VI

It is week six for me here in Korea.  A lot of things have happened these last few days.  I attended Seoul Fashion Week this past Friday which was the first fashion event I have ever attended, started my volunteer job at the Sarang School for the disabled, spent quality time with new friends, and North Korea continued to threaten the South with active war.  Though the Korean peninsula is constantly on the verge of crumbling, civilians in the South continue with their every day activities with ease.  Here are a few selects from the weekend.  Thanks for looking!

p.s. Me and my classmates as well as every South Korean in Seoul  and elsewhere are doing great and are in good care!  The news you may be hearing about North Korea can be scary, but please know that we have been reassured of our safety by many accredited sources and my supervisors are keeping watch of the situation in case of any emergencies.

 

Friday I had the privilege to hang around Seoul Fashion Week for a few hours.  I didn’t have the chance to see the runway show, but Seoul Fashion Week is completely open to the public and very affordable allowing everyone able the opportunity to experience their designers.

I also started volunteering at a small school for disabled students.  The Sarang school not only teaches classroom subjects, but also Korean cultural ethics, cooking, art, and much more.  I am very excited to continue working with them over the semester.

A quick subway ride

Week 5

Things have been moving fast these last couple of weeks in Korea.  I have started class at Yonsei, watched a friend get married, traveled to Inchon, ate tons of ice cream and fried food, and met great people.  Here are just a few images.  Thanks for looking.

Sinchon Bookstore

Inchon’s China Town

Inchon

Inchon boardwalk

Boardwalk amusement park

Korean fair food

Week II

The second week of orientation here in Korea was a long one.  I remember telling someone that I was here for three weeks, then realizing when organizing my photos that it has only been two weeks.  Monday the CIEE group left Seoul and went to Gyeongju which is just a little north of the city of Pusan on the Southeast corner of the peninsula.  Here, the Silla Kingdom grew to become one of the world’s longest sustained dynasties and Gyeongju (the capital of the Silla Kingdom) was one of the largest cities in the world during the 5th Century.  The city is now a small country town, but is filled with some of the richest history I have ever seen.  Roads, bike paths, and hiking trails are littered with Buddhist, and Shamanistic shrines and temples that have been declared national treasures for their ancient perfection and contribution to the development in Korean spiritual and technological history.  This place is Korea at it’s finest and I am so honored that I got to experience it and meet the people who still worship and honor the faith the same way their ancestors did.  Thanks for looking.

The Buddha vs. Mountain Spirit (Buddhism vs. Shamanism) 

An ancient burial site made into a park and public worshiping space.