This is the blog I'll be using to keep those who are interested updated on my classmates and my travels in Seoul for the next two weeks this Spring.
Although we only arrived in Seoul yesterday (May 12th in Seoul), it feels like we've done so much walking and seen so many things. First off, some of the things that I'd learned in Asian 257 (Great Cities in Asia) this past semester were noticeable almost immediately. When we were riding the airport limousine (read: bus) on the way to the Sinchon Hostel, I could see lots of water, bridges, traffic, and more or less uniform looking apartment complexes. Seoul's dense population and geographic location around the Han river give it unique qualities that make it interesting.
Day one in Seoul was just generally exploration. We simply grabbed dinner and explored the surrounding Sinchon area populated by lively, young college students (with some foreigners here and there as well). This area is particularly busy and youthful because it's conveniently situated between to large universities: Ehwa Women's College and Yonsei University. The well-dressed, smartphone-adept college students have everything they need from shopping to street food - and it's all within walking distance. The shopping is no joke; there are boutiques, stalls, and department stores fighting to share the same street corners. The department stores embody international influence, boasting brands like GAP, Adidas, and plenty of other names that are definitely recognizable and definitely expensive. After an evening of retail restraint, we rested up for the next day.
Day two was different from the first but still consisted of exploration and a little bit of culture shock. Although we went to quite a few places, I don't have time to talk about all of them, as much as I'd love to.
Yeouido Island - We ventured into Seoul's subway system and successfully made it to Yeouido Island from Hongdae in the early afternoon. The area of the island we went was a recreational one. It literally can be described as a playground for adults and children. Aside from the most popular activity, bike riding, there are public exercise machines and playgrounds. The exercise equipment seemed to be more popular with the older crowd, but families and children weren't necessarily scarce (it was a Monday afternoon, after all). The bike ride around the island was both leisurely and enlightening. You can Seoul's profile from multiple angles as you ride alongside the river. The Yeouido Island area houses many financial and administrative buildings, one of which was once the tallest building in Korea, demonstrating the historical significance of the area with regard to Seoul's development as a "megacity." This building is appropriately referred to as the "63 building" because of its 63 stories.
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| Semi-cameo by Seoul and Aidan |
Noryangjin Fish Market - We ended our day's travels relatively early at Noryangjin Fish Market. The market was filled with different vendors selling various things ranging from regular cucumbers to still-squirming sea cucumbers. The market is clearly a staple in the area, busy with people looking not only to shop, but to grab a bite to eat as well - which is what we did. We made friends with a fish and shortly made him our dinner - fresh as they come. Some of it was served raw, almost sashimi-style, while the rest was cooked into a soup. In this way, none of the fish goes to waste. A popular part of eating out here is cooking part of your meal; our fish soup was served in a bowl on a hot burner. Another part of (some) meals here is taking off your shoes and sitting on the ground, which we also participated in. The culture of eating definitely isn't something that can be totally expressed in a textbook or a lecture, but it's so important and can say a lot about cultures in general. Choosing a fish then immediately eating it isn't something that really happens in the US, but of course, this isn't the US.
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| I said there was fresh fish, right? |
Now the real trip begins, so I've got to rest up and save my energy for tomorrow's walking and wandering.
In Short - Where did we go? - Sinchon, Ehwa Women's College, Yonsei University, Hongdae, Yeouido Island, and Noryangjin Fish Market
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