Will I be able to write again?

Yes, I am really shameless: it's been already a month since my last post, and I still "owe" you the explanation of the "semester opening party" we had with the students and professors of the EU Studies Department... and we have already reached the midterms!

Korea (at least non-confessional universities) is not like Spain: no Easter, but instead an infernal week with limited lectures and lots of papers to write and/or exams to prepare. In my case, I'll "only" have to do the following:

- A presentation of (not just 1 but) 2 articles on European integration theories, due in 2.5 hours

- A research design (introduction, hypothesis, literature review, etc.) of a country/actor applying one of the main IR theories, due on Friday

- A 4-5 page paper concerning "The EU and the World" (I'll deal with EU-Belarus relationships), due next Tuesday

- A 4-5 page paper concerning "The IR of East Asia" (I'll deal with Vietnam and its hedging against China), also due next Tuesday

- A 7 page paper for International Public Law, dealing with the status of warships off the coast of Somaliland, due next Wednesday

So, as you might see, I am quite busy. Of course, I should also study Korean: I have class every Monday morning, and I really feel ashamed when I see I don't remember much anything of what we did the week before... obviously because I NEVER review or practice at home. I always have other things to do, be it reading (usually), writing something or, of course, hanging out with someone and/or somewhere.

I have barely been out of Seoul, so far just to the DMZ (I posted several pictures on Facebook). There I had the chance to use my new camera and lens (a Nikon D7000 + a Nikkor 135mm F2.0 defocus control: both for just 2.05 million won, approx €1,300): they both work fine, I love them... but I feel I lost some of my "view" to take pictures. I guess I am just too stressed and sometimes too tired to focus on finding the right angles, the right moments, the right contrast... In fact, I guess I have taken some better pictures with my new Spanish mobile phone (in fact, a Korean model: Samsung Galaxy S) and its nice "Retro Camera" application than with my new, expensive reflex camera :-(

Sooooo... just some snapshots of what I have been up to lately:

- Reading lots of articles and book chapters in different parks (weather permitting); so far, my favourite is the Olympic Park, which I'll visit once again next Sunday, in order to see the final stage of the Tour de Korea (yes, they do imitate the French name... but I don't think you can even dare compare both races)!

- Been to live basketball, football and baseball games; the most special ambiance by far is at baseball games (also helped by the fact that I was there with true Korean fans), the true national sport... but I still don't like baseball!

- Hanging out a lot (and studying quite a lot too in their private seminar room, or "batcave" as I like to say) with my pals from the U-Peace program, that will go to Costa Rica next semester, but also with other nice people specialising in European Studies, as well as with other fellow foreign students. Not an exciting, party-all-day life at all, but we still manage to dine out often and have a couple of beers from time to time...

- Known that my internship can be prolonged up to 1 year. My fellow French student Antoine also wants to do it at the East Asia Institute, which is no surprise but makes things a bit more difficult for me. Still, the program coordinator, Dr. Ohn, will try to convince the head of the Institute to take both of us. If not, I am ready for alternatives, not discounting an earlier-than-expected return home. I shall write a post about my future plans when I have more concrete information (probably towards the end of the month).

- Enjoying life alone at my appartment many evenings and nights, as my flatmate Danny stays at his lab to work longer hours and sleep a bit there: yes, they have one or two mattresses, and yes, Koreans do work A LOT. Not just him: almost all of them. I am tired just hearing at the amount of sleepless nights they endure... no way we can "compete" with Asia, no way (and maybe no sense in trying, either)! Back to my flatmate, I am really enjoying my time here in part thanks to him: he's been extremely kind and helpful at all times, and we can also have a good time together (like yesterday afternoon/evening, when we had a nice Korean/Chinese fusion dinner with his girlfriend)... workload permitting! ;-)

- Noticed some improvement on my left food: after only a couple of weeks here, I started to feel increasing pain there. My flatmate's family accompanied me to a traumatologist and I knew it was not broken: just a tendinitis caused by my bad ankles and tendency to put all my weight on the forward-inner part of the foot. I began to be more careful when going up and down the hill to/from my appartment, and now I already have my old custom insoles. I never adapted to them (they were made when I broke my right foot, already 3+ years ago), but now it seems they can help. I really want to go jogging and to play some basketball, I need it! I would also love to have my racing bike here someday, but that's an impossible dream! Yeah, playing ball with my flatmate's lab team in the internal competition of Korea University should be more than fine!

- Planned a trip from May 5 to May 10 (both included), but not yet sure where to go. Gyeongju has a lot of numbers, and then also the small islands off the southwestern coast (not Jejudo... that will come later, a weekend with some friends hopefully). I should really buy the tickets soon, as they might sell out (both May 5 and May 10 are national holidays)!

- Known there will be a "field trip" for the EU-ICP program students (that's me!), with all expenses paid by Hyundai (btw., one of my options for the internship...)! Just two days, one night, but interesting nonetheless!

And sure I am missing a lot of things... but I just had to summarize a little bit! I promise I will post again once the midterms craze is over, surely with some pics of the Tour de Korea finale and maybe some more details about the "experience" I had buying my new camera and other stuff...

Cheers!