On my way to Korea from SFO I had to transfer planes in Taipei Taoyuan Airport.

I had an hour to spend after walking two miles through the airport to the correct terminal. I was starving so I got some breakfast at a cafe close to my gate. It was probably 80 degrees inside the terminal, so I couldn’t get myself to eat hot noodles.

Delicious dumplings 3USD, 400Yen -- I had yen from my last Japan trip so I finally got to get rid of some of it! Mango juice was good too!

Finally made it to Korea—had some good dinner after a long day of work:

Kalbi & small dishes + seafood pancake + Cass beer = a good ending to a long day. THANKS YUHEE!

Then got completely confused by my all-too-swanky hotel room:

First, I couldn’t figure out how to turn ON the lights in my room—then I couldn’t figure out how to turn them OFF. Some of the lights have buttons on the wall to turn them on, others don’t.

This is what the screen on my room phone looks like. I can control the lights (and dim them) in my room from my bed. No wonder I couldn't find any of the right light switches in my room after 15-20 minutes of complete confusion. I felt like a chicken with my head cut off. You can also control the curtains with a remote control. Complete technology overload. It also took me 5 minutes to figure out how to turn the right shower head on this morning...and no, I never figured it out. I ended up pulling an entire knob fixture out. The bathroom has both a shower and a bathtub with a shower head.

A pretty bad video of how ridiculous this hotel room is—minus the giant 48″ flat screen tv.

Everyone apparently loves dukbukki (rice cake in a spicy red sauce) so Christine and I had to get some from a street vendor after freezing our butts off in 14 degree F weather. I seriously could not feel my face, my fingers or the soles of my feet and I was wearing sneakers. I haven't been so cold since....yup, can't even remember when. I was wearing a tank top, tshirt, thick flannel, pea coat and a scarf.

Nothin' like a little street shopping and some freshly shredded dried squid. Oh the smell of it being grilled as you walk the streets is intoxicating. I took a picture on Christine's camera of the giant dried tentacles, so that'll have to come in a future post.

That’s it for now! Leaving for the states tomorrow ! Sad to leave our counterpart in Korea by herself in the craziness

when I will post again.”

hopefully intermittently.

So, yes I am leaving on a jet plane, a jet plane to Seoul, Korea for work on Sunday and will be back Friday morning.

It’ll be my first time in Korea, and nope, I do not know any Korean besides some food names such as:

bulgogi, soondooboo, soju, kalbi, japchae, kimchi (pretty sure the spelling is horrendous)

and

“anyong” (I think is “hello”)

and

“hajima” (i think is “don’t do that”)

I’ve been going to work really early and coming home from work pretty late because we have been busy preparing and packing for the trip. I haven’t had much time to write anything interesting at work because I haven’t been in front of my computer.

If you guys want to email me things you’d like me to share on the blog while I’m gone my email is cynthia.ting@gmail.com .

I’m excited to hopefully meet up with good friends while I’m there! I’m crossing my fingers hoping that our schedules will work!