Seoulsearching

Changing Sides

kimjihei — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:18:12 +0000

Well, after much consideration, and since I’m really crappy at updating this blog I’m moving on. I’ve created a new blog that unfortunately for you non-Swedish speakers will be in Swedish. But I hear from my father that the Google translate between English and Swedish isn’t too bad at least. It’s not like the English (or any language I know) to Korean which just messes everything up worse than before.

So, come join me at my new blog, that will be somewhat different to this one I believe.

http://karinbwigren.wordpress.com

Dreaming of a white Christmas

kimjihei — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:30:03 +0000

Today I put my new winter shoes up to the test for real. I wasn’t planning on going out since it has been snowing all day, and most of the day it has been snowing very literally sideways but my need to get out at least an hour a day finally got to me and I went for a quick walk. I had told Frida earlier that the snow here in southern Sweden melts away and becomes mush immediately but today’s weather made me a liar.

Tweeting and life in general

kimjihei — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:22:43 +0000

Since I’m such a super busy person right now I just looked through my tweets since the beginning of 2009. True is that I have never been a very frequent tweeter anyhow but it made me miss that life…at least a little bit. If I could just have all the interesting and fun parts and leave out the strenuous and stressing parts I would gladly go back to being super busy for real.

Right now my life consists of messed up sleeping habits, freezing but refreshing walks and a seemingly endless writing project…oh and tv-series marathons with Daniel in the evenings of course. Need to find more good shows!

But oh well, next week it’s Christmas already and then we’re heading for Gothenburg and my parents’ house for a week or so.

Out of Boredom pt.3

kimjihei — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:33:26 +0000

Daniel looking out at our beautiful West coast archipelago (2008)

Taking a break from paddling when out canoeing with friends (2008)

Here we are, making our way down the river (2008)

At Jacek's playing Ludo with shots (2009)

At the Gothenburg Book & Library Fair talking about Belarus and election observation (2009)

On our way home after a long night in Gothenburg, Sweden (2007)

Yet again in the wonderful Swedish western archipelago. This time for Sandy's 25th. (2008)

Daniel and dad getting the boat ready (2008)

Out of Boredom pt.2

kimjihei — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:20:25 +0000

Election observation gang in Lithuania (2009)

Taking a break in the election observation to take fancy pics in a rape-seed field, Lithuania (2009)

Fort-climbing in Tbilisi, Georgia (2009)

The girls were the forerunners while climbing the fort in Tbilisi (2009)

The girls found a seal (sheep) that the Japanese-Norwegian wanted to club to death (Tbilisi 2009)

Playing music chair with lenient rules at seminar in Tbilisi (2009)

Roomates, at dinner in Tbilisi (2009)

At Cultural Evening in Tbilisi (2009)

Looking bored but I'm actually just tired after 19 hrs of election observation and driving through Lithuania all night

Out of Boredom pt.1

kimjihei — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:06:13 +0000

I can’t sleepand I’m bored so I’ve been taking a walk down memory lane, picking up quite some photos that I feel extra fuzzy about, or that I just find entertaining. Starting with Korea -06 and -07.

Meeting my bio-parents for the first time in 23 years (2006)

Me with my three bio-sisters and two nieces (2006)

At the DMZ (2006)

With my bio-dad in Gyeongju, S. Korea (2006)

Daniel and I at the White Closing Party of IKAA (2007)

The Wigren twins do the Locomotive at a noraebang (2007)

Clubbing in Hongdae area, Seoul (2007)

Off to the Samsung/IKAA Gala Dinner (2007)

Roller coaster life

kimjihei — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 20:03:51 +0000

It feels like a cliché saying that life is like a roller coaster right now. It’s pretty obvious I guess, but it’s not less true for that. I’m feeling sick from the medicine and I feel like a pin cushion from taking a lot of tests. Even if I try not to I’m stressed out over the life that I don’t have yet and the life I almost could’ve had.

I’ve had nice breaks in the monotony, meeting up with Daniel’s brother and his wife on visit from London on Wednesday and lunching at Daniel’s sister’s place today. However, these short breaks totally drain me of energy. One should be able to do more than meet people twice a week right? It’s not normal.

The days pass by outside the window. I wish I could be better.

Where Did She Go?

kimjihei — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:21:09 +0000

I suppose a well thought through and philosophical post about both my absence from the blog and my current situation is expected. Sorry, I have no such things in store for you.

I know my parents aren’t too happy about me putting it all out there, for my own sake. But after talking a lot to Daniel it’s still my conclusion that it can be a good part of my process and considering so many asking in general how it is, and I’m not going to lie to anyone, so why not just spell it out.

After returning home from eight months in Korea I was overpowered by my whole life. It’s too simplified to say it’s because there are many things to process after such a long time in my birthcountry (but undoubtebly it’s a relevant factor). Those who do know me knows that I have a wish to preform extremely well and be pleasent and so on into infinity and finally it has broken me down to the point that I cannot ignore it and keep going with business as usual anymore.

I’m not a headcase, I’m just human. But yeah, I’m basically living in the cuckoo’s nest right now….for real.

Misses and not about Korea

kimjihei — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:21:33 +0000

Well it’s exactly what it sounds like I guess. Some of the things I miss and not about living in Korea.

Miss about Korea:

Korean BBQ
The friends we got there
Not being called Chinese by drunken morons
Living in a 15 million people city and still be less afraid of crime of any kind than in a 250,000 people city
Being able to practice Korean in everyday life
Countdown on the green lights
Not feeling REALLY small in crowds
Being able to see Korean films in the cinemas
T-Money cards
Free internet zones
Cute shoes to buy in every corner
Opening hours for shops and restaurants
Cheap quick food like kimbap, kimchijigae or mandos
Being able to blend in if you keep your mouth shut and don’t show your tattoos
Jimjilbangs (again, Korean style sauna places)

Don’t miss about Korea:

Almost being run over by mopeds on the sidewalk
Dried squid
Middleaged Koreans taking liberties: women pushing and shoving, men cutting in line and starring at girls totally unashamed
Being scorned by taxi drivers because my Korean isn’t good enough (in Korean mind you)
Not being able to get a taxi because: you’re on the wrong side of the road, the driver doesn’t want to drive foreigners, the driver dosen’t want to drive to your destination etc.
One in a million (ok but at least one in twenty-thirty) chance to find an ATM that takes foreign cards that aren’t Chinese cards.
Not being able to pay Korean bills via internet
Slow and instable internet
That buying a real cheese or good vegetables will cost you dearly
Paying extreme money or having to stand on the subway for 45 minutes stinking of sweat in order to excercise (applies for living in central Seoul without a car)

Busy Return

kimjihei — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:18:51 +0000

We’ve been up in Gothenburg since last. We stayed at my parents’ house and spent some time with them and also met up with friends living in Gothenburg. On Thursday eve we met Johanna and her son and then had a beer with Karin. On Friday we had dinner with my girls from high school and some other people.

Saturday we went to my sister for her youngest’s birthday. He was shy for the first time ever that I’ve seen. But sure, we’ve been away for eight months so I guess it’s normal. After the birthday cake we drove back down to Skåne and in the evening we went to our apartment for a small Welcome home-party. It was nice being back home but a bit strange to be leaving after the party was over.

However, we had a really nice time with friends eating pizza (Swedish pizza beats Korean pizza any time!), drinking, playing video games (Daniel have missed it so it seems) and talking.