Firsts, Lasts and a Tearful Goodbye

As my time here in South Korea sadly winds down, I am filled with both sadness and nostalgia to be writing my final blog post. It’s been an amazing adventure filled with countless experiences, memories, and friends that I will cherish forever. In my final post I will be chronicling my experience at a professional Korean baseball game, the final day trip of my study abroad to Suwon and finally finals. So, without further ado let me start writing before the waterworks get started.

Baseball, my beloved childhood sport that has filled countless hours of my life filled with literal blood, sweat and tears. I was graced with the opportunity to witness firsthand the craze filled subculture of Korean sports that was nothing short of an amazingly unique and fresh take on what can only be considered a dying sport. Before I start, I know what you’re thinking “omg he can’t seriously be writing about baseball, let alone categorizing it as “fun”, it’s a boring sport I can’t bear to watch.” And you know what I agree, even as someone who’s played and actually understands what’s going on I can admit that to a casual viewer it rivals only golf and soccer in the boredom to excitement ratio. While this remains true let me warn you that a jaded attitude like this could cause you to potentially miss out on an amazing Korean experience and a gem of an experience. What American baseball lacks in excitement and energy, Korean baseball has in spades. Allow me to explain…When you think of traditional baseball, I’m sure you envision lots of sitting and a tumultuous trudge through what seems like forever, but Korean’s have brought their trademark dramatic flair, pizzaz and showmanship to turn a three-hour long game into a spectacle which suspiciously seems like a K-Pop concert. From choreographed dances and songs for each player, light sticks, cheerleaders, and a hype man directing the crowd it’s quite easy to forget that you are at a sporting event and not a music festival! I for one loved it and I’m beginning to understand why baseball is so beloved in this country. With fun and inclusivity for all ages, an electric atmosphere, good food and of course peppy song and dance, baseball might have found a way to revive itself with real impact and staying power for generations to come!

Fast forward to the next day, bright and early Sunday morning, you could feel a bittersweet tingle in the air as I got ready to depart on what was likely my final day trip here in Seoul. With finals on the horizon and time running dangerously low I scrambled to explore the final place on my bucket list…Suwon! Famous for its historical setting with landmarks trademarked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the only city in Seoul that remains completely enclosed and walled as a fortress dating back to the Joseon dynasty. The mix of cultural history, and vibrant urban landscape has birthed an amazingly rich melting pot filled with everything from cultural demonstrations and street markets to tasty local specialty foods and everything in between. Let me give you a breakdown of my specially planned itinerary which was specially designed to hit all the main spots on Suwon on the most time efficient manner while also maximizing the amount of fun we could have:

1. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

2. Hwaseong Haenggung Palace

3. Flying Suwon (Hot Air Balloon)

4. Jidong Market

5. Suwon Yeongdong Market

6. Paldalmun Gate

7. Galleria Department Store

8. Kabojung (Famous Galbi Restaurant)

Usually, I give you both the highlights and lowlights as your local honesty broker but wow for this first time I can honestly say I have only positive feedback for you guys. I guess the fact that the weather was slightly hot made it a minor inconvenience to walk around but other than that minor annoyance the trip was spectacular! I know the cliche “you can smell the history” but real talk I actually understood what that saying meant for the first time in my life! The mix of a tranquil, distinguished dare I say regal air surrounding the historical landmarks combined with the cleanliness you can’t find in metropolitan Seoul, and a youthful exuberance from the many trendy cute cafes and shops lining the city was such a calming, relaxing and welcome energy I have been dearly missing. My definite favorites of the day were the hot air balloon that hovers of the city giving you 360 degrees of unobstructed view of the entire city! For a measly ₩18,000 you get the best view of Suwon let alone one of the best views in Seoul entirely. Even as someone with a fear of heights there were moments when the panoramic landscape allowed me to forget about my fears for a brief second and I felt what I can only imagine was peace. Secondly, the famous galbi at Kabojung was truly a spectacle in every instance of the word. Quick disclaimer the prices are a little bit on the pricier side but definitely crack open your piggy bank for this one guys it is 10000% worth it! To be honest I am not entirely sure when and why Suwon became so popular for their galbi but it was hands down my best galbi experience here in Korea by a long shot! As someone who also works in an upscale KBBQ restaurant back home I can appreciate the little things that often go unnoticed to the common eye. Things such as the high-tech grill that is smokeless and accounts for an even grill cooking time, the masterful way the severs cooked the meat to a perfect medium rare or to your specified desired cooking temperature and just all the little things that often go unnoticed but subconsciously factor in to how you perceive your dining experience. Finally, the icing on the cake the crème de la crème was the lavishly decadent amount of side dishes that I kid you not, came by the tray load. Every single possible vegetable or traditional Korean side dish was prepared in every delectable way possible. I could have had a big bowl of rice and eaten the side dishes my themselves as my dinner, IT WAS THAT GOOD!! But let’s get back to the main star of the show l, the Korean Hanwoo galbi. Dubbed as the Korean version of Japanese wagyu I can see where it gets its nickname. Personally, the two meats don’t compare in my book but for a fraction of the cost of top-quality Japanese wagyu it’s definitely an experience everyone should try at least once. The galbi doesn’t exactly melt in your mouth with the buttery richness that is the hallmark of Japanese wagyu, but the juiciness and delicate mouthfeel was definitely no slouch. I think I might’ve gone into a mini food coma after since I fell asleep on the metro home, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. With my tranquility/peace barometer refilled and Hanwoo galbi and delicious side dishes in my stomach it was the perfect end to a perfect day!

…and then finals hit…the final obstacle I had to conquer during my study abroad here in South Korea. I had a total of 1 project, 3 examinations and 1 response paper to round out my academics here at Yonsei University. From my previous midterm post you already know how I tackled my studying, so I won’t bore you with going through it a second time. Let me just fast forward to recapping my experience. Exams were slightly more rigorous the second time around but there’s something about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel which always seems to push me through. With a minor case of anxiety and loads of caffeine in my system I tackled finals with my best foot forward. I find it’s always best to always keep a positive attitude and mindset throughout the whole exam taking process. At the end of the day finals don’t always accurately dictate your level of understanding and learning undergone in a course so just keep your head up, smile, try your best and try not to dwell on it too much! Just always keep in mind that you’re a student representing both the University of Hawaii and the Shidler College of Business during your time abroad so keep your best foot forward and uphold the reputation previous students have set for you!

To round out my time here in South Korea I’ll be knocking off the final restaurants and activities I want to experience before I return home as well as what I imagine will be an extensive souvenir hunt for friends and family! I am filled with both excitements to return home but also nostalgia as I close a chapter on such a memorable time in my life. I will cherish all the memories and friends I made during my study abroad here in South Korea eternally and once again I would like to thank Rikki, Clare, Kathy, the Freeman Foundation, and everyone else who has aided me during this whole process, I owe you all my thanks for making a childhood dream come true!

For those of you if any who have been following my time here thank you for sticking around, I hope you enjoyed my nonsensical caffeine fueled ramblings. To future Derren who will probably be reading this again at some point in the future, I hope you haven’t lost your sense of adventure and that you’re traveling as much as you possibly can, and most of all I especially hope you’re still in touch with the close friends you made during your time here and you followed through and went on that Japan reunion trip like you planned! Well…I guess the time is finally right…signing off officially for the final time here at Yonsei University in Seoul South Korea! Until next time, see you around! :)

<3

Derren