Can't Sleep!

Well, although I have been laying in bed trying to fall asleep for almost an hour, sleep has eluded me so I figured I would use the time a little more prodcutively and write a journal entry. 

Yesterday I slept late and relaxed around the apartment until around 4pm when I went to meet up with Brigid, Natasha, Dana and Asia to do a night tour of Seoul.  We had previously done the day tour so we figured why not see what they had to offer at night.  We met at the bibimbap restaurant in Gwanghwamun where we had eaten before and enjoyed some delicious food and conversation first.  Then, since we still had a bunch of time to kill, we decided to walk down Cheonggyecheon stream.  I had also been to the stream before, but not at night.  In the evening it turns into a really romantic locale (oh la la) and there are various areas and bridges lit up in different ways that really make it quite pretty to walk down.

For some reason this picture looks very Night Before Christmas to me.  This is the big snail/ice cream sculpture at the mouth of the stream all lit up at dusk.

Looking past the waterfall towards the sculpture.

Looking down the stream from the fountain/top of the waterfall.

Crazy projected bionic flowers that dance to the music along the stream.

Beautiful painting done by a student at an art exhibit under one of the bridges.

We all contemplated how easy it would be to steal this AWESOME painting.  I would hang it in my house in an instant.

After spending over an hour at the stream, we headed back up to the plaza to get on the bus.  We ended up getting some of the last seats on the top of the double decker, which was pretty sweet.  Let's just say that if I had gone on this tour hoping to learn a lot of informaton...I would have been let down.  The audio guide gave VERY little information during the 1.5 hour tour.  The information it did give was kind of bizarre.  We learned about a million bridges that cross the Han and what they (and their lighting) are supposed to symbolize.  "This bridge's lighting symbolizes the way that every citizen of Seoul struggles and strains against oppression worldwide."  Um...ok.  Sure it does.  By the end, I just leaned forward to Brigid and Natasha and said "Yeah...I'm pretty sure that bridge ACTUALLY symbolizes my desire to get to the other side of the damn river." 

Seoul Namsan Tower and a river boat cruising along the Han.

The rainbow bridge that has a colored fountain display symbolizing...something...

After returning from our tour we all split up and headed home and I stayed up late catching up on some American TV online.

This morning I slept late again (probably why I can't sleep now...) and cleaned my apartment top to bottom.  Angie and Laura were just talking about how neat my apartment always is (BECAUSE I HAVE NO WHERE TO HIDE ANYTHING NOW!) but they would not have said that had they seen my apartment before I cleaned today!  I did laundry, a bunch of dishes, cleaned my bathroom and shower, etc.  It was productive. 

You may remember the photos of the songpyeon that I posted the other day.  Well the morning after I ate the TWO pieces out of the box, I opened it and discovered that (gasp) it was GROWING THINGS.  I covered it again and gave it until today to show what it could do.  I don't know what the deal is, but apparently songpyeon is the perfect medium for growing INSANE MOLD.  After taking the following pictures I transfered them into a food trash bag (pausing to gag at least three times) and got them the hell out of my apartment.

This is after only three days of being open!

Close up on the multiple kinds of mold growing.  Ewww.

Today I also did some final relaxation before heading back to school tomorrow that consisted of watching two movies for the first time that a million people had told me I needed to see (300 which was FANTASTIC, and Interview with a Vampire which was TERRIBLE) and watching some more American TV.  This episode on Amazing Race they were in Ho Chi Minh City and it was extremely exciting (and humbling!) to recognize places I've been on the episode.  They rolled out the clue that was a postage stamp with a picture of a building on it and I almost yelled at my computer "THE POST OFFICE!" which was where all of our tours met to depart, located right next to the cathedral and about a 10 minute walk to my hotel.  They also went to the Reunification Palace and some other places I remembered.  I have lived an awesome life thus far.

On my way out to dinner tonight my door was difficult to push open.  I looked on the other side and there was a HUGE care package from my Aunt Janice an Uncle Mike in Germany.  It had a ton of magazines/catalogs (which I can use in class, too!), and a delcious assortment of cookies and chocolate.  Holy crap does that chocolate put all Korean chocolate to shame!  I am so thankful and very excited!

Check out this awesome loot.

THANK YOU AUNT JANICE AND UNCLE MIKE!!!

I suppose at this point I really just need to get back into bed and lay there until I finally fall asleep.  Tomorrow morning is going to come way too quickly and it is my most boring day (therefore the day I need to be most awake so I don't fall asleep in class!).