First Year in Songdo (Yonsei)

So here's a little summary of my entire year of 2015, or my first year of University in Yonsei, South Korea. It's been one heck of a hectic year, but I'm glad it's as hectic as it was. I learned a lot from this year, had many different experiences, and one that I would never give up for anything else in this world. It's been a year of trying new things, seeing new things, and being in the moment of new things. I'll explain everything as I go through photos!

Trying out food in the downtown area of Songdo, where it's around 20 minutes away from the school campus, where there are different restaurants selling many kinds of Korean dishes. On top of that, many bars and pubs where you can get alcohol and food and play games together with friends.

Joined the LG Global Challenger 2015 with Nicole, Bibek and Danny, passed the first round and got into the interview round that was to be held in the following month. The LG Global Challenger is about picking a certain topic about Korea, have a research topic about it, and then travel around Korea to implement and have an experience in order to finish writing a research report, all expenses covered by LG.

Joined this program under our RC (Residential College) program where we had a mini 비정상회담 which stands for "Unusual Conference" that is on Korean reality television where foreigners gather around to discuss about the different cultural aspects in Korea that differs from their own countries. Got the chance to work with foreigners and Koreans alike, and we had an amazing time.

Hung out with Korean friends and foreigner friends, eating, drinking, playing drinking games, enjoying fried chicken and Korean University lifestyle. Lots of playing during the first few weeks of the semester as a freshman.

Korean classes teaching us how to utilize our university library

FRIED CHICKEN

Korean Cafeteria Food

Foreign Love Affair (hahaha)

More Korean Cafeteria Food

Songdo's Representative Chicken: DiDi Chicken

Discussions for LG Project Topic

More Cafeteria Food...

Bought my blender for Banana Smoothies as breakfast

Photo taken after filming the unusual conference with friends in the program

More hanging out with friends and drinks

Received a birthday card from my class!

Bought a good table tennis racket

Went out for food and drinks together with the friends from unusual conference

Celebrating Paewa's birthday

Many things called '회식' where it's a type of 'welcoming dinner' or even supper where everyone gathers for a meal to get to know each other, be it to welcome each other or to celebrate a victory. It's tradition that Koreans gather for a meal to know people rather than just through talking. Therefore, in many programs or activities that you do with people, usually in the very beginning, middle and end, Koreans have a huge gathering with delicious food to commemorate that.

Received this for being an MVP in Table Tennis

Went for the LG Interview after passing the first round

Took photos with my RA (Residential Assistant) the person that looked after us during our first semester here in Songdo. Also the people who organize activities to help us enjoy and be integrated well in our freshman year. This was taken during the ending party and I was also awarded MVP for table tennis during the party. (Prize was a bottle with our House name)

Roommate

One of the more delicious food in the cafeteria: Soba Noodles

New Basketball Shoes

Tuition kid that I taught English to everyday during the holidays

Took part in a program called Wow Korea where we travelled around Korea once a month, seeing and experience new things all throughout the different regions in Korea. Got to eat many different kinds of food that I would otherwise not know about and met many different friends from different countries. 

Got to go to Dokdo Islands, where I got to know more about the island that Japan and South Korea have been fighting over, and how this island is a place where many Koreans feel so strongly about, because sometimes it's not just about the land, but the patriotism and the heart of the people.

Joined this program called Pyeongchang Winners where we were college reporters doing projects on all things that were related to the 2018 Winter Olympics that is to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea. For 6 months, we wrote articles that got published on the official blog of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics Page. It was really enjoyable and I got to meet many Koreans and also practice my language.

More Wow Korea trips!

Add caption

Having Brazilian Beef @ Copacabana Grill in Itaewon

Went for Korea University's Concert "Ipselenti" where they cheer and watch concerts by K-Pop Stars

Watching the older generations utilize Social Media like Skype

Went for the 2015 Water Gun Festival that is held annually in Sinchon in July. It's an extremely fun festival where all you need to have is a water gun. You fill them with water through the pipes that are fixed along the streets, and you are literally shooting random people and having them shoot you back. It's a great way to cool off during the harsh summer period.

Had a visit from Nick who came to Korea for exchange studies

Bought my first GoPro

Attended radio broadcasts describing our travels through Wow Korea

Attended a Water Sports camp where I learned how to Water Ski, Dingy Boat.

Went for concerts all throughout the year

Hung out in SeungSoo's home

More Wow Korea trips

Sophia came to visit! (again)

Fried chicken by Han River

Barbecue cookouts!

Went for more concerts!

My beloved Hani from EXID ^.^

Took part in Table Tennis competitions

Attended Yonsei vs Korea's 연고전 where it's a battle of sports between Yonsei and Korea and the rest of the students attend the games and cheer their hearts out.

Released sky lanterns into the night

Visited one of the DMZ Tunnels where the North Koreans tried to dig through into South Korea for invasion purposes.

Had a dinner with all my Korean friends after winning 4th place in the Basketball House Olympics

Usual school stuff with my friends

Parents came to visit in October!

Tried Alaskan King Crab in Jeju

Brought them to Nami Island

Had a great time with my parents when they visited. Realized how much I missed them and how much I had missed out on their lives just by being away. An entire year is a long time, and being away from them really made me realize how little time I have left with them and I do hope to be able to spend as much time as possible with them. With that, I shall end this post with my new room that I got near my campus in Seoul, finally being out of the dormitories. Although it's already March and the new semester has started, I do hope that through this post I can say good bye to 2015 and fully welcome and enjoy 2016, hoping that it'll be much better than that 2015 has given me.