Day 8

Today, I woke up at 5:50AM. I am getting more adjusted to this time difference, but it is still hitting me hard. I got out of bed at 7:00AM and went to eat breakfast with my family. We ate 김치찌개, an egg roll (literally an omelette made into a roll), seaweed, rice, and some fruit. I ate a lot of food this morning and left the house feeling full.

Off to school I went with my shoes, pants, jacket, backpack, and tote bag. I stepped out of the door..

aaand it was raining hard. Nice.

I got my umbrella out and put my backpack in front of me, holding my tote bag close so that I could keep them from getting wet in the rain, but it was a difficult task. Through the subway I went, meeting up with my friends at sookmyung station before leaving together as a group up. As we ventured up the hill, it became very apparent from the gushing water flooding the streets that my pants and shoes would eventually become drenched in water, but I foolishly held hope that I could spare some parts of my shoes and only get the soles wet. However, this dream shortly died when I somehow felt my socks squishing in my shoes.

After what seems like forever, we finally all get into the university and I discover that my shoes were not the only thing that got wet. My pants as well as my socks were dripping from the water. One of my friends took off her shoes and upturned them to get rid of the water, but there was still so much water everywhere! We went to the second floor of the building and checked what class we were in.

I found out that I was in the 나무 class with some of my other friends, including Jodi, Ariel, Emma, Cynthia, and others. At first, I felt intimidated-- "These people definitely know more Korean than I do, this will be very difficult!!"-- but then we introduced ourselves and started the lesson and I felt comfortable in the class. Yes, there were many things that I did not know and learned, but it was more of a challenge that I could use to push myself rather than a totally higher level that I wasn't prepared for. We learned about using -지요 and -는 noun and also learned colors.

Then, my group of friends quickly ate at a local 김밥 restaurant and rushed towards the bus stop, getting drenched once more by the heavy rain, to go to 이촌역. However much we rushed, almost all of us NSLI-Yians ended up arriving late to the destination. After getting everyone together, we went to National Museum of Korea and gathered into a room.

In this room, we watched a powerpoint presentation and a few videos made by the museum that explained hangul, some Korean history, and modern day Korea. Although I felt exhausted from dealing with the weather, walking a lot, working hard in school, and from jet lag, I actually really enjoyed the presentation because it was made well. The music, focal points of the story, and the video production made me genuinely interested in whatever was being shown. The presentation introduced us to King Sejong, the creator of the hangul alphabet, and explained why and how the hangul was adopted-- to spread literacy to all. It was a scientific language that was meticulously planned and included three symbols: a dot to symbolize the heavens, a horizontal line ㅡ to symbolize the Earth, and a vertical line ㅣ to symbolize humanity. We learned about the significance of the Korean Friendship Bell, which was a very unique, large bell that when rung, can be heard from a long distance. In addition to this, a peculiar sound is emitted due to the actual make of the bell, causing the volume of the bell to grow and shrink rather than diminish following impact. Through learning about how Korean women helped the Korean economy through donating their golden jewelry during a recession and the determination of Korea to jump from a low time to being one of the greatest societies, I gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture.

Then, we were introduced to the Korean lunar new year tradition of children raising their hands to their forehead and bowing, lowering their head all the way to the floor before wishing luck for their elders. A couple of NSLI-Yians wore traditional Korean clothing and practiced this tradition in front of us. This tradition showcased the immense respect for elders valued in Korean society. By lowering the most important part of a human (the head) to the ground, a great amount of respect was shown to peers and elders. Afterwards, we all ate a few snacks typical for lunar new years day and headed into a separate building-- the actual museum.

In here, we split into two groups and a tour guide led us through a couple of the exhibits, explaining their history and significance throughout time. Towering over our group in the center of the museum was the Gyeongcheonsa pagoda, a very tall structure with a plethora of designs that gave it a calm, regal feeling. We viewed many items and paintings from different times in Korean history and learned about the types of pottery and armor that was made and the backgrounds that followed. For example, decorations of rabbits and fetuses signified fertility while the simplicity of some pottery and reflected upon the Confucian values of Korean history. After passing through a few exhibits in the museum, we completed the tour and concluded our day. We then headed back home and along the way, I got confused and almost ended up going the wrong way, but I caught myself and came home safely.

When I got home, I took a shower and ate dinner with my mother and brother. Today, pork, watermelon, seaweed, rice, kimchi jjigae, kimchi jeon, and gamja jeon was on the menu. I ate a lot and felt satisfied. The good was very delicious! Then, I studied Korean for a while, dd my Korean homework and prepared for bed.

Today, I felt super tired, but I am am making progress in terms of jet lag. Whenever our NSLI-Y group stepped outside, the weather was clear, but then shortly and quickly, heavy rain would ensue. It was as if the clouds were waiting for us to step out until they would unleash all hell upon us. However wet I got and tired I was, I still had a very good time at the museum and during school. I can't wait to see where this program will take me in terms of Korean language skill and I study diligently, pushing myself on wards to success. But for now, It is time for me to 'take a rest' and prepare for the challenges of the days to come! Goodnight, everyone~!

-end