부산 Day 1 - 26/10/13

안녕하세요 부산! Hello Busan!

We said goodbye to our parents today and boarded the plane to Seoul today at midnight. We were all bubbling with excitement at Changi Airport while we were waiting for our flight. It was a 6 hour flight from Singapore to Incheon Airport and we were all eager to see what awaited us in South Korea. 

When we arrived at Incheon Airport, our first impression was that it was modern, just like Singapore. We boarded the bus and set off for Seoul KTX Station. During the journey, we observed the different kinds of bridges such as the suspension bridge. Ms Doreen Tan pointed out the structure of one of the bridges - It was triangular so that it could provide more support. It's indeed an engineering feat. 

Soon after we arrived at Busan Station. The KTX Train ride from Seoul to Busan was indeed an Eye-Opening experience. The KTX Train in Korea differs from the local MRT in many ways, from its design to its services, so were extremely eager to board the KTX Train. Despite an unforeseen power failure, the KTX Train staff efficiently handled the issue and we departed on time.

We noticed the gradual change in landscape from urban to rural and back to urban again. Along the way, we also saw how land reclamation is used in Korea to increase land space, just like Singapore. The view from the top of the Busan Tower was magnificent. Although we were tired and worn out due to the lack of sleep in the airplane, going up the tower was worth while. We saw many skyscrapers and an ongoing project of land reclamation near the tower. It seems like Korea is very advanced in Science and Technology and they have used them strategically to make full use of their land space within the South Korean boundary. 

The famous Jagachil Market in Korea sold a diverse variety of seafood. It was pretty similar to our wet market in Singapore, but it specialized all types of seafood. Many of the fish species sold there can't be found in Singapore so it was indeed an eye-opener for us. There were fish that were as long as an arm’s length and spider crabs that were bigger than our heads. Today’s buffet dinner (at a Korean restaurant located on the 6th floor of the Jagachil Market) was an interesting experience. There was a wide selection of meat and fresh seafood that came from the market below. In addition, there was also a huge spread of Korean and International dishes, from traditional Kimchi to Sweet & Sour pork. The SST students also had the opportunity to barbecue raw meat on a hotplate. We had loads of fun barbecuing fish, pork, beef and even baby octopuses. It was an enriching and fun experience for all of us. Through today’s dinner, we learnt more about traditional Korean food and the Korean dining etiquette. Furthermore, today’s dinner gave us the opportunity to bond with one another.



Done by:

Meredith Teo & Metta Ni