Week 1

My first week in Seoul has been an incredible culinary, architectural, and social experience. On the first day, I learned about the famous Korean convenience stores—the “hype” is real. I encountered a group of students from Canada who were studying abroad and, with the group of Syracuse students I know from the architecture program (and who are here with me), met a cohort of Yonsei University students with whom we will be studying this semester. With other students and alone, I have tried countless delightful pastries, soups, meat plates, and breakfast sandwiches. And most impactful to me, I have seen a world of architectural design that I could not previously imagine. Materials, details, and proportions all live here in a way unlike any other place I have lived before. This week has been quite a bit of settling in and learning, too: the subway system and public buses, the greeting customs, and the idea of not tipping after a meal—I definitely don’t mind saving that extra money, though!