Final Day of Fun

It is so hard to believe that our time is coming to a close. There are no words to express what an amazing trip this has been. Today we had another busy day, which began by taking the bus to Incheon. Wolmi Park was our first stop which was a beautiful park full of koi ponds, beautiful landscape, and we were even able to see some deer and rabbits! This place was such an oasis. We ended our time at Wolmi Park by dressing in traditional Korean hanboks and “dining with royalty.”

We then made our way to Jayu (Freedom) Park, the first Western-style park in Korea. The park was FULL of beautiful flowers as well as a statue of General Douglas MacArthur. The Koreans hold General MacArthur with high regard due to his contribution for their freedom. We were also able to see the Korean-USA Centennial Monument, which commemorates the Amity and Trade Treaty signed between Korea and the US in 1882.

Chinatown was at the base of the Jayu Park. We walked to a well-known traditional Chinese restaurant for lunch and enjoyed some wonderful shrimp as well as a number of other traditional Chinese dishes. We then spent time walking around and shopping in Chinatown. Songwoldong Fairyland was a part of Chinatown and had some great fairyland murals and photo ops!

Jogyesa was our next stop. This temple plays an important role in Korean Buddhism as the head temple of Jogye order. We were able to visit during the annual lantern festival in celebration of Buddhist’s birthday. It truly was an impressive sight! A tour the temple as well as spending some time talking with a monk were a part of our experience. This was a very interesting experience for all.

Our day ended with traveling back to Ewha for dinner. We ate at Dr. Robbins. AMAZING last meal in Korea. It wasn’t quite as good as the Korean food from our cooking class, but it was great food and fellowship! Most of us went to do a few final bits of shopping before we set out for the USA bright and early tomorrow!

Our final day could not have been better! A huge thank you to Dr. Hur, Global Studies in Education, and all who support the program. Simply an amazing experience for all!

• 

• 

• 

  “Dinner with Korean royalty”

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Lunch at a traditional Chinese restaurant

• 

  Chinatown!

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Art at the Buddhist temple…the finished product.

Free Day Adventures

Today was a “free day” to choose any activity to partake in. Of course, most of us did some shopping, but we all encountered a learning experience. The activities were as follow:

Lotte Tower – Lotte World Tower is a supertall skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea. The tower is known as the tallest building in Korea. The official name of the tower is Lotte World Tower. Lotte World Tower is named after a nearby recreation complex, which known as Lotte World, both the recreation complex and the tower are developed and owned by Lotte Group, one of the largest business in South Korea. Other names of the tower are Lotte Jamsil Super Tower, Lotte World Premium Tower.

National Museum of Korea – The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.

Shopping in Seoul is just as immense as the city itself. Anything from chic department stores & indoor bazaars to flea markets and cool specialty shops. You can buy anything here. Come to Seoul and shop till you drop! Koreans invented the term ‘midnight shopping’. Window shopping in Seoul is doable, but difficult unless you’re only looking to satisfy your visual eye. So whether you prefer mega shopping malls, wholesale shopping, cheap bazaars, antique markets or electronics & IT, Seoul caters to everybody.

Osan Air Base is a hidden gem on the Space-A circuit. The culture, cuisine, shopping, and sites of South Korea rival major destinations around the world, plus the civilian airport is easily accessible from the base. Shuttle service from Osan AB to Seoul (the capital of South Korea) is inexpensive and convenient. This was the number one reason we choose to go to Osan. This journey allowed us to experience the traveling process of Koreans. It took us a combination of transportation to reach our destination. Working together through the subway, bus, and taxi, we managed to travel both ways without getting lost. We found exactly what we were in search of. The video below will allow you to witness our fun-filled free day adventures.

Sunday in Seoul by Lisa Jones

Mornings in Seoul have been delightful due to visiting the Paris Baguette cafe. After visiting the cafe, we boarded a bus to Yoeido Full Gospel Church, which is the largest Pentecostal church in South Korea and the world. It has about 800,000 members! The church catered to all languages and provided headphones for us to listen to the sermon in English. We had the opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper and experience the amazing choir and orchestra. This was an incredible experience!

The next place we went was the Gyeongbokgung Palace which is the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty and was built in 1395. We were able to see the guards marching into the courtyard among the many tourist dressed in traditional Korean clothing.

We ended the day at a Korean restaurant where we learned how to cook traditional Korean food. We made kimchi, japchae, bulgogi, and seafood pancake. We were excited that Seung-eun Lee from Ewha joined us for dinner too! We also dressed up in traditional Korean clothing called hanbok. This experience allowed us to be immersed in the culture of South Korea. We even got to meet the owner of the restaurant who has two grandchildren in Auburn City Schools! This was the end to a perfect day!!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

On the Border of Two Koreas

Today we had the privilege of visiting the DMZ, or De Militarized Zone, which is the area closest to the Demarcation Line between North and South Korea, about 2 km away from each country. We rode a tour bus from Seoul and visited many locations at the DMZ area including the Dora Observatory where we could see across the Demilitarized zone and see the North Korean flag.

We also visited the Third Infiltration Tunnel—a really long steep tunnel underground where the North Korean soldiers tried to sneak into South Korea but were discovered by the South Korean army. The tunnel is 1,635 meters long, with a height and width of 2 meters. It was tight in there!

After this, we went to the Dorasan Station, which is a train station that was constructed in hopes of reunification between North and South Korea. The tracks go all the way from North Korea to South. It is a symbol of the efforts for a unified Korea. We even visited a Ginseng museum and learned how ginseng grows. As we traveled back on the bus, we learned more about life in North Korea and the Korean War from our tour guide. This tour helped me gain a better understanding of Korean history and hope for the future of their country.

Finally we had lunch at a traditional Korean restaurant in the area of Itaewon. We ate Bibimbop and visited with other tour members from Australia and Ireland. After lunch we rode the subway to an amazing bookstore called Kyobo, and had dinner at a Louisiana style restaurant. We were exhausted but so amazed at all we saw and did today.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A Day to Remember

May 31, 2019 was definitely a day to remember for those of us involved in 2019 Global Studies in Education. The day started with a fabulous visit to Seoul Dangseo Elementary School. Following that visit, we visited the Korean War Memorial and the Seoul Education and Research Center. We each ended the day with an incredible host family who treated us to dinner and other activities.

The visit to Seoul Dangseo Elementary School was incredible. We chatted with the principal of the school and then took tour of the school. We even got to interact with students who were in English class. Those children were in elementary school, but they were doing very well with their English speaking skills. It was truly impressive. The teachers are very creative and used games to help students learn their lessons. In our tour, we also saw an air quality indicator that the students could read to determine if there was too much dust in the air for them to go outside for PE. Happily, they could go outside when we were there.

Students in English class taking a selfie with us

Our next stop, the Korean War Memorial, was absolutely fascinating. We had a wonderful tour guide who had actually received training at Ft. Benning, GA. Talk about close to home! He gave us much information about the Korean War, and we left there with a newfound appreciation for the South Korean people. They have been through so much, but they still find a way to be benevolent, hard working, humble people. I imagine their incredibly positive attitudes are what has helped them rebuild so rapidly after this unbelievably devastating war.

It was very interesting to me to learn the number of countries who aided the South Koreans through the Korean War. We always hear about how the Americans helped in the war, but we were absolutely not alone in standing with the South Koreans. All of the nations involved in the United Nations provided some sort of assistance through the war. This stop is a must for anyone who visits Korea. I’d like to come back and spend a full day here.

After a yummy lunch, we headed to the Seoul Education and Research Center. Oh my, this facility was fascinating. This is a facility that performs research in various areas pertaining to education, but it is also a place where individual classes can come for a day to learn high-tech skills such as coding, robotics, creating drones, and much more. There were even multiple 3-D printers there that allowed the students’ work to be printed. While at this facility, we had two special treats. We were provided the opportunity to speak with three Korean teachers. They were a plethora of information. We also got to go to the very top of the building where we could see a panoramic view of Seoul City, including the Seoul Tower. The view was breathtaking!

Robot

We ended the day with an outing with host families. Each family had a student who spoke English (some of the family members spoke English, too). The host families took us to dinner and then on to other activities in Seoul. The family I was with took us to visit a palace. It was a really neat adventure, especially since we drove past the palace earlier today on the bus. We also got to see a famous Pansori singer perform. Her name is Sin Yeong-Hui. It was a really great performance, and it allowed us to learn even more about the Korean culture.

Missionary Cemetery, Job World, Samsung d’light, Shopping, and BBQ…….Oh My!

What an exciting day, packed full of fun new experiences for us all. We started the day by visiting the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery. This cemetery is located near the Hangang River and is open to the public to learn about the missionaries who greatly impacted Korea over the years. Headstones line the pathways through this beautiful and peaceful place. Some of the most famous missionaries include, H. G. Underwood who pioneered Korean missions, helped translate the Bible into Korean, and established Saemoonan, which was the first Presbyterian Church in Korea. Also laid to rest here is, Soda Gaichi. He was the only Japanese person buried here. He cared for over 1,000 orphans during his time in Korea.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Korean Job World

After a beautiful drive, we made our way to Korean Job World. We were so impressed with this place and its dedication to helping children achieve their dreams and goals. From milking cows, putting out fires, and working in heavy construction, this facility introduces kids to all the different types of careers they can have. We had the best time exploring these jobs and could have honestly spent the rest of the day there.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Samsung d’light, Shopping, and BBQ

We traveled to Samsung d’light where we had the opportunity to explore all of Samsung’s wonderful electronics and view technology of the future. We then did a little shopping, where we found a lot of fun gifts and souvenirs for our friends and family back home. We finally finished this busy day by eating BBQ at a fellow Alabamian’s restaurant. Over dinner, we all agreed that Job World was one of the coolest things we have been to and we wish that the U.S. had a Job World too.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Education is Life at Ewha

Ewha Kindergarten

Our morning began at the Ewha Womans University Kindergarten with a lecture from tour of their facility. All programs are child-centered. They are designed to educate children to become moral citizens in Korea’s democratic society. Also, Ewha Kindergarten focuses on each child’s education, since it is an important factor in child? growth and character development.

Ewha Kindergarten supports two kinds of day programs. One is a half-day program where class starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 12 p.m. Another one is a full-day program where class starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. 

Kindergarteners participate in free choice activities, group activities, and other special events. To make learning more fun, parents are invited to participate and interact with their children. Through these programs, children become more independent and responsible for their own actions.

Kindergarteners

Ewha High School

Ewha High School was our next stop. We were greeted by the principal and vice principal. They introduced themselves and graciously welcomed us to their school. Ewah High School houses graded 10-12 and their schools motto is “Think Big, Act Big, and Dream Big”.

Ewha High School students

We were able to observe Ms. Yeon’s English class. They were working on Chapter 6″Check Your Progress” as a whole group activity and then they were divided into small groups. We were able to interact with the students.

We enjoyed a delicious Italian pasta lunch at Cote before finishing our tours.

Ewah Guemran Middle School

Our finally educational tour was Ewah Middle School. We were greeted by the principal and vice principal. They provided us with a presentation addressing the overall view if the school. Their school year runs from March-July (1st semester) and August -February (2nd semester). The day starts at 8:45 am, each class is 45 minutes, and they have 6 to 7 classes per day. We were then able to tour the school and interact with some of their students.

Ewha Middle School students enjoying an outside Art Class

Ewha Middle School English Class

K-pop Dance and Yungnamdong

The rest of our day was spent learning K-pop dance and exploring Yunsamdong close to Hongik University.

Day 1: A full day in South Korea

Although most of us started the morning about 2:00 a.m. this morning since we were not adjusted to the time change yet, we officially started our first full day in South Korea with a group breakfast and trip to Soverign Bank to exchange currency (dollars to wons).

We followed that with a tour of EWHA Womans University and a lecture “Understanding of Korean Students” lead by Dr. Insoo Oh, Professor of Counselor Education/School Counseling, Department of Education at Ewha Womans University. After our lecture, we were treated to traditional Korean food at Marie Restaurant. We are still wondering how anyone could eat that much food. Tray after tray after tray of food. After lunch, we took a brief, but much needed walk to Ewha Elementary School where we were able to visit a 1st or 2nd grade classroom where students were being taught English. The kids were amazing and so enthusiastic! We then returned to Ewha Womans University where we were met by Auburn native, Brian Ridgeway, who has now been living in South Korea for 10+ years. He presented a thorough history of South Korea history, it’s difficult past due to occupation dictatorships, and war as well as it’s rise to one of the most industrialized and advanced nations in the world.

Even though jet lag had officially set in, we still had more to do. We took the subway to Korea House, a traditional Korean performance theater that has joined performing and fine arts with media art presentations and audience participation to watch a well known Korean “fairy tale”, “The Story of Sim Cheong” come to life with music, drawings, medial and graphic art, dancing, and singing. By the end of the evening, we are happy to be back at the hotel and ready to see if we can sleep past 2:00 a.m.

Our Journey to South Korea

We began our journey on 5/26/19. There was excitement in the air. We traveled on Korean Air. It took us 15 hrs. to reach our destination. When we reached Incheon Airport we took a 20 minute bus ride to Seoul. We checked in at Ever8. After checking in we got to explore the surrounding area and enjoy dinner. We had dinner at Outdark Restaurant and Thai Story Restaurant. Getting to enjoy authentic Thai food and chicken dishes.

Authentic Thai

Ashley Redondo – Introduction

Hello, I am Ashley Redondo. I am a school counselor at a K-2 primary school in Opelika, AL. I grew up in Columbus, GA. My spouse and I currently reside in Phenix City, AL. I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies from Kennesaw State University. I received my Masters degree in School Counseling from Columbus State University and my Education Specialists degree in School Counseling from Valdosta State University. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor in Alabama and provide in-home therapy for foster children. I also have 3 foster children, two 2-year olds and a 6-year old, and 5 dogs! When I have the time, I enjoy baking, gardening, reading, traveling (especially the beach), and catching up on Netflix shows. This will be my first international trip and I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to join the Global Studies in Education program in South Korea! As a counselor, I am able to reach students, teachers, administrators, and parents so I think the information I learn from this experience will greatly enhance my skills and knowledge of diverse groups and my interactions with these groups. I am looking forward to sharing what I learn with my students and school staff.