After our last Korean final, my class and I met up at a bar and said our final goodbyes among ourselves and with our teacher. It was very bittersweet. My Korean class got very close as the semester progressed and it will be very strange not having class with them again in the spring. I'll be surprised if my Korean class next semester is even nearly as awesome as my class during the fall. I guess only time will tell.
Saying goodbye to my MWF teacher.
As soon as Henrik arrived we began exploring Seoul. Before coming to Korea, we created a list of things we wanted to do, including certain foods to eat and places to visit. Many of the things on the list included things I've already done during my time here, so I will focus on the activities that were new to me.
Henrik and I enjoying his first taste of maekkoli.
One of the first places we visited was the Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae. I've been meaning to visit this museum since I arrived in Korea but I wanted to wait until Henrik got here because I thought it would be more fun. Being fun is an understatement. The museum consisted of many art "displays," the best way I can describe it, which you stood in and because it was an optical illusion, it appeared as if the display was real life and you were a part of it. The displays had photos next to them demonstrating how to pose in the display and the ground by the display had a mark of where you had to stand to get the best photo. This is all hard to explain, so I included some photos to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
We also visited two other museums new to me during his time here: the Rice Cake Museum and Seodaemun Prison. The Rice Cake Museum is pretty self explanatory: it included many different kinds of rice cakes and how they were made. I still find it amazing how much a person can using simply rice. There were at least 50 different kinds of rice cake and I just awed at the creativity Koreans had in creating so many different kinds of cakes with one main ingredient.
Some of the rice cakes in the museum.
Seodaemun Prison was used in the 20th century by the Japanese to imprison Korean independence fighters. Not only was the prison preserved for visitors but the area also included a museum that explained the history of the prison, its uses, and the different torture devices used. The museum also focused on the lives of the prisoners and what they sacrificed for the Korean nation. The museum itself reeked of Korean nationalism so it was interesting seeing how they phrased ideas, events, and especially the Japanese.
Inside one of the prison buildings which had the prison cells.
The prison was also very expansive. We visited prison cells, the building where prisoners worked as laborers, the execution building, a building used to house people infected with leprosy, and the exercise yard. It was very surreal being in an actual prison knowing so many people suffered greatly there.
A view of part of the prison.
We also visited Seoul Forest and Namsan Tower. Seoul Forest is large park made up of smaller parks in the city, kind of comparable to Central Park in New York City. Unfortunately because it's winter one of the parks was closed and the scenery wasn't as beautiful as it could have been, but it was still enjoyable to escape the concrete and skyscrapers. What I enjoyed most about Seoul Forest was the cultural park that had interesting sculptures. Additionally, classical music was played throughout the parks which made walking through the trees and fields seem like you were in a movie. I was a fan overall and I look forward to visiting the park again when it's warmer.
One of the parks in Seoul Forest.
Namsan Tower was also on our list so after New Year's, we headed there during the night. The tower offers a fantastic 360-degree view of the city and is a huge tourist spot. Like the Trick Eye Museum, I wanted to go to Namsan Tower when I first arrived in Seoul but I'm glad I waited because going with Henrik made it that much more special.
Namsan Tower.
Cheesing at the top of the hill.
A view from the tower.
As one of our last trips, Henrik and I decided to visit the city of Gyeongju, about four hours away from Seoul by bus, so he could see what Korea looked like outside of Seoul. Gyeongju is the old Silla dynasty capital, filled with evidence from the past everywhere. After arriving, we spent the first day walking around the city, where we ran into a buddhist temple, a park that had ancient tombs from members of the royal class, and a traditional market. Gyeongju is known for its red bean bread (but the red bean was not in a bun, rather in a sweet, soft crust like a soft cookie) which we snacked on throughout the day. We had dakkalbi for dinner and then we bought some beer and maekkoli to enjoy in our hotel room. We got a special rate for our hotel room because not many tourists were in the area. We paid $42 a night instead of $142 and this room was AWESOME. It had a whirlpool bathtub, a king size bed that was actually soft, a huge TV, a couch, free breakfast in the morning, etc. We were tempted to extend our stay just we could stay in that room for another night, haha.
A part of the city.
Tombs. The hills are tombs of people in higher positions (such as kings) whereas the tombs that are slightly elevated from the ground in the foreground are tombs of people from lower positions.
The royal tomb of King Michu of Silla.
The traditional market.
On our second day we ventured outside of the city to visit two famous tourist spots: the Bulguksa Temple (or rather a temple made up of smaller temples) and the Seogullam Grotto. We were able to access both places by bus which made things very easy to reach. Both spots are UNESCO World Heritage sites and were breathtaking to visit. I enjoyed the old architecture the most and being able to visit so many buddhist temples. Both places were very calming to visit and because we were in Gyeongju during off-season, we didn't have to deal with many other tourists. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take a photo of Seogullam Grotto, but after taking a 20-minute bus ride up a mountain and then climbing uphill for another 15 minutes, we were able to see a magnificent stone Buddha carved in the side of the mountain housed in a Buddhist temple. To think that people centuries ago climbed that mountain to carve the giant Buddha is mind-blowing. I can't even begin to imagine how much time that would have taken.
Me posing outside of Bulguksa.
Bulguksa Temple.
Inside one of the temples in Bulguksa.
Henrik posing outside of Seogullam Grotto.
A few days after our visit to Gyeongju, Henrik had to leave because school at MSU was starting the next day. I really did not want him to leave and it was strange going from doing something every day for 4 weeks to doing nothing by myself in my apartment. Luckily my dad arrives in Seoul tomorrow and we will be taking a trip to Taiwan for 5 days which I'm very, very excited about. Similar to what I did with Henrik, I will also be showing him around Seoul.
In the meantime, I've been watching a lot of movies to pass the time by until my dad comes. I've also done some reading for fun and may possibly apply for an research internship at PSCORE, a nonprofit organization in Seoul that focuses on Korean reunification and issues regarding North Korea such as human rights violations.
For as long as this break is and will be (2.5 months), it is going by relatively fast. I do look forward to starting school again so I have something to keep me busy with every day and to meet new students. My next blog post will be after my dad leaves Seoul and before my mom arrives mid February, so I will see you then!
