The second day in Korea has an immediate start. I was able to sleep throughout the night without waking up! This new-found energy was much needed. To start the day, my roommate Jordan and I got ready and made our way down to breakfast. Being that we were visiting a local university, the dress code was business casual. For breakfast, I kept a similar trend as the day before. However, today they had spring rolls instead of dumplings, and I had four Americano coffees instead of three.
After we were finished eating, we made our way to the lobby and got on the bus to go to Hangyang University. The bus ride was longer than expected being that traffic was going full force in the morning. When we arrived, we were greeted by several of the International Program Staff. The staff gave several lectures describing the university, the history of the school, and several of their programs. Also, there was also a presentation describing Korean history and culture. All the lectures given were insightful and informative.
Once the lectures were over, we were given a tour of the university. The university grounds were extensive and mimicked Pittsburgh’s mountainous terrain. My favorite part of the tour was being able to speak to some of the local students and compare their lifestyles at Hangyang University to my lifestyle at Pitt. Halfway through the tour, we stopped for lunch. I had a chicken noodle dish with potatoes, soup, and kimchee. I can already notice that my chopstick skills are improving at a substantial rate.
Following lunch, we ended the tour by taking a visit to the university’s museum. Here we learned about the universities past and founder. Also, we were shown why this university is considered The Engine of Korea due to it being the first engineering school in South Korea. Later, after the tour was concluded, we met in the center of the university for pictures.
Seeing the bus pull up in the distance, we all decided to board and make our way back to the hotel for a refreshing nap. Setting the alarm for around four o’clock allowed me to get up and meet some of the other students for a free night. We had decided to go to the city of Gangnam, which is famous for the hit song Gangnam Style. Also, we visited the Coex Mall which is known for being the largest underground shopping mall in the world.
Finally, we ended our night at a local Korean Baseball game. Here the Doosan Bears were playing the KIA Tigers. The game was close until the very end in which the Doosan Bears won the game in the bottom of the ninth. To get back to our hotel we took an hour subway ride and arrived at Seoul City Hall and walked back. As soon as I hit my bed, I was fast asleep.
