Orientation and exploring the world! (Multiple countries at a time)

Hello from Seoul!

Students have made the long flights and landed safely in South Korea! Yay!

They are slowly adjusting to the time difference and culture. I'm excited to share their experiences with you all!(: Thank you friends and families back home for your patience.

Day 1:

Students attended orientation followed by a cultural walk around Insadong, a traditional neighborhood here in Seoul. Students enjoyed a Korean-style welcome lunch with staff. The dishes include Korean-style beef bulgogi, pan-fried fish, and soybean paste soup accompanied by Korean side dishes such as kimchi, fishcakes, seaweed, beans, etc.

Following lunch, students engaged in various team building activities to get to know each other better. Students participated in the CIEE Diversity and Inclusion training as a means to build communication and cultural awareness. 

For dinner, I took students to Myeongdong to try Dak-galbi, a Korean-style stir-fried chicken dish which was a great hit! Myeongdong is a popular shopping district in Seoul so students walked around and shopped. For dessert, students enjoyed bingsu. Bingsu is a popular Korean milk-based shaved ice dessert with assorted toppings. Students got a variety to try such as green tea, mango, chocolate, etc.  Overall, they had a great time exploring Seoul and enjoying Korean cuisine. Here are some photos to share below(:

Day 2: 

Students attended training on how to deal with different scenarios and enjoyed lunch on their own in the neighborhood. Following lunch, students engaged in a scavenger hunt around Seoul! Students navigated around Seoul through the public subway system and went to places such as Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace, Cheonggye Stream, and Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Everyone took very creative photos! Here are some examples:

Following the scavenger hunt, students had some time to rest before heading out for dinner. Some students stayed with a PL to have dinner near our accommodation. Others went with a PL to the Express bus terminal to explore the underground shopping mall and tried various food and snacks at the food court.

Overall, everyone had a great time and has been enjoying their time in Seoul so far. The light rain and walking can be a little challenging but they are handling it very well. They are excited to try all the different foods and learn more about Korean history and culture.

Stay tuned for more updates as our students travel around South Korea and eventually Taiwan!