I'm a Seoul man!

Hi everyone!

As you can see from the title of this post, I'm really starting to feel at home here. I can't believe that it will be two weeks tomorrow that I arrived here. It feels like I've been here a month with the amount of things I've been getting up to. I'm not just a Scottish exchange student in Korea...I'm a busy one! 

I'm now into the second week of my university classes. My 'Major' here is Media Communications. I have registered for 5 classes: Comparative media systems, Digital media, Theories of media effects, Broadcasting, and Television production. I'm enjoying all of them so far despite the noticeable workload increase since the introductions last week. My classes are majority Korean students, with usually 5-6 exchange students. I have noticed how strange it is though that I may be the only native English speaker in the room- something I've never experienced. Korean students do however love my Scottish accent when I speak in class. Everyone has been very welcoming and they are all very interested in my background. The professors and people I've met so far the past 2 weeks have been great and I'm sure I'm making some friends for life by being here. It reminds me of my days living in Doha when I was always surrounded by friends from different countries around the world. At least I can 'couch surf' now in almost every country I visit!!

I think the most interesting class I've registered for is television production. The professor was educated in the UK, in London and worked for Channel 4. Our class will involve field trips to television studios in Seoul, such as KBS and also making our own news clips and documentaries- which I'm pretty excited for! 

In another class, the professor who obtained his Doctorate in the US likes to get the class to stretch and do yoga before the class begins to "expand our boundaries"...today we also had a 10 minute meditating session to "strengthen our minds."- I'm sure my home university will be pleased to know that I'm working hard!!

"Expand your boundaries"- class yoga.

I'm adjusting to life on campus here pretty well. My big hike up the campus hills to get to the Social Sciences building are gradually getting easier, and I'm sure my fitness has improved considerably since arriving. As explained in my last post about the food- it's just SO cheap and there's always something for everyone. I do find it strange though that I literally will not be cooking for myself for the next 4-5 months.

One thing that did bug me (literally) was the mosquitoes. Korea has had an unprecedented drier wet season than normal (however it did rain today for the 2nd time since I arrived...) and it's just coming to the end. The mosquitoes will soon die off when the cold winter approaches. I was bitten on my elbow twice during one night. Was itchy and red for days but I went to a pharmacy and got some mosquito repellent and some anti-itch solution. Have also purchased a plug for my room which keeps the mozzies away. 

Another problem I had was trying to purchase some flip-flops that fitted me. The local area where I live called, Wangsimni didn't stock any sizes above a UK9 (I'm an 11-12)! I consulted with my Lonely Planet guide book and it informed me that an area close-by called Itaewon stocked "expat sizes". Right enough, the area was very westernised, filled with western shops and eateries. I bought myself some Havaianas for £5 (they are £20 in the UK!) The area was full of expats, notably a lot of US soldiers on relief. At night it turns into a big party district. I'm yet to check it out but I've been to other party districts so far called Sinchon and Hongdae. (more about that later in the post!)

In Itaewon!

I've been doing some more Seoul sightseeing. On Friday I went to Gyeongbokgung Palace- it is said to be the grandest of the 4 palaces in Seoul. It didn't disappoint- it was beautiful! It's hard to even describe how grand and big they are in words. Pictures won't do it justice either. Luckily we arrived at the right time to watch the daily 'changing of the guard'. It was a great spectacle with colourful soldiers marching to the sound of horns and a deep drum. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace- changing of the guard.

Before the palace, we were also approached by a Korean group of university students who were taking pictures of people holding up their 'life motto.' Mine was "Everything happens for a reason" a philosophy I've maintained for a long time. They posted my picture on their Facebook group. (MottoEight). 

On Saturday, I really exhausted myself with more sightseeing. The weight I must be losing in Seoul must be significant with the amount of walking I do here compared to back home. I went to the Bukchon Hanok Village, which is home to around 900 hanok, Seoul's largest concentration of traditional Korean homes. It was a pleasure to aimlessly wander and get lost in the streets whilst admiring the contrast between the modern city in the distance and the old tiled roofs in front of me. We also went to the observatory where I took a great panoramic picture. 

Bukchon Hanok Village- panoramic contrast between modern and old.

I'm getting really used to the street food here too- it's actually so cheap and great. On Saturday, I had a strange type of sweet bread with a fried egg omlette on top for breakfast then had some sort of chicken kebab on a stick for lunch. I now know the words for "not spicy" too so that's helped a lot!! I would say though that it's pretty difficult to get anything that someone from the UK would consider 'normal' unless you want to pay more for it. But, even then most places here that advertise Western food always give the food a Korean flare which often means adding spice! For example, I ordered a ham and cheese toastie and it came with mayonaise, ketchup, mustard, and jam inside...oh and a fried egg?! Sweet and savoury don't go together. 

On Sunday, I went to Lotte world. It's the biggest indoor theme park in the world. It seemed like a total copy of Disney, but not as good! It was however worth the money. It cost 44,000KRW for a special day pass which is £25.39- much cheaper than theme parks in the UK! I was there from 9:30am when it opened to 10pm at night (it closes at 11pm) and I wasn't bored once. There's a lot of rides for kids but there's equally as many, if not more rides for adults. Definitely recommend it if you're ever in Korea- there's something for everyone. 

Lotte World- biggest indoor theme park in the world.

So, as I come to the end of my post I best get into what the Korean night life is like. One word. INSANE. 

These people really know how to party hard. The amount of people that go out on a nightly basis is crazy. As I said earlier I've been to Sinchon and Hongdae. Two of the big party districts. There has been numerous organised events for exchange students. I've witnessed barmen standing on the bar pouring tequila into people's mouths, pole dancing competitions...and a lot more! All the clubs are fairly cheap to get into as well and drinks are cheap. I have to say though that I'm becoming a bit of a pro at the Gangnam style- it really doesn't get any better than seeing an entire club dance in sync to Psy. I'll try get a video next time! I'm hoping to go check out the Gangnam district this week. 

Club Vera- Hongdae.

I actually just had one of the funniest experiences tonight. I went to get a long over-due haircut. I walked into a hairdressers and the Korean lady spoke no English whatsoever. However, I must be some sort of pro at charades as I've walked out with a half-decent cut! I had to make "bzzz" noises to tell her I wanted my back and sides shaved and then scissor actions to tell her I wanted it cut on the top- it was actually hilarious. Only cost me 10,000KRW too which is just over a fiver back home- cheap!!

Looking sharp.

This week I'll be busy with classes etc, but hoping to do more this weekend. I also need to go apply for my foreigners alien registration card- fun times! If anybody would like to give me any feedback on my blog, please feel free. I appreciate the massive amount of views and support I'm getting on a weekly basis. 

Thanks, 

Ben :)