Ready, Set, GAME ON!

WELCOME TO KOREA

The excitement was high as students arrived at Incheon Airport, despite any tiredness they might have felt from their long day of travel. The CIEE staff welcomed students from both the Gaming/E-Sports and Kpop programs with signs and smiles, and the students were able to connect with other students in their program while waiting for the bus that would transport them to the hotel.

At the time of writing this, we have successfully completed our first couple of days of being in Korea - we’re all a little tired from the jet lag and the packed schedule, but the adjustment to these differences is certainly getting easier with each passing day.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES & ADVENTURES

The students have had opportunities to get to know the other participants, meet with the Gen. G staff that they’ll be in classes with for the next couple of weeks, and do some exploring of Seoul. They’ve had opportunities to take in the surrounding areas and have already tried a couple of traditional Korean foods, including bibimyeon, mulnaengmyeon, tteokbokki, dolsot bibimbap (a mixed rice dish in a hot stone bowl) and ramyeon (admittedly a little spicier here than what they’ve had before). They’ve completed their first official Korean language class, where they learned how to read, write, and pronounce some of the basic alphabet letters and how to write their own names. They’ve also already mastered the “tap in, tap out” system on the public buses and will have their first opportunity today to work on navigating around Seoul in small groups.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO...

We’ve got a busy schedule for the rest of the week as well, including a visit to Bukchon Hanok Village where the students will explore Korean-style homes, called “hanok”, try out a shaved ice dessert that is perfect for the hot and humid Korean summer weather (bingsu), have an opportunity to wear traditional Korean-style clothes (hanbok) as they tour Gyeongbuk Palace, and a weekend day trip to a Korean Folk Village.