Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Video Update - It's 2009, yooo!!!
Videos/pictures from the plane with cutie Hannah, pictures of my neices Eunjin and Eunsung (who have grown so much in 4 years) and stuff from around campus.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Day 3! - The 29th.
Yesterday was Sunday so there wasn't any practice. I went downtown with Hye-Jin and we bought things that I needed like hangers for my clothes and laundry stuff. We also walked around and ate a lot of... EVERYTHING. Frozen strawberries covered in candy on a stick, green tea ice cream, and yummm free samples at the grocery store. It was heaven! We also took some sticker pictures (OH YEAH!) and I felt very Korean.
So today is Monday and was my first day of training. The team ate breakfast together at 7:20 and then walked to the archery range. It's FAR! I couldn't eat very much because I was too nervous about my first day. We got to the range at around 8:00. When we got there, the 1st years were already busy sweeping the floors. It's just what they're expected to do.
Once the building was clean, we went for a run around the track. Jogging for 4.5 laps and sprinting the last half. It definitely wasn't easy for me and I felt VERY out of shape. Just like the other day, everyone took turns leading the same cycle of dynamic stretches and at the end, did a cheer. "1-2-3 fighting!" (yeeaaaaah!!!)
From 9 am to noon, we shot and shot and shot. From 12-2, we had lunch at the cafeteria and had a very nice break. At 2, we stretched again and shot until 5. At 5, we all headed to the track and did the 5 laps. Dynamic stretching and a cheer. This time, the cheer was "oi, 수고했습니다"... which is how you tell someone that they worked hard. Just like Saturday, we all went back inside and stood in a line and listened to what the coach had to say about practice today. After the synchronized bow (it sounds so weird in English), practice was over.
I was VERY scared at the beginning of practice today. I was most concerned that I would shoot an arrow through one of the windows. Luckily, I didn't and I actually shot very well. There's something about shooting beside people who are so talented that it makes you work so much harder. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
We went out for 라볶이 (yummmm!) and now I'm just very very very tired.
I'm going to have to sleep early tonight and hopefully be ready for tomorrow.
I've been taking a lot of pictures and will post them soon!
Hye-Jin and I made a video so I'll have to post that soon too.
So today is Monday and was my first day of training. The team ate breakfast together at 7:20 and then walked to the archery range. It's FAR! I couldn't eat very much because I was too nervous about my first day. We got to the range at around 8:00. When we got there, the 1st years were already busy sweeping the floors. It's just what they're expected to do.
Once the building was clean, we went for a run around the track. Jogging for 4.5 laps and sprinting the last half. It definitely wasn't easy for me and I felt VERY out of shape. Just like the other day, everyone took turns leading the same cycle of dynamic stretches and at the end, did a cheer. "1-2-3 fighting!" (yeeaaaaah!!!)
From 9 am to noon, we shot and shot and shot. From 12-2, we had lunch at the cafeteria and had a very nice break. At 2, we stretched again and shot until 5. At 5, we all headed to the track and did the 5 laps. Dynamic stretching and a cheer. This time, the cheer was "oi, 수고했습니다"... which is how you tell someone that they worked hard. Just like Saturday, we all went back inside and stood in a line and listened to what the coach had to say about practice today. After the synchronized bow (it sounds so weird in English), practice was over.
I was VERY scared at the beginning of practice today. I was most concerned that I would shoot an arrow through one of the windows. Luckily, I didn't and I actually shot very well. There's something about shooting beside people who are so talented that it makes you work so much harder. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
We went out for 라볶이 (yummmm!) and now I'm just very very very tired.
I'm going to have to sleep early tonight and hopefully be ready for tomorrow.
I've been taking a lot of pictures and will post them soon!
Hye-Jin and I made a video so I'll have to post that soon too.
Day 1! (December 27, 2008)
Here's my first post from Korea! (I haven't been able to access a computer with internet until now.)
The 14 hour flight from Toronto to Incheon went by VERY quickly. I had an awesome emergency exit window seat so it was great. Hannah, the cutest girl ever, and I entertained each other for a lot of the trip so time just flew by.
At around 6 AM Korea time, I took a shuttle bus from Incheon airport to Daegu, where my coach picked me up and took me straight to the university. She gave me the choice of either going to the dorms or to the archery range and of course, I chose the range! As we pulled up in the parking lot, all the archers came outside to say hi. I felt very... special. I was especially happy to hear someone shouting "HIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!".. it was Hye-Jin, the friend I shot against in Taiwan.
The targets are outside but the archers stand inside a small, heated building and shoot through open windows. It's such a simple concept but allows them to shoot long distances all year round. After they everyone shoots their arrows, they all put on their winter coats and either walk or run to the targets. At noon, everyone put their bows away and headed for the track outside. It's an awesome track that goes around a soccer field and basketball court. I watched the archers run 4.5 laps and sprint the last half. My coach told me they either run 5 or 10 laps, depending on how she's feeling that day.
After the run, everyone came together in a circle and took turns leading dynamic stretches. Then they put their hands together and did a little cheer. Finally, everyone went back inside and stood in a line in front of the coach. I didn't know what they were doing so one of the guys gave me a nudge and told me how to stand - with my hands behind my back and feet shoulder-width apart. The coach then told us what she liked and what she didn't like about practice. Once she finished, we all had to bow together and practice was over for the day.
My cousin and his family stopped by the university and took all the archers out for dinner. I got a cell phone after dinner and when I made it to my dorm room, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The 14 hour flight from Toronto to Incheon went by VERY quickly. I had an awesome emergency exit window seat so it was great. Hannah, the cutest girl ever, and I entertained each other for a lot of the trip so time just flew by.
At around 6 AM Korea time, I took a shuttle bus from Incheon airport to Daegu, where my coach picked me up and took me straight to the university. She gave me the choice of either going to the dorms or to the archery range and of course, I chose the range! As we pulled up in the parking lot, all the archers came outside to say hi. I felt very... special. I was especially happy to hear someone shouting "HIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!".. it was Hye-Jin, the friend I shot against in Taiwan.
The targets are outside but the archers stand inside a small, heated building and shoot through open windows. It's such a simple concept but allows them to shoot long distances all year round. After they everyone shoots their arrows, they all put on their winter coats and either walk or run to the targets. At noon, everyone put their bows away and headed for the track outside. It's an awesome track that goes around a soccer field and basketball court. I watched the archers run 4.5 laps and sprint the last half. My coach told me they either run 5 or 10 laps, depending on how she's feeling that day.
After the run, everyone came together in a circle and took turns leading dynamic stretches. Then they put their hands together and did a little cheer. Finally, everyone went back inside and stood in a line in front of the coach. I didn't know what they were doing so one of the guys gave me a nudge and told me how to stand - with my hands behind my back and feet shoulder-width apart. The coach then told us what she liked and what she didn't like about practice. Once she finished, we all had to bow together and practice was over for the day.
My cousin and his family stopped by the university and took all the archers out for dinner. I got a cell phone after dinner and when I made it to my dorm room, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Cold feet...
LITERALLY
OH MY GOSH! Where did all this snow come from?! It's so beautiful outside.. that is, until you have to shovel your way out of the driveway. Christmas is in 24 hours! I hope you have all your holiday shopping done. And if you aren't and you're planning on hitting the malls tomorrow, I SALUTE YOU, oh brave soldier!
FIGURATIVELY
I'm starting to get a little nervous about leaving. It's such a new experience for me... I have never been away from home and on my own for more than a week. I think that I'm thinking I think too much, I think. I'm getting anxious about things that I shouldn't worry about. Like, how people in Korea might judge me or whether I'll be able to follow along with conversations. BUT I seem to be worrying too much about things that I have no control over. SOoo.. I'm just going to chill out, sip on this amazing frozen hot chocolate my super cool sister made, and finish packing.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Christmas/"Lee-ving" surprise party. It was such a special night for me and I really appreciated it. Thanks, Joan, for planning it.. you're very slick and I had absolutely no clue! Thank you so much, everyone!
-v.
OH MY GOSH! Where did all this snow come from?! It's so beautiful outside.. that is, until you have to shovel your way out of the driveway. Christmas is in 24 hours! I hope you have all your holiday shopping done. And if you aren't and you're planning on hitting the malls tomorrow, I SALUTE YOU, oh brave soldier!
FIGURATIVELY
I'm starting to get a little nervous about leaving. It's such a new experience for me... I have never been away from home and on my own for more than a week. I think that I'm thinking I think too much, I think. I'm getting anxious about things that I shouldn't worry about. Like, how people in Korea might judge me or whether I'll be able to follow along with conversations. BUT I seem to be worrying too much about things that I have no control over. SOoo.. I'm just going to chill out, sip on this amazing frozen hot chocolate my super cool sister made, and finish packing.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Christmas/"Lee-ving" surprise party. It was such a special night for me and I really appreciated it. Thanks, Joan, for planning it.. you're very slick and I had absolutely no clue! Thank you so much, everyone!
-v.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
VIDEO UPDATE!!!
It was soooo much fun making this video.
I'll definitely have to make video updates a regular thing!
After having watched my video and hearing the horrendous noise that came out of my mouth at 0:52, I now understand what I put my sister through day after day.
-v.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
HAPPY DECEMBER!!!
It's December! The weather has been confusing me lately, as it always does this time of year in Toronto. Rain, wind, snow, rain, sun, snow. It keeps things interesting, I guess! It's the most wonderful time of the year! All the radio stations begin to play Christmas music, the streets light up with decorations, and crazy people start taking over the shopping malls! ahhh, it's lovely.
I'm glad to hear so many of you enjoyed my mom's comment on my last post. haha she's great... (did you hear that, umma? I love you! ^^)
Not much is happening right now. School will definitely be keeping me busy for the next two weeks.
My friends that I shoot with always enjoy learning words and phrases in Korean. So I figured it would be cool to teach some simple Korean through this blog! Here are some words and phrases you might find useful: (I took the images from learnkorean.com shhh!!!)
ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo
"How are you?" (this is how you say "Hi!" politely)
ahn-nyong-i kah-se-yo
"Goodbye!" (literal translation is "go well")
kahm-sa-hahm-ni-da
"Thank you!" (formal)
양궁
yang-goong
"Western archery" (han-goong is Korean traditional archery)
I'm glad to hear so many of you enjoyed my mom's comment on my last post. haha she's great... (did you hear that, umma? I love you! ^^)
Not much is happening right now. School will definitely be keeping me busy for the next two weeks.
My friends that I shoot with always enjoy learning words and phrases in Korean. So I figured it would be cool to teach some simple Korean through this blog! Here are some words and phrases you might find useful: (I took the images from learnkorean.com shhh!!!)
ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo
"How are you?" (this is how you say "Hi!" politely)
ahn-nyong-i kah-se-yo
"Goodbye!" (literal translation is "go well")
kahm-sa-hahm-ni-da
"Thank you!" (formal)
양궁
yang-goong
"Western archery" (han-goong is Korean traditional archery)
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