After arriving in Seoul, we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace and learned about the incredible history that makes up K-Culture. The vast palace grounds were incredible to explore as we realised we were walking on over 600 years of history. Two facts we learned were that the name "Gyeongbok" means that "the new dynasty shall have good fortunes and prosper." In addition, Gyeongbokgung Palace was the very place where Hunminjeongeum (a script for writing the Korean language) was created and distributed.

"Cultural Heritage Administration. 'Gyeongbokgung Palace and Its History.' Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, https://royal.cha.go.kr/ENG/contents/E101010000.do." Accessed 16 Mar. 2025. 

We finished our day experiencing a fantastic Korean BBQ dinner at a local restaurant. Only a 5-minute walk from the hotel, students got to experience a nearby shopping street before we turned to find this gem tucked into one of Korea's vibrant alleys. The restaurant experience was a lot of fun for the students, and despite the lack of phones, student's seems to have an excellent time chatting with friends and making memories. 

We started the day at Korean Universities Environmental Sustainability Programme. We got to sit in on a lecutre as the university students were taught about today's activity. It felt a bit surreal as we watched them watch a TIS video about the type of students at TIS and what they could expect when working with us. 

Our next item on the itinerary was to attend a Korean-staple activity; baseball! The students had a blast watching the LG Twins vs. NC Dinos and picked up some great merch from the concession stands. We were all in awe of the many chants and dances the fans knew and performed with enthusiasm throughout the game. 

While we ate a great amount of food today, the top of the list for many students was the variety of Fried Chicken. Many students got to experience a mixed box at the baseball game, the the restaurant had the original recipe with sauce on the side. Delicious! Our students seem to really enjoy spending time together without their devices, and sharing a meal. 

After the excitement of waking up to snow, we boarded our busses and went to the northern border of South Korea. Imjingak park, located 7 km from the Military Demarcation Line, is now at the forefront of tourism related to the Korean War. Imjingak was built in 1972 with the hope that someday unification would be possible. 

"Imjingak Park | DMZ | Demilitarized Military Zone | South Korea." Etourism, www.koreaetour.com/imjingak-park/.  Accessed Mar. 18, 2025.

Our schedule on Sunday had a slight adjustment that caused us to miss visiting Hanok village when we were at the palace, but we got the opportunity today! Students were thrilled to see the traditional village where many tv shows, k-drama’s and photos of ‘classic Seoul’ are taken. 

"Walking Map of Hanok Villages (한옥마을 도보지도)." 서울한옥포털, https://hanok.seoul.go.kr/front/kor/exp/expWalkingMap.do.  Accessed Mar. 18, 2025.

We finished our day at another excellent Korean restaurant where the students shared multiple types of dishes. It's hard to believe that we are halfway through our week in Seoul!

First stop today was at N Seoul Tower, which is known as the iconic 'love' tower in k-drama culture. We took the cable car up to the Tower platform (each car fit 48 people!) and then took an elevator up to the observation decks. The top of the tower has the directions you're facing printed on the windows, and which major cities around the globe you are facing at any given time. Students thoroughly enjoyed shopping and photo booths on the observation deck levels. 

We have been treated to some excellent food this week, but a highlight for many of us was tonights cooking class! We made some classic dishes in a Korean style, like dumplings and Bibimbap (비빔밥). Then, some students were chosen to demonstrate how to make large dishes of kimchi and glass noodles. All our food was cooked for us and served buffet style and it was encouraging to see how excited the students were to eat something they had created.

We spent most of the day at Everland Park, riding roller coasters (Asia's largest wooden roller coaster), visiting zoo animals, eating tasty treats, and thawing out in the +15 degree sunshine. It was an excellent way to spend our last day and unwind after a busy week! 

To finish off the sun-filled day at Everland, we had an hour and a half of free time to shop in the Myeongdong area. Students were big fans of Olive Young and all of the shops that sold sneakers, clothes, and the food cart vendors! Many gifts were purchased for their siblings and parents, which we thought was so kind of them to think of others while on Experience Week. 

Dinner at Amiso was another kind of Korean Hot Pot with stewed meats, kimchi, glass noodles, and soup.