Today was very fun, and light on the academic side of things. We started with a taekwondo class, where we all did some punches and kicks and broke a board each. They had found out I had martial arts experience before from the uniform sizing form, so I got to break another board with a back kick. What surprised me was how similar the class’s opening and closing words were to the studios back in the US- it was almost word for word the closing chant my own studio does.
After the class, we rode the subway to Seoul square and the city hall, where we split up for lunch and free time. There was some sort of outdoor library day going on, so lots of couches were set up on the city square. We relaxed in the sunshine while music from Ghibli movies played from a speaker- it was a good break from the fast pace the past week has had.
Eventually, it was time for the tour of Seoul city hall- both of them. The current city hall was built behind the old city hall, now a museum, and both halls are built above the ruins of a 16th century garrison, complete with ancient arrowheads and cannons. The new city hall is incredible all by itself, however; it’s eleven floors, has solar panels that provide 28% of its power, and has a living wall of plants. It’s a true marvel of architectural design.
But there was another important civic building to see. For our final activity, each group was given a photo and had to travel to it on our own in a race to see who was fastest. My team got a photo of what we discovered was the National Assembly and made our way to it. It’s a beautiful building and has a gorgeous garden to match. However, it was the building farthest away from where we started, and all the other teams got to their places while we were on the train. It was still a great sight to see, anyway.
Until next time!