Brief Introduction of our day!
Today we visited many cultural places and attractions such as Fairytale Village, Sinpo International Market and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Besides our scrumptious meals, we even had the chance to taste Gimbap, make Kimchi and wear the traditional Korean dress, Hanbok! Read on to find out more!
Day 1
After a six hour red-eye flight, we finally arrived in Incheon International Airport at around 7 am (Korea time). We were greeted by our friendly and super informative guide Mr Lim who took us for our first meal in Korea before showing us around Fairytale village and Sinpo International Market.
 |
| We have arrived! |
 |
| Our first meal; spicy soup, grilled fish and a myriad of side dishes! |
 |
| Exploring the nooks and crannies of Fairytale Village |
 |
| Learning about local produce at Sinpo International Market from our guide, Mr Lim! |
We then had a little hands-on session; making Gimbap and Kimchi before having a go at donning the traditional Korean dress, Hanbok!
 |
| How do we look? :D |
After that, we proceeded to the heart of Seoul to explore the impressive Gyeongbokgung Palace! The extensive grounds boast beautiful architecture and open spaces and is a must-visit tourist attraction for anyone visiting Seoul!
 |
| Beautiful architecture and deep history lies within the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace |
 |
| Every corner is a photo opportunity! |
Finally, we had an early dinner at 330pm before checking in to the hotel and winding down for the day.
 |
| Dinner of noodles and fried chicken, perfect for the cold weather! |
Here are our reflections for the day:
"I used to think that what we see in Kdramas are what we would see in real life when visiting Korea. But now that I'm here, I realised that what we see on television most certainly isn't always what it is in real life. There is so much more to Korea than what we see on the television and I love the rich culture here!" - Priscilla
"I used to think that Korea was just like any other ordinary city, just that it is famous for its Korean idols and its entertainment industry. However, I found out that Korea is full of rich culture and history. From getting to try the traditional dress, taking a palace tour and savouring the mouth-watering food, I have come to realise there is more than meets the eye when it comes to exploring this city!" - Beatrice
"I used to think that Seoul is a very developed country where there are just high rise buildings and not many buildings with rich history and culture left. But now I know that in Seoul, there are many buildings containing a rich history and culture. Although certain parts of Seoul are not as developed as I had thought, I learned a lot about Korea's history and that the food here is extremely delicious too!" - Gao Jie
"I used to think that Korea is just an advanced country with all the older, less developed and less energy efficient buildings demolished to make space for tall buildings and advanced developments. But now I know from our bus journeys that Korea has rural and less developed places by the sea. Contrary to what I thought, I also learnt that the Gyeongbokgung Palace has an old-fashioned energy efficient heating system, to make it comfortable for kings and queens to live there in winter." - Jia Huey
Well, what a day it has been! Our experiences have challenged our assumptions about Korea and made us even more excited for the rest of our learning over the next few days!
Stay tuned for more! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment