Hey beautiful friends & enemies~

So here I am, sitting in Hollys Coffee (홀리스커피) (which is open 24/7, and let me tell you, this is one of my absolute favorite things about Korea — cafes never close!) and reflecting on my first week here, which has flown by ridiculously fast. Honestly, the past few days have been a whirlwind: unpacking, buying essentials I couldn’t bring from Berlin, and just meeting friends, trying new foods, and experiencing life here. Every hour seemed to zoom by, and every day felt way too short.

Right now, I’m staying in a cozy little room in a guest house just a few minutes away from my university, waiting to move into the bigger room I booked. I’m scheduled to move in on the 14th of this month, and I can’t wait! The room I have now is only about 5 square meters, so I can’t even roll out my yoga mat for my daily Pilates session (which means no workouts… and, honestly, part of me is kind of enjoying the break… I NEVER said that, haha). The new room I’ll be moving into is about 11-12 square meters, so I’ll finally have some space!

As for the weather… it’s been pretty bearable, which honestly surprised me. Yeah, it’s hot, hovering around 32-34°C (89-93°F), but the sun actually lifts my mood, and let’s be real, air conditioning is literally everywhere — even in metro stations (지하철 역)! Unless you’re walking outside, you hardly notice the heat.

Something else I’ve noticed this year in Seoul is how many foreigners there are compared to last year. I came to Seoul last summer, and it felt like there were half as many non-Koreans around. It’s still early in the school year, and already it feels like Seoul’s becoming more colorful and diverse than in recent years. Globalization is great and all, but I’ve overheard a lot of Koreans complain about the influx of foreigners. Like, I’m sitting in a cafe or walking around a restaurant, and there’s always someone who’s not Korean, and sometimes, it feels like that’s causing a bit of tension. It’s not that Koreans don’t drink or sometimes act out of line — but it’s their home, so I guess it hits differently. Just now, while typing this, the table next to me is getting all fired up, discussing foreigners at their university, and they’re even talking about how “tall” we are (haha… sorry, but is that really a reason to dislike us? Just because we’re tall? I’m 178cm). 😅

Anyway, there have been a few mishaps (because, of course, there always are!). Like, I forgot my phone at Daiso (다이소), a popular Korean store where you can get everything from home essentials to little knick-knacks. I only realized it an hour later and thought, well, that’s it, I’m an idiot. But, thank goodness, I was able to get it back after going back to the store. Phew! 😅

Oh, and another thing that I absolutely LOVE about Korea — street musicians! They’re everywhere. I’ve seen people singing solo, with friends, with guitars, or even just their voices. Honestly, it makes me a little envious. I miss music so much, so I’ve taken to visiting Coin Noraebang (코인 노래방) almost daily (this is a karaoke spot where you get a small private room and pay per song, not per hour). It’s cheap, and it’s such a blast to belt out your favorite tunes, even if you’re not the best singer. 🎤🎶

P.S. I’m thinking of doing a post dedicated to Korean food — with all the pictures of the amazing dishes I’ve tried so far. Would you guys be interested in that? Let me know! 🍜🍙

 

 

And for now..

..keep enjoying the last days of summer

..au revoir

-M