Back to Reality,

The last and closing post for my exchange in Kyung Hee University has not been written yet, even though it has been more than 3 months since I came back home to Finland. For many reasons, I had a hard time writing and thinking through things when I came back home, and now after some time I realised why. 

Returning to reality, to Helsinki, wasn't as easy and fun as it could have been. Partly I was happy to get back home, expecting that things would all be the same, but realised that not only me has changed during the year, but also my surrounding, my friends, my classmates, colleges, and so on. My first week in Finland was strange. I mostly sat at home, staring at my TV realising that I haven't been watching TV for 10 months, especially not in Finnish. I was scared and terrified to show myself in public. I didn't want to be seen, especially not by friends or people that I just say "hi" to. I told people that I'm home, but was I really home? Was it really me, my heart and soul that returned, or was it just my body? 

A big part of me, who I became and who I still am today, is left in Korea. It's such a meaningful memory for me, and I truly expected people around me to jump of joy of seeing me, and wanting to hear everything I have been through. Maybe I expected too much. Coming back felt like I had been gone for a week, and me returning wasn't anything special, and why should it matter to anyone else except for myself and my family? 

I realised that Korea for me, was a huge amount of steps forward in my life. I grew, I saw, I travelled, I experienced more then I have done in my life so far. Returning home realising that most of my friends are still walking on the same step they used to before I left, feels like a "waste" of time. No, everybody doesn't have to travel to Korea or any other country to grow as a person and get forward in ones life, but just the thought of that the time in Finland "stopped" while I was gone, is a bit scary. It made me think about life in a bigger picture. "If I stay here, I won't do anything in life. I will just get a job, be there for the rest of my life and that's it", that's really something I don't want. 

My friends, closed ones, people I thought I would be friends with forever, they also changed. Have they changed, or am I the one who changed? With some friends, it has been awkward. It feels like I don't know who they are, I don't know if I can trust them no more, or do they even see me as their friend anymore. Many of my "closest" friends barely talk to me, and I barely see them either. If I do, I just feel like there is not the same connection as before and that we really don't understand each other no more. But what is there to do in a situation like that? "Hi, I feel awkward, I don't feel like we click anymore". 

Everything felt different and stupid. The food was expensive, I understood everything what everybody was talking about, everything was "easy" and accessible, no challenge. While in Korea, it was frustrating not being able to be as independent as I'm back home, I miss the adventure, the mystery, and the thoughts of what people are saying and talking about. In general, in my social network of people, I have no idea what people are talking about, what has happened in their life, what the jokes are about, what's in and out... I feel like a complete fool and outsider. In many situations, I don't know what to say or how to behave, so I mostly keep quiet and look down. I wouldn't say that I became shy being in South Korea, I would say that I haven't really recovered from the culture shock yet. 

Don't get me wrong, coming home has not only been a sad experience. Many people, who I thought that didn't really care about me, has stepped up and showed me how precious I am to them. That makes me very happy. Friends living far away from me sacrifices their precious time, weekends, just to travel hundreds of kilometers just to see me. And all the support and love I receive from all my friends in Korea, makes me wake up every morning with a smile on my face. 

So what now? I'm working on pursuing my dreams, figuring out what to do when graduating, what my next step in my life will be, where will I go, where will I work, who will I meet... That's all in the future now, and I can't wait to see what life throws at me next! 

Paragliding,

My vacation in South Korea started off a bit boring to be honest. Most people left Korea and headed home to their families and friends. My Korean friends are all traveling and around the world, studying during the summer or just busy. The past days have been crazy and this Friday was just the most perfect way to end my time in South Korea (even though I have 1 week left). Me and Abdallah from Egypt, woke up early this friday morning to get ourselves to the city Daecheon. This city is mainly famous for the annual Mud Festival, which is organized in the middle of July. Sadly, I won't be able to participate since I will be back home. The reason why today was so awesome, was because we had decided to do paragliding. We had no idea where we were supposed to do it and how the process went. So basically, we ran down a mountain and flew over the city. There are no words for the feeling and for the whole experience. It's definitely better than any roller coaster. After the paragliding, we had a lovely noodle lunch and a walk at the Daecheon Beach. This day was definitely one of the best days I had in South Korea. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO FROM TODAY!

My Final Grades,

The second and last semester as an exchange student at Kyung Hee University has come to an end. I have been waited for my grades for weeks and they are finally here. I have never been the best student in class, I never received the highest grades, and probably not the most likable person either. I have been facing many failures, I have been at the bottom, I have finished on second place and even last. People have told be that I can't, that I don't have enough knowledge, and that there will be no success in what I'm trying to do. Aiming high, is the only way to see whether you got a shot at something you never thought you could do, and the day you reach your goal, your success and accomplishments will punch those people who didn't believe in you right in their faces. What I have realized, is that I have always been the student that professors' have remembered. It is not about receiving A+ in every course, it's not about keeping all your Facebook friends' satisfied, and it's not about doing what everybody else is doing. We are all living our own lives, and what is an accomplishment to someone, might be nothing to someone else, or it might be something that some people never would have the courage to even think of. 

People told me I was crazy, but I love crazy. I love taking risks, and being different. All I wanted in elementary school was to fit in, and be exactly like all the other girls in my class. Now, that's the last thing I want, being similar to anyone else. 

Enough writing. I did it, I studied 10 subjects during my 10 months in Seoul and I received good grades that I'm more than proud of. These grades will definitely make my average grade raise a lot, and make me graduate with good numbers. Happy me! Here is a list of the subjects I studied and the grades I received. I'm more than happy. In South Korea, a B is totally not accepted, it's not a good grade at all. For me, and for students in Finland, a B is awesome! Apart from my grades, I also managed to be the class captain for one professor, which gave me a valuable recommendation letter. Not many students, exchange students, who have recommendation letters from South Korea. 

Not did I only finish all my courses with a good grade, I also managed to live and study in a unfamiliar country where people barely speak english. This is how I will finish my 10 months in Seoul and now I am ready to take my motivation for studying back home to Finland and Arcada. 

Korea showing its Funny/Weird Side #2,

Here we go again. Since I mostly hang out with Koreans during my exchange here, I get to experience all their funny habits, thoughts and things they value. Here are some more fun reading of what's going on over here. Remember, these are also stereotypes, everybody doesn't think, behave, dress or value these things listed below. 

Pale and blond is hot - As a european, this is a "fetish", which is strange to me. From North Europe, we travel and go abroad to get a nice suntan, while Korean people will cover their face from the sun with anything they can find, like their big smartphones or an umbrella. The pale europeans always receive lovely compliments from young teenagers and old grandmas, how beautiful skin they have. The more pale you are, the more good-looking you are in a koreans mind. This is probably why there is whitening products in every shop you step into. 

Size matters - "The bigger, the better" is a saying about ... many things in this world. In South Korea, the size of your SMARTPHONE has a big impact. You are considered very cool and perhaps rich if you are walking around with your big smartphone. 

Gangnam Style - A style the world is talking about, but what does this really mean? Fashion is a big thing here in Korea and also extremely important. Having a big interest for fashion myself, I must say that Koreans are very fashionable, except for their shoes. Can you just imagine, a pretty girl, nice haircut, a sophisticated long-sleeved shirt with a cute skirt, a trenchcoat, the newest LV bag and ... sneakers? I'm not talking about sneakers like converse or Nike air max, I mean running shoes. Same goes for boys. How can they do this?  

"You look pretty today" - A comment I can hear girls telling each other everyday, which is sweet. How sweet is it, when this is the first thing that people tell you, instead of "Hi, how are you today, everything all right with you?". Yes, that's when it gets strange. Girls will also comment to each other if their friend is not looking good that day. From own experience, I have been told: "Meri, are you sick? Why didn't you wear make-up today? Did you change your hair, it's more nice when it's straight." Personally, I like when people tell their opinions straight, but life is so much more than looking good all the time. 

You can't, you are a foreigner - This happens all the time, trust me. Foreigners or us non-koreans we can't speak korean, we can't use chopsticks, we can't eat spicy food, we can't use the subway, we can't basically do anything. So when we are out and about, we definitely surprise the locals probably everyday.  

The restaurant is your second home - This is a funny sight. In Korea, we are all using these soft pajama pants and flipflops while walking around in our dorm or at home. The most amazing thing is to see people actually wearing this outfit in the middle of the winter, when they will have dinner in a local restaurant or do a quick visit to the seven11. 

Wear white pants! - Boy or girl, doesn't matter. The pants should be tight and white. Asking many of my korean male friends, they all agreed that white pants on girls is sexy. I also get comments from my korean male friends telling me: "Meri, I need to go shopping. I need white pants." There is nothing wrong with white pants, not at all. In general, white pants and clothes tends to make you look bigger, and black clothes makes you look slimmer. That might be a reason why people won't wear these in Finland for example. 

The colder, the shorter - In the winter, in Finland, it's so important to stay warm and what you wear won't matter that much. In Korea, looking good is the most important thing. The skirts just got shorter when it got colder. Just looking at the girls complaining how cold it is, realizing that they are wearing a skirt and a thin jacket, made me want to laugh. There are plenty of nice winterjackets so that's not the problem. 

Happy 100 days! - Couples in South Korea celebrates many days a year. In Europe, we might celebrate 6 months being together or just every year. In Korea, the couples celebrate 100days 200 days, 1000 days etc. Funny right? And who counts the days? The smartphone of course! 

Where did you go? - Koreans are experts when it comes to disappear. This happens when people are drinking together. Refusing drinks in Korea is seen as a bit rude, and this is why we can see so many drunk people, everyday of the week. There is a trick for this. Disappear, and send a message to someone apologizing that you left early, and add that there will be a next time. There will always be people forcing you to stay and drink more, and saying no in that situation is hard, especially if someone older than you offers you a drink. 

You can't sing? - Many countries are associated with some sort of talent. Latin americans and south americans should know how to dance and finish people should be able to drink so much alcohol. So how about Korea? Norebang, or Karaoke rooms is a very popular leisure activity. If you can't sing, its honestly really embarrassing. Many of my friends refuse to even join, because they feel that they lack singing skills.

What are these signs on the streets? - Popular ways of advertising, might be on the toilet door, so while sitting down, you can read the interesting ads. Another way of advertising in South Korea or lets say Seoul, is to put the ads on the street. Why would someone do that? Koreans are more attached to their smartphones than many other countries and that means, that they are mostly looking down. There would be no point putting the ads on a wall, since they wouldn't get any attention.


I want to play! - The words koreans use sometimes can make me laugh a lot. Now after soon 10 months I got used to this "play" word, but it was very weird to see or hear it at first. You might get messages where it says: "Meri, I really want to play with you" "Let's play someday" "It was nice to play with you today". Doesn't this sound weird? The thing is, in Hangeul or Korean, there is only one word for play, which can mean playing with toys or hanging out. 

The end is near,

The last week of my second semester at Kyung Hee University is now over. I'm excited since I will now have 2 weeks of vacation in South Korea and I will have time to spend my last days with people I will not see for a long time. The most sad thing is that the 2 weeks before the semester ends, are the most busy, which means that there has not been much time to see people, who will leave back to their home countries immediately after all the final exams. The hardest goodbye, will definitely be so say bye to Christina.

Christina, from Germany, is someone I met exactly 10 months ago at the Incheon Airport in Korea. I remember talking to her already there and also in the bus on our way to the KHU campus. Since then, we have been stuck together like glue. Seeing her go, and not knowing when we will meet again, is just heartbreaking. I'm happy we both live close to each other!

Since Christina never took any "photo booth" pictures in South Korea, we decided to do that on her last day here. We also got ourselves friendship bracelets. I'm truly the most lucky person, because I have her in my life.

HANGOVER,

As we all can realize, PSY has been a bit quiet lately. No new songs or concerts. Now, we all know why. He was probably recovering from his "hangover". The video is great. It's recorded in South Korea obviously. What's also great is the fact that you can see many things that are so typical about the korean culture. Soju and "love shots", korean bbq, norebang (karaoke), jjajangmyeon (black noodles),   eating noodles in the GS25, the fact that almost all cars in Korea are black white or grey, famous k-pop stars. You name it, the video got it all. And the funny thing is that Snoop Dogg actually came to South Korea to shoot this video. Enjoy, it's so much fun!

Suwon,

This sunday was spent outside of Seoul in Suwon. What I really like about the subway system is that you can travel outside of Seoul to other cities so easily and cheap. Suwon is extremely reachable since the line I'm using almost every day (Line 1) goes all the way from Hoegi to Suwon. It took us approximately 1,5 hours. In Suwon, me and Christina both wanted to visit the Suwon Hwaseong Fortfress, which is also an Unesco World Heritage Site. We had a nice walk around until we ended up at a huge market, which for you looks like any other market I have posted before. To be honest, the markets in South Korea are all kind of similar, but in every city or region, there is something special. So if you ever see a market, go there! I managed to buy some nice souvenirs to my friends.
Kyung Hee University's Global Campus is located nearby Suwon, but since we ran out of time, we had to go back to Hoegi and Seoul.

Farewell Party,

The time has come, to say goodbye. Not yet though, since it's exactly one month until I will leave South Korea. Saying goodbye is always hard, it has always been like that for me. I have tried to "practice" and become better at saying goodbye, but no it will never be easy and I will always cry like a little baby. I don't want to cry because it's over, I want to smile because all of this has happened to me. I got the greatest opportunity and life experience, which has made me richer. No amount of money can replace this time, and experience. But as I said, i'm not saying goodbye yet. The farewell party was arranged this thursday with videos, photos, maybe a bit too much soju and many friends and a lot of fun.

Nami Island,

My time in South Korea is soon coming to an end. That's why my last weeks here has been hectic, since I need to see everything (which is impossible) before I leave. Not only do I need to see everything, but I should also finish all my projects and assignments.

So today me, Johnny and Gina are off to Namiseom Island, also called Nami Island.  The island is located approximately an hour from Seoul, which makes it a popular destination for couples and families. The island is a half moon shape and has its history from the Joeson Dynasty (as many of the most popular attractions in South Korea). Nami Island provides many activities for all needs, for example education and training facilities, camping sites, swimming pools, water sort facilities, there is a theme park, shooting range, roller skating rink, and lodging possibilities such as villas and bungalows.

From Hoegi station, it takes approximately an hour to reach Gapyeong station. From there you can reach the terminal by bus or taxi, and to get to the island you can go by ferry or even a zipline. As you can see in the pictures, there is an "immigration" and the island is called "the republic of...", which is just a concept. The immigration fee is basically the entrance fee, which includes the ferry there and back.  

What gives a special touch to this island, is the fact that they are trying to recycle as much as possible. This can be seen in the decorations around the island. The island also gives an opportunity to get really close to wild animals. During our stay at the island, we managed to rescue a baby duck, with a duck boat, haha! It was a perfect sunday, and great to get away from the big city once again.

Seochon,

Seochon is an area in Seoul, which I have been making a project about lately. As you saw in the previous post, there is a part of the project, which is a short video of the area. Seochon is not really famous or popular for tourists, and even for the locals the area is unfamiliar. Seochon has so much to offer and it's so calm. Seoul is famous for its hectic city life, all the people you bump into everyday, and all the fancy expensive shops. Seochon is the total opposite. It's really a slow area of the city with many small shops selling organic products, handmade, and even shops selling vintage clothes and accessories. There are even many international as traditional restaurants and not to forget, the popular Tongin Market. Here are some pictures I managed to snap while doing my video for my project. Enjoy!