Today was an even earlier start–we met up at 7:15 AM. Luckily, I bought an egg and ham sandwich from Twosome Cafe last night and was able to eat on the bus. The dress code was formal initially, but Chris let us know that we would likely want to bring a change of formal clothing. We got to Eaton in about 2 hours where they were kind enough to let us tour their manufacturing plants. We learned about the Seoul branch of a company that has such a strong partnership with Pittsburgh and I made sure to reach out on LinkedIn!

After the tours, we were treated to a Korean buffet where Dr. Yun taught us how to “wrap.” You take some lettuce, but some beef, rice and dipping in it, maybe some garlic, wrap it and eat it. I quickly became obsessed and started wrapping every bite. After lunch, we all changed into more casual wear and Kay took us to a fish market. Seoul is very popular for the seafood and especially live octopus. Kay and Dr. Yun were generous enough to buy some for us to all try. That was definitely the first time in my life I’ve ever eaten a live animal!

After the market, we were allowed free time in a very large mall. Everything was very expensive, so I didn’t buy anything other than is bear shaped chocolate strawberry cake. Dr. Yun also purchased several Korean ice creams for us to try. We had strawberry, mango, and soybean vanilla. All very delicious!

Last but not least, we made it to the baseball game. I personally don’t watch any sports other than soccer, so initially, I had no idea what was going on. A friend next to me gladly explained and I slowly caught on. Dr. Yun, ever generous, bought us all fried chicken with a sauce that I have never seen before. However, the real attraction for me was the cheerleaders. They definitely had a lot more energy and musicality than the cheerleaders I’m used to in America. The crowds stood up and danced alongside the cheerleaders, whether the team was doing well or not. And trust me, our team was not doing well.

-Therese