Korea University Sejong Campus Open House Party

Korea University Sejong Campus is known as the "Best Boarding Campus". Indeed it is. The dormitories have great facilities and a home to a lot of students away from their hometowns. The open house party started last night and is celebrated annually for two consecutive nights with temporary hofs (tents were put up around the place for drinking) and a stage facing the Truth Building for the entertainment and all-night singing and dancing. Just tonight, before finally hitting my pillows, I decided to get my camera and take some photos of the people partying with the KU Cheerleaders on the stage dancing and singing. The funniest part was the red plastic bags that were inflated and used as props! I haven't seen any crowd gone crazy and raised up plastic bags whirled above their heads. Students were very energetic and I took the opportunity to capture the moment. *wink*

Just as I was about to head back to the dorm, a song to the tune of Canon in D (my favorite instrumental ever) was played! I couldn't resist and took a video of the happenings until the song ended. =)

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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KU Cheering Orientation

Cathianne is looking forward to today's event in school. She wakes up early at 7:30am and an hour after, she heads to the downtown area. She has only 6000 krw in her wallet and needs extra money for the week while her stipend has not yet arrived. So she takes what's left of her pocket money, a hundred bucks, and goes to KB bank where she opened her account upon her arrival. It was not yet 9:00 when she reached the bank so it was still closed. She walked along the road and looked at the displays of the store for whatever interesting she might see. A few minutes later, she notices the bank has opened and goes in. At the counter, she hands over her money and asks for it to be changed. She was asked for her passport but she cannot provide because it is still with the school for the immigration's processing of her Alien Registration Card. Luckily, the lady still changed her money after several minutes of confirming and asking for any government ID. By 9:30, she was already on her way back to the dormitory. She brings her camera and goes to the laboratory. In the lab, she starts reading about her project. (She wishes it's the Hangeul lessons she's reading but she simply can't get out of the project she's been given...It's gotta be done soon somehow.) There's only three of them in the lab, Gwang, MJ oppa and her. They order Chinese food for lunch. The same fried rice meal she had last Sunday for 5,000 krw: BOKKEUMBAP (fried rice) with JJAJANG Black Sauce (like a black bean paste) and the famous JJAMPONG soup (the red spicy hot soup).This time, Cathianne finishes her meal! All 5,000 worth of lunch in her belly. She has to burn it up by walking. So she decides to go out for a walk around the campus. Just as she reached a monument beside the library, Gwang called her and asked if she likes to join him and Hyunjoo for coffee at Coffee Bean. She walks fast back to the lab and gets her wallet and rushes to Coffee Bean. By the time she gets there, Gwang and Hyunjoo already ordered for her a cup of coffee. MJ oppa introduces her to a new friend, Bean. They sit outside because some of them want to smoke. A few minutes later, more friends from the Environmental Engineering major were being introduced to her, Daejoon and Daehoon. She talks with them more and they enjoy practicing their English with her. They find out that she's in the same dorm as Honey and they both are just in the male dorm across. So they ask her to contact them if she wants some company so they can show her around more. By 3:00pm, Hyunjoo has to leave for Seoul. So they now go back to their lab. Cathianne continues to read on her project and is still hoping for a miracle to come while downloading e-notes about Differential Equations that even made it more confusing for her. Haha! Than by 6:00pm, she and John went to the field to watch the Cheering Orientation since she's been excited to see it as John told her that it's a tradition that is fun to watch. When they got there, the crowd has already started chanting and yelling about their school pride. She does not understand the word but it was true indeed that the orientation is a lot fun to join and watch. The students in groups would follow the actions of the cheer leaders and dance to the music played by the band. She's been informed that the cheers they're practicing are actually for the games against other universities particularly Yonsei, the age-old rival of Korea University. Some trivia: The rivalry between Korea University and Yonsei University, the country's top two private schools, is nationally renowned. ``Ko-Yon Jeon'' according to KU, or ``Yon-Ko Jeon'' according to Yonsei, is an annual fall sports festival between the two colleges that embodies the heated rivalry.  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/10/117_11805.html Cathianne can hardly feel her feet because of the cold as they were watching the orientation together with the other students in their major at the open field. It's been a great experience for her feeling the university spirit and the "tiger power" seems to have become an extension since her college days. She took her undergraduate degree in one of the renowned universities in the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas and the university mascot is also a tiger. She even more enjoys seeing her friends, Gwang and Yusop, who was leading the other students, dance and really feel the music. She relates even more when a famous song by the A*Teens was played (translated in Hangeul) while she sang it in English since she unexpectedly remembered the lyrics to it -- Upsidedown (Bouncing off the Ceiling). =)) By 7:30pm, she and Gwang went back to the lab for dinner. They were just going to order with Jungeol oppa. She is shown the website of the restaurant where they will ask for delivery and she decides to have some noodles, the Sogogi. While waiting for their orders, MJ oppa is busy with his thesis while the three others in the lab, Jungeol oppa, Gwang, and Uijeon oppa are playing networked games on their computers. It is her first time to see them play all out and laugh as if no body was watching. =)) When the food arrives, she receives a HUUUUUGE bowl of Sogogi Soup! She is also surprised that it is 6,000krw! She is excited to eat so she starts sipping her soup. WHOA! It's HOOOOT! It even exceeds the spiciness she's been expecting. It is delicious but the hotness and spiciness of it was too much to taste the noodles and the beef! She keeps getting water just so she can continue with her meal. That was, for her, definitely, some food she must be sharing with at least 3 other people! Wattameal to end her day! =))

Korea University Ritual and Counting in Hangeul

So today marks the day when Cathianne has learned way more than she expected. She thought this day will just be another typical lab day...


Cathianne was all smiles when she went out of the dorm. Excited to face a new fun-filled day. Any adventure? She doesn't know yet. She already has her student card with her and hopes to be able to use it in getting inside the laboratory in case no one else is in since it was still too early for her lab-mates to be there. It was almost 9:30 in the morning when she reached door 115. As she swiped her card, it didn't work! Again, she tried but it failed over and over again. Since the lab-mates usually arrive at 10, she decided to go back to her dorm instead to get her cam and maybe go for a photowalk.


She braves the cold breeze back to the dormitory. Upon walking back to the lab with her camera, she sees the door already opened. She sees Kyeongjin oppa already working on his desk. She then asks for his help on how to use the student card 'cos earlier she couldn't get in. They find out that the card was still non-functional so he assisted her to the Department Secretary, Nayoung unni, to have her card activated. After a while, unni tells her that she can use her card to access the lab office starting tomorrow.


*Unni is how older sisters are called by the younger female.

After getting  her card fixed, Cathianne goes to the Department Head for his signature on one of the required documents that she has to submit at the Academic Affairs Office. Prof. JY also calls her and informs her of the good news. She no longer needs to go to Seoul Immigration Office because the school will take care of the application for her, so all she needs to do is to complete all required documents and submit them to Nayoung unni. She also receives an email that she can obtain the Certificate of Enrollment from the One-Stop at the Library of Sejong Campus. So again, she need not go to Anam Campus just for the certificate! She's been getting so much luck and blessings and is praying that it will just keep coming so that despite the barriers (language and place), she can go on surviving and enjoy every minute of her stay. =)

She goes to the One-Stop and pays 1,000 krw for her Certificate of Studentship (or Enrollment) and submits her passport, 1 colored 3cmx4cm photograph to Naomi unni. She was then asked to come back after lunch for the other requirements. Just as she got in the lab, Gwang, Kyeongjin oppa, and Doochael oppa her to join them for lunch. It was just the right timing as she's been waiting for lunch already. For 4,700 krw, she's eating something that tastes like tempura in the Philippines, some fried vegies, macaroni salad, a clear soup with some green leaves and noodles and rice. And for the first time, she was very satisfied with her lunch for it was the first time she has ever finished everything and didn't want to convert the currencies anymore 'cos she knows it's expensive for a typical Filipino meal. "Simot Sarap" in Filipino. =))

Back in the lab, GJ oppa arrives and asks how to help her with the Alien Registration Card. She beams back with the good news she got this morning. Instead, she asks him to help her with the application form because she doesn't know her dormitory's exact address. *laughs*

Cathianne goes for a 15 minute walk to the newest building of the campus before dropping by the Academic Affairs Office. Her eyes widened at the sight of the magnificent view and is imagining how crazy awesome it would be to shoot in that area. *wide smile all spread out on her face*. She then goes to the Academic Affairs, located in the Science Bldg. across the Library to submit the Application For Advisor form. Back in their building, she also submits the application form to Naomi unni and pays the 10,000 krw revenue stamp fee for the Alien Registration Card.

The rest of the afternoon, she reads the Fluid Mechanics textbook for her TA class to freshen up her memory of the course she has taken several years ago in college. Dinner came and she ate with MJ oppa, Doochael oppa, and Junsik at the upper ground cafeteria where most gyo-su-nim (professors) eat. Each meal costs 4,500 krw and it's up for the person to get as much as he wants and even go for another round. For dinner, it was almost all vegies. There's kimchi (radish), broccoli, more leaves, seaweeds, soup with green leaves + tofu and pork, and the best among them that matched well with the rice was the dish (she's glad to have taken a lot of it) that seemed similar to the Pinoy's caldereta ~~ it had diced chicken, potato, onions, and more vegies but it definitely tasted "massieta" (hoping to have spelled it right, it's just supposed to mean DELICIOUS). =))

After dinner, she decides to go out and take some stroll for several minutes to burn down the carbs. But when she goes out of the lab, there were people outside the door doing some ritual that had some sticks lit up on a table with some statue and what seemed like offerings. John sees her and invites her to see the annual tradition. It's a tradition in Korea to pray to the gods for a good year ahead. She's enjoying her conversation with Gwang and was even introduced to some of the Sophomore students who represented the Environmental Engineering  Department. By the end of the traditional ritual, they followed it with the Korea University ritual. A guy was forced into a big pale and some guys poured makgeolli (Korean rice wine, which sounded like "bakoli" when pronounced by the Koreans) all over him. Poor guy but everyone and even the poor guy were having fun. She takes out her phone and takes some pictures of the small event. After that, she made more friends and have gotten to know Yusop, Gwang's bestfriend who is a Junior of the same major as they are, and Grampa (another nickname which he liked a lot) who was in his senior year in another Engineering major. Grampa is a very talkative and funny guy and Cathianne enjoyed her conversations with all three of them because they were not shy to speak to her in English anymore especially Gwang. He's become more outspoken and more friendly. =)

What a funny discovery for the evening, Gwang tells Cathianne that Hyunjoo is also his friend and they both attend the same classes. What a small world it is! He also tells her that tomorrow, there will be another school ritual that she must witness. Good thing she still has no need to attend any class in Seoul. So she will definitely see what ever they will have in the field tomorrow. It's getting more exciting for her! =))

As she went home to her dorm, she finally breaks more conversations with Boyoung. She finds out that Boyoung is actually one year younger than her, so she calls Boyoung "dong saeng" (younger  sister or brother) and Boyoung calls her "unni". Throughout the night, dong saeng taught her a lot of Hangeul while she corrects and teaches how dong saeng speaks in English. Both enjoyed their conversation so much like there was no tomorrow for more vocabulary. She shows Boyoung the beautiful beaches in the Philippines and invites Boyoung to visit when she can. She also discovers that Koreans count the age differently. They'd ask for the year born and a person is already a year old once he/she comes out of the mother's womb. So in Korean age, Cathianne is a year older. And because of this, she knows now how to count in Hangeul --- il...i...sam...sa...u...yu...chil...pal...ku...ship!!! =)


They were both glad to know also that they were both Catholics. Penny though never knew of the Catholic Church in Jochiwon. So next time Cathianne will hear mass in Jochiwon, she's going to bring her dong saeng along with her. c",)