New City Vibez

Hi, my name is Yuha. I was born in Seoul, lived in Toronto for a few years when I was growing up, and now I study Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore. Korean is my mother tongue, but I feel most comfortable when I mix it with English. 

Seoul and Singapore are similar in many respects. Both cities have great public infrastructure, stores and cafes open late till night, and it gets very crowded. When I arrived in Munich for the first time in March, it was such a breath of fresh air to experience how spacious everything feels. I felt so free walking around the city, surrounded by big trees and low-rise buildings. 

I chose Germany to do my exchange program due to its proximity to many neighboring countries. So far, I’ve been to Spain, London, and Switzerland. My favorite was London, for its beautiful architecture and top-notch theatre. I also really loved Madrid. People there were incredibly well-dressed, and the city reminded me of Tokyo for how fashionable it was.

About my expectations for the semester abroad… I’m really not sure. During the winter break, I was so excited for a chance to live in Europe for a few months. Now that I’m here, it feels more complicated than that. Some things I really love here, such as beautiful parks and gardens, getting to travel a lot, and quite literally the best bread I’ve ever had. On the flip side, it is hard to navigate through life in a new city. And sometimes it feels like I’m in Year 1 again, introducing myself to new faces in a round table, “Tell us a fun fact about yourself,” and all that Orientation Week jazz. I think I’m still figuring it out. 

For the next three months, I plan to travel more, try new things, and take a good rest.