Seoul-ful First Days

Our first few days--arrival, a city-wide scavenger hunt, our first K-pop class, and FOOD!

Getting Acclimated

Hello from Seoul, South Korea! The past few days went by in a flash. Here is what we have been up to!

Day 1- Sunday, July 3

Students arrived throughout the day at Incheon airport. Immigration, customs, and baggage claim were reasonably smooth, and students were collected by CIEE staff before taking a bus to the hotels.

The bus ride into Seoul was about an hour and finally after 16-24 hours, students and CIEE US Program Leaders (PL) were able to rest in their respective hotels, the place they would call home for the next 3 weeks. Dinner was a bulgogi dinner box with rice, kimchi, and other banchan, and everyone was early to bed after the long travel day!

Day 2- Monday, July 4

After breakfast and a regulatory PCR test, our first activity was an extensive scavenger hunt designed by CIEE staff!  

This was the students’ first time going on the metro and navigating the streets independently (with PLs, of course).  The large metro system was initially overwhelming, but with patience and determination, the students got each group from Point A to Point B, gaining independence and confidence in getting themselves around the city.  

To successfully complete the scavenger hunt and receive a prize from CIEE,  the groups had to answer a few short questions related to their impressions of the sites, as well as take group photos at each site.  

The scavenger hunt had three stops (each group had a different order): 

Sungnyemun Gate

This gate is known as Korea’s Treasure No. 1 and its name means “Gate of Honoring Propriety”.  Its unofficial name is Namdaemun Gate (“South Gate”) and it served as the southern entrance to the capital.  It is the largest of the gates remaining from the wall that once surrounded Seoul, with the gate supporting a two-story pavilion, the oldest wooden structure of the Seoul City Wall. It is also unique in that its name is written vertically. Despite sustaining repeated damages and undergoing reconstruction and preservation efforts, Sungnyemun Gate serves as a valuable resource in understanding the architecture and construction techniques of the Joseon Dynasty period (1392-1910).  

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Dongdaemun Design Plaza -  a.k.a. DDP - Dream, Design, and Play  

This was established in conjunction with Seoul City Government’s public design policy “Design Seoul”.   It is now an iconic landmark of the Korean design industry, serving as a key venue for Seoul Fashion Week, design-related shows, conferences, exhibitions, and other events.  There is also an SM TOWN Gift Shop inside (SM Town is a musical collective for recording artists under SM Entertainment, a large South Korean entertainment company).  

Cheonggyecheon stream

This is an 11-kilometer-long stream that runs through downtown Seoul.  Cheonggyecheon is a restoration of a stream dating back to the Joseon Dynasty and was created as part of an urban renewal project.  After the Korean War, it was covered with an elevated highway as part of post-war economic development.  In 2003, the steam was uncovered and restored to its present form, flowing from Cheonggye Plaza to the Hangang River and passing under 22 bridges.  

We finished the day with some celebratory bingsu, a traditional Korean treat of shaved ice and various toppings.  In the Seoul heat, this is a much-needed break!

Day 3 Tuesday, July 5

After receiving a group-wide negative PCR test result, we were excited for orientation, Tina-our wonderful CIEE Seoul staff, reviewed our three-week itinerary with us.  We were happy to discover that our time in Seoul is packed with lectures, excursions, and, of course, delicious food! 

Speaking of food….Orientation was followed by an extensive welcome lunch, and items included: grilled fish, pajeon (scallion pancakes), haemul pajeon (seafood pancakes), white kimchi, pickled radish, kimchi radishes, eggplant, bulgogi (marinated beef), shellfish soup, green salad with sesame dressing, and much more.  We were so excited to try new things that we forgot to take pictures!

For many students, this was also a good time to get a grasp on their chopstick skills. Korean chopsticks are unique in that they are metal and flat, making them a challenging tool with which to eat, but overall, we left lunch FULL and HAPPY!

As if we hadn’t eaten enough, Tina took us to try ggultarae (honey threads) which is a dessert that used to be served to Korean kings. We got to watch a demonstration of how the dessert is made by stretching a ball of frozen honey over and over again until there are 16,384 strands then filling it with various additions such as almond. It is SO tasty. 

 

We returned to our hotel for one more training session.  After that, we explored the neighboring Insadong area for dinner and shopping.  

Day 4, Wednesday July 6

Today was our first day of class with the amazing Dr. Kim!  All gathered in the Somerset seminar room to participate in ice-breaking activities, and our first lecture.  She enthralled all the students with interesting historical connections to present-day K-Pop videos and performances.  The students were also assigned their final project, which is making a K-pop music video!  They excitedly discuss songs, choreography, and costumes in their initial planning stage.  

We look forward to more interesting lectures and additional excursions to finish up our first week in Seoul!