D-Dong

I have been living in Seoul for nearly two weeks and I feel like I'm finally starting to settle in...for the most part. My brain is on overload from all of the new information the school has been throwing at us--my principal used the analogy of using a fire hose to fill a bucket, and that is exactly how I feel--but I'm trying not to take on undue stress as my already frazzled body tries to adapt. Yesterday evening, when I was at the point of needing to separate myself from school, a dinner invitation came down from the three ladies who have inhabited D-Dong (that's D building) for the last year.

At 6:30pm all nine of us gathered outside of our beloved apartments and headed down the hill to an adorable BBQ restaurant with a delightful adjuma who made sure none of us went hungry. A Korean BBQ is a bit different that what we're used to in the States. When I heard the term, I figured you would go in and order a variety of barbecued meats, veggies, and such. Not exactly! Instead, the group sat around two tables with a grill in the center and actually cooked our own raw meat and veggies (check out the picture).

Grilling Korean style.

It was toasty warm sitting around a grill pit, but well worth the extra sweating. We were able to enjoy a couple of hours getting to know each other and just taking a break from all of the hustle and bustle that comes with the start of a school year. I even ran into my SFS pen pal at the restaurant.

Hi Tish!

The D-Dong Ladies: Alex, Rebecca, Janis, Misty, Grace, Me, Buffie, Nicole, and Myleah!

In the spirit of building friendships and taking time to enjoy the company of others, we've already scheduled our next D-Dong get together. This time we'll be dining al fresco on the rooftop of our lovely apartment building!