MAY!!!

I woke up today in a suspiciously good mood (has someone been putting something in my morning coffee?) the sun was shining, I enjoyed the company of a student who is usually good at monotonistic attempts to lull me to sleep, and I had another really good conversation with a student about the current North-South issue at hand.
A friend from back home recommended a podcast called "Risk" to me, and I've been listening to it nonstop for the last week. So obsessively have I been listening that I've gone through the entire series. What's good about Risk is that each episode features multiple standup comedians and if I like their stuff I can just go to their own websites and listen to more. This is very good because usually when I finish a stint of obsessively watching a series like Six Feet Under or True Blood, I'm left feeling very empty after I watch the last episode, wondering "what do I do now?". Well, with Risk "now" I can move onto each comedian I like. Today I spent most of my break listening to Elna Baker, a mormon standup who lives in New York and who wrote a book called "the new york regional mormon singles halloween dance". She's such a good public speaker and story teller and I've been captivated by her all day. I think it's pretty impressive when someone who you have literally nothing in commong with can be interesting and funny and oddly easy to relate to. Go check her out!
It's been quite a while since my last update, and a lot has happened, so I'll try to remember the good stuff and make it sound interesting. May has been probably the best month I've had since I've been here. The winter FINALLY threw in the towel, Julie came to visit, and I got to take off almost an entire week for vacation and I really, really needed it.
This month I've also been expanding my social horizon and spending time with more people and forcing myself to get out of my rut... I mean routine.
When Julie arrived it was so surreal to see her. It was surreal in the sense that it didn't feel weird at all, I felt like I had just seen her the day before. Julie is one of those friends that I feel like years could go by and we would just pick up right where we left off. We chattered all the way from the bus stop to my house, catching up on all the substantial scandals and gossip. "She did what??" I squealed with excitement at every little tidbit of Korean culture that I could point out along the way, marveling in the fact that for once I could play tour guide instead of tourist (take that Tyler and your all knowing knowingness!). I pointed out the dokbuckee stands, and my favorite restaurant, and my local market and then we (well mostly Julie) dragged her suitcase up to the top floor of my hot and sticky apartment.
The next five days were some of the nest days I've had in Korea. There is so much to do in this amazing city, but with my current schedule its pretty difficult to find time to do them. I had a packed itinerary planned for Julies trip, it was a little overly ambitious and reality called and some plans were canceled.... due to hangovers... I mean lack of sleep. But we did manage to hit all the important touristy spots, we went to Namsan, Namdaemon market, Insadong, Hongdae, World Cup Stadium for a friendly match between Ecuador and Korea and we even went to the DMZ. We went to the DMZ the day before SK declared that it wasm in fact, NK that sunk the ship in March.
The DMZ was interesting but strange, every minute was monitored and controlled. Whenever we went to a location we had "five minutes of free time" and most of the interesting places were in the NO PHOTO ZONE so most of our pictures are on the bus, or standing around in a random place that could be anywhere. The third tunnel and the joint security area were my favorite places. I technically have been in north korea now.
One of the most humorous and awkward parts of the day was the Julie-And-Nadja-Try-To-Take-A-Picture-With-A-Soldier challenge. First we were too shy to ask any of the guards permission, so we tried to take "candid shots in front of buildings" oops, did he end up in the picture in the background? But those pictures were taken haphazardly out of fear and ended up pretty bad and would not make the facebook cut, so next we considered asking them.
At the observation tower (where we couldn't see north korea due to the weather) I kept dancing around one of the soldiers trying to muster up the courage to ask if I could take a picture with him, but right as I was about to blurt out the question with my eager camera in hand a Japanese tourist started poking the DMZ display with his umbrella and the soildier ran at him. Fail #2. Finally we went to the JSA and we got to enter the building that covers north and south soil. In the building there were two soldiers, frozen in their military stance like the guards at Buckingham Palace, with aviators and clenched fists. The tour guide informed the group that we could stand by them and take pictures ... "but don't get too close!" she warned. So Julie and I went to take our pictures with the soldiers and let me tell you.. taking a picture without someone's permission is a what-in-the-michael-cera awkward! Not only do you stand next to this poor soldier that can't move, you also have to worry about getting too close. What is too close? Will I vaguely hear the word "Anniyo!" before being battoned over the head? So, after we took our pictures and looked at them they were so awkward that I might send them into awkwardfamilyphotos.com (just kidding julie... I deleted them...) so Fail #3. Did I mention we were wearing brigth yellow and blue rain ponchos?
Much more to write but I have to do some work. More updates soon(ish) I swear.

I suppose Winter is officially over, not because Spring is here, but because it's Summer now. Where did Spring go? Where is she hiding? Just a mere five days ago we had the coldest recorded day in April in 100 years, and now it's hot, humid and muggy... say what?
Though I did not like the bitter cold, due to my poor circulation and being overly coddled by California weather, it did serve an important function: masking the Seoul stench. This morning as I walked to the bus stop I tried to think of the best ways to describe the smells that were attacking my nostrils... but nothing could quite compare, no words to do these smells justice, until I remembered the Labyrinth. Walking along the streets and going down wind of the sewer is like taking a trip to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Don't let one of those greyish puddles touch you or you'll never get the smell off! and don't even get me started on the Pigeons, the pigeons back home look like cuddly Disney characters compared to the ones here. I'm been contemplating making an album entirely devoted to these decrepit creatures, but maybe I shouldn't permanently scar myself and others.
May is shaping up to be pretty great so far. Last weekend I forced myself to break my usual weekend routine and spent some time with new people and it was great. I went out with two of my friends that I hadn't seen in a while and I met their Italian friends. Imagine the aggressively flirty Italian stereotype paired with shy and reserved Korean girls, it was like an ongoing comedy sketch. "Pretty lady, you have boyfriend??" There must have been three different groups of girls that came and sat with us and then quickly got freaked out by all the thigh touching and sexual innuendos until they ran off. Pretty hilarious.
On Saturday I met a group of Canadians and everyone was so nice, it's true what they say (except about Tyler) about Canadians being the nicest people. Even though I had just met them I felt really comfortable talking with them, and it was an all around positive experience.
Then on Sunday I went to a Doosan Bear's baseball game and enjoyed my sunday with some Cass, friends, and a slight sunburn.
Even though today is Tuesday, it's more like a Friday because we have tomorrow off as a national holiday. I was planning on going to the beach but alas, nature has decided to literally rain on my parade, so I'll have to come up with something else. Cheers!