Day 19

Today, my alarm clock failed to wake me up. I had some wonderful, horrible, bittersweetish dreams. I always dream of things from home, but the location is in Korea. I guess I just really wish my friends and family were with me here. I end up waking up at 10:00AM. oh shit. We are supposed to be leaving to go to grandpa's house at 11:00AM. But... Why is the house silent? I'm disappointed that my alarm clock stole two hours from me, but I listen carefully, looking out of the window. Nothing. Wait. I see a streak of white outside of my window. Another! Is something wrong with my vision? What are these white streaks? I look more carefully, walking towards the window slowly. I see more and more streaks aaaand--

it's raining.

Oh.

I wash up and go into the living room. The clock is upturned for some reason and nobody is awake. I go on my computer and watch some YouTube videos. It's a beautiful rainy day!! After a bit, my mother wakes up. She tells me, 오늘 아침에 피가 많이 왔어. Because it rained a lot and is still raining, we were going to leave at 1 instead of 11. I continue to watch videos about some intriguing, mysterious, and slightly creepy stories on YouTube as my mother prepares breakfast.

We eat breakfast as a family. Kimbap, 감자전, and potato salad sandwiches. Along with my bubbly vitamin drink, I enjoy this absolutely delicious meal. We prepare to leave and shortly, we are driving through a slightly rainy Seoul in our comfy Mercedes Benz. Listening to music and enjoying my feeling of chrycallism, I am the epitome of comfort. Looking out the window and seeing nature along with technology and buildings, I have a wonderful, new feeling-- one as if I was in Japan, playing Pokemon while on a road trip.

On the way to the grandpas house, we stopped by a building that was basically a graveyard. We visited my father's parents' grave/tomb. In this stunningly beautiful place, the essence of death takes on a more positive mood. The openness of the building and the sheer size of it gives the area a feeling of possibilities and future. There is a large banner that grieved the passing of a recent death from a popular actor. We leave the place and go back onto the road.

I begin to fall asleep, trying my absolute hardest to stay awake. The seat I was in had a built in pillow for the headrest, the temperature was perfect, the movements of the car felt like a massage, my music playing In my ear felt comforting and among this, i was dry while watching my surroundings and how the rain made things beautiful. Just about every requirement on my sleep list was checked off, so I inevitably drifted off to a sleep while watching the raindrops race across the car. I am awoken again.

We are stopped at a large store and I wonder what it is. I read 편의점. A convenience store? I look further to the right. 한식장보페. Korean food room buffet. My father opens my door for me. My mother tells me we are here to eat lunch. We get into the restaurant and there are rows of empty tables with a long buffet table in the far back, stacked with all types of Korean foods and snacks. Suddenly feeling extremely hungry, I take the lead of my family and take a little bit of every entree that looked appetizing. I get to my seat with a full plate and begin to eat with my family. I fill my mouth with some rice, kimchi, and spicy pork. I am shocked. This food is so delicious!! I prevent myself from eating too fast so that I can eat more and I clean my plate, feeling full and satisfied. As I eat some mochi, my gives me some iced plum juice to drink in order to help with digestion. I think of my prior mistake with plumb juice, but I drink anyway. It tastes very sweet and refreshing! We leave the place and get back on the road.

I begin to drift off again, but my brother wakes me up right as I'm about to fall asleep. We drive up a driveway and I see rows upon rows of tall corns. I look around, the mountains hiding behind clouds while a light shower coats the plentiful flora with water droplets. I am stunned by the beauty of this area. The sounds of nature and slight smell of burning wood reminds me of the Philippines, but the flora and beauty reminds me of Hawaii. I feel like admiring nature for the entire day.

I head into the tall house, sad to leave the outside. The house is a very comfortable, cute and clean Adobe. It reminds me of the house from a game where you have to help a man reach the moon before he dies. The layout reminds me of the first floor of the house and I feel a strange sort of belonging. I feel like I know this place and feel comfort although I have never been here and know absolutely nothing of the area. After watching some television with my brother and grandfather, I decide to go outside to enjoy the nature.

With an umbrella in one hand and my camera in my other hand, I look around, ready to shoot. I feel disappointed that I can't fully record every sense, the tone of calmness among the beauty and wonder of the world while a soft pitterpatter notes the falling rain from above. I hear birds calling from afar and that distant static sound that only comes in the very early morning when even the sun struggles to wake up. In a place like this, it's no wonder that Internet is not present.

I look closer and see the differences in the plants and bugs here. Things look similar from afar, but close up, everything looks so different and beautiful. Even while driving here, I could be looking at a different kind of bird in the air and I feel like I'm in a different world. Everything interests me and has a beauty, so I record and take pictures of everything I see. I stay outside for a good hour or two before heading back in, looking off into the distance and pondering life.

I get back in the house an study Korean as my mother prepares dinner. On the television, the cast of running man visit a haunted house/ village type thing. My mother feeds me the Korean version of Hello Panda - 칸쵸 -  and I feel so blessed. I turn around, getting drawn in by the way that Korean television pulls your attention and makes you invested. I turn back around and the table Is filled with food. We eat our dinner, a chicken rice soup with kimchi and a fish soup that I didn't try. My grandpa was talking about something to my mother and father. I tried my hardest to listen and understand, but all I got out of it was that my grandpa either got stabbed by something in his chest or he felt some pain in his chest, so he went to the pharmacy. My grandfather looks very sweet and I wish I was able to speak with him, but I just listen until my mother tells me to rest on the sofa.

I do so and watch sports and news with my brother and father for a long while. We watch a baseball game and see news about France. Then, the program changes to a singing type program and my mother joins us. I wash my face and brush my teeth and go back downstairs. My family watches television as I type this post and drink water from the table behind them.

I feel so blessed that I get to visit the country side of Korea and I already love it so much more than the city. I love technology, but nothing beats the amazing beauty of nature and having privacy. It's nice to take a break from the 24/7 발리 and absorb my surroundings. Today was amazing and chill and I can't wait to go out and swim tomorrow.

These days pass quickly and as I see my progress, I look forward to what comes. For now, however, I gotta head onto bed. I sleep on the floor on a map, reminiscent of my days in Hawaii, on the second floor alone.

Welp, I hope everyone else is also having a fantastic time, definitely visit Korea for scenery some day! Good night~~!

Day 19

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