Finals Week 😱

This week is finals week, and I've been cooped up in my dorm most of the time. I have three finals and one final paper. I’m very nervous and anxious about them, but I hope I can do well. I’ve been extremely stressed, but hopefully, everything turns out okay as I've been studying soooooo much. That said, it’s always important to remember to take some time off to relax and destress so you can better retain the information.

It’s almost time to go back to Hawaii, but I love it here so much and know I’m going to miss it. To relax, I went out to the Lantern Festival and Christmas Night Market, both held for the Winter Festa.

Gwanghwamun Christmas Night Market

The market was very pretty and crowded, but the lights and little booths were absolutely adorable. I was feeling the Christmas spirit, and my stress and worries about finals kind of disappeared in that moment. The market looked like an elf village from the North Pole, just like in the movies.

In addition to booths selling cute items and merchandise, there was a big Christmas tree at the end, along with a couple of photo ops. They also had some pop-ups, like a display for the Disney+ movie Mufasa and another for Netflix's Squid Game.

Cheonggyecheon Stream - Lantern Festival

The entire stream was decorated with different lanterns lit up in vibrant colors. These weren’t your usual lanterns; they were huge and lit up with lights instead of candles—at least, I think so, lol.

The stream was so relaxing and calming, and it beautifully showcased Korean culture. Before heading down the stairs to the stream, there were a bunch of backdrops illuminated with different lights for people to take pictures.

Once you went down to the stream, there were many lanterns lining the way all the way to the end. The designs weren’t random; many of the lanterns represented Korean culture. Some featured animals, like intricately designed fish.

There was also a digital show in the middle of the stream, where animations such as a whale swimming or a rough sea were projected onto the water. It was a truly unique and mesmerizing experience.