Of course the game was interesting, despite Togo’s disadvantage with the coach drama, but I think the most exciting part was seeing it in downtown Seoul with over 600,000 Koreans. The streets were blocked off as people flooded the ground sitting on news papers and shirts; everyone wore the red devil light up head bands as people sported the Korean flag as a variety of articles of clothing; people watched on the huge screens, some even from the tops of telephone booths. Going anywhere took so much time, as there were so many people. We stood along the side of a huge group and watched the game at an odd angle from a towering screen overhead. Both of the 2 points that were scored were greeted with outbreaks of screaming, bursts of fireworks and confetti falling ... read more

Sunday afternoon we went to the port and took a fairy to Geoje-do, Korea’s second largest island. Once we arrived at the fairy terminal there, it was about 6:00pm so we went downtown to find a place to drop off our stuff and stay for the night. We were right off the main street and there was a lot of activity going on. There were a number of restaurants, but it was mainly clothing stores. We found this little place with amazing mandue (steamed dumplings) and then watched “The Rock” (Pretty Korean, huh?!). The Next day we went to the Prisoner of War Camp that was set up during the Korean War by the U.S. and Korean forces. The exhibit was quite interesting as everything praised how the prisoners were treated better than the soldiers. They ... read more

So, Tuesday was my last fencing class. At first I had no idea what I was getting myself into and was worried sick about passing when to professor said we had to “fight for our grade.” We spent the first few weeks on footwork. This consisted of standing with your feet at a 90-degree angel and sliding them across the floor in an almost crouched position. One arm was held out front, bent parallel to the floor, while the other was held behind your head and above your shoulders—as you can see in the pictures. We would spend the two-hour class period in this position that seemed almost ridiculous to us at the time. After going back and forth across the gym until we thought our legs would catch on fire, he would give a break ... read more

Here in Korea, “Membership Training” has a whole new meaning. Saturday morning, two busses full of 50 Korean and International students headed off to the HITE Factory and to the East Coast Beach for our MT. After a few hours on the bus, we arrived at The HITE Factory. The HITE is one of Korea’s most popular beers. It is cheap, tastes like water, and gets the job done (just like Soju). We had a grand tour of the Factory, but since it was the weekend it was fairly deserted employee wise. If you would have asked any one the real purpose of the trip, I can guarantee that no one would say, “I really wanted to know how they reused all of those glass bottles we go out of our way to recycle!” No, no ... read more

This past weekend I went on the DMZ Tour with the Korean Conflict class. Even though I had already been to North Korea, I thought taking advantage of this opportunity would be educational. We woke up bright and early and left on the 1-hour bus ride to the Joint Security Area (JSA). It was cold and rainy, but over 90 people still showed up to go. At the JSA, both North and South Korean armed forces co-exist in the same work environment. Though it is common to see troops from the North in the JSA, this by no means takes away from the seriousness and constant threat that exists between the two groups. There is no harmony, only the necessary respect that comes with wanting to keep peace and doing one's job. Both sides are allowed ... read more