Meeting New Friends & Experiencing Seasons

 Near the end of March was the beginning of the cherry blossom season here in Korea. The weather started getting warmer but the air also felt a little suffocating. On the day my friends and I visited the river where we could see the early blooms in Gangnam, the sky was noticeably foggy and the air felt too dry to breathe. 


Cherry blossoms at KU science campus


I never experienced living in an area with changing seasons since Hawaii is always hot throughout the year. When I saw flowers starting to bloom in the trees and bushes that were once dead, it was so beautiful that it felt like I was walking down a flower aisle at school. But sadly it doesn't forever as they quickly die and become green. 

The flower view on campus

Studying on a bench on campus

It was shocking to know cherry blossoms can't last more than two weeks, a friend I met from New Zealand said their blossoms can last a month. The short time I lived in Korea from March to April was one of the best memories ever. Besides the beautiful flowers, I was able to meet many new faces through Kuba and orientation. 

 With a local friend, he took us to a go-to spot for cherry blossom photos. It was my first hang out with people outside my Hawaii circle. It was also the first time I ate Korean barbeque.



 









KU has a tradition on April 1st, you dress in your old school uniform and eat black bean noodles outside




Since the weather got nicer and we no longer needed to wear puffers, my friends and I went back to Han River and ate ramen. Then, we rented bikes to explore Yeouido Park. 

It was my first time riding a bicycle since middle school so after a rough start I was able to get the hang of it. 


Around this time, I started exploring the city more and visited many cute cafes. The cafe culture here is very big, in a day you can go to 2-3 and still have many more to go to for the next month. I think cafe hopping is one of the events you can do in Korea as they are very creative with their ideas and style. 



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