By 이다은 (3-2) The week after the Midterms was different from any other week compared to last year’s. A new program was planned and it is so-called ‘Field trip of History and Culture.’ Although third graders had several choices for the field trip, students were unanimous in their opinion to go to Jeonra province, located in the far south of the Korean peninsula. Before the trip, YHIMS teachers spent long amount of time to check whether the hotels were safe and clean enough for the students to stay. Students thoroughly appreciate our teachers’ selfless devotion, and this allowed YHIMS to have a safe and marvelous trip. The trip was from May 6th to 8th, and it was also the first time for YHIMS students to go to a field trip for more than two days. Five classes were separated into two groups, A and B, respectively. Each group had a different schedule, and as class 1 and 2 were in the B group, this article will follow the schedule of Group B. The 5-hour car ride was quite tiring.

As soon as YHIMS arrived at Goksung, students tasted delicious meat that was cooked over charcoal fire. The tender meat seemed to alleviate students’ headache they had to overcome during the long car ride. Goksung Train village is known for its beautifully decorated village that contains numerous types of flowers. Some students rode the ‘Rail bike’, and they were having a hard time since they had to work on the pedal in order to go forward. It was a perfect place for students to take pictures with their friends. Goksung Train village contains both traditional and modern features, which made a good tourist attraction. Since students did not have enough to time to visit Haenam Ttangkkeut village, they went straight to the Bosung Dabeach Condo. Students from Class 1 and 2 enjoyed the beautiful sunset and appetizing dinner. On the second day, students had to spend quite a busy day. In the morning, YHIMS students went to Haenam Ttangkkeut village, and this village is named after its location, which means southern most part of South Korea.

The monorail was expected, whereas the walking course all the way down to the ground was definitely unexpected. The wooden stairs were slippery and there were some chasms between each wooden piece. Despite all these complains, students experienced the beautiful sight that can only be seen by walking the wooden stairs all by themselves. Haenam Dinosaur Museum was quite crowded due to YHIMS students. It was easy to see students who were taking pictures in front of the massive dinosaur fossil and students doing their group mission. Although it must have been hard to put all the good memories in one piece of paper, students must have kept those memories in one part of their heart. Humorous picture on the left also shows how the exhibitions are even compelling to dinosaurs that lived in the far past. Bosung Green Tea plantation was a perfect place for YHIMS students to make magnificent pictures and memories. Not only was the souvenir store was wonderful, but the plantation itself was luminous due to the warm sunlight. Taking a picture in the midst of the plantation proved the superb scenery that attracted many visitors, also from the overseas. Groups doing projects on Bosung Green Tea plantation were busy taking panoramic pictures of the whole sight. Some women actually cultivating Green Tea seemed traditional. Students realized the imposing grand view of the plantation and they also enjoyed trying Green Tea ice cream and green tea chocolate. The next morning students visited Suncheon Bay Ecological Park, and the size was so vast that students were not able to walk around the whole park. There were many visitors from other schools, but YHIMS students were very thoughtful since they did not throw away trash anywhere chat loudly.

They had a very good manner of preserving the environment. In the field of reeds, students were softly walking trying not to step on the reeds. YHIMS students took spectacular photographs that seem like a model photography. Once again, many people were impressed by YHIMS students’ manners. Jeonju Hanok Village is the most famous tourist attraction in the countryside of Korea. Despite the big crowd in the village, Young Hoon students experienced the beautiful mix of tradition and modern features. The village had many Korean-style markets that sell Grilled Cheese that originates from Imshill, a famous cheese production area. Korean traditional restaurants had many specialized food that differentiates the region from other places. The natrual mix of modern and tradition did appeal to many people including the YHIMS students. Long trip back to Seoul was demanding for YHIMS students. Despite this challenging ride back to Seoul, this year’s Historical and Culture Field Trip turned out to be a success that will always remain in the students’ mind, which will be a pleasant memory to reminisce.

The fifth Young Hoon students will always miss this trip after we graduate from Young Hoon International Middle School. Truly, the students will treasure the field trip they had gone with their friends, classmates, and teachers.