Jeju Island here I come ! But oh my GD~~

So, last weekend I met up with Moon Da, her bf and her lil sis. We had some yummy food, and then we headed for some noraebang (karaoke). It was a lot of fun, I did some Big Bang and Se7en, and Son Dambi!
Korean way is more spiced up, you have more dancing and loud singing, maybe because Japanese are shy at first; well not Koreans ^o^

Then we went to this gaming center which had small rooms with Wii consoles and wide screens. We played Wii and had some smoothies, and every 15 minutes, the game was interupted by the computer auto QUIZ, if you scored the computer would draw off your fee which would give you a discount~~ there was a small piece of plastic in my smoothie, so the cute waiter bowed shamefully and brought me a new one and some churros to compensate, komawoyo~~
It was quite exhausting playing Wii Olympics, doing sprinter was tiring haha. But it was enjoyable after all and we managed to get some discount!


After some considering back and forth regarding weather conditions; I will go to Jeju Island tomorrow. My flight leaves at 12.30, and arrives at Jeju about an hour later.
Jeju is an island south of Korea, known for its caves, beaches and tangerines~~ I just pray it doesn't rain!!
I will stay there;alone, until Saturday. Joohwhi got me a package with hotel and flight included for 2 nights 3 days.

Im also considering going to Gyeongju next week, since Gyeongju is the former Shilla Kingdom capital, about 1000 years ago and contains many artifacts from ancient Korea! In that case I will take the bus down, and try staying at a buddhist temple overnight ;)

I am a very bad Big Bang fan.... The B BOY Championship Final is held on Saturday at 6pm, and guess who will be doing a hip hop concert alongside Dynamic Duo and DJ DOC ? YUP if it isn't BIG BANG !!

aigoo~~ tickets are sold out, and my flight arrives in Seoul at 5.30 on Saturday~~


Please oh please I would wish to see them only once BEFORE I leave Korea....

to be continued~
JEJU - let me introduce myself

"Yes you have a good IQ for language speaking! " /Taxi driver

안녕!(annyong)

2NE1 aka female Big Bang debuting this weekend, 21st C New Evolution ^^
Street Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95Nm5JDGN8 (3.21 is all I say ;) )

Space Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu5Ld_KnMWA&feature=related

Well I went to the Han river last weekend, beautifully scenery, and hot weather, it has been above 20 degrees for a while now. Many families there having picnic and people on bikes. Da In suggested we rent two bikes, but well I wouldn't say it would be easy to bike in Seoul; even by the Han river which had minor incidents of people knocking into one another with their bikes~~

Today was one of those days that just put a smile on my face. I had to take a taxi home in order to bring home some materials; Im doing a presentation on Sweden for elementary school children at a public library. Anyways, the taxi driver started teaching me Korean, I could grasp about 50% of what he was saying; teaching me big and small, left and right, Im hungry and Im full, and I smiled and tried to mimic and copy. Then he said "You have a good IQ for languages, you will learn quickly if you keep practising !" That made me very happy to hear, he only knew a few words in English but boy was that one awesome taxi ride ! :)

This is what I will miss the most about Korea, the friendliness.

I should brief my readers about Korea and most importantly about Seoul!

Korea and its people are estimated as one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

Seoul, established around 18 BC, is the capital with about 10,6 million people, and surrounding hubs included amounts to 24,1 million ! So YES, SeoulIScrowded!! Subway is always crowded during rush hours, so standing pressed against eachother is just something that you deal with. And being pushed inside by other passengers for more room is also something you deal with. It is not that unsimilar to Japan actually.
Seoul's subway station is divided into various lines of different colours, similar to other metropols. The station names are both in Hangul (Korean alphabet), and Roman. They call out the stations in both Korean and English so no problem there. The problem is that the humidity makes these trains rather warm at times.

Various districts of Seoul:

Jongno-gu,North, where I live. It is also the hub of retired Koreans for some reason ^^ You can often witness two older men quarreling after a couple of sojus..

Jung-gu, the heart, where you can find the Swedish Embassy, Namdaemun market, Seoul station, Namsan Tower etc

Dongdaemun-gu, East side where you can find some good, cheap shopping!

Seodaemun-gu, West side, where Yonsei Uni (part of the SKY, Seoul Nat U,Korea U top three Unis in Korea), EWHA Womens Uni (where Hillary Clinton made a speech during her visit in February this year) are located. This is where the young crowd gather, to drink, to eat, and to enjoy !

Gangnam-gu, south of the river, South-East to be exact. Synonymous with riches since you find high fashion brand stores and big businesses here. Exclusive restaurants as well as the platform for the celebs.

Yongsan, just North of the river, where you can find the massive American base, Yongsan Electronic Market and Itaewon with its many foreign pubs and crowd.

Mapo-gu, next to Yongsan, where Hongik Uni or Hongdae, is situated. This is where the nightlife exists for real. With its many clubs, pubs and noraebang(karaoke's) you are never bored~~

Im starting to sound like a tourist guide som Im gonna stop. Just mention Anguk Station where Insadong lies. AKA Traditional market. Perfect souvenir spot ;)

I will come back with my own photos later, promise!

Koreans tend to hierarchy due to Confucianism thought which means older = wiser = duty to respect them = they are obliged to care for you:

- Oldest pays (drinks, dinner)
- Oldest sits at trains and buses
- Oldest has access to the sidewalks, MOVE IT!
- You bow to your boss, adding a -nimsuffix to his title.

Some words that many Kpop fans have become customed to:
-Oppa,lit meaning older brother, used by females,used as a respect between friends with an age difference. However! Girls often use this word to someone they fancy; meaning if you hear a girl go Oppaaaaah, dragging the word in a cutesy word = she is dating/is in love with the guy!

-Hyung, older brother,used by guys

-Nuna, older sister, used by guys

-Unnie, older sister, used by girls

-dongseng, used for younger sibling, or someone younger than you, who looks up to you, seeks your advice

-sunbae, equivalent to the Japanese sempai, meaning older sibling in terms of someone older than you, or with experience in a field that you both share.

-Aigoo~~, something you often hear from older, used as "Oh my" in frustration, as a deep sigh. Think: your sibling asks to borrow your favorite X for the 100th time, and you decline - Stop asking already !
-AISH!!, used as a aggressive frustration, Think: someone is testing cellphone signals on the bus when everybody else is quiet and tired - that type of frustration.

-Miahne, used between friends, meaning Im sorry

-joayo,to like, something or someone

-Saranghae, To love/ I love you~~

Well, I should get some sleep, I will publish something about Korean food and customs next time~~

Goodnight

Im in love with a fairytale, even though it hurts.
Cause I don't care if I lose my mind, Im already cursed~~

April went by like a windy breeze~~

VS This is how my hair is starting to look btw if I don't tame it, curly at the root and straight perm leftover at the ends..
tamed hair makes anyone look pro!

And I have been busy with work, writing invitations, doing translations, being informative on various areas. BBC Radio has really been my best friend these past months; I like their variety of news: From Sudan and Darfur to Korea and NK..

Korea is warmer, G Dragon is cuter, and I am lighter? Well, maybe sometimes Korea is sunny and 20 C, sometimes rainy and 14 C~~ Maybe sometimes GD decides to do a perm and look awesome in neon pink, sometimes he turns school librarian married samurai and all is rock n roll~~ Maybe sometimes I have an emotional overflow and start falling in love, sometimes I get knocked off the roller coaster and I become a rationalist~~

I told Joowhi, our new receptionist who looks like a prettier version of Jeon Hye Bin, that small eyes look better than big eyes, on guys that is~~ i.e GD, i.e AJ, i.e Tae Goon, i.e Tae Yang, i.e Rain, i.e Wheesung, i.e...X ? She thought the opposite, but had nothing to oppose to the above mentioned!

A performance by the Real Group doing Korean songs is entertainment in itself. Other than that, K Music and I still share a love affair which is unstoppable:

- Dynamic Duo "Beyond the Wall"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzv95J4gdyk&feature=related

- BIG BANG ft 2NE1 "Lollipop" naw, that's not how we do it !/GD Style

For a parody version LOL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E06shZWmVrg

- 2PM "Again & Again" how about creating your very own mini army of JYP's? only kpoppers would get where Im going with this ^^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-J0BQa7Lms

- AJ wants ya to DANCE! "Dancing shoes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBt2J_58cs4

- Stanford Genius Tablo!! Epik High's "Map the Soul"
LIVE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXNjcH_6GUY
MV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prOY4TZxz7Y&feature=related

- For whiners who don't understand the language, how about princess BoA in English ft Sean Garrett "I did it for love" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFny8iYc9L8

- Freestyle's beautiful song "Vital Sign" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co3AKWDjr58

Nobody rocks electro like KOREA Republic !!
Well enough music, I could post about 20 songs more!

I finally went to Dongdaemun Market which is a shopping area with some high skyskrapers filled with unexpensive AND expensive shopping. You can find cool stuff such as Chanel necklaces a la G Dragon, expensive ladies shoes, funky T's and much more~~
I went there with my friend and guide Young Hoon, whom I met at his uni when I was doing some promo for Swedish education! He was my guide to the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival It was quite beautiful I might add! The white flowers, and the light underneath turned the pathway into something out of Disney! And it was incredibly crowded for a Thursday night.
Afterwards there was some time for soju at the portable bar which means a tentlike pub that serves the Korean equivalent to Sake. For best consumption, mix with beer for the Some~~

My bday was spent alongside my lovely Moonda, Yoohee, Halla, JK and Hoon!! <3 some good food and some cake, and a hype Mickey T made my evening, 거멒워 !!(komawo=thank u)

I should practice more Hangeul, aka the Korean alphabet..I have been feeling lazy on that part actually, altough I often hear that my pronounciation is just right on, and that I speak Korean in a very cute way, aigoo~~ ^^;;

The month of March meant lots of dinners out, I had hour long dinner convos about life and its many wonders and mysteries, alongside JK. We always turn ultra deep whenever we have conversations.
I went to 63 building , which has 63 floors, together with Yoohee, and I have had some great drinking where Hoon, aka Mr Woori Bank has made great efforts in his sales skills, so far JK, Halla and Yoohee have signed the deal ^^
I have also seen the Cheonghye stream which runs quite close to my place, and is an artificial stream which has turned quite popular among the Seoulites. A good dating place I might add !

Im starting to get used to these pushy ajummas (old ladies) who push and pull their way through crowds, they are mighty strong for being so small !! <_< and everyday life strolls by just as if I have always been a Seoul resident... I might cheat at times, and instead of running to the subway if Im late, I catch a cab, which only costs me 20 SEK to get to the workplace ^O^

I should go to bed, and return sooner than later with more updates and in depth analysis on the people of Korea! Tomorrow, Im off, due to Childrens Day ! So that means a little picnic by Han river together with Moonda's lil sis Da In
Jal! (goodnight) If I tell you, then you might turn around and walk away..

Seoul - here she is !

Well. I have been there, the border.. I must say it is something intriguing about that place. A place where conversation has gone lost, where both sides are clinging on to their final call, their despair of not being able to gain what they want. I wonder, where is the mutual understanding..

Kkotboda Namja, the K version of Hana Yori Dango. Well, what can I say? Awesome actors/actresses, especially mr Lee Min Ho who has turned Goo Jun Pyo style and especially his curly hair into a fashion statement among Korean youngsters.. Aggressive boy meets feisty girl who turns his would over. And among all that bickering, they still have eachother.. It is safe to know that people still have that dream in their hearts, with you in my life I can conquer all.

Seoul, and all of Korea Republic is overflown with couples everywhere, on subways, on on the streets, on the millions of cafés (I am not exxagerating here)... clinging on to eachother, in a Korea where marriage is something important, that has to be accomplished before a certain age..

Why are we, and especially the female race, such suckers for romance ? Read the following and then swear upon your death that it did not make you the least bit tingly inside ?

1. When her hands are cold, he takes off one of his own gloves and puts her hand in it, then takes the other hand and puts it in his pocket.
2. When the heel on her shoe breaks, he offers to give her a piggy back ride, just to offer her his gratitude for making him enjoy life.
3. When she is cold, he either takes off his jacket and gives it to her, or he simply embraces her with his jacket open enough to fit her inside.
4. To apologize to her, he lights candles and stands in the middle for forgiveness.
5. He tells her he wants to spend everyday with her family, because he feels like he is part of it and he likes her parents.

Well there you go. Part of the reason why Kkotboda Namja has become such a success, are these scenes, combined with this couple's constant bickering, which shows they are actually human enough to have different opinions on things.. could this be the reason why Korean guys have the pressure to be both stable in their relationships as well as emotionally open to their loved one ? part of their society and how guys are viewed upon ?
Well, girls are not always the easiest species to deal with on this planet, but frankly, in a web of emotions, there is still the need for stability, no matter man or woman, and it is only in a stable relationship that one is able to grow mature perspectives on life. Otherwhise, chances are big that patterns might turn into something that can never be resolved..

In the middle of this deeper analysis, I would like to take the opportunity of mentioning the places I have visited in Seoul:

Gangnam, COEX mall. Wow ! Gigantic building, several stories of clothing stores, shoe stores, Nintento DS store, etc. Me and my companion of the day; Nils, were flabbergasted. Gangnam itself is a district located south of the river that divides Seoul. It is the area where apartments can be really expensive, so if you are young and living in Gangnam you might be blessed with generous parents, or some other contacts.

Insadong, traditional arts and crafts neighbourhood

Sinchon, where Yonsei and EHWA Womens University are located, meaning entertainment area for young Seoul.

Myeongdong, you can find many tourists here, as well as cheap shopping.

Lotte World, after the Lotte co. Half indoor, half outdoor amusement park, with rides, 3D ghost house, roller coasters half in the dark and an indoor ice rink. Waiting hour is about 60-80 min per ride but some of them were definately worth it.


When it's not windy in Seoul, it is actually quite pleasant. Today, the sun was out, and a feeling of spring hit the office. It was about 12 degrees C, which felt really appealing to all of us, hoping that winter is finally over !

I just had a 2 hour skype session with the people of Sem 4, we had a 7 man conversation, thanks to the newly improved Skype. Wow ! Technology can be amazing at times.. But, at the same time, it really made me miss my life in Japan, last semester was really great. I wonder if I will ever meet some of the people there. There are those who I don't whish to meet for various reasons, but at the same I wonder what the whole purpose was of meeting them in the first place, what did I learn from those experiences ? And was that experience enough to teach me something ? Maybe is my guess..

I tend to feel like a small fish in a big pond at times here in Seoul. I don't think that this feeling will ever be changed. I am extremely happy about being able to be anonyomous on the street, something I lack in my hometown.. But, at the same time, I stand out enough to have people stare me down. And I might not always be strong enough to handle that, you might say I become introverted. It is unfortunately one of my weak points in life, and I am curious to know if this is something I can outgrow,hopefully~~
to be continued.

Have you ever felt like you are drowning and your only life saver is your instinct through determination ?

The last month remaining in Japan I experienced various things:

- Going to Arashiyama with Ryotaro. This was during the high peak of fall when all the leaves turn oranges, and yellow and brown, and people are longing to experience the beauties of nature. For me, going to Arashiyama meant experiencing the real Japan. And what do I mean about that exactly?
Well imagine a typical Japanese ninja scenery, with small villages of traditional Japanese homes made of bamboo, lush forests, murmuring streams, fresh air, silence.. mystical and theatrical, and just breathtakingly beautiful ! This is the Japan that besides the modern technology and it's fashionable people true enthusiasts picture in their heads.
I took so many pictures..

well to be honest, there are two reasons why I STILL haven't put up pictures in this blog besides snapshots of Korean hunks and promo pics of KG campus; Hello my name is Aida and I am neurotic. In the sense that when I start doing something it must become perfectly organized; be it photo albums with comments after each photo, or organizing a closet. So at times I shut down unfortunately and push this responsibility aside. Like the room I am currently typing from; a huge mess of boxes and unpacked suitcases..
The second reason is; well I haven't put aside enough time for it (going back to the neurotic schedule).

Anyways, I shall not bore my readers any further. Arashiyama is located in Kyoto prefecture and if you buy a certain cultural pass, you get to ride the trains using this certain one ticket all day throughout Kyoto's many sightseeing spots. It was really amazing, I am happy Ryotaro took me there. There were tunnels of bamboo trees turning the pathway to complete jungle darkness. And there were illuminated castles and foliages that became like fairytale images taken from a storybook written by Disney himself.

-Going to a "real deal" Yakiniku place. Shota works part time at this yakiniku place with A-class meat, meaning the kind that melts in your mouth, where rich business men come in groups to eat and drink for hours, where the employers work until 3am in the morning! Where the bill ends at about 300-500 SEK per person. Located in the middle of a busy Osaka district, Shota took me to his amusing boss who knew some English here and there and who spoke highly of Shota's sister who he wished to date. After yakiniku I was craving for that darn Jazz bar that Osaka is known for, Shota helped me find a small jazz bar where we sipped cocktails like adults and listened to clinkety clink piano and trumpet solos just made for having deep conversations around.

- I was finally rewarded with an internship. After having my prayer at the Asakusa shrine, I was granted the one in Seoul that was at the top of my wish list. Tae Hoon seemed surprised about me getting it, but it didn't seem as it actually occurred to him what had happened. Learn my child not to be so naive, and not to be such a sucker. And teach these boys that hard work is not only about money..
I am recalling back to that moment when I got it, I had been sad for days after that bad resumé of mine, and the desperate feeling of applying to everyone and everything, but with the lack of motivation that followed in doing so. So when I finally read the email I read; We have the pleasure in offering you... I had Todd sitting next to me and he experiened some ear ache and me breaking his arm, when I all of a sudden had the tension being released in tears flowing down my face.. tears of relief, knowing what the next semester had in store for me at least.

- Making new bonds. One day I decided to have lunch with Kendal and Ninette and since that day we kept hanging out and discussing the dilemmas of boys and being a girl in modern society. When Kendal went to Tokyo and everyone else was partying, me and Nina had a snack tour to Life supermarket to buy ice cream, chocolate and chips and head back to have some Gilmore Girls and Family guy marathon. That whole weekend was dedicated to Gilmore girls up until the late hours. I soon had Nina engaged in Big Bang activities and later Kendal made Dae Seung hers. T.O.P and Tae Yang are property of Nina while GD belongs to A Dragon.
Erica and Ashley soon followed us in the Big Bang performances of Sunset Glow "Nan neureul saranghaaaae, I LUV U GURRRRL ! " with the hand motion to prove it~~

- Continuing improvement of my Japanese, despite feeling I was struggling, I realized I had actually improved a lot. Finals week in December was not so much a struggle, even though I was nervous for speaking part, I managed the reading and writing in grammar pretty well, I finally understood it all. When it come to me and Kanji, well we are at a mutual understanding, we respect each others' existence. Best friends? Still not a chance for that unfortunately..

- Sweets Paradise in Shinsaibashi had guests in the shape of Nina , Aida and Joel, eating pasta, sweets and more sweets, and maybe some pasta on the side. Carb til you drop, but it was extremely delicious !

- The weather was actually quite good, not that cold, after that one icy windy day it became warmer again, so wearing a winter coat felt too warm at times.

- Continuing the karaoke traditions, with the girls busting out love songs in their own room filled with love and other expectations, and the guys running away into another room to bust out rock and hip hop tunes. Me, Nina and Kendal made a lovely entrance at a purikura stand and took insanely fab photos. I know the secret of model perfection. And it has nothing to do with talent .. Late night McDonalds, or even daytime after Kanji lessons became the norm.

- Coffee with Tomo in our deep philosophical mutual understanding of what life is and me helping him with English by having small theatre performances of each vocabulary to help him remember (just picture me looking for clues Sherlock style and you can picture the word EVIDENCE anytime ^^;;), playing Mario Kart tournament on Nintendo DS alongside 8 other swearing and stressed out people were part of the daily routines. Watching Chikako frenetically finish her Chinese Economy homework essays, myself staring towards the smoking section for something that was never there to begin with. Late night sessions with Chikako in our room, scaring her to death when she entered the room, thinking I was in deep sleep. Madoka pineapple chan, being so pink and cute, Masayoooo and her naaaaaandeeeee ?! way of living, Aika and our deep talks, Maki and our sincere appreciation of a good laugh, Ryo kun's sempainess that got me and Eddie pure enjoyment:

- HOME MADE KAZOKU ! Even though we hadn't heard the new album, we still went there. We had an awesome time, because they played all our favorites; including On the run, Arigatou, Shonen Heart, No rain no rainbow, ending with Home Sweet Home <3>ariiiiigatou, hontou ariiiiigatou . I felt happy leaving, even though I wasn't allowed to take any pics, I have a turqoise YEAH! tshirt to prove I was there. Love. The best part was when shy but yet handsome DJ U-ICHI had us pick cards for the blindfolded duo of MC Micro and MC Kuro to sing. Hungry we returned back to Hirakata, where food never tasted any better !

- Experiencing break dance tournament on campus, with locking, popping and some other awesomeness Japanese style

- Realizing destiny is written in advance for me: I found him. In September,about 2 weeks after intro started I met this guy who was interested in going to Sweden. He dissappeared and reappeared in December, 2 weeks before my departure from Japan. Taichi. Well, I was looking for Takahashi Daisuke, the kakkoii ice skater, but I didn't know he had a younger brother ^^

I wonder how I could forget how he looked like, actually he was hanging out with Kendal a couple of times, I saw them and the only thought in my head was; wow he looks like a model. Imagine it was the same guy. Imagine you talk to the guy at the Seminar House and he tells you that you have already met. Imagine karaoke and lunch and helping you pack and escorting you to the bus stop. Imagine he is coming to Sweden this fall after all..

The last week for everyone's departure people ended up sleeping downstairs on the futons that people had checked out from their rooms. Sort of a massive slumber party.

My last day at Hirakata and Kansai Gaidai and Sem 4 was spent taking care of administrative matters, buying last minute gifts, packing in 1 hour to check out, having pizza dinner with Kansai Gaidai family + Takami (love you girls !! ), meeting up with Taichi at Makino, packing, and wondering why I didn't take any pics of the surroundings, such as the beer park where i would take evening walks and talks with Alex lol.

Coming home I was really depressed of leaving Japan, my friends, and 20 kg luggage that is on a ship somewhere heading to Sweden. I had Christmas with my family, met with Maja and Derrick, and Raha and Samira, took care of UN matters, had some part time job packing and packing and packing and answering the same old questions over how fun China must have been... yawn..

Then, came January 30th, and it was departure time ! On the 29th, I had a bye bye fika with Amin, Simon, Raha and Samira (Maja already left for the US and her new life with Derrick). It was difficult to pack, and it was difficult not knowing where my accomodation would be. I had booked the first week at a hostel. Luckily it worked out for the best.

Arriving on the 31st, I was picked up by the hostel taxi and headed to my room for some sleep, I met up with Moonda for dinner, and went home, not being able to sleep ! Monday came and me being confused on the streets of Seoul.
First week of work turned out pretty well, many interesting assignments, interesting topics. But I realized my Korean is not on the level of me managing it. I panicked at times in these streets of Seoul, and today after dinner with Moonda again, I snapped out of it, I chose this, I am here to learn a valuable lesson, never have I felt more helpless but at the same time, never have I felt so stared at either, and never has Ica felt so far away..
But I never quit, you have to make me quit !! Just tonight made me smile so much, walking through Sinchon district with about 300 café in only 2 street area with shirts for 30 SEK, dinner for 50 SEK, sooo many Korean couples, high heels wonderland, and I turn around and hear Tae Yang sing Haru Haru. It's like I have my soundtrack ready. My mp3 is in my pocket, because I have a live show on the streets.
SNSD - Gee song is awesome, the video is cuter than cute and the song hits you over and over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77r2hvgU8o Gee Gee Gee Gee, Baby Baby Baby ~~

It has been a while - But TOKYO ROCKS !!

I　haven't written in a while..

Some updates>

The school festival during 30th of October to 2 November was pretty fun. The whole campus was filled with food stands where various clubs and circles such as volleyball circle etc sold food. We just walked around and ate and watched dance shows and stuff. I met one of Alex's volleyball members, Ryotaro. I have been having lunch and talking to him a lot recently, he has even been to the Seminar House where I made an approach at making kimchi nabe! He liked it so apparently i did a good job ^^

The presentation on Sweden went very well. We taught the audience about the gingerbread wish and talked about Midsummer, Christmas and Easter.

The Halloween went pretty good as well. However, the amount of guests that were supposed to be there, were not, which was kind of irritating since that made me only being able to invite Takami!

I helped clean up and decorate and made David and Jonas' makeup. David was a mimer, and Jonas was the Joker. They looked great !!

We had a beer pong tournament, where me and Aika where in the same team, Aika was blue and dressed in black, literally blue !! Her face and hands were painted in blue. I was a pumpkin ;) We lost the match despite Aika's four in a row score !

Team Jonas and David were up in the final against team Eddie and Joe. Team E,J ended up winning !

After the party people headed out, I actually stayed and fixed my resume which I sended to a couple of embassys.

I got a B+ on the Video reaction paper and a C on the manga exam !!

I went to Tokyo on the 6-9th of November !! On the evening of the 6th, I headed for Osaka to meet up with ASUMI !!! Long time no see, not since June 2007 actually ! We had dinner at a yakitori place and talked. She helped me buy a bus ticket for Tokyo; night bus which had extra comfortably seats with blankets that left at midnight and arrived early next morning at Tokyo station. It cost me about 7000 yen, so a lot cheaper than taking the Shinkansen train !

I arrived early morning on Friday in Tokyo, where I had breakfast and waited for Yuki to come meet me. He finally came at 10.30 and we headed for Akihabara, which is a famous anime district where they have girls in maid dresses serving manga nerds tea and biscuits. I bought a I love Akiba shirt and 2 mini Sasuke and Naruto figures for my keitai !! Yatta, and yes I am a nerd I KNOW ;) It was Yuki's first time to be there so he was quite impressed by it all. We played an arcade game where I beat his ass mohaha. But i bought him a Dragon Ball figure to cheer him up ;)

After Akihabara we headed for Ueno which has a national museum. The musem had many buildings so we chose 2 of them, one contained arts and crafts from all of Asia, including rugs and pots from IRAN !! Poor Yuki had a cold so by the end of the day his eyes were red and he was loosing his voice. I really appreciated that he took me around though, ありがとう！！

Headed to meet up with Haruka, Maya and Masashi for izakaya. We had a lot of fun and Haruka and Masashi were surprised over how good our Japanese had become. I stayed at Haruka's place where her overly protective dog Betty wanted to attack me every 20 minutes, but it was ok lol. Haruka's cute sister and cool brother said shyly hello to me everyday. And her mom cooked me some tasty food, so I felt really rewarded !

Saturday me and Haruka headed for Harajuku for some shopping and continued on to Shibuya !

Harajuku had some sick shopping and there was a massive line for the newly opened H&M ! I bought some cheap boots, pumps, dresses etc. Unfortunately I couldnt't spot anyone dressed as a anime character, unfortunately,.....

Shibuya square with the infamous 109 building was insane !! I have never seen so many people cross a crossroad at the same time ! The 109 building clerks were insane, so much makeup and extravagant hairdos ! I bought a really cute coat here, the buttons are heartshaped, this really brought out the girl in me ;)

Sunday, first we headed for Asakusa shrine, where we viewed a market and an ancient shrine where we did some praying ! By this time it was getting really cold, and I started to feel a bit weird. After Azakusa, it was time for rich business district Ginza !! We visited the Swarowski crystal store and saw the Salvatore Ferragamo and other stores. Ginza's main street was so clean

By the afternoon when we met up with Junya for lunch, I realized I was having a fever !!

I don't know how I finished the Vietnamese lunch but after that, we had to cancel the trip to Tokyo tower and the Lockup restaurant, where customers are chained to their tables like a prison. Instead we went to a mangakissa, aka manga cafe where I could sleep and Haruka read manga. I took the night bus back to Osaka and arrived at Hirakata at about 8.30.

But, Tokyo was amazing, despite the crowd, I could easily live there !!

I decided not to go to Korea this upcoming weekend, Im going to save the money and see what happens next semester. Im concerned about my internship spot, I really hope I get one !

Monday we had a meeting about the alcohol policy project and it seemed like some people were bothered by the beer pong games and the loud hip hop music. Oh well, you can't please all can you. Most of us felt that Mark Tracy should have informed us about how he wanted the drinking to be conducted, but he felt that it would have affected the result of the project. Guinea pig I tell you .

It's gotten way colder. The wind is chillier here, feels like ice to your face, thank god for my coat !

I thought I had lost my room key so after stressing around campus looking for it, I finally found it !! Yokatta..

I don't know why, but sometimes if you are given something and then it's taken from you, and you really appreciated it, you end up chasing after it, not wanting to let other things have a chance in your life. And I do believe that there is a difference in how girls and guys look upon affection. But I only have 1 month left here, so I have to enjoy and make the best of it, and I am <3

Big Bang released their new Korean album, and I listen it to pieces. And I have grown a big affection for G Dragon, even though Eddie mocks his name lol.

Here is a pic of him, in his glory ;) JYA !!

More midterms, fall approaching and HALLOWEEN!!

After a whole week of midterms, last week finally ended, with a couple of oversleepings here and there, whoops...
I bought Big Bang´s new album !! NUMBER 1, it is really good, I have fallen in love with "Make Love". I showed oppa the CD after a week of ignoring him due to emotional overload. Tension released and we went outside to prepare him for his upcoming interview, he went to Korea for the weekend.

Friday me and Wes went to this second hand store and we ended up buying some stuff. I bought a lot ! I bought a 100 yen bag, and currently the yen has gone up to 8 kr but still ! I bought about 5 sweaters and a dress that were all between 100 yen and 400 yen, it was insane and in such good quality too ! We headed back, for dinner with Evan at Roro who had cheap and awesome yakiniku, the meat just melted in my mouth!
Then it was time for some karaoke, with the intention of only singing Japanese songs; me, Eddie, Alex, Yu Xiao and Joe did some Home Made Kazoku, M Flo, Monkey Magic, Asian Kung Fu Generation and much more. There were loads of people from the Seminar houses in the other rooms as well, as always ! I got convinced to go to Club Mono which is this tiny bar/nightclub. We danced a bit, but it was too crowded so I went home.

Saturday morning me and Takami headed for Osaka and some green tea ceremony. Since I had done it before, I knew what to expect. Then we went to Umeda, to a store called Loft that has such awesome accessories, home decors etc that I just want to get me an apartment so I can start buying things from there to decorate my home !!
I bought a present for Aika, boots holders. Basically a pair of stuffed animals shaped like a sausage to stick inside boots to keep them from falling over. Such an awesome invention!
I even found my Halloween costume, a pumpkin dress !!
Back home, to shower and get dressed for Aika´s birthday outing. We went to Yotsubashi where we went to this club where her friend was a DJ. We had the club to ourselves; we were about 30 people and had food and drinks and danced. The dancefloor even had a strip pole.. LOL'

After that, time for some GHELYOON ! I don´t care if Americans call it Hooka, it´s ghelyoon. The café we went to is own by Iranians, called Hafez Café. I had some dough; Persian yoghurt drink and some kabab! It was soooo good, I had been missing Persian food. The 2 owners had been living in Japan for over 15 years so their Japanese was quite good. I envy them, they said they live peaceful, happy lives here.
Sanzhar tried to convince them that Japan can´t be home, but he is from Kazakstan so it isn´t the same thing at all...

After the ghelyoon it was time to go home and crash into bed. The next day I had to study for my manga exam and make meatballs for Aika with Jonas. We had Mischa roll the balls; and he became a rolling expert :P. Luke peeled the potatoes; excellent assistents. The brown gravy looked more like a creme colored cream sauce but the meatballs were soooo good!

Monday was my exam in manga and anime, I think I did pretty good! I had a walk with Alex and met his cute girlfriend Yuka, we turned good friends immediately!

Tuesday we got our exams back from week of hell! I did pretty good in both of them, B level ! I met Tae Hoon in the hallway, he grabbed my hand and said hi which made me both happy and confused at the same time. I decided to talk to him later that night.
Went to Kuzuha mall for Korean food; bibbimbap; stirfried rice with meat and vegetables.

Tae Hoon told me about the 2 hour interview where he had to translate from Korean to English and vice versa and to write about why he desired the job so badly ! And then, he told me he got the job !!! Congrats! He met the CEO of the company who said he would get a 5year contract. So he is probably leaving soon... I hugged him and refused to let go, at first he was ok with it but then he had to go study for an exam so he finally left.

Wednesday afternoon I rewatched three movies for the video reaction paper for Political Economy class and later that evening me and Joel bought some ingredients for Korean dish ddeokbokki; Stirfried ricecake with gochujang sauce.
It´s made from rice cake, fish cake, and hot Korean pepper sauce. Tae Hoon came downstairs to help us cook, and he kept complaining why I didn´t help, well I didn´t really know what to do since I never done the recipe before so I kept clowning around with Tomo and Bill and Eddie in the kitchen, and listening to Andy´s IPOD. Tae Hoon was really concentrated about making the dish but he took it too seriously because the rice cake melted and it turned all sticky.
Takumi and Taiga were there as well to eat. Tae Hoon didn´t eat, he left to go some errands.
To be honest, I didn´t really like it that much. It was too sticky and Joel said it wasn´t supposed to be like that and Tae Hoon said he would make the real one next time (whatever that means).
I didn´t like oppa´s behaviour, he could´t even bother having dinner with us. He later told me that his exam is in Japanese linguistics and that its kind of difficult. I get frustrated over the fact that my Japanese isn´t as good as his or that he doesn´t understand my English sometimes. I feel left out from his life so i feel lonely.
I sat down to write my 5 page double spaced paper, and after a short break while talking to Willy about life, the 3 pages I had been writing were deleted ! :( So I had to rewrite it. I went to school later today to hand it in, and saw the Japanese busy preparing for this weekend´s school festival. I watched the Halloween costume contest where Ryo was dressed up as a swan and ended up winning his cathegory.
Me, Sebastian, Rebecca and Elin prepared for the upcoming Swedish presentation on Saturday afternoon; about 30 min of Sweden !

Tomorrow I have kanji quiz and I have to do rehearsal for the Swedish presentation. Since the school festival is going on, there will be some browsing on that as well. Then head back home, put on the halloween costume and get ready for party !! The party starts at 7pm and we have 40 guests on a VIP guestlist. Me and Luke Filipos bought some decorations and we purchased some snacks as well ! Time to enjoy ! I have´t been able to enjoy because of oppa, he made me very sad ever since we confessed , and that sucks. I just wanna be happy again :(