Week 15 and 16 (December 1-14)
At Yonsei University, finals week runs for two weeks. This semester it was from December 9 - December 20. Unfortunately (but luckily), all my professors decided to have finals during the first week. I spent a majority of my time, the week prior studying and preparing for my exams. I knew a lot of my grades were going to be dependent on the final exam. Another exciting thing was that I turned 21 on December 10, so I will mention some of the things that I did! And make sure to be active and workout while you are preparing for finals! Sometimes sitting at a desk all day can really stress you out, so I found myself going to the gym as an outlet to release it. Here was my final schedule: Thursday December 12: BIZ 4183, IEE 1154, and BIZ 3158 (Mock Interview) Friday December 13: BIZ 3134 Thoughts about each Final Exam: BIZ 4183: The exam was multiple choice with a lot of questions (I believe around 40-50 questions). What helped me prepare for the exam was going through my lecture notes and reading the textbook. I also made study guides for each chapter that was being tested. The test was cumulative. IEE 1154: This was one of my easier exams of the day. Our professor had the class write our answers to four questions. All the questions were related to the things that we know about Korean pop culture and our experiences with it. BIZ 3158: This final was the most challenging for me. My interviewers were from my professor’s MBA class, and the group that I got assigned to wanted to do a debate along with the 10 minute interview. I could not look up the professionals prior on Linkedin, which made it difficult for me to connect with them. Then during the debate portion, the interviewers choose our positions for the debate. I got the opposition for the question, “Does social media hinder or promote communication?” This was another challenge in and of itself because my three other group mates had a difficult time finding different ways to create arguments. BIZ 3134: Actually this was the most difficult exam that I had to prepare for, since it was cumulative. I had to review all the materials from the beginning of the semester and review the textbook chapters. The hardest part about preparing for this exam was not knowing what was going to be on the exam. Our professor did not give us any guidance as to what topics we should focus on, so I heavily based my studies off of her lectures (video and in-person) over the textbook. After finishing the exam, I thought that it went okay, there were about 20 or 25 multiple choice questions and it took me an hour to complete it. December 5, 2019 Dinner with Natasha’s Aunty I have come to realize that in Korea, buffets are amazing here! Be sure to do your research and look up buffets you can go to and the prices are worth it! On this day we went to the QooQoo Buffet located at a plaza in the DMC. If you ever go to a QooQoo, you have to try their strawberry black tea, it is really fragrant with a light hint of strawberry.
December 6, 2019 Adventures in Mangwon Lisa and I wanted to do some last minute stationary shopping before finals week, so we stopped by Mangwon for just a couple of hours!
Dinner at Pizza Mall Like I mentioned prior in this blogpost, definitely check out the buffets in Korea, since they offer good rates (mostly on weekdays). I was missing American food a lot so this sounded like the perfect place to visit. Lisa and I went an hour before closing! There were a lot of different varieties of pizzas, pastas, salads, and desserts. My favorite food was a sweet cheese corn pizza, it was very delicious and flavorful! I believe the buffet was around 9900 KRW, which is super cheap for all the food that you can get.
December 10, 2019 Although today was my birthday, I did not want to do something grand since everyone was still studying for finals. We just went to a nearby KBBQ place near Yonsei because I was craving yukhoe. One of the must try foods in Korea is yukhoe, it has a similar texture to ahi poke or sashimi and tastes good with sesame oil and slices of pears. After that, my friends surprised me with a Winnie the Pooh ice cream cake! There were six different flavors: cherry, raspberry, cookies and cream, strawberry, blueberry, and I don’t remember the last flavor. December 12, 2019 Never in my life had I taken three finals in one day. On this day, I took two exams and had a mock interview. If you ever have three finals in one day, pace yourself with your studies! Maybe studying weeks in advance will help you stress out less on the actual day! December 13, 2019 Last Final Today I had my last final for BIZ 3134: International Management. I stayed up late studying for my final and was stressed out, since this final was going to be a large portion of my grade. I think what ended up helping me was that I made study guides for all the chapters that were going to be on the exam. By doing this, it helped me review the material and look over concepts that were confusing. Rock Climbing at The Climb in Hongdae If you enjoy working out, then you will love rock climbing at the Climb! I have been wanting to go to this place ever since I got to Korea. This was the perfect week to go since, I did not work out at all. Bouldering really works your upper body, so the next day my arms were super sore! The admission fee was 23000 KRW and a bag of chalk was 1000 KRW. Prior to paying for the fee, they make you fill out a waiver form, just in case anything happens. Overall I had an amazing time at The Climb, and I am glad that I got to experience it with my friends. Playing Catan at a Board Game Cafe The last thing that I wanted to do for my birthday was to play Settlers of Catan with my friends! We found a board game cafe located near Sulbing. Sadly I slowly realized that I did not end up winning and resulted in purchasing development cards instead of building cities and settlements. Don’t forget that from Friday-Sunday fees for board game cafes can be costly! December 14, 2019 Cafe at Eternal Blooming Lisa had one more final left the following week so, instead of going out we went to a cafe so she could get some studying done. This was not the first cafe that we decided to go to, I think the other ones were either crowded or closed. This cafe is located towards the busier part of Yeonnam (more towards Hongdae). When I walked into this cafe, I thought that it looked really minimalistic, the white walls complemented the black furniture. I ended up getting a berry ade (cost ~8500 KRW), which was really Dinner at Korea Sikdang For dinner we went to this hole-in-the-wall food place in Yeonnam, and yes it is actually called Korea Kitchen. This place had a lot of millennials who were all enjoying food and soju. For a small space, it was nearly filled. The side dishes were really good, we had to ask the owner to refill it again! I ended up getting a soybean paste soup, since I didn't want anything too spicy and I shared a kimchi pancake with Lisa. In total I paid around 10000 KRW. Definitely a good place if you want to chill with your friends on a Friday night.
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Week 13 and 14 (November 17 - 30) Disclaimer: My apologies for posting this a couple months later, but I finally got around to completing this post! But I hope you enjoy reading through this. If you have any questions about studying abroad in Korea, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Have fun! These two weeks were really stressful for me. I had a looming thought over my head that finals was approaching, even though it was a few more weeks away. Some highlights of this week were November 17, 2019 Kevin and I did a lot of exciting things on this day! First we went to the House of BTS in Gangnam. We had to wake up early in order to get a good spot in line. We came around 10 AM and had to wait an hour and a half just to get into the house. While we were waiting in line we were given a bag which included a bracelet, a pencil, a catalogue of the products, and a stamp card. Once you get inside, you can look around the sample merchandise, then you have to write the quantity that you want. After that you would show your catalogue to the cash register and point to the items that you want. You pay for the merchandise and the cashier gives you a buzzer. You go upstairs to collect your merchandise when it buzzes. There is also a cafe and some scenic areas to take photos of. Unfortunately it was raining that day, so they did not out out the light sticks which I really wanted to send a picture of my sister. Nevertheless, I was able to take some cool videos and photos for her! After the House of BTS, we went to Someday Theater Pleroma at the COEX Exhibition Hall. I believe tickets were around 119000 KRW, but you got to see a lot of artists. I liked a large majority of the artists performing which included AKMU, Henry, Eric Nam, Epik High. November 18, 2019 Since my friends were still in Taiwan, I had dinner by myself at a restaurant called Yeongyo. I got the fried rice with black bean sauce and soup dumplings for about 12000 KRW. I realized sometimes it is okay for you to eat dinner by yourself and allows some time for self-reflection. November 19, 2019 Dinner at Hacienda On this day I only had one class (BIZ 4183) because my professor for IEE 1154 was in Vietnam. After taking a nap Lisa, Natasha and I went to Hacienda for dinner. It’s a Mexican food restaurant that serves a variety of dishes ranging from guacamole, shared plates, tacos, quesadillas, burritos and more. I got the chicharon fries (~8000 KRW) and two calamari tacos (~9000 KRW). Prior to this, I never had chicharon fries, so the texture was weird and crispy. I recall that it was a bit tough to bite into at first, but it did not impact the overall taste. The calamari taco was one of the best tacos that I’ve ever had. The calamari was fried to perfection while the coleslaw complemented the dish really well! I was surprised when the taco shells were black! November 20, 2019 Red Button Cafe Played Catan with some of my friends They charge by hour for the space, and everyone in your party is required to buy a drink. But it is cheaper to go during the weekdays (costs ~2400 KRW) compared to the weekends (costs ~3000 KRW). Also I believe drinks range from ~4000 KRW-6000 KRW. November 21, 2019 Alpha Stationery Store It’s a big store that carries a lot of different office supplies and stationary. There are a couple other stores around Korea, it might be in an area that you plan on visiting. I only bought a couple new writing utensils and a brush pen (to practice my calligraphy). Namdaemun Market I would not recommend coming here at 7:30 because that’s when a lot of food vendors will close up. Lisa and I came late, so we didn’t see a lot of food stalls open. But we were able to try a fishcake stand and one cost 1000 KRW. It tasted really good and the soup that came with it had a nice hint of spice! November 23, 2019 Fun Times at Everland Today Lisa, Kevin and I went to Everland. If you buy tickets, I recommend getting them a couple days prior because you can only get the Q-pass (their version of a fast pass) through their website. If you try to buy it the night before, the website will not allow you to purchase the Q-pass. The ticket price was around $32 and with the fast pass I believe I paid around $60 Kevin and I used our Q-pass on the T-Express and Amazon Express. The T-express was the first, and probably the last, roller coaster that I will ever go on. The first drop was at a 77 degree angle. I could feel heart and soul sinking throughout the entire ride, when I thought it was done, it kept on going. However, I was surprised I did not scream as much as others, instead I was internally screaming to myself. I would recommend that if you are adventurous and like taking risks, then you should definitely ride this roller coaster! Also, the line for this ride has a crazy wait time (~2 hours) so definitely get a Q-pass! And as for the Amazon Express, if you have ever been to the Wet ‘n’ Wild in Hawaii then it is very similar except you sit with strangers on an automated floatie (with seats). What I loved the most about this ride was that the workers were super enthusiastic and energetically dancing to the music. Besides that, we also rode Columbus Adventure, Bumper Car, Shooting Ghost. If you have some time you should definitely check out Panda World. There are two pandas and a red panda! November 24, 2019 Lotte World Tower - Sky 31 (Food Avenue) If you have ever wanted to visit the Lotte Tower, it costs around $30 and around $19 on Klook. But I saw a video a couple of days before where you can see the same view but for free! If you walk past the entrance to the Lotte World Tower, past the wall with the different Guinness World Record frames. Then you enter the first building that you see, walk pass the 7-Eleven. Eventually you will see a small check-in area, this is for the Sky 31 (Food Avenue) which gives you the same exact view as the Lotte World Tower. When checking in you will need to provide a Korean phone number and the party of people you are with. Then afterwards, they will give you a badge and direct you on where to go. When going to Sky 31, make sure to check out the Signature 7-Eleven. There is a cool polar bear as a cashier! It’s so cool! For a visual description on how to get there, I recommend checking out Sara Vi’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q2Qq5wTRIU&t=88s Lunch at Double Trouble If you are craving American fast food, this is definitely a good spot to check out! Lisa and I were planning on eating at another restaurant but found out that they had a lunch place, so we stopped by this place instead. The sandwich was really good, the beef was extra juicy and there was a good ratio of toppings (cheese, tomato, and lettuce). The fries reminded me of shoestring fries, they tasted good and had a nice crunch to them. Cafe Mula After a fulfilling lunch, we headed over to Garosu-gil to Cafe Mula. I got a chai tea latte (~7000 KRW) and Lisa and I shared a tiramisu (~8000 KRW). On that day it was super crowded, but luckily we were able to find a seat. While sipping on our drinks, I noticed there was a section of the cafe where clothes were hung up. Turns out the cafe was under the brand Mula Wear, which sells athletic clothing.
Dinner at Gopstory Late at night, Kevin and I met up with a Hawaii friend named Aaron! He was spending his semester studying abroad at Kyoto and visited Korea for a couple of days. This was my first time trying intestines and it was actually pretty good. There were beef and pig intestines, then afterwards we ordered kimchi fried rice which was cooked in the same pan as the intestines.
November 25, 2019 Dinner at Palsaik Samgyupsal This is definitely one of the best places to get Korean BBQ in Sinchon. The AYCE option is around 15000 KRW and along with meat it comes with a serving of soup, veggies, and unlimited lettuce! Our friends from Hawaii met up with another one of our friends, Landon, who was in Incheon for a conference. It’s been nice being able to reunite with familiar places. November 26, 2019 Dinner at Katsume It’s a small but cute space operated by two ladies. The meat was juicy and tender and it was really fun grilling it on the mini grills that they provided us. Make sure to cook your meat fast because the lady got mad at us because she had to change the fire many times. I went with Lisa and Natasha and we got the small set which cost ~13000 KRW. November 27, 2019 Namsan Seoul Tower I went with Natasha and Brian to the Namsan Tower. I would have to definitely plan better because after taking the bus to the library nearby we got lost trying to find the area for the cable car. However after walking and using Naver Maps we were able to locate the entrance for the cable car. The easiest way to get up the tower is by cable car which costs 9500 KRW (for round trip). And then admission into the observatory is 11000 KRW. Something optional is you can hike up to the tower, I recall some of my friends doing that. The view at the observatory was really nice, but there were a lot of people that night. I would not recommend going to the tower late November through December. Besides that, it was cool to see all the love locks and it touched my heart knowing that there was a lot of couples who came here before me.
Dinner at Quynh I have been craving bún riêu for weeks! So when I was looking for places to eat, I found out that Qunyh was offered bún riêu. It’s one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. There was a regular one for 9000 KRW and a special one that comes with meat for 13000 KRW. When I got the dish it tasted a bit bland than what I was used to eating back at home, but it still tasted delicious. And also they served a really good tea that helped compliment the cold weather. Dessert at Gelati Gelati After dinner, we went to this place for gelato! It was really good because at the bottom of the cone they put melted chocolate, so you will still have something sweet at the end. I think one scoop cost around 4000 KRW. November 29, 2019 Fun in Insadong
November 30, 2019 Studying at Hi, Hey, Hello Cafe This is one of the cutest cafes that I have ever been to! They lay out their pastries in tables, giving off a homey vibe. The drink that I got was an earl grey lemonade (cost ~7500). It had a tart and refreshing taste! Dinner at Joos Dim Sum This was one of the best dim sum places that I have been to in Korea! When walking in you have to place in your order before being seated. There were a lot of people in line when we came around dinner time. I got the shu mai and xiao long bao. Both of the dishes were really good and flavorful. I think I ended up paying less than 10000 KRW in total. Explore Garosu-gil There are so many things to do at Garosu-gil that you have to check out!
Mich Tip: While traveling abroad make sure to practice minimalism, don’t buy things that you don’t need later on. You are only going to be in that country for several months, so you don’t want to be accumulating a lot of materialistic things. Week 11 and 12 (November 3 - 16)
This week was a bit better, I was getting better from my sickness more each day. Throughout these two weeks, I was able to go see a lot of places and explore Korea even more! November 3, 2019 Gyeongbokgung Palace If you come to Korea, this is the place that you have to visit! If you study abroad during the fall semester, I recommend coming here during September or early October because the weather was kind of cold when I went. It cost 3000 KRW to enter the palace, but if you rent a hanbok for two hours, then you can enter for free. Make sure to check the link for more information about their operating hours, because it can change depending on when you go. There are so many scenic areas to take photos at. I rented my hanbok at a place called Ohnelharuhanbok (they have an Instagram!). My hanbok was around 20000 KRW and I got my hair done for 3800 KRW. I also got to pick a small purse, along with my hanbok rental. There are lockers at the place for you to leave your belongings in, free of charge. I would recommend putting the valuable items in your purse. Dinner at Hwangsan Shabu Shabu After the palace, my friends and I went to this shabu shabu place for dinner! In my opinion, the meal was worth it because we paid around 20000 KRW and got a lot of food. Each person got a plate of thinly sliced beef, unlimited veggies, and rice. After our meal, the lady who worked there brought out a plate of sweet and sour pork, for free! It was such a great way to end the meal, the pork was crispy and packed with a lot of flavor. Getting to this place was kind of challenging, so make sure to ask the security guard in the front of the building! Banjak Banjak Bitnaneun I first saw this place in a Youtube vlog, but I did not know where it was. After dinner, we were all craving something sweet and I just so happened to find this place on Mangoplate. Located in Insadong, this place serves tea and different desserts. I got the omija tea (which means five flavor berries: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and pungency) and shared a plate of bake injeolmi with Kevin. The tea cost around 7000 KRW and the baked injeolmi was around 7500 KRW. The baked injeolmi was very interesting, it was crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside. You could either dip it in a sweet honey sauce or a tart yuzu sauce. This place also serves complimentary tea and rice cakes (which taste so good and it was airy). If you are ever in Insadong, this has to be one of the places on your “To try” lists. November 4, 2019 Anyang Art Park I have been wanting to go to the Anyang Art Park for weeks now! I first found out about this place as I was searching for “hidden” places to go in Seoul. This was one of the places that caught my attention, from Yonsei it is about an hour and 4 minutes away. You can either take the 5713 bus or the subway (but you will have to transfer later. I suggest using Kakao Map or Naver Map to help navigate you. If you end up taking the 02 bus to the place, the bus will drop you off at the farthest point of the park. You will have to walk in the opposite direction towards the stream until you see a white DNA-looking bridge. As you are walking more, you will see a brassy, golden statue that looks kind of like a slide; that means that you are heading in the right direction. Or it also looks kind of like a skinny dragon. All the art installations are very spread out, so make sure to grab a map at one of the yellow stamp stations. My favorite art installation was the Anyang Peak, we came during the sunset and it was super nice. The clouds had a nice reddish orange ombre to them. Lastly, I would recommend going during the daytime because the lighting will be the best to take photos. And the best month to go is spring or autumn (before November). Dinner at Sosin Isso After coming back from the park, Lisa, Felicia and I met up with Natasha to have dinner at Sosin Isso. If you are craving beef stew, then I highly suggest you in. There are two different types of stews. One stew was creamy and the other one was a spicy broth. Natasha and I shared the creamy stew which came with beef, rice cakes, glass noodles, and mushrooms. You can ask for refills of the rice cakes, glass noodle, and soup broths. The creamy version was a bit spicy, but if you get the spicy broth then you can decide the spice level. We also got the corn cheese for ~3000 KRW. Each person paid around ~14500 KRW. November 6, 2019 Dinner at Nice Shower (Shoser) The place is called Nice Shower, but on MangoPlate it’s called Nice Shoser. I got the smallest tempura bowl for 9000 KRW. It came with two pieces of shrimp tempura, fried boiled egg, fried mushroom, fried okra, fried eggplant, fried nori, and fried sweet potato. Make sure to stop by this place before 8:30, since that is the cut off for the last order. November 8, 2019 Dinner at Meat-ing Located in Hongdae, this AYCE Korean BBQ place cost around 12000 KRW. The meat selection is pretty decent and there are a lot of side dishes. The meat quality here is decent, but don’t expect too much from it.
Membership Training with Yonsei Global I never knew Korea had something like this, until I came to Yonsei. It is an event held by Korean university students, and it usually lasts for around two days. Students socialize and bond with each other through games and dinner. We all met up at school around 2:30 PM, where a bus picked us up and took us to our destination. Our MT was held at the Korean Style House Village Sinseon Village. We spent the first two hours playing games and socializing. After that, we all went to the dining area to eat KBBQ. It was so delicious and filling! Following dinner, we played more games. Eventually at 3 AM, Kevin and a couple of our other friends took a taxi home. If you ever study abroad in Korea, I definitely recommend you to sign up for MT! You can make new friends and stay at a traditional house. November 10, 2019 Solo Hike on Ansan Mountain If I was in Hawaii I would be so scared to go on a hike by myself. But, I have been wanting to hike Ansan mountain for awhile now. So on this day, I was at home by myself and I just decided to go on a hike alone. Normally I would advise against going on a hike by yourself, but if the weather is fine and you did your research then, it should be fine. There are two main ways that you can enter the mountain. The first way is going the Yonsei way which is close to the SK Global dorm and the other way you can enter is through the Seodaemun Independence Park (going this way may take a longer time to get to the peak). Going up took me about 45 minutes and going down was around two hours for me (since I was enjoying the scenery). There are so many beautiful areas along this hike, take the time to soak in the beauty of nature! November 11, 2019 There was a new Korean BBQ place that opened near Sinchon, so Natasha and I decided to check it out! I am not too sure what the name is called, but it is AYCE marinated pork. For ~13000 KRW, you get unlimited meat, lots of side dishes, rice, and your choice of drinks. We went around their grand opening, so the place was packed. If you would like to check it out, it’s near the Sinchon location of Mr Seowang Mandu. November 13, 2019 Squid Dinner in Gangnam Jackie was raving about this place for a while now, so we went here for dinner. The actual place is called Squid Cheongchun Daechi Main Branch. We went with a group of 11 people and the place is large enough to accommodate for large parties. We got a set which came with squid sashimi, shrimp tempura, raw flounder, and spicy fish stew. I really liked the squid sashimi the most because it had a similar texture to it when cooked so I was not freaked out by it. The best way to enjoy raw seafood in Korea is gochujang mixed with wasabi, it’s so good! In total each person paid around 15000 KRW. Also before our group got our food, I met Kyuho and Sarah who are a married couple and share a Youtube channel called 2hearts1seoul. I watched their videos years prior to me coming to Korea. If you are interested in living or studying abroad, I would highly recommend checking out their channel (they have amazing content)!
Machi Machi This is a Taiwanese bubble tea chain found in all places of the world. After dinner, Le An, Kevin and I passed by this place randomly, so we decided to check this place out. I got the fruity sparkling tea which was really good! I personally did not want something that was heavy in milk after a filling dinner. Their drinks range around 6000 - 7000 KRW. They also have photo-worthy walls, so that you can take a picture with your drinks! November 15, 2019 Stayed over for dinner at Kevin’s house Since most of our friends were traveling to Taiwan, Kevin allowed me to sleep over at his house for the weekend! After my class finished at 5, I went to pack my bags and head over to his house. Surviving the rain and a very crowded bus ride, I finally made it to his house and we went grocery shopping for the dinner that I would cook. I ended up making us my favorite dish, shoyu cream pasta with mushroom, sausage and broccoli. The dish tasted really good and was one of the best shoyu cream pasta that I made. While being in Korea, I realized that I did not get to cook as much as I wanted to, so this night made me very happy. I believe that food is the best thing that brings people together. If you ever have a chance to cook a meal for your friends while you are abroad, I am sure that they will really appreciate it! Started watching Busted on Netflix After cleaning up, Kevin and I decided to watch some Netflix. There was a new Korean variety game show that we found called, Busted, featuring Park Min-young, Yoo Jae-suk, Lee Kwang-soo, Oh Se-hun, and other celebrities. It is a show where they solve mysteries with the appearance of guest celebrities. It is a very funny show and will have you laughing every minute! If you like watching Running Man, then you will love this show! November 16, 2019 Spent the day with Kevin I basically spent the entire day with Kevin! Since we both haven’t explored the Itaewon entirely, we used this day to hit up some popular food places and cafes! War Memorial of Korea My cousin, Nathan, really wanted a souvenier from the Korean War. So I went with Kevin to explore the War Memorial of Korea. I learned that when you are serving in the military, you are required to come here to visit at least once. There were three floors of interesting history from the different dynasties. The admission fee is free, so I highly recommend stopping by if you are interested in learning about the history of Korea. C. Through Cafe (meeting Lee Kangbin) When I saw this cafe featured of Maia Shibutani’s Instagram, I knew that I had to check it out! They sell a latte art that costs around 8500 KRW. The art is hand drawn either by the famous, Lee Kangbin or his fellow baristas! The coffee was very strong, but definitely what I needed to wake me up. The art was so beautiful and for the longest time I was staring at the shiba that they drew on it. I felt like I had a connection to the coffee and drinking it would ruin all of that. I was taking so many photos of it! As we were about to leave, I was able to take a photo with Lee Kangbin! His Instagram has a lot of his latte artworks, so look through his feed if you want your heart to melt.
Palette Hannam Kevin saw Joanday from Youtube suggest this place! For 30000 KRW, you can get a set of omurice, cheese pasta, and small bulgogi salad. Kevin and I shared the set and it was really filling! My favorite dish was the cheese pasta because there was a slight heat to it. Depending on when you go, there might be a wait time! One in a Million Cafe After our late lunch, we stumbled upon this One in a Million cafe (which was not in our itinerary). But we popped in, I got an orange pineapple iced tea (~6000 KRW), which kind of reminded me of POG. This cafe is really cute and there are a lot of pink themed items. The only downside was that there was some construction next to it, which took away from the beauty of the cafe. MMM Records Whew! Getting to this place was a hike (it took a while)! MMM Records is a cool cafe where you can listen to different genres of music. Besides that you can also order food and drinks as well. I got a citrus tea (~7000 KRW) which was pretty good! I highly recommend checking this place out if you want a good view of the city and Namsan Tower! Seoul Lantern Festival After spending some time at the Records place, we decided to check out the lantern festival which was ending on this day. There were so many beautiful lanterns which included fairytales, major landmarks, traditional Korean things, and animals. Everything was so pretty and it lit up the Cheonggyecheon Stream! I believe this is an annual event, so be sure to check out the tourism websites to see when it will be!
Mich Tip: Do not sleep in! There are so many things to do and places to see in Korea! If you wake up late then you won't be able to do all the things that you want to do! Try to get into the habit of waking up early in the morning. The earlier you wake up the more things you can accomplish. Good luck! Week 9 and 10 (October 20 - 27)
These two weeks were some of the hardest times of my life. After my midterm on October 22, I started getting a migraine. Then the next day I woke up to a high fever and it was the worst one ever got in my life. All I did was get out of bed to get food, drink water, or use the restroom. My main piece of advice to take care of your body while being abroad. The last thing you want to do is to be bedridden and unable to do anything. October 20, 2019
October 22, 2019 On this day, I had my midterm for my BIZ 4183 class. The test went okay, I thought that I should have studied smarter. The test consisted of ~20 true/ false questions and six cases where we had to answer what was the best ethical pathway. October 25, 2019 My second and last midterm was for BIZ 3134. The exam went alright. I would recommend if the professor emphasizes reading the textbook, I would heavily read it (do not avoid reading it quickly because I was not able to absorb all the information and content from the book). Also, the first day of Escape was on this day. I bought tickets prior coming to Korea so I paid around $85 (for two days). The main venue was under a huge circus tent and there were a lot of Halloween decorations around. I got to see Slushii, Jauz, and Marshmello. I highly recommend when studying abroad in Korea, you should go experience a concert. The crowd here is really nice and actually give you space to move to the front. Besides that you can meet new people and enjoy the music together. And I was able to see my friend who I met at EDC Korea! October 26, 2019 During the late afternoon, I went with Kevin and Ryan to try Bonny’s pizza. We shared a Hawaiian pizza, which cost around $21. The slices were pretty large and fulfilling, but towards the end it was harder to consume since there were so many pineapple pieces. This was the second day of Escape. My favorite set was Seven Lions! I thought he did an amazing job and I loved dancing to his music. Some other artists that I saw included Galantis and Kaskade. October 27, 2019 Explored Mangwon Mangwon is a nice neighborhood with quite a lot of things to do! The Mangwon Market is definitely a must visit. There are so many different types of dishes to try out! Unfortunately I was still sick on the day that I went, so Lisa and I popped into restaurant that had udon (~4000 KRW). The udon was nice and warm and it did not hurt my throat at all. After we met up with Jaquelyn and Felicia to do some stationary shopping. There are so many stationary stores around Korea. Stationery shopping can be quite expensive, so I recommend saving up a lot of money if you decide to buy stickers, sticky notes, memo pads and etc. After stationary shopping we stopped by Zapangi Cafe. It is known for their colorful vending machine door. The items at this cafe are kind of pricey and they require you to buy a drink or food item per person. Lisa and I shared the mermaid cake (~9500 KRW). It had a pleasant berry taste to it, but the amount was not worth the price you pay. Also there was a phone accessories that are sold near the entrance of the Mangwon Market. I bought a We Bare Bear transparent phone case for 5900 KRW (paid with cash, the place does not accept card). Must visit stationary stores in Mangwon:
October 28, 2019
October 29, 2019
October 30, 2019 Today I got to see Gyo Bin again! We had dinner at Mam Mam table. I had to get my usual of course, the bun thit nuong. The spring roll is what I look forward to the most in this dish. It’s so crispy with lots of favor packed inside. After that we went to The Pie Hole for dessert! Definitely get the earl grey pie if you love tea flavored dishes. Also if you ever get hot teas there, you can ask for refills (definitely get your monies worth)! October 31, 2019 Happy Halloween! I spent the night with Lisa and we got to do some cool things around Gangnam! From what I saw not a lot of people dress up during Halloween in Korea, but there were a lot of stores that were decorated for this special holiday.
November 1, 2019
November 2, 2019 Exploring Incheon On this day I went with Natasha and Lisa to Incheon to explore the area and visit Chinatown! Right as we stepped out of the Incheon station, we were met with the entrance of Chinatown across the street. There are a lot of vendors selling mooncakes and other pastries. We went to eat at this mandu place that only had steamed mandu and pan-seared mandu. If you walk up from the entrance of Chinatown there is a mooncake stand to your right, keep walking on the right side until to you see a line of people waiting for food. The mandu place should be to the left of that line (across from a cafe). Both dishes costed less than 10000 KRW and since we decided to split it was cheaper for each of us. After that we went outside to stand in the line that everyone was standing in to get a pastry that was similar to taiyaki. But instead, you could choose the different flavors you want as the filling. Lisa and I shared the red bean and chocolate. I like the chocolate one more because it was a warm treat during a cold afternoon. Each pastry cost ~2000 KRW. Don’t let the line intimidate you because it moves quickly. Songwol-dong Fairytale Village This place is right next to Chinatown, there are beautiful murals of different fairy tales, like Cinderella. I recommend checking out this place during the day time so you can get better shots. Layering up for the winter Make sure to stock up on heat tech when you come to Korea. I would not buy it in Hawaii, since it will be a bit more expensive (due to the exchange rate). Usually Uniqlo has a sale on their heat tech items, so be sure to check out their stores around November to pick up some heat tech items! Last order When going out to eat, there has been many times when my friends and I did not make the last order time, so we had to switch our plans and eat somewhere else. Make sure to check on Mangoplate when the last order time is (and also what days they are closed on). Mich tip: It started getting cold around this time so make sure to moisturize, so you don’t have dry skin! Week 7 and 8 (October 7- 19) These were an exciting two weeks for me. I got to see a lot of new sights, try a lot of new foods, and shop around. During these two weeks my classes had presentations so, I had a good amount of group meetings to prepare for it. October 7, 2019
October 8, 2019
October 9, 2019 Today was another holiday in Korea, so I was able to go out and eat lunch with Gyo Bin. I was fortunate enough to meet her before she dropped the class we both shared. Funny story was that we were paired in the same group and when I said that I was from Hawaii, the first thing she asked me was if I knew who “Annie Nguyen” was. I was so excited because she was the first Yonsei student that I met who we had a mutual friend. So we planned on getting lunch one day, and this was the day! We went to eat brunch at a place called Little Forrest. The item that you must try on their menu is the shakshuka for 13000 KRW. A shashuka is a dish with poached egg in a sauce with tomatoes, chili peppers, and a bunch of spices. It was super flavorful and the side of toast complemented the dish well. After devouring our brunch we went to a cafe for more chatting! We went to a nearby cafe called We Are Seoulmate Cafe. Gyobin and I shared a blueberry cake and I got the Litchi black tea ade. If you love Coffee Bean Tea Leaf’s lychee iced tea, then I highly recommend coming to this place and trying my drink.
October 11-13, 2019 During this weekend, some of my friends and I went to Busan. We took the KTX to Busan station, which cost around $90 (round trip). As for accomodations, we stayed in an Airbnb near the Busan station so it was about less than a 10 minute walk to and from. Definitely take advantage of all the things there is to eat in Busan.
October 14, 2019
October 15, 2019 63 Prov
October 16, 2019
October 18, 2019 When you are in Hongdae and you are craving something sweet then you should check out this cute mochi place near Funnyland (yes we went again)! They have an assortment of fruit stuffed in mochi (strawberry, melon, mango, grape, tangerine). I would suggest the strawberry mochi (costs around 2500 KRW). It tastes sweet and the red azuki beans compliment the strawberries nicely. I am not sure what the address is but the store has a lot of One Piece figurines and the logo is blue and pink. October 19, 2019 In preparation for finals, Lisa and I went to Yeonnam to get our studying done. This area has a lot of cute and aesthetically pleasing cafes! Don’t forget to stand up every 15 minutes you are sitting so that you can get blood circulation.
Preparing for Midterms It’s interesting how Yonsei has a dedicated week for midterms. It’s something that I was not used to because at UHM, professors can decide to give out a midterm whenever. The best way to prepare for midterm week is start studying early! Make sure to create a study timetable to give you an idea of when you need to study and what you need to study for. Professors do not give out study guides, so make sure to start them early! Mich tip: Plan your trips in advance! My friends and I booked our train tickets to Busan and the airbnb leading up to the week that we were going. The longer you wait the more expensive fees are going to get. Week 5 and 6 (September 22 - October 5)
I felt as though week 5 and 6 went by like a blur! I got to do a lot of exciting things and see new sites. The workload for each of my classes has started picking up. During these two weeks, I found myself having to manage my time strategically and get work done prior to going out so that I would not be stressed out. My most stressful class that I am taking is BIZ 3158: Business Communication, I had to prepare a presentation about myself and it had to be timed automatically. After presenting it to the class, I was relieved that it was over because I was stressed out about it for weeks. September 22, 2019 This was an exciting day for me because I got go cafe hopping around the Yeonnam and Hongdae area, with Kevin, Lisa, and Le An. If you ever dedicate a day to check out some cafes here are some places that you should add to your list:
September 23, 2019
September 24, 2019
September 25, 2019
September 27, 2019
September 28, 2019
September 29, 2019
October 1, 2019
October 3, 2019 Since it was National Foundation Day in Korea, my friends and I decided to book a tour through Klook. Inside the tour package included The Garden of Morning Calm, Nami Island and Petite France. The tour was about $53 but I had an extension on my Google Chrome called Honey, which gave me a $4 off discount.
October 4-5, 2019 This weekend I went to the Off Route Festival! This festival was started by Jay Park and took place at the Nanji Hangang Park which is super beautiful. It is right near the Han River and there were a lot of greenery and clean restrooms. My favorite artists that I saw included:
T-Money Card It took me a couple of days in Korea to learn this, but when leaving the bus in Korea you have to tap out. This signals, that you ended your ride. If you do not end up tapping out, then the bus will think that you are still on it and you can possibly be charged more for that one ride. Also, certain buses and transfers will have different fares. It can vary in size or local/ express bus. Water You might be wondering why I am adding this section, but if you have a Hydroflask or YETI; then bring it with you to Korea! You do not have to worry about drinking dirty water here because everything is filter. At SK Global there is a water fountain (dispensing hot and cold water) on each floor. And not only are you saving some money, but you are also helping the environment in a small way. Recycling I love how Korea separates their trash. Prior to coming to Korea, make sure you learn the Hangul for words like plastic, waste, paper, and aluminum. From what I have seen, those are the typical words listed on the trash cans. And the coolest thing is that they have a separate trash can for food waste! Mich Tip: Don’t forget to map out a study routine that you can stick to! Going out and exploring Korea is fun and all but, you should remember that you are also here to study. And set SMART goals to help prioritize your time! Week 3 and 4 (September 8 - 21)
It amazes me that it has been a month since I have been in Korea! The Sinchon area has a lot of amazing restaurants to eat at, so you do not even need to cook at home! Meals would usually cost less than 10000 KRW and some restaurants offer student discounts with your Yonsei ID! These past two weeks, I was fortunate to do some amazing things, I highlighted the different food places that I ate at and activities that I did. September 8, 2019
September 9, 2019
September 10, 2019
September 12 - 15, 2019
September 16, 2019
September 17, 2019
September 18, 2019
September 19, 2019
September 20, 2019
September 21, 2019
Youtube channels to check out: My friend, Kevin Liu is documenting his Yonsei experience through short two to five minute vlogs. I think it is something worth checking out as he makes really great videos! Also shout out to my roommate Lisa for making weekly vlogs about our adventures! Her vlogs shows her doing many cool things in Seoul from eating to adventuring. Please check out both of their channels for places to visit in Korea! Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the like button.
Try new things! There are always so many things to try in Seoul, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! I believe that South Korea has a really good transportation system. Plan ahead! If you plan on visiting other cities outside of Seoul, make sure to plan it a month or two in advance. Transportation fees can either increase or become limited. Mich tip: If you love snacks or fruits as much as I do, then you should consider purchasing them from Homeplus because it’s a lot cheaper than the convenience stores. Week 1 and 2 (August 25 - September 7) Reflecting back on these two weeks I noticed that I did a lot of exploring and activities. I tried to pack in as many things as I can before I started school. There were times when I thought that I was living in a dream; I have always wanted to study at Yonsei University since my freshman year and now it’s a reality. August 25, 2019 Since I came home late the night prior, I was not able to meet my roommate, Lisa. So when we woke up in the morning, we shook hands and introduced ourselves. Then within a few hours we were off to our first adventure together with Natasha, Le An, Kevin, Jon, Jason and Ryan.
August 26, 2019
August 27, 2019
August 29, 2019
August 30, 2019
August 31, 2019 - September 1, 2019
September 5, 2019
September 7, 2019
Curing Homesickness When I was saying goodbye to my family and friends, the tears did not come until my sister gave me a letter with Sugarfina Coffee Gummy Bears (yes, they are very delicious). I knew that she started working and saving up money for other things; but to see that she bought something for me, made me realize she does love and care about me. After spending a day or two in Korea, my homesickness started to go away and I started adjusting. I know for some of you, who may be studying abroad, it is not an easy thing to adjust to life in a new country; especially if you are by yourself. So here are some suggestions of how you can feel less homesick and adjust to your new setting:
Get Involved It is important that when you come to Yonsei, immerse yourself in the different clubs and organizations that Yonsei has to offer. Some exchange-student friendly clubs includes: Mentors Club, IYC (International Yonsei Community), and Yonsei Global. During the first week of classes, different clubs will table along the Commons Area. Add/Drop Period The first week of school was one of the most stressful weeks for me. Prior to coming into Yonsei, I only received two of the classes that I registered for. But you don’t have to worry if you don’t end up getting the classes that you want. During the first week of school, there was another Add/Drop period from September 5-9. Prior to the portal opening, make sure to double check on the quota for the courses, because there are only so many people who can register for the course. I woke about about 30 minutes prior to the start of registration and added my courses to the Wishlist tab. Once the portal opened, I clicked the button to add the courses. I added BIZ 3158: Business Communication and BIZ 4183: Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. At first, I was waitlisted for both the courses, but after an hour of waiting I was finally added into both of the courses. If you are concerned about not getting the class that you want, just wait it out because people are still making changes to their schedules. Also if you plan on adding a course, make sure to email the professor first, so that they know that you are interested in registering for the course. Even though you are not registered for a certain course, it is highly recommended that you still attend it so that you can talk to the professor. If the course is still full, you should talk to the professor to see if they can override you into the course. If you do not plan on using the online portal, there is an add/drop form you can fill out and get the professor’s approval. If you are unsure about the courses that you want to register for, you can contact Rikki to work your schedule out. I was able to arrange a Skype meeting with Rikki to discuss my concerns and ask questions about the courses that I was taking. I hope these tips help! Mich Tip: Cough drops are so important! Make sure to bring some (my favorite are the Ricolas) so that if you feel like you are getting sick soon, then you will have some on hand. I would also recommend bringing Emergen-C, so that you can prevent the sickness from getting out of hand. Lastly, be cautious when sharing food with people because for me that was how I got sick easily. Leaving home is never easy. Going to Korea was my first time traveling to an international country without my family. It was a really sad day at the airport because I knew that I was not going to see my family for four months. Lots of tears were shed as I said goodbye to everyone, but as I walked away I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for this new adventure that I was about to embark on. Natasha, a fellow Freeman scholar, and I left Hawaii on August 21 and we arrived to Korea on August 22. We flew Hawaiian Airlines because a one-way ticket was around 322 USD. The check-in for dorms would not be until August 24 so we had around two days to go exploring. Prior to check-ins, we stayed at an AirBnb near Hongdae. We took the Subway Line 2 from the Airport and got off at Hongik Station, which was about 9 stops, to get to our AirBnb. Finding our AirBnb was a struggle because we had our luggage and navigating on 2G data was not ideal. Nevertheless, our host was extremely helpful on Kakao and was able to guide us to it. If you ever want to stay at the Sunnyhill Guesthouse you can find a link to the room we stayed here. A plus was that our AirBnb had free breakfast, which was nice because we did not have to spend extra money on food. Just a warning though, some accommodations do not look like the pictures that people post on AirBnb. Our room was small but it was nice and decently spacious. We paid around $78 in total for two days and two nights, which was super affordable. August 23, 2019
August 24, 2019
Dorm Check-ins: Getting to the dorms was kind of tricky because we you need a Korean phone number to call a taxi, which Natasha and I did not have one. But luckily a worker at the Sunnyhill Guesthouse was able to call a taxi for us. The cost for us to get from Hongdae to the dorms was around 12500 KRW. Warning: Taxis do not accept VISAs or Discovers, but they do accept T-money cards and sometimes cash. At SK Global there is a list on a pillar, where you will have to locate your name and room number. When checking in at the front desk, you must let them know your room number, provide a copy of TB test and a copy of your passport. They will give you a packet that has a checklist that you need to fill out to see if everything in your room is in good condition. Also they gave me a slip stating that I had an underpayment for housing (which I was able to pay in cash at the Woori Bank in the Student Union Building) Exchanging Money: The best place to exchange your money in Hawaii is at Duty Free in Waikiki. I have heard though that it is limited, so you may want to go frequently to check if it’s in stock. Luckily for me, my friends Erika gave me 9000 KRW and I exchanged $160 for 196000 KRW with Kevin. Thank you! Mich Tip: Convenience stores have cuter T-money cards than at the airport, so I just bought a single ride ticket from the airport. If you have friends who have been to the country you studied abroad in, try and ask them if you can exchange money with them because they might give you a good deal! |
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