짜장면 (Jjajangmyeon)

As both of us are longing to try Jjajangmyeon, Grace and I decided to go to this Chinese diner nearby our university after class. I stumbled upon this place on the way back home just a day ago. So glad we came here! I'm definitely coming back as there are other items on the menu that I'd like to try and it's pretty cheap for Seoul's standard.

탕수육 (Tang Soo Yook; Sweet & Sour Pork 糖水肉) and 짜장면 (Jjajangmyun; Black Bean Noodle 炸酱面).

After lunch, we decided to make a visit to Ewha Womans University 이화여자대학교, a female-only university, which is considered to be one of the top universities in Korea. The campus' architectural facility is one of the most talked about in South Korea. I read online that the Univ is also turning to be a must-visit place while in Seoul. Now that I've been there, I know why.

View from Main Gate

Ewha Campus Complex - you know, on the left and right, they're not just glass panels, but a total of 6 levels is housed below ground, which is home for auditoriums, restaurant, cafes, bookstores, shops, student union, printing station, meeting halls, and parking lots O_O

There were more facilities within, but I stopped snapping as I didn't want to appear jakun (unsophisticated). Coming here was worth the walk. The university aside, the entire Ehwa area is populated with food/cafes and cheap places to shop.

***

Ah yes. Rewinding back to that faithful day. One the very first day, we were told to fill the A3 paper with our basic details to facilitate a self-introduction session. Day-by-day, there are different activities which allows us to get to know one another better, at the same time, learn speech patterns for use in everyday life. By the 3rd day, I got everyone's name right.

Early to rise, early to class.

During the same slot (two-hour lesson for Speaking), we had a test. Erm, not exactly a test. It's more like a review (of what you have learned in Level 1) and preview of certain chapters in Level 2. According to Ms. Lee, if that paper was too easy, we can request to skip L2 and progress to L3 instead. But I'd rather not.

Happy weekend everyone.

Orientation & The Misadventure

This morning was a misadventure. I woke up earlier so I can go to the Olleh global store in Gwanghwamun to apply for a prepaid mobile line. As luck would have it, Olleh is caught in a period of suspension and is unable to activate new subscriptions until 13 March. I was like 'Whyyyyyyy? Why now?!'

:(

I checked if there are other alternatives around and the staff (English-speaking yes!), was kind enough to recommend me to try at SK (Olleh and SK is like Digi to Maxis in KL). However, olleh is famous with the expats/foreigners as they are very foreigner-friendly- consultation can be done in 17 different languages, or so they say.

The Olleh guys directed me to SK, which I had troubles finding. I stumbled upon a Tourist Info Centre and asked them for the direction again. From where I was standing, it was supposed to take 17 minutes to reach by foot. 30minutes later, I was cold and freezing, confused and surely lost in the city. Simply said, it was an unfruitful trip. I gave up looking as I didn't want to miss the Orientation which was supposed to start at 1pm. What can go wrong will go wrong.

Lost in the city

An endless walk

I took the subway back to Sinchon and headed up a hill to Sogang for the first time. There were so many students walking together along the way and it hit me, I am indeed carrying on life as a student. It felt... funny! Haha.

I arrived 90 minutes earlier and took the opportunity to explore the university. As the campus is not that big, it wasn't too difficult to find my way within the campus, which is great, because you know how I hate walking. Here are some shots I took of the Univ:

The way out to Main Gate

A statue at the administration building. I'll find out who he is.

Still cold - hardened ice on plant

Through orientation, I got to know Grace, a fellow Malaysian. (hello Grace if you're reading! :)) It feels good to meet a fellow countrymen while living abroad. Orientation was simple- we were briefed on all things relevant to us as student. Class lessons aside, I'm also looking forward to the out-of-the-class activities like culture lecture and field trip.

The brief

Had lunch at Sinchon before Grace and I headed to Myeongdong. Fashion labels like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, F21 (I haven't seen the outlet yet, but I was told they're there) and an umpteen number of cosmetic brands are there. Very nice place to hang out at. Eating places are aplenty too! (Gong Cha, i see youuuu) Hehe.

My leg is sore from all the walking today, so we (or rather I, selfishly) decided to head home earlier to rest.

p/s: Subway stations in Seoul make you climb an enormous flight of stairs! Every. station. without. fail. Hmpphhh! Subway station, I hate youuuuu