BlondeSeoul

My journey as a blonde in Seoul, South Korea

[blondeseoul]

last full day in korea (FOR NOW)

wow, the day is finally here. and wow. i just woke up feeling so many emotions. 

I've come to think of this place as home. it took me longer to adjust here because of the language barriers (many of which have been broken-thank you korean language class!) but eventually i felt so comfortable here and welcomed. i know there is a division among Koreans and their opinions on foreigners, but i was greeted with nothing but kindness while staying here. 

i wanted to blog about this in a completely honest way, so i will. 

i have a plethora of reasons i don't want to go home, but i have hundreds of other reasons to go home. i've read somewhere that studying abroad can make you hate your own country, quite frankly that's how i feel. i've never been a fan of America in the first place, but now especially i've grown to hate more and more things about the culture. especially, my own culture. southern culture.

coming here, people told me later they were nervous about meeting me and believed the stereotype because they saw on Facebook that i'm blonde, southern, and in a sorority. i've even had a guy here get way too obsessed with me to the point of harassment simply because i'm a blonde sorority girl so he made several incorrect assumptions about me. although i love southern food and saying "y'all" as well as addressing everyone as sir/m'am, being here in one of the biggest cities in the world has just completely changed my view on the small town suburban lifestyle i've been living back home. i definitely feel as though i am more suited for city life. thankfully, once people here got to know me they said i was completely different from what they expected. i mean, do most sorority girls jump on an airplane by themselves and fly out to south korea?(no, they go to Africa for a week for "mission trips" -google the article about global voluntourism, i completely agree with her opinion) 

korean culture isn't perfect. no culture is perfect. i could write about things that, in my opinion, i don't agree with. but i don't feel as though it's my place and so i won't. it's really the little things here that have made me feel alive and heart-happy. it's the small kindnesses by strangers, like a man giving us his taxi when it was raining, and the little korean girls nervously coming to talk to us from the english language camp so they could practice their english, that have made this trip so impactful. i knew about the big cultural differences, but there was so much i didn't expect. i've learned so much here. i've experienced so much here. 

and i'm sad because no one back home will really understand how much this has impacted me. i'm glad i've made a tight group of friends here so we can always talk when we get home (i actually have plans to visit my sarah, the other southern belle on this trip & my bff) but besides that, no one else will really get it. every day here has been an adventure. i've loved every second of it. i loved walking up the "thousand steps of death" huffing and puffing with my best friends. i loved walking down the hallway of school and hearing so many languages being spoken, so many accents. i've loved being able to not only experience korean culture, but every other culture represented in the kids that came to the international summer campus as well. 

so, today is my last full day in korea.. for now.

i came here to decide if i could actually live and teach ESL here when i graduate.

and i am confident i can. I know now that this is what i want to do with my life, travel and teach english. 

So, three more years from now hopefully i will be hopping on an airplane to head over here and live more permanently. 

with that being said! i am going to keep this blog forever. no other "blonde seouls". i will continue to update it when i get home, there's a lot i wanted to say but didn't because i was always so busy. I will gladly answer anyone else's questions about studying abroad in korea and korea university or just coming to korea in general. 

so, that's it for now. i am tired, and i am sad to be leaving, really i am so so sad. 

(but i am so looking forward to some home cooked mac and cheese and a diet coke and a nice dinner with my family) 

bye now :) 

much love, blondeseoul

(paige evelyn)

 Hanja-traditional korean writing- "live out your dreams"

((and yes, it's fake. my mommy would KILL  me!)) 

[blondeseoul]

Princess Diary Cafe

So, yesterday Sarah and I wanted to get some shopping done for our friends and family as well as go to this super fun cafe we've heard about..

i know i've always wanted to put on a big ball gown and pretend to be a princess, well in Korea you have the chance! Welcome to the Princess Diary Cafe, a dress up place for grown ups! if anyone is planning on going and doesn't fit the "korean body size" (aka super skinny) NO WORRIES! they make the dress fit you, both of the shop assistants speak english pretty well and are super nice

(unlike those ladies in hongdae who straight up said i was too fat to try on a skirt that i bought anyway that fit me LOL.. yes i'm still bitter)

definitely felt like i was getting married, also i realized i definitely do NOT want a ball gown for my actual wedding, gosh it just gets in the way! but it was still super fun playing dress up and drinking super girly drinks and trying on different headdresses, something to try out in south korea!

[blondeseoul]

Everland, Hongdae, and the Korean Sauna

Everland

So, this past friday i went to Everland with my friends. it was so much fun, a lot more fun than Lotte World because there were more rides. it's pretty far away from where I am in Seoul, it took about two and a half hours to get there, but it was definitely worth it! It was kind of like Disney World, but with better service. The employees were first of all, all attractive (probably because you have to attach a picture on your resume and this is a theme park) but secondly, were enthusiastic (or at least pretended to be) about their job. it was really cool, my favorite ride was the T Express, a wooden roller coaster with one of the biggest drops i've ever been on. Me and Sarah went back to ride it again at night when it was all lit up and it was so fun! 

Hongdae

So, I go to Hongdae a lot. In fact, i've gone to Hongdae the most since I've been here. Quite frankly, i just love it! all the shops are so cool, from cheap to pricey (but mostly cheap). they sell the coolest clothes and shoes, i just love the fashion and atmosphere. of course, me and Jacklyn got a picture in front of the famous Hello Kitty Cafe! (sooooo so cute!)

Hongdae is always crowded, which can be a pain when it's hot outside! 

The nightlife in Hongdae is amazing as well, it just never ends. On weekends, people will be out all night just walking the street. It's all mostly young people in their 20's, because Hongdae has cheap clubs to get into (unlike Gangnam) and places to drink. So, since it was our last full weekend here (so sad), me and Sarah hit up our favorite club, Nb2- Noise basement 2. they play hip hop music, which is more fun to dance to than the other clubs that play techno. we stayed out till 5 a.m. again, but it was so worth it! on the way back home, we had the nicest taxi driver. He played us the Frozen soundtrack and asked us to sing along. A genuinely sweet man, i would love to run into him one day (He wanted us to call him "oppa"((big brother in korean)), so we did!) 

Korean Sauna

After a crazy adventure-filled weekend, what better way to relax before a hard week of final exams than a sauna? Jacklyn and I decided to go late sunday afternoon to relax and get a nice bath. To anyone that is thinking about going, yes you are naked in front of strangers. Yes, the baths are all segregated men and women. the men's bathhouse was on the top floor whereas the women's was on the bottom in the sauna we went to. i was a bit uncomfortable getting naked at first, but that lasted about one second. it was so relaxing, there were tubs of all different temperatures, even a freezing cold tub for when you get too hot! after spending a lot of time in each tub and trying out the sauna, me and jacklyn showered and put on the clothes they give you to head upstairs to the middle floor where you can eat and take a nap. you literally grab this mat and sleep on the floor. it sounds so uncomfortable, but i passed out within five minutes and woke from the most glorious, relaxing nap ever two hours later. to anyone visiting korea, please please go to korean sauna (jjimjilbang). it's 24/7, you can sleep there all night if you want, and it cost me $7. what a deal!

i would have stayed there and slept longer, but! it was Sarah's birthday so we had to take the beautiful birthday babe out for some birthday cake

((love u sarah, thanks for always reading my blog ))

anyway, the rest of the week i stayed up and studied for finals (ew)

that's it for now, bye! 

[blondeseoul]

친구-"ching-gu"-friends

[blondeseoul]

blonde no more??

so i made a sudden decision to dye my hair, mostly because I get tired of my hair color so i change it a lot. Plus Korean hair stylists are really good, most Koreans have their hair dyed gorgeous colors. I didn't really have much of an idea of what i wanted, i just walked into a salon with my korean friend Jacklyn as a translator and asked them to make me pretty. So, I now have some brownish/silver hair on top with a purple/pink underneath. & i LOVE it! 

[blondeseoul]

Things That Have Surprised/Shocked Me about Korea part 2

Okay so since i’ve been here longer i’ve found some more things that i want to talk about that i didn’t really expect when i came here.

1. Smoking

So i was told that koreans smoke, but I had no idea the extent. although it’s mostly korean men, women smoke as well. there are designated smoking areas in some coffee cafes, most the boys in my class leave during our break in class to go smoke. everywhere i go, i am surrounded by people smoking. i don’t smoke myself and don’t want to, but i’ve never really cared much how other people choose to live their lives. I’m just amazed at the quantity of people smoking here, though cigarettes are cheap and sold at every ministop/gs 25/ 7eleven, etc. and there’s one of those every five feet so i guess it’s not too surprising. 

2. Social Pressure

i’ve talked before about the Korean “free size” in the markets here, but as i’ve stayed here longer i realize how much social pressure there is to look your best 24/7. back home, if you’re caught checking yourself out it’s really embarrassing and people think you’re vain, but here vanity is widely accepted and promoted. people whip out their cellphones on the subways to check themselves out, put on makeup, and take selfies. AND, it’s not just the girls. Guys here are very concerned with their looks. They have their hair dyed and styled and always dress nicely. There are mirrors everywhere in Korea, and i find myself more and more concerned with my own appearance the longer i stay here..which brings me to more topics..

3. Plastic Surgery

So i knew that Koreans got a lot of plastic surgery (mostly eyelid surgery to get double eyelids), but i had no idea how widespread it is. One of my Korean friends told me that it was a “given” that you would have eyelid surgery here. On top of that, people get their jaw shaven to make their face smaller, chin surgery, nose jobs, etc. No one cares here either, it’s almost considered a good thing that you are taking care of yourself. When you apply for jobs in Korea, you have to attach a picture of yourself because that is how much they care about looks. In fact, there are places you can take your resume photos and have them professionally photoshopped for you before you hand them in. crazy right? I knew this before I came, but seeing it in real life is so unreal to me. People proudly walk down the street with bandages on their noses and masks on and it’s all from plastic surgery. Although I can’t tell who has had eyelid surgery since some koreans are born with double eyelids, i can tell when there’s been a lot of work done, and truthfully I can’t help but stare. mostly I just think this is fascinating and so different from back home. which makes me wonder..

4. Am I Fat in Korea? 

i’ve never had a problem with my weight. i was blessed with a high metabolism as well as a (somewhat!) active lifestyle. however, as i entered my freshman year of college i put on the dreaded “freshman fifteen”. ever since then i’ve felt somewhat uncomfortable with my size, but was too busy with school and getting ready for this trip to really work out and diet. I’ve never considered myself to be fat back home, 

but here i feel GIANT. there is a huge pressure for girls to be skinny here. i thought there was a lot of pressure back home, but i was wrong. i can feel it everyday. i find myself constantly feeling inadequate because of the multitude of skinny korean girls i see everywhere walking around or on advertisements, etc. The mirrors being placed everywhere doesn’t help either. 

i had hit a bad point earlier this week where i just wanted to workout so bad and diet, even run up and down the “thousand stairs of death’ as many times as it took me to be skinny enough. 

but, i took good look at myself and who i really am. and who i really am isn’t concerned with my looks or my weight. i came here to experience the culture, and i’ve never found my worth in my appearance before. i felt like this was important to share for anyone else who may stumble upon this and who has felt the same way or is planning on coming to korea. Although my body may not fit into the “korean standard” of beauty, that doesn’t mean that i’m not beautiful in my own way. 

5. Once a Foreigner Always a Foreigner

This kind of seemed like a given, but i’m shocked at how many people here think they can easily assimilate into Korean culture. 

Korea is full of..surprise..koreans! And they are proud to be Korean, which is awesome. I knew that once I came here, even if I was 100% fluent in the language and got a Korean citizenship and lived here the rest of my life,

i would always be a foreigner and always be treated like one. Even Korean-americans aren’t regarded as true koreans here. I know that I’m happy to be able to experience Korean culture, but i’ll never be able to be a part of it. I’m only really writing this because i’m shocked at some other foreigners i’ve met here who are literally trying to become korean (which can’t happen, but i mean they want to completely blend into the culture). I don’t understand how they don’t know that they will always be regarded as foreigners here, and that Koreans are divided on their opinions on foreigners. 

6. Stereotypes & Random Stuff

Oh well that’s all i really have to say about that. One more fun fact though, This past weekend while shopping in Insadong, i got asked if I was Russian, because the guy wanted to know if i was a russian prostitute. (i wasn’t even wearing anything remotely provocative nor did I bring anything slightly revealing to Korea) 

So that’s what happens when you’re blonde in korea, guys will assume you are either a russian prostitute or an “easy/typical” blonde haired American girl (aka they think you will sleep around) 

This doesn’t apply to every guy here, but some do still think this way. I just brush it off to bits of ignorance which exist everywhere and in every culture. 

That’s really it for now, again none of these are things that i hate about the culture or Korea, just things i’ve noticed and wasn’t expecting or really prepared for. I love it here and I honestly don’t want to leave. 

until next time, bye <3 

[blondeseoul]

Gyeongbok Palace

[blondeseoul]

[blondeseoul]

BLOCK B-“JACKPOT” fan cam Mnet M Countdown 20140724

[blondeseoul]

MNET M COUNTDOWN

DEAR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND STRANGERS, 

I HAVE HAD THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE. 

I WENT TO MNET M COUNTDOWN 

AND SAW MY FAVORITE KOREAN ARTISTS

LIFE. IS. GOOD. 

[blondeseoul]

SM Pop Up Store

WOW! so when I was in Myeongdong, I had the privilege of going to the SM Pop Up Store! SM is a Korean entertainment company that has produced so many famous Kpop groups, such as TVXQ!, Super Junior, SNSD (Girl's Generation), SHINee, f(x), and Exo, and now since they've merged with another company, Infinite is also a part of SM! 

Super Junior is the group that got me into Kpop way back in 2009 when i randomly came across a video of theirs on youtube, i still love them and fangirl over them all the time (i'm so excited about their new comeback!) My bias list for Super Junior goes: Kyuhyun, Donghae, Eunhyuk 

(and I love Super Junior M's Henry and Zhou Mi) 

It's all about EXO at the moment, I love exo too. I have a bias towards the Exo-M members more than the Exo-K members though (i don't know why!), my bias list goes: Tao, Lay, then Chen. 

My favorite girl group is f(x) (second favorite would be Orange Caramel, then SNSD) Their Red Light comeback is so amazing i'm so glad they took on an edgy image for this comeback! My favorite is Victoria, then Amber, then Luna. 

There was SO MUCH i wanted to buy at the pop up store!! but it was all pretty expensive, i settled for pictures of my favorite exo members, I plan on buying cheaper Kpop merchandise in the underground markets in the subways and such. 

(^Kyuhyun from Super Junior)

(^f(x))

(^girl's generation)

(^me and Sarah with our favorite Exo member-Tao)

(^my two pictures i bought, my favorite exo members-Tao and Lay)

until next time, bye! 

[blondeseoul]

Shopping, Sleeping Beauty Sundays, & Miyazaki Films

I went out shopping twice this past weekend, once to Insadong, with more traditional Korean shops, and then to Myeongdong, a giant shopping street with lots of big department stores. 

I thought that i got stared at the most in subway stations, but at Insadong, i had so many people openly staring. I was surprised because it's a big tourist location and there were a lot of foreigners. Honestly, it's just the hair. I don't know why blonde hair is so fascinating here, but it's the only thing that makes me stand out from other foreigners here. I feel somewhat spoiled with the attention I get here, not sure if i'm ready to head home and become average again! I had a group of middle school boys come up and ask me questions for a "talk to a foreigner in english" project for school, and then a group of high school boys got a photo with me and Sarah to show their teacher they talked to us in English. it was so sweet! If I come back here to teach English as a second language, i am definitely making my students do this. I had so much fun shopping, i got to watch Korean candy being made on the street by some very convincing salesmen, and I got to try on a traditional Korean dress, known as a Hanbok! 

Me and my friend Tricena took pictures in the Hanbok in this Photo Booth. the photo booth automatically photoshops your face, it made me so pale my nose is almost gone. Very interesting!

Myeongdong was so fun, but so crowded! I got a dress, and a little souvenir from the SM pop up store.. (i'll post more on that later)

Sleeping Beauty Sundays

Each sunday is rest day. We are all usually so tired from class from the previous week and whatever we decided to do on the weekend. So, Sundays are now knowns as sleeping beauty sundays. My friends and I head to Sarah's room and have a group nap session. Then, once we wake up around dinner time, we either order food or grab something nearby to go, and settle back into Sarah's room and watch Miyazaki films! Miyazaki is a Japanese film animator with a very beautiful and unique art style. I haven't seen all of his films, only a few when I was younger, so we are trying to work our way through all of them. It's a great way to have a lazy sunday. 

[blondeseoul]

[blondeseoul]

Namsan Tower

This past weekend I got to go to Namsan Tower, a huge tourist destination in Seoul. 

it's mostly for couples, because there is a tradition to buy/bring a lock and lock it on the gates to symbolize your "eternal love", so i saw a whole bunch of couples being mushy. Meanwhile, I had my camera out and bought my lock for myself hehe cause why not? i want to come back and find it again someday. it was fun, a bit pricey, but worth it. anyone who considers going should take the cable car ride down, it is so beautiful. 

**would suggest going at night, the whole city is lit up. So, so beautiful. 

[blondeseoul]

Homesick & Hongdae round 2

I haven't posted in a bit, thought i'd give an update. this week has been okay, i've already had one midterm in my social psych class. i think i did okay on it. 

even though i love it here in korea, i feel like i am hitting a bit of a rut. i'm going to sum it up to being homesick. i've made a completely solid group of friends here and we hang out every day, yet at times i've never felt more lonely even when i'm surrounded by people and having fun. Truthfully, i have already started distancing myself from my friends back home because they never gave me the support i needed while i was here, except for Brandi who actually wants to keep up with my life 24/7. i guess it's hard to be happy for other people and pretending to care might take some effort, but they all knew how important this was to me. i wonder if other people who have studied abroad have felt the same way about their friends back home? this post is pretty personal,but i felt like sharing because i want to look back and remember everything i felt while i was here. 

That isn't to say i spend my days sitting around depressed, quite the contrary. 

Hongdae round 2

So it's thursday night, and we don't have class friday. My friends and I decided to skip out on the day trip for friday (taekwondo and cooking) to go shopping instead. 

However, me and Sarah decided to go out with some guy friends to Hongdae Thursday night to check out the clubs, since we might as well see the Korean night life at least once. 

I'm not much of a partier, and wowow Koreans know how to party. apparently it's common for the clubs to get packed at 2 a.m. and go hard until 8 a.m. Sarah and I didn't even plan on staying out so late, maybe 1 a.m., but when we checked our phones it was already almost 4 a.m., so we decided to stay until 5:30 a.m. and take the subway back.

(the subways close at 12 and reopen at 5:30) 

we were going to take a taxi home, but we figured since we stayed out so late we might as well hold out another hour and take the cheaper route home. 

Needless to say, we didn't get home until about 6 a.m., it was quite an experience, but i don't want to do it again. We didn't make it shopping with our friends Friday and instead slept the whole day. We caught up with them later to hit up the Karaoke bar again! 

But WOW Koreans know how to party! 

well that's it for now, 

byee ! 

[blondeseoul]

Things that have shocked/surprised me about Korea

i was debating whether or not to make this entry, but decided to do it anyway. This is a little disclaimer, i love korea completely, but there isn't a single country on this earth that is perfect. These are just a couple little things I've picked up on after being here a week that have surprised/shocked me in either a good or bad way. 

#1 The trash

Okay so you're walking down the streets of Seoul and you just got a delicious bubble tea from a cafe and now you've finished it and you need to throw it away. Not a problem, right?? Wrong. Public trash cans are hard to come by! Instead you'll see little piles of trash bags here and there outside of stores. Now obviously you can walk into any building and find a trash can, it just seems to me that there aren't many on the streets! it's not the end of the world, just a minor annoyance. it's really nothing to complain about, just something interesting i noticed! 

#2 The Bluntness

I was warned about how blunt Koreans can be before I came here. I knew that it was common to hear "You aren't wearing any makeup, you look sick" or "you look fat today" from Koreans and that it wasn't them trying to be mean, but it was them being genuinely concerned that I'm not taking care of myself. I actually appreciate brutal honesty in my everyday life, but when I experienced it myself here from strangers I was a little shocked. While shopping in Hongdae, my friends were stopped from trying on clothes because the store owners assumed they were too fat and would rip the clothes. None of us are fat by any means. I got stopped from trying on the skirt I bought because the store owner said I would "stretch out the band"..and the skirt fits me fine. I guess hearing about it and actually experiencing it yourself are two different things, I was definitely shocked and a bit offended. It's just something I will have to get used to here.

#3 Free Size

and speaking of shopping, did you know that most market-type clothes shops in Korea don't even have sizes? Instead, everything is one size called "free size". I knew this before I came here but it was interesting seeing it for myself. I guess most Koreans have similar body types so that is why it is easier to make clothes to fit one type of body. If you look at my first Hongdae post, everything I bought (with the exception of the overalls) is Free Size. Now, most Koreans I've seen appear to fit into this "free size", however there are always exceptions because we are human beings and have so many different body types. I feel bad for those who maybe don't fit into the free size, whether it be because it's too small or too big. Of course, department stores here have sizes and dressing rooms where you can try everything on, but it isn't as cheap as the clothes you can find in the market. I guess you just have to luck out and have a Free Size body type. 

#4 Coffe Shops-EVERYWHERE

Oh my gosh there are coffee places everywhere!! literally every ten feet there is come kind of cafe. it's crazy! each one has its own theme and atmosphere. You can easily find a starbucks around every corner as well, but why go there when I can experience the local coffee shops? I have zero clue as to how these places stay open since there are so so many. I'm not complaining though, I love to stop in a new one everyday and enjoy coffee/tea and free wifi.  #5 Ministop and 7Elevens-EVERYWHERE

Similarly to the coffee shops, there are also tiny convenience stores everywhere as well! when i think of 7Eleven, I automatically think gas station. But here there are these little convenience stores everywhere. It's really nice cause you can pick up a couple things here and there, reload your T-money card (that allows you to use the subway), and find every major necessity product conveniently. I've yet to even find a giant grocery store (which I know exist I just haven't found one), just these little stores every ten feet. My favorite one is the GS right by my dorm, I like to stop in and get my new favorite Korean soda called Milkis or some banana milk. 

I'm probably going to write more of these kinds of entries the longer I stay here, 

(Like maybe i'll write about how Korean women should teach me how they can rock heels 24/7 because this is a skill i need)

Until then, bye! 

[blondeseoul]

Cat Cafe

(Hongdae part 2)

so, while shopping we discovered a cat cafe! none of us had ever been to one and wanted to go. it was in the third floor of a big building, and once you got there you had to take your shoes off and put on slippers. then you paid 8,000 won to sit in the cafe and play with the cats and get your tea of choice (i picked peach tea)

it was so fun! the cats were so so cute, it made me miss my cat at home. He is three and his name is Dobby. 

I definitely want to go to another cat cafe while I'm here! we need these in the U.S., it would be a great stress reliever!