Seoulscapade

Seoul National University is a major part of my life now, but before applying for a job here, I’d never heard of the place. It’s a big campus, nestled within the cradling ranges of the Gwanak mountains. The campus site was establish in 1975, although the university itself has been around for some 60 years or so. Its faculty buildings were previously scattered around downtown Seoul. Here’s a panorama taken from my workplace, close to the main gate above. The campus extends right back to the foot of the mountains.

I believe the campus site formerly served as a private golf course, and there’s a restaurant and function centre on a peak overlooking SNU that was supposedly once the clubhouse. By the way, it has large dried fish poked in some of its metal light fittings along the restaurant wall, for good luck.

Construction is still going on around campus, including rooftop additions of extra floors to old buildings. There are few alternatives other than to build upwards. Across from where I work they are building a huge complex of several buildings where there once stood a car park, some tennis courts, and a small hill, which they carted away. Near all of that is the following structure, one of the weirder ones on campus.

It has something to do with business admin, I think, and has attracted various nicknames, one being the aquarium and another the kindergarten. I guess it falls into the “what were they thinking?” category.

Another building only recently completed is the Museum of Art, known as MoA, which is perhaps more aesthetically pleasing to most people. I’ve been to a couple of shows there and found it a great place to see art because it’s so spacious inside. Personally, I’d love the design as my house.

That one is close to the main gate, and not much further away is the gym, housed in the building below. I thought about joining but it’s too expensive. I imagine a lot of SNU students with rich parents go there.

These radically shaped buildings are all in close proximity to each other, but they do not reflect the general trend at SNU, which is conservative to match its reputation. Others a distinctly ugly. I heard that this can be blamed in part on corruption and cutting corners in the days when the campuses earlier buildings, like the main library, were under construction.

The campus has a wealth of natural areas like this grassed area up near the foot of the tallest peak of the Gwanak mountain range. This place is really popular with families and couples on the weekend.

North and in the distance, on the right, the Namsan Tower can be seen, which overlooks downtown Seoul. For a bit of trivia: if you traveled in a direct line from the tower to where this picture was taken, and then kept going straight for 7000 kms, you’d hit Perth, Western Australia.

Not far from that grassed area is a water fall.

This water flows off somewhere into pipes and I guess it ends up at other water areas on campus. A large pond is situated around the centre of the campus and some of the water may end up there. It’s a tranquil setting despite a constant bustle around it. One autumn I stumbled across this semi-functional sculpture on a bank by the pond. And my caption for it? Mind where you sit!

Since I’ve started a seasonal theme, I might as well keep going. In spring, especially around the 2nd and 3rd week of April, the campus explodes with colour.

Cherry blossoms beautify campus roads.

It’s all a stark contrast to winter.

Here’s where I used to emerge after hiking over snow covered hill on the way to work.

I guess I should end this brief photo essay with what ends life on campus for most students, graduation day.

Check out the look of unrestrained satisfaction and pride on that guy’s face in orange. Perhaps no one has told him unemployment is on the rise in Korea.

They pack everyone in this hall and churn their way through the ceremony. On such a day, before I even arrive at work, tent restaurants have been set up along the main thoroughfare near the graduation hall and throughout the day there is a traffic jam there.