Fall in Love with Autumn

Autumn is already over yet I still have a hangover with it. I can't believe that I was able to experience Autumn (my first real Autumn) here in South Korea. It was really breathtaking to see the leaves changes from green to yellow, yellow to orange, then orange to red until it fully wither and fall on to the ground. I enjoyed walking and observing the scenery. I didn't went to different places that much but the scenery around the university is enough for me to feel amazed.

This image was taken on my way back to the dorm after I finished my class.

This is the view I saw when I looked down from the window of my room.

view from the other side of the lake

Pretty amazing isn't it? I hope that I will be able to see this when I get back to Hawaii.

Before the fall season comes to an end, me and my friends decided to go to Nami Island. According to other people, Nami Island is a good place to visit during fall or winter. I wouldn't stay here until winter so, I decided to go during fall. However, due to pushing the date until November, we were not able to see much interesting views. Still, we had fun and that's what matter the most. We took a lot of photos, walk around and act like a normal teenagers who like to have fun. I will let you see some photos that we took.


These are my friends who went to Nami Island with me.


    

Autumn is love


    After spending quite some time in Nami Island, we decided to eat lunch and went to Petite France. We took the bus, which made me feel sick, for 25 minutes. The Petite France was shown in some dramas like My Love from Another Star and variety shows like Running Man. Petite France is also one of the good place to visit, however, we didn't have enough time to go around the place. We decided to wrap up our little adventure after I took a picture with my little prince.

   

Hey! I finally found my Prince.

Fall will not be complete if you don't play with the withered leaves.

That's all for now. 

Holiday at Muuido Island

여러분 안녕하세요! It's me again.

Today I will share one particular experience I had in South Korea. This happened during 추석, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day. This year, it was celebrated on September 26th to 29th. 추석 is one of the most important holiday in South Korea.  Korean families normally spend it together to worship their ancestors or spend their time together. As for us, we planned to go out of Seoul. First, we planned to go to Busan. However, many people were also going to Busan during that time so we decided not to pursue our plan. Instead, we decided to spend our holiday in 무의도, also called 무의도 Island.

   

at the metro (subway) early in the morning   

무의도 is about 1-2 hours far from Seoul depending on what type of transportation you will use. It is located near Incheon airport. Me and my friends decided to leave early to avoid the rush hour. However, things didn't worked well as we planned. First, we have to take different routes for the subway because some stations were not open during holiday. Second, we missed the first bus going to the ferry so we ended up waiting for another hour to take the bus. Third, after our five minutes ride on the ferry, we rode a bus, which was way worse than riding a roller coaster. Fourth, the room or the pension house is quite small for five people (but we just let it slide since we were just going to stay there for one night). Fifth, it was quite boring since we didn't prepare anything unlike the other travelers.

          

Sunset hike with bits of photo shoot

Though we started setting on the wrong foot, our whole stay in Muuido was still worth it. I had lots of memories that I would cherish and would be happy to share to others especially our hiking. We didn’t really plan to hike but one of the local people recommended us to hike the mountain since the scenery above the mountain is spectacular. So, we agreed to do it since we don't have anything else to do. It was already 5 and the sun was about to set around 6. We hurriedly climbed the mountain to watch the sunset. Luckily we were able to see it well even though we weren't on the top yet. We took a lot of pictures of us and of the sunset too. After watching the sunset, I asked my friends whether or not to continue hiking ( I was quite worried since no one knew the way and we were just following the paths). One of my friends said that we should continue since we were already halfway through the top. As we headed up to the mountain, the path was getting harder and harder for me, for it was already dark. I was really scared. We don't know whether we were on the right track or not. The hike going up seemed forever. We spent about two and a half hours going up until we reached the peak. Well, our crazy little adventure didn't end when we reached the top. As you all know, we  still have to go down. It was really dark during that time so we depended on the flashlights of our phones (luckily I charged my phone before going up). The path to go down was harder than going up (or we were just really scared that something might pop up in front of us). There were many stairs made up of stones/rocks that weren’t stable. We took care of each others back and kept on guiding each other if there were any obstacles. During that time, we built a strong relationship with each other since we helped each other along the way. We were doing good until at one point, we cannot see a trail. We were hesitant on where to go because everything felt weird and quite dangerous. But, one of my friends (the only guy in the group) decided to take the lead to cross the rocky path. 만세! (Hooray!) He made the right choice. We were able to go back after one and a half hour going down. 

As we reached the peak of the mountain, we took a photo to commemorate our success.

After our hiking, we decided to treat ourselves by eating a delicious dinner. I ordered 바지락 갈국수 or clam noodles, while others ordered bibimbap and fried fish. The foods that were served to us are really delicious.

Then morning came, we watched the sunrise even though we were still sleepy and didn’t had a good view to watch it. It was really cold that morning but it was worth it since we were doing it together. Once again, we took many photos individually and by groups until we were satisfied. Then in the afternoon, we have checked out and go back to our own dorms.

   

Good morning Muuido!

Stairway to Heaven memorabilia

Oh I forgot to mention, Muuido is the shooting location of some famous Korean Dramas namely Stairway to Heaven and Boys Over Flowers. So, if you are interested in visiting drama locations, Muuido might be one of the places you should go.

Good Bye Muuido! Thank you for giving us a wonderful memory during our stay.

My First Week in South Korea

여로분 란녕하세요! 저는 마리테스 입니다. 저는 건국대학교에 공부하고 있어요. 만나서 반갑습니다.

(Hello everyone! My name is Maritess. I  currently studying at Konkuk University. Nice to meet you.)

I only have 2 weeks left here in Seoul, South Korea. Yet, I felt that I just have been here yesterday. I guess time flies fast (way too fast) when you are having fun.

So, what did I do for the past months of my stay here? Do you want to know? If yes, feel free to scroll down and I hope this might inspire you to study abroad too.

My first two days here was agonizing. I don't know anyone. I don't have someone whom I can talk to. Also, I don't have a roommate to share my room, which kind of adds up to my misery (that's what I thought during that time). I felt terrible on those two days that it made me think whether or not I made the right choice of going here.

This picture was taken on my second night here. I was leaving alone and hoping that my roommate will arrive on the following day.

However, as the orientation took place, I was glad that I met some friends. In an instant, everyone clicked with each other and become good friends. From then, my circle of friends keeps getting bigger and bigger. I was really thankful that I met them, since they basically saved me from being alone. We mostly do things together such as eating, travelling, studying, and etc.

(My first time going out of the campus!)

During this day, I experienced a lot of things for the first time. My first time going out of the campus, riding the subway, and going to the club (hopefully the last since it is not my style). But, it was not really bad because I was able to meet other exchange students all over Seoul.

   

Daytime vs. nighttime in 건대입구

    On the following day, me and my friends decided to go walk around the area near the university. One of the things I noticed while walking around was the store hours. Most of the stores, whether a restaurant or a clothes shop, open during the afternoon. That is why you can freely walk around in the . But, as the night approaches, it is really crowded. There are many people going out to hang out with their friends and/or their loved ones. Also, the street vendors are also opening their shops.

       

Street food shops

Street food shops are a little similar to kiosk but less fancy, well not all of it since some vendors uses trucks. They normally sell different types of street foods as shown in the picture. There are more varieties of street food that are not included in this image. The street food that I tried were Sundae, tteokbokki, odeng, twigim, hotteok, cup chicken, and others (I forgot the names of the other foods I ate). You can either dine in, meaning stand in front of their shop and eat (others have limited chairs available) or just eat while walking. If you are not fond with this kind of food, I suggest to at least try Korean dessert or bingsu.

   

Other than eating foods, I spent my last week of vacation going around other places such as Gangnam, Insadong, Gwanghwamun, Han River and Changdeokgung. On the same day that we visited Changdeokgung, there were two events held at Gwanghwamun. The first event is the Thai Festival, which we went to because of our Thai friend, and the second event is the 세월호, which is kind of a protesting and at the same time reminiscing the Sewol ferry tragedy. During the Thai festival, we had a lot of fun. We were able to see and feel Thai culture various Thai activities such as, dance performances, songs from a famous singer, free Thai desserts, and authentic Thai foods. We were also able to do the Loi Krathong, which is the name of the traditional festival in Thailand. We really had an amazing day that it made us kind of exhausted, so we decided to head back to our dorm. But, as we were heading to the subway, we passed through the Sewol Ferry tragedy event. The ambiance in Sewol tragedy event made us feel sad because we felt the same sentiments of the students’ families. We offered flowers and our silent prayers to those people who passed away in the said tragedy. From then, we decided to stay a couple more hours in the Gwanghwamun Square lighten our moods.

   

At Changdeokgung with other international students from Sungkyunkwan University.

   

Thai Festival

It was fun travelling to different places, for you are not certain as to what will happen along the way. 

Why would anyone want to study abroad in Latin America?

Mitad del Mundo...the middle of the World

Studying abroad in Latin America is difficult. You deal with expensive plane tickets, corrupted governments, active volcanoes, and a complicated language barrier, if you do not speak Spanish. There is a reason why Europe is more popular and more glamorous. In Italy you can take wine tasting classes, in Greece you can learn about the Spartans, and in Germany you can eat some of the best food in the world. So why would anyone choose to spend a semester in Latin America?

Why would anyone want to experience the World’s tallest capitols that tower at well over 9,000 feet in La Paz Bolivia and Quito Ecuador? Experiencing daily life at 9,000 feet above sea level is not for the weak of breath because altitude sickness can kick in at any given time. But, experiencing living in the Andes Mountains, in my opinion the most beautiful mountain range in the World, is well worth the strain on your lungs! Plus once you return to a normal elevation you can basically concur the world.

Why would anyone want to visit Machu Picchu? It’s only one of the 10 Wonders of the World and the site of one of the strongest ancient civilizations the world has ever seen (and this is coming from a Greek). But you’re right flying into the tiny Cuzco airport can be a little overwhelming, especially when WIFI doesn’t exist and you can’t get in contact with you friend whose flight was delayed because we are talking about Latin America here. However, you can always spend 10 hours hanging out in Plaza de Armas contemplating whether you will make your train to Aguas Calientes or not! But if you have any questions of course you would ask the locals who are all more than happy to answer absolutely any question you may have. Be advised that Spangilsh will become a part of your everyday speaking expeditions.

Why would anyone want to travel to the edge of the Rain Forrest to participate in adventure sports? Sure there are more mosquitoes than tourists in New York in Baños; but bug bites are temporary, memories are forever. It is not every day you can ride in the back of a truck to the swing at the end of the world, then go zip-linning through the jungle, go puenting off a bridge (similar to bungee jumping), take a chiva to a huge waterfall, and then end the night salsa dancing at a bar called Leprechaun next to another bar called “Why Not?” Where else in the world can so much be accomplished in one day in one of the most beautiful locations in the world?

Why would anyone want to take a two hour plane ride to the Galápagos?

Maybe you are religious and don’t believe in evolution, but don’t hold that against the tortoises. In the Galápagos you can swim with

any creature you have dreamt of from sea lions, turtles, sting rays, puffer fish, sharks, and penguins. So there are no unicorns, but I am sure they are working on it! Being able to walk on the beach where Darwin once sat observing the wild iguanas is a sight that you will never be able to have anywhere else in the world!

Why would anyone want to live in Quito, Ecuador? Besides for the fact that no parent of any student studying here knows how to say the name of the city, what is there to do in Quito? Let me begin with the people. Except for when dealing with public transportation the people are never in a hurry to do anything and there are so many of them you can never be bored! Ecuadorians are lovers of life and non-spicy food and they are constantly trying to make the griengas feel less nervous about not having the beautiful skin color of the Ecuadorians. I believe everyone wants to fall in love with a “Latin Lover” at one point of their life and that is probably the hardest part about studying abroad.

Ecuadorians love to dance and they will put any American to shame with their hips that do not lie. Dancing is always a part of life in Ecuador even at an Oktoberfest there will be salsa dancing. And of course Quito has a lot of beautiful landmarks you have to see while living here, before time runs up.

Why would anyone want to study abroad in Ecuador? There is not enough time for love, for traveling, for exploring the city, or trying every type of food that you want. Along with school work and going away to experience other areas there leaves little time for anything else.

And timing is never right, whether you are waiting for a bus that already left, a train that you didn’t know where to find it, or the person you suddenly feel passionately about there will never be enough time. Because, studying abroad is a race against the clock. You become friends instantaneously with people that have the same mindset as you and suddenly you are doing everything with them without even thinking about the fact that come December 24^th you will be living thousands of miles apart. You try to plan trips to everywhere you want to see when all of the sudden you realize you are out of money and weekends. You try to build new relationships only to have them crumble under time constraints and language barriers. You learn to use google translate as a part of your everyday life and when you don’t have wifi you are searching for it continuously because you can’t lose a moment when the time you have left is so short. So let me ask you... 

Blue Footed Boobie

Why would anyone want to study abroad in Latin America? The question is why wouldn’t you? Maybe you are afraid of adventure? Maybe you are afraid of being pushed outside of your comfort zone? Maybe you don’t want to make new friends with people from not only Latin America, but from everywhere in the World? Or maybe you are just afraid to live?

Grüß Gott!

Austria is absolutely wonderful! Since arriving, the weather has been getting slowly colder, but is still mild, which is unusual for this time of year. I consider myself lucky, since this means that there is still a chance to go out and enjoy it on the weekends when we have some free time.

I am studying my 3rd semester of my Master’s degree in Information Systems from HPU here at Fachhochschule Salzburg, and I have been lucky enough to get a room at the on campus housing. The rooms are great, and each one has an individual kitchen and bathroom. There are three differently coloured rooms: red, blue, and yellow. I am in a blue room, which means that all my cabinets are blue, as well as the floor!

When I have class, it is merely a walk of about 2 minutes away. Since this is a Fachhochschule, the classes are more technical than I am used to, with the course Robot Kinematics being the one which is the furthest from my ‘comfort zone’. Luckily though, this is also my favourite course, with a wonderful professor, so I am happy I have the opportunity to take it. The thing about the courses that struck me as being most different from HPU, was that there are no textbooks. At the beginning of the semester, I was getting a little frustrated that I could not find my reading list. But then it turned out, that you get a pdf with a course ‘script’ that the professors have written themselves. In addition to this, each slide deck contains about 100 slides that hold valuable information, and represent a significant part of the course materials.

I have already made some wonderful friends here, but when it comes to the classes, I am the only international student in all my courses. There is a total of 81 international students visiting FH Salzburg this semester, but only a few of us are Master’s students, and none of them are studying the same line as me. Here at FHS, the Master’s programme that I am enrolled in is called Information Technology & Systems Management. This has also caused some heartaches for the professors of the courses that I do attend. Because I have two courses where the classes overlap, I have to change between which lectures I attend. I heard from the other students, that when I am not in class, the professor teaches it in German. Another one of my courses is simply taught in German, due to a miscommunication error in which the professors were not told that the course should be in English. On the bright side, I have learned a lot of new German ‘IT words’, and have become more accustomed to the local dialect. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will be able to speak German with confidence!

Cute salamander found whilst climbing the Untersberg

Hike at the beginning of the semester when it was a bit warmer

One of the best days of my life! I went to watch the almabtrieb where the cows are brought down from the Alps for the winter. This is celebrated by ordaining them with head dresses and parading them down the mountain and through the town. (It is also celebrated by singing and drinking lots of beer)