Hi everyone!
Today we're going to head out and go on a
little trip down memory lane.
We're actually going to head to the other
side of Seoul back to where this all started
when I studied abroad here and we're just
going to take a look around the neighborhood
that was my home for a year and I love it
dearly and I haven't been back in quite a
while like with specifically looking for the
places that I used to frequent so I know so
many things have changed but I hope if any
of you guys studied at Yonsei or Edae or anything
like that, that you can come on this little
trip with me, you know?
It's going to be emotional but I'm excited.
But before we jump into it I just want to
give a shoutout to this video's sponsor and
it actually ties in perfectly with back to
school stuff.
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But now let's really go back to school.
I'm so nervous.
We're going to hit my favorite bakery, I'm
going to stop rambling, I'm really hungry
so let's get on the bus and go to Ihwadang.
We made it!
I'm home!
So we are near the bus stop that is Edae's
back gate, because this is actually closer
to the international dorms that I stayed at
at Yonsei.
It's actually, Yonsei is a really big campus
so it's quite far from the main gate.
But like I said, first we're going to hit
a bakery that I absolutely adore.
I really hope the owners are still there.
They were like 100 years old when I used to
come here.
I think I heard that their kids actually took
over so we'll see.
But I'm hungry, so let's get some bread.
[when i tell you I got bread here every single
day, I'm not exaggerating]
It tastes the same and it totally was the same really old couple.
My heart.
Oh my god, okay now let's head to the dorms!
[Lord Sandwich got a glow up! I never ate there but it used to be in a tiny
grey building]
So the area right here under
construction used to be like a little house
literally just a home, that was where all
of our study abroad stuff was but they've
since moved over and obviously, that's gone
now and then this whole area used to be a
pine tree forest where the kids from the local
kindergarten would come and play.
Does not look like a pine tree forest anymore,
wow.
I think these are all more dorms but wow.
Not to be creepy to zoom in on their rooms
but one of these was my room and it was
lowkey haunted no big deal.
Technically the basement floor.
Sk Global House.
[this store played music with the most obscene/graphic/shocking
lyrics hahaha]
So as you can see, to my right is SK Global House and then directly right
here, I'm not sure if it's still in this building
but this is where the Korean language classes
were, and then right up these stairs is where
most of the international classes take place.
So really if you live here, and I'll show
you I-House I think, if you live here it's
really close unless you're like me and a handful
of other people who decided to take classes
on the other side of campus which is where
we're going to walk next.
I just distinctly remember our bus [the night
my study abroad group all arrived from the
airport] precariously parked right up here
and then we all had to come down these stairs
to get into our dorms.
We all arrived really late at night.
We all went down there, memories!
But let me show you I-House.
I-House.
They had a low key drug scandal there my year
so...
Here is your international student building.
I was here all the time.
It's a fine place, it's got vending machines,
it's got bathrooms, what else do you need?
Actually maybe it's not anymore.
I'm not allowed to go in because I just can't,
but that's so interesting.
I wonder what this building actually is now.
But it used to be pretty much exclusively
the foreign studies.
And now we're going to walk across campus!
Up the giant mountain!
Oh my god!
Look at these little mushrooms!
It's also just very funny that the school
that I went to in the States had a very similar
architecture style to this so to then come
to Korea and have my school look the same
was very interesting and yeah I just love
it a lot but this whole area is brand spankin'
new.
This used to be a street for cars.
You would constantly be dodging taxis and
buses and motorcycles on your way to class.
They changed that.
Stress-free walking environment, love it!
Literally did it, started building it the
year after I left.
So yeah if you're going to start coming to
Yonsei soon, walk freely.
Enjoy your walk to class.
[they do have a shuttle bus though!]
This is where I had my one philosophy class
and, bless his heart, my professor.
He was actually from a different academy which
was more, he was basically a civil servant,
he was like a government employee, and so
he really paid attention to all of the rules
of like 'you can't use the air conditioner
until it's over 28 degrees celsius' or something
like that, or even the heater, so you know,
bless his heart, he was trying to save the
earth and follow rules but we were always
the wrong temperature in that class.
That's literally all I remember from that
class is being the wrong temperature.
[the student center has food, a post office,
a bank, and even a flower shop!]
[the central library]
I'm embarrassed to say I only came
in here once.
I remember it being very intimidating and
very confusing.
You needed your library card to sign in, like
to even physically enter the building, and
people in there are really serious.
I just wanted to browse for books so I did
not study in the library, but you can!
The gym is new and it says 'sweat enthusiasm'
no thank you.
This waffle cart!
So this place, this whole area in front of
UPLEX is pretty famous even when I was here,
before they arranged all the busking stages.
This was still the area where you'd get people
bringing their instruments and busking or
dancing or anything like that.
This was the place to be at night.
It was kind of like before you were good enough
to go busking in Hongdae, you had to practice
in Edae and Sinchon first so this was always
a place where you could see a lot of new artists
just kind of playing around so it was really
good vibes.
But these stages are all new.
[they built stages for performers!]
[this is where we 'studied' every night lol]
[the amount of money i spent at this artbox lol]
There used to be a really good waffle shop
right here like an ice cream waffle shop.
We would always get a waffle and then we would
sit in this little seating area at all hours
of the night, it was great.
But now it's a meat place.
Many great waffles were had, many great waffles.
And because our dorms were closer technically
to Edae, that's where we usually ate so we're
going to get some lunch at the Food Cafe!
Like old times.
[this place was always so crowded!]
[places like Food Cafe are popular with students
because the food is relatively cheap and quick!]
[there used to be the BEST juice place here
before Juicy existed and took over Korea lol]
So sad story time.
Way up on the tippy top of this hill, first
of all, it's where Kurt grew up, second of
all, there used to be this restaurant called
Botong Saram which just means 'usual people'
and it was Totoro themed and it was great.
They served, it was just like a normal Korean
place but they served ddeokbokki and banchan
(side dish) which is just, all I ever want.
But they closed many years ago, the wound
is still fresh though.
But instead we're going to one of my favorite
little places to study, a little hidden cafe.
Called Raintree, it looks suspiciously closed
though now that I'm looking at it so we'll see.
Oh my god.
What?!
Oh my god why was this door even open?!
My heart is breaking into tiny little pieces.
I've got to go, I've got to close this door.
I hope they're...oh my god!
I thought they just weren't open right now
but they are actually very much closed.
That is just the saddest thing.
I knew this video was going to be kind of
like melancholy, going back to my old haunts,
but I didn't expect Raintree to be closed.
I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!
Dang!
Oh my god.
Well okay let's find somewhere else to sit.
I need to use the restroom and be sad.
[stumbled upon a vegan cafe!]
[there's sugar icing, caramel, candied orange peel]
[so good]
Okay what?
That was actually so delicious!
I had the caramel orange cake and it was so
moist.
It had that really good just like sugar icing
on it.
Candied orange peel.
Excellent!
And yeah it was vegan and it was crowded.
There were lots of people there but like a
nice crowded.
There's wifi, not super strong but there's
still wifi.
So cute!
The woman working there was adorable so anyway,
now - oh she scared me - now we're going to
walk through the Edae campus just a little
bit.
And then we're going to head home.
It has been consistently raining and I do
not have an umbrella which is fine but its
a good time to go home so let's do one last
loop through my old haunts and let's go!
[this tree has such good cherry blossoms in spring!]
[there are classrooms, cafes, and even a movie
theatre in here!]
[this building is where kayla and i got to see Jane Goodall speak
in 2013!]
And we are right back where we started, we're
back at the Edae Back Gate bus station right
in front of the Ihwadang Bakery.
Thank you for joining me.
This was just so sweet.
Honestly, kind of sad because I was never
alone when I was walking around here, I always
had my group of friends so I miss you Kayla
I miss all my Yonsei friends, all my friends
from that time period.
They've all since dispersed to various places
around the world.
But I miss you guys so much!
Things in Seoul, I mean, anybody who has been
here can attest to this, things in Seoul change
so quickly.
Like this, I mean technically this was Kurt's
neighborhood growing up but he's like 'i don't
recognize it at all, it doesn't feel like
home' because things are just constantly changing.
So man I'm so sad about Raintree but that
vegan place, at least I had good cake afterwards.
I had two pasteries today.
Can't complain, happy about it.
So anyway I'm going to get on the bus but
thank you for joining me and thank you again
to Grammarly for sponsoring this.
If you would like to try their premium service
which I seriously me and Kurt both highly
recommend it, you can go to my link which
is in description box, for 20% off, grammarly.com/caricakes
it should be.
So yeah thanks again to Grammarly.
If you are going back to school, be safe,
be strong, everybody is rooting for you, hoping
that you're safe no matter where you are,
what you're doing.
Especially if you're a teacher, man, just
sending love to everybody as always.
Anyway before I get hit by this motorcycle,
I am going to go catch my bus.
So I will see you guys later, thank you always!
Bye!
