Happy Valentine’s Day from Seoul, Korea

 

Klaus and I have managed to make it here surprisingly without too much trouble.

I met a kind couple on my Cleveland to Chicago flight who noticed my capris and T-shirt were no match for Korean or Chicago weather and insisted I take a black scarf from them. Upon explaining that my lack of warm clothing was an intentional preparation for the hot weather of Vietnam the lady mentioned she could not stand to think of me sitting in an airport freezing cold. Mothers… Therefore, I have now acquired a winter scarf that served quite well as a makeshift towel upon arriving to Korea.

The flight over was smooth with little to note besides a dazzling display of dancing green northern lights at 35,000 ft as I crossed north of Alaska. I kept wondering when the sun would come up only to realize this northern region was under 24 hours of darkness a day =p.

Upon arriving to Korea I contemplated a tour of Seoul in my 13 hours layover until I remembered my scarf friends’ warning about the cold temperatures and noted a nice layer of snow on the ground. Looks like I won’t be leaving the airport anytime soon. I did however promptly run into another student studying in my same program and have enjoyed getting to know her over eating octopus and a visit to the cultural appreciation stand for a photograph in traditional Korean attire. The young lady put the dance dress on me and stifled a small laugh upon noting it touched mid-shin on me when it was supposed to reach the ground. After much adjustment we fixed the situation. I feel like a giant already =). Oh, and octopus is very chewy in case you ever wondered that and no, it does not really taste like much of anything and, if eaten, I recommend sticking to the smaller tentacles. 

                                                 The Finished Product After Much Adjusting 

                                 Octopus Lunch at 9am

                                 Klaus and I chilling at the Airport in Korea