fantastic of all. The eateries are not 24 hours, so it pretty much sucks. You have a certain time to eat your lunch and dinner here as well. Their lunch is from 12:30pm to 2:30pm and their dinner is from 6pm to 8pm. After that, you just gotta source your own food.

My roomie was with me as we made our way downtown. He totally got no clue about anything and relied heavily on me so it forces me to take on a little more responsibility. He isn't irritating, but he irritates me alot (unintentionally). I guess those who interacts with me in Singapore must be rejoicing at the fact that I am getting my own medicine now. Seriously, it ain't funny and I am trying hard to be a big brother to him. Anyway, we made our way to E Mart, this super huge supermarket like GIANTS, Sheng Siong, NTUC in Singapore. They got 3 levels - 1st floor for all the foodies, 2nd floor for home and furnishing and 3rd floor for all the fashion stuffs.

Oh yah, they have got POPEYE and MAC in E Mart. I had POPEYE for dinner and it rocked!! The price is roughly the same in Singapore, but the Macdonalds is way cheaper by like 50 cents and above. YAHOO!! Seriously, my roomie isn't much of a shopper, so he is always giving me the "sian" look.

So in the end, we shopped for 30 minutes before we made our way back to school. The next time, I am gonna go out shopping alone because I think there is this decent shopping centre right across the bus stop where we took from town and it has a cinema in it!! Yay~

Anyway, I am going off right now cuz the bus is scheduled to come pick us back to the dormitory @ 8pm (7pm Singapore time). Take care people.

I will post up the photos once I am done uploading them to my comp. See ya'll and have a great weekend!!

Tata~