Four months sounds like a long period of time but it will all come to an end quickly, especially the second half. I was fortunate to have Tran by my side all the time as well as great friends around me; still, below are some lessons I learned from trials and failures while living in Korea. 가자!
The End. For Now.
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📍137 days of living abroad You probably get the point by now, but it's impossible to talk about my semester abroad without having a glimpse of Trân. So, I wanted to start this post by dedicating my appreciation. Thank you for hopping on the plane and embarking Korea with me! More than anything, thank you for being my best friend, and even better friend by the days. Things never went our ways, 80% of the time, but once our eyes met, we burst into loud laughter and everything was going to be fine! We share the same brain cell! You trusted my nonexistent sense of direction and made sure that I was always well-fed (I gained quite some weights!) Ohh, thank you for waking me up in the morning as well! She absolutely hates my 100 alarms.. People say "don't dorm/live with your best friend, you might lose the friendship by the end of it!" But for us, it was a BOGO deal! Our friendship only strengthened and I am forever grateful for the memories we shared together. Love you! Trân and I were Vietnamese aunties in Dongdaemun. Our place was only 2 minutes from a subway station and a 10-minute walk from the infamous Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It usually took us around 20 minutes to get to school everyday, from Line 1 to Line 6. I grew fond of our home, it was a cozy size for the two of us with newly equipped furniture. I especially love the gudeul aka ondol, the unique floor heating system that kept us warm and toasty! Another place that we frequented often in the neighborhood was Myeongdong Cathedral Church. The church is located in Myeongdong, 10 minutes away from Line 4 stations. It is also a popular tourist attraction because the beautiful church featured in many films and dramas. The architecture is absolutely stunning! English mass is offered at 9 a.m on Sundays..so you could guess that we definitely struggled getting ourselves to church. As if our location could not get any better.. we were only 1 station away from Gwangjang Market! We came here to eat, buy grocery, eat some more and for Pono's last dinner in Korea as well. Don't be afraid to try something new, especially when it is a specialty of the place that you are visiting! We did not hesitate for the raw octopus and raw beef. Delicioso! Until next time, this is the last of my Aloha Friday series and my adventures abroad. This chapter might close but a new chapter awaits. Let's continue to go places! Day 137/137. Grateful that it happened!
I remember welcoming December sleep-deprived. The temperature was casually negative 8 Celsius but felt like negative 13... so it was warm when it went back to the positive! December also meant school was coming to an end, which was last push for group projects, presentations, reports and finals. I really enjoyed the courses that I took and wanted to leave a great impression with my professors and peers. I am certainly satisfied with my results! I would not have been able to do it, if it was not for a joyful visit to this heaven, Bau House Dog Cafe, to release all my worries in the world. As soon as finals were over, it was time to say farewells to the friends who I got to meet in Korea. I am way too bad at it, I got teary every time! Thanks to these individuals, everything kept getting better (not all pictured, missing some!). Of course, it was a must to see team Korea from HSBC/HKU Competition with Annie before I head off. I left Korea on the 23rd of December to spend Christmas in Vietnam with my friends and family. It had been 8 years since I moved away, it was a nostalgic feeling! Then Da Lat and Singapore happened. I returned to Vietnam on New Year's Eve because I wanted to experience the midnight fireworks at the avenue. Chaotic, polluted and crowded, it took my friend 2 hours to finally parked our vehicle but we made it in time and had a memorable New Year celebration! I spent the next few days with my family, played with my niece because I could barely be physically present for her, and caught up with my friends. On my last night, I met up with team Vietnam from HSBC Competition! We reunited over a few cocktails and constant laughters, a perfect way to end my visit as well as my semester abroad. Hawaii, I am on my way!
📍Singapore A (very) small girl in a big world, I backpacked a solo trip to Singapore for the last few days of 2018. It was incredibly majestic everywhere I went, and hot..extremely hot. But that’s what makes Singapore special; from iconic skyscrapers, fancy malls, hawker centers for munchies, botanical gardens, to chicken rice, kaya toast, milo, chili crab and sticky feeling from the humidity.
I escaped the Korea's cold weather for the warmth in Vietnam. That did not really work out because I went to Da Lat and soaked in the chilly air (which I loved!) Until I arrived in Singapore, there I had it, the warmth that I was seeking... I'm still unsure which one I prefer, but I learned to appreciate Hawaii's lovely weather very much! I had fun solo adventuring the city on the first day, then I met up with my church friends from Vietnam who currently live in Singapore on the second day. At last, made it back to Vietnam just in time to ring in the New Year with my family and friends! Also, special thank you to Josh, Vivian, Kelli, Steve and those who kindly sent me recommendations and made sure that I had a great time. It was short so I could not complete all, but that’s only a reason to come back! Until next time, Singapore! 📍Da Lat, Vietnam Đà Lạt (Da Lat) is nicknamed City of Love. For me, it was City of Friendship as I got to visit and enjoyed the city for the first time in my life with my two best friends, Tien and My Anh. We took a bus that has beds instead of seats for our journey. It was so much fun and helpful for my friends with motion sickness. We booked a gorgeous homestay and rented two motorcycles for the trip.
Da Lat is also the city of my dad’s childhood memories. He grew up there during the end of France’s era in Vietnam. He described it as romantic, mysterious, cold (it’s a lot colder compared to Ho Chi Minh City), but absolutely beautiful. Dad was right! Da Lat today is a mixture of raw nature, historical remains and lively lifestyle. I was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I never really traveled outside of the city during those years. Now that I am older, I want to explore the country of my roots and reserve the family stories that I continue to discover, whenever I have the chance. That was my Christmas 2018, how was yours? A different beauty of Vietnam that I never knew of! Just like that, my time abroad in South Korea came to an end. Bittersweet emotions as everything was becoming 'last.' Nevertheless, join me as I reminisce my semester at KUBS (Korea University) and please pass me a tissue..my nose can't stop running from the negative Celsius weather! Class Review BUSS 313 International Business (Shidler equivalent: MGT 342) I took this class with Dr. Hyeyoun Park for IB credits. The class was composed diversely with students all over the world and local students. I enjoyed analyzing multinational company cases and the different issues that they encounter in operating abroad. For example, my group's case was about H&M and their global supply chain management; while their competitive edge is cheap production, the company is late in the launch cycle compared to its competitors. Overall, this class was an overview of materials that I previously learned at Shidler. 8/10 recommended. Active participation, 2 group projects, 2 exams and attendance were the main components of the course. BUSS 311 Organizational Behavior (Shidler equivalent: MGT 341) My class was taught by Instructor Seungwoo Kwon for my HR credits. I particularly liked learning about the organizational culture of Western and Eastern companies and how it differs between the regions. The group project was also fun! We were instructed to select movie clips that showcase the concept and example of each group's chosen leadership model. Our model was Theory X & Theory Y, and we chose a scene from the Karate Kid (with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.) 9/10 recommended. The class grading consisted of active participation, 2 exams and group project. BUSS 407 New Product Development & Marketing (Shidler equivalent: MKT 372) From opportunity identification, team selection, idea generation, concept development, full screen process, sales forecasting to protocol and launch; we learned it all! Dr. Tony Garrett was our professor and he is from New Zealand. This course and the project were definitely my favorite, launching a product and our product was Smart Groomer (Hair Dryer & Brush Hybrid for Dogs) with LG O'Sirius. I also liked the exams' format where I was able to express my understanding of the course materials through elaborated responses. 10/10 recommended, sort of biased but I honestly really enjoyed this course! BUSS 342 Consumer Behavior (Shidler equivalent: MKT 311) This course and BUSS 407 were for my MKT credits, while the other one was elective, this was among required courses for MKT majors. Consumer Behavior was taught by professor Song-Ah Yoon. I was told that her course is very popular and quite hard to get a spot, and I could understand why. Though her final (and only exam) was tricky and known to be challenging, it was interesting and fascinating to learn about the psychology of marketing. Likewise with Organizational Behavior, I was also able to learn about the differences in consumer behaviors across cultures. 10/10 recommended. You must register for this course first before all spots get filled! KUBA, KUBS Buddy and Language Exchange Program I am certainly grateful to Korea University, particularly Global Services Center and KUBS for establishing the mentioned programs above that help international/exchange students tremendously in adapting to living in Korea. Note: this is completely my personal experience and cannot represent all. I personally recommend the Language Exchange Program out of three, based on personal experiences. My buddy's name is Jung-hyun and we became great friends throughout the semester. We had lunch together at least once a week around Anam area, at all different cuisines! When it got stressful during the midterm period, she took me out to distress over honey makgeolli and noraebang. She taught me many things from Korean language to culture and we clicked right away! 고마워 ♥️ Because I got to share my semester abroad experience with my best friend, Tran and other great friends from Shidler (Annie, Keri, Pono and Andy), we explored Korea during our free time. Thanks to the convenience of mobile applications, transportation system and everywhere being English-friendly, it was easy to get around and I liked the adventurous feeling to figuring things out on our own. That said, I did not participate in events hosted by KUBA and KUBS Buddy often. However, I highly recommend you participate because you will be able to befriend more individuals from around the world as well as Korean friends who volunteer their time and efforts to help exchange students. This is definitely my only regret! Since a high school student, I had always wanted to study abroad. Goal accomplished! I am proud, thankful and blissful that it happened! August 23 - December 23, mahalo nui loa KUBS (Korea University) and Korea! It had been a pleasure to call you home for the past 4 months. 나중에 봐요 ♡
📍Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Ok, perhaps ‘skiing’ is an overstatement for me. Tran was skiing, graceful like Elza. I, on the other hand, was more like walking on sledges. But that was our second time seeing, touching and being in the snow, so we were thrilled despite the cold! Surprisingly right? Apparently, the snow comes quite late this year, it had only snowed notably twice by mid-December in Seoul. Skiing definitely isn’t an easy sport but there is always a first time for everything and it was one of the last must-do’s on our bucket list! Our tour guide was fun and attentive, I wish he would have been more instructive as he taught us how to ski; regardless, thank you David 'oppa'. Ratings: 9/10 Highly Recommended. The finals and projects were on-hold, we needed a day off to distress! Number 1 Tip: LEARN HOW TO GET UP AFTER YOU FALL DOWN. I’m not kidding. It might be just me, but it’s quite difficult to get up. (Skiing teaches you life lessons..) ***Lack of pictures because I was scared outta my life and it was below freezing point!!! Self-discovery: I have no sense of balance!
Note to self: Learn how to get up, literally Promise to self: I WILL SKI NEXT TIME! 📍Jeju (제주도) November 22-25, 2018. We could not be home for Thanksgiving this year so we hopped on a plane and headed to Jeju aka Korea's Hawaii to celebrate the best Friendsgiving thus far! Turkey, smashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, biscuits? Nah..black pork, horse meat, abalone jjigae, sashimi and street food! The weather in Jeju was perfect. We craved for a ride along the coastline, with mountain range to the left and the ocean on the right! The island is enriched with nature, beautiful sceneries and countless activities for everyone to enjoy. I hope to be back in the future and explore the rest of island. Before we get to the itineraries, thank you Tran for planning out the perfect weekend! Thank you Jang for being our driver throughout the trip, MVP! And, thank you Jed for joining us and making the trip even better! Thankful for all ~ ♥️ Home is where your heart belongs!
I spent my November truly living in Korea. Everything at this point felt familiar and home, but it also consisted of the never-ending amount of stress like every student out there. Group projects after essays after presentations after weekend trips after sleepless weekends...aiyaaaa! Before I realized it, November came to an end. So grab your boba drink, because you deserve it and it's also about to get dramatic! *Gongcha Recommendation: Early Grey/Black Milk Tea with white boba, 70% sweetness at regular ice level* Weekend Trips Let's kick if off with the splendid events and trips that took place this month:
All-Nighters & Group Projects But guess what happened after coming back from adventurous and productive weekends? Sleeping at 7 a.m became the norm and that was how my last weekend of November ended. All of my classes required group projects and while some groups showcased amazing teamwork, the rest was not quite compatible. On a more positive note, some of my favorite studying spots at KUBS are Hyundai 4th floor (empty, fancy lounge), LG 3rd floor library (quiet); and if there is a regular/full-time student in your group, he or she can also reserve a study room anywhere in Hyundai (unfortunately, exchange students are not allowed to reserve study rooms.) TAKE MY ADVICE The projects' deadlines will bombard you at once, whether it is group-work or individual. Then, finals will sneak up on you from right behind..so gather all of your strength and determination, start on your parts early! 📍아현동간장게장 (Ahyeondong Ganjang Gejang) Shoutout to Annie (her blog) for finding this gem and taking us here! Ganjang gejang is raw crab marinated in soy sauce. Not only is the food incredibly delicious, but the service is also top-notch! Check out the goodness on your left, picture credit: Annie Nguyen, extra-hot pot honey ♥️ Goodbye, November! December, let's end it well! 📍DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) "DMZ - land of life, where wild animals live in peace."
Along with my fellow exchange students from around the world, we headed to the Demilitarized Zone on Friday, Nov 16. The tour included the following destinations: Imjingak, Dorasan Station, lunch at Unification Town, Dorasan Peace Park, Dora Observatory, The 3rd Tunnel. Although we did not get to visit Panmunjeom (Joint Security Area), we learned that in the near future, the guarding solders from both countries will no longer have to bare arms and the area will become free land with less restrictions..fingers crossed! I won't spoil the details because you should experience it yourself, the remaining traces of war and the tension that could be felt everywhere. Colorful parks were built to console the painful memories but somehow, it still feels depressing. A little of North Korea could be seen at different peaks, mountain ranges that remind me of home, but the people's life on the other side of the DMZ must be quite different from mine. Honestly, I am speechless and unsure of how to express it into words so I hope to deliver through the gallery above. Jiwon, Jason and Ha Eun, thank you so much for organizing this wonderful tour, being our translators and making it memorable! We truly appreciate everything you had done ❤️~ Humbly grateful for the privileges that I have today. |
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