Roh Moo-Hyun

Yesterday, May 23rd, I was sitting at my table writing postcards to my friends back home, when Jun runs into my place. He sits down at the table, panting like a dog in heat, and wiped the dripping sweat from his face. The first thing out of his mouth was, "Maki! Do you know what's going on? The president! People are boycotting!! People get their eyes blown out with water last year!!"
Out of his jumbled English, I distinguished that whatever had happened wasn't good and the streets in Seoul weren't safe anymore.

According to the New York Times, Roh Moo-Hyun, the former president of Korea, committed suicide. Before dawn on Saturday, former President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea switched on his computer and typed a suicide note — his last comment on a corruption scandal that threatened to undo his proudest, and last remaining, legacy: his record as an upstanding political leader.

“Don’t be too sad,” Mr. Roh said in the note, meant for his wife and two children. “Life and death are all parts of nature. Don’t be sorry. Don’t blame anyone. Accept it as fate.”

An hour and a half later, as the sun rose through a cloudy sky, Mr. Roh, 62, climbed a hill overlooking his native village of Bongha, on the south coast, and jumped off a cliff."

It is said that he was being investigated for making bribes back when he was president. Some say he was a very popular president. He has a large fan base in the area where I'm staying. This large fan base is very upset and they are known for starting riots, very very dangerous riots.

Later that night when Jun and I went out to get some samgyeopsal and noraebong cgaja (go to the karaoke room---i'm actually learning korean!!!), the streets were filled like they normally would be on any Saturday night in Seoul, but this time there was a distinct difference. I felt scared. Police lined the streets with shields. They guarded the subways. They were armed and ready, for at any moment a riot could break out and cause mayhem across the Jongno and Insadong districts of Seoul.

To get back to what Jun was saying in his mumbled explanation, last time there was a riot, people took fire hoses and started spraying people with them. Many people lost their eyes when they got sprayed in the face, some people even died, thus making it very unsafe to venture out into Seoul at this time.

Oh so Westernized, but oh so Different.

Here's a list of stuff I find quite intriguing in the Korean culture, but is completely exempt from ours. Opposing Korean/American Customs.

1. Asian girls think that to be beautiful, they need to be pail. They wear white makeup on their faces. In America, girls believe being tan is beautiful... so we go tanning.

2. It rains so much here that when you go into each store or home, there is a bucket for you umbrella. Some places even have a bag for you to stick your umbrella in and you can carry it around with you.

3. Toilets. Some of the toilets here are little holes in the ground. Some are normal, like we have in America. And If you go to special places, you can even find a toilet with a remote control that allows you to heat up the toilet seat... It's quite odd because it feels like the toilet was just in use by somebody else, and they must've been sitting there for quite a long time.

4. When beckoning somebody to approach you, Koreans instead of moving their fingers with their palms facing up, they put their palm down and paw their hand, like a dog would when shaking.

5. Matching Couples. Seems like everywhere I go, the couples match. They wear the same clothes. Once I saw a couple that was matching head to toe. They even sell shirts here with graphics on them that go together when the couple stands side by side.

6. When girls go out together, like a night out on the town, they hold hands and link arms. I've seen a few guys do this too.

7. Shoe and Clothing Sizes. I can't find any pants my size. Nor can do they even make shoes my size. I wear a 9 and the largest size I can find in Korea is an 8. This makes me curious as to where the overweight people get their clothes?

I've got Seoul!

Yeah? Seoul! The best place ever. I'm so glad to be back from China. Yesterday our group went to eh DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). It's the 38th parallel, which was the border created during the Korean war which separated the two opposing sides. When the war "ended," they just decided to put away with the flighting, but here in the DMZ, it is still like they are at war. It's a very intense place to be.

It really surprised me, as well as the other people in our group, that South Korea has turned the DMZ into a tourist attraction. There's about 3 or 4 tours a day that go through the area. When you are there, you are not allowed to make any gestures with your hands. You cannot point, or even wave. It is said that the North Koreans will Photoshop your hand to make it look like you are flipping them off. We were also told we are not allowed to laugh, or be loud.

So, we stepping into North Korea for about 3 minutes. It was so intense! Our whole group was on edge most of the time. It felt like we could be shot at randomly at any moment, and the North Koreans were watching us at all times.

I want to show a bunch of pictures from this intense outing, but I cannot. When I was there, they told me I couldn't use my camera because it would zoom too far. Sadly I had to leave me camera on the bus. When I get some pictures from the other people in my group I will put them up.

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Later that night, the girls and I went out on the town with some local boys we met. They manage a little honey-biscuit stand just down the road and asked us if we wanted to hang out. All three girls, and the three Korean guys, went out of a bite to eat. So much fun. Two of the girls went home, as did their dates. The two girls had to get up early. Somehow, me and one Korean guy still hung out. We went to a little district full of Karaoke bars and pubs. It seemed to be the happening spot. Drunk people crowded the streets, most of them stumbling and struggling to make their way to their destinations.

The Korean guy and I found a cute little bar on the busiest street. We sat near the front, where there was a little balcony. It was quaint and romantic. We talked for a couple hours about life and what we've done. Sometimes our attention would be brought to the street when odd people would walk by, or come up and wink at me. At one point, we looked out and we saw a man throw a huge advertisement sign at another man, thus creating a fight.

All I can say is: SEOUL IS OUT OF THIS WORLD ON SATURDAY NIGHTS!!!

Asian Grafitti

This Blog Needs More Photos

So here are some :)

This is the subway in Seoul. It's pretty crazy, but fun to ride. I've figured it out pretty well, and our group rides it all the time.

This is an Asian toilet. Never in my life had I had to squat before.


Madison eating tornado potatoes in MyeongDong, Seoul.

This is our group outside of a gallery in InsaDong.

I forgot what this place is called, but it is gorgeous!!

Of course the GREAT WALL OF CHINA.These are the girls I hang out with: Ellen, Madison, and EunJi. They are way cool. And then these are just some random guys that wanted a photo with us at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Tuesday, May 12th

Today I went to China. When I stepped off the plane and went through the check for the swine flu, I was pulled away into a little blue sectioned-off area. There I was questioned about having a headache and my temperature was taken. After the Chinese dude took my temp, he called another person and they took me to another blue sectioned-off area, where they took my temperature again. It must've been too high because they took me to see a doctor. She took my pulse and tempterature, and then directed me by patting my body to lay down on a pink bed. All of a sudden she stuck her hands down my shirt and started feeling my boobs... After that I was released by they told me to see a doctor.

Moral of the story: Don't mark that you have a had a headache, even if you truly do, on the the Swine Flu paper you have to fill out on the airplane.

Welcome to China!!

Today we also went to the Forbidden City, which was grungy and worn-down. It definitely wasn't as cool as I thought it would be.


Tonight we went to a Chinese Circus. It was an acrobat show. The acrobats were incredibly fit and could do the most unimaginable things. It was pretty much one of the most amazing things I had ever seen anybody. I got really sick during the show and had to have "explosive rrea" (according to Ellen) during the first half of the show. When intermission finally rolled around, I ran to the bathroom only to realize they were holes in the ground. Quite the experience--squatting. When I was finished, I turned around to realize there was no toilet paper!!! In public bathrooms in China, there is no toilet paper. You have to supply your own... or maybe not wipe? EW! Good thing I have a bunch of tissue in my purse!

Anyways, the acrobats in the circus were all orphans and were purchased by the circus to perform. During the show I couldn't help by imagine the kind of torture and punishment these children experience when they are training or mess up during the show... I hope it isn't how I imagine, but this is China, if you know what I mean.

Also today, outside of the Forbidden City, a man with a no eyes was beautifully playing a stringed instrument. It reminded me o the movie Slumdog Millionaire when they poured the acid on the boy's eyes so he would be blind and make more money begging in the streets on Bombay. It was such a sad, sad site to see that as a reality. But that's the real China that I'm dying to see....

We're on this government tour, where we are being shown around Beijing. But the catch is that they only take us to see the things they want us to see in China. They want to hide all the flaws of China, and we don't have any free time to go exploring on our own.

Here's a photo of our tour guide. Sean is what he likes us to call him. His Chinese name is Dong. He's a great guy. He looks very similar to my friend Ho Pun Ng. But Sean is much more tan. Also, Sean calls me China girl... I don't really understand where that name came from.... But I like it.

So Skinny. So Pretty.

Asian Girls.
They are so tiny,
so fashionable,
so polite,
and so conservative.


EunJi (one of the girls studying at Utah State--pictured above) told me that some of her friends don't eat after 4 pm just so they can stay skinny. The girls here in Korea are tiny! They can't weigh more than 100 pounds, nor are they any taller than 5'7".

The other day, when I was the Everland (a theme park here in Seoul), I saw a girl who looked to be 14 years old. She was so skinny and had white makeup on her face. Apparently here in Asia, to be pale and white is beautiful. I watched this girl for about 20 minutes as we were waiting in line for a ride, and she kept opening up her makeup case and checking herself out every few minutes. She also looked incredibly uncomfortable in her 4 inch heels and baggy clothing waiting in line in the heat of the day.

I was told that girls here get plastic surgery to have their eyes opened wider.

Also, I just want to add this: every girl here either does a peace sign or covers part of her face by gently setting her hand on her face while getting a photo taken. Pretty cute.