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제주도: Jeju Island is a Heaven on Earth (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 31, 2013

As the time I have left in Korea is slipping out of my hands like the grains of sand, I definitely try my best to balance traveling and school. Korea is such an amazing country and I don’t think that a lifetime of traveling and exploring would be enough to see everything the place I now call home has to offer. Knowing that I have about 3 weeks left and so much to see, do, and experience, and also to make sure I finish all my assignments on time is somewhat putting me under pressure. But the motto should be “work hard, explore hard” and it is all possible.

Last weekend a group of 15 of my friends and I decided to go and see Jeju-do, an island that contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tube. The entire Island is dominated by the Halla Mountain (Halla-San) and there are many beautiful waterfalls, caves, cliffs, and beaches to see and spend time exploring. The island itself is located to the south of the Korean peninsula and it undoubtedly offers a scenery that is truly unforgettable.

Out trip started by taking a plane (fairly inexpensive one hour fight) Seoul to Jeju City from where we took a two hour bus ride (5000 won = less than 5 dollars) to Segowipo, a city in the south of the island. It is interesting that the Jeju Island consists of two cities only: The entire north part of the city is Jeju-City and the south half is Segowipo. We stayed in Segowipo as most of the tourist attractions are located there. First day we went to one of the waterfalls that is very close to the harbor. The area is really beautiful and there are quite some tourists. Afterwards we went for a lunch at one of the numerous Korean restaurants serving famous Jeju black pork, which was by all means delicious.

Jeju black pork

Afternoon was reserved for a lazy day at the Jungmun beach, which is one of the most famous beaches in Jeju. Since everything on the island is located somewhat far from each other taking a cab or a bus is highly necessary. Beach was about an hour or so from the city. Even though the swimming season was not open and the water was cold some people were brave enough to swim. I didn’t dare to do so. Laying in the sun was also nice and relaxing! Since Jeju is in the south, it is much warmer and sunnier there so it was perfect weather for sunbathing and frisbee on the beach.

Playing frisbee on the beach

The second day at Jeju was by far the most intense day of my life. Hallu-San is 2000m high mountain and smaller group of us decided to hike up to the top to see the crater. After about 5 hours of hiking steep mountain in extremely high temperatures, I made it to the top! This was one of the biggest challenges of my life and I was actually able to prove myself wrong (I am not much of a person who does sport or exercise, but I definitely did manage to hike up to the top of one of the tallest mountains in Korea). Since it is a drought season we were not able to see beautiful lake in the crater (Google “Hallu-San” and you’ll know what I’m talking about) and the view was blocked by the clouds of smog. It was very disappointing not to be able to get any reward after enduring so much pain to hike up the mountain. The hike down was, however, really nice and the trail was very beautiful, which somewhat made up for the bad summit. The aftermath came right after I made it down to the starting point 8.5 hours after the hike started – my whole body was aching. Despite my muscles being sore and my ankles swollen, this was definitely one of the most interesting experiences that will shape my semester in Korea and the idea of pushing personal borders. It is good knowing that I can challenge myself and actually win the challenge.

Trail down the Hallu-San

Our last day in Jeju we spent visiting yet another waterfall, which was very hidden. We heard from the locals that it is a great spot to visit and not so many tourists know about it. The small waterfall hidden from the world was definitely one of the most beautiful wonders of nature I’ve ever seen. We spent quite some time there climbing the rocks and swimming in the crystal clear water. The rest of the trip we spent in Jeju City exploring the cuisine of the region.

Hidden waterfall

Overall, Jeju is definitely worth a visit and I am so happy I managed to visit this island before leaving Korea. Coming back to Seoul was a bit hard since we were welcomed by rain and loads of schoolwork. Now I am trying to finish everything before I leave for an adventure to Cambodia on Friday. I can’t even put into words how excited I am about this upcoming trip! 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Nature, South Korea, Travel | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

부산: Buddha’s Birthday and a Weekend Trip to Busan (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 27, 2013

Last week was sure a week without much sleep and a lot of going on. Friday right after Akaraka it was Buddha’s Birthday so there were no classes and the weekend after a group of my friends and I decided to go exploring Korea so we visited country’s second biggest city – Busan (or Pusan, depending on the spelling).

Even though it was Buddha’s Birthday last week there was a huge festival in the honor of this holiday on the streets of Seoul about a week earlier. It was really something else. It was one of those experiences that make me extremely happy that I decided to study abroad at Yonsei and in a country I knew nothing about and that is so much different from anything I’ve ever experienced. So many citizens took part in the festival processions wearing traditional costumes, playing different instruments, controlling big sculptures that were lit up etc. It was really great to see how much pride Koreans take in this holiday. One of my favorite parts of the procession was the dragon who was breathing fire! It was amazing. And the unity of the people was also something that I enjoyed very much. After the procession we went to the temple that was really nicely decorated and enjoyed the events happening there. Choosing Korea as my Spring semester study abroad location was definitely the right decision and everyday I am happier and happier I decided to come on exchange here.

Dragon breathing fire at Buddha’s birthday

The decorated temple

Even though Seoul is very metropolitan and traditional at the same time and it offers a wide range of events, it is always nice to also explore other parts of this country. Busan is the second biggest city in Korea located about a three hour train ride in the Southeast. One of my friends was participating in a Frisbee tournament in Busan past weekend so some of us decided to join and explore the city as well. Traveling on a train in Korea is very convenient (for foreigners I definitely recommend getting a Korail Pass that will allow you to travel on any train for the amount of days you chose). Busan was an interesting city. We visited a temple, UN cemetery, a bridge, and we walked around and explored the city. It was actually nice to see another Korean city besides Seoul and I have to admit that I like Seoul better. This may be due to the fact that Seoul became my home and I spent past three months in this city. One thing I really liked about Busan was how much more tamed the taxi drivers were: No one drove through red light or was driving extremely fast like they do it in Seoul. In general, Busan has a completely different atmosphere than Seoul: It is less metropolitan and yet it still is a big city with everything a city should have. Busan is worth a visit, for sure!

Apart from sightseeing and walking around Busan, we also spent some time on the Dadaepo beach where my friend played frisbee. Being a European, frisbee is not that known in Europe and I never thought it was a real sport. The way I saw it was more as a hobby or recreation, not a real competitive sport. Last weekend I was proved wrong. People played with so much passion and dedication, but there was no tension at all. People on the opposite teams were friends and they enjoyed each others’ company. It was definitely a much different experience from what I would have ever expected. The best thing is that my friend’s team actually won the tournament, which made watching my first frisbee games that much more special. I also got a chance to meet a lot of people, many Americans and Canadians (since frisbee is mainly popular in this part of the world), who either study or work in Korea (many of them teach English here). Overall, it was a really good weekend and I learned/experienced some new things.

Dadaepo Beach in Busan

Since the end of the semester is approaching I also have quite some work to do: I have final presentations and papers due almost every week so it is really hard to balance traveling and school. Even though it is hard to do it, it is by no means impossible. Doing more work over the weekdays gives me weekends off and I can travel. This weekend I am heading to Jeju Island, a beautiful island in the south. I am very excited for it as I’ve heard from so many people that it is one of the most beautiful places they have ever seen. Let’s see how it ends up being! 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Sightseeing, South Korea, Travel | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

푸른: Akaraka Festival at Yonsei University (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 27, 2013

In some of my previous posts I have already written about the unbelievable school spirit that is so well present on the Yonsei campus, but over the past week I actually experienced it first-hand. There are two big events at Yonsei every year that attract many students and that are given a lot of attention: Sports games against Korea University in the Fall and Akaraka Festival in the Spring. I am very lucky to be in Seoul during the Spring since that gave a possibility to take part in the Akaraka Festival.

So what is this Akaraka thing? Just the best thing ever! No, seriously. I have never before experienced anything like it: It is a festival, a huge party, something like a carnival, big concert, and so much more. I think one could somewhat compare it to Pig Roast, but it is so much more. This year May 14-16 Yonsei turned blue. Literally. Everywhere you would look there were people in blue, which is Yonsei’s color. It was so hard to locate anyone as all the students were wearing blue shirts as a way of showing the school pride and belonging to the best University in Korea (yea, I might be a bit biased but I do think Yonsei is amazing).

Yonsei students proudly wearing the school color (blue) at Akaraka

The first two days of the festival there were so many street vendors selling delicious Korean street food (such as Korean pancakes, fish cakes etc.), concerts all across the campus, games, and open air parties. There was even a huge trampoline-bungee jumping that many students took their turn on. The first night of the Festival Mentors Club (similar to the Ambassador Club at the UR) organized an amazing “Gentlementors” (reference to Psy’s “Gentleman” song) party in front of the main auditorium. There were so many students dancing and having fun. Definitely one of the best nights I had in Korea so far. Before the party we also had a Zombie Run. This was the event organized by the student council and both Korean and foreign students participated. The basic ideas was to walk/run down the path while escaping zombies. There were five zones along the path each with their own topics and rules. Thriller zone, for instance, was probably one of the most interesting. Runners were only able to move when the Korean song “Thriller” was played, if they moved when song is not played zombies would take their life (each participant had 3 lives). Zombies were amazing! Yonsei hired professional make up artist who made a lot of people including some of my friends look like real zombies. A huge number of students participated in this event and the reward for the last man standing was 300.000 won (about 300 dollars). The Zombie Run was truly very fun and I enjoyed it a lot!

Preparing for the Zombie Run

Second day of the festival was all about the concerts and food! I really enjoyed walking down the main road and trying different Korean street foods (it is very delicious and extremely inexpensive, definitely a must try while in Korea!). It was fun seeing the Korean bands and performers in concert too: So many Korean students were super excited while I knew none of the performers and understood none of the lyrics. It was very entertaining nonetheless.

After a two day warm up, Thursday finally came. Most of the students had their classes cancelled (all 3 of my Thursday classes were cancelled!) and starting from about 2pm celebrations started. Many students went to the outdoor amphitheater around 1pm already in order to see K-Pop starts who performed before the real Akaraka started. We were advised by the Korean students to come to the amphitheater some time between and 5pm. Akaraka was mind-blowing! So much energy, dancing, cheering, many performances and artists! I’ve never seen anything like it. We were on our feet dancing from 4 until 10pm. And it was amazing! Many famous Korean bands performed such as Girls’ Generation. The entire amphitheater was going crazy. Everywhere you would look you would see a sea of blue. It really shows how important the school spirit is for the Yonsei students. Being part of Akaraka and one of the thousands of students who were present there made me feel like a part of the Yonsei community. I realized how much I love this place and how Seoul feels like a home. I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words what happened on Akaraka Thursday; it is simply something one has to experience in order to understand it.

Girls’ Generation performs at Akaraka

I have to admit that the three days of the Akaraka Festival were the highlight of my stay at Yonsei so far. I loved every bit of it and I sure would love to relive it. Yonsei is such a special place that grows on its student and becomes a true home. Too bad I will have to leave this places I learned to love so dearly in only 4 weeks… But I’ll think about leaving later. Now I have to enjoy the time I have left!

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Friends, Host University, Music, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Profiter (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

May 16, 2013

Hello, once again, from Switzerland. A few weeks have passed since my last journey outside of the country, which means that recently my time has been spent en profitant de la Suisse. The title of this blog, Profiter (pronounced like prof-eet-ay), is the French verb to mean to benefit from, or to take advantage of. In adding de la Suisse, I mean to say that I have spent the past few weeks in Switzerland taking part in more of what my European home has to offer. From bake sales to road races and group hikes, the past few weeks have been pretty action packed, but I am not complaining one bit.

Two weeks following the Monument 10k in Richmond–a race I have always wanted to partake in–I ran in the Lausanne 20km, which I ran instead as my first road race. It is called the 20km because the main race is that distance, however I only ran 10km because I was running it with my University team, the Social Erasmus Committee. If you are like me and thought at first that Social Erasmus meant organizing social events, well, this is only partially correct. I serve on this committee here in Lausanne, which is responsible for organizing community service and volunteering events for exchange students. Together, we decided to run as a fundraiser, and it turned out to be a great event. While this was my first time ever competing as a runner, I grew up a swimmer, so I am very familiar with racing. What I wasn’t familiar with were French motivational expressions, since I had never heard any before. That changed during the race when I heard spectators who lined the streets shouting out to everyone, “Allez! Voici! Allez!” It was a shock at first to hear my name called out several times, but then I remembered people could read it from my number on my shirt! I must say, I quite enjoyed hearing the cheers in a foreign language.

The weekend following the race, the committee put together a bake sale, or vente de patisseries as it is called in French. We sold different desserts and delicacies from all around the world, and collected money for a children’s association here in Lausanne. I must say, we had quite the spread before us. We had fresh, homemade tiramisu, a “tarte aux pommes,” which is basically an apple pie of sorts, but different from our American version, and my contribution of chocolate chip cookies, just to name a few. Since I am quite accustomed to at least saying hello to people as they pass by when I am working a stand, a few of the other volunteers and I began to say bonjour to people in the streets. We were quickly stopped by our Swiss friend who was working with us. She explained that she felt like it wasn’t a good idea because she thought it would be bothersome to people and make them feel uncomfortable rather than more willing to stop and look at what we had. This wasn’t really something that people did in Switzerland, she told us. Instead, we ended up gathering everyone’s attention with, I kid you not, a mix of amateur musical performances orchestrated by our iPods and own voices with words on the screen, which was met with many laughs, and smiles, and even the participation of some kids who passed us. At first I was puzzled by the idea that we couldn’t say hi to people, but instead could dance in the streets. But, because we were all having so much fun and bringing people to our stand, I didn’t question it.

The view from our stand at the bake sale

While still staying in Switzerland, it was about time to take a quick journey out of Lausanne. The following weekend the exchange association had organized a hiking trip to a location north of Lausanne. We headed up to a place called Creux du Van, a rocky circular formation that was cut into what appeared to be some form of a mountain that became a complete plateau on top. We would stand just along the edge and be able to look down into what was an abyss of trees and straight, vertical rock from the top, in addition to seeing the valley and surrounding villages and very small cities in the distance. It was absolutely gorgeous. Although we weren’t very high up by the standards of other Swiss mountains, there was still some snow at the top in the middle of May. It was an incredible sight for me to see snow this late in the year. I did learn that this winter has been particularly snowy and cold across Europe (much like I read happened in the United States), so this too was abnormal. However, being the winter enthusiast that I am, I was not saddened by the sight.

View from Creux du Van

While exams are now beginning to approach, my time in Switzerland is still not complete. I have about two more months here, as my exam schedule extends pretty late in the semester. I guess this means only one thing: I will have more time to continue exploring this wonderful country I have come to love so much. I will be sure to profite bien from every opportunity that comes my way, as a reward for getting school work and studying done. Until next time…

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Food, Friends, Language, Nature, Switzerland, Travel | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

5월: Birthdays and Planning Trips (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 15, 2013

It happens often that I take a look at my calendar, and I’m surprised to see what date it is. I can’t believe it’s already May. I feel like it was February just yesterday when I arrived to Seoul, moved into my room on the fifth floor of the International House without knowing anyone, and got lost so many times trying to get to the Sinchon subway station. Now, I can walk all around Sinchon blind folded without getting lost, navigate Seoul public transportation system as if I lived here my entire life, order food even if everything is in Korean and I speak almost no Korean (I can say hello, goodbye, thank you, yes, and no, which almost doesn’t really count.), and I have made so many friendships that I already know will last. I don’t think study abroad can get any better.

Last week I had my midterms. It was really weird to talk to my friends at Richmond who were preparing for their final exams while I was “only” dealing with midterms and had two more months of classes to go. But, now I’m done with first part of the semester at Yonsei. I had quite a lot of projects and papers to write, and an in-class exam. It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it. There is not all that much difference between the examination here at Yonsei and at UR. Depending on the class you can get a project to complete (That was the case with my Free Trade Agreements (FTA) class where I had a project on EU-Japan FTA to finish.), paper to write (I had papers for my Modern Korean History and for my International Conflicts and Cooperation class.), or an in-class exam (My only in-class exam was a 75 minute long exam for my US-Korea Relations class consisting of multiple choice, True/False, and short essay questions.). All in all, I would expect something as similar at Richmond, too. It is funny to think I was slightly freaking out about my midterms just 10 days ago as I didn’t know how they’ll go, but now that they are over I am more than ready to enjoy beautiful Seoul.

Even though the midterms are over I still have some projects and presentations due in the next couple of weeks. The work never stops. I, however, still get more than enough time to enjoy Seoul and the beautiful weather we have right now. Campus also looks amazing. Everything is blooming and blossoming, and the plenty of sunshine we get can only make everyone that much happier.

And people having birthdays lately only add to the good time we are all having here. Some of my friends had their Birthdays recently, so there were some group dinners and celebrations going on. For one of my friends we prepared a surprise Birthday party which we all enjoyed.

The only thing that can top all the things that happened up until now is creating the opportunity for more adventures to happen. Currently I am planning some trips around Asia. Right now I have plans for Jeju (beautiful island located in the very south of South Korea). After all, I have to make the best out of the time I have left in this part of the world.

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Friends, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

봄: I Smell Cherry Blossom and Midterms (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 29, 2013

The weather in Seoul has been quite weird lately. It happened on two different occasions that we experienced all four seasons in a single day: the morning would be very sunny with clear skies, then suddenly it would rain a bit and before you know it you’d see some snowflakes here and there before the sun appeared for a little bit again and then set. In the last few days, however, we had real spring weather which was so great. Springtime in Seoul is definitely amazing: everything is blooming and Seoul looks very beautiful. Even a short walk through the campus or down the street will show you trees covered in blossoms. Temperatures in the high 60’s and plenty of sunshine definitely scream “spring is here!” If only we didn’t have midterms…

Since spring is such a nice and eventful time of the year, Yeouido Park in Seoul has a week long flower festival that takes place in mid April. One can go to the park and walk around enjoying the blossom of about 2700 trees.

Cherry Blossom in Sinchon

Beautiful Yeouido Park

The best part is that there is more to it than just beautiful blossoms: since it’s an actual festival, there are street vendors everywhere and it’s easy to get a refreshing ice cream or extremely delicious street food, there are also performers and shows, as well as the light show during the night, and there are bike, scooter, and rollerblade rentals. The park itself is super beautiful and it’s relaxing to walk around. Two of my friends and I spent an amazing afternoon simply walking through the park and sitting close to the river relaxing and soaking in the sun. Yeouido Park is also a great place to simply learn more about Korean culture, especially couple culture. It is really fascinating how many couples there are in Korea. Everyone is obsessed with being in a relationship, and that is very obvious in Yeouido Park as there are so many couples enjoying the walk down the alley full of blossomed trees, riding the tandem bikes, sitting at the Han River bank, or simply enjoying the sun and nice weather. Since the National Assembly is quite close by, it’s easy to walk over and enjoy the sight of it, too.

National Assembly

It is really sad how less and less time I have for enjoying the springtime now that midterms are just around the corner. Next week is the midterm class and I have to write two big papers for my International Conflicts and Cooperation and Free Trade Agreements classes. Apart from that I will have an in-class exam for my US-Korean Relations class. To be honest, I am quite anxious to see how it will all go. I understand that the standards and educational system here are very much different from everything I have experienced up to this date (Bosnia, IB, Richmond, and Sweden) so I am not quite so sure what to expect. Every time I ask a Koreans, or other exchange students, who have been at Yonsei for a while about the examinations here they all tell me that a lot of it is based on memorization. That is very much on the opposite side of the educational spectrum since at UR and at Uppsala University one is more pushed to use the information one gets from the class and integrate it into real world issues thereby using a bit of memorization in a combination with logic, reasoning, and problem solving. I can’t say that I have experienced the issue of mere memorization here yet, as the assignments and papers I have had so far have very much been on the level of the assignments I have had at Richmond. The in-class midterm will therefore be the most challenging, I would guess, but I will have to wait and see how it goes.

Also, it is very hard to think that I am not even done with half of my semester yet while my friends at Richmond are almost finished with a year! This way, at least, I will get to see Seoul in summer 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Friends, Sightseeing, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

City of dreams! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

April 26, 2013

Salut tout le monde! If you remember reading my last post, Voyageur du monde, you may remember that I hinted at another upcoming voyage, but I did not reveal my destination. My country count is now officially at four, as I just returned from a trip to Paris! What a weekend that was! Before heading off, I had quite a few expectations of the city, all of which are possibly the most cliché images one could produce of the city. This included wanting to eat crêpes at the Eifel Tower, hearing accordion players at various street corners, and going on long walks through the city’s gardens and famous streets, namely the Champs Elysée. But against all the stereotypes, I was most excited about just being in the presence of such history and culture. Not to mention the fact that I’d be able to visit a European capital city with such importance for politics, finance, and culture.

As always, the first thing that I was super excited about upon arriving in Paris was the fact that I could speak the language of the country. I didn’t have to ask someone at an information window to speak English, but instead, me and my friends who traveled together (other exchange students at UNIL) could all pose our questions in French and continue practicing our language skills. I also have to say that knowing the language definitely enriched the experience for me. The first site we visited was the city catacombs. Buried 45 million years under the Earth, the catacombs are the city’s former stone mines where the materials to build structures like Notre Dame Cathedral were taken from. As a more touristy twist, they have been turned into the burial site of more than six million people. Posted throughout the catacombs were writings, in both French and Latin, with very thought provoking quotes about human nature. Without knowledge of French, I would have missed out on what became my favorite part of the catacombs!

The entrance into the tomb area of the catacombs

Of course, our tour of the city moved above ground after our first stop. We later found ourselves visiting an old train station turned museum, le Musée d’Orsay, where we saw the works of some famous artists I had first learned about in elementary school, such as Monet! My group and I had all decided that it was a necessity to go to a museum in Paris, even though not all of us were crazed for looking at art, just because it was such an important part of the city.

Right in the heart of the city, Paris, with the Louvre and the river Seine in sight

Right in the heart of the city, with the Louvre and the river Seine in sight

We found ourselves right downtown in the city when we left the museum, and by that point we all had food on our mind. After meeting up with a friend from France who had studied abroad at U of R last semester, we went off for our first real adventure into French cuisine. Luckily, our local was able to help us out with choosing some of the more traditional French dishes. I definitely branched out when I chose a duck dish for my dinner, and tasted my friend’s dish. She had ordered something called tartare de boeuf, which is essentially raw, ground meat with various seasonings for flavor. If you thought sushi is a terrifying concept, think again. I was at first really hesitant to try this, since all of my prior food knowledge was telling me something like this needed to be cooked, but I figured if French people can eat it, so could I, so I decided to be open and try it. I rewarded myself afterwards with crêpes, and then we finally made our way to the Eifel Tower.

And of course Paris’ most famous site!

That being just our first day in Paris, it would require a much longer post for me to recount everything that we did during this trip. Four days in the city gave us the opportunity to see and do so many things, from just aimless touring to visiting some historical museums as well, notably L’Hôtel des Invalides, a a military hospital that Louis XIV ordered to be built for his forces in 1670. In some of the areas where the walls were newly renovated, it became so easy to place yourself in this time period, and feel like you were a part of it for a moment. It was an amazing feeling, when looking up at all of the stone walls and blue roofs. We also got to see the tomb of Napoleon in Les Invalides, which for a history nerd such as myself was pretty exciting.

Did Paris live up to my expectations? It certainly did, and then some. In the end, I don’t think that I embodied the clichés that I felt like I would before heading off, minus the fact that me and my group all bought berets the very last day and wore them through the airport and all the way back to Lausanne. I do count on the fact that I will be back there one day, but as always, coming back to Lausanne a third time from a trip abroad helped to solidify just how special I regard this city and country, as my first ever home away from home.

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Food, Friends, History, Language, Sightseeing, Switzerland, Travel | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

지평선: N Seoul Tower, Richmond Reunion, and Our Husky Friend (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 24, 2013

Seoul is a big city and it is always interesting to go and explore different areas as each part of the city is very unique: Sinchon (where Yonsei University is located) is very busy and there are many young people, Ewha is full of cute little stores and shops as this is where Ewha Women’s University is located, Insa-dong is a touristy place, while Itaewon is very Western-like as most of the Westerners who work in Seoul live here, and Gangnam is very modern with skyscrapers everywhere. This city has so much soul and spirit that it is rather hard to comprehend it all. There is, however, one place where you can take a good look at the entire city of nine million people and enjoy the view of a place where modernism and tradition coexist – N Seoul Tower.

Last week a group of my friends and I decided to go to N Seoul Tower and see Seoul in its full beauty. It was really good that we had nice weather as the sunset was beautiful and the skyline was breathtaking. Getting to N Seoul Tower gave us a view of different parts of the city as we had to go to the subway stop in Sinchon, walk through Myeondong, take a cable cart and finally hike up to the Tower. The best part of it all was seeing how different Seoul is and then getting a good view of the entire city, which makes you wonder how is it possible that so many diverse areas are so united and make this city what it is. The view is rather breathtaking – you can walk around in the 360° observatory platform and see the city from all the sides. We managed to see the sunset from the outside before we took an interesting elevator ride (they show you a short video clip that basically takes you from the Tower to outer space when going up, and when going down it takes you from the outer space to the Tower in Seoul in a mere 30 seconds) to the top of the Tower. This is definitely one of the top touristy activities I’d recommend to anyone (even though it took me over a month to do it). I’ll definitely go back to N Seoul Tower in late spring!

Sunset over Seoul

View on the City of Seoul from the N Seoul Tower

Being so far away from Richmond doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find Richmond affiliated people in this part of the world. Since Ms. Leslie Stevenson from the CDC was on a conference in Seoul, she invited all the Richmond graduates and students currently in Seoul, as well as Yonsei students who either were, or are going, on an exchange to UR for a dinner in Gangnam (unfortunately no one thought of getting a group picture as we were all too excited for the reunion). It was really great having dinner in a Richmond spirit, as well as getting to know so many new people. I also enjoyed talking to three Yonsei girls who will be studying abroad at Richmond in Fall 2013. I tried to give them some advice and they seemed super excited to start their semester at UofR. Seeing Ms. Stevenson was also great! She accompanied my Leadership and the Common Good SSIR group trip to Spain in January last year and seeing her in Korea this year was just wonderful. It truly shows how global Spiders are!

Seoul is a diverse, modern, and global city full of surprises – you never know who you might meet/see. One of my favorite things in Sinchon is seeing a Husky dog that is usually chilling outside one of the numerous Korean restaurants in the area (supposedly since his owner works there or something of a kind). This big fluffy ball of fur is just about the most amazing dog ever. He is so friendly and playful and it is always great running into him when walking around Sinchon.

Husky dog we always see when walking around Sinchon

I have also noticed that as midterms are approaching (last week of April) I have more school work to do. The beautiful spring weather, blossom, and temperature of about 67 degrees is unfortunately hard to ignore. However, it is very much possible to stay on top of the schoolwork and also enjoy the life in Seoul. All it requires is a bit of sacrifice and hard work, but it is completely worth it.

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Food, Friends, Host University, Public Transportation, Sightseeing, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

여행: A Weekend Trip to Muuido and Silmido, Silkworms, and Korean Hospitality (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 19, 2013

If you ever get sick and tired of Seoul (which is by any means absolutely IMPOSSIBLE) or you just need a couple of days away from the big city, the rush, and the notion of being busy all the time, you can always take a trip. A group of eight exchange students at my host University – including myself – decided to take advantage of a free weekend and go on a trip to a nearby island – Muuido. Muuido is a small island located about a 15-minute ferry ride from Incheon (which is a city located an hour subway ride from Yonsei University) and it is the perfect getaway place for a weekend: you can go hiking, climb the rocks on the beach, walk around, ride horses, go zip-lining and much more!

Our trip started with an early Saturday morning gathering in the SK Global House (one of the student dorms) lobby, meeting some people at the subway station, and a long subway ride to Incheon airport. From there we took a bus to the place where we hopped on a ferry that took us to Muuido. Upon our arrival we noticed many stands and Koreans willing to sell corncobs and silkworms (!). Being tourists, we got a cup-full of silkworms. A very bad idea, I may add. Only three of the people from our group were brave enough to try the silkworms: it must have been one of the worst things they have tried, according to their faces and their reactions (which made me happy to be one of the group who didn’t dare to try weird smelling silkworms). Unfortunately, the silkworm adventure did not end here. Right after we tried the silkworms, the bus that was supposed to take us to the other side of the island, where the beach is, arrived. So we got on it (with the cup of silkworms, which ended up being the worst decision possible). The bus was full! Crowded! It was so hard to stand while being pushed from all sides and, of course, my motion sickness kicked in, especially since the silkworm smell was so overwhelming. I honestly don’t know how I survived the 30 minute bus ride which definitely was the worst bus ride ever, but the torture stopped once we reached our bus stop close to the beach entrance. I have never felt move relieved or happier to get off a bus and get some fresh air!

My friends – Denis (France), Jina (Germany) and Mike (USA) – eating silkworms

Since we arrived to the island during the low tide we used this chance to climb the rocks along the beach and enjoy some amazing views (despite the fact it was very cloudy) right after getting a quick lunch. It was so much fun climbing big rocks and racing to see who would make it to the top first. Afterwards we went on a three hour hike to the top of the island. That was a challenge for me. I am not really a person who does sports, but I very much enjoyed this hike. The reward – the view from the top – made me forget the pain and the thought of how sore I was going to be the next day. It also happened to snow for a couple of minutes while we were on the top, which made this experience so much more unique and special. When we got back to our huts on the beach we got dinner and then made a bonfire. It definitely was a day of new experiences and bonding with people I had met fairly recently (some of them I met that day).

Rocks we climbed along the beach on Muuido when the tide was low

The second day of our weekend trip we went back to the bus stop thinking we would have to endure another horrible bus ride in order to get to Silmido, a small island that you can walk over to when the tide is low. Luckily, we met the most amazing, generous, and hospitable group of Koreans ever. Jina, a German-Korean girl who speaks perfect Korean (it’s very useful to have her around as it is much easier to get by with someone who speaks the local language), approached the group of Koreans to ask them about the bus and they happened to be producers of a Korean TV broadcaster KBS, and after a short conversation they gave us traditional Korean snacks and offered us a ride to Silmido as they were heading there too. KBS had rented a whole bus for the crew and they had nine free spots on the bus, which worked out extremely well for us (there were eight of us). Their generosity did not stop there: once we arrived to Silmido they invited us to join their barbecue on the island. They were so welcoming and warm. I couldn’t believe that a group of people would be so nice to eight strangers they had just randomly met on an island. Afterwards we walked over to Silmido, picked up some trash (since it was what the KBS producers did), and then joined in for an afternoon of games (frisbee and a sport that is a mixture of volleyball and soccer). As if that was not enough, the KBS crew gave us a ride back to Seoul for free. We were all very much surprised and happy about meeting the greatest group of people possible. They definitely made our weekend trip that much more enjoyable.

Enjoying the barbecue provided by the KBS producers, the most generous and amazing group of people I have ever met

Coming back to Seoul meant that we had to get back to school and our regular everyday duties and work, but this weekend will definitely be one of the best weekends in Korea. Not only have I experienced so many new things and seen a new side to this country I now call home, but I have also met an amazing group of people who will always be on my mind when I meet strangers that might need help or are on a search for good time. 🙂

1 Comment | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Food, Friends, Housing, Sightseeing, South Korea, Travel | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Preparations for the 3rd Term (posted by Jimmy in England)

April 19, 2013

I last left you at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, following a devastating Spider loss to Charlotte in the opening round of the postseason. After the game, I headed home for two weeks to relax and decompress after an eight week term and a week of basketball. Prior to attending Oxford for my first term, I thought that eight weeks were simply too short and that the six-week breaks between trimesters was way too long. After having been through two terms and two breaks, the system that they have is perfect. During the terms, students do not sleep much. In response to this I spent the first two weeks at home recovering with 10 and 11 hours of sleep per night. I also was able to celebrate Easter with my family for the first time in my college career. I missed Thanksgiving, but celebrated Easter, so it all works out, right? After this two-week stay at home, and feeling rejuvenated to take on the world again, I headed back down to my second home. I came back to the University of Richmond for a few reasons. Reason 1- I love this place. Reason 2- Chance to Play, the organization that my best friends and I started this summer, was competing in the annual UR Business Pitch Competition. Reason 3- Basketball workouts. Reason 4 (Tie)- Pigroast, my 21st birthday and the Kappa Kappa Gatsby social! It doesn’t get better than that!

View from atop the Greek Theatre

Perfect scenery from the bridge on Westhampton Lake

After spending 17 days in Richmond, I am ready to go back to England for my 3rd and final term of this year. So, as I look forward into these last eight weeks, what’s the play?

I like to group my plans into three areas- academic, cultural, and social. Let’s start with the academic side of things. I will continue my research in the Davies group working with some brilliant organic chemists from around the world. I want to make progress on my project and continue to learn as much organic chemistry as I can. On the tutorial side of things, I will be taking a major course of Advanced Organic Synthesis and a minor course of Modern British Drama/Performance. I couldn’t be happier with my courses this term. I get to study organic chemistry and act! I am transferring the Modern British Drama/Performance class as my Visual and Performing Arts general education requirement. I received an email this morning from my tutor outlining my first assignment. I have to read the play ‘Arcadia’ by Tom Stoppard, write a 2500 word essay on the idea of ‘Misinterpretation’ and be ready to recite specific lines from the play. It’s going to be a great term!

On the cultural side of things, I have two goals. I have spent 16 weeks in England already and believe that I am getting accustomed to their way of life. I want to better my understanding of their culture and immerse myself further. I also want to test the waters in a new culture. I have not travelled much outside of England, so this term I plan on visiting France and experiencing a glimpse of their culture. I know that a few days in a country like France cannot do it justice, but it will have to do.

And lastly, on the social side of things, I want to have a great time with the friends that I have made in England. People have said that the abroad experience is the best of their college career. So far, it has been for me. In these last weeks, it is time to live it up, enjoy the ride, and learn what I can. Tomorrow I fly from Richmond to Dulles and then Dulles to Heathrow. It is weird to think that less than seven months ago, I was scared and nervous going into unknown territory across the Atlantic. This third time, I feel ready to go. Let’s do this!

“The fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.” – David McCullough, Jr