Day Number Four

As usual on the opposite side of the world, I wake up when the sun does. Unfortunately, my room mates have already made it past the jet lag and don't wake up until one or two pm. Via my normal routine, I make it out of the room and out to the hall with my cell and some books. Because nothing opens before nine I decided to study up on my Korean, but as soon as nine hit I was out the door and off to find a coffee shop where I could get some wifi. I took a video of all of the cute houses and shops on the way over, but the video was erased! I know, but do n't worry. I will make another one via the same route and it will be okay. 'Fewf...Breathes in.' I really wanted to go to this popular coffee place called, Angels in Us, however, despite the sign saying they were open at 8 am, it was CLOSED. Disappointed, I made my way over to a narrower side street to adventure out some coffee out of this darned place. I had set my mind on coffee, so coffee I was gonna get. Or else Korea!  Well, don't worry. I am actually sipping coffee right now as I type. I was walking along this side street that goes up a hill when I noticed a cute little nook in the wall called Uncle's Beans. Inspired by the Hipster Mustache logo on the door I made my way into one of Korea's cutest coffee shops. 

The front entrance had a cute little stone patio with a small circular table and two chairs angled toward the street on one side, and plants on the other. I made my way through the glass door, down two steps, and into a tiny little place of maybe five wooden tables and ah...finally....the bitter sweet aroma of coffee. A picturesque couple stood in front of me in line, so I took this opportunity to look at some of the options. Iced coffee, hot coffee, tea, smoothies, and some very tasty looking pastries stood before me. Now, granted that the shop didn't have a large selection of pastries, the bread that I chose was delicious! It wasn't sweet, but it had a slightly salty taste. It was the perfect balance between dense and light and fluffy. As I broke it in half the sweet aroma of yeast and sugar filled my nose. It was just what I needed to go with the bitter black iced coffee that I ordered. "Ah." I sipped my coffee slowly and nibbled away at my baguette in between. I decided to choose a table in the front facing the glass wall, but secluded by some tall potted plants and cute pictures. It was at this moment that I finally felt at home in Korea. Ever since I flew here, I have had this nervous anticipation in my stomach and this feeling of de’ja vu. It was as if everything wasn't real, but rather that I was dreaming and would wake up from it any minute. I still have this feeling every now and then, but during my time at Uncle's Beans I was at peace. 

I spent two hours there studying my amazing Korean language book and writing in my cute orange journal that two of my very dear friends gave me before I left. (Thanks Amy! Thanks Ashely!) When I made it back to the dorms, my room mates (룸매투스) surprised me with news that we would be going to Lotte World. What?! I was so excited. For those of you who don't know, Lotte is a very popular brand that sells cookies in the US, but in Korea it is so much more than that. It is like Disney! We took danced in the subway and made American jokes, hit every ride in the massive theme park (including the roller coaster that went 160 mph and flipped us so many ways you would have thought we were pancakes!) we tried churro s, bought adorable bows, and finally....went back to the dorms? 

We took the last train back from Sincheon (the city where Lotte World is located) and finally got back to Sungshin. We walked through the gates to our University and greeted the guards (Anneyonghasseyo! bows head) Walked to our building,opened the door, and went to bed.  

THE END

NOT!!! As it turns out, at exactly 11:30 pm every night, the door man leaves, pulls down a metal cage over the entrance, and bolts it into the ground. So, what do we (three 19 year old girls), in foreign country do when we are supposed to be able to take showers, change into our jammies, and get to sleep IN OUR DORMS?!!! No, thats right, because the APARTMENTS that we were supposed to be able to stay in didn't have curfew and this place does!!!