Day 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326 Final Post

Well, final post.

I'll keep it short and simple, but before that I just want to thank Dr. Hong for coming to dinner with me, Alex, and Haitou last night. We talked about many things and it was a very good last dinner with the Dr. especially after he had treated us to lunch on so many occasions.

Now onto the final post. I don't really have a lot to write about, doing this on the last day is somewhat bittersweet. I experienced a range of emotions from sad to happy, angry to bored, while on this exchange however the second semester was a lot more stressed than the first. Most of it was due to my new roommate who I dont ever want to see or hear from again after this. I really could care less what happens to him after.

I do want to mention my first roommate, Seungho, though. He was the best roommate I've had and probably will ever have. I wish him all the best in the future and I'll keep in touch with him for sure.

I also want to thank Murat, Su, Alex, Chen, Marine, Haitou, Mengju, Seungho and all my Korean friends that I've met this year. Without any of you, I'll admit that this exchange would've been a complete hell for me. Also, I want to thank Zeb, Dan, Thomas, Eva, Lindis, and everyone in my tour group for North Korea, they made it so much more unforgettable than it already is.

Something tells me we'll all see each other again someday, and I'll look forward to that!

I better get packing soon, since me and Alex are off to Japan tomorrow and I won't be updating from there for the next two weeks. And that reminds me, my first post. It was finally landing in Japan after 17 hours or so.

And before I forget, I want to thank Wendy and Karen for being there for me when I needed it the most :D

I'll see you and everyone else in two weeks!

I'll never stop saying this, but it just felt like yesterday I came here, and now it's over... So...thank you Korea for being my unforgettable, second home this year, I will be back someday! I know I'll miss this in a couple weeks after I return to Canada.




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 315, 316, 317, 318

Finally finished converting all of my money to Yen now, but it was a little sad too since it was the last time I would see Myeongdong. I only discovered some new streets I'd never strolled before in Myeongdong, just a couple days ago TT But I'm sure that is the place I'll go first when I come and visit Korea again.

Now time to finish off the reminiscing of this exchange. The last memorable thing I will talk about is my China/North Korea trip back in February.
Just like the other things I mentioned, I'll never forget these two, simply because they were unreal.
I will admit, China was very good but I was expecting more. It's the 2nd largest economy in the world and yet some places I visited are still clearly not up to par for an economy that size. But those were far and few. I need to thank Su again for accompanying me for my entire trip in China, without him, the trip would've been much more boring, overwhelming, and lonely. I'll never forget Tienanmen Square, Mao's mausoleum, the Great Wall, the Peking duck dinners, and Su's family treating us at a restaurant in Tianjin. There are just too many things in China to talk about that I won't forget, so I'll just leave it at those.

 And of course after China, there was North Korea. I don't even know where to begin for that. There was just so many things to talk about from there. I never thought I'd be able to go to a place like that and once I was there, it was surreal; standing in a place where it seems you've gone back 20 or so years into the past. The two things that stood out for me on the entire NK trip was us paying homage to Kim Jong-Il on his birthday in Kim Il-Sung Square, and the DMZ from the North. For us paying homage to Kim Jong-Il in the presence of thousands of people, felt like our tour group were foreign dignitaries since we literally cut in front of everyone and were escorted to the stage where flowers for the "Dear Leader" lay under his portrait.
And the other standout thing was the trip to the DMZ. Completely different from the South; much more heavily fortified and seemed like the North was always on a "ready to attack at any moment" mode.

And so that ends my reminiscing of my entire year long exchange. I can't believe there is only one week left. I don't know how many times I've said this, but it just felt like yesterday that I arrived here.
I'm happy and sad though, sad of course because I'm leaving, but happy because it's almost time to go home.





Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 310, 311, 312, 313, 314

Well I'm back to finish off the reminiscing for semester 1 of the exchange. I'll be talking about the DMZ and Busan.

I don't even know where to begin for the DMZ. I'd always read and heard about it on the news or internet before, but never visited, so it was somewhat surreal to finally go there. I won't forget just standing meters away from the North Korean side and seeing a couple North Korean soldiers on the other side staring back with binoculars. I also wont forget going into the UN blue houses on the Joint Security Area where officials from both sides can meet for negotiations.

Then after we toured some infiltration tunnels the North Koreans had dug into the south and also a train station that was built during the sunshine policy with the hope of connecting Pyongyang and Seoul. Dorasan station just sits there now, still not having been used once...

The DMZ is one place I'll never forget because it's completely unique int he world.

And now moving onto Busan, another place I'll never forget. 11 people went on this trip and somehow it did work out, but it was fractured and splintered since the people broke off into 3 different groups...I learned my lesson not to have 11 people ever come on one trip, unless you know that all of them have the same thought process. But my group, consisting of only me, Su, and Murat covered the best places of Busan. We went to Chinatown and the downtown shopping area. There was also a gaming convention in town that Murat went to and he did snap some good pictures of him and the gaming girls there xD

Oh I cant forget about Haeundae beach, one of the most popular tourist destinations for Koreans during the summer. Too bad we didnt really swim or anything since we went in October or November, it wasn't cold at all though.

Also I want to briefly mention Chinatown. Out of all the ones I've visited, the one in Busan seems to come the closest to Cantonese food that you'll find in Calgary. Eating at the restaurants there felt just like home. The dishes we ate there were something I'd expect at Dim Sum, and I miss that so much TT

But only 11 more days!

And before I end this post, I need to thank Jinu and Melissa for meeting me last week! Good luck to both of you in your lives and careers and we'll meet again soon, I know!


Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 305, 306, 307, 308, 309

It's time to continue my reminiscing of the first semester, this time the trip to Jeju.

Jeju is one of the things I wont forget about Korea, probably because it was the first sub-tropical island I ever visited xD. Even though for most of the Jeju trip, it was raining, the first 2 days were good. With the good weather, we managed to climb Mt. Halla. I can honestly say, that might've been one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. And for those wondering, the hardest being the time I climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan.
I think our group only wanted to climb Hallasan after Alex read in his guidebook that it was "easy"... well after 7 hours and sore legs and ankles, along with a few close calls with slippery rocks, we made it up and back down alive. I wont forget seeing Murat sit at the bottom waiting for the rest of us, eating chips. Yes he literally flew up and back down the mountain, before everyone else.
I'll remember Jeju for that and the apparent tropical storm that passed by or very close to the island. I'll never forget the downpour, stepping out even for a second, and it felt like you were being dunked into a pool.

That's it for Jeju, next time will be the DMZ.


Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 301, 302, 303, 304

There really isn't anything interesting to write about from the past 4 days, besides preparing for presentations and final exams. But I'm not going to post about my time here anymore, unless there is something post-worthy, since there is only 19 days left. I will begin posting my thoughts about the first semester and reminiscing on some memorable moments from then.

So I guess the first memorable moment was coming to Korea on Day 1, it was a completely foreign and alien for me since I had never been here before. I had thought that Korea was just like Japan, but the minute I stepped off the plane, I knew I was completely wrong.
And I can't forget to mention that from this airport pick up I met Seungho, Melissa, Murat, Marine, Chen Yahjie, and Mark for the first time. I won't forget the first dinner/meal I had in Korea either, it was an omelet rice (or bibimpap?? xD) at a restaurant near the university. I won't forget the first night in the dorm room either, no blanket or pillow, just a mattress with a cover...it was fine though since it was 30 degrees plus humidity outside.

And yes I did include pictures, though these are already on my Facebook...

My next post will be about the trip to Jeju Island. Until then...

Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 297, 298, 299, 300

Day 300, I can't believe it. There is only another 22 days left. I'll be reminiscing about this exchange in coming posts, but for now I just wanted to rant about my roommate...again...I've lost track of how many times this semester I've actually done this. I didnt do this once last semester, which just shows how annoying this new one is, always finding new ways to annoy. This time it's his snoring that sounds like a dying animal...And I swear because of that, I haven't had a good nights sleep in a month, but I can argue I really havent had a good nights sleep this entire second semester...at least not since he came along...

And if it's not his snoring that sounds like a dying animal or a bear, it's always barging into the room at 12, 1, 2, 3, or 6 AM, or watching dramas until 2 AM, or practicing for Korean idol (yes, he sings, but it's not too good) uggh >_>

*deep breath* only 22 more days...22 more days...22 more days...



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296

I'll start my post off talking about the school festival that was held here last week, 3 days of celebrations. It was a very fun atmosphere, booths all over the campus either serving food and drinks, international booths (they were really fun), or booths that were showing clubs and such. There was also live music and DJ performances, I didn't go since I'm not too into that. All in all it was a really fun 3 days last week, I'm sure it's the last type of fun I'll have in Korea before the exchange ends.

Now onto Johnny...He still "is coming" with me and Alex for Japan, but I really don't know. He's asked about our itineraries and accommodation plans 3 times now and he still hasn't booked his flight ticket, or for that matter, anything...Our trip is in 3 weeks too.
Johnny is a good person, but just his laid back attitude is bad (always late at least 20+ mins), it makes him lazy and unreliable.

And in the end something tells me and Alex, he's not going to come. It's fine with us though, because we both agree that if we have to wait for him, were gonna leave him at the hotel and go about the planned day.

Finally, onto my roommate. I can't wait until the end now, because I just can't stand him longer than that. The new problem I have with him is his snoring, and it sounds like a bear or a dying animal...

That's it for this blog post, I'm sure I'll post again on Day 300.


Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 289, 290

Almost 300 days have passed since day 1 and I still can't believe it. And also heading into the final month now too.

Me and Alex went to Suwon yesterday to visit the Hwaseong Fortress that we've heard so much about. Going into this trip, I was excited since it seemed very historic, unique, and interesting. I need to change my attitude from now on...
When we get to the fortress and the main gate, it was covered due to renovations, so there goes the main reason why we came in the first place...Other than that, Suwon doesn't really seem to have a lot to offer. The trip was very underwhelming, we spent more time going and coming back than actually looking around. Suwon reminded me of Tianjin and I'm sure everyone knows how much I "loved" that city...

Suwon was the last major trip in Korea, since Japan is coming more and more on the horizon now. I also found out last week, that Johnny might be coming to Japan with me and Alex. Even though he said he would come, I still have my doubts because something tells me, he's going to cancel at the last minute, and it's not the first time he's done something like this.




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area
Suwon: Hwaseong Fortress

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 286, 287, 288

It's been a busy couple days, which seems a rarity now especially in the final month of the exchange.
On Saturday, there was a lantern festival/parade in downtown Seoul, so I went with Marine, Alex, and a couple other friends. This festival is to celebrate Buddha's birthday which I forgot what day it was on >< but I think it's later this week. Anyway, the parade had countless people holding lanterns bound for a temple, if I needed to give an estimate, I'd say at least 10000 people, just in the parade, and countless more lining the sides of the streets everywhere. I was shouting and waving for at least two hours. Oh and this was at night from 7-930 so it was a cool atmosphere, a stark contrast to the humid days now...

In the end, we decided not to go to the temple after it was done, since there wasn't really anything to see. The parade was a "jolly good" time, pardon the old expression xD

And the next day on Sunday, I went to Incheon with some fellow classmates and the teacher, for the first time. We walked the Chinatown district and I was expecting a little more. Busan's seemed better, but Incheon's was famous for Jjajjangmyeon, having been introduced into Korea from there. So we visited the Jjajjangmyeon museum and saw the history of it and how to make it too. --> I'm not going to try and make it back in Canada...too hard...
We also saw the statue of General MacArthur and were even greeted by a former captain in the Korean army that was under his command. It was nice, especially seeing many old-timers looking at us young foreign students with curiosity.
What would a visit to Incheon been without a Jjajjangmyeon dinner? Me and Alex thought this trip would be  expensive, but apparently it was covered by the international office budget...Of course the teacher told us this budget is supposed to be used for something else...but free dinner trumps that! :D

That's what happened in the last 3 days, and there's still another trip tomorrow to Suwon.



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
Incheon: Chinatown and area

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285

What a difference 10 days make. I'm not angry at my roommate anymore, and I feel very de-stressed now. I swear it's a love-hate type of relationship...

Anyway, the only interesting thing to report on in the last 10 days was my trip to Insadong with Alex to buy some gifts. It's a very touristy area and shops catering to them too, so when we were checking shops for gifts, we went into one that didn't stand out or anything, but I'll never go back there again. First, the lady told us that we could not touch the souvenirs that were on display outside, even though every other shop allowed it, and the things displayed outside weren't even that good anyway! Just cheap looking "metal" chopsticks. So, we go into the shop to check things out since it seemed a but interesting and as we were browsing that same lady just told us to get out. These were her words "Escuse me I'm tired., please get out and go to other shop to look."
They were other tourists buying things in there but they weren't "forced" to leave. That's a very good way to attract customers, especially tourists to a store...
I think she was just unhappy that we weren't going to buy anything, so she couldn't line her purse pockets with cash, putting it politely.

And yesterday, me and Alex got our JR passes for Japan. I was surprised at how easy it was, since I thought I would need a Korean to come along to help. Only another month and 3 days until Japan and the end of this exchange!

Those were the only exciting thing from the past 10 days, tonight I'll be heading to some lantern festival and tomorrow will be a trip to Incheon's Chinatown. I'll write about those whenever I come back on here again xD






Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 271, 272, 273, 274, 275

Well there isn't really anything to write about. I'm sitting in my humid dorm room, tired, and with 3 mosquito bites...I'm sure you can tell I'm not very happy about that, and coupled with my roommate too. I just don't have enough good things to say about him >_>

I'm going to see if there are any empty rooms left in the dorms, and hopefully I can get one. I thought I couldn't do this, but my limit is quickly being reached.


Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 268, 269, 270

Well this is a first in a long time, me updating this blog in only a couple days instead of 2 or more weeks...
But it's for good reason because I did do some interesting and fun things.

Yesterday I finally went and saw the Banpo rainbow bridge...actually it was the second time but this time I did see the water fountain performance and it was very romantic. The water fountain show was coupled with music too, so now I wish I had a girlfriend so I could bring her there and then we could sit on one of the benches there, watching the fountain show and while sharing some chocolates ^^ But I went with Sackdavong and a couple of his Korean friends and one was surprised to have never heard of this bridge before, while the other got an idea on how to confess his feelings to a girl he just met. Anyway, I'm glad I finally went there and saw the bridge show...if only Murat and Chen were here too since they wanted to see it last time but like me, couldn't.

And the other thing I wanted to write about was a Seoul friendship fair that was held today. It showcased the many ex-pat communities Seoul had to offer, ranging from Kenya to Indonesia, there were booths and performances everywhere, plus some food booths too. Ahh I wish I brought some money for those because the German and French sausages looked sooo good and it was barbecued too...TT how I miss North American style barbecue...

But only another month and a half left though! :D

So that's it for this post, I'm sure if I forgot something I'll write about it in the next post.




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267

Looks like I've been neglecting my blog again... but that's because of midterms and warm if not hot weather... Yes it is hot here again, with temperatures of 30 degrees almost everyday but I feel bad for Calgary which is getting dumped with rain xD

Anyway I can't believe 260+ days have already passed and the time of this exchange is nearing an end. I'm excited for that since it's been an excellent personal growth experience...and vacation ^^

Oh and I should write that me and my roommate did smooth things out about the AC and window thing. The compromise was easy to come to because of the temperature rising, the dorm room is much more warmer and humid....another reason why I want the exchange to end soon.

Well that's it for this post, oh wait I do want to wish Ada a safe trip to Japan for her Senshu program. I hope we can skype since we'll be in the same timezone and continent!



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253

I can't believe it's already past 250 days since I've come here, still feels like yesterday though. The semester has passed the half way mark now since it's the mid-term period. Luckily for me I only have 2 xD but one is an essay...
An interesting thing to note here is there are cherry blossoms in Seoul and Korea. This is a surprise because I didn't think they grew here. I'll be heading down near the Han river on the weekend to take a look.

Other than that, there really isn't anything else to write about.



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246

Obviously if I haven't written anything for the past week and a half, it means I don't have anything to write or talk about. I did eat Korean style pancake (Pajeon) for dinner last night, and it was really good, not what I had in mind/expected.
Anyway, there's less than 3 months left until I'm back home, thank god. Not to sound bad, but I've already done and experienced the things that I've wanted to here in Korea so there really isn't anything left for me to want to do, coupled with trying to save money and stick to a budget, it doesnt really leave too many choices.

And if there is, I'd rather just come back here during a vacation instead.


Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235

This new look for the Blogger website seems good, much more streamlined and uncluttered. But onto other matters now. I'm going to take a moment here to put this on record: I don't like my roommate anymore and I'll just leave it at that.
The past week has been all right. It feels just like the end of last September, the end of the first month of exchange. But this time, it feels a lot less "exciting and new". Honestly, the charm of Korea has worn off now and I miss home; not badly, it just feels like it's time to leave.
I just noticed, 1 week from today in three months, I'll be home: Jul 6th.

As for classes, they're good and interesting, also planning for my 4th trip to Japan at the end of my exchange so I'm trying to budget and save like crazy now.

Other than those things, I don't have anything interesting to report.



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227

Finally something interesting to write about. Me and Alex the frenchmen went to the War Memorial museum of Korea yesterday, and it was quite interesting. I had expected the museum to be only about the Korean War, but apparently it was about every major conflict/war Korea had ever been in. And the museum itself was extremely large. It looked like the Korean War museum in Pyongyang, big and grand. Me and Alex barely finished the entire museum, and we had taken the entire afternoon, but it was very informing. Personally, it felt nationalistic, no where near the one in Pyongyang of course, but I guess it's to be expected from places like this. So, that's it for this post, will be heading to a French restaurant tonight for dinner, the same one from last year with the crepes. This time I'll have sausage and fries though!



Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo, War Memorial of Korea
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong
DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221

Don't really have much to write about again. Unlike last month at this time...I can't believe it's already been a month since China and North Korea, it feels only like yesterday.
I am really enjoying my classes here now, especially the profs who make it fun and attentative. I really like the prof in Korean History, Dr. Hong. He's very good to talk about Korean social issues and history and another wide range of topics.  He even wants to have lunch with his students too.I'm hoping to keep in touch with him well after the class and exchange have ended. I wish there were profs like that back in Calgary...maybe there are but I've yet to encounter any.

Oh well, there is less than 4 months left on this exchange. I still can't believe it. Time went by so fast, since I remember my first day here so clearly, like it was yesterday.




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa
Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)
China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong
DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212

I don`t really have too much to write about again. The new semester has begun and I am enjoying the history and political type classes about Korea very much. It`s too bad I won`t be in a Korean language class this semester, since the intermediate level was a bit too high for me, but I plan on continuing Korean on my own. Other than that, there really isn`t that much too say. 




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa

Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206

Well I don't know where to start off this post. The new semester has begun and seems like a slow start. I'll admit it did feel like the first day in August, but only for a day. Too used to everything here now. 
It's good seeing the new exchange students though. Makes the dorms less quiet :P Total of 116 exchange students, including the old ones from last semester.  
Still a little surprised to see so many from China, they make up at least a quarter of the entire exchange students. 


I still can't believe how fast time is flying by. In 19 days, it's the final 3 month mark of this exchange. However, I don't think I will go and see many more things in Korea or Seoul, well maybe one more trip to Busan. But I need to save up for Japan at the end now. 






Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa

Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 196, 197, 198, 199, 200

I can't believe it's already been 200 days...Nothing to talk about here besides just updating my blog with trip stuff and relaxing until the new semester begins in a couple days. I don't think I'll ever get my trip to North Korea out of my mind for a very long time, and I know there are some things that will stick with me forever...

That's it for this post, have fun reading my travel stories/posts, all of it begins on Day 179.




Places visited-->
Seoul:
Gwanghwamun (Gyeongbok palace), Banpo (Rainbow) bridge, Itaewon, Gangnam, Gapyeong, Namdaemun, Cheongyecheon, Seoul City Hall, N Seoul Tower, Hongdae (Trick eye museum), Changgyeong palace, Changdeok palace, Deoksu palace, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Jongmyo Shrine, Arisu Water Purification Centre, Sinchon, Seonreung and Jeongreung royal tombs, Sinsa

Jeju Island: Hallasan, Ilchulbong, Jeju City, Seogwipo
Yongin: Korean folk village
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Panmunjom/JSA, Dora Observatory, Third Infiltration tunnel, Dorasan Station
Jeonju
Busan
Paju (Heiri Village)

China:
Beijing
Tianjin
Dandong

DPRK:
Pyongyang
Kaesong
DMZ
Mt. Myohyang

Day 195, North Korea/China day 9

Last post, and it's about the train ride. It wasn't bad at all actually, the bed could've been a little softer and the man above me could've snored a little less, but other than that I slept pretty good. I don't think I'll take an overnight train again though since it's just too long and I've experienced it already so no need to again. Arriving in Beijing in an hour or so and after it's off to the Koryo tours office to repay back some borrowed money. What's next after that is anyone's guess. I think I'll head to the airport, even though my flight won't be for another 7 hours, since I can't do anything dragging my luggage around.
When we arrived at Beijing station, I was rushed off the train by these greedy Chinese men carrying my luggage for me. I didn't want them to since I knew I would have to pay them after, but they refused to listen. Because of those 2 idiots I couldn't say my goodbyes to Eva, Lindis, Neil, or Ian...and it cost me 200 RMB...It's times like these I feel ashamed to be Chinese, we're supposed to be better than greedy con artists aren't we?
After, I made my way to the subway station and had to miss like 10 trains because they were all packed and there was absolutely no room for me or my luggage at all. I was only able to finally get on because one of the platform guides directed me to the front of the train, where it was less crowded. I thank him so much for that! After that, the trains weren't so packed anymore, so it was easy getting to the Koryo office. As I was leaving the offices, I bumped into Lindis who was coming to retrieve her belongings left at the office, so I did get to say my goodbye at least to her.
It's funny how when I'm back in China, I want to get the hell outta here as fast as I can. The biggest lesson i've learned here is say no to anyone not in a police uniform, otherwise you're gonna get scammed. Also, hold onto your luggage at all times, refuse anyone who wants to carry it.

So my final thoughts on China: It was a bittersweet experience. I can't wait to get back to Seoul, where you don't need to put any bags or luggage through an x-ray machine at train stations. Yeah, if I didn't mention that earlier, every station here in Beijing requires you to put any bags or luggage you have through an x-ray machine. Pain in the ass. If I could sum up my first trip to China, those would be the words I'd use, along with Nightmare.

And my final thoughts on North Korea: I enjoyed the trip as much as I could, but there was always the thought of pity in the back of my head for all the people I saw. How could they live in the conditions they do and whole heartedly accept it as the best is anyone's guess, even for the people who've traveled outside the country. How they could come back from China and then go back to their regular lives is amazing. In my honest opinion, I don't really think many are happy with their lives, except for the ones who are very high up in the ruling party or military. The ones who are unhappy can't express it openly, otherwise they'd be sent to the concentration camps. It's my hope, one day that the North is liberated, cause I just don't feel good when I see people who can't live their full potential. Yes, life is unfair, but do these people really deserve this type of life?
And for all the people I know who complain and whine about not having the latest things and trends: Grow up! Take a trip there and then let's see if you keep whining for the latest trends and gadgets. We at least have heated shelters, stocked grocery shelves, electricity, decent public transportation, good health facilities, and freedom. These are just basic needs I listed off, I haven't even listed leisure activities or things we so readily waste and not give a damn about, when it would be considered luxury there. It doesn't make me feel well that we have so much and still somehow find room to complain and whine over sometimes the stupidest things, while they practically have nothing but can't complain or whine at all. They deserve every single right to whine, complain, and do anything and everything. We need to learn to shut up. If anything I've taken away from this trip, it's view the way we live in a whole different perspective. I'm not going to feel sorry or care too much for the West anymore. This trip has just reaffirmed my belief that we are a wasteful society and do no appreciate nor care for the small things we take for granted every day in life.
A small glimmer of hope for the future came from the people themselves. Even after 60 years of separation, they still refer to themselves as Korean, not North Korean or anything, just plain Korean. Some things never change, and in the end that will be extremely good.

I'll end my two weeks of blogging with an interesting story. My luggage was tagged with a customs inspection label upon arrival at Seoul Incheon. As you might expect, I was panicking a little. Had they found my North Korea things?? Turns out, the 3 toy model guns I had bought in China were flagged...thank god, cause if they had seen the North Korean things, I don't know how they would've reacted. Now I know not to put any thing that looks like a gun, even if it's a small toy model, in my checked luggage and instead just mail it home. If they reacted this way to some small toys, I don't know how they would've reacted to the North Korean flags, pins, books, and postcards. Surely I'd be pulled aside for more questioning.

What a way to end a trip though.

Day 194, North Korea/China day 8

First full day of freedom, so to say.
Started off the day with a good buffet style breakfast in the 4 star hotel were staying at. Heated and so much selection, no more frozen salami slices!! It's very unfortunate that half of our tour group is out sick. They were throwing up and just generally not feeling well. It's probably a bad case of food poisoning from the lunch on the train yesterday. So, our Dandong group turned into a 3 person tour. We started the tour with a visit to the "1 meter hop" which is China's equivalent to the DMZ, since at it's nearest point, the border with North Korea and China is just 1 meter apart. The real 1 meter hop was more upstream and there would be a fence and guards posted there. The part we saw though was just a shallow stream that was over a meter apart, but still very close to each other, you could just walk in the stream and be in North Korea. Of course that's not recommended at all since there are regular military patrols on both sides. After that, we walked another part of the Great Wall, tiring as usual, and soon after a visit to the Chinese Korean War memorial. What a difference from the North's version of events. I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but during the visit to the museum in the North, they never mentioned once how much the Chinese intervention saved them from complete collapse. All that was mentioned was how great Kim Il Sung led the North's counterattack against the US...obviously the Chinese museum was more truthful. Even the Chinese know the North began the war with the South and they don't hide that fact. They also don't hide the letter written personally by Kim Il Sung requesting assistance from China...overall it was very good, even learned the US had tried to use biological warfare against the Chinese too.
Lunch was at a North Korean restaurant but with Chinese amenities: heated, different dishes and with light. It was good and resembled more southern Chinese cuisine again, but I'm not an expert on this so ehh...
A cruise on the Yalu river was next, but the boat needed to be full first before departing, so the wait was a good opportunity for a rest/nap. It was good...(how many times have I used that already on this trip? :P) saw North Korea again and with it the slogans on the buildings. After we got back on land, we went on the half broken bridge.
The Korean half having been bombed by the Americans during the Korean War. And with that, the Dandong day tour ended. Now came the 14 hour overnight train journey to Beijing. Nathan will not be joining us on the train, too sick, so he opted for a flight out instead. In summary, 6 people arrived for the Dandong tour, 3 were sick and couldn't do anything for the tour, and in the end 5 will leave for Beijing on the train. I'd like to thank Mr. Shen for guiding us around Dandong. He was very informative on many things and was extremely polite and nice.

Day 193, North Korea/China day 7

Today the North Korea trip officially ends, but we'll still be taking the train out of the country so technically I'll still see more of North Korea. But by the end of the day, I'll be back in China in the city of Dandong. Finally will get a chance to check emails and jump ahead 20 years to the present again. Finishing the last breakfast in Pyongyang, I really didn't feel anything. In fact, almost everything we ate on this tour, it was almost the same type of set menu: meat, soup, potatoes, fish, rice, and occasionally noodles. There wasn't really anything traditionally Korean besides the bibimbap, some BBQ's, and Pyongyang cold noodles, everything else was completely western. For regular North Koreans, I'm sure what we had can only be considered a dream for them. Taking the train to Dandong was interesting, never took a sleeper car train before but they seem surprisingly roomy. Lots of false stops and go, and when I mean false stop, I mean the train slows down to a stop but then you're jolted from putting the brakes on to stop the train from going backwards, or just jolted going forward...Oh yeah and have I mentioned on how both China and North Korea are very smoky, as in cigarette smoky? I mean you just can't go anywhere in these two countries without someone lighting up a cigarette. I think I've shaved 5-10 years off my life just breathing the air. The ride through the countryside was all right. It's the same what I've seen from the trips to Mt. Myohyang and Kaesong/DMZ. There really isn't anything to see since it's winter and therefore barren land. Any structures look dilapidated but they still stand, haven't seen any collapsed ones. The only buildings that do look nice, are the ones that bear the picture of the Kim's. Going through customs was extremely easy, I was expecting my bag to be thoroughly searched, but our room/cabin wasn't searched at all. A guard just came and collected our customs forms, asked a few questions and that was it. It was a breeze compared to Canada or South Korea, but customs at these places won't take 2 hours since here, it's done by hand, there's no machine or anything. Crossing the bridge from North Korea into China, it was two worlds. Modern buildings and high rises in China, but absolutely none in Sinuiju, North Korea. Upon arrival, our small group who had decided to do a day tour of Dandong, got off here at the station and was greeted by out guide Mr. Shen, who has also been to North Korea over 100 times. That was it for him though, just guide, not spy or direct us. I missed the freedom. I don't need to worry about taking pictures of things and I can go anywhere without being watched. It was great to have a good dinner tonight again, not just the same potatoes, eggs, meat, etc. the dinner was more close to Cantonese cuisine than Northern Chinese. Also, there's lights on everywhere and heat too, no more random blackouts or unheated restaurants anymore!
Tomorrow will be the last official day of this entire trip, I can't say I'm looking forward to the 14 hr overnight train ride though...but after that it's off to Seoul!

Overall, China was ok and North Korea was very good. I would've enjoyed my trips more if it weren't for this cold I picked up in China. I would've enjoyed North Korea so much more if I weren't coughing and blowing my nose almost constantly. But the interesting part is, I barely got any better since I caught it...probably because of all the cigarette smoke I've been constantly inhaling and the fact I haven't eaten a real serving of fruit in 2 weeks. I'll be extremely happy getting back to Seoul, but it might feel weird as in being able to go wherever I want again instead of being watched and told where to go. I'll also miss seeing red letters and such on top of buildings bearing "Long live the 21st century son comrade Kim Jong Il!" or another revolutionary type slogan.

Day 192, North Korea day 6

Well last full day of the tour and I just found out that our group was featured on North Korean TV. We were shown paying our respects to Kim Jong Il a couple days ago.
Anyway, the itinerary today called for a tour of Kaesong and the DMZ. Looking forward to seeing it from the North side instead of the South just a few months ago.
Driving to the DMZ on this side was the same as from the South; checkpoints, lots of soldiers, etc. But I'll admit this side of the DMZ is more armed...I was also surprised to find out that Kaesong is the home of ginseng in North Korea or all of Korea, I forgot...
The visit to Panmunjom and the DMZ was nice, much better than the South's. There was no restriction on pictures while in the JSA (Joint Security Area), unlike in the South. From the South side, the officials there said no one was allowed to take pictures of the US-South Korean main building in the JSA...well I got my picture of it from the North side so ehh. Even got a shot of a couple soldiers from the South, but of course, all the US-ROK soldiers were in their building watching us.
We had a traditional type lunch, as in many small side dishes served with rice and soup. Also tried dog meat soup for the first time too! It was good and meaty, and now I know how Snoopy and Toto taste like xD
Visited the Koryo museum after, which was about the Koryo dynasty of Korea. Nothing really to be expected, it's like what you'd see in a historical place here in the South: artifacts, written scrolls, etc. There was a small recreation of what the inside of a royal tomb would look like. And after the visit to the museum, we did go and visit the tomb of King Kongmin, which is just one of the few tombs of a royal in the North, the majority being in the South. But like one of the reasons why all the tombs of the Joseon dynasty are world heritage sites, his tomb is exactly the same as all the other ones. A good example of uniformity when it comes to the royal tombs of the Kingdom of Korea. There were a few things missing though, like the spiked red gate, although, that may be only for Joseon dynasty tombs and not for the Koryo dynasty. It was interesting none the less since it's an original and not a rebuilt tomb. Oh and the drive back to Pyongyang, the highway had no cars at all. The last one I counted at least 70...With that, all major sites in North Korea have finished and the next major one will be back in China, on the border city of Dandong tomorrow.

I think the biggest thing I will take away from this trip will be a completely different view of North Korea. Yes, it has some major human rights issues, and yes most of the population live in complete poverty, but I've learned to take a different view on things. I've also learned not to judge so fast either or at least not until you have both sides of the story. The North Korean people are not evil, they just follow what to them is right, and for us from a Western perspective, is wrong. There was a question I wanted to ask Hannah, our Koryo tours leader, but didn't really get a chance, it was: how Koryo tours, or for that matter, anyone that deals with tourism in North Korea, know about the human rights issues or I'm sure they've thought about it at one point or another, keep their moralities in check while also gaining trust to help the Korean people? There is a fine line between morality and earning trust to help people under a regime.
It all comes down to this on what I've learned from North Korea, and Murat is connected with this: The people are not bad, it's just the government. And it's true.
This trip was tiring and at times boring and exciting, just like any other one I've taken. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone who wants to expand and open their minds. This also means I will come back again one day since I want to see and learn more.
I'll end with a thank you to our guides Ms. K, Mr. C, and our driver, Mr. P. They were very friendly and nice to us, and contrary to any of you that think they would be mean, angry, and wanted to indoctrinate us, you couldn't be further from the truth. I'd also like to thank my fellow tour mates, Dan, Thomas, Nathan, and especially Eva, for lending me 200 RMB. All of them and more, made this trip that much more better.