In case you were wondering

When I say that Korean subways are busy, this is what I mean.

Not even crowded yet.

And this was one of the times that I had the most room.  When it is crowded, I wouldn’t have had space enough to reach my camera.

Also, in case you were wondering what I meant about Lady Gaga not being a person, this is what I meant.

classic non-person behavior

Fun(?) with Korea

So far nothing much has really been going on in my internship.  I was told I would be getting some projects “in a couple days,” but nothing more specific than that.  The building where I am working is really quite impressive.  There is toothpaste and mouthwash in the bathrooms, so you know it’s high end.  It is right next the to Korean World Trade Tower, and is connected to it via a giant underground mall that is the super trendy place to shop in Korea.  To give you an idea of what I’ve been up to, here’s a typical day:

I get up around 7, and I am out the door by 8.  I don’t really have to be to work until 9:30, but the later I come in, the later I have to stay.  I take the subway (along with half the population of Seoul) to get to where I work.  I am often surprised at how many people can fit into one subway car.  I’m pretty sure you would be surprised too.  I’ll try to get a picture of it, but to truly experience it, you have to be there.  Also, I am surprised at how HOT it gets in the subway car.  I usually try to shimmy my way to an air-conditioner, so I don’t die of heat and being squished.

After about 45 minutes, I arrive at Samsung Station, and head out into the fresh air.

Me, very glad to be out of the sweltering subway

And then I make my way to the ASEM tower, where I (sort of) work.

Quite Tall, yes?

I then make my way up to the 19th floor and to my desk area.

I don’t actually use that computer. That would be considered “work”

There is one other intern right now.  She is from Germany, and doesn’t speak a lick of Korean.  Because I don’t have any real assignments (or even fake assignments), I get to sit there and look busy.  I do however, get to make frequent trips to the break room to admire the view, and drink juice which has been generously provided for employees.

It was a hazy day. Usually you can see a good portion of Seoul.

More updates will come as more work is done!

Gandalf, Marylin Monroe, and Dunkin' Donuts

I arrived in Korea yesterday on a flight from Signapore Air.  I must say, Singapore Air provided the best international flight experience I’ve had so far.  The seats were comfortable, the food was passable, and the entertainment was plentiful.  I will most certainly be using them in the future whenever I can.

One of my favorite things about Korea is the random snippets of western culture.  When I was in grade school, a teacher once gave the assignment to make a collage.  I remember just going through magazines and cutting out pictures of anything I thought was interesting.  The resulting project was . . . interesting to say the least.  However, that collage is sort of like what walking through the streets of Korea can be like.  Behold.

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This statue is in front of a cafe

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

Not really sure what this guy has to do with Karaoke

Too many donuts for a single story