Three months into my semester at Hanyang University, there’s a whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. I love being in South Korea and having such a unique opportunity to study here. Every new experience is exciting and challenging, and I’ve been able to take on so many new things during the last month. I know that there will be many more opportunities and experiences to come.
My ACL
Any Austinite knows that one of the busiest, traffic-packed, and crazy weekends in Austin is ACL weekend. During ACL weekend, many people stay home, knowing that going outside or downtown could result in being stuck in traffic for hours. Personally, I haven’t had the opportunity to go to ACL yet. However, I got to have an experience just as special.
The Yeongdong daero K-pop Festival in Gangnam was the first K-pop festival I had ever been to. I got to see many of my favorite K-pop groups and idols, such as Mamamoo Solar, Apink and Oh My Girl.
The blinding lights, crowds of people and cheers made the festival experience even more of a dream. Getting to sing along to the songs, dance to the music and see my favorite idols in person are memories I won’t forget.
My Mom’s Hometown
Known for its beautiful mountain ranges and fun beaches, the city of Sokcho is my mom’s hometown. From a young age, I remember going to the coastal city and sightseeing around town.
I’m not going to lie: As a kid and as a teenager, I couldn’t quite understand why I had to keep going to the same place during family vacations. As an adult, though, I’ve come to appreciate the city a lot more.
Going to Naksan Temple and Seokran Mountain National Park, I could see the meeting point of the mountains and the sea. The temple was very picturesque and left me with a peaceful feeling, while the mountains were surrounded by nature. The view from the cable car perfectly showed Sokcho’s downtown area — the heart of the city — with the ocean nestled in the background.
Although many people think of Busan when thinking of Korea’s seafood cuisine, one of the best dishes I ate in Sokcho was fresh seafood. Sokcho’s Central Market had many different foods, such as dakgangjeong, fried seafood and honeycomb ice cream.
Going to Sokcho with my friends and peers gave me a new perspective on the city my mother once called home.
Dreaded Midterms
Since I was a little kid in school, my dad and mom constantly said, “School in Korea is way different than what you’re used to.” I used to be confused about what they meant by this, but this semester has truly made me understand.
Compared to midterms in America (which typically don’t determine final grades), midterms in Korea are everything. When the dreaded first midterms of college season rolled around, I slowly started seeing a crowd of people where I was used to not seeing people.
Suddenly, the Starbucks, cafés and McDonald’s in front of the university were filled with students studying their course materials. During the three weeks of midterm season, fewer taxis roamed the campus, and fewer buses circulated their usual routes. The subway stopped at the campus station more often.
In discussions and chats with other students, I saw many people going through mental breakdowns and enduring lots of stress during this very tense period of school. Even though it seemed like midterms would never end, I am so glad they did. Now I understand what my parents meant.
An Eventful Month
The past month was eventful. I watched a heartbreaking football game between the Hanyang Lions and the Yonsei Eagles. As an American, it is always great seeing American football being played in other countries. During the game, I could see that losing didn’t break the sense of camaraderie the Hanyang Lions fans shared.
When the new Transformers movie was released, I went to watch it with my friends as a joke and ended up really enjoying it.
The movie theater experience in Korea is different from that in the U.S. For example, movie theater rooms are spread out between floors of the building. The food and snacks sold are more unique to Korean movie theaters, and the options for watching the movie are more diverse.
One thing I did not expect to do in South Korea was spend 12 hours at a PC Bang with my friends. South Korea’s internet café culture is something that many people don’t really know about. For a cheap fee, you can spend hours in one café, with food and drinks delivered to your seat, and the comfort of only having to get up to go to the bathroom. These aspects of the internet café culture are geared toward gamers, student organizations or clubs, teenagers and college students.
The Future
I’m excited to see what else I’ll be up to during the next month. Maybe I’ll go on a zipline, Everland or even a road trip on Jeju Island.
I’m ready to go on more adventures, but I also can’t help but miss some aspects of home — the first football game each season, student organizations and playing golf and violin. I miss my friends and family, although they catch up with me and keep me updated while I update them.
Still, this semester is already one I will never forget and will keep in my memories forever.
This post was contributed by Chloe Jiyoon Yoo, a Global Ambassador for Fall 2024. Chloe is a freshman Asian Cultures and Languages major participating in a Take the World by the Horns education abroad program in Seoul, South Korea.
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