Senior's Soulful Adventures in Seoul

  • High School
Nidhi P. ('23) and Jiwon S. ('24)


  This year’s seniors were the first to go overseas for their senior school trip. Interviewing the seniors, it seems like they had an enjoyable time in Seoul. A couple of seniors agreed, saying that it was cool and felt good to be the first batch of seniors to go to Korea. They also talked about how different the reality was from their expectations. Their initial assumptions were that students would be under strict rules and as many do not speak Korean, they would encounter difficulties exploring the country. However, it was much more fun than anticipated and they received help from their Korean friends to get around, like the street market.

Part of their new experience was all the different places they got to visit, such as the restaurants and cafes, cultural sights and historical monuments. As soon as they arrived in Seoul they had lunch at a Korean barbeque restaurant, which is a big part of Korean cuisine. The next day, they visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the most famous and popular sightseeing places of Korea’s history. They also got to go on a breathtaking cruise on the Han River and shopped at a local market. Jessica P. (12) said, “Many of my friends and I thought that the colorful inner part of the place was very impressive.'' On the third and final day, they had the opportunity to visit another palace, as well as visit the Seoul Namsan tower. Every day, the seniors were given several hours of free time to roam around Seoul with their group of friends, and have a fun time to engage in activities that they wanted.

 

Although Japan and South Korea may seem quite similar due to the fact that they are geographically close, cultures are heavily influenced by one another's and have a somewhat similar political system, the seniors felt that there were still a couple of differences. Firstly, the Korean etiquette differed slightly from the Japanese etiquette, which is reputed to be overwhelmingly polite. Still, the Koreans undoubtedly were friendly and showed gestures of kindness. Another significant difference between the two countries included the fact that the food in Korea was much spicier than what we have in Japan. A big part of travelling somewhere different is about making memories that will last forever and enjoying them with your friends, which is exactly what the seniors did. For instance, the girls all went on a breathtaking cruise on their second day, which to Maanya C. (12), was “the most memorable moment on the trip.” For Jessica, it was all about “enjoying the time with her friends, and being able to try new things, like a Korean drink.”

This trip can be deemed a successful one, since everyone arrived safely back to Japan, and in high spirits. We hope the batches who will travel abroad next year and in the years to come will also have a nice trip. 

  • #korea
  • Seniors
  • features

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