Korea Day 2

Today started with our main objective: find Dr. Yun. Since we were on our own, we had to figure out how to navigate the city using maps and public transportation. I used the bus for the first time, and it definitely felt like a real introduction to getting around Seoul independently.

Our first stop was Jogyesa Temple, which was so beautiful. There were lanterns hanging everywhere, and the whole temple was full of color. It had such a calm but vibrant atmosphere.

Using our second hint from Dr. Yun, we then made our way to the National Museum of Korea. I saw a lot of really cool things, but what stood out to me the most was the pottery. The designs were so intricate, and it felt like that level of detail carried across many of the different cultural exhibits in the museum. I also really liked seeing connections to my own culture, I noticed statues and artifacts from India, which made the experience feel more personal. Outside the museum, I took so many pictures by the water. There was even a pier where you had to take your shoes off, and I got some of the best pictures there of the museum and the nature.

Our day wasn’t over yet, though, we had a K-pop dance class scheduled for us. On the way there, we had a funny interaction at the bus stop however, where a group of younger kids made fun of us for singing “Soda Pop” while we were waiting.

The dance class ended up being one of my favorite parts of the day. The choreographer has worked with groups like Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, ATEEZ, BTS, and BLACKPINK, which made it even more exciting (p.s. I LOVE STRAY KIDS). It was honestly the best thing so far, I loved learning and dancing, and I had so much fun picking up the choreography to “Swim.