Rendezvous at CBTL

"My First CBTL Ice Blended!"


1200h


Only Sok oppa and I were the people in the lab. The rest of the guys were in Seoul having classes. So for lunch, oppa invited me to join him and I'm glad that he's also not a fan of the cafeteria for the professors! I like bibimbap so much and so we went to eat at the place where I had my first bibimbap. I learned that oppa was planning to proceed his post-graduate studies in the U.S. and heard from my professor that he's one of the brightest students even during his undergraduate years. Seems like it cos he was a double major degree holder (Environmental and Civil Engg) during his Bachelor's.^^


At the resturant, oppa ordered spicy ramyeon and bibimbap and I didn't know that it was a treat! Cool! ^^, I was supposed to have lunch with a couple of friends but they had classes still. Because of that, I got treated for lunch! ^^


1320h


I met up with BJ oppa and Keo, who had his head shaved just before we met (LOL), in front of CBTL. They're the new friends I met at the English Cafe. BJ oppa bought coffee for us and since it was a very nice warm day (22 degrees), I decided to have white chocolate dream latte ice blended - my first ever ice blended drink at Coffee Bean here! LOL. We sat outside at the porch area and I was already brave not to put on a jacket or sweater. The warm sun was really such a bliss to my skin! ^^, I loved it!


BJ oppa told us about his interview with Asiana Airlines yesterday and when I found out he applied for FA, I was so amazed and said that that's one of the jobs I'd fancy and I definitely don't see it as a job, it's more of fun than work because it's traveling!!!^^ But it's funny that he doesn't like flying! Both Keo and him have phobias in airplanes! LOL. And so he's expecting not to get accepted, the experience of the interview was enough for him. kkk...

BIBIMBAP PLACE (not exactly the name^^)

2000h


Alone in the lab! Sok oppa already went back to Seoul so I have the lab all to myself and I can sing all I want! LOL. Just kidding! (Half - hahaha!)


I thought I would be having only oranges for dinner. But John came and so I went to dinner with him, Cindy and another friend of Cindy who's living in an apartment just outside the campus grounds. We went to a restaurant that's just a few steps from the apartment and Cindy told me to try the 청둑장. At first I was hesitant cos it was neither beef nor chicken and I didn't want to have pork as much as possible. Then she said something about beans. "Oh, soy beans?!" And I was thinking of tofu already - I'm not such a big fan of tofu. I was hopeful that the way the tofu was being cooked was tasteful even spicy cos I rarely eat plain tofu! When the dish arrived, it was a red soup filled with tofu! @_@ hahah! I didn't know what to say really and so when she asked me how it tasted, I just said "Ok". LOL. It smelled not so good too as what she said. Good thing there were lots of side dishes / appetizers and the seaweed wrap which they call "KIM". I preferred the sidedishes more than the main course we ordered. LOL. It tasted just well and blended with the kim and other appetizers at least, it wasn't that bad and it was just OK. c",)

청둑장

청둑장 (Ch'ong Dook Jang)

It Snowed Again

Cathianne's Journal:

It's Abnormally Snowing at Spring Time

24 March 2011

Menu for the Day:
Lunch @ restaurant outside school Bibimbap (treat!^^)
Dinner, deliver in the lab - some chicken cutlet Chinese food @ 2,500 krw


My main goal for today was to finish my Fortran program so I can proceed with my other schoolworks and tasks in the lab. Since the time I arrived in the lab, all I did was try and test algorithms and kept opening the two books for my references.

By the time I got to the lab, Honey was already in her table. I'm so glad to finally have my friend with me in the lab! Now I have someone to talk to more often! ^^ I got another chewable candy-like vitamin from her, a chocolate biscuit and a custard cake for breakfast! kkk...

1150h
Since Hyunjoo was also in the lab and it seemed that the oppas won't be eating lunch anytime soon, I decided to eat out with her for lunch. We went to her friend's apartment where I met a new friend, Gina. Jaemin, Hyunjoo's boyfriend, was also there as well. Five of us went to a nearby restaurant, just behind the apartment and had some lunch. I had bibimbap and the lunch was Jaemin's treat! ^^ (A bibimbap would cost 4,000 krw)

After lunch, we spent a few minutes at the apartment to have some rest before going back. Gina and Hyunjoo were attending their 1:00pm class and I was to go back to the lab too.

1700h
MJ oppa and I went to the office of our professor where we would be checking the two quizzes of the TA class we're handling. While checking, I had to keep asking oppa about the comments of the students because one of the questions needed explanations and naturally, most students would comment in Hangeul. Other than the fact that I read soooooo slow, I don't understand a word they're saying! =)) So he had to translate them for me! Haha! After we checked the papers, our professor gave us some money to have coffee for treat at CBTL! Yey! I got another CBTL and this time I had Cafe Mocha! =))

My first CBTL cafe mocha here! Thanks to gyusunim! kkk...

It also snowed as predicted. That was the second time I saw the snow in Korea, but obviously, it's not as visible really from afar cos it's a mix of rain and snow only. But nonetheless, I went out to take some photos haha...only through android though, I didn't have my camera...=|

Sleet, not purely snow...



Cold weather today in Jochiwon ^^



1900h
Lab dinner. We had Chinese food delivery and I ordered a chicken cutlet that had some sauce and mayo for 2,500 krw only! I find it cheap cos most of the food delivered would damage me with 4,000-5,000 krw, hahaha...



My dinner: chicken cutlet with sauce and mayo for 2,500 krw only! =))


2100h
I was trying on some algorithm on arrays and went on the program for several more hours. Our professor advised us to rather try writing our own program than modifying someone else's code which is, I agree, more difficult.

Fortunately, the step by step writing and trial and error that I've been doing seemed to have started working and my efforts are progressing and manifesting well. I read the chapter of the book again about arrays and finally got the message! Haha!

0100h (25 March 2011)
I was still hard on the program. MJ oppa tried to stay and work on his program as well.

0200h
It was almost complete! All I was doing by then was the design and layout on the executable file!

0230h
Went home to my dormitory! c",)

Successful all-nighter! YEY!!!

BIBIMBAP, SOJU, and MAKGEOLLI

Cathianne's Journal:

SOJU: Alcohol Mixed with Water? Or Water Mixed with Alcohol?

09 Mar 2011

Another event to watch out for today: Freshmen environmental engineering students throwing up! Just kidding...^^


On the Menu:
Cafeteria food for lunch
Cafeteria food too for dinner


* At least dinner was really good! My first BIBIMBAP and soup (with "yubu"? Not so sure with the spelling but it was good too...) and even more interesting was that it came with YAKULT! =))


1930h
Go to classroom with Gwang to witness the traditional welcoming party for the freshmen undergraduate environmental engineering students. It started with the leaders of the organizations and some upper class men, they each got up to the platform of the classroom and the crowd started to chant (that which I cannot obviously understand, so i just joined them in clapping). Then one by one, each student would speak up something like their current status and in the end, they will recite their three-syllable names and the crowd would follow. Every time the student stutters, the crowd would chant something that will make him/her repeat from the beginning of the speech. After the group standing on the platform is done speaking, a group of students will also come in with a bowl of makgeolli for each student standing on the platform. Each one would drink it up! =))


After all senior students and upper class men were done, the freshmen followed. After the bowl of makgeolli, each student would be assisted to rush to the nearest toilet to throw up! I've been told that if the person does not throw up, the makgeolli will cause such unforgettable headache, so it's better to really throw up.


...Even if I was literally lost in translation, it was fun! Looking at the students, some of them were really making fun of themselves on stage, some even performed all out! =))


Professors from our department started arriving. When the department head gave his speech, everyone shouted "Go! Go! GO!" and each one of us was holding a shot of soju and yup --- bottoms up! =))


I made more friends and funny ones because I can hardly remember the names so they made up their English nicknames on the spot just for me to remember easily. And they definitely had the privilege to choose whatever English name they liked! So Hyunjoo is now Cindy... Haha! There's a Beckham, a William, James, Julia, and so much more...=))


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MAKGEOLLI
Ref: KoreaTimes
``Makgeolli,'' a representative Korean traditional wine, may well be the oldest liquor in Korea. The pale white drink saw its heyday back in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and again in the 1970s and `80s for its rich taste, cheap cost and the food that went with it, but sales and popularity dwindled as wine, sake and soju reigned.
...
The first document that refers to local rice liquor is the ``Jewangun-gi,'' or the ``Rhymed Records of Emperors and Kings,'' written in 1287 during the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). Being an agricultural society, the first alcoholic drinks would have been based on grains such as rice and barley.


Find out more about BIBIMBAP on these links:
MAANGCHI
FOODNETWORK

SOJU much?

Ref: LandOfSoju

[Soju is] a robust drink distilled from rice, yams or tapioca, and potent as toilet bowl cleanser.” And how. Yet at first sight, soju has such an unassuming appearance. It ranges in hue from crystal clear - like the purest spring water, though should you mistake it for water, do not expect to survive through the night - to milky white, depending on the brand.

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