Summer in Seoul

Dear readers, I hope that you are all well as you read this update. I'm starting my second-to-last week here in Korea, and the thought of departure is looming over me. Before the weekend, I recompiled the Korea bucket list that I made before I came, and there are still over 20 items! I don't think I'll be able to knock out them all, but I will certainly be busy for the next two weeks as I attempt to. However, that is not to say that I haven't done a lot. This past weekend was enjoyably full of exploration and bonding time with host family. I did not go on many excursions during the week because of schoolwork - last week was definitely the most intellectually fulfilling week of program simply because of the amount I learned in class. I learned several new grammar points, and being able to use them in everyday speech is indescribably satisfying. Toward the end of the week, though, when the work was winding down, I got out and experienced the arts scene of Se...

Dear readers, As I write, I am refreshed to reflect upon my time in Seoul. However, I am also saddened. I have become used to life here, all the factors, large and small, that make this country drastically different than my own, and I am reminded that my time here is halfway through. Friday marked the halfway point, and I have been thinking about this experience, this way of living, if you will, and I do not want to leave. I have the privilege of being able to explore in everything I do. Whether it is in asking how to find a certain place, eating new foods with my friends, or gathering with my host family for a meal, I cannot help but learn. I spent a lot of time studying this past week because the midterm exam was on Friday, but I still got out and did some fun things after classes. On Wednesday I went with a group of friends to 여의도 (Yeo-i-do), an island in the Han River, and after walking around and chatting at the modern-looking but aesthetically pleasing park there, we...

Greetings from the house of God! Sounds odd, but the name of the Seoul neighborhood where my host family's apartment is is 신당 (Shin-dang), and the meaning of the 한자 (hanja) - the Chinese characters from which the majority of Korean nouns originate - is 'the house of God'. Before this city was made the capital of Korea, and long before it was named Seoul, it was an important spiritual center, and Shin-dang (神堂 in hanja) was so named because there was an abundance of shamanistic fortune tellers there, a vestige of Korea's distant past that can still be seen all throughout Korea today. History and religion aside, another week has passed by in Seoul, and I am daily becoming more able to use Korean in everyday life. On Monday we had our weekly meeting, and several people from the State Department came and spoke about safety abroad and further opportunities with the U.S. government. On Thursday we had our first official language supporter meeting. Every Tuesday and T...

Greetings from Korea! I have had yet another busy week, but got some much-needed rest this past weekend. Last week was the first week of classes, and as such, it took some getting used to! I feel like I have established a rhythm, a daily routine, and I look forward to expanding that routine to allow for more exploration every day. Last Monday we took placement tests, and Tuesday through Friday we had class, which lasted for 4 hours each day and will throughout the summer. On Friday afternoon we had our first session of cultural clubs. I will be learning traditional Korean music, in particular the drumming traditional called 사물노리 (sa-mul-no-ri). I went out all day with friends on Saturday, and we went to 경복궁 (Gyeong-bok-gung), the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty, built in 1395. We were there for 3 hours and didn't even see the whole thing! Two of the girls rented 한복 (han-bok), traditional Korean dress, and wore it around the palace. We also had delicious traditional tea an...

여러분 안녕하세요! Hello from Seoul! I've had a very busy last 6 days full of orientations, State Department presentations, icebreaker games with my fellow NSLIans, and lots of hanging out and bonding, but I am at last settled in with my host family in Jung-gu, Seoul. I am writing, belly full of delicious Korean Japanese food, from the desk in the Cho family's beautifully furnished apartment. The group of 50 going to Seoul on NSLI-Y scholarships this summer all arrived at the Seattle airport on Monday, June 26th, and had Pre-Departure Orientation for the next few days. Monday was just hanging out and arriving, and Tuesday there were back-to-back presentations all morning and early afternoon. However, there was lots of time for us to walk around the University of Washington campus, where we were staying, and it is beautiful. We got up early and left at 7 for the airport. The flight lasted 11 hours, but was not too bad. We stayed at a hostel in Dobongsan, North Seoul for two nights...