Typical Seoul Saturday

My first period class is Reaction Engineering. This is the course that I need to do a lot of catching up cos I never had this subject in college. During the class, our professor discussed only a few topics for today's lecture since he was not feeling well and decided to ask us to present the progress of our term project! Oh snap! I didn't bring a hard copy of my report, I just emailed it to him but he at least have already read my email. Still, I'm not prepared to present and I was still uneasy with the topic I'm working on cos understanding the equations and all were already taking much of my time in preparing the report! T___T" MJ oppa presented first and he was followed by KH oppa. Next was me! Oh no! Before the presentation, I scribbled all that I could remember from what I've emailed and the papers I've read. When I stood in front of the class, our professor who was just seated at the teacher's table on the side transfered in one of the nearby seats in front and was smiling at me as I was about to start! T___T" It made my feet colder! It was supposed to be a warm day but - dang! I was chillin' literally! So I started presenting and babbled whatever came out of my mind. The professor was so kind enough to guide me with the topic and offered suggestions as to how I can approach the project better! Whew! BIG WHEW indeed! It was "good" and as I walked back to my seat, MJ oppa made a silent clapping action. I smiled back and told him I didn't come prepared at all! And so was he! LOL.


After the class, I had lunch with MJ oppa and Badboi at the cafeteria below the gym. I had bibimbap again! I'm starting to feel like it's becoming my comfort food here! LOL. At lunch, I asked Badboi what his report was all about cos at first he started presenting in English and eventually spoke in Korean in order to express better and all I could figure out was that he drew on the board a stick drawing of a man and something with four legs. It was about some medicine concentration and that's all I understood. Then they explained to me that it was about a lab rat experiment on the concentration of medicine and the class was laughing at the topic. I was guessing the whole time what they were laughing about and I wanted to laugh back then at the fact that I didn't understand what they were laughing at and the drawing on the board. LOL.


My afternoon class was postponed to 3:30 PM cos Prof.JY had an emergency. I wanted to go see the flower festival at Yeouido but it seemed that this won't be a good time cos my class will end late. T___T"


1840h: I was walking out of the Anam gate and got a call from my professor asking where I was. So I hurried to the subway and there we met to take the subway together. At the subway we also met Tekken oppa but he was headed to another destination. My professor and I went to the Seoul Station and bought our train tickets. So there, I bought my ticket to Jochiwon and professor was headed to his hometown. Dang...I can't see the flower festival anymore T___T"


1920h: The train left for Jochiwon and I stayed at the cafeteria car again cos the seats were all taken. I plugged my earphones to my ears, sat on the carpeted floor, leaned on the wall and slept in the trip. ~~


2058h: Now in Jochiwon station! I went to my favorite kimbap restaurant and ordered 치즈라면 (Cheese Ramyeon) for a change - hahah! And to satisfy my cravings for something sweet, I was thinking of oranges but when I got to Buy The Way, there was no orange and all I can find to suspend my cravings was the Hershey's Roasted Almond Veil ice cream bar! Even if it was cold, I had ice cream! LOL.

치즈라면: cheesy, milky, creamy, spicy - YUMMY! ^^

Satisfaction Accomplished! ~~

Lunch at Truth Building Cafeteria

Cathianne's Journal:


Truth Cafeteria and Pick-nick Dinner
30 March 2011


Menu for Today:
Lunch - 돈갈비김지찌개 (Dak galbi kimchi jigae) for 3,000 krw

Dinner - chicken tomato green veggie salad, cold cuts, cut egg omellete, and rice balls

1210h

 I had lunch for the first time at the cafeteria inside the Truth Building. It was more spacious and cleaner compared to the usual cafeteria where I eat lunch with my oppas. I like the ambiance of the Truth cafeteria too! They had a good set of menu for lunch as well that I could not choose between the Dak Galbi or the Chamchi Bibimbap! But I wanted to have seaweed wraps so I chose the dak galbi even if I wanted some tuna bibimbap...If I could just switch some of the food then...LOL.

돈갈비김지찌개 (Dak galbi kimchi jigae)

This is my lunch! Dak galbi kimchi jigae^^
Photo from android

Two of Four of Today's Lunch Menu at Truth Building Cafeteria
Photo from android

It seems I'm already having SPRING FEVER. I learned the term from Jongchun yesterday. The feeling of being sleepy especially after lunch time. Being drowsy and all. The whole afternoon I was reading the same chapter of Fluid Mechanics then I would stop for a while and play some PVZ cos I got to the point of actually napping for several seconds already. LOL. That's not good...

1910h

Since this afternoon, the headset has been covering my ears to keep my mind awake somehow. MJ and GJ oppa called me to join them at the other table for dinner. It was from Kyeongjin oppa's girlfriend who visited the lab earlier. She left food for dinner. Everything was delicious! There was this rice ball that I'm not sure of how they call it, some cold cuts, sausages, egg omelette and the winning piece of all --- the chicken-tomato-lettuce-yellow bellpepper salad! That was really 맛있다 !!! ^^,

Doengjang Rice Ball
Photo source: SEMPIO 

*** Though I'm not sure if the one we had is similar to the Doenjang Rice Ball. ***

http://www.sempio.com/eng/recipencooking/recipe/view.asp?IDX=150

Here's a link for those who'd like to try this one out! Seems the same only that the one we had for dinner was really round and ball-shaped. ^^,

********************************************************************************************

That's all for today! Til my next blog! c",)

Early Lab Rat Today

Cathianne's Journal:

Late to Bed, Early to Rise

25 March 2011

Menu of the Day:
Lunch @ Faculty Cafeteria: Bulkoki Steak w/ egg & rice + side dishes (kimchi, seaweeds, etc) and yu pu soup, 4500 krw
Dinner @ 둔가스: Cheesy pork cutlet, 9000 krw

Although I stayed up late finishing my Fortran program (and my all-nighter did pay off!^^) and went to bed at 3 in the morning, I was able to wake up early and for the first time, I made it to the lab by 9 o'clock! =))

I was the first person to get to the lab and opened it since I always have my keycard with me. Around 11 o'clock, the second person to get in the lab was GJ oppa and I got an apple juice from him that morning.

Somethin' to drink? A for Apple ;))
 

I was also excited to finally email my program to my professor. After two long weeks of agony in figuring out through trial and error algorithms, I was finally able to write and successfully run my program!!! WOOOOT!!! c",)

My breakfast/snack for the morning, the Binch choco biscuit from Hyunjoo =)


1230h
Went to have lunch with GJ, Doochael and Gwang at the Faculty Cafeteria where we had steak! It tasted good!!! =)) It was about a quarter pound beef steak with sunny side up and rice and the caf served some salads for the side dishes. For the first time, I had pickled garlic cloves. It tasted weird and just ok. kkk...


Photo from: detail.en.china.cn

1300h
Went out to walk for 15 minutes to burn down some calories. I was tooooo full!!!

1400h
Went back to my desk and started reading some assigned articles. I was feeling sleepy and probably, other than the fact that I can hardly understand the equations on the paper, I was also full from lunch. I couldn't resist but take a 30-minute power nap. So yeah, I dozed off....ZZzzzz

1830h
Gwang asked me to go have dinner with him, Hyunjoo and Jaemin. I thought we were just eating in the campus until we met at the library and hopped in the school bus to downtown! Luckily, I pulled some 15,000krw out of my wallet!

At the downtown, we went to the traditional market where they bought some things they needed. I didn't have any extra cash so I decided not to buy anything at all cos I was just out for dinner...=))

After going to the marketplace, we went to a restaurant, 둔가스. It was a nice, cozy restaurant that was perfect for families cos they had a play area for the kids. When we went in the place, there was a lot of children just roaming around and playing. It would have been a great scene to take some photos! =(( When will I ever have the perfect timing to take photos! T___T"

I was a bit surprised by the menu. Food prices started from 7,000 krw. It was fate that I brought more than my usual expense on food! Haha! But that dinner was exceptionally great and 맛있다!!!

The salad dressing was perfect, just the right mix, not too sour, not too sweet for the shredded cabbage! They had some soup that Honey put on some pepper. It tasted like mushroom soup and it was really yummy! The way the kimchi tasted was also exquisite and I liked how it slid down to my taste buds and even the yellow radish! And of course, the main, the pork cutlet with melted mozzarela cheese on top with some vegies in it, it was like a pork cordon bleu. I love it, I love the taste of it that I wanted to forget that I was eating pork, wishing it was chicken or fish, but the taste was ooooh soooo 맛있다!!! With the dark sauce that had wasabi! It had a kick and I liked it a looooot! Never mind the bill, it was so much worth it! Thanks to Hyunjoo, Jaemin and Gwang for bringing me there. I wanna go back there again and I gotta bring my cam with me next time! c",)

After dinner, Gwang treated us to coffee at the coffeeshop right outside the train station where I usually pass by. I got in there for the first time and I love the ambiance. I had Cafe Mocha again and it was a lovely cozy place for a local coffee shop. 잘 먹고 대 동생 !!! ^^ 

둔가스

cute pink glass

my dinner: cheesy pork cutlet

커피treat from Gwang ^^ (this cute couple, my coffee models kkk)

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!!!

Johnny Whoop Did It Again!

Cathianne's Journal:

Johnny Whoop Has Done It Again!

23 March 2011

Oh, I just realized, next week is the last week of March already! Wow! I just can't believe how fast time goes by! Today was another ordinary day. Lunch and dinner were both from the cafeteria.


For lunch, I had the Suijiao (one of my favorite side-dishes in the caf), Japchae (which is actually tasting good already, or is it just me getting used to the taste? ^^), rice and a banana! All these for 2,900 krw only and I finished them all! Hahaha!


The whole day, I was doing TA work. I studied the textbook and answered the week's homework so that by Monday, all I have to do is check the papers! I just hope I will be able to finish my week's tasks...I'm still stuck with my Fortran Program. T____T"


Today, Hyunjoo is finally working with us in the lab!^^


By 6:00pm, we all went out to eat dinner at the professors cafeteria. As usual, the meal cost 4,500krw. It's good for people with big appetite, you can come back for several rounds as much as you wish. I'm glad they  had seaweed wraps. I now like the taste of rice with seaweed wrapped on it. And the rice in that cafeteria is sooo good! Red with some beans! ^^ But the only part of the food I can never finish up is the soup. I'm just not a soup lover. If it were some pumpkin soup then I'd really dive for it. We had kimchi (as usual), the other type of kimchi - spicy pickled radish stems, tofu (I never liked tofu until I tasted this style of cooking! It's got the strong sauce meaty flavor, yum!---sharing below some link about it), spicy noodles, and the spicy soup which I hardly touched...


*See below photos and recipes of some of the Korean Dishes I had today ^^


Back in the lab, MJ oppa and I prepared for the tutorial session at 7:00pm. When we got up to the meeting room, only one student was there, William. I met him on the welcome party but it never occurred to me that he is also in the TA class I'm handling..kkk.. So we ended up early cos only William came. More time to do other work then!


By 9:00pm, Hyunjoo and Gwang came to the lab. MJ oppa told me to show them the Johnny Whoop game. As usual, I gave them a dare: Anyone who can do exactly what I am doing, given 5 trials, I will treat him/her a cup of Coffee Bean... Haha! And yep! No one got it in 5 trials. Not even after 10! Then I showed Hyunjoo the trick and we kept making Gwang do it over and over. Then Kyeongjin oppa arrived and we showed him the game. He couldn't get it as well. MJ oppa did another demo, still, they didn't get it! =))


Finally, I exaggerated the my secret move, they finally saw what was missing! HAHAHA!


I wonder if you know what's that secret move... =))


JAPCHAE Recipe:
http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2007/10/japchae-korean-noodles.html

Photo from: droopia.net

SUIJIAO

Photo from: hungerhunger.blogspot.com


KOREAN STYLE TOFU
http://www.ehow.com/how_5685913_cook-korean-style-tofu.html
The one I ate looked like this:
From http://asiansupper.com/recipe/korean-style-mapo-tofu

Photo from: http://asiansupper.com/recipe/korean-style-mapo-tofu

Spicy Korean Noodles 쫄면
http://foodieholic.blogspot.com/

Photo from: foodieholic.blogspot.com

Missing Class

Cathianne's Journal:

Oh no! I Missed Today's Class

22 March 2011

Today's Menu:
CHAMCHI DEOPBAP (Tuna Rice) for Lunch @ 4,000 krw
Cafeteria Food at the Professor's Cafeteria for Dinner @ 4,500 krw


I knew I set 3 alarms. I had a bad feeling about it though. OH SNAP! There was something wrong about the morning when I woke up. 10:30 on my watch. OMG! I missed the bus, I missed the class! And I cannot make it to class anymore either cos it takes me 3 hours just to get there! What the ----!?! I pulled an all-nighter for nothing?! T____T"


I went to the lab by 11:30 am and called up my professor. Since I wasn't able to make it to Anam, I decided to start checking the assignments for the TA class I'm handling instead.


1300h
Jungeol oppa took my order for the lunch delivery. Everybody seemed too busy to go out to the cafeteria and it was already way past lunch time.


Checking...


MJ oppa, still not well, arrived after lunch. He had other more important things to do so I had to do all the checking.


1830h
We all went to the cafeteria to have our dinner. All 7 of us in the lab were present.


2000h
Started reading the textbook for the TA class.


2100h
Went home to get some rest.


WATTADAY!!! I didn't want to miss the class....T___T"

Tofu Soup

Cathianne's Journal:

Loving the Tinolang Taho

17 March 2011

TODAY IS ALL CAFETERIA FOOD! =))


Nothing much to talk about today. Normal routine. I wake up in the morning, prepare myself, and get to the lab as early as I can... LOL^^


But this day has just gotten a lot busier than before and I can sense that this is just a lighter situation compared to the coming days...


Dinner was memorable because I discovered a new way of eating TAHO! Hahaha!


~~~~~wiki~~~~~
Tahô is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (brown sugar and vanilla syrup), and pearl sago (similar to pearl tapioca).^[2] This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country. The Indonesian and Malaysian equivalent of this dish is Tahu.
~~~~~wiki~~~~~

The taho I had for dinner was like "tinolang taho". It was served in soup that tasted like the Filipino "tinola" that's why I called it "tinolang taho"...kkk.^^

c",)

Bad Computer Day

Cathianne's Journal:

Bad Computer Day

16 March 2011

Today was a bad day for my computer. I can't work well cos my assignment depends on the computer! Huhuhu...


GJ oppa realized that my computer cannot safely remove any portable drives so he recommended it to be rebooted. So there, we had to reboot my computer which means that the newly installed English version of MS Office will be gone again. T___T"


It went on literally the whole day. It was past 8 in the evening and oppa was still on my computer. By 9 o'clock, he suggested that I go home to my dormitory...


I SLEPT EARLY! c",)

My First TA Session

Cathianne's Journal:

I Start Today My Real TA Work

15 March 2011

Menu for the Day:
Lunch and Dinner were both cafeteria food
*Lunch in Anam Research Center cafeteria (and it was a treat!^^)
*Dinner at Sejong Campus cafeteria for professors (that's where oppas love to eat...)


Good morning! I woke up early and got to the bus station just in time to buy my ticket and something to much on while waiting for the bus.


I arrived early in school and reached the classroom by 8:30am. I was too early that the room was still closed! Haha! So I waited outside til a lady came by to unlock the auditorium just 10 minutes before our schedule. Some of my classmates just arrived too.


0900h
Professor arrives and collects our assignments. I was a bit shocked to see that they'd make cover pages for assignments! I thought it was only done in college, never thought graduate students would bother to do cover pages just for a few page of written report. T___T"


In the class, the subject was getting more complex even though the topic was called SIMPLEX...Oh dear, I wish my brain is working supersonic...


1200h
Lunch at the cafeteria. Jongchun, a new friend of mine whose been trading languages with me through Kakaotalk (I teach him English, he teaches me Hangeul), invited me to join him and the others for lunch. Before our class ended, our professor gave us another manual to read. Good thing, Smartkid's (what I call him cos he's a genius) office had an extra copy of the manual and they gave it to me! ^^ So i need not to worry about where to find one anymore...One less thing to worry indeed but another to read..T___T"


Lunch was treated by Mr. Lee, one of my classmates who is working for a company and is also a PhD student in Anam Campus. ^^


1300h
Walk back to the subway.


1510h
I rode the bus to Sejong Campus.


1700h
I went in the lab and read the chapter of the book for my first tutorial session with the class I am helping MJ oppa as teaching assistant.


1830h
I had an early dinner with MJ oppa, Gwang and Dae-uk oppa. After the dinner at the cafeteria, Dae-uk oppa treated us some coffee at CBTL! Another Coffee Bean for me! My second here! Haha! I miss Coffee Bean and thanks to Dae-uk! c",)


Dae-uk only comes to Sejong during Tuesdays because he is a TA for one of his professor's undergraduate class.


2000h
I went up to the 5th floor with MJ oppa and he introduced me to some students who were there for the tutorial. There was about 10~12 students from Prof.JY's class. I was too conscious about it so I kept asking oppa to let me tutor without his presence, LOL...I didn't realize I was already taking too long! I ended the session a few minutes past 10 o'clock! Whoow...!


When I returned to the lab, Gwang asked for some help in his English assignment. It was about is vacation in Jeju Island and he needed to have his grammar corrected. Then GJ oppa saw it and showed me some more about Jeju and other beaches in Korea. Then he told me about Daechon beach and I learned that during summer, they have this mud festival held for a week long! Cool! I wanna go there too!!! ^^


To explore more of Korea also comes with the hope that this winter break, the professors will bring us, graduate students in the lab, to Jeju Island too! ^^


c",)

KALGUKSU for Dinner

Cathianne's Journal:

Kalguksu with Mah Bros

11 Mar 2011

Menu:
Cafeteria food for lunch
KALGUKSU for dinner!


Nothing much happened today. I just learned that Uijeon oppa was already leaving by the end of the month for his job at the U.S. Navy Corps of Engineers! WOW! That's the first real conversation I had with oppa and I opened up about how I feel when I'm in the lab because I cannot understand what people talk about and I don't know how to approach them because they don't seem to want to speak in English. And he feels sorry that most guys do so because they feel shy to speak. =|


I had an early dinner with my brothers, Gwang and Junsik at the Good Restaurant just outside the boundaries of Sejong Campus. It was again one of the restaurants that made you remove your shoes and sit on throw pillows on the floor. They served noodles and it's my first KALGUKSU with seafood. YUMMY! =))


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KALGUKSU
Ref: ZENKIMCHI
Kalguksu literally means ‘knife noodles,’ referring to how the noodles are made by cutting with a knife rather than extruded or spun


More on Kalguksu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalguksu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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...=))


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First Seoul Solo Trip and Italian Lunch

Cathianne's Journal:

JAL-MO-GAE-IM-NI-DA

08 March 2011

Menu for the day:

Lunch --- Spaghetti Carbonara Al Pollo at RICCONE

Dinner --- 2,800 krw cafeteria meal

0430h *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* -- snooze,


0450h
I get out of bed. I don't want to be late for my first class in Hydro Systems!


0550h
I'm already outside Korea University gate and the bus ticket office is still closed! Ooooh... I'm too early!


0600h
The lady opens the ticket office and I buy my ticket for 6,500krw. That's the student discounted bus fare from Jochiwon going to Express Bus Terminal, Seoul.


0625h
The bus arrives. Now we leave for Seoul.
I get more sleep in the bus. ~.~ Still very sleepy.


0855h
We arrive in Seoul and I wake up just in time! =))


I remember how MJ oppa led me to the subway. I follow the arrows leading to the subway. I go to Line 3 and swipe my T-money.
The train passes by 5 stations before I transfer to another line:
- JAMWON
- SINSA
- APGUJEONG
- OKSU
- GEUMHO
Finally, I get off at YAKSU station where I will transfer to Line 6.


At Line 6, it passes by 5 stations more before I reach my destination, Anam Station.
- Cheonggu
- Sindang
- Dongmyo
- Changsin
- Bumon
Finally, I get off ANAM Station and find exit 4 so that it's nearer the Engineering Building.


I walked to the entrance and directly to the Research Center since the one written on the syllabus was "Engineering Research Center". When I got to the 3rd floor, there was no room 364! Oh no. Wrong building. Definitely, "Research Center" must be wrong!


I go to the Engineering Building and ask the guard who leads me to the Student Affairs Office. Five minutes to nine, I finally get to confirm my real room. It's just in that building.


I enter the classroom and see 3 guys. They must be my classmates. In a little while, 4 more came in. They ask me in Hangeul about my student number, I answer them that I don' understand. That's when they discover that I'm a foreigner.


The Professor enters and checks the class list. He sees my name and asks of my background and from what country. The class begins and we already have a textbook for the semester. This seems like a very interesting subject and again, I'm the only girl in the class and the only one travelling from Jochiwon! T___T"


During the 10-minute break, the professor asks if I'm going back to Jochiwon right after the class. We are to have lunch with him after class so I will travel back after lunch! =D


The last lectures focuses on engineering economy and this I admit I really have to refresh on. But the professor teaches well and is already giving us an assignment for the week. So yeah, I need a copy of the book. One of my classmates was kind enough to let me have his book since I cannot come back anytime to purchase it. I meet more friends and my tongue is again twisted that I can hardly speak their names. It's just the same with them, they can hardly speak my name anyway. =))


1200h Lunch break
We all walk together to RICCONE
We made it just in time before more people can have the table. A lot of students go there to eat during class days. It's an Italian restaurant. Another PhD student working in the lab of the Professor joins us for lunch.


I order Spaghetti Carbonara Al Pollo. I know that Pollo means "chicken" in Spanish. I didn't want to try the ones with shells, it just might give me another pain in the stomach and wake the hungry worms again! T___T"


The serving is BIG! But for them, it was small. According to our professor, just days ago the bowls were bigger. Most of them ordered pasta that had crust covering it. And so cheesy, most of our orders had so much cheese as I look at everybody's orders! So YUMMY! I miss having cheesy dishes! But Koreans still ask for kimchi even with pastas on the menu. =D


"Gyo-soo-nim, chalmogaut-simnida", I said. It means Professor, thank you for the food. Thanks to Meyen who taught me that last Sunday! =)


Now I walk back to the subway station and full! The PhD student, Yoo, sees me and is also going the same direction. Luckily, he was, because I was about to enter the other side of the subway line. =))


1350h 
I reach the Express Bus Terminal. I almost lost the WAY OUT that I keep ending at stores and dead ends! =))


The next bus to Jochiwon (the ordinary bus, because if I take the 02:00pm bus, it will cost me 10,400krw) is at 03:10pm. So I still have over an hour to wait. With nothing to do, I tried going outside to roam around and take pictures of the fat pigeons. I get outside and see only the thin ones. T__T" Next time, I hope I get to feed them too!


1500h
I ride the bus to Jochiwon. It leaves at exactly 1510h. Even before the bus started, I already snoozed in my seat. =))


Tired. I go back to the dorm and leave some of my things. I freshen up. I walk down to the laboratory.


1800h
Dinner at the cafeteria for 2,800krw only! Yey! I didn't finish everything though especially the tofu. Again, they had breaded pork for the main dish. Not my favorite either  so I just had half of it.


1900h
I ask Gil oppa if I can go home early.


1930h
I meet up with Honey at the ground floor. She teaches me how to use the washing machine as it had coin pockets to make it work.


2030h
Finished with the laundry! I hang my clothes in our room. And now I'm going to bed. ~_~