Stay hydrated part 2 (Wednesday, July 31)

I have not had to purchase a single bottle of water since I arrived in South Korea.  Filtered water is available and/or served everywhere.  You never have to ask.

Filtered water machines delivering boiling hot and chilled water in the dormitory.

Available water at a coffee shop.

Shake it baby! (Tuesday, July 30)

Me and my new best friend.

This delightful little treat is a frozen vanilla milkshake that you squeeze through the top as it is melting.
Icy goodness!

Keys please (Monday, July 29)

Within walking distance of DKU (35 minutes) is the Shinsegae shopping mall.  These are very high end Korean malls found throughout the country.

You know you are high end when you offer valet parking.

Since my budget does not include Gucci or Prada, I shop at the adjacent E-Mart for all my needs, including groceries.

This is the beautiful bakery in the E-mart.

It is self-serve for your goods and then it is packaged for you.

There is a steamed bun shop within the E-mart.  These are Chinese-style steamed buns;
the fillings have been Korean-ized.

Please pass the street meat (Sunday, July 28)

Today I took the bus from DKU to the Myeongdong area of Seoul (1 hour bus ride) and visited the Namdaemun market.

The market is a labyrinth of streets and stalls selling everything, but with a focus on cheap clothes, cameras, socks,  underwear and food.

My lunch!  Each piece consists of a fish/rice paste wrapped around something (fish, sausage or unidentifiables) and then deep fried. Yum!

This side street featured restaurants where all the food was cooked outside and then you ate inside.  All the dishes that you can order are displayed outside so you know exactly what you are getting, or at least what it is going to look like!

Get your Changdeokgung on!

This is part two of my trip to Seoul yesterday.

The Gwanghwamun Square provides the approach to Changdeokgung (palace).

Here sits a large statue of King Sejong; he is responsible for the Hangul, the Korean script.

The changing of the guard at the gate of the palace.

I am just in front to the King's quarters; the queen's are behind.

Just a quick peek inside!

And just in case you needed a reminder...

Sign on the inside of bathroom stall.

Buddha-licious! (Friday, July 26)

Today a group of us from DKU went on a 14 hour round trip to Seoul, lead by one of the visiting faculty from California.  Our first stop was the National Museum of Korea.

The museum is built on the former golf course of the US military base next door.  It is the 6th largest museum in the world

Goryeo dynasty ten-story pagoda carved in marble.

One of several iron Buddhas on display.

Pensive Bodhisattva from the 7th century.

Korean buzz (Thursday, July 25)

I am into a daily routine.  Even the staff at the coffee shop and Korean BBQ recognize me!

Hum drum of getting breakfast in the dormitory.  This place has the cadillac of air conditioners!

There is never an excuse to not have a coffee buzz in this country.

My student bought me this delicious, chilled, sweet coffee today during our class break.

Workplace culture (Wednesday, July 24)

The Engineering building where I work has a coffee machine that dispenses all different types of coffee.

The cups are just mini sized; three good mouthfuls and you're done.  A great deal for 25 cents!

Another mystery is wiping your hands in most Korean bathrooms.

There is never any paper towel, just a roll of toilet paper.

I did not even know that they produced chalk boards any more.

The chalk board might be old-school, but the automated wiper is high tech.

High chair anyone? (Tuesday, July 23)

I went back to the Korean BBQ place for a late lunch.  I had a very spicy chicken, cabbage and green onion dish.  Twice I was warned by the staff that it was "hot".

It was, indeed, spicy.  And I loved it!

And the best part is that you get to wear a bib! (I watched other patrons don them so I knew what to do.)

There are more than a few things that I haven't figured out here yet.

A sign at my usual coffee shop clearly indicating that there is something important that I should know.  However, the 'notice' is all in Korean!

Stay hydrated (Monday, July 22)

Drinking loads of water is a necessity here, even for a non-glugger like me!

Students drinking up at the water source at the temple - cheers!

Koreans have a love affair with skin whitening creams and plastic surgery.  South Korea has the highest per capital rate of plastic surgery in the world.

This ideal image is captured in the "BE QUIET" sign as you enter the dormitory.

Memories of Hwaeomsa (Sunday, July 21)

Today was a day of rest and work at the local coffee shop, close to DKU.  I will share more of the temple trip.  After we checked-out from the temple, we climbed Jirisan (mountain) to the Nogodan Plateau.

Part of the trail on the trek.

I am almost at the top of the trail.

A view from the top.

I love this country!  There are coffee shops EVERYWHERE.  This was at the bottom of the mountain.  All my coffee drinks have been ICED lattes since I arrived.

Hwaeomsa Temple Stay: Day 2 (Saturday, July 20)

The monks' day begins at 3:00am, as did ours.  The day included morning chanting ceremony, meditations and 108 prostrations, breakfast, service work, tea time with monk, mountain trekking with monk and lunch.

The morning and evening chanting ceremonies are held inside.  You kneel on pillows on the floor in front of the Buddhas.  Don't get comfortable as you are up and down continuously!

My service work was sweeping non-existant debris from this area.  No shoes allowed here.

The monk who led us on our mountain trekking.  The building in the background is where monks are in 24/7 seclusion and meditation for 3 months.

At the top of our mountain trekking.

Hwaeomsa Temple Stay: Day 1 (Friday, July 19)

A group of 41 from DKU travelled to this buddhist temple to partake in an overnight temple stay.  The journey was about 3 hours and we stopped for lunch on the way.

Bibimbap ("mixed rice")  is a popular and famous dish in Korea.  The dish consists of a mixture of vegetable on top of rice with gochujang (red pepper paste).   Yum!

All temple stay participants are given clothes to wear.

I am just outside the room I shared with 3 other women; we slept on mats on the floor.

The day included a temple tour, orientation to temple etiquette, dinner (vegetarian), evening chanting ceremony, making lotus lanterns and meditation.  Bed time is 9:00pm.

Before the chanting ceremony four monks drum followed by bell gonging.

A view of the temple grounds.

Catch some rays

 Purified water is on offer everywhere I go on campus which is great.

This is the UV light sterilizer for the metal water cups.

It is Korean custom to take your shoes off at the door.

This is my entranceway, complete with shoe cupboard.

Tonight was the official Welcome Party for the International Summer Student program.

It was held at Gecko's (9th floor) about 15 minutes from campus.

It's a raining again!

This is typically what my dorm room looks like.

The drying rack is a permanent fixture.

A first!  My lovely student brought me two articles from scientific journals as a follow-up to our discussion yesterday.

She had watched a documentary on why some individuals are resistant to HIV infection.

I wandered into a new restaurant for lunch today and had no idea what treat was in store for me.

This is my chicken bulgogi being made at my table.

First day of classes

The course I am teaching here at DKU is Infection & Immunity.  Apparently science is an acquired taste!

When class started at 900am, this is what I looked out to see from the front of the lecture room.

Lucky for me my one student arrived 20 minutes late and I was relieved beyond belief.  She is a bright Korean engineering student with a keen interest in biology.

There seems to be only three colours of cars in Korea.

Here is a great example of the diversity, just outside my residence.

Orientation Day

Residents of Woongbi Hall enjoy a Korean-style breakfast in the building's cafeteria.

Soup is a spicy miso soup; just the thing to start the sweating first thing in the morning, before the humidity gets you!

After a general orientation for students and faculty, the professors of the Summer Academic Program joined DKU's Dean of International Affairs for a very special Korean lunch at "Korean Table" restaurant.

This is the main course after 12 appetizers, shared family-style.

A quick look around campus.

The three buildings on the left are the Engineering Buildings.  My classroom is in the closest one.

The main building as you enter the campus.

I had a lovely iced latte just off campus.  The best 5500 won every spent as I luxuriated in air conditioning for almost 2 hours.  The humidity is unbelievable.