온지 일주일 됐어

During Friday lesson, we were taught two new grammars.
The first was the application of (ㄴ/는)다면 and 라면. The other was the usage of (으)며. I just like the way the teachers at IIE explained the grammars. They explained with so much clarity and I actually understood them despite them speaking in Korean. An interesting term which I picked up during class was "월요병" (Monday illness). It is used to describe people who show sign of lethargy or lack of concentration on Monday.

In the evening, we visited Ewha Womans University (이화여대-梨花女大) and shopped at the streets at its vicinity. I shall just let the pictures do the talking.

After exiting from I-dae Station, we walked down this road towards Ewha.

It was a Friday evening and students were streaming out from the university.

You cannot miss this leisure complex located just outside Ewha

Ewha Womans University. The church sitting on the hilltop can be seen from afar. The university can be reached by alighting at I-dae station (이대역) and taking a 5 mins walk.

There was a performance that evening and students were seen pasting posters in front of the church.

Activity posters pasted on a wall inside the university campus

The main gate of the university decorated with colourful boards.

The streets in the vicinity of Ewha-dae are dedicated to selling women apparel and accessories.

Besides Myeongdong and Dongdaemun, streets in the vicinity of Ewha-dae are also an ideal place for shopping.

A stainless steel sculpture in front of the Migliore mall at Sinchon. Saw that outdoor stage behind? Every Migliore mall I came across in Seoul has an outdoor stage for performance and promotion.

Megabox, a multiplex inside Migliore. The interior decor is very stylist.

A stall selling the snack 닭꼬치 or chicken on a skewer. It is very much like chicken satay back in Singapore except that it comes in a much bigger stick. There was no peanut gravy to go with it. Instead we have chilli and mustard sauce squeezed directly onto it. It cost 1,500won ($2.50) per stick.

An automated grilling machine takes away the need to flip the sticks ever so frequently. The chicken on a skewer looked and tasted yummilicious.

Back at I-dae station. This station is so much nicer than most of the other stations in Seoul which tend to look gloomy.

현지학습(일)

There was no lesson today. We had our first full-day field trip. The day programme was as follow:

0840: 출발 / Departure
1000-1200 : 이천 도예촌 / Icheon Pottery Village
1220-1300 : 점심식사 / Lunch
1330-1430 : 수원캠퍼스 / Suwon Campus
1500-1630 : 한국민속촌 / Korean Folk Village
1800: 학교 도착 / Arrival

Pottery Making At Icheon Pottery Village

The morning we arrived at Icheon Pottery Village the whole place was covered in white snow. The place was able to retain much of the snow that fell the day before as outdoor temperature in rural area tends to be much lower than that of city area.

The house where our pottery making workshop was conducted.

At the pottery village, we were first given a brief on the art of pottery making. The brief was conducted in Korean so I did not quite understand what the pottery master was saying. I just stared at the pictures projected on the screen and guessed his words. The next thing we did was to paint a mug that was already prepared for us. I didn't see that anyone among us was talented enough to paint a masterpiece out of the mug. The painting session was more of a "warm-up" before we got to do something "serious" like making pottery. After the mug was painted, it would be sent to the furnace. We should receive the finished products before our course ends.

We were painting on a mug that was prepared for us.

Before we proceed with pottery making, food and beverage were served. Mind you, Icheon Pottery Village is a tourist attraction so it is expected that they will take good care of their customers. After a short rest, we started with our pottery making by first rolling and cutting out a base from a block of clay. After that, we applied layer after layer of clay that came in the form of "clay stick".

A closer look at the materials we used to make our pottery ware.

After each layer of clay was laid, we had to spread and filled up the gap in between the layers. When enough layers were applied, the shape of a container appeared and the end-product would be sent into the furnace to complete it. An interesting "reward" of this trip would be that we will get to keep our one-of-its-kind "masterpiece".

We were each creating a pottery ware of different shape and size.

Lunch At Gojumong

We had our lunch at Gojumong (고주몽화로구이) located somewhere in between Icheon and Suwon. The food we ate was grilled pork ribs (돼지갈비). We had to grill the pork ribs ourselves though once in a while the waitress would help us with it. When the waitress was around she would help us cut the pork ribs into smaller pieces and remove the charred portion. The waitress would also help to change the wire gauze on the griller whenever it was charred. After all the effort, the grilled pork tasted sweet and flavourful. The lunch was delicious but we had to have it quick as we were running short of time. It was so rush that not everyone got to eat the cone of ice cream given out as dessert. When I returned to the coach, I heard the coach driver ajeosshi saying, "빨리 시간 없어요" (quickly, there is no time).

Gojumong Flame-Grill restaurant.

Inside Gojumong. One griller was to be shared with four people.

Not too sure if that was meant to be salad but I ate like it was salad.

The side dishes to go along with the grilled pork ribs.

The griller. The wire gauze was changed whenever it was charred.

The pork ribs sizzling on the griller and tempting the empty stomachs.

Visit To Kyung Hee University's Suwon Campus

Our immediate destination after lunch was the Suwon campus of Kyung Hee University. The campus is located in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do province. The main entrance to the Suwon campus was grander than the Seoul campus. Unfortunately, the coach did not stop for us to take pictures. Suwon campus, as compared to Seoul campus, was also much bigger in size. It was so big that students need to queue up for free in-campus shuttle bus service to get around the campus. After alighting from the coach, we were brought directly to the Hye Jung Museum (혜정박물관) located at level four of the Central Library.

Walking up the steps leading to the Central Library.

Who am I and who are you? Think and all answers are within.

A view of the Philosopher's Square.

Inside the University Administration Hall and the Central Library

A whole wall made up of colourful stained glass.

Newspaper reading corner.

This museum is the first in the world that dedicates its effort towards collecting ancient maps. In particular, its interest lies in collecting the ancient maps of Korea. The study of ancient maps, as we were told, will contribute towards recognising the original boundary of the Korean peninsula. The information shown on ancient maps can also play an important role in resolving territorial disputes. We were first shown a coporate video of the museum.

Waiting for the museum director to arrive.

Something interesting came out from the video. The Sea of Japan was actually known as the Sea of Corea in the ancient maps. The sea, east of the Korean peninsula, was only renamed the Sea of Japan after Korea lost its sovereignty to Japan in the early 20th century. It was a stark reminder that things you cannot protect are not for you to keep.

Inside the Hye Jung Museum, a museum of ancient maps.

We were brought for a tour of the museum after watching the video. The tour was conducted in Korean and Japanese so there wasn't much thing that I could understand during the tour. The museum was not big and in about half an hour the tour was completed. As we walked out of the Central Library, it started to snow again. Our next stop was the Korean Folk Village.

한국민속촌

The Korean Folk Village is one tourist attraction that is worth visiting. I really like their attention to details. I was pleasantly surprised to see live animals like cows, chickens and horses raised in the backyard. To be assured that those were not props, the stench of the cow droppings could be smell from afar. There were also real people in traditional costume sitting inside the room of the traditional house peddling wares like baskets and knives. But what left a deep impression in me was that they were able to create that sense of simpleness and tranquility of a traditional folk village. You can find out more information about the place in their official website.

At the main entrance to the Korean Folk Village. It was snowing then.

Farmer is the originator of the world . I guess the banner means that.

Bundle of crops were hanging from the roof to dry.

Entering a courtyard.

The old man was peddling something but I was not sure what it was.

Why do we need fences? House without fences looks more neighbourly.

A well-trodden village road.

A cart full of firewood ready to be towed.

A garden sitting quietly at one end of the village.

Simplicity and harmony with nature are beauty.

The main entrance of the Provincial Government Office.

A magnolia tree about to bloom in the courtyard.

One of the small exits of the Provincial Government Office.

A small stream that ran through the village gave life to it.

A poem carved on a rock. I wish I could read what was written on it.

A waterwheel. Can you see the ice that was formed on the rocks?

Water fowls seen on the stream gave a sense of tranquility.

The water fowls seemed to like attention from people.

Water cascading down the rocks. Wouldn't you like to live in this place?

A view of serenity and tranquility.

Back at the main entrance after sightseeing in the village for 1 hour.

Kyunghee's coach waiting for us at the Korean Folk Village's carpark.