And that's allll she wrote (FOR NOW)

hey everyone, so I am back in the states, 2 weeks now... I think I've pretty much adjusted to the time difference. i miss korea like Crazy though!!!! I was so sad to leave... but one must do what one must do, right?

I maybe starting a new blog so check back every once and a while to see if there's another one up, I'll probably send out a mass email too if that's the case.

Thank you everyone for your comments and love and support during my trip.

xoxo
~노미

Anguk Surprise

On Sunday I went to Anguk Station. Right by the Presidents house and National Korean Folk Museum. It was a very fun adventure!!!!! i'm very exhausted though!!!! It's only Tues and already it feels like it has been a long week. We changed teachers yesterday (mon) and I got my previous teacher. Who is nice, but i am concerned about keeping up, I'm sure someone/something will look out for me :-) I want to write more but I am quite exhausted. I'll try my best to put more up soon. In the mean time, please enjoy the slideshow. xxxxoooo
~Nomi

HAPPY B-DAY AL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
7/26/08

p.s. if I got that totally wrong I'm sorry.

LOTTE WORLD and other things you've missed

GYRO SWING!

This is one of the rides we went on when we were at Lotte world. It was A LOT of fun!!!

@ Lotte World, new friends are Fun to make!!
This is Sandro's GF

This was such a BAD picture, but in such a Cool way!!!
Sandro, GF, Me, Jim (<--- Jim is from Alaska; that's pretty cool!)

At first glance, I thought D.K. was wearing a skirt.. it's the song book, hehe
James (Y.) is next to him

I broke down and went to No-Rae-Bong
(karaoke, It's pretty Huge here) But it was a Fun
Time.
p.s. i <3 how D.K. is multi-tasking here
but James is feeling the music...
lol

Dinner before the Club
Me, Johna, Jullia, Sora

Awwww.... The Boiii's. S.E. & James


I think Jullia took this one; it came out good!!
S.E., James, Johna, D.K.

OSMOSIS BEFORE MIDTERMS???

like this????

IS IT WORKING YET???

The Update(sssss)

I just want to apologize for any sound difficulties... first video using iMovie. So I Literally spent 4/5 hrs making this darn thing.
* Also just wanted to add a BIG Hello and an even bigger Hug and i'm sorry to my friend Charlotte, I completely zonked out sweety and didn't say your name. Mi-an-ae (<--- I'm sorry) ummm... more pics to come. I'm goig to do a few small posts.... Random I know but, ken-chan-ae-yo (It's alright / okay)

xoxoxoxox
me

School and such

With school picking up, midterms ARE right around the corner, Fri. everything seems to be moving at High Speed. I basically feel like I'm a complete random mix of emotions!!!!
This trip is getting me to start sorting out my priorities, or at least discover what they are.... I'm trying to rake it all in stride, but I do miss the Boston weather!!!! It's SO HUMID here!!! If you think it's hot and humid in Bean town, you're wrong. Please don't argue, it's just something you're going to have to except! Nothing (apart from other places, I have not been) compares to the Humidity in Seoul!!!!! And I now know why they call it monsoon season!!! hehe. Rain one day, Humidity like CRAZY next, Rain the next day & on & on & on....

I have been drawing a bit, I'll be doing my best to post those asap. I also need to get to the post office to try and get some stamps, mailings and letters and such must go out.

Love you all, esp. Mum, Daddy, Ry, Roomie (who I DO MISS terribly!!!) Nam-Ja Chingu, BFFL (aww look at all these cute names I've come up with for people) And of course the one who I got my good looks from.. BOB!!! (tehehehehehehehehehe, oh that was fun! AL, I hope you liked that one.xoxoxoxoxoxox

~노미

p.s. That totally reminds me of when we were little (you and i Ry) and we would have sun dinners at GM's with the whole fam and when we would say (Catholic) grace and it was your turn (Ryan) you would start thanking God for EVEEEEERYONE in our family. "And god bless, mummy & daddy & nomi & oreo & aunty susan & wil & Grandmother & Grandfather & Cloud & Butterscotch (R.I.P. carnivorous rodents).... And finally Mum or Dad would be like "Okay Ry, that's enough let's bless them all and eat."

ohhhh MAAAAAN that just put such a smile on my face!!!!!!!

HOT IN JULY

i know it's been a while since I've written. At least I feel like it is. My head is completely spinning with foreign language...lol. i have midterms in about 2 1/2 weeks. So I've been trying to make plenty of flash cards for that. The kids in my class are very nice. I'm TRYING to make some art, but it feels so slow going... I've only got a few collages started... not even what I'm "supposed" to be doing --> Direct Observation. I'm trying to relax, but it's a little hard. The other day (Thurs) I realized I had forgotten my father's "death day", anniversary... I practically started crying in class. I had written the date down (on Wed) sooo many times and had reminded myself at the beginning of the week too. UGH! 6 years! That's a long time! Okay, now that my heart is aching again (no Tears don't worry) I'm going to get some more flash cards done. I THINK I'm going to Lotte World tomorrow (Big Indoor Amusement Park) I'll fill you in.
xoxoxoxo
all my love
~Nomi

p.s. I know i've probably written this somewhere already.... but Annie, I Miss You like Whoa!!!!! Ain't no mountain high enough and don't you forget it!!! xxxooo BFFL!

Mustard

Hi everyone, so I just want to start off with an "I'm sorry". i know I have been MIA... or Korea MIK hahaha.... ehhem, this week was VERY busy and a lot of tough decisions had to be made. I am no longer staying at Eliminu. The house and the family were / are great but I think this was / is one of those times, I need to be worrying about only me; not about the host family and whether i will hurt their feelings or say something wrong. I KNOW I KNOW, but those of you who are very close to me, KNOW that this is just a part of who I am, sweating every small thing, making bigger than it may be. :-/. I started taking with Sung-Min Aunni (UN-NIE = older sister in korean) about my anxiety at the beginning of the week and she went through probably what any of you would have said, there's no need to be stressed, please don't worry about us, etc etc. We talked about whether living with a family was a good match for me or not; I also went to the Homestay Korea office and talked with the staff there about my situation / feelings. Jamie (a young woman there who's been helping me a lot) even went ov er a pros and cons list with me, which was really helpful.
A bunch of a people I have met from Yonsei are staying in Ha-Suks (ha-sook); like a boarding house and the closest thing to what we consider "normal" rent in the states. ****when you get an apartment in korea, you are essentially buying a house, you put down a deposit like you would with any apartment or house but then you don't pay month to month; b/c the deposit was GIGANTO!!!*** I think I got that pretty right. But you can stay in ha-suk as along as you pay (rently month) and some are better than others just like an apartment in the states or anywhere else for that matter. So i talked with my friend b/c he had there may be a room opening up the ha-suk he lives in. There wasn't but the adjuma (older woman) who runs / owns the place new someone else who runs / owns a ha-suk a short walk away. So my friends went with me to check it out. The woman seemed very nice (despite the language barrier) and the room was very cute, a single with a bathroom in it, decent sized lots of little end tables / drawer sets to put my things in. Washer machine, breakfast and dinner And my friends talked her down from 500 to 450 a month, which was so Awesome of them!!!
So I talked things over with Aunni and I just think this is much better for me. I really like the kids so I'm going to still them English lessons (Mon and Friday evenings) I really like Sung-Min Aunni so we're going to still get together, which is nice. She loves art, so she's going to show me all the great art museums around the area. We went and saw the movie "broken english" yesterday, O-M-G! It was SOOOOOO good!!!! I don't know if it's out in the states but I highly recommend it.
Paker Posey was in it, and i kept thinking she looks so familiar but I still think of from where I know her face....hmmm.
So, now I am 15 min walk from campus and I live near some new friends, and in a college area so that's good and fun.
i got switched down a section. from B to A. Which I wasn't too thrilled about at first! Peer Pressure.... FROM TEACHERS??? what??? Yeah..... but I REALLY like the class now and the teacher is SOOOOO FUNNY!!!! O-M-G, O-M-G no, really she is, I love it. And she's REALLY NICE too!!!!!!! okay, well I have Mucho studying to do. There's a test coming up soon.
But i am Very happy and intent in my "new place". oh p.s. The homestay organization is giving me a 90% refund, which is perfect for the ha-suk. I just feel really happy right now, and curious to know what's for dinner!!!! Hmmm.....
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
노미

P.S. ok no seriously bed NOW after this

super important!!!

NO ONE SAYS "whateva" LIKE GM SAYS "whateva" !!!!!!!!!!

OH right, Placemet Test

so for the placement test, I got put into Level 1, which is fine. Although... I did get put into section 6, which is the harder of the 10 week sections. :-) yay me


p.s. Being Lactose Intolerant BITES!! I Miss Ice Cream and CHEEESE (omgosh, Charlottle and mari and rachel and sophie(s) I hope you're reading this right now b/c it totally just made me think of "PIE" and I MISS YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH!!! you too Elsa and Peter!!!

Anywho..... So I'm not very religious(!) BUT... I do believe in some sort of higher God/Buddha/Karma/Fate-like power watching over me so if you (my friends and family etc, yes YOU! Reading this RIGHT NOW! (hehe) believe in (see blue) maybe you could think about me and wish or pray or again think realllly hard about how much I (Nomi) Love the milk (oo-yoo / 우유 in Korean) products and how you wish (and I wish too) that this Lactose Int. curse might be lifted from me... SOON!!!!
Thanks guys!!! Lots of Hugs and Kisses

p.p.s I heard a rumor through Lindsay Lohan that "Columbus" made it to Jersey all by her onesy, well she had a co-pilot but I bet myself 1,5oow and a plate of oi-kimchee that he was tuned out / asleep for most of the ride.... tehehehe.

p.p.p.s okay that was a fib a little bit, Lindsay Lohan didn't rumor that to me, my Grandpa did, but he's way cooler than L-squared anyways so :::Pfffffft:::

xxxxoooo
Moi

Good Morning; My legs are melting off!

okay, so I got a flickr account, but it only lets you add so many photos per month for a free account, so I might be adding more than one account either that or I'll break down and pay the fee. Anyhoo There is a small slide show of photos up on the blog now. :)

tomorrow (Sun. 6/29) I move to the new house. I've talked with my host mom a few times, she seems very nice. I even dropped by the Homestay Korea office and met up with Jamie, who has been emailing me and giving me the heads up of what's going on with homestay and immersion programs around my school etc. She's been very awesome.

Tomorrow David* (OMGosh I hope I remembered his name correctly) and hopefully Jamie too are coming to get me in Incheon @ 5p. And then we're, I'm off. Oh, p.s. David is another staff member of the homestay or. I met him Fri, he seems very nice.

HOLY MOLY! It is Soooo Hot in here!! I feel like my legs are melting off! I really think if you walked over here, to Korea I mean (well, duh, haha) and you walked into my room; your face would melt off!! And then I'd make my disgusted "potato salad with milk" face and be like "GROSSO"!!!!!

Speaking of Grosso.... tonight we went out to dinner at this place called nolboo's and it was pretty good; but we were sitting right next to the window... And all of a sudden I watch Seung-Hye stand up and point and in English and kinda loud actually she says "LOOK!"
so I turn around and there's this young man (who I had actually been kinda watching before) stumbling trying to get up off of a bench, he had a friend with him trying to help him, with not much success! So we go back to eating and then more attention starts being paid to this guy. And who I can only assume were his parents, because Adjuma kept saying they were; were trying to help him get up. So the consensus in Konglish was that he had had waaaay too much to drink... but on top of throwing up (which Seung-Hyun very kindly shielded me from) he had a good sized gash on his cheek bone and appeared to spitting out some blood... at one point I turned around right before we left and "the mother" was shoving a napkin into his mouth, "trying to clean up/ stop the bleeding"?. Throughout this ordeal / dinner show for some patrons I had asked if I should go out there, well my first reaction was that someone call 119 (don't forget I'm in Korea ;) ) But Adjuma was like, "no, no he's had too much to drink" And then I also pointed out that I had my wallet first aid /CPR card and the wallet guide or First Aid with me. I mean "Yes, the young man probably DID have too much to drink; that was the situation that brought him to lying all over the bench outside the restaurant"... But I had heard quite a few thuds while glancing out the window seeing his "parents" struggle to get him up. I was really concerned, b/c I mean there could be alcohol poisoning, or I dunno a concussion with the way people had been "throwing" him around on that bench...
Part of me sees where it isn't/wasn't my place to intervene, but gut Realllly wanted to help and make sure he was going to be okay. Adjuma suggested I give the family a band aid (when I went to the Korean Folk Village [especially when I'm with young kids] I always carry a small first aid box with me (a few band-aids, sani-wipes, napkins, gloves if I remember) Anyway, a little boy had fallen and was bleeding from a small cut, so I went over and offered to the mother to help, so I was REALLY careful and wiped his cut with a sani-wipe and put a band-aid on it and talked to him while I was doing it and then I gave the mom an extra, just in case; SEE? See how handy that was...lol :-) ANNNNYYYYYWHO, so I gave adjuma one of my sani-wipes and a band-aid and she went over and gave it to the folks who were helping the young man out. They called out thank you. I'm hoping everything turned out okay, i think if I had been meant to be apart of the situation I would have been, so maybe I wasn't needed after all. At least it's keeping all my First-Aid and CPR training Fresh :-)

So I took a picture of the subway map in Seoul & around the area so everyone could/can see where I'm moving to....

<-----KEY

There is the 411 on that. I'm also going to include some pictures of the new house that were emailed to me. The family also has a website, so I'll include that link too. :-)






so here is the name of the house and link attached... ELIMINU
please check it out.
if the link does not work, try googling "eliminu house", "eliminu house Korea"

I think that'd it for now. I will post more tomorrow if I think of anything to add before the move.

xoxo

노미

p.s. Thank you for all your concerns and advice after my "Lost" moment / episode!!!

LOVING YOU ALL!!!

KETCHUP

okay, so I haven't written in a few days, which feels really strange, like months have passed, but... I'm not going home just yet.. The last few days have been a world wind! I took the placement test and will find out what level i go into tomorrow. I'm not nervous, i just want to do well!!

Yesterday (6-23-08)

I went to a bookstore in Kamnam (NYC-like sect. of Seoul) and I bought 4 books and 2 magazines. They were really heavy, so I decided to take a cab ""home"" from the train station when I finally got a cab, the guy drove like a MANIAC!! I was trying to give him directions, which was NOT working at all, so I just told him to pullover and stop; I figured I knew where I was, very close-ish to the apartment. I WASN'T all that close. I definitely spent the next 1/2 hour roaming around the vicinity of the apartment, started to cry, THAT WAS AWESOME. A woman on the street basically said she knew someone who could speak English or at least knew what Apartment complex I was talking about. So I followed her upstairs to a taekwondo studio and I was trying hard to "keep it together" while she was running down hallways, looking for people. Then she was somewhat talking to a young guy who was somewhat talking to an older man, And i noticed the kids pointing at me and whispering, and I felt embarrassed enough, and the tears started a bit, then they (the kids) started laughing (i have no Idea if it WAS me or my body language, or something completely different...); but I lost it and managed to get out Thank you, Thank you in mumbled Korean and shot out down the stairs. Now this is EXACTLY what I had told myself Not to do. I know that being lost (for the most part, [as an adult]) is Not the end of the world!! But Anxiety just kinda kicked in High Gear and off I went into semi panick mode. I ended up finding the main drag that the apartment complex is behind, so I walked about 1/4 of a mile down the street and was finally there. I didn't want to take the bus from the train station, b/c the books were so heavy and I didn't want to walk back to the apt. with the books; but I ended up doing it (and then some) anyway, so I would just like to quote Frida Kahlo....
"At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can". Well put!!!! Frida.

Today (6-24-08)

I hung out with my friend Tae-Min (or Tim). We lived down the street from each other when he was in the states studying English, so we got to hang out a bunch. He's on his summer break now, so that is perfect timing for me. We went to the Samsung Art Museum, which was pretty awesome! There was a piece there by Yoshitomo Nara, so I was super pumped to see a piece of his live!!!! There was a lot of work from past Dynasty's so that was very cool too, for the most part pottery. It was a very good time.

Tomorrow I'll study with the books I bought in Kamnam and then probably meet up with my Aun-ni (older sister in Korean, for a girl.... it's Nuna [Noo-Na] for a guy); but anyhoo my Aunni Soo-Young. She is very much an older sister and watches out for me. She is a jazz pianist, but also gives lessons, so inbetween her lessons I think we will have lunch maybe...

Posting up bulk pictures is a bit tedious here, So I may open a photobucket or flickr account and add links so everyone can "SEE" what I've been up to. p.s. I have recently become addicted to the Hills, Thank you iTunes!!!!!!

I'm also moving to the new homestay house soon, July 1st. So that is also exciting. I've started packing, I like to be prepared in advanced when it comes to packing.... unlike some people I know......... hehe.

alright then. Very Pago-Pa (pago-pa [casual....pago-pi-yo-honorific]) = I'm Hungry.
so I am going to get a snack, do some art, pack a little more and go to bed.

Encountering those unfriendly children the other day, made me miss my afterschool friends even more. I know you guys are out of school now, but i hope you're summer is starting out Great!
Hi and I DEFINITELY MISS YOU to ......
Sophie M.
Elsa
Sophie L.
Mari
Peter L.
Charlotte!

I'm not sure if any of my other friends have access to the korea blog, but if you do and I didn't list you, I'm very sure I miss you too!!!!!

x's and o's
노미

Graffiti / Street Art in Korea

Okay, so this is often a touchy subject but I am going to do my best to be open-minded about other peoples feelings, views, and opinions etc...

(p.s. today I was VERY sleepy, I ended up taking a 5 hour nap, but i did start a drawing [still life] :). ) Anywho...

So, while I am over here I am very interested in "taking in" as much Art as possible. For me that of course includes street art / graffiti!

***********************************************************************

I know this subject can be very controversial, so if you are someone who is extremely, mildly or just in general opposed to the thought, act, etc of street art / graffiti, please Do Not read any further!
**************************************************************************

In general... or if I were forced to choose (let's not be too dramatic here) but let's say if someone came up to me with a sharp/pointy stick and they said, "Nomi, tell me, do you like / agree with graffiti and street art; if you don't answer me I'll stick you in the eye with this sharp/pointy stick! And I'm not kidding". I would probably have to say, "Yes, I agree with it, I like graffiti and street art (I think there are some inappropriate places to put it, but to each artist his/her own; every thing's legal until ya' get caught right?)".

So here are some pieces I've seen so far... There is a wall close to the art schools' area of Seoul that has a mural on it, a roll of film, with different images painted inside each section, however, on top there are some markings, which, I'm not sure how I feel about. The paintings were/are very cool, but the new markings don't necessarily "take away" from the mural either, I haven't decided one way or the other, nor do I know if this piece was commissioned or not...

These next ones I found around the same area.

ALL ABOUT NANA....
(I don't know who Nana is [although coincidently Miss Korea 2002's name is Nana, she also just graduated from Harvard / class '08 AND Doug and I definitely [unknowingly @ the time] saw her and a friend being filmed down Newbury St. RIGHT Before I left... And then I watched the segment at Adjuma's, here in INCHEON!!!])

p.s. I've also seen more NaNa work, more pictures and investigation to come, for those interested....

And for the Grande Finale.... I just want to quickly add... DOUG DID IT FIRST!!! ^_^

^he did his on his Peru Trip though^

I had no idea Seung-Hye had the camera, I was trying to do this quickly, and so that neither of the children would see me (come one guys... I DO work in an after-school program / love kids etc) but I guess I accidently handed it to her, instead of putting it into my bag... awkward....

and of course now I have no idea when she took this^ , before or after I started writing... OY VEY! way to be a role model for a 6 yr old, right....

Alrighty then, so that's what I have for you guys today
On this NaNa one

It reads NaNa nun, chin-cha ya.
Which translates into Nana is real, Ya! (like the American "hey")

well at least I'm pretty sure that's what it says...

b/c 는 (nun) comes after a name or thing that exists and 진짜 (chin-cha) means really. 야 (and I already explained ya)

So here are some sites I thought you might want to check out....

~Graffiti

~Street Art

~Korean Street Art

xoxox
노미

p.s. As I had stated before, I do believe there are some places where street art & graffiti don't belong, when we got to the site I noticed little inscriptions every where... on the pillars, on the stairs, on the walls... had there been no markings at all (or even only a few) I would not have touched an already untouched place.
x's and o's.

HAPPY 17TH!!!!! (the US/Korean time change is very confusing, even for Blogger)

HAPPY B-DAY LITTLE BROTHER!!!!!!

(yes I know the pic is dark, but it's still a good one)

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Past few Days....

on.......

6~14~2008
I MADE GIM-BOP!!!!!!! A Lot of it
[after hal-mo-ni's birthday a lot of the family came back to the apartment and hung out and we made dinner and Ajumma's mum (halmoni to me) said I was a natural, and I must be Korean, hehe] IT WAS A BLAST!!!

END PRODUCT... Mmmmm

*****************************************************

my building the playground outside my building
(not entirely sure why it says "Teenager Park".....)

The Section of Incheon I live in... And it's rep ^

I have also very recently become obsessed with taking pictures of flowers...
just one of those things I guess....

승현's BIRTHDAY
(Seung Hyun turned 10 on Mon)

These next few were right by the apartment
There's a local park with basketball
and tennis courts

5 or 10 min bike ride, skateboard...scooter? hehe

Later we went to this park in Ilsan, which was pretty AWESOME! (Ilsan Lake Park) They had all this sculpture and different pathways and what not, I was surprised at how many people were there.... But it was Great! Here's one of my fave pieces. Yay for meditation & Buddhism.... tv obsession??

The After Party ;-) ;-)

How is this not the face of a Birthday Boy...


Pink tduk... (the pasta tasting rice cake... as in Duk-Bok-Gi)
I was Completely thrown off by the color, but it tastes the same.

the area we went to for dinner a.ka. "the after party"

All and all the past few days have been great. I've gotten lost in Seoul a few times, but people have been super Nice helping me out. I'm surprised a little at how many people have stopped next to me in the subway station and asked if I need help (I am of course staring at my subway map like I expect it to start doing a song and dance about which way to go) haha.

Found the June 2008 Korean VOUGE, so I am a Very happy Lady!
so for now I will sign off... STUDY STUDY STUDY.... Placement test for Yonsei is MONDAY

xoxo
노미