Start of Fall 2022 + Chuseok!
The semester begins!
After familiarizing myself with the streets of Seoul, it was time to familiarize myself with in-person classes. I have three in-person classes and two classrooms to find. After memorizing the location of each building, I was ready for the new semester. My classes for this semester are the following.
Business and Society (IEE3325)
Korea-US Relations (IEE3326)
International Business Communication (IEE3328)
Entrepreneurship in East Asia (IEE3370)
Due to the transition from COVID, some of my in-person classes are held once a week with a pre-recorded lecture for the next class day. The online site that Yonsei uses for assignments is called LearnUs (similar to how UH uses Laulima).
With LearnUs, the system tracks the completion of pre-recorded videos and overall activity on the site. Most of my classes give a 3-day window to watch the lecture videos to record attendance. After the expiration, attendance would no longer be counted.
Two of my classes are located at New Millennium Hall, a building separate from the rest of the campus. Because of the forest I pass through on my route to class, walking there frequently feels like a "hike." I appreciate the scenery especially after leaving Oahu's hiking trails. There was also an area in the Yonsei-Samsung library that had a few comfortable chairs and a big screen that casted slice of life clips with ambient music. Most students would usually sleep or relax on the chairs, and this was interesting to see.
Chuseok Holiday
After the first week of classes was already a four day weekend! Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, is celebrated from September 10-12. My friends and I decided to take advantage of this holiday to go out of Seoul for a day, visit cultural locations with free admission (only on Chuseok), and discover new food places.
Nami Island
My friends and I decided to take a train to Nami Island from Seoul as a short getaway from the city. It was always recommended to visit this place during mid-October to November for the fall leaves, but I thought it would also be nice to visit in the summer and experience the changes later on. The train ride took approximately two hours, and the island took about 4 hours to explore. There were cafes, performances, gift shops, and plenty of gardens! To get to the island, visitors can either take the ferry (5 min ride) or zipline to the island.
For Winter Sonata fans, this island is filled with props and statues from the television drama. Although I never watched the show, I've listened to some of the piano OSTs as a child and it was nice to hear the soundtrack while walking in the sublime nature.
Blue House
Tourist spots cost money, but not on Chuseok! I went to the Blue House, formerly served as the executive office of the president of South Korea. Visitors were free to visit the office buildings and halls to take pictures and observe. By afternoon, the tour was followed by a special tightrope performance.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
On a hot and sunny day, I went to the palace to go sightseeing and gain inspiration from other people's hanboks. My friends and I already decided that it would be a much better idea to take photos in traditional attire attire once the weather becomes breezier. Visitors would normally pay an admission fee, but there was no cost during Chuseok. However, admission is always free for visitors that wear a hanbok!
Lotte World Tower
On the last day of the quick 4-day weekend, I went to Lotte World Tower to explore the shops and visit the top floor. This tower is Korea’s tallest building with over 100 stores! While the mall felt endless, it was difficult to find a place to eat for a group of eight people because most places required a 1-2 hour wait. I would recommend avoiding eating at the mall due to this reason, especially on a holiday. Nevertheless, going to the top floor was something not to miss.
Overall
It was a relief to go through my classes to get a general idea of my weekly schedule and workload. Since my classes aren't assignment heavy, it's important for me to review the lectures at the end of the day. It was amazing to see what I experienced during the holidays. From here, I plan on spending more time finding places on my own to keep a balance of being with friends and having time to myself. A couple of photos are captured below to sum up the past couple of days!
