Edae or Ewha?

SEOUL | DAY 01

- on the bus -

One of the very useful and free iOS apps you should get when you are in Korea are:

• Naver Map (similar to Google map)

• Subway Korea

I used Naver Map and got on the bus to Edae metro station where Ewha Womans University is. At first, I thought the word 'Edae' was for the area the university is at. However, the word 'Edae' is actually short for 'Ewha Womans University (이화여자대학교)' pronouced Ehwa Yeoja Daehakgyo.

It was my first time taking the bus in Korea. I honestly ran to the bus stop, saw the bus I was supposed to take, jumped on, tapped my T-money card on the reader and got a seat way in the back. With my finger crossed and Naver map on, I hoped I was on the right bus.

The T-money system is really convenient. You can use the card to take the metro, AREX (metro to Gimpo and Incheon airports), bus, and buy stuff from the most convenient stores. On your way out, just tap the card on the reader next to the exit of the bus -- just like the way you do when you take the metro.

You can also use your card to pay for two people, but you just have to tell the bus driver. If you don’t speak Korean, use hand language.

Some Korean kids though sneaked on the bus through the exit when it’s really busy around the entrance and got on the bus for free. My friend told me that if they get caught doing that, they will face a huge fine.

- edae -

I finally got to Edae safe and sound without getting lost (Hooray!!)

It was pretty early in the morning, so there weren’t many people in Edae. Many shops were not open. I purposely went there in the morning to take pictures and avoid the crowd.

As I walked toward the Ewha Campus Complex (ECC), there were many college students running late to their classes or something. At Virginia Tech, I never ran to class even though I was 30 minutes late to my exam LOL.

Walking toward the ECC, this stunning building caught my eyes and pulled me to stop and look at its beauty for a while. Structure-wise, it seemed like any other buildings, but for some reason, I felt really peaceful looking at it. Maybe, it's because of the cross that made me felt that way.

After appreciating the building for a while, I continued walking toward the ECC.

- ecc -

ECC is an underground campus under the concept of merging the building into the hill. The building includes facilities for teaching, sports, and leisure. As I was writing this, I found from an article on ICON magazine that some students here even compared this to the parted Red sea that God split for Moses to walk through. The writer also presented a lot of interesting perspectives about the building, make sure to check it out before going there.

Notice that everyone was walking on the right side under the shade. Everyone seemed to be afraid of the sunlight here since people prefer having pale skin. It is very common to see a guy carrying a parasol here with no shame. I used to carry a parasol waling to class my freshman at Tech, but I got a lot of stares, so I stopped haha I now appreciate the tan though; it just makes me feel more athletic and outdoor.

Anyway, the place was nice and not crowded at all. Even though there were a good amount of students walking along the ramp, but they would soon disappear into the building.

Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University

I didn’t get to walk around the campus, because I had to meet my friend at 11AM for Jerusalem ministry meeting. It wasn't a bad idea at all to leave because on my way out, groups of tourists started to arrive and crowd the place. There were some middle school students here for field trip too. I suggest coming early to avoid the crowd, unless you want a lot of people photo-bombing your pictures.

On the way out to Edae Station, I was stopped by these little cuties.

I walked down the stairs to see what is hidden in this little alley, and it turned out to be a flower shop.

This shop is definitely a to-go place to get a cute bouquet for someone. I didn't take a picture because I didn't know if I was allowed to, so I just appreciated everything with my eyes. I think dried flower bouquet is a thing in Korea now. Nevertheless, I don’t have that ‘someone’, so window-shopping for me it was~

If you go into this alley, you will see shops where you can get some cute clothes for cheap price, and of course, cheap quality. If you're here to shop, don't come this early, or you will be disappointed.