The long awaited Korea University IPSELENTI school festival was beyond expectations! In Korea, most schools have a yearly festival, in which they invite famous artists to perform, as well as students from the school. It is also an opportunity to cheer and have fun with other Korea University students. The festival lasts all day up until around 10pm. Students buy tickets for this festival weeks in advance since they sell out quite quickly.
The artists invited were Chungha, 10cm, and Seventeen, among a few others.ย I do not think I can even describe what it felt to be a part of IPSELENTI. The entire field was a sea of people wearing red, all singing our school cheers and singing along to the artists that came. It reminded me so much of the Korea-Yonsei games last semester, where we also cheered late into the night in the streets in front of Korea University. I think events
like these, where all students join together to have fun are the highlight of my study abroad experience. during both IPSELENTI and the Korea-Yonseiย games I met so many people. It did not matter who you were, if they knew you or not, if you were Korean or a foreigner. Random people just asked to join your cheering circle and became friends from there.
Also, I went to Jeju Island! Jeju Island is an island that is still part of Korea. It is only a one-hour plane ride away from Seoul, but as soon as you land it feels like you are in another country. It is jokingly known as “Korea’s Hawaii”, mainly because of the fact that there are palm trees there. Mainland Korea does not have any palm trees at all, but Jeju Island is full of them. While there we visited famous beaches and natural landmarks like Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls, Gimyeong Beach, and the Manjanggul Lava Tube.
One of the interesting things about Jeju Island is that it was formed by a volcano, hence the island is characterized for by black, porous, volcanic rock everywhere. The island is far from the usual hustle and bustle that I am now accustomed to in Seoul. Everything flows, slower, buses take longer, andย people seem more friendly and talkative when they actuallyย have time to stop and take their time, which is enjoy. Also, if you are a seafood lover I highly recommend going to Jeju Island. Jeju is famous for all kinds of seafood dishes. Among these dishes is one that I do not recommend to the faint of heart, where you have a pot of seafood broth with all kinds of seafood in it, and then they throw a whole live octopus into it, right in front of you. Now, I did not eat it because I am
quite squeamish about these sorts of things and did not want to watch an octopus die in such a way, but friends who have tried it say that it is the most delicious seafood you can have! In summary, my trip to Jeju Island was the perfect way to relax before I needed to start studying for final exams, which I am doing right now… that is another story!