Damn, I sure do know how to poop myself out. As soon as I returned, of course with a quick shower in the mix, I immediately shaved the travel beard off and started unpacking all my things I left at my homestay. Only a few hours into my return to Seoul, I plan to have dinner with my suitemate, Jake, who will also be attending Korea University for the academic year with the other Light Fellows taking a gap year in Seoul. As I’m planning, I’m already transitioning back into my dance class without even understanding my homestay area well enough yet.

Christ.

I finally got to relax a bit once I made my way back home for my first dinner with my host family… and Jake. Now, for anyone who knows Jake, he has these goofy aura with him at all times but one cannot help but adore the kid. Being the living example of the pratfall effect, he walked into my life with my host family and won them over immediately. He like didn’t even live there. He is essentially the reason why I cannot have nice things but I will continue to bring him along with me to places because I’m also one of his victims.

As we eventually overcame his charm, Jake made his exit with his new little Mudkip friend I brought back from Osaka.

I learn quick rarely but like I had no choice but become adapted to waking up as early as my host parents… at 7AM. I mean I used to be able to wake up like them when I was young and in high school but I’m past my prime now. I like sleeping in. Shouldn’t they, too?

Well, no. Practicing Korean and getting integrated means assimilating as much as possible. Plus, this was like a good habit I could really utilize later.

Wednesday came around quick and it was time to get oriented and go through a placement exam for Korea University.

So I ended only spending a little time that day at KU, but I can already see that I enjoy it more than I did Ewha. The place is just as beautiful as, if not more than, Ewha. However, the placement exam was not overbearing; it consisted of an introduction letter and an interview. To my interviewer’s surprise, she commented on the disparity between my speaking ability and my writing ability (Thanks Sogang and Ewha!). The eventual turnout would still end up with me in Level 3 but shows that I have much to catch up on.

The rest of the week was just me trying to get the hang of things in Seoul all over, again. But no return comes without a few surprises! Sometimes, they’re bad ones like my need to get new glasses since mine lost a spring. How? Magic! (READ: I have no idea.)

But the new shades aren’t have bad and were super cheap! Another surprise was my ending running errands with my host family once Saturday hit. I took the assimilation thing seriously. Since they’re city folk, they do not have the luxury of a lot of backyard and garden space like those on the countryside and such. To my surprise, there are actually collective farms where city folk can head out to in the perimeter of the city and own a part of to grow what they please. Unsurprisingly, what we ended up planting for their garden would end up as kimchi.

Seeing as this week was tough, I thought I could reward myself in a way Jake likes best: the jjimjilbang. Jake could be considered the expert of jjimjilbangs for our group as he went religiously all last summer. Diallo and I followed his expert abilities to Siloam Spa right by Seoul Station. On that note, I’ll get back to you after I’m done relaxing!