It ain't over until it's over...

Hi everyone!

What a crazy 2 weeks it's been. I don't even know where to begin. I suppose the biggest news in my life at the moment is that I just got back from Beijing, China last night! It was incredible. I feel so lucky to have now travelled to what are considered in this part of the world, as 'The Big 3'- Korea, Japan, and China. I love that now I can compare all three cultures and their people and how they live. A truly interesting experience.

I will talk about my experiences in China later in this post, but for now I'd just like to express my disappointment that there's only 3 weeks left until I finish my studies here in Korea. :( However, you will have seen the title of my post, "It ain't over until it's over'...and this is very true. I finish my classes here officially on the 12th December, and on the 15th I'm flying to Hong Kong to meet my family who are flying from Qatar. We'll spend 5 days there, before heading to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand on the 20th to spend Christmas there until the 31st. We'll fly back to HK for New Years Eve (Hogmany) and then on the 1st I'll return to Seoul to collect my luggage, to then fly to Doha, Qatar on the 3rd January. It doesn't end there...I'll be flying to Dubai on the 9th January to meet my Spanish (Catalonian) friend Christian who is also studying here at Hanyang University. We'll stay in Dubai until the 12th, then we'll fly back to Doha for a week before he returns back to Barcelona. And finally, I'll be returning home to Aberdeen (which doesn't sound SO exotic) on the 22nd January, ready to start my work placement (hopefully) on the 30th. It sounds absolutely exhausting, but I honestly can't wait. I can't believe how lucky I've been. PS- Another perk of studying abroad in Asia is that travel is relatively cheap (hint hint wink wink, RGU students!!!) Not that I'm bias or anything, but I really will be promoting Korea or anywhere outside Europe for a study abroad. The experience has been amazing and it has really taken me out of my comfort zone and opened my eyes up to the world. Get signed up!!

On the 5th November, I went to the Seoul Lantern Festival which is held along the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Downtown Seoul. It was a change to the usual firework display I would usually go and see at Aberdeen Beach on Bonfire Night, and almost felt more like Christmas! It was really impressive.

Seoul Lantern Festival

Seoul Lantern Festival

Seoul Lantern Festival

If you read my last post, I spoke of the stressful time I had in applying for a Chinese Visa. It would have cost me 35,000 KRW (£20) to apply for a Chinese visa from the Chinese consulate. However, due to new rules, foreigners applying for a visa from within Korea have to have at least 6 months valid on their Alien Registration Cards. Mine is only valid until March, and I wouldn't have been able to extend it as that would mean extending my visa in Korea, which I have no reason to do as my studies will be over. However, I found a loop-hole in that if you apply for a visa through your university travel agency, the Chinese Consulate seem to be a bit more willing to give you a visa. I paid 60,000 KRW (£35) for my visa and included a certificate of enrolment at my university in Korea to support my application. I received my Chinese Visa less than a week later. Happy days!! I thought paying a little bit more was worth it for a life changing experience. I felt bad for my American friend, Rebecca though, who had to pay 200,000 KRW (£120) for her visa, just because she's American. US citizens are the only ones who have to pay more. Sounds like relations between the US and China aren't improving any time soon!!

So, what does one find in their wallet after a long weekend in Beijing?

• Beijing Municipal Administration & Communication Card (Subway T-money card)
• Sunrise Hostel address in Chinese (in case we get lost and need help)
• "I have a nut allergy" written on a piece of paper in Chinese 
• Great Wall of China admission ticket
• Forbidden City admission ticket
• Beijing Zoo admission ticket
• Summer Palace admission ticket
• Temple of Heaven admission ticket

This is just a taster of what I got up to at the weekend. (Not everything required a ticket!) I'm hoping to make some sort of admission ticket/picture collage when I get home to frame and put up in my flat to remind me of my study abroad experience.

Day 1.

We left for Beijing on the morning of the 14th November from Gimpo International Airport. It's a 2 hour flight to Beijing, and we arrived there at 1:30pm local time. Our flying experience with China Southern Airlines was thankfully good! Once we got to the hostel, it was around 4pm, so we only had enough time to take a walk around the area before it got dark. We were a 10 minute walk from the Forbidden City and Tiananamen Square. We walked around the entirety of the Forbidden City (it's huge) and then stopped to take pictures at the Tiananmen Gate, which is to the North of the square, which has the iconic portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong hanging above the entrance. (A man who despite dying in 1976, still is very much respected and remembered in Chinese society.)

Tiananmen Gate

Tiananmen Gate

Day 2. 

On the morning of the second day we were served an American breakfast by our hostel as we signed up for a Great Wall Tour which cost £25 which included breakfast, lunch, transport and free entry to the wall. (good deal!) There were around 50 passengers on the coach all picked up from surrounding hostels in Beijing. We went to the Mutianyu part of the wall which is said to have less tourists than such parts as Badaling. The bus journey was an hour and a half and it was interesting to see outside of Beijing and into the real rural areas of China. Hilariously, the first thing we were faced with upon arriving at the car park of the Wall was a Subway, Baskin Robbins and Pizzeria- Welcome to China!!
We were given the option to either take a cable car to the wall or take the 25 minute hike up the steps to the wall. I opted for the hike. I didn't come to the Great Wall to take the easy route! Once we got to the wall, it was spectacular. I couldn't believe that I was standing on one of the Wonders of the World. A wall so famous in history and movies, and the fact that it can be seen from Space! We were given 3 hours to roam the wall at our own leisure. There weren't that many tourists apart from Chinese school children, so essentially we got the wall to ourselves in parts which made our picture taking so much better. I'll let my pictures do the talking now to give it justice. Absolutely breathtaking...

Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China

Stairs to the wall

Wall to myself!

Great Wall of China

 After the wall, we met up with a Chinese girl (Megan) who was friends with one of the girls in our group (Mariana). They had met whilst Megan was on her study abroad in the Netherlands, and they had kept in contact. She took us to a traditional Chinese restaurant, and it was amazing. Very different to the 'Chinese' food we get in the UK. It was delicious!

Day 3.

By day 3, the early mornings were starting to hit us a bit. Our legs were also starting to complain. We did a lot of walking over the long weekend and really had no time to lose. We were there for a short time and we planned to get it all done.
We went to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square that morning. The Forbidden City was so big. It's where the Emperor, his many wives and family would live. There were so many different buildings, to such a high standard and design. I really wondered how in ancient times they were capable of building such structures as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Around this area there is a real feel of the Communism that is lingering in the country. There are police and soldiers everywhere, and everyone's bag has to get searched before you enter certain areas etc. There is a lot of red lets say, which is symbolic! There's a definite feeling of control in China. I don't think police are necessarily there to protect us, but instead to keep an eye on people to make sure they are conforming to the status-quo of what is acceptable in Chinese society.

Tourist

Forbidden City

Forbidden City

You'll find these soldiers in two's on every almost street corner in the surrounding area

After the Forbidden City (all tourist admissions in China are dirt cheap- the country as a whole is cheap. To get into pounds I just have to divide by 10) we went across the road to Tiananmen Square. The only way to enter the square is through numerous underpasses like subway stations where you go inside and have to get all your bags searched and also sometimes patted down by security officials. I'm not sure if it was always like that or if they were just on high alert due to the terrorist attack that happened there only just a few weeks ago. Tiananmen Square was everything I expected. I had learnt so much about it in my history classes (why I was so excited about visiting China!) One would just think that it's a boring square. But it really symbolises the power of Communism in China. It's the largest public square in the entire world and can hold in excess of 1 million people. All the main Communism speeches etc were held here and it also has the unforgettable past of of the student massacres of the 1980s. Of course this information is blocked in China, along with Facebook, Twitter and Google...unless you have a VPN! The square was just a big flat slab of concrete. Red flags with Chinese flags flew everywhere around it and there were two large screens at the top which showed picturesque scenes of China (Propaganda.)

View towards the Forbidden City from the square

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square

Red alert!

After the square we managed to go to Beijing Zoo to see some Pandas!

I love bamboo!!

Day 4,

Sunday was probably the busiest day for us. We went to see Mao Zedong's preserved body which is in his resting place to the South of Tiananmen Square. It was a very solemn experience and one that I didn't think would affect me so much. It's free admission and hundreds upon hundreds of Chinese people line up with flowers to see their beloved former leader. A lot of old people were visibly emotional upon entering the room where he lays in state. Before entering the building you have to go through yet more security and no cameras are allowed inside whatsoever. However, smart phones are? We had to go inside in twos so we could all get the experience. One of us would have to stand outside with everyone's cameras. Upon entering the building you are faced with a giant statue of Mao sitting relaxed in an arm chair, looking incredibly friendly and happy. Apparently it's meant to symbolise how kind he was in comparison to the statue of Abraham Lincoln that is in Washington DC. The room where he lays, the lights are dimmed and he lies behind glass in a glass coffin draped in the Communist flag. He almost looked waxy with the way the light was shining on his face. A weird experience, but interesting. Of course once you exit this solemn space you are faced with souvenir stalls selling Mao memorabilia. Plates, portraits, watches- you name it! (No pictures for this section for obvious reasons- I didn't fancy going undercover to be placed in a jail!)

After Mao, we went to the Summer Palace which was a retreat for the Emperors. It was spectacular, but very cold. You'll see from most of my pictures that they all look bright, blue skied and sunny. This is true, but it was still bitterly cold. We got lucky however as the cold wind blew away the air pollution which Beijing is infamous for!

Summer Palace

We then went to the 2008, Beijing Olmpics Park. It was great to see. Especially a place where so many records were broken. It's the place where Bolt became the fastest man on the planet. Very impressive.

Birds Nest Stadium

That night we braved the cold and went to the Wangfujing Street Market which sold a whole manner of different Chinese Cuisines- mostly strange! (Pictures below.) Let's just say the food here is a little different to the Chinese food I usually get from the Happy Uncle in Cults in Aberdeen!!

Pigeon kebab

Centipede kebab

Snake kebab

Spider kebab- "Make you strong!!"

Day 5.

The final day came around quicker than we had wanted. We still felt there was still a lot more to see in Beijing and surrounding areas. At the same time though, it was a relief that we'd be going home to rest our legs from all the walking we'd put them through! (Old man!)
Our flight back to Seoul was at 7:30pm, so we still had most of the day to do what we wanted. I went to the Temple of Heaven, which was pretty much the last remaining sight on my list that I'd made before going to China, that I wanted to see. I then went and did some Souvinir and Christmas shopping. The bartering here is insane. I had many a fall out with shopkeepers because they just assumed I was a gullable western tourist. They didn't realise that I'd grown up in the Middle East where bartering is a skill learnt from a young age!

Temple of Heaven

We arrived back into Seoul on Monday night at around 10:30pm local time, and got back to our dorms at midnight. It was a great trip and it was so interesting feeling like I was at home when I arrived back in Korea. I've really embraced this experience and made Seoul my home. I can now determine Koreans from Chinese and Japanese people and vice versa and I've also found out some interesting mannerisms between the three nationalities. In my opinion, Koreans are much more image concious and are into fashion and making themselves look good. Whereas in China, the people were less 'well groomed'. Arriving back into Seoul was refreshing too as the place is so modern, sterile and clean. I would say that Beijing won on historical tourist sights, but Seoul wins hands down on image.

That concludes a rather long post (apologies), but as always thank you for reading, following and sharing! :) I am looking forward to the next few weeks to see what they have in store for me.

If anyone has any questions regarding my travels/studies, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Ben :) 

해피 할로윈 (Happy Halloween!)

Hey everyone!

It's been another busy week here in Seoul. I can't believe that it's now November and I've been here for over 2 months. I really don't want the exchange to end, but time is flying by. I really appreciate all the comments/messages I've been receiving regarding my blog. It's good to get some feedback so I know if you are actually enjoying it, and that it's helping you to understand what life is like, here in Korea!
My blog has now received an astounding 2000+ views since I started it in August. THANK YOU!
If you would like to add me on Facebook to have a chat about study abroad experiences/choices etc, please just send me a message or add me to see all of my pictures of my exchange/experiences. :)

https://www.facebook.com/ben.philip.750

I thought I'd start off by saying Happy Halloween! Last night was crazy! I think because there is a big American influence in Korean society that Halloween is actually a big thing here too. Many restaurants etc decorate and many Koreans last night were out partying, dressed in their best scary costumes. However, I would say that perhaps to some more Conservative Koreans, Halloween is still a bit of an alien concept. I know I was dressed as a Zombie, but it seemed that some passers-by really didn't know how to take passing a large group of ghoulish looking foreign students!

Zombified! 

They do celebrate Halloween in Korea! Student dressed up as Japanese Animie character, Kaonashi (Faceless) yesterday outside the Hanyang University Subway Station.

What a Ghoulish bunch- was Seoul ready for us?!!

We started off our night in one of the local bars in Wangsimni called 'Bar 37' where they offer all you can drink cocktails all night for 15,000 KRW ( £7). We then headed off to one of the international party districts of the city, Itaewon. It looked like every International student in Seoul had descended on this area of the city to celebrate. Many Koreans were also around, and some invited us to go and drink with them. Little did I know, that I would be introduced to some interesting Korean delicacies. Last night, I ate chicken heart, pig intestine and pig skin. YOLO! And I've lived to tell the tale! In theory I was already dead....being a zombie and all!
We went to a nightclub, and bizarrely I experienced something I never thought I'd get to experience...I felt like a celebrity! So many Koreans were coming up to me asking to take a picture with me. At one point there was an actual queue in the street! My 5 minutes of fame- OVER! Maybe I should paint my face every day...

It's been another busy week in University. Despite the Mid-Terms now being finished, there is still a lot of assignments and presentations due over the coming weeks. Juggling 5 classes is difficult, but rewarding when you think about what you have accomplished. I had to submit a single portfolio video this week for my Television production class. It was open themed, and had to be 1 minute long, just to show our confidence in basic video editing etc. I filmed it all from my Iphone and based it on the Seoul International Fireworks Festival which was at the beginning of  October. The video is below :)

This week my China trip scheduled for 2 weeks time has been an emotional roller coaster. First off, the news came that a suicide bomber had driven into a crowd of people in Tienanmen Square, killing 5+ people. The very square which is pretty high on my list of sights that I want to see whilst in Beijing, and also the very square where the hostel I've booked is a 3 minute walk from!!  The next situation was that it was looking likely that I wouldn't be able to apply for a Chinese Visa meaning I would have wasted money on booking flights and accommodation. There was a slight oversight from myself and the group I'm travelling with, that since July 2010, foreigners applying for a Chinese Visa from within Korea have to have at least 6 months validity on their alien registration cards. Mine is unfortunately only valid until March, because I have no reason to be in Korea after then as my exchange will have been completed. What I was confused about was the fact that the Chinese authorities were basing their requirements from a British passport holder on a Korean documentation, despite my BRITISH passport being valid until 2023?! Thankfully we managed to find a loop-hole in that International students can apply for a Chinese visa through their university travel agency department as long as a 'certificate of enrolment' is included in the application. THANKFULLY (There is a God) I received an email today saying my Chinese Visa application had been successful and I would be able to collect it next Wednesday. I'M GOING TO CHINA!! =D

After dinner drinks with Chinese classmate, Waleem, and Korean classmate Soon-Wook

RGU students in Seoul! Stacey Kerr (4th year Sports Science & myself 3rd year Journalism)

I seem to have accumulated a lot of things in my wallet over the months I've been here. I think it's time for a clear-out, so here is what I've found:

• Shinan Bank Manager business card
• Mt Fuji information leaflet
• Icafe stamp card
• Coffea Coffee stamp card
• Tokyo Metro One-Day Open Ticket
• Club Cocoon- One Free Drink Coupon 
• Tokyo Maid Cafe polaroid group picture
• Kachi Kachi Yama round trip ticket to view Mt Fuji
• 3,400 Yen bus ticket to Mt Fuji Great Lakes
• Mori Arts Centre Observatory- Tokyo City View ticket
• Seoul subway map
• Hanyang International Hospital ID card
• Subway sandwich stamp card (1 stamp from completion until my free sub!) 

I'm hoping to collect more weird and wonderful things before the end of my trip and create some sort of scrap book!

It's a really beautiful time in Seoul at the moment. The Fall (Autumn) is really here and the trees are changing colour every day. Hoping to go for a hike in Seoul National Forest in the coming weekends, before it gets too cold. At the moment it's clear during the days with highs of 17 and lows of 6 at nights. 

Seoul National Forest- taken by a friend this week.

In other news, before I come to the end of my blog post, Abercrombie and Fitch opened their first ever flagship store in Seoul yesterday. Those of you that know me well, know that I'm an absolute sucker for anything A&F. I took the 3 subway-stops journey to Cheongdam and had a wee browse and purchase of some items. I'm sure it won't be the last time I'll pay them a visit!

Well, that's all for this week folks! I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I'm gutted I'm missing out on some of the Christmas build-up, because let's face it- Halloween is now over, so cue the Christmas adverts and decorations in the coming weeks! This weekend I plan to lay low and get some of my assignments etc completed. Tomorrow however, I'm going to a local football derby/play-off. Seoul FC are playing Suwon. Seoul are 4th and Suwon are 5th in the K-League, so I'm heading down to the Seoul World Cup Stadium to cheer on my local team! 

Christmas decorations this week in Myeondong.

Take care,

Ben :) 

I'm officially an alien!

Proper Japanese Tereyaki!

Sensoji Temple

Shibuya crossing- busiest crossing in the world

Pikachu pancakes at the Pokemon Centre

Pre-washing ritual before entering the shrine

My bed (coffin) for the weekend

(For some reason my Tokyo pictures wanted to be placed at the top of my blog post- thanks Blogger!)

Hi everyone!

Apologies for not posting lately. 

A lot has happened since my last post- I have been to Japan and back, have became an official Alien in Korea, and I have sat my first batch of exams!

 I went to Tokyo, Japan on Thursday 26th September until Monday 30th- it was an amazing weekend. It was a really buzzing place, and I feel extremely lucky to have seen the amount that I did in the short space of time I was there. Arriving in Tokyo was an experience in itself. It was really turbulent coming into land and the plane was pretty much coming into land sideways to the runway at quite a speed. The passenger beside me who I had befriended on the plane (from Washington DC) went into the brace position, so I proceeded to do the same. The wheels touched the runway and after two 'bounces' it felt like the Captain had gained control of the plane again. The guy beside me let out a sigh of relief and gave me a high 5. With this, I knew that Tokyo was going to be a bigger adventure than I had anticipated. We stayed at an internationally recognised hostel in an area called Asakusa. It 's an older area of Tokyo, an hour from the airport, but it was very central and had a lot of things to see in the area including the Tokyo Skytree, the 2nd tallest building in the world. 

We packed a lot into the few days we were in Tokyo, and I managed to take a lot of pictures. I think the pictures give more justice to just how amazing the sights of Tokyo were. We went to: The Sensoji Temple, Fujifilm HQ, Mori Tower, Shibuya crossing, Imperial Palace, Menji Shrine, Pokemon Centre, Mt. Fuji and many more awesome places. 

It was an incredible place and I really recommend going if you are ever in Asia. I found myself trying to draw comparisons between there and Seoul, along with the pros and cons. Overall, I felt that Tokyo was more Metropolitan and had lost some of it's Asian traditional culture and architecture. I felt in some areas that I could have been walking on a street in New York. I also found that the Japanese are a lot smaller than the Koreans, so their subway system is a lot more claustrophobic, and it doesn't help with the amount of people that live there! 

Kachi Yama Yama National park: Best views of Mt.Fuji and surrounding lakes- breathtaking! 

Tokyo Skytree

Mori Tower- Tokyo City view. 

  I was happy to return to Seoul (my comfort zone)- I've really settled well here and I like it's cleanliness and safety. The Subway is also so much easier to use than Tokyo's! Tokyo has a Private and a public line, whereas Seoul's subway is just all one company. I've met a lot of good people here, and hopefully some friends for life. Life here is easy and everyone is really nice. I am now an official registered 'alien' in Korea after receiving my 'Alien registration card' which means I can be here for longer than 90 days, and can exit and re-enter the country as I please...which brings me onto my next bit of news...I AM GOING TO CHINA!!! That's right, I will grace Beijing with my presence from the 14th November for another long weekend. The flight offer was too good to turn down, and I'm never going to get the opportunity to fly to China return for £160 again. I've spoken to a lot of Chinese people in my classes and they are all very fascinated that I'm going to China in November- I think because it's the off-season and it will be cold. I looked up the temperatures for Beijing for November and it will be 0-5 degrees most days. FREEZING! However, Seoul is starting to get a bit more chilly. Rarely wearing my shorts now, and it's a must to have a jumper if you are out at nights. Today it's probably the coldest it's been during the day at 10 degrees, and at nights it's dropping to around 6 degrees. I was warned by many Koreans that the Winter will come fast here. It's currently Autumn and it usually only lasts 2-3 weeks. I best look out my Winter jacket that I took from home- a lot of people haven't brought theirs- crazy! A former exchange student at Hanyang posted pictures on our Facebook page of snow around campus at the beginning of December. Something I'm not looking forward to as the campus is built onto the side of a hill! Garthdee Road is nothing compared to this!!

Overall, I'm really enjoying my experience here and am making the most of it. I think it really is life changing, being able to live in a completely foreign place, and get to meet people from all over the world. It's something I'd recommend for anyone back home if they get this opportunity. People must really be getting sick of me back home as I keep posting on Facebook daily and weekly about all the things I've been doing. I can't believe that I've now been here 60 days. It sounds short, but I really have done so much, and settled into my new home. I don't think I've become overly homesick once since I arrived. There are small things that you begin to miss such as some home comfort food/treats (to me this would probably be Irn Bru and Haribo!) Also just hearing about events going on back home that I'd have definitely gone to if I was there. I think what has made me the happiest this week was getting to meet up with a fellow RGU student, here in Seoul!! My childhood friend Stacey, who studies Sports Science at RGU was here in Korea this week with her martial arts team- she is also friends with my cousin Kim who is on the same course! I met her for dinner last night, and it was so refreshing to hear an accent from home, and I didn't have to slow or dumb down my speech so she could understand. It was great seeing her, and I think this really highlights that the world is becoming a much smaller place. Who'd have thought two RGU students unrelated to the same trip would be in South Korea at the same time?! (Picture of us coming soon)

Korean friend, Soon-Wook and I having a beer at our 'local'

On  positive note, I've also managed to download a VPN, so I can watch all my UK shows (trash tv) such as X-Factor and The Jonathan Ross Show...sounds really sad, but it's so good to watch some British TV to try and stay in touch with the home culture and keep up with what is going on. I've had my Mid-term exams over the past couple of weeks. I had 4 in total out of the 5 classes I have registered for. The 5th class I am working on a documentary at the moment so we got off with not having a mid-term. It's strange having exams only 7-8 weeks into the semester. They are worth 20-30% of our final grade. I've only had one result back so far, which was for Broadcasting Production and I got 97%, so I was stoked! A cause for a celebration this weekend!! 

I recently climbed one of Seoul's tallest mountains at the Bukhansan National Park- it was incredible! It's a really good time of year to go hiking because the weather is less humid and also the trees are all changing colour with Autumn being here. I also went to the Seoul Fireworks Festival which is an annual event where Korea, Japan, France and Canada put on individual fireworks displays worth around $3.3 million for over 1 million spectators! The amount of people there was crazy. (pictures below)

Seoul City from the top of the mountain

Watch your feet!

Well, that concludes a rather long blog post. I hope I won't leave it so long next time between posts. As ever, I'm extremely thankful to all the views I'm still receiving during this period of inactivity. I'm hoping to get into a routine again and post weekly. I've also had a request to add some videos into my blogs too, so hopefully I'll get some good videos whilst in China next month!!

Thanks, 

Ben :) 

Seoul-ed out!

Greetings from Seoul, everyone, and a Happy Chuseuk! (Korean equivalent of Thanks Giving.)

I can't believe that I'm only 3 weeks into the semester and I've already got a 5-6 day holiday for this annual event. People have told me that it's almost like Christmas to them. Everyone in Seoul City clears out to the rural areas or surrounding Korean Islands to visit family, usually Grandparents where they spend time together. This usually busy mega city is eerily quiet today and a lot of shops and restaurants have closed until Monday! The rush-hour yesterday at the subway stations was crazy. I have to say though that it's almost a relief not having as many people in the city so I don't have to compete for pavement space!!

Before I begin, I would as always like to say a big thank you to all readers of my blog posts. My blog has now received an overwhelming 1,250+ views, with 600+ on my last post alone. I'm so glad that I can share my adventure and experiences with you all. 

Every week after I write a blog, I try keep track of what I've been up to by adding notes to my Iphone. There seems to be quite a lot to sift though today...in other words, I've been extremely busy! 

Last Thursday I got my first taste of what a night out in Gangnam District is like. We went to Club Octagon which is the no1 club in Korea, and apparently the 12th best club in the world! It was incredible. I really cannot describe how crazy nights out are here in Korea- they KNOW how to party. In other party districts such as Hongdae, I would draw comparisons with that and of the 'strip' in Magalluf. I did not expect this sort of culture here. 

Club Octagon- Gangnam. 

On Friday, I finally went and registered for my Alien Registration card which is a card essential for foreigners who plan to stay in Korea for longer than 90 days. The immigration office was full of lost looking exchange students from all over the world applying for the exact same thing. Luckily the immigration officer spoke good English so I was able to register without any bother. I should get it in 2-3 weeks. 

Interestingly, we were accompanied by one of my friend's mentor, who is a 23-year-old Korean guy who has just completed his 2 years compulsory military service. He was part of the riot police. I was very interested about this and asked him questions regarding if he enjoyed it etc. His reply was: "I didn't want to do it, but it is my morale obligation and duty to do this to serve my country and protect it from invaders." As the weeks have gone on in Korea, I've noticed that there does seem to be some form of fear of attack from North Korea. I suppose with a neighbour that threatens nuclear war on a regular basis, then they have ground to fear this!! All Korean males are to complete military service. It is 2 years long and they only get 50 days off the whole time they are serving- a tough gig! I will talk more about the army etc later in my post, as today I visited the DMZ and witnessed first hand the dangers faced by these young soldiers usually of 20-23 years old. 

Me & a 'Korean Soldier' at the DMZ.

I suppose the biggest news of my week was that I spontaneously booked flights to Tokyo, Japan!! I'm so so excited. I'm going there next Thursday (26th) until the 30th. I'm flying with Air Asia and it only cost £80 return from Seoul. It was a deal that I couldn't turn down, and I'm happy that I'll get to tick another Asian country off my list. :) I booked my accommodation tonight, and with the rest of the people I'm going with I'll be staying at the Khaosan Tokyo Annex in a 28-cabin bed dormitory. That only cost £60 for the 4 nights, so I'm doing well so far. Unfortunately though I think I'll spend a lot more money when in Japan, as it's meant to be a lot more expensive. However, I'm just really looking forward to the experience and being able to see things I never thought I'd see, like Mt Fuji, and perhaps a sumo-wrestling match! 

On Sunday, I went SHOPPING! Seoul is pretty cheap in comparison to shopping in the UK. I managed to get a few nice things for the same price as I would normally get for one item in the UK. However...yet again this week I had trouble purchasing shoes! Asian people are genuinely (this is not a stereotype) pretty small...and with this comes smaller feet compared to the BOAT size feet I have at the end of my legs. I was trying to purchase shoes for going out clubbing etc that were comfortable, yet appropriate. I ended up buying some Converse for just under £20 (pretty sure they are £40+ in the UK). They had my size no problem. I then found another pair of converse in the shop which were appropriate to wear when partying. I went to the shop assistant and asked if she had my size (UK-11-12), and she literally let out a 'shriek' of shock and gasped staring at my feet. She then proceeded to make an 'x' with her arms saying "no big size, this too big, sorry." I was pretty gutted! Annoyingly too, this was in Itaewon which is a popular expat area known for having Western sizes. Some places even advertise 'big sizes' outside their clothing shops. However, when they say big, they mean it. All the shirts in one shop were like bed sheets on me. So confusing! In the UK I'm between a M and L but here I'm more like a 3XL! Crazy! Also, those of you that know me well, will know that I am partial to wearing Abercrombie & Fitch clothing- but here in Seoul it really is not a big deal and they sell their products on the street in small stalls (not fake!)...so if anyone wants a genuine A&F t-shirt let me know- it will only cost you £8!! 

Aside from partying and shopping, university is also going well. I'm settling into my 5 different classes and getting used to the teaching methods of my different professors. There is a lot of homework and reading- so that keeps me busy during the week. My media effects professor is so good that he received an applause from the class at the end of every lecture- seems so strange to me, but at the same time I think it's nice because he's genuinely doing a good job and in Korean culture it's appropriate to show admiration and thanks for this. 

I got some good news this week from my dormitory administration saying that I was getting refunded all my money ($1400US) for my rent for the 4-5 months. Apparently I'm viewed as a scholarship student here. To receive this refund however, I had to create a Korean bank account. I was invited into the Manager's office and was told in pigeon English "name signature, name signature" on numerous forms that were all in Korean. Most of the other exchange students have gone through this process and have consulted with their mentors on this, and this is just normal proceedings-hopefully I haven't signed my life away. I'll get my money back during my time away in Japan. 

This week in my digital media class, a girl walked into the class with a Glasgow University, Scotland hoodie on. I was so surprised. I caught up with her after class and her name is Young and she's Korean. She studied in Glasgow for 6 months as part of a study abroad programme. It was great meeting her- small world!!

Young & I- representing Scotland!!

Now onto my DMZ news- it was absolutely incredible. I really recommend you visit this place before you die. It's the only fortified border in the entire world. I've never been to such a place that gives you a buzz of excitement, tension and fear. It separates North and South Korea and during a time when the current leader Kim Jong Un is feeding rhetoric threats to the world, you can feel the tension on the South side and also the fear that this "madman" will eventually do something. We booked through a tour group and it cost 46,000KRW which is £26 for a half-day trip to the de-militarised zone (DMZ). We were picked up at the Lotte Hotel in Myondong and we made the 50 minute trip to the DMZ from Seoul. The tour guide told us that South Koreans cannot enter North Korea. However, if foreigners such as myself want to go- we have to arrange a visa through the Chinese embassy in Seoul, then fly via Beijing to Pyongyang. After this we would have to go and bow to the statue of Kim Il Sung- the founder of North Korea (there are said to be 25,000 statues of him in North Korea). The tour guide told us a lot of stories from years gone by. The barbed wire starts not long after you get out of Seoul, along the Han River. In the 1990s many North Korean spies were caught trying to scuba dive down into the South, so these fences were erected along the river banks, as well as watch towers to ensure the South could never be infiltrated.

Our first stop was the 3rd infiltration tunnel which is a tunnel 73m below ground and it was going to be used to attack the South by the North Koreans. It was discovered in 1990, and the North Koreans claimed they were digging for coal (they painted rocks black...original) and they had gone 435m past the divided line, knowing full well what they were doing. To date there has been 4 secret tunnels found beneath the DMZ, but there is speculation that more may exist much deeper than the 3rd. If any tour guests or normal citizens finds a new tunnel, they will be awarded $100,000US by the South Korean Government for their efforts! The 3rd infiltration tunnel could pass 30,000 North Korean soldiers through in 1 hour, just 50km away from Seoul- a scary thought! 

It was so interesting driving towards the DMZ. The tour guide pointed out the vast difference between the mountain-scape of both North and South Korea. On the South side, the mountains are very green with a lot of trees, whereas on the North side the mountains are brown/black and look bare. This is because they still use wood to heat their homes instead of central heating! Also, at night from a satellite South Korea is shining brightly, but North Korea is pitch black. This is the only time of year when South Koreans can go North to spend time with their now distant separated families (during Chuseuk). Unfortunately relations between North and South are fluctuating at the moment, with the change of North Korean leader. The South Korean dream is said to be that of "unification". There is a dream that one day, Korea can become united once again. Unfortunately that dream seems a very long way away. When we enter the DMZ, the bus is boarded by a South Korean soldier. We were informed that the most handsome and tall soldiers are chosen to do this job as a sign of strength. They count the amount of passengers and register our passports and allow us to enter. These sort of tactics seem to be used in this part of the world...kind of petty! For example, from the Dora Observatory, the best view over the DMZ to North Korea, there are two villages visible. One is South Korean and the other is North. For years the two villages competed in seeing who could have the highest flag pole. At present, the North Korean village, affectionately known as 'Propaganda Village' is winning as their flag is suspended 165m high! On the way out we were counted once more by a soldier to make sure no one had 'defected' to the North- HA! No chance of that happening. 

Imjingak Park- Registration area.

"Thank you for supporting Korea's dream of re-unification."

The last train station before entering North Korea. (No trains go there at present!!)

Propaganda Village 165m flag pole...

So, to wrap up a rather long blog post (apologies!)...this week I'll be doing some more touristy sites in and around Seoul since I have the free time and the weather is great at the moment. It's around 26-30 degrees every day. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts as it does get really cold here during the Winter! I'll try and update you on what I got up to during Chuseuk before I leave for Japan next week. 

Once again, thank you for your support. If you'd like to give me any feedback please don't hesitate in doing so. If you want to see more pictures or speak to me, please add me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ben.philip.750 :) 

Goodbye for now!