Monday, May 21 - Incheon

I didn't take any pictures today, so here are some funny pencil cases from Coex.

Hi again! Today my post will be shorter because we didn't have as many events. However, there are still some interesting things that happened. We lost three people to visit the Osan Air Base today, but the rest of us enjoyed a relaxing day in the suburbs.

After Korean class and a delicious breakfast at Angel-in-us Cafe, we hit the road toward Jennifer's parents' apartment in Incheon. It took quite a long time to get there so most of us caught up on some of our sleep on the way. When we arrived, we were surprised that the area we were in is considered the suburbs. "Suburbs" to Michigan residents usually means lines of  houses with front lawns and the occasional strip mall, library, and police and fire station. But these suburbs were brand new, 30-story apartment buildings and the same wide streets we see downtown.

The apartments we went to were set up facing inward toward several recreational areas that looked really nice. We took the elevator up to the 29th floor. My ears popped, and the view from the window was striking. Jennifer's mom welcomed us warmly into the beautiful, luxurious apartment she and her husband call home. It looked like a hotel room, with high quality dark wood floors, advanced technological features, and tasteful decorations. After resting for a bit, we went to eat lunch.

Jennifer's mother took us to a lovely Chinese restaurant. We all sat at a circle table. I had a separate vegetarian meal, but I could still visually appreciate the others' meals. It was course after course of different flavors and textures. Personally, I felt that my own meal tasted very different from American-style Chinese food, but it was good. It had different spices than what I am used to with Chinese food, and was more mild. However, some students tried 짬뽕 (jjambbong, a noodle soup) and experienced extreme burning spiciness in their mouths. Overall, everyone enjoyed their food and left with full tummies.

Next, we toured around the apartment facilities. Living there looks so convenient! There are various playgrounds for kids and adults, parks, a fitness center, a 7-11, and an enclosed area for mothers to wait for their children returning from late-night hakwon sessions.

Overall, I think we were all impressed by the elegance of the community, and very thankful to Jennifer's mother for opening up her home to us and taking time to show us around!