Category: South Korea

After a 14 hour flight from Toronto we finally landed in South Korea. Got picked up by the school bus and headed to the university. (kookmin university). A week later I am thinking Toronto has nothing on South Korea.

From the public transit, to club district, mobile phone services, to the university I am staying for this international summer program. The experience’s I have had so far in my first week has just been amazing. Came with an open mind and no expectations and just after the first week have been made a definite fan of the country and  the beautiful city of Seoul. I have paid a visit to two palaces of former kings of south Korea and taken a tour of a 100 aceor secret garden on the compound of one of the palaces. Visited the downtown core and club district where we spent about 6 hours in a hip hop club. while leaving the club at 5:15 am people were still coming in and buying drinks. Yesterday went to an amusement park and went on a roller-coaster for the first time since I was 14 years old. still hate them but figured im half way around the world might as well. just glad I didn’t eat before I went on it.

Campus life is cool. crazy amounts of stairs to and from class or anywhere on campus or the city due to it being mostly on mountains. Campus it self is crazy nice. state of the art, well kept and decorated with artwork from students in the compound. only one issue I can think of is the midnight curfew to all students staying on campus. because the doors are opened with a magnetic key at midnight the keys are deactivated and there is no way into the buildings. because of this there is not much to do at all during the week due the fair of being locked out of the building. yet another reason why when we head out on the weekends we don’t return till the morning. the classes are very interesting. learning the Korean language and culture so far. I was lost on the second day with the alphabet. unlike the English language we are not learning letters but instead their language is based on sounds. so very difficult to get a handle on how to read and understand the basic concepts. for an example. B does not exsist. to make the sound ba. the closest this is pa or ph…….. yea bet you lost to right about now. lol. Big plans for next week. going to spend an night a buddhst monk temple and the Samsung factory. keep you posted on the weekly adventures.

will be posting many pictures in the coming days.

B out!

I have been thinking about the best way to share my experiences in Seoul. I have decided to go the 140 characters or less route of twitter. Anyone is able to view tweets so it is easier to share. Enjoy, a few of my posts!

There are a few more posts on twitter.  If you are interested then you may view them at http://www.twitter.com/kevpolson.  Also, I take requests so if you want to see something let me know. I’m still here until July 27th so there is more to post.

cheers,
Kevin

Seoul a place of culture, technology and above all, food! The moment I arrived in Seoul it was mind-boggling that such a country use to be the 12^th poorest countries in the world, and then it became something more.  When I left Air Pearson International Airport, I was so excited to go to South Korea, I heard so much about them there rich culture, their heritage, their food and their music.

When I arrived at Incheon Airport, I looked at one of the South Korean artifacts. it goes to show that South Korea has such a rich heritage. When we arrived, we met a few other fellow classmates from Malaysia. They were such a delight and are happy to come along with us for the rest of the month.

While me and company where waiting, we were greeted by our own bus from the university, we got on and travelled to the university which was an hour away. By the time I reached there we have paired up girls with girls, boys with boys, we got to our rooms and it was small but cozy at the same time.

After that a few days we started our classes, we went to a folk house. I was awed by its design, it’s significance. It was astounding to be there. It made me feel like I was actually there during those times. Our class sat in one of them and we drank tea together, it was peaceful, tranquil and serene. It helps clear your mind of all distractions and to focus on the task at hand, the tea was called “Korean Green Tea” It’s taste was similar to green tea but has a slight punch to it, we finished the tea and head back to our dorms.

 

We explored the Changdeokgung Palace, with our class and it was huge, there was so much to see. A lot of rooms and home to one of South Koreans oldest trees, which is around seven hundred years old.

The language itself is hard enough, saying “hello” and “thank you” is right now the only thing I can say to get me by. Learning the language itself is hard, to remember all the consonants and vowels, they sound obscure all the while learned how to read them is different. Most of my classmates struggled. We need practice and learning how to read and write Korean is the best way to do so. I have so much to tell everyone, I have such high expectations here, hoping to see Yoido Gospel church, see the Han river, learning how to speak Korean. It’s my dream come true.

1. Download Kakaotalk: having this chat makes life so much easier. to communicate with people specially if you do not have a Korean Simcard.
2. Know basic Korean like or bring a Korean/ English Phrase book.Bring Korean currency because around the school they do not take foreign currencies.
   • my name is    “nae ileum-eun insert name here ibnida”
   • Can I get  “ee-GUH choo sey YOH” (while pointing)
3. Bring Korean currency because they do not take foreign currencies  by the school.
4. Try Korean food in Toronto.
5. Bring medication such as Tylenol, Advil, or any other medication that you are taking.
6. Keep an open mind and be open to try new things.

This week I decided to visit the DMZ. The DMZ is the demilitarized zone which separates North Korea from South Korea. This border that stretches the length of both countries was put in effect after the Korean war ended in the 1950s.

I arrived early in the morning in to visit one part of the DMZ. This tour involved visiting a village near the border, a museum, a tunnel leading into North Korea, and the last train station in South Korea (before North Korea). My favorite part of the tour was visiting the third tunnel and the last train station. The tunnel I visited was one of four which the North Koreans built to invade South Korea. South Korea discovered these tunnels and sectioned them off. There were no pictures allowed but it was an amazing experience nonetheless. The last train station called Dorasan Station is the last stop before North Korea. It’s amazing because people still carry on with their normal lives with North Korea being a few kilometers away!

Overall it was a great tour. I will definitely stop by the other DMZ checkpoints when I return to Seoul next time.

Jongmyo Shrine is one of South Korea’s most treasured places. It was built in 1394 by King Taejo. The shrine was burned by Japanese invaders but was reconstructed. The shrine was built to honor the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty.  The architecture of the area has been kept modest and plain looking so that one is not distracted and can remain humble. I’ve been to a temple before but this was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before! Along with the shrine there is a pond and several adjoining houses. The pond looks like something out of a movie.The adjoining houses were quite interesting because it showed how Koreans remembered their ancestors by paying tribute and praying. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to visiting more tourist attractions.

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