Korea Diary | Lock Our Mark (Day 41, Part 2)

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Namsan N Seoul Tower at night

Namsan and N Seoul Tower is one of those sights in Seoul that can't be missed. For anyone who followed or still follows Korean dramas and variety shows, the tower is a familiar feature. The spot where couples go for romantic dates and to lock their relationship wishes and hopes. While I nor my friends were going with a significant other, we did have each other and our new friendship to cheers to.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Manhwa road in Myeongdong

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Walk towards Namsan Cable Car

The walk to the cable car building was short but very hilly from the Myeongdong. It wasn't difficult to find since we just had to walk towards the direction of the N Seoul Tower. Along the way we spotted many restaurants advertising the famous Namsan donkatsu. Why was the area famous for that? I am not too sure. But there were tons of places offering the dish.

Once we reached the cable car station, a long (very long) line awaited us. I think we waited for a good hour before we reached the ticket booth and another hour before we reached the top of the building where the cable car platform was. Since this was a major destination for local couples and foreigners alike, the line was pretty inevitable. There may have been a bus or even a hiking trail that goes up Namsan for those more adventurous.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Namsan N Seoul Tower up close

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - View of Seoul from Namsan N Seoul Tower base at night

The views at the top were worth all the wait. Of course, that is after we had to squish our way through crowds of people to try to get to the edge. It costs an extra fee to go up the actual tower so the three of us didn't end up going that high. I imagine the cityscape from the tippy top would have been killer. The base was more than sufficient for us.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Love lock for new and old friends Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Love lock for new and old friends

Traditionally loving couples would leave their marks at the base of the tower but for me, this visit was all about being in the good company of friends. We secured our beer locks in a corner spot after much surveying. I am not sure how our inexpensive little guys would hold up to the natural elements but they are there! (I hope still...)

Korea Diary | Crossing Borders (Day 41, Part 1)

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - DMZ Museum crossing the model border North and South Korea

The final Yonsei organized one-day field trip was to visit the DMZ area. As with the previous trips, everyone had to get up early in order to be bussed to the destination. The air this time was a little heavier since we were going closer to the border. The bus made several stops in order for the soldiers to check and approve of our entering. It was surreal to see all the Caution! signs which indicated of possible land mines outside.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - North Korea in the distance

Our tour couldn't bring us to the actual bordering lines. We were brought to the next closest stop where most other tourists go instead. This stop had a small museum and observatory deck. The speckles of structures way beyond the trees in the foreground were considered North Korean territory.

Afterwards, our guide took us into one of the discovered tunnels that North Koreans had dug out many years ago. Phones and recording devices weren't allowed inside. From my memory, it was shocking to see and be in such a large tunnel. To think if went undiscovered it was a discrete passage from the North to South.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Korail Interconnected Gyeonogui Railroad Line Map
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Korail Interconnected Gyeongui Railroad Line station Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Korail Interconnected Railroad Line station

The next stop on the itinerary was to a potential North-South interconnected railroad station. Before the war and the creation of the DMZ, (if I remember correctly) there was a railway that ran from the North Korean area to Seoul and beyond. When times became more hostile it was officially stopped and now closed off to be a museum/attraction of sorts.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Dukongso 豆콩소 Tofu lunch set
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Dukongso 豆콩소 lunch set side dishes

Our final stop on the tour was a food stop. A tofu themed meal was waiting for us at Dukongso 豆콩소. This may have been the fanciest meal we had in Korea. Everything was perfectly presented and most items were served in single bite servings. While everything we were given tasted very light and flavorful, most of my friends and I left wishing for more food to eat. As this was a part of our tour, I am not sure how a typical set meal at Dukongso would have been like.

Korea Diary | Movie Night Thrills (Day 40)

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Deoksugung 덕수궁 Seokjojeon 석조전 Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Deoksugung 덕수궁
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Deoksugung 덕수궁 blooming trees

Another Thursday meant another class trip for my Asian art history class. This time, it was to Deoksugung 덕수궁. Our professor's original plan was to go to The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. However, an unexpected closure at the time brought us to Deoksugung instead.

Somehow I overslept that morning and had a mid-morning freakout. I had missed the start of class time by (at least) 30 minutes or more, which meant I completely miss the scheduled gathering time. I was faced with another crisis after rushing to get ready and left the dorms: the subway station was at least a 15-minute walk/jog away and taxis didn't stop right by the area closest to the dorms. I ultimately chose to wait for a taxi at the designated stand near the Yonsei Severance Hospital to try and save some time. Luckily the ride was only a short few minutes since all the palaces are relatively nearby to Yonsei University. If we were in any other city, a taxi wouldn't even be an option due to pricing but in Seoul the fares were affordable.

I had to purchase my own tickets in order to reunite with the class inside the palace walls. Even though this palace was the smallest of the 3 that we visited on our trips, I didn't find the class until I made a full circle of the place. Turns out I was so late and the palace was so small that they were already finished with their tour/lesson. Despite the rushed experience, I was still able to get a quick look at the structures. It was interesting to see more Western-style buildings here as Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung were very traditional. The museum in the mansion-esque structure was closed for renovation at the time.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon Hyundai Department Store food court sujebi 수제비

By the time we got back to Sinchon I was starving. Bestie C and I found our way to Hyundai Department Store once again. This visit I opted to try something I had only seen videos on YouTube of and that was sujebi 수제비 or dough flake/hand torn noodles. Maybe the bowl of kalgooksoo I had left too strong of an impression on me but this bowl of sujebi wasn't all too exciting.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - KLI Classmate chalkboard art

The highlight of the day that all my friends were patiently waiting for was the impending 4D movie experience awaiting us at the end of the night. A fellow student helped many others purchase tickets in advance to see Guardians of the Galaxy. Needless to say that was all I could think about throughout Korean class that afternoon.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon Naemooban Sikdang 내무반 식당 - Meat grilling Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon Naemooban Sikdang 내무반 식당 - Scallion bean sprout side dish

Our movie was scheduled for 11:10PM. Korean BBQ was a unanimous choice for dinner. Filling our bellies with meat would help us last through the night. We ended up at Naemooban Sikdang 내무반 식당 that was along the way to the CGV theater. Even though this place wasn't AYCE, I think we still left pretty full without spending an obscene amount. The cuts of meat were definitely tastier and chunkier and the bean sprouts & scallion side dish was love.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Baskin Robbins super large ice cream cup

With some time left to kill, our next stop was to a Baskin Robbins nearby. Our selection of choice? Probably one of the largest ice cream cup bucket that they offered! Since this size was calculated by weight, we went a little crazy with our selection of mishmash flavors we all enjoyed and wanted to try.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon CGV Movie Theater Cinema Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon CGV Movie Theater Cinema - Transformers statue figure
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon CGV Movie Theater Cinema - Guardians of the Galaxy in 4DX

11:00PM came and we were finally at the Sinchon CGV theater. Other than the short Shrek 4D film ride at Universal, this was the only time I watched anything in 4D. It was something else to be sprayed at with water and perfumes, swooshed to and fro in the chairs, and bashed on by the massage like knobs every time an equivalent happened in the movie. While I only experienced it for a few minutes on the Shrek ride, this movie was a full-length feature film. Theater-going, at least for action movies, was forever changed for me that night.
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