Week 1 in Seoul!

We have just hit the 1-week mark on our Global Seminar in Seoul and it feels like we have both been here for so much more and so much less time than that. We are getting to experience so much here that it feels like we've been here for weeks but the time is also flying by. 

Every day is full of exciting excursions that show us so many different aspects of Korean culture. One of my favorite excursions we did was visiting Bongeunsa Temple on one of our first days. As we are studying religion and technology, it was so interesting to see this old Buddhist temple right in the middle of such a modern city. It was also raining the day we visited this temple (an exciting experience for many of us Californians) which made the experience at the temple feel much more spiritual and beautiful. 

We also were able to visit the DMZ this week which was a very eye-opening experience. Getting to see first-hand the conflict and pain between North and South Koreans through the lens of Koreans was a truly unforgettable thing. We saw these ribbons put up on a fence with the names of family members still trapped in North Korea and we could even see into North Korea and we saw some of the cities close to the border. 

We have free time every weekend so we are able to explore the city some more on our own and we have gotten to see such interesting parts of Seoul! We are based in Dongdaemun but with the subway we have explored Hongdae, Gangnam, and are about to visit Itaewon later today. Each neighborhood has its own unique culture and it has been so fun to hop around and try all the food here. My favorite meals so far have been in Gwangiang market near our accommodation where we have tried cold noodle soup (refreshing in the humid air here) and tteokbokki. 

Week one in Seoul has been so much fun and I have already learned so much about Korean history, language, and religion! I cannot wait to see what new things we get to do in this next week!!

Ellie Grossman