Dinner Party and Chun Dae

Well readers I have completed another week in the lovely CheongJu. Thankfully my experiences this week were much more positive......
The week proceeded in its usual manner: Wake up, run, lunch, killing time, work, and then sleep. Although it is very unexciting, I cannot complain. Throughout my entire life I have never felt completely comfortable doing nothing. In the states even if I don't have obligations I feel guilty to be unproductive. Living by myself, without any pressing obligations, I finally have the opportunity to just chill. I think learning to relax is actually productive for me.

On Friday I went out to Chun Dae for the first time after a month of residing in CheongJu. Chun Dae is the district where all the nightclubs and bars are located. There are three bars that cater to foreigners. All of the staff speak decent English and they pump some good jams. I also hit up Harlem nightclub, which is a Korean hip-hop joint. I was super-stoked to hear some Missy and Chris Brown. In reflection of Korean gender relations, men and women danced in separate groups. I saw one opposite-gender couple dancing together. Of course I used this as an opportunity to freak out some Korean men...... Ahhh the looks on their faces when I grabbed them to dance:) Priceless.

Korean dating is far different from the states. Although there are couples everywhere, their relations are very conservative. I have seen one couple publicly kissing-- in one month. Similar to middle school, PDA is very taboo. I would love to know how couples act in private. As the culture is very focused on marriage as on end(from my observations) I wonder if some of the affection is less present. I will have to continue these observations.......

On Saturday I spent several hours cooking for Tedd's going-away dinner party. {Without an oven or a microwave, finding recipes and cooking is another challenge I frequently encounter. There are so many recipes that require an oven! It is very frustrating to find something interesting and then realize I cannot make it. Once I get some extra money I hope to buy a large pot/dutch oven, so I can endeavor in baking/roasting on my stove-top. } I made a large effort to cook authentic American cuisine. I went for Cajun-themed dishes; blackened chicken, corn-tomato saute, ect. We don't have full-size tables or chairs so our party took place on the floor:) Yay I love dinner parties! Eventually I will have to throw one of my famous murder mystery parties.

Sunday was Chuseok, one of the biggest Korean holidays where Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food. CheongJu was a ghost town. During my afternoon walk, I only encountered very few people. The street that usually bustles with cabs and buses was basically desolate. Later that night our group headed out to Chun Dae again. As most establishment were closed for the holiday, it appeared as if all the bored resident foreigners were packed into the bar( which is humorously called called Roadking). Anywho it was fun to actually get out of my apartment and socialize.{ With my recent poor health and fatigue I have done very little outside of work.}

In conclusion I am feeling a little more positive about living in Korea. Nonetheless, I miss everyone and feel pretty isolated. However I am living and breathing, so it can't be too bad:)