At present, the sun is going down on my second day in Korea, and I’m already tired (again). Perhaps some lingering jet lag, perhaps the fact that every hour seems determined to cram about four thousand new experiences into my brain, or maybe I’m just getting old (30 is only one month away…).
But! I already did most of the legwork for today’s entry. I thought I might show everyone around the campus where orientation is taking place. So, this morning, after my morning run, I hit the bricks and did my best to run down all the relevant sights around campus.
So, what does a Korean college campus look like? Let’s take a look!
Konkuk University’s Glocal Campus is located in Chengju, a modest provincial town about two hours outside the capital. Like most colleges, it’s a loose conglomoration of buildings clustered around green spaces filled with art installations more or less at random, depending on the whims of generations of donors, presidents & provosts, and students.
Let’s start with my cozy home sweet home for the next 7 days. As you can see, my accommodations are basically a palace:
The other half of the room (yes, this is almost exactly half) belongs to my roommate. But I don’t complain – after the brutal travel I was willing to sleep on a pile of wet cardboard should that prove necessary. And hey! We get our own bathroom!
Outside our door, the building is triangular, with a large central well open through the entire core.
At the bottom spindly trees claw for life in a bed of sand. The well doesn’t go all the way to the bottom of the building, though. The lower floors are inaccessible to us, because apparently the Konkuk Billiard Academy is housed there:
For some reason, our dorm is isolated from the rest of campus by the stadium, necessitating a lengthy walk to reach anything of consequence. Oh, and some stair climbing.
See, the campus is not what you’d call flat. This ain’t like Truman or Mizzou where a modest elevation change of 15 feet or so can provoke cries of shock and despair from freshmen slogging their way to Intro to Creative Writing. Chengdu (like most of South Korea) is nestled into the loving arms of the surrounding mountain range, and that means campus is, well…wrinkly. So if you want to get anywhere, you climb stairs.
After reaching this first summit, if you hang a left you’ll come to the most important building on campus.
This sprawling complex houses two important rooms: a gym, and the cafeteria.
Now, here’s where I learned that the other folks I’m sharing this campus with have no killer instinct at all. See, if lunch (for 400 people) is being served at 11:30, what time should you arrive?
That’s right, at LEAST by 11:15. As such, I was able to swoop in, have my pick of food, and eat in comfort while watching the long line of whippersnappers shuffle past me for darned near 40 minutes of the 60 minute lunch period. Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.
Below the cafeteria lies the gym, but beware, for it has a fell guardian:
back out in the sun, we can head for some academic buildings. First, of course, we climb some stairs:
Still with me? Fantastic. Remember to pace yourself, there are more of those. Anyway, near the cafeteria, down a shady, tree-lined boulevard, there lies the computer lab, open 24/7 for all your academic (or Starcraft 2) needs.
On the other side of the boulevard are several of Konkuk’s academic buildings, labelled with 10-foot tall letters whose massive size is balanced by their maddening vagueness, rendering them helpful and unhelpful in equal measure:
So much for the academic buildings. Note that very rarely is one of these mysterious edifices on the same level as another, and usually you must scramble up and down at least once to reach your destination.
But, honestly, Konkuk is beautiful. The university has taken its time to craft spaces that are wonderful to spend time in. If you prefer something grand and monumental, or more cozy and peaceful, there’s a spot for you. It has playful areas and graceful ones. Come with me and let’s look at the best parts of Konkuk.
Much of the campus is green, and nature is woven in wherever it’s possible to grow something. There are myriad pavilions where you can study, have a picnic, or just relax and enjoy the day.
But art, too, hath its place:
And sometimes, art and nature even intertwine, like this sculpture of a woman reaching into the branches of a tree. There’s also a silly, sentimental influence, like this cat home carefully placed near another sculpture:
Even the stairs can be pretty:
But without a doubt, my favorite part of Konkuk is the plaza at the center of campus. The garden planted there is lovingly maintained, tranquil, and incredibly soothing to spend time in, as water, leaf, and human craft all come together:
Just beyond, there’s a wide open plaza showing off as much of the university as it can:
With that, it’s time to head home – soon it will be time for another day:
Tomorrow I’ll take you on a sunset walk into town. But first –
*Bathmophobia, in case you were wondering.
Gwangju Dreaming 