I was trying to avoid writing another post about Molly, which just resulted in another week w/o a blog post. So why not? Heck, she's cute anyway :)

I took her to Busan last week to visit my dad and the rest of the gang. I have a plastic crate for her but it's so big and the seats on the KTX train are so tight, I figured it would be more convenient to just carry her in a bag. She isn't exactly accustomed to being in small spaces (but it's getting better), so it's always a bit of a struggle to get her to sit properly in my messenger bag (she's too big to fit in a normal purse). Her legs always go haywire and she tries to hop out any chance she gets. But after a few minutes or so, she gives up in defeat.

She was good for most of the train ride there. It's about 2 1/2 hours give or take, and for an hour of it, she slept, which meant I got to sleep to (with my finger around her collar, of course). But then, the other hour and a half, she was just itching to jump into the lap of the man sitting next to me, who didn't seem to be much of a dog fan considering the look of disgust on his face.

Which, by the way, deserves an entirely different blog post in and of itself...why are so many Koreans afraid of dogs? Do they think they're dirty? Or vicious? I can't tell you many times I've walked Molly, who is a whopping 6 lbs., when grown women in their 50s and 60s recoil in absolute horror. Last week, as I was taking Molly out for a potty break, a mother picked up her 10-year-old son to protect him from my vicious canine. But then, there are so many people who just adore Molly...they'll talk to her and bow as if they're having a normal conversation with a human being. It's the oddest thing.

Anyway, back to my train ride to Busan. Molly was fidgety but all of that was easily forgivable UNTIL...

She farted! It was a silent but deadly one too. And believe me, I got looks. Lots of them. And they were mean ones too.

I could have said something to try and save face, I guess, but what good would that have done? They would have thought I was just lying and blaming the dog. So instead, I decided to say nothing and hang my head in shame. Then, I secretly cursed Molly while she happily wagged her tail and contemplated how to get into my neighbor's lap.

During our 2-night stay in Busan, I got a proper dog bag, so the way back wasn't as hectic. She did paw at the door for half the time, but at least she wasn't farting in everyone's faces. Overall, she was a very good traveler.

Here's some pictures taken over the course of the last week. She's a cutie huh? ;-)

[She always wanted to ride in the driver's seat for some reason]

[Then, she fell asleep on the wheel...literally.]

[This was taken a couple days ago while I was working.
She wanted me to stop and pay attention to her instead.]

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Consistency

Since adopting Molly last week, I've thought a lot about consistency. She has been shuffled around from place to place (on the streets to foster homes to her now permanent home), so it's understandable that she was pretty weirded out for the first couple of days with me. She didn't really know what to do with herself, so she'd just lay there...all day. But now, as she's getting used to things and realizing that I'm her permanent mama, she has relaxed a lot more.

Only a week has gone by but already her personality is shining through. For example, when I'm about to take her for a walk, she stands up on her back legs to help me put her collar on. When she gets excited, she jumps in circles like a ballet dancer. And when she just wants to be loved, she won't wait for you to come to her...she'll go directly to you and sit on your lap and roll over, so that you can rub her tummy.

[My heart squeezes]

Mark often tells her, "You're not going anywhere...we're gonna love you so much, you're going to get tired of us." And even though he's only talking to Molly and she's just a dog, we operate the same way. As much as I love new adventures and doing new things all the time, a little consistency is nice. A consistent job, consistent warm weather, consistent runs along the river, consistent meals...these are all things that make our life enjoyable, but we often take it for granted because we tend to focus on the negative (yes, a consistent job, but also a boring job; yes, warm weather, but now it's getting too hot; etc.).

I've been very busy, especially on the weekends, but I feel so comfortable with where I'm at. Every month, I write an article. Every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday I tutor. Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I work at the radio station. Every Sunday, I go to church. Every morning, I have my hot cup of coffee and breakfast. And even if this sounds boring to you, it's thrilling in the sense that I've managed to create a very "normal" life in what used to be a very, very foreign environment. I'm not sure if I'm articulating it right, but the simple juxtaposition of that previous sentence is what makes life interesting.

And the special moments, the not-so-regular ones, that are interspersed with the very regular day-to-day things is what brings a smile to my face. Because it is in those moments that I realize I have the best boyfriend, friends and family in the world.

[The bridge I live near...en route to meet Mark for a night ride]

[This is after I told him that his camera smile didn't look genuine...sorry, Mark!]


[At Yeoido Park]

Until next time, ciao.

Meet Molly.

I adopted her from Animal Rescue Korea, which is this great website with listings of animals who need to be adopted in Korea. I wrote an article about them...you can read it here if you'd like.

But anyway, getting back to Molly, she's adorable, a sweetheart and extremely mellow. I'm completely smitten over her. Because she's a rescue dog, we're not 100% sure what mix of breeds she is, but just by the looks of it, we're guessing she's a mix of Maltese and Terrier (just look at those ears). She's between 2-3 years old and she's very healthy!

Because she's not a pup, her temperament is very relaxed and she appears to be completely house-trained (she hasn't had an accident inside yet!). And best of all, she's full of surprises. For example, she stands and sits on her hind legs only. She also pees on her front legs only, like she's doing a headstand. It's the oddest thing. To be honest, I didn't find the peeing on the front legs thing cute at all, just weird. When people walked by while she was tinkling, I'd get embarrassed. But now, I just think it's hilarious! Mark and I joke that she was in the circus before I adopted her. One of these days, I'll take a picture of her in action.

[You can kind of see her sitting on her hind legs in this video]

Molly from Elysabeth on Vimeo.

A lot of people discouraged me from getting a dog because they were afraid I'd be stuck at home taking care of her instead of exploring Korea. Although I appreciate the concern, we couldn't be happier. My dad, who lives in Busan, has happily volunteered to dog sit her if I ever go on vacation. If it's a day-trip thing, I can just leave her at home, or even better, take her with me!

[Eating some kind of doggy gum]

[She likes this spot; unfortunately, it isn't conducive to my productivity]

You'll be seeing and hearing more of her in the coming days, weeks and months. I'm just getting used to this whole being-responsible-for-something/someone-else-other-than-myself thing ;)

Until next time, bisous <3

At first, and now.

At first, I...
...would get so angry at how Koreans pushed and elbowed their way through crowds, rather than say "Excuse me."

...hated how there was no word/expression for "Excuse me."

...couldn't stand how every native Korean over the age of 50 felt like it was acceptable to lecture me on the importance of knowing the language and my heritage.

...didn't understand why manners meant so little in Korea.

...didn't see a distinct cultural identity among Koreans.


Now, I...
...laugh every time I get elbowed or pushed because of how ridiculous it is. But I don't mind when the elderly do it. In fact, I quietly step aside and applaud their fiery boldness. One time on the subway, I was going towards an empty seat, when all of a sudden, a grandma grabbed the back of my jacket, pulled me back and sat down. Then, when I looked at her in shock, she just smiled back, toothless.

...still don't understand why "Excuse me" doesn't exist in the Korean language.

...try a little harder to speak Korean instead of resorting to the "I can't speak Korean at all" approach. As a result, I receive more appreciative responses and laughs rather than the finger-wagging you-should's...

...see that manners mean a lot, but in a different way. Manners among strangers and passers-by are nonexistent. When you live in a big city like Seoul, I guess you can't bother with moving out of the way or saying "Excuse me." But manners between families and friends are very important and very evident. If you go to someone's house, they will feed you until your stomach explodes. And even then, they will probably give you some more food to ease that explosive stomach of yours.

...finally understand the most important and distinctive character of Korean cultural identity: community. On the surface, it looks like everyone is doing their own thing, unconcerned with anyone else. But if you look a little deeper, you'll find that people are more than willing to help each other out because that sense of community is what makes this culture so alive. Last week, when I was walking to a bus stop, I approached an old woman, who stood no taller than 4 feet and 7 inches because of the 90-degree angle her body took as a result of decades of back-breaking work. As I neared her, I noticed she was just standing in front of a curb with her wobbly cane, looking down, then looking up, hoping to make eye contact with anyone who passed by. As I walked by her, I looked at her and our eyes met. Without a word, she held out her hand and I grabbed it, knowing exactly what she needed. Squeezing tightly to my hand, she found all the strength she could to step up onto that curb. As she slowly hopped up, she released my hand and went on her way.

Had this occurred a few months ago, I might have grumbled to myself, "Psht, you're welcome" since she didn't thank me. But when it happened, my heart leapt for joy because I finally understood something I've been missing this entire time. I understood that the reason she didn't thank me was because once upon a time, that would have been a common and expected gesture among the community. Helping each other out was normal, not a special occurrence that deserved recognition.

But the next realization made my heart sink, which is how times have radically changed through the generations. Before I came along her side, 10 or 15 Koreans walked right past her, unconcerned with what was happening outside their own world. Had they taken a second to step out of their tunnel-vision life, they would have seen an 80-something woman in need of a hand (literally).

On another occasion, I was leaving the subway station and as I was stepping onto the escalator, I saw an old woman (probably in her 80s as well and just as small as the other lady) on her way down to the subway. She was clearly confused as she walked in circles, not knowing which platform to go to. Suddenly, from all corners of the station, three or four equally-old men and women wobbled to her, eager to help her find the right platform. It sounded like they were all yelling at each other, but considering their age, they were most likely just talking and trying to figure out where to go. At that point, I was so curious that I went back down on the escalator to see if everything was alright. Sure enough, the "helpers" were slowly making their way back to wherever they came from and the little old lady was standing at the right platform.

How can you not fall in love with Seoul when moments such as these occur in your daily life? It's exciting to know that I have a lot to learn about Korea and its people, or shall I say, my people :)

A new season, a new love.

Don't you love it when just a little time away makes you appreciate your surroundings so much more? The first time I acknowledged that was during my 6-week road trip around the country with my family last summer. As much as I enjoyed visiting every one of our 24 destinations, most importantly, it confirmed how much I truly, truly love California. The nice weather, the easy-going people, the beaches, the mountains, it's so easily taken for granted.

Well, the same exact thing happened upon my return to Seoul. Being in California was wonderful, but I missed the convenience and the "there's-always-something-to-do-at-all-hours-of-the-day" that only exists in big cities like Seoul. I missed having the convenience of the subway, or even just walking everywhere. I missed the endless rows of restaurants and cafes with their neon signs that light up the streets until the wee hours of the morning. Case in point, I missed my new home.

But I'm not gonna beat around the bush either. I'm absolutely positive that 94.3% of my new appreciation for Seoul has everything to do with the warmer weather. We've been hit with rainy days but it has still remained above 65 degrees. And for the days that aren't rainy, we have breathtakingly beautiful days, which is when I am constantly telling myself, "This is what everyone means when they say spring weather makes it all worth it!" Because seriously, people, when it was March and still 20-30 degrees, I was experiencing some major depression and I thought I'd never see the sun again (and that I'd always look like a walking ghost). In fact, I talked to Mark's sister a few days ago, who lives in NYC and has been listening to our grumbling about the cold winter with a very understanding ear (did I mention she lives in NYC?), and I told her that I had no idea whatsoever that emotions and weather were linked so closely together, which she agreed with, with a big "Oh yeah!"

All that to say, gloomy days are officially gone, my lovely friends :) And that means more bike rides at night, more day-exploring and more smiles all around, which is exactly what I've been doing. For the last three weeks, I have been more spontaneous in my adventures and have had a constant longing to be outdoors in the morning, throughout the day and at night. I just can't help it!

And here are the photos to prove it!

[Last weekend, I went to Namhae with my dad. Although a little boring since my dad just golfed, the scenery was beautiful. By the way, this isn't my dad, just a bystander.]

[Dinner w/ Jamie at a yummy donburi hole-in-the-wall spot in Hongdae]



[Crafting time w/ Jamie @ Cafe Bene]


[...and long night rides along the Han River. *side note: sorry for the blur, bike seats don't work too well as replacement tripods ;)]

So, there you have it. I've fallen in love with Seoul all over again, in a much warmer, more agreeable environment. I can't wait for the hot, muggy summers to come...not!

Until next time, bisous xoxo

Lotus Lantern Festival

Tuesday, May 10th marked Buddha's Birthday, which is a huge celebration and national holiday here in Korea. Of the 49 million people in South Korea, 10 million are Buddhists (8.6 million are Protestants and 5.1 million are Catholics, just in case you're wondering), so you can imagine how big the festivities were over the weekend. Not to mention, Children's Day and Parents' Day were on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, so it was a big weekend of celebrations indeed.

Saturday evening, I met up with some friends (Jamie, Hallie, Phil & two of his friends) near the Jonggak station exit, where the entire street was closed off for a parade. Thankfully, Jamie and Hallie secured a few prime spots in the front row, so by the time we all met up, we had a great view. I couldn't tell you how long the parade went for because we left a little early to beat the crowds. But it was definitely longer & bigger than any parade I've ever experienced. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun to see all the beautiful lantern floats and to wave and high-five those who marched in the parade. Most of the time, their attention would go to the white people sitting next to us (pardon my not being pc) and ignore us (meaning me and Jamie) altogether.

At one point, as I was violently waving my hand back and forth to be high-fived or even slightly acknowledged, a girl in the parade ran up to Phil's friend, who is white, and said, "I love you!!!!!!!!" and walked right past me. I'm telling you, if you're white and you want to feel exotic and be celebrated purely for the color of your skin, come to Korea. You will be asked to take pictures with teenage girls and you'll regularly be told "I love you" by complete strangers. One time when Mark and I were in a taxi, the driver told Mark he was very handsome, not once, not twice, but FIVE times. And he said Mark was like Nicholas Cage...I'm not sure if Mark took that as a compliment or not. His smile went away pretty quickly.

Anyway, here are some photos I took throughout the parade. You can view the rest here:

[Phil with his new toy]

[Some floats got really fancy...this one was spewing fire]

[Jamie's face the whole time :)]

 Looks beautiful, huh? It was! All the lit up lanterns were magical and it was fun to be a kid again, waving at each and every person that went by. 

Until next time, bisous <3

A new season, a new bike

One of the first things on my agenda upon returning was to purchase a new bike. Mark has one, Jamie has one and two of my other friends--Michael and Lee Ann--each have one. It was time. To my dismay, I found nothing on Craigslist, but with a little help from Michael and Mark, I went to a few bike shops around Seoul to compare prices and see how far they were willing to negotiate :)

My first evening of shopping around, I found a bike that was calling my name. But I didn't want to buy it impulsively, so I waited a couple days, looked at some others, and eventually went back. To my delight, they dropped the price to fit my budget, so by Monday night, I walked away with a brand spankin' new (and may I say beautiful) bike. Since then, I've taken that thing all along the Han River and back. And just yesterday, a few others and I rode all the way to Anyang to play at an art sculpture park, which was as fun as it sounds!

[These are taken from my solo trip along the Han]

[The 63 Building up close and from afar]

[At Dongjak station. I think the grittiness of these stairs are wonderful.]

The next set of photos are from yesterday's adventure with Michael, Lee Ann, JP and Jamie. It was Children's Day, so most people had the day off (except Mark!). We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went on a three-and-a-half hour bike ride to Anyang, where there is this really neat sculpture park in the middle of a forest of trees. Jamie and I left early to go to a Cinco de Mayo BBQ, but I'm definitely making my way back soon.

[Michael & JP discussing the perils of color coordinating outfits]

[Trying to be inconspicuous w/ an over-the-shoulder photo of Jamie & JP]


[Taking a break to smell the lilacs]


[A bouquet of lilacs in Jamie's hair]


[JP adds a nice touch to his otherwise masculine backpack]


[And we're off!]


[A medieval-looking bridge]


[The first art installation we came upon]


[A reflection or reality? Or both?]


[We're just big kids at heart]


[My favorite installation. The proportions of the statue made it look like a reflection,
as if there was a giant mirror in the middle of the forest.]




[No, we didn't ride back...we took the train :)]

So there you go! This is only the beginning of my biking adventures in and around Seoul. Until next time, gros bisous xoxo