Seoul, Korea- The first day!

After a long 12 hour flight from LAX, I arrived at the Incheon airport where I met the rest of the fellowship teachers. We travelled by bus together to the capital, Seoul, where we checked into our hotel and went straight to sleep.

Fun facts on Seoul:
Located on the Han river, it is the largest city in South Korea with over 10 million inhabitants. 1/4 of the population lives in the metropolitan area. It's considered one of the top economic cities because of it's leading global companies: Samsung, LG, Hyundai- Kia. It hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics, 2002 Fifa World Cup, 2010 G20 Summit. It is a thriving modern city.

Now, after a good night's sleep it's time for the trip to begin.

Of course this modern city has a clean and efficient subway, so that was our first stop to pick up a subway card and start the journey. We went to what is considered "old town/downtown." This is where most government buildings, palaces, businesses, markets and shopping is located. The main street had a garden in the center and at the end of the street is the Royal Palace. As we approached the palace we saw a large statue of King Sejong the fourth king of the Choson kingdom. He was a visionary that structured his leadership on Neo-Confucianism values. His leadership improved society in many ways. One way was through his dedication to knowledge and communication with all people of society. He improved education, technology, bureaucracy and is seen as a cultural icon for Korean people. The Gwanghwamun Palace is the first major royal Korean palace. During Japanese occupation it was nearly destroyed, but has been renovated to its original structure and location. The colors used are royal colors and the architecture design reflects Neo-Confucian ideology with simple natural styles and a structured purpose.

After we went to the National Folk Museum. The outdoor exhibit included wood and stone tall pillar like objects that are placed at the entrance of a village. They are considered guardians of the village. Inhabitants bring food and offerings in exchange for protection and blessings for crops. We also saw a cemetery that is almost similar and is an example of ancestor veneration.

In the past, scholars, aristocrats lived in this area surrounding the palace, but now this location is a more of a boutique trendy restaurant and shopping location. We ate lunch in a cafe and continued to stroll through this very cute neighborhood called Bukchon.

Time to rest a bit before the opening formal dinner tonight. I decided to go for a quick jog. As I jogged across the Han river and up the river front, I saw beautiful views of the city. The city has a large buildings along the river, but the views of the hills behind those buildings is amazing. It's an excellent combination of a nature and cosmopolitan. I loved seeing all the families and people walking around this huge grassy area, keeping cool by soaking their feet in these small fountain structures. As I ran back across the bridge,I was excited to learn more about what the lies within the structures. More to come tomorrow. For some reason I can't load the pictures. I will include it tomorrow!