Hey, everyone. Sang-o, here.
After Singapore, the Dins headed to Seoul, South Korea! For several of the Dins, including Andrew, Peter, and me, this meant a brief but amazing few days to visit family. Landing in Incheon Airport late at night, we were warmly greeted by relatives, including some of my family and grandparents, and then were promptly bussed into the city proper where we checked into a traditional Korean house, called a hanok.
A con-din-gent visiting the National Palace!
The next morning was a lazy one, as many of the Dins attempted to recover from a tiring flight and an intense week in Singapore. In the afternoon, a contingent broke off to explore Korean history by visiting Gyeongbokgung National Palace right next door and sampling the local bibimbap, a rice dished mixed with assorted vegetables, beef, and red pepper paste! I *ahem* knowing Seoul like the back of my hand - just kidding -, decided to split off and meet a few of my college friends across the Han River at the bustling Gangnam Station, where I indulged myself with traditional spicy rice cakes and the popular shaved ice dessert bingsu for a glorious few hours.
A photo of a traditional bowl of Bibimbap.
Photo by Brian Rolincik #240
The Dins all sharing a wonderful meal together.
Photo by Eli Troen #250
Later that night, the Dins headed to the Han River where we had secured an exclusive concert venue at the Cruise 378. In an intimate restaurant setting, the Dins regaled an audience of family and friends with a night of jazz and comedy to remember. After weeks of performing for mostly strangers, it was a truly special opportunity to sing for loved ones and give them an up-close look at my college experience.
The following day, the Dins visited Peter’s high school alma mater in Yongin, a nearby city, for yet another special performance reminiscent of our time in Wohlen, Switzerland! After our "Up Close and Personal", we had the chance to exchange stories with the students about their Korean high school education and our American college experience. As always, it was incredibly uplifting to watch the students warm up to us as we entertained them with comical anecdotes from our time at Harvard.
That night, we were treated to a wonderful dinner by Andrew's parents, eating everything from bibimbap to kimchi and Heugimja-juk, a black sesame soup, It was great getting to share some of the food I grew up with with all of the Dins.
Though only in Seoul for two full days (plus extra hours in the airport!), we really had an amazing time, dotted with family members treating us to dinners and wonderful performances. I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up our time in Asia! Now, off to Sydney!
Sang-o Park #249