“With the warmth of late summer, I finally set my first step in South Korea- a destination that had long been on my bucket list”
Embarking on a journey to study in Korea has been an exciting experience for me and I am grateful for these amazing four months. Representing my home country Nepal, a nation renowned for its multicultural heritage- at Seoul National University provided me an opportunity to explore more about Korean culture. With the wider path of academic opportunities, I cannot deny about Korea’s rich and dynamic culture. In addition to fostering academic opportunities in the field of sports, DTM has offered remarkable experience in different extra activities regarding food, culture, tradition, sports and so on which reflects Korean culture. Visiting Namsang Hanok Maeul was one of the unique experiences that allowed me to dive deep into the essence of Korean Culture. Exploring the traditional hanok house and wearing Korea’s traditional attire hanbok was the highlight of the trip. Surrounded with the calming beauty of Namsang Mountain, Hanok houses showcases the Korea’s traditional architecture and dressing myself with colorful and elegant hanbok outfit took me back to the period of Jonseon era.
Being a huge fan of Korean Dramas since my early teens, walking around the village wearing hanbok felt like a character in a historical drama. During the trip, activities like learning to make traditional bow and arrow, playing tuho (arrow- throwing) with my classmates created the bond of joy and connection as it was at the beginning of the semester.
houses showcases the Korea’s traditional architecture and dressing myself with colorful and elegant hanbok outfit took me back to the period of Jonseon era. Being a huge fan of Korean Dramas since my early teens, walking around the village wearing hanbok felt like a character in a historical drama. During the trip, activities like learning to make traditional bow and arrow, playing tuho (arrow- throwing) with my classmates created the bond of joy and connection as it was at the beginning of the semester.
As I bid farewell to my homeland, a small part of me wondered if I would miss the weather, culture and food from my country. But, the natural surroundings and peaceful atmosphere with cultural flavor instantly remined me of Nepal. Combination of both nature and tradition holds spiritual significance which is much like my country. So, in a way, I’m not much missing my home haha!!
Blending into the Korean culture has been more than an academic pursuit. From occupying myself in academic opportunities to engaging in cultural activities, every moment has broadened my perspective towards importance of preserving culture and tradition of the country. Despite being in foreign land, I found unexpected similarities between Nepal and South Korea which has reinforced the idea that, no matter where you go, shared tradition and human connections make any place feel like home.
By Nabina Budhathoki(12th Batch)
