Class Registration is Stressful

So, I Would like to point out that I'm a international FRESHMAN student.

I have never ever registered for classes before

And all of my exchange friends keep talking about the horrors they went through while registering for classes. I'm SO nervous~~~~

I had orientation yesterday, which I would like to say was pretty useless. Most of the international students are Chinese, there are only like 15 non-Chinese international students so basically the entire orientation was about what Chinese students need to do for visas and stuff.

She only covered class registration for a minute. She didn't say anything about what credit I need or anything. She just said "You need 130 credits to graduate and I recommend you do 12 credits your first semester"

12 credits of what?!!?! Am I required to take a science? or a math? or even History? Because if you don't tell me I'm going to avoid those subjects at all costs.

So basically I chose all the English classes I could find (that weren't any of the subjects stated above) There aren't very many classes in English, but there are definitely enough to have a couple semesters of just English classes, which is nice.

So hopefully my schedule will look something like this:

Intermediate French Tues-Fri
Korean for beginners Mon-Thurs
Language and Culture Tues & Thurs
English and Human Mind Mon &Weds
Syntax Mon &Weds

Once again, I pray this will be my schedule. Sadly, I don't really have any days off, but that's okay. I'm new at this. I can perfect my scheduling later when I'm not so stressed.

There were only 3 classes related to my linguistics majour in English and the level wasn't specified. So, I just signed up for Syntax just in case all the other classes were junior level classes or something. I can always drop the class.

I have 6 back up classes just in case I don't get any of these, but I'm REALLY hoping I can get those. Based on the horror stories from my friends and my parents I'm probably going to end up in some really stupid class taught in Korean.

I don't speak Korean.

On the bright side!!!
While I was at orientation I started talking to this one girl and SHE'S FRENCH! So, I'll have a 4-yr undergrad French friend!! I'm so excited. I think there is also another international linguistics freshman. So, hopefully i can make a few non-exchange student friends. I do love my exchangey friends, but they are leaving me in a few months sooo..... yeah.

I woke up 3 hours before  registration begins because that's what everyone recommended I do so I have nothing to do right now...

I'm just going to listen to some kpop and refresh the registration page until I die.

xx

I made it!!

I MADE IT!!


I made it through the first three days with Keith's mom and it was wonderful!! I think I accomplished my goal of becoming her BFF,,,  I don't know if that is a Korean mother thing or she just REALLY likes me~~ it's much better than her treating me like the Korean Mothers in the Kdramas!

She's so cute though, she was so worried about me when we finally made it to the dorms.

OHMIGOD,

So, I don't know if I have mentioned this or not, but I basically haven't spent any money since I've been here because Keith's mom has bought me everything. Like, they have probably spent over $500 on me... It's so thoughtful, but I also feel really bad that I didn't give her much as a gift. I feel like it wasn't enough. They bought me a phone!!! 

Keith's dad is VERY high up in the Samsung world, so he has ins. So he brought me back a Galaxy Note one day after work and told me they'd pay the monthly fee. I told them that once I get a Korean card I'd start to pay for it, but they told me no >___<

Anyways,

THEY GOT A LIMO! Not like a stretch limo, but a SUPER nice car an a driver to take me to the dorm. Both Keith's parents woke up early on Saturday and helped me pack and then Keith's dad called HIS driver and he came and picked us up and took us to the dorm................AMAZING.


Then Keith's mom and I went shopping for dorm stuff like toilet paper an pencil holders and the such. ~~She paid for everything. 

She unpacked everything for me. She wouldn't let me do it. She then proceeded to hand wash my underwear and plane clothes... This woman is dedicated.

Sidenote: I don't know if I mentioned this either, but she called me her daughter once! ^_^**

Anyways, so she unpacked everything and was really worried I wasn't going to leave the room to go eat because I didn't know anybody (which is so true) so she kidnapped people. 

Keith's mom disappeared for a bit and came back with an American girl who looked terrified and was like "here Maggie, a friend!" and the American girl (Emily) then told me that she ran into Keith's mom on the elevator who started to speak Korean, Emily didn't understand so Keith's mom grabbed her arm and guided her to my room >__< hahahaha

It was really funny. She did the same thing to this one girl because she somehow found out there is a French girl here. So, she knocked on the French girl's door and kidnapped her too. 

I have friends, YAY!

They are exchange students though. I haven't met a single real 4-year student yet. My roommate hasn't even arrived. So, I'm making friends with these really cool girls (there's like 13 of them), but they are all exchange students and are going to be gone in e few months. I need to make some undergrad friends too... 

Hopefully my roommate will arrive soon. And hopefully she's Korean and will be here for forever. 

OH! Also, yesterday morning my friends and I were all gettin ready to leave for brunch and I was in one of their rooms and I here "Maggie!" and I automatically answer in Korean and look out into the hall and who do I see??

Keith's mom is knocking on my door. She came just to sew up some socks that I ripped. She brought me a broom and dustpan. She also brought the costco croissants and some milk with a cup. She then started sewing up my socks and demanding I drink milk. Once she finished she said have fun with your friends!! And left...she took the subway here. It's like an hour lon subway ride. 

Do you see what I mean by clingy?

I mean I REALLY appreciate it!!!! Like so much! I'd be so lost without her. But I do feel like I haven't done enough for her. I think she just misses Keith. And she also never got to do this school stuff with him. She's so cute.

Anyways, my dorm is beautiful and the view is awesome.

The only problem: 

I have to take 111 steps to get anywhere. I feel like I have already lost weight just by going up and down those steps. Not to mention the entire Anam campus is on a mountain so everywhere is uphill. Even downhill is uphill...

I'll post pictures soon. I have orientation today (I think) and I have no idea where I'm supposed to go, so I'm probably going to get some breakfast and explore the campus so I can find this orientation building. 

So, I'm off!

I'll update again soon, hopefully with pictures!!

xx

I'm so full.

Alright, so here's a summary of my day.

I'm super jetlagged so I woke up at 530. Keith's dad got up at 6 and left at 630 (I'd like to point out that he didn't come home til after 10,, koreans work too much) When I woke up Keith's mom told me to come watch TV with her while she made me breakfast.
For breakfast, I had steak. I mean it was def beef and she cut it up an gave me rice and kimchi. I'm just going to say steak. It was yummy, but I'm still full.
We then went to Costco. Korean costco. Still as amazing as American, if not better. ^^

There I picked up towels because I read somewhere that it's hard to fint a real like large towel. So I was excited to go to an American store and be able to find an Amurican sized towel. Keith's mom made me buy little ones to so I can wash me face.... haha

She is VERY concened with my skin. I got off th eplane and she forced me to put on lotion and stuff. She picked out lots of face lotion at costco and then we went and got food.

Koreans are all over the free sampling stuff. Everytime we saw something she would get it and give one to me. I had maybe three different types of vitamins that were on sample. Im'm not even sure what kinda vitamins they were O.o 

Anyways, we then went to the check out. Where SHE PAID FOR ALL MY STUFF. I was going to make a scene in costco, but I wasn't sure if it was rude of not to refuse...her money, I guess haha. I tried to buy for it but she yelled at me. So I just thanked her a lot.

We then went home and I passed out got a good 5 hours. So jetlagged. Wehn we woke up she took me to dinner.

I'd like to point out that I pravtially didn't use my hands. She was hand feeding me everything. It was sooooo good the first couple of mouthfuls, then I got full. And she continued to give me food, I was trying very hard not to throwup from food overdose haha. IT's so sweet!! But I don't know if it'll be rude to refuse the food, so I just ate it all. I feel like I've gained 20 pounds already. 

She's SO nice though. I wasn't able to find pens at costco so we passed a store that had pens and stuff and I was so excited I picked out a whole bunch and she was holding them like she was going to pay. And in the store they had REALLY cute bows and stuff. Let me tell ya, I LOVE BOWS. I have SO my hair bows it's scary. But I didn't buy any because I knew she was going to pay again and I didn't want her to. So, I had to leave the bows :(

I'll be back though! I know where it is!! And I'm sure there are more bows in Korea to be bought.

When we got back to the house KEith's mom and I just talked. She showed me pictured of Keih in the army. I showed her pictures of Keith and I while I was visiting Korea last Christmas. We talked about the cell phone that they are giving me. Keith's dad is a "high-up" at Samsung, so he always has the latest gadgets. They ahd a Galaxy Note lying around so they just gave it to me. We are going to activate it tomorrow, I guess. Hopefully they let me pay the monthly bill. 

We are going to go to Coex mall tomorrow so I can get a whole bunch of cute things. But I'm going to make a scene if she tries to pay for more stuff. Iwill start screaming or something.... not really. But I'll fight.

Also, I'm writing this in the dark at 4am (jetlagg is a bitch) so excuse any spelling errors and stuff, I can't see the keyboard. 

In which I forgot mt iPod...

I’m writing this from my wonderful window sit on my United flight to Seoul, South Korea! It’s been about 5 hours since we’ve taken off and I’m sitting in the darkness so that the plane can sleep. I don’t understand why everyone is sleeping though, I mean it’s only 7:00pm in the US and it’s 9AM in Korea. Shouldn’t they stay awake so they won’t be jetlagged??

That’s my plan anyway, I’m not going to sleep anymore. I don’t have enough battery on my computer to watch any more movies though…. And this plane doesn’t have those TV things on the back of the seat like I’m used to, they only have the really big ones up front and you can only watch the movies they choose, which is stupid. I don’t want to watch Wreck It Ralph. So, I have no idea what I’m going to do for the next 7 hours… I’ll probably read.

I started reading Of Mice and Men on the 6 hour flight from Raleigh to San Francisco, but I was sitting behind an obnoxious kid who wouldn’t stop crying. That’s awlays the greatest, isn’t it? Having a long flight and listening to a whiney 2 year old scream the whooooooole time…. Wanna know the worst part?

I
forgot
my
ipod.

Yes, I’m an idoit. I forgot my iPod which leads to very difficult and boring travels. I’m literally on the verge of dying because I don’t have my wonderful kpop. I’m so stupid.

Anyway, I get off the plane soon and hopefully my luggage made it. Also, hopefully Keith’s mom didn’t forget about me. I texted her yesterday telling her I was getting on the plane soon. I hope that she’s excited to hang out with me. I mean I really don’t want to impose. My mom said that she would be very excited to let Keith stay with her regardless of my presence. I pray that Keith’s mom feels the same way.

Ugh, my knees hurt. I’d like to point out that I have VERY long legs. I’m crammed in a small seat and the person in front of me decided to put her chair all the way back, I mean who can blame her? But still, I can’t move. Literally, I can’t do anything with my legs because there is no room. So, very uncomfortable flight, but I’m still going to Korea.

Which brings me to my next point. It still hasn’t hit me. I said goodbye to my parents today and I didn’t feel anything because it didn’t feel like I was going anywhere. It hasn’t hit me that I’m going to be away from them for possibly a few years. I’m sure it’ll hit when I land. I’m not prone to get homesick though, I’m used to being away from home, so it won’t be hard. I’m sure at some point I’ll call mom missing her though. It’s weird, I’m sitting on the plane 7 hours from arriving in Korea, which has been my dream for the past couple years and I’m not nervous/excited/scared. Anything. I’m so indifferent. I think my brain thinks I should be sitting on the couch at home or selling shoes. It can’t comprehend the fact that I’m embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. So strange….

I still can’t believe I forgot my iPod…. That needs to be mailed to me ASAP. My computer is dying, I should stop writing anyway. This post is getting kinda long.

See you in Seoul!

xx

Packed!!!

I'm so totally finished with packing. I literally packed everything. I don't have anything to wear for the next three days.

Mom and I went shopping again, so I ended up with WAY more clothes than before. Both of my suitcases are teetering the 50 pound limit >_<

I did buy this REALLY cute dress to wear on the plane so that I look adorable when I see Keith's mom. I just hop I can get to my make up when I get off the plane to touch up so I don't look like a zombie.

My mom and I packed ALL of my stuff before we realised that we hadn't packed Keith's mom's present yet. The thing with Koreans is they are so hospitable Everytime Keith or my friend Bonnie came and stayed at my house they brought an inordinate amount of gifts, like simple traditional Korean trinkets and stuff. Being that I'm from American, we don't have any "traditional" "cultural" things. So mom and I ran around trying to think of stuff to give her. We finally got a good amount of little things and one super nice thing.

I'm getting super nervous. Everytime I go through my Korea workbooks, I think that I'll be okay for 3 days with Keith's mom. I know enough vocab and grammar to converse with her.... but then she'll send me a text message or something on kakoatalk and I don't understand a word of it >______<

I'm so screwed. I just hope I don't shut down and become super awkward, I need to try. The least I can get from her is kudos for trying so hard. ㅋㅋㅋ

I'm thinking about taking the innocent look while I'm with her. I'm not going to out on too much makeup. Just some mascara. Unless I look like a train wreck, in which case lots of eyeshadow and eyeliner will be involved.
I
am
so
nervous.

But once the three days have passed I move into my beautiful dorm!!!! It's going to be awesome. I need to buy sheets though, and pillows and a phone. I especially need a phone. I can't decide between and Samsung Galaxy SIII or the Note II. My friend who has used both phones says that the Note II is so much better. I can't decide though...

I should go help my mother clean though.
I probably won't update until I arrive at the dorm the 23.

xx

Shoes!!

So, I used to always judge girls when they told me that they always pack a bag dedicated to shoes…


Now I understand. I have literally filled an entire suitcase with shoes. I didn’t even realise I had this many shoes. I guess that’s what I get for working at a shoe store. I’ve heard from multiple resources that Korea doesn’t really make shoes larger than a 8…. I’m a 9.

WHY IS KOREA SO SMALL?!

I am literally not going to be able to buy anything there because I’m too big for all the clothes/shoes. *curses*

But I do get to hang out with Keith’s mom soon! Part of me is very excited and the other part keeps repeating “don’t get nervous and shut down, don’t get nervous an not talk” in my head. 

I need to collect some courage and not be scared to talk to her in Korean regardless of how incomprehensible it is. 

She’ll appreciate me for trying! (I hope….)

I still don’t know how I feel about calling her mom, I know it’s totally normal in Korea, but it’s not a western thing to call your boyfriend’s mother “mom”
It might be weird for her too, I mean I am a foreigner. 

SO NERVOUSSS!!!

9 MORE DAYS!

Okayokay…

So I leave in 9 days and I’m not remotely close to finishing packing or shopping for essentials. 

I STILL NEED BRAS!! (AHHHH)

I AM however super ready to get out of the hell-hole of a town. It’s literally the epitome of boring here. Plus, the fact that I have no social life here kinda adds to the hellishness of it.

ANYWAY!

I’m nervous about what to get my boyfriend’s mother. Whenever my Korean friends come and visit me they bring me and my parents a million gifts. Mostly traditional Korean things that are beautiful. Since I live in American though, I don’t have in beautiful traditional things (screw the melting pot culture). 

 My mom made Keith’s mom some potholders that are really pretty, but I feel like that’s not enough. So, since I work at a shoe store I figured I could use that to my advantage. 

UGG slippers are on sale! Koreans don’t wear shoes in the house, their feet should still be comfy and cozy! 

So why not a nice pair of slippers for my 어머니? It’s good, right? I talked to Keith last night and he said that his mom wears like a 255 (which I guess is a 9 US size…), but he didn’t sound very convincing when he said it. I’m scared I’ll get the wrong size >.<

So, I don’t know„, should I risk getting her the wrong size?! I’ll just wait til Keith calls on Tuesday and really grill him until he’s sure about the size ^_^

I’m going to finish staring at my suitcase and hoping it packs itself!

xx

Too early to pack?

So I leave in 15 days.

I feel like 2 weeks before departure is a reasonable time to start packing… right?

Except, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PACK!?
I’m going to have to bring a lot of clothes because I don’t exactly have a Korean sized body, especially in the chesty area. Everywhere I read says that if you wear larger than a B is going to be pretty hard to find bras/shirts that fit. So, basically I’m screwed!

WHY, MOTHER, HAVE YOU CURSED ME WITH LARGE BOOBS?! ALL I WANT IS TO WEAR CUTE KOREAN CLOTHES.

*sigh*

I might be able to fit some of the “one size fits all” shirts, but come on, their Korean. Their “one size fits all” really means “you might be able to wear this if you normally wear a medium, otherwise don’t bother.” My boobs wear a large (sometimes XL, it’s bad)… the rest of me is medium. I’m so disfigured >___<
Anyways, I don’t know if I should focus on packing warm clothes or cold clothes because it is going to be REALLY cold when I get there, but it’s almost spring and it gets REALLY hot too. Ooooh the conflict!

What about shoes? I don’t know how that works in Korea. I wear a 9USA/40EU/7UK, I have no idea what I wear in Korea or if they make shoes that big. Do Korean women have big feet?? I dunno….

So, I’m basically going to be staring at my closet for the rest of the day. Wish my luck!

xx

16 More Days!

So, I basically spent my entire last semester at high school dreaming of leaving for Korea. It’s getting so close and it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m excited, but it still feels like a distant dream.

I mean come on, Maggie, you’re going to be living in Korea for the next 4 years!!! 

It’ll take me awhile to get used to the idea. It still hasn’t really clicked in my head that I spent all last year in France. 

Anyways, it’s taking a lot of effort to prevent me from packing now. I still have two weeks. I need to wear something! I just have no idea what I should pack and what I should buy there. 

Speaking of! So, my boyfriend is Korean and he’s in the army doing his mandatory service. But, he told me a few weeks ago that I should arrive in Korea 3 days before I actually need to be there because he might be able to get a break and hang out with me for three days. Obviously I was very excited because I haven’t seen him since he randomly showed up at my door 7 months ago.

Guess what he told me a few days ago? He wasn’t able to get his break. So I was going to arrive in Korea 3 days before the dorms open with no where to stay.

“Don’t worry Maggie! You can just stay with my mom, she’ll pick you up from the airport.” 
Keith (that’s his name), your mom doesn’t speak English. My Korean is beginner. I can have a small conversation involving the whereabouts of cats
“고양이가 탁자 밑애 있어요— the cat’s under the table” I can understand stuff, but that’s only because I watch WAY too many kdramas. I’m basically learning my Korean from Lee Min Ho (bless him). 

Well! Screw it! I want Keith’s mom to like me, she seemed like she liked me when I visited last year. So I’m going to be spending three days with my boyfriends mother without said boyfriend. 

I’m FREAKING out. I speak enough Korean to get by without starving or dying, but I don’t know formal conjugations. Formality is very important in Korea. And I know Keith’s mom will not be insulted by my speaking informally to her because I’m a foreigner learning Korea, but I still want her to know that I respect her and I would speak formally if I knew how!

Why is Korean so difficult?!

Anyways, I can’t wait to move into my dorm. I was originally supposed to stay in Anam hall, which is the cheapest dorm. However, they filled up fast and now I’m staying in the Frontier House which is awesome! I GET MY OWN BATHROOM! I’m so excited. I’ll only have on roommate instead of 2. And we have our own bathroom.

This is long, I’ll try to keep up with this blog better than my blog to France, I kinda failed with that. 

xx