Eavesdropping on English

My last lunch in Korea was especially indicative of my growth there. During the first week of the trip, my friends and I went to a Korean barbecue place near the University and struggled greatly to order because of the language barrier. When the food arrived, we didn’t know what to do, and the friendly …

Jamsil Stadium Has Nothing on the Swamp

I had been wanting to go to a Korean baseball game since I arrived here. I’d heard it’s such a big part of the culture, and friends who had already been said there’s nothing like it - the people are so spirited. They haven’t seen Gator games! Nonetheless, it was a cool experience. Even on …

We Came, We Climbed, We Conquered

Finally, a day with little enough rain to hike Bukhansan! Some friends and I set our sights on hiking the tallest peak (Baegundae, 836 m) of the mountains in Bukhansan National Park. After an easy hour’s commute via subway and bus, we began our ascent. The recent rain improved the already beautiful scenery by turning …

Just Married

This week’s university field trip was to a Nanta performance. It was very high energy, like STOMP but kitchen-themed and more comedic. The performers rhythmically and animatedly prepared food, dancing around while throwing vegetables into cans and the like, supposedly all in preparation for a wedding feast. At one point, the performers came into the …

Boryeong Mud Festival

Today was the mud festival field trip with the university. Picture stereotypical beach spring break but with mud sports incorporated. SO fun! We mud wrestled, played mud soccer, ran mud obstacles courses, and more. We also watched an air show and live musical performances. Afterwards, we washed off in the East China Sea and relaxed …

Grayer on the Other Side

A tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border between North and South Korea was fitting for Saturday’s dreary weather. This area is designated as part of neither country, where representatives of each can discuss matters in peace. Most of the tour was based around the solemnness of the separation and the fervent hopes …

Fishy Business

“Hi! Hello! Sashimi? Crab? Yummy fresh!” Evidently, the smell of foreigners is as strong to fish venders as the Noryangjin Fish Market is to us, as all of them threw out what English they knew in attempts to corral us to their stands. Some even grabbed our arms and dragged us over. At each stand, …

Your English is Better Than My Korean

I can now write like a kindergartener in Korean! I wrote an essay in class that said, "Hi. This person is an American Singer. His name is Jason Derulo. Jason is a handsome man. I'm a Jason Derulo fan." Once while I was out this week, I was studying my Korean flash cards while waiting …

Markets and Mountains

It’s been a busy weekend! Thursday night some friends and I explored Gangnam, the luxury district where “gangnam style” originated. This area was so cool! Skyscrapers were all around, and the streets lit up at night with huge streaming advertisements and flashing lights. We eventually found ourselves at a puppy café where we got to …

Classes at Hanyang

Classes starting has been exciting! It’s made me explore this campus a bit more. It’s so beautiful! Because it’s very hilly, there are a lot of great views of Seoul, with mountains in the background - truly like a postcard. The architecture is also unique and appealing. I’m really enjoying my beginning Korean class. The …