Spring semester has come and gone. It's time for most of us to pack our bags and go back home. So, I asked 28 Konkuk University exchange students: "What will you miss most about Seoul?" No one said noraebang.
6.29.2014
28 university exchange students on what they will miss about Seoul
by Matt Dela Peña
Spring semester has come and gone. It's time for most of us to pack our bags and go back home. So, I asked 28 Konkuk University exchange students: "What will you miss most about Seoul?" No one said noraebang.
Spring semester has come and gone. It's time for most of us to pack our bags and go back home. So, I asked 28 Konkuk University exchange students: "What will you miss most about Seoul?" No one said noraebang.
5.30.2014
Sakura in Saga!!
Hello readers far and wide!
As it seems like we've just jumped into summer in the past two weeks, it seems like an appropriate time to sum up the wonderful, yet tearfully-fast spring I've enjoyed in Japan. I wish sakura season could have lasted until the end of time. It was absolutely lovely, no how much sneezing I had to go through to see all those beautiful cherry petals.
Since explaining what sakura is like in real life is far beyond my writing capabilities, please take a browse through the petaled streets, schools, and shrines I visited during cherry blossom season. It's a must-see!!
An interesting quote I heard quite often from my exchange student friends: "I thought all sakura were supposed to be pink. That's how they are in manga..."
As it seems like we've just jumped into summer in the past two weeks, it seems like an appropriate time to sum up the wonderful, yet tearfully-fast spring I've enjoyed in Japan. I wish sakura season could have lasted until the end of time. It was absolutely lovely, no how much sneezing I had to go through to see all those beautiful cherry petals.
Since explaining what sakura is like in real life is far beyond my writing capabilities, please take a browse through the petaled streets, schools, and shrines I visited during cherry blossom season. It's a must-see!!
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| About to embark on some sakura tasting! |
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| The first full-blooming tree I set eye on; right after returning from Osaka. |
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| Pretty in pink |
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| While on my trip to Fukuoka to apply for my Chinese visa, I found a beautiful weeping cherry tree in a shrine. |
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| A sole cherry tree among the hundreds of peaches and plums planted at Kodenji Temple in Saga. |
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| On the university campus |
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| Actually I lied. These are double plum blossoms. |
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| A plum tree in full bloom, far before any cherry trees |
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| Plum blooms |
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| Pink cherry blooms |
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| These are also plum blooms, "ume", not to be confused with "sakura." |
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| Snacking on yummy blooms |
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| Outside of Honjo Elementary School |
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| The borders of the old moat of Saga Castle are completely surrounded by cherry trees |
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| A pink afternoon |
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| The trees in full bloom at Saga Castle |
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| It rained while the sakura were in full bloom, resulting in most of the petals prematurely falling from the flowers. What a sad day that was. |
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| New leaves |
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| Jofuku Cycling Road in Saga. A must-see in Saga. Kilometers and kilometers lined with a tunnel of cherries. |
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| A late-blooming weeping cherry in a temple in Saga City. |
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| From the inside looking out |
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| The sad end to sakura season |
5.08.2014
Overnight stay in Sokcho
by Matt Dela Peña
Most tourists visit Sokcho to climb Seoraksan. But what do you do when you're only in town for less than 24 hours? The five-day weekend everyone was anticipating finally arrived last Friday. Since it was the closest thing we had to a Spring Break, I sought out any opportunity to finally leave Seoul and explore other parts of Korea.
Most tourists visit Sokcho to climb Seoraksan. But what do you do when you're only in town for less than 24 hours? The five-day weekend everyone was anticipating finally arrived last Friday. Since it was the closest thing we had to a Spring Break, I sought out any opportunity to finally leave Seoul and explore other parts of Korea.
5.07.2014
In remembrance of the Sewol tragedy
by Matt Dela Peña
My semester in South Korea has been a rather eventful one; one that I unfortunately cannot express in a lighter tone. A lot of terrible things have happened, none of which I, thankfully, was ever a part of. The most horrific event was undoubtedly the ferry that capsized off the coast of Jeollanam-do on April 16th. Most of its 476 passengers were students from a high school not too far from here. All but 173 of them drowned. Through this heartbreaking loss, I'm reminded of poem I heard from long ago:
My semester in South Korea has been a rather eventful one; one that I unfortunately cannot express in a lighter tone. A lot of terrible things have happened, none of which I, thankfully, was ever a part of. The most horrific event was undoubtedly the ferry that capsized off the coast of Jeollanam-do on April 16th. Most of its 476 passengers were students from a high school not too far from here. All but 173 of them drowned. Through this heartbreaking loss, I'm reminded of poem I heard from long ago:
4.30.2014
Jeju Island with my ISA family
by Matt Dela Peña
For some reason, it takes a crap ton of effort just to get our entire ISA group to gather in one place. Sometimes, we even have to lie about what time we're supposed to meet up at the square just so everyone shows up (okay, most of the time—okay, always). But in the rare instances when this dysfunctional family does manage to assemble, it's one hell of an awesome time.
For some reason, it takes a crap ton of effort just to get our entire ISA group to gather in one place. Sometimes, we even have to lie about what time we're supposed to meet up at the square just so everyone shows up (okay, most of the time—okay, always). But in the rare instances when this dysfunctional family does manage to assemble, it's one hell of an awesome time.
4.28.2014
10 very touristy places to visit in Seoul
by Matt Dela Peña
Since arriving in Seoul three months ago, I have had the chance to play tour guide on several occasions for friends that visited as well as for Kelli's parentals. Consequently, I also became a campus tour guide for the International Office here at Konkuk University. So trust me when I say that I'm pretty okay at showing people places, and that if you ever visit me in Seoul, I'll show you some pretty neat stuff. In fact, let me name a few...
4.12.2014
Korean fried chicken addict
by Matt Dela Peña
First of all, there's a thing here in Korea that I really wish was a thing in the U.S. because often, putting pants on takes too much time. That is, the food delivery system in this country straight up phenomenal. For every restaurant that exists in Seoul, pretty much 9 out of 10 deliver to your front step. And most of them deliver no, not pizza—but chicken, and that's exactly how a certain fried poultry addiction of mine all started.
First of all, there's a thing here in Korea that I really wish was a thing in the U.S. because often, putting pants on takes too much time. That is, the food delivery system in this country straight up phenomenal. For every restaurant that exists in Seoul, pretty much 9 out of 10 deliver to your front step. And most of them deliver no, not pizza—but chicken, and that's exactly how a certain fried poultry addiction of mine all started.
3.13.2014
Left Coast Artisan Burgers @ Itaewon
by Matt Dela Peña
After three consecutive weeks of never-ending meals from our dorm cafeteria, my friends and I were finally overdue for an American burger fix. Luckily, a few days back, we made a new friend from the States who also happen to be a part of the previous batch of ISA students. His name is Chris from almost-the-Bay Area Tracy, California.
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| Not Chris. |
After three consecutive weeks of never-ending meals from our dorm cafeteria, my friends and I were finally overdue for an American burger fix. Luckily, a few days back, we made a new friend from the States who also happen to be a part of the previous batch of ISA students. His name is Chris from almost-the-Bay Area Tracy, California.
3.01.2014
Kansai Part Two
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A traditional Kyoto lunch: soba Ohisashi-buri Kyoto!
My most awaited visit of the Kansai region was definitely Kyoto. The one day trip where I'd been to Kyoto before is maybe half the reason I wanted to return to Japan! I absolutely love everything about Kyoto, and as I've found out from my Japanese friends, they often love Kyoto the most too.
Everything feels transcendent after visiting Kyoto. It's like, "Did I just see that all with my own eyes?" How have they preserved this ancient capital so beautifully? There are so many temples that you step out from the gates of one and there's another right next door! Even now, the big city skyscrapers and ultra-modern Kyoto station seem to blend seamlessly with the old Kyoto image. You still see women walking in kimonos and rickshaw drivers for hire on the streets.
But being able to live in Kyoto, drinking in the sights of your own Japanese garden, the surrounding walls and leaves of the plants absorbing the drone of the city when you return from your busy urban life; that would be superb. It's such a one-of-a-kind city. Our first stop was Arashiyama, to the west.
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Arashiyama
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| With Maiko in Arashiyama |
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| Walking upriver |
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| An absolutely perfect Japanese garden to the side of our soba restaurant. |
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| Kyoto is chock-full of gardens |
Loving the Kansai Region!
by Josie Losh
Hello, Readers! My first travel of spring break has just finished and do I ever have a lot to share with you!
Along with five of my friends, I set out on a 6-day spring break trip to Osaka, with day trips to Nara and Kyoto. Our group composed of two Japanese, Swedish, Armenian, Belgian, and American exchange students. For most of us, it wasn't our first time in the Kansai region, but it was our first REAL stay there, and boy was it worth it!
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| Flying away from Kyushu and towards Honshu on my first domestic flight within Japan. |
Hello, Readers! My first travel of spring break has just finished and do I ever have a lot to share with you!
Along with five of my friends, I set out on a 6-day spring break trip to Osaka, with day trips to Nara and Kyoto. Our group composed of two Japanese, Swedish, Armenian, Belgian, and American exchange students. For most of us, it wasn't our first time in the Kansai region, but it was our first REAL stay there, and boy was it worth it!
2.25.2014
How to feed yourself in Seoul
by Matt Dela Peña
When I went to China last summer, the one thing I did not get to try was street food and I'm probably going to regret it for the rest of my life, or until I go back to China. Street food vendors in Nanjing could not speak English and I, likewise, did not know a lick of Chinese.
So last year, when I finally found out I was going to be living in Seoul for four months, I knew that the first thing I needed to learn was the how to order food in Korean. And after having been here for two weeks already, I'm pretty convinced that my decision to study a little was completely worth it.
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| Kimbap from Dongdaemun |
When I went to China last summer, the one thing I did not get to try was street food and I'm probably going to regret it for the rest of my life, or until I go back to China. Street food vendors in Nanjing could not speak English and I, likewise, did not know a lick of Chinese.
So last year, when I finally found out I was going to be living in Seoul for four months, I knew that the first thing I needed to learn was the how to order food in Korean. And after having been here for two weeks already, I'm pretty convinced that my decision to study a little was completely worth it.
2.21.2014
Best worst week of my life
by Matt Dela Peña
Things don't always go as planned, but rarely are these things ever a big deal when they happen. Other things, however—like things that require months in advance of meticulous planning and sunk costs of up to several hundred dollars—these things are a totally different story. When these plans go unrealized, all hell breaks loose and life changing lessons subsequently come into play.
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| Where I'm writing this post. |
Things don't always go as planned, but rarely are these things ever a big deal when they happen. Other things, however—like things that require months in advance of meticulous planning and sunk costs of up to several hundred dollars—these things are a totally different story. When these plans go unrealized, all hell breaks loose and life changing lessons subsequently come into play.
1.21.2014
Shades of Autumn
by Josie Losh
Welcome to fall in Kyushu! I apologize to my readers at the loss of pertinence of this topic. It is far past fall. The fall season felt like time doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and then snapped back on itself, and BAM it was winter. I enjoyed this long autumn though, especially with the exceptional fall colors and sunny weather.
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| #nofilter |
Welcome to fall in Kyushu! I apologize to my readers at the loss of pertinence of this topic. It is far past fall. The fall season felt like time doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and then snapped back on itself, and BAM it was winter. I enjoyed this long autumn though, especially with the exceptional fall colors and sunny weather.
Fall Events: Saga Balloon Festival
by Josie Losh
Hello, everyone! As much as it may seem that I had dropped off the face of the globe because I have not written a post in ABSOLUTELY ages, here I am! What a slacker blogger. Good thing I'm here for more than a semester, otherwise I would have already missed blogging on the entire term I think! So, fall has passed, and now Kyushu is in the dead of winter. A few flakes of snow even fell today during class. The very first snow I've seen fall in Japan and I was stuck inside a classroom, unsurprisingly!
Hello, everyone! As much as it may seem that I had dropped off the face of the globe because I have not written a post in ABSOLUTELY ages, here I am! What a slacker blogger. Good thing I'm here for more than a semester, otherwise I would have already missed blogging on the entire term I think! So, fall has passed, and now Kyushu is in the dead of winter. A few flakes of snow even fell today during class. The very first snow I've seen fall in Japan and I was stuck inside a classroom, unsurprisingly!
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