I’ve never been much of a morning person, I prefer to sleep in late even if I don’t have plans to stay up late. Unfortunately, with my current school schedule I don’t get to sleep in very often. So on weekends I don’t even bother setting an alarm, instead I wait for my host mom to text and tell my roommate, Elise, and I that lunch is ready.
My host mom is quite consistent when it comes to meal times, so on Saturdays and Sundays when she prepares lunch for us students she almost always texts just before or just after noon that food is ready. Today was no different. I slept like a baby and woke up just before 12-o-clock to see a text telling me to head over to the main house for the meal.
After arriving at my host parents apartment I quickly realized that both Elise and I had mixed up our days and we had forgotten that we made plans to go to a cafe with our host mom right after lunch. Since I didn’t get ready at all before going to lunch, I quickly finished eating my pancakes and fruit and rushed back to my apartment to change clothes and throw on a little makeup before meeting them at the car.
Today was the first time Elise and I had ever driven anywhere with our host mom. We traveled about forty minutes, just a little outside of Seoul, to Pointvill Coffee Roasters, a cafe surrounded by mountains and greenery. My host mom has visited this cafe many times with her friends and family, it is one of her favorite places to relax and chat. She treated us to drinks, both her and I ordered iced cafe lattes and Elise chose to drink lemonade. she also bought a bag of sourdough bread crisps that we could snack on while we visited with eachother.
After waiting only a few minutes we received our drinks and headed outside to chose a seat. We found a small table under the shade overlooking the gardens and facing the Bukhansan mountains. My drink was delicious and refreshing, and even though I didn’t personally try Elise’s lemonade she finished it quickly so I’m sure it tasted delicious. I hadn’t had any sourdough since moving to Korea, so the crisps we ate cured a craving I didn’t even know I had. The sourdough alone was the perfect snack, next time I’d like to try them dipped in balsamic vinegar and oil, I’m sure it would taste even better.
The weather all day was overcast and cloudy, I brought an umbrella in case it rained but ended up not needing it. The temperature was quite high but there was a gentle breeze blowing which made for a comfortable atmosphere. The cicadas and birds chirping created wonderful background noise. The location really felt like it had been stolen out of a novel or movie.
Elise and I practice speaking Korean with our host parents almost every day during dinner, but getting the chance to visit and practice outside of the house was very nice. Our host mom understands some English, but we spoke almost entirely in Korean the whole time we were at the cafe, and during the car ride there and back. Even though I have been practicing hard during class and outside of school it always surprises me how much I have learned and can now understand. It makes me feel more confident in my choice to come to Korea when I can see just how much I’ve improved since moving here.
After finishing our drinks we walked around the property and enjoyed the scenery from various places. At about 3-o-clock we decided it was time to start heading home. Even though there was a bit of traffic on the way home, I stayed off my phone and instead chose to people watch out the back window. I almost always take the bus or subway nowadays so sitting in the backseat of a car was a bit nostalgic for me. We drove past many neighborhoods and shops that I would like to visit while living here. We passed by Hanok village, which has been on my bucket-list for a little while now, and even though I could only see it from the street it looked even prettier than I’d seen in pictures.
After returning home I completed a couple random tasks and then chose to relax until it was time for dinner. Dinner is almost always at 6-o-clock. I received a text at about five after the hour and headed down immediately. For some reason I was really hungry. We ate bibimbap and kimchi pancakes, there were a couple of side dishes too. (I always forget to take pictures of my meals…I need to set a reminder) At meal times we get to visit with the students who stay at the main house. Elise and I don’t normally see them during the day or at school since our schedules are so different.
Since moving to Korea, and going to school at EF Seoul, I have met and made friends with people from all around the world. Most of the students in my classes happen to be from Europe, but I’ve met a couple from the Americas and other places in Asia too.
Once I finished eating and catching up with the other students I headed back to my apartment. I didn’t have any plans to go back out but Elise convinced me to go with her to meet up with some of our other friends in Hongdae. I don’t like clubbing very much but it can be fun depending on the crowd and occasion. Unfortunately, because it was Saturday, there were so many people. The club was very crowded and super loud. Elise went home earlier than I did because she was tired. I chose to stay a little longer since we weren’t going to be hanging out inside the club anymore. We instead decided to head to ‘The Underground’ which is a more relaxed basement bar with really great decorations and very comfortable seating. I ordered a platter of chicken tenders and fries and shared them with my friends.
We visited and talked for an hour or so and then I decided to head home. The bus home from the club is normally not very full, depending on how early in the morning it is, and I was grateful to sit down and put my headphones in. There are many reasons I don’t like clubbing, but the biggest reason is the smell. Even if you are only inside for a couple of minutes you leave smelling like cigarettes, sweat, and alcohol. I always need to wash my hair at least 3 time after getting home to get rid of the lingering smell. After walking up too many flights of stairs I finally arrived home. My bed was desperately calling my name so I quickly showered and went straight to sleep.
Elise and I had no plans on Sunday, so we both took the day to rest, clean, and do our laundry. The weekend is over now, and I’m about to head to my first class of the week. The subway shouldn’t be too busy at this time of day, so hopefully the ride to school will be peaceful and I’ll get a moment longer to mentally prepare for the busy week ahead.
Wish me luck!