Saturday morning, Michelle and I left Seoul and arrived back in Beijing. We met up with Awesome Chinese Boy again and stuff. Michelle left for Wuhan on the train last night (and arrived safely this morning), but after Boy and I left her at the train station, this happened:
We walked for a bit before calling a taxi and talked as we walked. He talked about his trip to QuFu and how he took a bath in a yu4 gang1 (jade tub), but I heard yu3 gang1 (fish tank) and I stared at him like he was crazy. After we clarified that one, all of of a sudden he's like "SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET MARRIED?"
MEI: ...uh...when I find someone suitable?
BOY: *says stuff about how girls date around but when they get older and feel pressuerd to get married by family and friends and society, sometime they just settle for someone, anyone*
MEI: but what if they marry the wrong person? ;_;
BOY: yeah that's how i feel
MEI: *thinking* i'm not sure why we're discussing this
BOY: but i wouldn't worry about it if i were you.
MEI: ???
BOY: finding the right person, i mean. you have qualities that can attract guys.
MEI: ...i don't know how to respond to that (i said this out loud, yes)
BOY: i think it's because in the u.s. you don't run into a lot of chinese boys, but if you were in china, a lot of boys would be after you
MEI: *ambiguous sound of unintelligibility*
BOY: *raises hand* i can testify to that! when i was talking about you two to my friend, they said i was very *something chinese that mei doesn't understand*
MEI: *confused stare*
BOY: i don't know to say that in english...uh...like a guy talks about a girl. *then in awkward english* very man, very woman?
MEI: I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY NOW
IT WAS SO AWKWARD. Michelle should've never left me. I think I may sort of like him. ;___; But it doesn't even matter because he's in a different country and we fail at each other's language and this is so so awkward, because I can't remember the last time (okay, yes I can) I even sort of liked someone.
Then he texted me this morning & was like "good morning mei, you're leaving for america today but i can't go to the airport. remember to email me and don't forget about me! bye bye mei."
And I was like: I have no idea how to take this anymore! I HATE BEING A GIRL SOMETIMES. Emotions, who needs them!
So a beautiful way to round up my China-Korea trip. Very helpful in distracting me totally from fandom and the pretty boys I like to stare at, however. I think I'm going to go...sit in a corner and be confused now. I fail at social situations.
Leaving for the U.S. on a 5 o'clock flight today. Going to the airport at 2. Be home soon!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Project Chungguk: Day 20
Firstly, fandom, because it's been on my mind lately (when isn't it?): obviously seeing SJM at Sukira didn't work out since they pre-recorded that. Smart thinking, KBS, if disappointing. The fansigning today didn't work out either because Thea was sick and when Michelle & I arrived and stared at the hordes of fangirls/ELFs, we realized we had no idea what was going on because we spoke no Korean whatsoever. Anyhow, it was disappointing, sure, but I'm all right. I think I'm actually more disappointed about not seeing SJM than getting things signed by SJH (I'm biased, so sue me).
But the past few days in Korea have made me realize rather acutely that celebrity stalking is probably not worth it. I've really begun to feel the distinction between being a "fan" and a "fangirl" and I'm not sure I like being the latter. It's not just the utter loss of dignity and what other people think of me (whatever, I lol), but sometimes the my own self-respect dies a little. Plus, it's not always happy-making. I wish I could like SuJu the way I liked Big Bang, in a very enthusiastic but distanced manner. We'll see, I suppose. Korea has sort of turned me off fangirling somewhat not just because it's such a middle-school thing to do here (oh shaame, shaaame), but also because there's been so many fantastic non-fandom related experiences that the fandom seems less important.
I probably won't make a list of everything we've accomplished on our Asia trip until after it's all over (so soon, 2 days!), but some things include (in Korea alone):
1. eating fried larvae
2. eating live octopus (being fed by random amazing Korean ladies at a street vendor, with loud exclamations and shots of soju along hte way)
3. seeing middle school boys skinship cutely on the subway
4. being mistaken as Korean everywhere we go, or if not Korean (once upon discovering our failure at language), then Korean-American
5. dinner, ice cream, and drinking party with random hostel people last night
6. buying things in stores with mostly hand gestures, nodding, and occasional phrases such as "how much is this" "we're American" and "thank you"
And a lot of other things I'm leaving out but will definitely go over when it's all over. I love this trip, these three weeks with Michelle, braving the world (or at least part of it), and experiencing so much new things "on my own".
Hmm, and then I ran out of things to talk about. I was up at 5am though, so that's my excuse for being not quite all here. Not emo though! I really am having a lot of fun and overall really satisfied and pleased with my trip. So don't worry about me.
For later: Download Epik High's Fan MV
But the past few days in Korea have made me realize rather acutely that celebrity stalking is probably not worth it. I've really begun to feel the distinction between being a "fan" and a "fangirl" and I'm not sure I like being the latter. It's not just the utter loss of dignity and what other people think of me (whatever, I lol), but sometimes the my own self-respect dies a little. Plus, it's not always happy-making. I wish I could like SuJu the way I liked Big Bang, in a very enthusiastic but distanced manner. We'll see, I suppose. Korea has sort of turned me off fangirling somewhat not just because it's such a middle-school thing to do here (oh shaame, shaaame), but also because there's been so many fantastic non-fandom related experiences that the fandom seems less important.
I probably won't make a list of everything we've accomplished on our Asia trip until after it's all over (so soon, 2 days!), but some things include (in Korea alone):
1. eating fried larvae
2. eating live octopus (being fed by random amazing Korean ladies at a street vendor, with loud exclamations and shots of soju along hte way)
3. seeing middle school boys skinship cutely on the subway
4. being mistaken as Korean everywhere we go, or if not Korean (once upon discovering our failure at language), then Korean-American
5. dinner, ice cream, and drinking party with random hostel people last night
6. buying things in stores with mostly hand gestures, nodding, and occasional phrases such as "how much is this" "we're American" and "thank you"
And a lot of other things I'm leaving out but will definitely go over when it's all over. I love this trip, these three weeks with Michelle, braving the world (or at least part of it), and experiencing so much new things "on my own".
Hmm, and then I ran out of things to talk about. I was up at 5am though, so that's my excuse for being not quite all here. Not emo though! I really am having a lot of fun and overall really satisfied and pleased with my trip. So don't worry about me.
For later: Download Epik High's Fan MV
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Project Chungguk: Day 17 & 18
Tuesday in Korea, Michelle and I took on our fandom-shopping duties with a vengeance. We acquired shameless (but actually there was quite a bit of shame involved) fangirling merchandise at Myeongdong (amazing). List of things I bought: Super Show CD (which came with a free Super Show poster!), SJM CD (Korean version, also with a free poster, which was the main reason I bought it), 3 SJ keychains, SJ 2009-2010 calendar (ttly not official), and an SJ letter-holder.
::facepalm:: When did SJ take over my life like this? I'm sort of...speechless.
(Michelle got a DBSK flashlight, kind of. It's a tiny penlight but instead of just light, it shows a picture of DBSK when it shines on the wall. Omgwtf, right?)
Tuesdaym we also saw Star Golden Bell on TV, SNSD on TV advertising fried chicken, Kibum on a bus advertising GunPla (a video game), and massive amounts of Rain. Everywhere. All the time. Advertising anything he wanted to.
We ate kimchi fried rice for dinner, which was delicious, and then went to Sukira. Ohh Sukira. What can I say? Middle school fans depress me. There was also too much glass between me and the SuJu boys. They bored the hell out of me until the end (I'm sorry, I don't understand Korean), but then they were cute when they were leaving. Aww, they waved and bowed and drove off in a van with ELF running after them screaming their love. Oh dignity, I miss it, I can't believe I fangirl this.
The boys did roll down their windows and shout "bye" back. I have a blurry sketchy picture of the van they were in and a whitish blob that is Teukie. So disappointing, overall. But we found it! We have blurry pics and bad fancams! (Except the last one of them leaving, that was a cute fancam. Hyukjae, you sweetie.)
As for Day 18, Wednesday, yesterday, I really have nothing to say. I bought some clothes I shouldn't have bought (too many freakin' clothes), some pretty jewelry, and I don't know what else. We had jja jang myun for lunch and bulgolgi for dinner (which may have yet been the best meal I've had in Korea, it was freaking amazing, I need to learn how to make that), then went to Sukira only to find that the boys weren't broadcasting. No LT & EH for us. No SJM. No possibility of ever seeing Donghae or Han Geng fuck you very much Korea.
So instead Michelle and I bought some soju and got drunk. Sketchily. In a park. It was fun times; we were very contemplative. I am apparently a lightweight and can get drunk off half a bottle of soju. It's not my fault I'm tiny! :(
In other news, alcohol is still gross, I ate larvae on Sunday (also gross, btw), I can't forgive the world for anything since it denied me Donghae (but at least there is still SJ-H to look forward to <3), and I may be sick. I'm so tired, what. Asia makes both Michelle & I tired.
I can't decide if Korea's slightly turned me off SJ though. Which is unfortunate, especially since I still do love them, and I've bought all this merchandise for them... Maybe fangirling has just made me tired. Maybe I need a life. ::dies::
::facepalm:: When did SJ take over my life like this? I'm sort of...speechless.
(Michelle got a DBSK flashlight, kind of. It's a tiny penlight but instead of just light, it shows a picture of DBSK when it shines on the wall. Omgwtf, right?)
Tuesdaym we also saw Star Golden Bell on TV, SNSD on TV advertising fried chicken, Kibum on a bus advertising GunPla (a video game), and massive amounts of Rain. Everywhere. All the time. Advertising anything he wanted to.
We ate kimchi fried rice for dinner, which was delicious, and then went to Sukira. Ohh Sukira. What can I say? Middle school fans depress me. There was also too much glass between me and the SuJu boys. They bored the hell out of me until the end (I'm sorry, I don't understand Korean), but then they were cute when they were leaving. Aww, they waved and bowed and drove off in a van with ELF running after them screaming their love. Oh dignity, I miss it, I can't believe I fangirl this.
The boys did roll down their windows and shout "bye" back. I have a blurry sketchy picture of the van they were in and a whitish blob that is Teukie. So disappointing, overall. But we found it! We have blurry pics and bad fancams! (Except the last one of them leaving, that was a cute fancam. Hyukjae, you sweetie.)
As for Day 18, Wednesday, yesterday, I really have nothing to say. I bought some clothes I shouldn't have bought (too many freakin' clothes), some pretty jewelry, and I don't know what else. We had jja jang myun for lunch and bulgolgi for dinner (which may have yet been the best meal I've had in Korea, it was freaking amazing, I need to learn how to make that), then went to Sukira only to find that the boys weren't broadcasting. No LT & EH for us. No SJM. No possibility of ever seeing Donghae or Han Geng fuck you very much Korea.
So instead Michelle and I bought some soju and got drunk. Sketchily. In a park. It was fun times; we were very contemplative. I am apparently a lightweight and can get drunk off half a bottle of soju. It's not my fault I'm tiny! :(
In other news, alcohol is still gross, I ate larvae on Sunday (also gross, btw), I can't forgive the world for anything since it denied me Donghae (but at least there is still SJ-H to look forward to <3), and I may be sick. I'm so tired, what. Asia makes both Michelle & I tired.
I can't decide if Korea's slightly turned me off SJ though. Which is unfortunate, especially since I still do love them, and I've bought all this merchandise for them... Maybe fangirling has just made me tired. Maybe I need a life. ::dies::
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
I never quit fangirling, believe it
Post about why today was awesome later. For now: watch this SJM fancam. Oh my Lord, best outfits so far? Yes, yes, yes.
Donghae, you are my favorite. I feel so bad and yet not really.
Donghae, you are my favorite. I feel so bad and yet not really.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Project Chungguk: Day 16
Korea makes me incredibly happy. I could compare it to Beijing, but why waste the time? Just let me fangirl both, but let me fangirl Seoul now, since I'm here. First I'll take care of the fangirling, because that is foremost my mind while here (can you blame me? please don't), but then I will backtrack to everything else amazing, because so much is.
So firstly, Michelle and I slept in until about 10:30 because...I'm not quite sure. There is something about Asia that makes us ridiculous tired, no matter how much sleep we get. We got up and played with the cute black cat at our hostel and went to the bank and exchanged our money without us speaking any Korean and our teller speaking any English. It was kind of ridiculous and amazing. Hand gestures and charades with a lot of smiling and nodding will totally get us safely through Korea.! After we had lunch and went back to the hostel, we watched TV. Guess what was on? CHANGE. WE SAW KANGIN ON TV. The episode was mostly about MC Mong and random small children he kidnapped from a small Southern village, but it was cute nonetheless, and KANGIN WAS ON TV. Also Lee Hyori. :D
In the afternoon, we met Thea (jaded_skys@LJ)! THEA ILU. You are so awesome for being tall and white and in love with Kangin. She took us on the subway to the building where SuJu lives (I have a picture!). There's an nearby eMart (like a Walmart) where apparently SJ members have been known to go and take food samples lolol. SM apparently does not feed its stars. We went instead to the purikura place nearby and took lots of sparkly ghei flowery glittery sticker pictures. YES ASIA, YOU WIN. :D I will have pictures of our pictures. After dinner we went to an amazingly slick noraebang, omg. It's sort of ridiculous. There were glass floors and flowers and the room had sunken seats and a giant screen and ANIMAL SUITS HANGING FROM THE WALLS. In case you wanted to dress up while singing, idk, H.O.T's Candy. So many pictures of it, wow. I love how much Asia loves karaoke. So hardcore in every country.
Since it'd been raining all day and was pouring by the time we got out of noraebang, we decided not to go to Sukira (but fear not, Michelle and I will attempt again tomorrow night). Instead we went to Baskin Robbins and ate ice cream fondue. Ice cream fondue! Asia continues to be ridiculously amazing. Big Bang was everywhere on the walls and on TV screens in shopping areas and their music was played in a crazy number of stores. It made me so happy. I've heard Babo, Lies, Last Farewell, and Always within the past two days. I've also heard Epik High's One, though I tend to stop at every rap song and make sure it's not Epik High before moving on haha. Oh love. Only in Korea will I be able to recognize so many random songs playing from stores--I can't even claim that in the U.S., tragically.
Tomorrow Michelle and I are going to go to __ Palace and then the National Museum. In the afternoon, we're going to Myeongdong and shopping for all of our fangirly needs. *_* We saw CDs and DVDs and SuJu shirts and DBSK posters and I am going to get so much and plaster my walls and room and WHO CARES IF I CAN'T EVER SHOW MY LAW SCHOOL FRIENDS MY ROOM LOLOL. So they won't take me seriously, so what. I feel like my future arguments will go like this:
MEI: *makes important legal point*
CLASSMATE: *stares at her meaningfully with an eyebrow raised to indicate I've seen your room, your point is now invalid*
MEI: Well they're prettier than you!
And they will have to concede the point and I will win. Obviously.
So anyway, in non-fangirly news, I adore the food in both China and Beijing. So far I've had bibimbap and ...other stuff I don't remember the name of. It is a goal of my life to eat kimchi fried rice, hah. I love kimchi. Korea, Land of Kimchi, you make me happy. Everything I've had so far is bright red because they believe greatly in red chili pepper paste, oh yes. Also, soju, way less potent than I thought. Still awesome. Drunken night will happen soon. Perhaps Wednesday with Thea, when she's free again.
Stuff here is definitely more expensive than in China (oh China <3) but still a lot cheaper than in the States. I have promised myself not to buy any clothes (I have too many clothes, what) but fangirly stuff is go. Perhaps a pair of awesome $5 shoes. Who knows? There are so many options for life.
Weather report says rain all week, and not the Rain that dances and sings either. It's rather tragic, but we should make it through. I'm mostly upset that SuJu (ALL 13 AT LAST) are having a Dream Concert the night of June 7, which is the day I leave. So, so sad. I should just miss my flight and try to get into that alkjsdlfk. Oh my life.
Anyway, yes. No idea what's going on anymore. Michelle just screamed at me to look at the TV and we just saw all of SJ (Donghaaeeee) on TV for a Sunkist commercial. My night is complete!
So firstly, Michelle and I slept in until about 10:30 because...I'm not quite sure. There is something about Asia that makes us ridiculous tired, no matter how much sleep we get. We got up and played with the cute black cat at our hostel and went to the bank and exchanged our money without us speaking any Korean and our teller speaking any English. It was kind of ridiculous and amazing. Hand gestures and charades with a lot of smiling and nodding will totally get us safely through Korea.! After we had lunch and went back to the hostel, we watched TV. Guess what was on? CHANGE. WE SAW KANGIN ON TV. The episode was mostly about MC Mong and random small children he kidnapped from a small Southern village, but it was cute nonetheless, and KANGIN WAS ON TV. Also Lee Hyori. :D
In the afternoon, we met Thea (jaded_skys@LJ)! THEA ILU. You are so awesome for being tall and white and in love with Kangin. She took us on the subway to the building where SuJu lives (I have a picture!). There's an nearby eMart (like a Walmart) where apparently SJ members have been known to go and take food samples lolol. SM apparently does not feed its stars. We went instead to the purikura place nearby and took lots of sparkly ghei flowery glittery sticker pictures. YES ASIA, YOU WIN. :D I will have pictures of our pictures. After dinner we went to an amazingly slick noraebang, omg. It's sort of ridiculous. There were glass floors and flowers and the room had sunken seats and a giant screen and ANIMAL SUITS HANGING FROM THE WALLS. In case you wanted to dress up while singing, idk, H.O.T's Candy. So many pictures of it, wow. I love how much Asia loves karaoke. So hardcore in every country.
Since it'd been raining all day and was pouring by the time we got out of noraebang, we decided not to go to Sukira (but fear not, Michelle and I will attempt again tomorrow night). Instead we went to Baskin Robbins and ate ice cream fondue. Ice cream fondue! Asia continues to be ridiculously amazing. Big Bang was everywhere on the walls and on TV screens in shopping areas and their music was played in a crazy number of stores. It made me so happy. I've heard Babo, Lies, Last Farewell, and Always within the past two days. I've also heard Epik High's One, though I tend to stop at every rap song and make sure it's not Epik High before moving on haha. Oh love. Only in Korea will I be able to recognize so many random songs playing from stores--I can't even claim that in the U.S., tragically.
Tomorrow Michelle and I are going to go to __ Palace and then the National Museum. In the afternoon, we're going to Myeongdong and shopping for all of our fangirly needs. *_* We saw CDs and DVDs and SuJu shirts and DBSK posters and I am going to get so much and plaster my walls and room and WHO CARES IF I CAN'T EVER SHOW MY LAW SCHOOL FRIENDS MY ROOM LOLOL. So they won't take me seriously, so what. I feel like my future arguments will go like this:
MEI: *makes important legal point*
CLASSMATE: *stares at her meaningfully with an eyebrow raised to indicate I've seen your room, your point is now invalid*
MEI: Well they're prettier than you!
And they will have to concede the point and I will win. Obviously.
So anyway, in non-fangirly news, I adore the food in both China and Beijing. So far I've had bibimbap and ...other stuff I don't remember the name of. It is a goal of my life to eat kimchi fried rice, hah. I love kimchi. Korea, Land of Kimchi, you make me happy. Everything I've had so far is bright red because they believe greatly in red chili pepper paste, oh yes. Also, soju, way less potent than I thought. Still awesome. Drunken night will happen soon. Perhaps Wednesday with Thea, when she's free again.
Stuff here is definitely more expensive than in China (oh China <3) but still a lot cheaper than in the States. I have promised myself not to buy any clothes (I have too many clothes, what) but fangirly stuff is go. Perhaps a pair of awesome $5 shoes. Who knows? There are so many options for life.
Weather report says rain all week, and not the Rain that dances and sings either. It's rather tragic, but we should make it through. I'm mostly upset that SuJu (ALL 13 AT LAST) are having a Dream Concert the night of June 7, which is the day I leave. So, so sad. I should just miss my flight and try to get into that alkjsdlfk. Oh my life.
Anyway, yes. No idea what's going on anymore. Michelle just screamed at me to look at the TV and we just saw all of SJ (Donghaaeeee) on TV for a Sunkist commercial. My night is complete!
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