I have to say that so far my favorite part of Seoul has to be the Ewha area. It has a nice feel about it, and is a great place to shop for cheap clothes. I've actually been surprised that I have been able to find a lot of tops that fit me here. From the minute I exit the subway, it feels like I am back in college. There are loads of younge people out and about at the various cafes, shopping at the street market, or just walking around Ewha Women's University. It's a really nice place to spend a chill afternoon walking, shopping, and hanging out with friends.



I LOVE THE CAMPUS!!! It's has a very the past meets the future design. The campus is so lovely to walk around. Everything about it is beauitful and makes me want to go there. From what I hear, the university is very hard to get into, and is one of Seoul's top universities. My favorite part of the campus has to be the glass structure below, with those epic stairs in the back.


I've only been there on the weekends, but I think Ewha is somewhere you can go to meet up with people, or spend some time by yourself relaxing, shopping, and eating lots of street food. I would suggest going here for dinner if you are in Ewha or  its neighbor Sinchon. It was recommended by Seoul Eats, and I took some friends there and we all enjoyed the fried chicken. The staff is very nice, and the prices are good. Plus the food is DELICIOUS!!! I will definitely be going back there.

FYI: There are a few locations, but the one we went to was acroos from Sinchon subway station/Uplex Building. It was right next to Etude House and Paris Baguette.

More photos

Hello everyone!!! I've finished teaching for the day, and have some free time to finally update my blog. It's only Tuesday, but the kids are a little crazy this week. Maybe it is the constantly changing weather, or just puberty that is making them so hyper. Either way, they are still very cute. Now, on to my topic of the day.

Last Saturday, two friends and I decided to experience the Jjimjilbang, or as I like to say the "Let's Get Naked" place:)! We went to this small one under my friend's apartment building in Sindorim, and it definitely is an "experience." Originally, the plan was to just go there and check it out, but stay in the area where you don't have to get naked. Well, there really isn't much to do in that area, aside from going back and forth between the hot rooms, the human oven, or as my friend calles it "The Tomb," or my favorite room, the cold room. You can also eat, and sleep at this place, but after an hour of going in and out of the diferent rooms we decided that since we paid the money to go here, we should have the full experience. Okay, they decided that. I wasn't really ready to get naked with strangers, but I'm the kind of person that is going to/willing to play along if everyone else is. So I jumped on the "Lets Get Naked" bandwagon, and there was no going back. The whole reason I am here, is to do things I've never done before, even if I feel scared, embarrased, or unsure of whether I can do it. We grow through those moments when we say screw the fear or worry and just let ourselves grow. I've found that all those thoughts end up being worse than the actual experience.

So back to my story, we were in the ladies changing area, and I tried to keep my eyes down, because I just didn't want to see other naked women...rofl. So, my friends and I are trying to get up the courage to just take our clothes off, after lots of awkward moments and laughter, we decide that we can keep our shirts on until we get into the sauna area, and then just take them off before we get in the water. Umm...no...we walk into the sauna area and this naked woman is like no, you have to take your shirt off in the changing room, then come back in, take a shower, and then go into the pools. All said in a mix of hand gestures and Korean. So we turn back around, and by now I'm like lets just do this, and so we go back to our lockers, take our shirts off, and with our towels barely covering anything in the front, and definitely nothing in the back, we walk through the changing room, into the sauna room, and get the "full" experience of a Jjimjilbang.

It wasn't that bad getting naked, after just doing it. Sure, I got plenty of stares from Korean women, but I just ignored them and enjoyed my time there with my friends. I think it will be a long while before I do that again, but at least I now have this experience to remember. For me, I think everytime I do something that scares me I will learn to be less fearful, and be able to live my life freely. I didn't come to Korea to keep living the same life I had in Arizona. I came here to experience new things and I did. Sure it was awkward and weird at first, but it was also liberating to stop thinking about doing something and just doing it. My favorite part was definitely the various temperature rooms. If I go again, I would like to go to a bigger one that has more things to do.

Be Blessed,
~Lola O.~