A rainy day in Seoul

So, today it rained, a lot. I woke up to the sound of rain and I am getting ready for bed listening to rain. However, the rain did not stop me and the Byeons from touring Seoul. Hye Sun introduced me to the Seoul public transportation as we traveled by bus to downtown Seoul.
Seoul is not a concentrated city but a wide area that is filled with offices, apartments, and parks. It is the greenest city I have ever seen. every few miles there is a park and there are small gardens next to skyscrapers. Seoul is divided into a north and south side by the Han river. The largest island in the river is home to South Korea's government. It is also home to one of the largest churches in Korea. We went to this island and went to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Seoul and home to the highest art museum in the world. After looking at both Korean artwork and the skyline of Seoul, we met Hye Sun's parents. Hye Sun had to go to a meeting for the internship she just completed in Shanghai. While she was there I went with her parents to tour more of Seoul. Her father knew some English, so we were able to talk about the city as we toured.
We went to a display about the Korean War and the countries that helped South Korea. It was very interesting to see firsthand what South Korea has to say about the war. The entire display was created to thank the other nations for helping South Korea in the war. I did not know that South Korea was created as a Democracy in 1947which angered the North to eventually invade. I also learned that three days after declaring war, North Korea captured Seoul and within five months, all but Busan. It was then that Truman declared a state of emergancy and the UN sent troops to help. One of the other things that struck me was a statement at the end of the exibit that read: "Many people around the world have become amicable towards North Korea, however its attitude remains the same towards the South. They want to reunite the country under the flag of communism. We must never forget this."
After the display, we went on a boat tour of Seoul on the Han. It was great to see the enormity of this city in such a fun way. We then went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I told the Byeons to pick their favorite foods for me to try. There was a seafood noodle soup and two beef dishes. I enjoyed all of them and my chopstick skills are improving.
We went to meet Hye Sun. She and I with two of her friends from her internship went to a coffeehouse. I have met a genius. Her friend Lee Hyun has an IQ of over 150. She is a double major in business and music, an interesting combination. She is super smart and very funny. I also met someone who is my height. Her other friend Seunghyan is 6'1" He was very funny and helped me learn how to count to ten in Chinese (I still have trouble with Korean). We talked about their job offer with the company and Korean culture. When we left the cafe it poured. Hye Sun and I ran to the bus and made it back home. I am having a great time and I have met many interesting people. I am looking forward to tommorow. Hopefully we can visit more sites.