Chusuk (Thank's Giving) is one of the biggest holidays in Korea and a time when most people go back to their hometowns and celebrate the day with family and relatives. This special Chusuk activity was planned one month in advance, however only 3 students were fortunate to join us for the activity. Some students decided to travel to celebrate the lovely weather and the holiday, while others spent the day with their host families in their hosts' hometowns.

The students, accompanied by Lydia Kim (WLE staff), decided to take advantage of exploring the city with fewer people. The first place visited was City Hall. Lighter than normal traffic, and a virtually empty Sejongro (one of the busiest roads in Seoul), confirmed that many of the people had returned to their hometowns.

Chusuk events, such as making Dduk (rice cakes) and traditional paper events, were offered in City Hall, however lines were long. Alternately, students chose to participate in the clothes dying activity. Each student received a white scarf and was able to choose their favorite colors among yellow, pink, red and blue. Colored dyes were made from wild fruits and vegetables making them harmless to humans and the environment. Steve chose yellow, Ping chose pink, and Linda picked blue.

Making Rice Cake	Making Traditional paper	Yellow for Steve

Although students did not have the chance to try to make rice cakes, they were happy with the Chusuk souvenir from Seoul . When the scarves were almost dry, music was heard from Deoksugung across from city hall. A large crowd was gathering to hear the music and the group joined in. Many people were wearing the traditional Korean dress called "Hanbok" Ping found two adorable girls wearing Hanbok and asked them for a photo!

Perfect match, Steve & Ping	Steve & Ping with Korean girls

When we arrived at Deokhongjeon (the main hall), we saw that a group of farmers was tuning their instruments for a performance. In the country, it has long been a tradition to celebrate Chusuk with music from local bands made up of farmers, called "Nongak". The band that was performing was not made up of farmers but people who love Nongak music. A wide age range was included in the band, from children to the elderly, with the children joining in with their parents and grandparents. This particular Nongak band only meets once in a while to practice, though no one would have known by their performance. The performance lasted about 2 hours, with the crowd participating in dancing, singing, or clapping their hands. When the main performance is done, there is always an opportunity for the band and members of the audience to dance together. WLE students enjoyed the opportunity of learning a traditional farmer's dance as well.

Nongak performance 1	Nongak performance 2	Linda tries to join the Nongak team

Insa-dong, located in the middle of Seoul , is one of the important places where old, precious and traditional goods are on display. This interesting district displays not only traditional but also contemporary arts and is quickly becoming one of the most visited tourist destinations in Seoul . In Insa-dong there is one main road with many alleys on each side, where one can see many galleries, traditional restaurants and teahouses, cafes, etc. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups since there are things offered for everyone.

On a beautiful winter day, Maiko ( Japan ) and Carmen ( Malaysia ) met up for sightseeing in Insa-dong and also for a Korean tea break.

Maiko (Japan) & Carmen (Malaysia) look at a traditional stationary store	Carmen (Malaysia) is fascinated by Korean ceramics	Starbucks is written in Hangul (Korean language) and has a traditional interior

Since it was the first time visiting Insa-dong for both, they were very excited to see various traditional stores, and the "performances" given by shop workers to draw customers. They could not take their eyes off the people making traditional rice candy on the street. The candy is made from a block of hard honey, which is stretched several times until it becomes hundreds of thin threads. The technique was fascinating. The candy makers also impressed the students with their knowledge of foreign languages. They were given a big round of applause, and the students bought some of their handiwork. The rice candy was very soft, sweet, nutty, and delicious!

In the middle of the street, there were booths set up where workers from a local bank were volunteering and making Kimchi. Kimchi is a popular dish native to Korea , and is made with cabbage, chili powder, spices, etc. The students were very happy with this unexpected event and were able to taste fresh Kimchi and green tea!

Splendid skills of the rice candy sellers	Tasting fresh Kimchi	Carmen & Maiko at the Kimchi making event

Next, they reached Ssamzie Gil. 'Ssamzie Gil' Mall is located in the center of the main street of Insa-dong and is a Mecca for marketable art. Here one can find home accessories, hand-dyed fabrics, one-of-a kind jewelry or handbags, and "cool" not "kitschy" souvenir items.

The six-story mall is constructed of wood, stone and glass and has an open rectangular plan. Interspersed throughout are installation artworks that sometimes serve as a display for items on sale. This day, works by pop artist Andy Warhol and a young Korean artist were on display. There were several interesting places to stop for coffee or tea. The students took a break from shopping and had a snack on the top level roof-top terrace, soaking up the city views and sunshine. This unique shopping center clearly demonstrates the importance of art and how art intermixes with commerce.

When the Insa-dong tour was finished, it was already evening. Everyone decided to have dinner together in a famous Korean BBQ restaurant. The wait time was 20 minutes, but the time was passed in animated conversation about the day's events, and things seen in Insa-dong. When the table was ready, everyone had a seat. The restaurant had a heated-floor (Ondol) in the typical Korean style. Maiko commented, "I like the Korean serving style. It is always plentiful. I think it shows Korean culture, too." The rest of the evening was spent discussing Korean culture, food, and people... with a delicious dinner.

Carmen & Maiko in Ssamzie Gil	Looking down Ssamzie Gil building from the top floor	We love Korean BBQ

Since the students arrived before the beginning of the class, they passed the time by collecting information on traveling and Korea culture in the lobby with some hot green tea.

The Hanji craft class was started with the question "What is Hanji and the history of Hanji in Korean life?" According to the lecturer, Hanji was once used in various ways in Korean day-to-day life such as in notebooks, lamp shades, Korean folk houses and many home crafts. Hanji is made from Oak trees and the process requires great skill. The durability of well-made Hanji is maximum 1000 years. The color of Hanji is usually light Ivory but is sometimes dyed several colors by fruits, berries etc. Currently, many Korean people are interested in traditional Hanji and Hanji crafts and the history of it is attractive paper, though mostly modern paper is now used.

listening to the lecture about the history of Korean culture & Hanji	Teachers help and explain the points of Hanji craft	Carmen (Malaysia) is absorbed making the basic box cap

WLE students decide to make jewelry boxes since these are recommended for beginners. They start by assembling parts into the box form. When finished making the box, they glue beautiful Hanji pieces onto them. This process is slightly complicated and requires delicate hands. To remove air between the Hanji and the box, the students press over the glued Hanji firmly several times. After this is done, a sleek surface is obtained on the jewelry boxes. After waiting until it was dry, the students then put a coat of varnish on top to preserve it.

Andrew and Carmen both commented that it was really worth it to make the traditional Hanji craft and also learn about traditional Korean daily life.

Andrew (USA) pressing over the Hanji rapidly on his box	Wow! We made it!	"I put a green tea candy in my own Korean jewelry box!" (Carmen)

Dak (Chicken)- Galbi (BBQ) is one of the most popular Korean dishes and Chuncheon in Kangwon province is known as the Hometown of Dak-galbi. There is evidence that Koreans enjoyed BBQ chicken from 1,400 years ago in Sinra Dynasty. The Chuncheon City Council researched the origins of Dak-galbi to emphasize the originality of the dish. According to this research, the Chuncheon style Dak-galbi was first introduced by Mr Kim Yong-Seok in 1960. He ran a Pork BBQ restaurant in Chuncheon city at that time and because of the pro-democracy movement throughout the nation in 1960, he had difficulty getting pork for the restaurant. Instead, he cooked chicken with the same sauce he used for the pork and realized the taste was good for chicken as well.

In front of the restaurant	The famous Chuncheon Dak-galbi	Everyone is ready to have Dalgalbi

Cheers for Dakgalbi!	Always happy ‘Won’

To celebrate the end of the year, a group (Maiko, Carmen, Andy, Won and WLE staff) gathered in Jongro for Dak-galbi. By the time we got there, we noticed that the restaurant was full but were lucky to be seated without too much of a wait. Only one menu is offered for Dak-galbi and then side dishes are chosen (vegetables, noodles, etc) to cook with Dak-galbi. We ordered a mixture of vegetables. Won had tried Dak-galbi before, but it was the first time the others had tried it. The amount of food on the pan surprised us and it took bit of time to cook Dak-galbi.

The tasty Dak-galbi was incredible. Won loves Soju (Korean Jin) and could not pass up the opportunity of ordering a few bottles in his fluent Korean.

The restaurant was very packed and there was not any space between us and the next table, though we did not mind. Everyone enjoyed Dal-galbi night and talked about going to Chuncheon city to try the original!

Name: Diane Tai Country of Residence: Shanghai, China Citizenship: Taiwan Profession: Student Education Background: High School Student Language Spoken: English & Chinese Hobbies: Reading, Eating, Watching movies

Why did you decide to study Korean Language?
Because I would like to work for Samsung in the future as my career and I really like the Korean culture, music, places and people.

How are you finding your studies in Korea?
I really had a wonderful time of staying in Korea for one month. Although I really wish that this could have lasted longer. I also found myself having a big improvement in Korean language.

How do you like Seoul?
Seoul is perhaps my favorite city; so romantic, crowded and full of convenience.

What do you find most interesting in Seoul?
Jjimjilbang (Korean Sauna)!! It was one of my favorites!!

How has your experience in Korea changed you, if it has?
I have learnt to become more independent and of course have had a big expansion on my knowledge of the Korean language.

How did you like your accommodation?
Staying with a host family was a very good idea. I had a fun time communicating with them and they are all very nice!!

Tell us a few memorable experiences in Seoul/ Korea.
Visiting different museums and palaces was quite amazing. Jjimjilbang was also an unforgettable experience.

What is the thing you like best about Seoul/ Korea?
That it is very convenient!!

Will you come to Seoul again?
Yes, most definitely!!

Please tell us your experience with a language exchange partner. Did the language exchange program help you improve our Korean language skills?
I really had a great time with my exchange partner. She is a wonderful sister. We met up frequently and talked about cultural differences. I helped her with reading English and she helped me to understand more about the Korean language and culture!!

What advice/tips would you give to others who plan to come and study in Korea?
1. Do not bring too many clothes from where you come from because you might go back with overloaded luggage.
2. Must try all the Korean food.