Last Thoughts in Seoul – Reflecting

The last few days in Seoul had an odd feeling to them. Sitting in the lobby watching people slowly leave the dorm building with their packed luggage bags – heading back to their homes, family, and friends all over the world. Walking through the dorm halls – each door had our names on it with a flag of where we came from and I began thinking about how we were a brave group of individuals. Not everyone dives blindly into a new world, leaving everything loved behind – but we all came to South Korea to explore and live a new life. Some of us came for a temporary stay, while others have plans to spend the rest of their lives in Seoul.

My close group of friends planned one last night out in Sinchon, the college town near Yonsei, and we visited old spots we frequented during our stay for one last time. That night it sprinkled snow and I experienced my first snow. It was a happy night. Another night, a friend and I headed to Dongdaemun and I showed him how to haggle – a skill I picked up and mastered during my stay in Seoul – something I am now proud of.

A final outing occurred the night before I left Seoul and during this outing many people broke down in tears as they started saying their goodbyes. We all hope we’ll meet again – but even if that happens, we’ll never meet again in the same situation – although the memories we made will certainly be with us throughout our lives.

As I packed my bags to head home – my friend Wason, notified me that it was snowing outside – as if Seoul was saying goodbye to me. I went outside and the snow was coming down. It was an experience indeed – I wrote goodbye to Seoul in the snow. I’ll post the photograph below.

A few hours later – a few friends: Allen, Wason, and Sunny had breakfast with me as I spent my last few minutes at SK Global House. Allen and Sunny helped me carry my heavy luggage to the limousine bus stop to Incheon Airport and as we left it began to snow again – this time a much heavier snow. It was beautiful and indeed I can’t imagine a better ending to my time in Korea.

While riding in the limousine bus to Incheon Airport, I started reflecting on the first time I rode the limousine bus to Yonsei University with my first friend in Seoul, Taylor, just a few months prior. All the excitement of living in a big city and experiencing all that Seoul had to offer me. Indeed, Korea offered me an experience like no other and I’ll always remember the many people and experiences it brought to me. I have no regrets about this once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad.

As I sat in Incheon Airport waiting for my flight to depart on my laptop. I saw an overwhelming number of Facebook status updates of people saying goodbye and I felt overcome with emotion. Sadness mixed with happiness that I found a new home, new friends, and I was ending a time in my life that was at times lonely and then at times completely fulfilling. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world.

Finally the boarding began on a long flight back home to Tampa, Florida…

Partying in Seoul – Where to find the parties

Seoul is one of the largest cities on Earth and as such has parties happening almost everyday. As a Yonsei student you will be given several opportunities for free admission to clubs and also chances to interact with club promoters to run the city. Here are some of the top clubbing promotion networks I encountered while in Seoul:

Krome Entertainment: Organized in 2010 and also constantly planning parties all around Seoul

Sky Events: Social Korea Youth, connecting students from all the Universities in Seoul

Students Gathering in Korea: Promoted 2 School Uniform parties in Hongdae, among other parties

Watz Up Korea: Consistently planning parties around town, including the first Caribbean club nights and basketball-themed parties

SK Global House: Pros and Cons

SK Global House and International House (I-House) are the two main dorm buildings at Yonsei University for international students. They provide affordable housing and plenty of amenities for students. I chose to live in SK Global House because of the extra features and bathrooms inside the bedrooms (in I-House there are common bathrooms). SK Global House is only slightly more expensive than I-House. Here are my pros and cons of living in SK Global House after living here for almost a semester:

Pros:

• Washing machines and dryers are located on the Basement 2nd floor of SK Global House.
• A dry cleaning service is available for students on the Basement 2nd floor and very affordable. As an alternative you can pay the dry cleaning service to wash your clothes for you and they will even fold your clothes for you.
• Each floor in SK Global Lounge has a lounge and study room/media room for you to go to when you get tired of being squeezed in a small dorm. There is also a lounge on the main entrance where you can hang out with your friends since each floor is gender-restricted.
• SK Global House rooms have bathrooms inside the rooms – nice because when I need to use the bathroom, I would rather use it in the privacy of my own room. I-House residents share public restrooms.
• GS-25, a popular convenience store chain, is conveniently connected to SK Global House so you don’t have to leave the building to grab some food or home items – although I will warn you the prices here are much higher than your average restaurant in Korea. There’s also an ATM there if you one. The same goes for the food options connected to SK Global House – Burger N Shake, Caribou Coffee, Cafe Kikini, and a tonkatsu/ramen place. If you’re hungry for some Korean food I suggest the Korean restaurants in New Millennium Hall and the Korean Language Institute building. They also sell snacks there.
• Living in the dorms makes it easy to make friends and you will likely meet the same people on the elevator, at the convenience store, in class, and then later on roaming in Sinchon.
• There are a number of places that will deliver food to SK Global House since students regularly are ordering food there.
• There is a kitchen in the Basement 3rd floor of the SK Global House and you can buy storage space for pots and supplies.

Cons:

• There is a constant mosquito problem in the two dorm buildings. They seem to be living within the vents and if you leave your window open prepare to be harassed by mosquitoes.
• Living with lots of students means you will no doubt be prone to whatever illness is spreading around. It’s hard to avoid when everyone presses the same elevator buttons and opens the same doors.
• No member of the opposite sex is allowed on your floor, nor are they allowed in your room. You’re an adult, but you’ll be living like a teenager. They will watch you with security cameras located everywhere.
• If learning Korean is your goal of coming to Korea – you’ll have a hard time doing that as most people in the dorms will be speaking English…it wasn’t a problem for me since I was more interested in meeting people from around the world.
• Although there is a fridge on each floor in SK Global House – people steal each others food regularly and its such an issue that I can’t even buy anything to store in a fridge.
• Although there is internet at SK Global House – it is painfully slow and sometimes randomly disconnects.

Autumn in Fall – Part I

One of the best things about living in Korea during the Fall is the beautiful trees and leaves that change colors. Coming from Florida where our seasons never change – It is a completely new experience to see trees change color and see the leaves falling off trees.

Why Korea?

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is why I chose to go to South Korea for my study abroad program. My background is grounded in Japan and Japanese culture so why would I choose to go somewhere else as an exchange student? There are so many options to choose from in the world. What made South Korea stand out to me? I get the question from other travelers, exchange students, and from Koreans themselves who are intrigued to at the attention their nation is receiving from foreigners.

Here are some of the major things that brought me to South Korea:

• Korean culture caught my eye – I could only get a glimpse from Korean television, and other forms of entertainment…I wanted to know more about this nation that few people in my hometown seem aware of. I have been able to experience the culture first-hand by visiting palaces, museums, and interacting with the cities and towns personally and this has made my trip here one I will never forget
• Korean language – As an international business major with a focus in Asia I want to learn as many foreign languages as possible and study as many markets as possible – coming to Yonsei University allowed me to enroll in Korean language courses not available at my home university and pick up some of the language and although the Korean program here is not really my cup of tea…I can’t deny I learned lots of Korean words and phrases I would have never learned this quickly at home without an instructor or class environment
• I enjoy eating Korean food in Tampa at Korean restaurants – Korean food in Korea is actually quite different in terms of flavor (it is sweeter in the USA), but still interesting nevertheless
• Yonsei University is one of the major universities in South Korea and I wanted to experience a big city life for a change after living in my quiet suburban life in Tampa for so many years – with so many districts such as Sinchon, Hongdae, Gangnam, and Itaewon and an affordable and efficient subway system to connect them I have been able to hit the streets on foot and explore the city as a true Seoulite
• I wanted to make business contacts in South Korea and I believe I have quite successful in acquiring business relationships with several important people in Seoul
• There is no denying the advantage of using the United States dollar in South Korea. Many times things that should have cost me $100 were only $85 or less after converting my dollars into wons. The state of the dollar versus the yen is no secret and I hope someday it improves, but I think surviving a semester in a major city in Japan would be a huge challenge and be very limiting – I have been able to go out dining, partying, and fully been able to enjoy myself here in ways I couldn’t even enjoy myself at home in Florida
• My Yonsei friends I made at home made a big impact on me and actually made me think about Yonsei University as my choice school. Cool, collected, and social-able; all the good times we had in Tampa inspired me to head to Korea and meet other native Koreans and I have indeed many Korean friends in Seoul during my stay

That concludes most of the major reasons that brought me out to South Korea for my study abroad program. I still have another month and a half in South Korea before I head back home to Tampa. One thing I realized while starting a new language here was just how much Japanese I know. I’ve decided to go home and intensively study my Japanese and head to Japan next summer for an intensive language program so I can be at a high level before I graduate from USF.

Meeting other travelers here with many dreams like myself has been a big inspiration. Many of them are planning to build their lives here or make future trips and I feel inspired to make my dreams happen as well. Of course, the journey is the reward and the best thing about studying abroad has been meeting so many amazing and open-minded people from around the world. I hope one day fate will bring us back into the same path again after this program comes to an end.

Sick while abroad in South Korea? Here are some tips.

Sorry for the lack of updates! I just recently recovered from a flu and midterm exams (a horrible pair to have actually). I learned some valuable lessons from this experience though:

• Make sure to pack some cold medications from the U.S.A. before heading to another country (researching to make sure it is legal first of course)
• Vitamin C is scarce in South Korea. Tropicana orange juice is around $8 and fruits in general are expensive…you will certainly want to bring some Vitamin C pills with you to keep your immune system up
• Visiting the international clinic is way more expensive than visiting a Korean clinic, however if you need a doctor’s note for classes (almost every class in Korea has required attendance) then you will need to visit a real hospital and get a doctor’s note. Pharmacy notes may not be accepted
• Make sure you’re always ahead in your classes so you can afford to miss a few classes – this flu bug severely put my academic performance in jeopardy and getting through the flu was extremely difficult while trying to stay up cramming and doing homework
• Bring a friend if it makes you more comfortable, but just make sure you go early enough to the doctor! My doctor told me if I had been a few days later I would have developed pneumonia
• Be wary of consuming raw food in Korea…some friends have had some nasty experiences doing that. On that note never drink tap water. My friend hiked a mountain here in Seoul and when she got the top someone gave her tap water and her stomach was in trouble for at least a week
• Most Korean pharmacy’s sell cheap over-the-county fixes as well – you might want to try those if you arrived without any medication
• Sleep is essential – and on that note make sure you air out your room and throw away anything that might be housing the germs as well
• Try calling home…it might make you feel better. I know every time I talked to some friends or family members I felt better about my illness. It’s re-assuring to speak to someone who knows you well about your troubles. Skype has unlimited calling in the United States for $7/month and it includes landlines and mobile phones so you can talk to your family and friends all you want!
• Make sure to save your receipts so you can report it to your travel insurance!

YONgojeon (연고전) 2011 & Sistar After-party Concert

YONgojeon (연고전) is a historic annual sports rivalry event that occurs between Yonsei University and Korea University. It reminds me of homecoming back at the University of South Florida. Students from both schools assemble and cheer for their respective team in games ranging from basketball to rugby. Yonsei students make food for other students and bring water bottles to keep everyone energized and cheering. The various student organizations also assemble themselves with customized t-shirts. The cheerleaders (pictured above) are endlessly energetic and are supported by flaming fires and even fireworks inside the sports stadium. The cheering is so intense that its difficult to even pay attention to the sports game.

People deck themselves out in gear from their school and cheer in subways and on the streets. After the games the cheering moves to partying in the hosting town. This year the party was hosted by Yonsei University and the party was all over Sinchon. Students could visit restaurants and sing cheers in return for free food. You could see packs of Korea University students carrying their school flag through the city from night til dawn. This is something you could imagine in a small town, yet it is being practice in a big city and I found that to be very interesting.

Drinking is allowed on-campus and Yonsei University provided free beer and sandwiches to students at the free after-party concert with various singers and headlining K-Pop group “Sistar”. This concert was awesome (though 30 Seconds to Mars through MTV at USF was pretty sweet last year). After the concert people continue cheering and drinking on-campus with Korea University students or head into Sinchon for the various promotional club parties happening.

Visiting a Cat Cafe in Sinchon – Hello Cat Godabang

I heard about cat cafes while living in Tampa. The concept really interested me: you pay a fee to spend time with an animal for the day and then when you are done you go on your way…no veterinarian checkups, no litter boxes to clean, no ruined home furniture. On my first Saturday in Seoul we decided to visit a cat cafe in Sinchon called Hello Cat Godabang.

The cat cafe is located by Sinchon Station on the 8th floor of a building. The sign is red, yellow, and blue and has a small black cat on it. The elevator is really small so some of us had to walk up the stairs to avoid the weight limit being reached. There was initially a 30 minute wait and then they contact you when you can come back. When you enter the cafe you clean your hands with sanitizer, take off your shoes, and put on slippers.

You pay the cashier at the front and order a beverage of your choice. The beverage is your admission cost. I had an ice cafe mocha and it was great. The cost per person is about 8,000 won.

The employees come and serve you coffee and then after some time the cats are brought out little by little. The cats are used to lots of people being around and don’t really pay attention to you until the employees give you some cat food on your hand and then they all come running to you. Most cats are only one or two years old and there is an information wall about each cat in the cafe in Korean.

You’re not allowed to pick up the cats probably to avoid any possible problems. The cats are de-clawed so you won’t get scratched. The floor is surprisingly clean and I didn’t see any cat fur lying around during my visit. The employees are really friendly and seem to love their job. The variety of cats in the cafe was neat and I kinda wish we had one of these in the United States (though I’m not sure PETA would allow it).

Overall, visiting the cat cafe was a fun and inexpensive experience that I would recommend to anyone in Korea. Cat cafes can be found in other towns around Seoul as well. There are a number of other cafes with other animals as well (I want to visit a dog cafe in the future).

Website: http://godabang.com/

Yonsei Mentors Club Cheering Orientation & Cell Meeting

The Yonsei Mentors Club is the backbone that teaches international students about Yonsei University school spirit. They cheer. They dance. They wear cool blue track outfits and represent their school. Part of our orientation was learning some of the cheers from the club. They guide you through each cheer and dance. It was silly, yet fun to hang out with everyone and watch them all trying to dance on command while watching the experts perform in front of us. I shot some video footage of the cheering orientation so you could see for yourself.

Some of the songs were funny because the beats were familiar to us, especially one song that had the beat of Butterfly from Dance Dance Revolution (my favorite game at home =P).

Most of us got worn out during the middle of the show, but the Yonsei students had an endless supply of energy and made it all look so easy. They were really cool and must have practiced really hard to have such a flawless performance.

After the orientation ended we split our cell groups and went out to eat with our mentors. They went out the first night as well, but I missed it since I was in the middle of flying around the world. Our mentor walked us into Sinchon and took us to a Korean restaurant. The Korean food there was actually too spicy for my liking and I didn’t really enjoy the food, but it was fun hanging out and meeting lots of new people in my cell group. 🙂

Our cell group leader is a medical student so he is always busy studying, but he tries his best to come and meet us. Korean students work so hard to be hospitable to foreign students, it’s really great. He explained the food we ate in the video below:

This food is called Nolbu Budaejjigae (놀부부대찌개). It’s a spicy stew of ham, sausage, tofu, and fresh vegetables boiled in front of you. It originates from the Korean War and was popular for quite some time afterward when people didn’t have much to eat. They made the dish by combining leftover Spam and hot dogs from U.S. army facilities. The city of Uijeongbu (의정부) is famous for Budaejjigae.

After we finished our food, our mentors group went out for Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and some Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake). I tagged along for a short while before breaking off to head to Hongdae (홍대) for Club Night with some friends. 🙂

IYC First Night Out Party @ Heidelberg & After-Party @ Barfly

We walked as a group with the International Yonsei Community (IYC) to Heidelberg in Sinchon. There must have been at least one hundred people in our pack. It seemed like a long time to walk somewhere…but by now I have become quite a professional at walking around town so in retrospect it was not that bad. Once we arrived, we put our names on these name cards…a really good idea since we would be meeting so many people that time. I almost wish they did this everywhere we go.

It was odd to be in a bar/pub at 7:00PM since in the U.S.A. I hardly ever go out before 11:00PM at the earliest. We sat at some booths and were brought pitchers of beer and a plate full of food. The food was mostly french fries and assortments of hot dogs. The hot dogs were so-so, but I was really hungry so I ate it anyway. I met a few people at my table and we played a few Korean drinking games while we waited for things to start.

There was many things planned for the night. Beer pong, flip cup, and various other drinking games in addition to a dance floor later at night. I learned that Korean people really go through much trouble to make others feel welcome and it made me reflect on what we do as Americans to help foreigners when they come to our nation. The alcohol helped to loosen people up and since coming to Seoul I have noticed that Korean people enjoy drinking as a form of socializing and incorporate it into many things. The Japanese would call it nomunication (essentially drinking as a form of communication – as my friend reports on her travel blog in Japan).

We stayed pretty late and after the event everybody headed to Barfly. Barfly is a bar/club in Sinchon that frequently is the location of foreigner parties. The club isn’t bad for the location, but the DJ doesn’t mix as well as some of the other clubs I have visited in other places like Hongdae. Personally, Barfly feels more like something you would see on Fletcher or Fowler Ave. in Tampa. Once of those small college bar setups, such as Peabody’s or Bulls Club by USF. Not really my style, but I didn’t mind going to socialize with some fellow students.

We stayed until about 2 or 3AM and Sinchon was still as busy as it was at 7PM. The city must never sleep (some places are open until 6AM). I got tired eventually and I went to my dorm with a friend. My first night out in Seoul had passed.