KrissinKorea: 안녕Cherry Blossoms

April 20, 2019

It is with heavy hearts that Koreans and visiting foreigners alike wish the blooming Cherry Blossoms farewell. Cherry Blossom season lasts about 10 days in South Korea and it’s a pretty big deal. Stores like Art Box and Starbucks start selling merchandise and drinks inspired by Cherry Blossoms at least 2 weeks prior to their blooming. People from all over the world plan their visits to Korea and Japan in anticipation of witnessing this beautiful time of the Spring season. I was lucky enough to be able to walk just down the road to the main part of my campus to see some whenever I wanted to. Unfortunately the blooming period is over and all the petals are being blown away by the wind, which in itself is very beautiful to see. What was once a pinkish-white is now bright green—signaling that summer is on its way. Even though the time has passed, let me tell you guys about one of the most magical Cherry Blossom festivals I went to.

The 2019 Seokchonhosu Lake Cherry Blossom Festival in Jamsil was held from April 5th to April 12th. There was no entrance fee and anyone was welcome to enjoy the Cherry Blossom lined paths around the two, large, connected lakes. The two lakes are split by Lotte World, which is one of South Korea’s amusement parks. At the festival, visitors can bask in the awesomeness of the many cultural and musical performances taking place. Face painting, caricature booths, and experience exhibitions are also available for those who wish to participate. One of my favorite parts of the festival must have been the huge balls of cotton candy my roommate and I bought. They were way too much to finish, but we rose to the challenge.

When my roommate and I first arrived at the festival, one of the most impressive things we noticed was the amount of people in the area. Even though everything was so nice to look at, walking around without bumping into someone every two seconds was a real challenge. We tried our best to move with the flow of pedestrian traffic but many times people would stop abruptly in the middle of the path to take pictures or look around, which would cause a domino effect of people tripping over one another. Not fun. However, as the afternoon went by, more and more people grew tired of the crowd and started leaving, which was great news for the lot of us that stayed. This was the first time that my roommate and I were truly able to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms and got to take pictures of them.

Each Cherry Blossom tree is beautiful, but when you put them all together in clusters, they form huge bouquets that rise way above your head and extend for miles. The effect is amazing. Everything was great, but there was one moment that I remember the most and, as I am writing this, I still remember the feeling it gave me.

The air froze around us briefly before it came peacefully rushing past us as people kept walking by. The breeze hit first, making our hair and skirts billow along with it, but then came the gentle, snow-like falling of the petals. I stood in awe of the event before me and I managed to catch some of the petals in my outstretched hands. This only lasted about 15 seconds before it was over and the magic was gone.

Cherry blossom festival sign

In your heart, there is a Cherry Blossom blooming

I don’t know the next time that I will be able to witness Cherry Blossom season again in Korea, but I hope that it is not too far away. I have truly fallen in love with the many things this country has to offer and getting to experience the coming and going of the Cherry Blossoms was one of the highlights of my experience so far. I look forward to seeing them again soon.

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KrissinKorea: Time to Hit the Books

April 1, 2019

Yonsei offers its international students a wide variety of classes to take, taught in both English and Korean. Most of the classes that I am taking while abroad will most likely go towards my major and minor electives. I am currently taking four classes: “KLI One,” “Introduction to Medical Anthropology,” “Media Psychology,” and “Media, Art, and Society.” Each of these classes, excluding KLI which counts as six, count as three credits. I was originally taking a fifth course, “Media Communication in Korea,” but I decided to drop it because studying for my Korean Language Institute class was taking up the majority of my time.

Statue Guy

The founder of Yonsei University: Horace Grant Underwood

All of my classes, excluding KLI, are located in the main part of campus, which is a 10-15 minute walk from my dorming house, SK Global. Although the walk can sometimes be a challenge when you’re running late or the air pollution is bad, usually it’s very refreshing. Yonsei University was built on the side of a mountain so on my way to class I encounter some steep hills and dips, but that makes it more enjoyable and and allows me to feel less guilty about not making time for the gym.

The main/central part of campus is, in my opinion, by far the most scenic and aesthetically pleasing area of the entire campus. Although during the colder months the greenery that climbs onto the buildings and gathers in bunches around the area is dead and gloomy looking, during the spring and summer seasons everything comes to life. I have only seen this in pictures but I am looking forward to witnessing it in person soon!

Although Yonsei University is considered one of the top three universities in Seoul, I have found that classes for exchange students have a lighter work load than at Richmond. That is not to say that I am left with free time, but if I was back at UR I would probably be dying right about now. The expectations for students studying abroad at Yonsei are comfortable and allow me to learn the course material while still having enough energy to explore the city and hangout with friends.

My classes range in length between 50 minutes to an hour and 50 minutes which is great because in total I only have to be in that certain class for about 2 hours and 40 minutes each week. On Mondays I have “Introduction to Medical Anthropology” from 10:00am to 11:50am. After that I have a long break until KLI, which is from 4:00pm to 5:50pm every day. On Tuesdays I have “Media, Art, and Society” from 9:00am to 9:50am, and a couple hours later I have “Media Psychology” from 1:00pm to 2:50pm. On Wednesdays I don’t have class until 12:00pm when I go to “Intro to Medical Anthropology” until 12:50pm. On Thursdays I have “Media, Art, and Society from 10:00am to 11:50am and then “Media Psychology from 12:00pm to 12:50pm. Lastly, on Friday, oh how I love Fridays, I only have KLI from 4:00pm to 5:50pm. Fridays are my favorite because I have a lot of time to sleep in, catch up on homework, or go exploring in Sinchon.

Pathway to Sinchon

All roads lead to Sinchon

I am really enjoying all of the classes that I am taking and so far my professors have all presented themselves as very caring and professional. I hope to continue learning as much as I can and making connections with my fellow classmates. I’m really not looking forward to the final group presentations that I have pending for two of my classes, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Good luck to all of you in school, in work, or life in general. Talk to you all next time!

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KrissinKorea: An Evening Spent with Hungry Raccoons

March 18, 2019

South Korea, as well as Japan, is known for having some pretty diversely themed cafes. Just 15 minutes away from where I am staying in Sinchon, there is a cat cafe on the third floor of a building. I have yet to go there, but just this past weekend my friends and I made plans to visit a raccoon cafe in Hongdae. This was something I was looking forward to the entire week and when Friday finally arrived, I was beyond excited.

It took us about 25 minutes to walk from the main gate of Yonsei, to the subway terminal in Sinchon, and finally into Hongdae where we walked from the subway stop to the cafe. The raccoon cafe was on the fourth floor of the building, but if you didn’t know it was there, you could have totally missed it. When you walk in, there are lockers and shoe racks to your left, a barista station to your right, and a seating area directly in front. If you look further into the room you are able to see that a portion of the space is blocked off by a glass wall, which allows people to watch the dogs and raccoons play while they sip their drinks.

Lockers
Raccoon Cafe

Once you pay for your entry pass and a drink, if you want one, you have to go put your belongings into a locker and put on the sandals provided. Customers are also required to take off any jewelry they have on in case the raccoons grab onto them. This process took quite a while for me since I have a bunch of earrings and even a nose ring. Once we were ready to go in, we walked into the entrance of the play area and instantly felt excited. There were so many dogs laying around and others nudging visitors to be pet. The raccoons mostly watched people in between nap periods. They occasionally woke up to grab bits of food, but then went back to sleep. Everything was too cute to handle.

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Living the life

One of my friends was especially good at getting the raccoons’ attention and they often let her give them food. Unlike dogs, when you feed them, raccoons grab the food from you with their hands and put it into their mouths. They have the cutest little paws and they are so soft and warm. I was lucky enough to feed one myself and I have to tell you, it was one of the best experiences of my life! I’m not big on baby fever or kids, but I am definitely an animal lover and this was just such a great time!

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Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Even though my friends and I mainly went for the raccoons, the dogs that live with the raccoons are just as adorable. There was a brown husky, a black and brown Shiba, an obese Corgi, and two large English Bulldogs. I’ve never been a huge fan of bulldogs, but there was one that seemed to take a liking to me, and he changed my mind completely. He took the liberty of plopping his entire body onto my lap and demanding to be pet. I spent a large portion of my time at the cafe hanging out with him and I can’t say I was disappointed.

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Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Even though the cafe is slightly out of the way, I will definitely make sure to visit at least once more before my semester ends here in Korea. Until next time, friends, take care!

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KrissInKorea: My Pre-semester Activities

March 15, 2019

I had approximately nine days after landing in South Korea before my semester started. Even though that sounds like a lot of time, it went by pretty fast. I spent the first couple of days trying to become more acquainted with the area I was living in. There’s actually quite a bit in the neighborhood where I am staying and in the dorm building itself. If you walk a little ways away from SK Global, you’ll be able to find a convenience store, a Paris Baguette, some coffee shops, and a bunch of different restaurants.

In the basement of the SK you can find a 24-hour convenience store, a cafe, a burger spot, an ice cream shop, and a bunch of other small places to eat. Even though only international students live in SK Global, during lunch and dinner hours, you can find this area packed with all different students from Yonsei. My favorite places so far have to be the restaurant that sells spicy beef pho and the cafe that makes super good iced mocha lattes!

A few days before the semester started all of us international students attended our orientation. It lasted about two hours and we were given a lot of information. We learned about class add and drop periods, visas, alien registration cards, public safety, and different clubs that are easily accessible to foreigners.

After the orientation we were able to sign up for some of the clubs mentioned, as well as sign up for one of the two day tours that were set up for international students. My friends and I decided to go on the “Day 2” tour which would take us to the Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁), the War Memorial of Korea, a Korean style buffet, and lastly, a cruise ship ride on the Han River.

The 경복궁 palace was absolutely stunning. It was about a twenty minute drive to the palace from Yonsei University. As we neared the palace, Seoul started to take on a different look than what I was used to. Seoul is usually filled with skyscrapers and large businesses, but the town that surrounded the palace looked more traditional and more like a modernized Korean village. The tour guide mentioned that there is legislation in Korea that prevents the construction of buildings over a certain height in the district surrounding the palace. The Korean government is trying to preserve a part of traditional Korea by taking care of the old-style houses that surround the area and by protecting the integrity of the palace. What impressed me the most was the existence of a massive palace in the middle of a bustling city. When you enter the palace walls, you enter a different time period. It is a place filled with a history and culture that is foreign to me. I very much enjoyed learning about the different practices held in the castle, as well as the power dynamics in place during this time.

Where big decisions were made

One of the first things we learned was about the monkeys that protect the different parts of the palace. According to historians, the more monkeys that are atop a roof, the more protection they provide to that certain area. The palace builders strategically placed them where the king would be most often, as well as in places where he would meet with his court to make important decisions.

Ornamental Monkeys on the roof

The queen and king did not live together, but their houses are diagonal to one another. Although the king is allowed to have numerous wives, the first wife is primary and gets to be closest to the king. When I first arrived in Korea, one of the first things I noticed in the dorm was that the floors were heated. This was very foreign to me, but after learning that the palace was heated via the floor, it all made a lot more sense. I learned that people in old-time Korea slept on the floor mainly because there were fires underneath the floor to heat the house from the ground up.

Once we left the palace we headed to the Korean War Memorial where we had the chance to learn about the many aspects of the Korean War. The museum had a bunch of interactive features and a lot of authentic war materials that were preserved. Our guide in the museum was the cutest old lady and you could tell she really loved the history she was talking about.

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Korean War Memorial

I learned a lot, and I was very happy to go because I now have a more informed outlook on Korean society and how the U.S. is connected to South Korea.

After we left the museum we went to an underground shopping center that had like 5 floors! It was so cool! We went to a Korean style buffet where they had tons of food. I ate until I almost died. Literally. My favorite dish was definitely the stir fried udon noodles and the Korean glazed chicken. I would 10 out of 10 visit again.

Next on our agenda was a cruise ship ride on the Han River. Although I had so much fun at both the palace and the museum, the boat ride was definitely the boat ride. The boat had a bunch of twinkly lights and the area onto the loading dock was pretty too.

Loading Dock
Han River Cruise

While on the cruise ship we got to see Seoul’s breathtaking skyline while traveling at a comfortable pace on the boat. The night was pretty chilly, but the air was so crisp and fresh that it didn’t matter. We passed under more than four bridges and they each looked different. Since it was nighttime, the water looked black but you could see the lights of the boat reflecting in the water and it gave the whole experience a very dreamy effect.

The ride back to the dorm wasn’t too long but we were all so beat. We were out from 12pm to 10pm, which for many of us who were still trying to get over our jet lag, was killer. After a day of fun, learning, and sight seeing, though, it was great to finally get in bed and sleep!

 

 

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KrissinKorea: 14 Hours Later

March 1, 2019

Take Off

My flight was set to take off at 12 p.m. on Thursday, February 21st and land at Incheon airport at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 22nd. My dad drove me to the airport and helped me get my bags checked in. Everything was happening so fast–– or so it felt. He followed me until we got to security and then we said our goodbyes. I already miss him. I felt pretty sad waiting for my flight but I kept reminding myself that this experience will be good for me and I know deep down I’m excited, but change is hard for me sometimes.

When I got on the plane, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the seat next to me was empty. I had so much leg room! The seat itself was pretty stiff, but it reclined a decent amount. When I booked my ticket, I made sure to have a window seat because I love to look out the window during airplane rides. The in-flight entertainment was pretty cool. They had a bunch of music to listen to and different arcade games. I played Pac Man like 20 times! Also, I know people are always bashing on airplane food, but Korean Air knows what’s up. The first meal I had was traditional Bibimbap, which came with a side of rice, seaweed soup, pineapples, and pickles with chili sauce. They also provided sesame oil and chili paste to make the Bibimbap extra yummy. I feasted to say the least, but they ran out of ginger ale when I asked so I opted for a beer. They’re basically the same thing, right?

airplane food

YUM

We flew over areas that I have never been to or seen in my entire life. Since I’m used to flying South to Ecuador, I’ve never had the opportunity to cross over the North Pole, but it was amazing. I couldn’t stop looking outside at the beautiful colors in the sky and at the ice below.

NORTH POLE VIEW

My view of the North Pole

I also really loved the view of New York when we were leaving. Everything looked so small and crowded!

NEW YORK VIEW

My view of the Concrete Jungle

At one point we flew over land that looked like it didn’t belong to Earth and was out of a science fiction film. The terrain was rugged, grey, cracked, and had many river-looking pathways that intertwined through the ridges of the hills. It was crazy. If you’ve ever watched Interstellar, Mann’s Planet looks exactly like what I’m talking about!

mann planet

Interstellar reference photo

After about five hours I realized that I would have no butt when I landed in Korea. I was sitting for 14 hours guys! I was losing it! On top of that, I couldn’t sleep. I don’t know what was wrong with me because if I know anything about myself, it’s that I can fall asleep anywhere at any time. I am a high functioning sloth, for real. So for most of the flight, I played Pac Man, listened to music, read my book, and pouted about not being able to sleep.

When we landed at Incheon Airport, I wanted to kiss the floor beneath me. I was so grateful to finally be off the plane. During the luggage claim I ran into a few other people that were heading to Yonsei and we buddied up to try to figure out our way to the dorm buildings. We took a bus and got off at the Ewha Woman’s University back gate stop, which put us at about an 8 minute walk to SK Global where many of us were staying.

Now comes the tricky part.

I brought two big suitcases, a carry-on, and a book bag with me (not the best decision I’ve made in my life). That’s a total of 4 items that need to somehow get from the bus stop to the dorm rooms. I don’t know if you guys know this, but Korea is extremely hilly and Yonsei itself was built on the side of a mountain. Do you know what that means? It means I have to drag everything up one giant hill! Four pieces of luggage and two arms–– that’s what I am up against. Anyway, after numerous stretching breaks, a lot of panting, and a few internal, moral-boosting conversations, I managed to get my luggage into SK Global. I almost cried when I made it, let me tell you.

 

 

Outside of SK GLOBAL
Outside of SK GLOBAL

Once I checked in, I handed in my tuberculosis test results and grabbed a bag containing my bedding for the semester and headed upstairs. I was lucky enough to get a room on the top floor because the view is great!

VIEW FROM DORM

The view from my dorm

After finally unpacking everything, I walked down to the convenience store to buy some food. I decided on a kimchi rice with tuna triangle kimbap–– my first meal in Korea! So far I’ve been having a great time. I’ll tell you guys about a few of my outings in my next blog post. Take care everyone!

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KrissinKorea: Preparing For the Big Leap!

February 20, 2019
 

Hey guys! My name is Kristen and I am a sophomore journalism student at the University of Richmond. This spring semester I will be attending Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. I leave in a few days and I am totally freaking out. Recently I have gotten into the habit of making lists of the things I should buy before I leave and what I should bring in general. I am planning on packing only the essentials because I want to bring back a lot of stuff! Since I am a procrastinator down to the bones, I’m a little behind on getting everything ready. I am working both my jobs for these last 2 days that I will be here and I am navigating that while trying to prepare for my trip, but I am remaining positive! My family surprised me with a “going away breakfast” this Sunday and it made me realize how much I am going to miss them. I am extremely close with my family and I know they’re wishing the best for me, so I want to have an amazing experience for their sake as well. I experienced a big change in my life during the period of time that I was waiting to study abroad and it made me eager to start over. I want my experience in Korea to clear my mind and to allow me to reset and come back with a whole new outlook. I am looking forward to studying my hardest, making friends, experiencing new things, and growing as a person. I can’t wait to talk to you guys again and let you know how I’m settling in. Talk to you soon!

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