Day 1: Arrival in Seoul

We reached Incheon Airport at 2 pm. Our mentor, Min Jae Kim, welcomed us warmly. The airport is strategically positioned on an island adjacent to Seoul. Sohe Lee, one of the organizers of E-Icon World Contest, welcomed us with her smiles, and from the start, she was quite affable. After all these long hours, we finally arrived at our hotel. Our exhaustion sparked our hunger. The teacher recommended 'Halal Guys,' a restaurant that was near our hotel. The food was decent—nothing extraordinary but comforting enough to wind down a long day. We were eager to rest and gear up for the forthcoming days.

Day 2: Collaboration and Connection

We started the day with our breakfast at 8:00 am, followed by the opening ceremony of the 14th e-Icon World Contest at 11:00 am. It was the first time we were going to meet our Korean teammates in person. After all those interactions through Google Meet and Discord, finally, In-person rapport was to be made.

The contest was introduced and what would await us during our stay was explained during the opening ceremony. We worked excitedly on our project through the day by discussing ideas with our teammates. I could feel from the very beginning that our group consisted of quite diverse personas: a very extroverted and talkative Chimin injected energy, while See Hyoung was rather quiet—but equally friendly and engaging.

We did a few icebreakers, one of which involved VR and another that challenged us as a team to create a city. Our city design was third-best in the competition, so we were stoked to get a gift for our effort. The day wrapped up around 6 PM, really packed with new connections and shared creativity that set the stage for the challenges ahead.

Day 3: Project Development

Despite nearing completion, we dedicated the entire day to refining our project and integrating new features at this advanced stage. We were under much pressure yet we remained resolute.

We started working at 9 a.m. and really did not stop until 3 a.m. in the morning the next day. It is just such an intense session that each member of our team remained assiduous because other teams are equally committed to the project. Then, when we became groggy, we went straight to coffee for its benefits that would help us stay awake, and fortunately, it proved to be useful. Though the fact that this has been a arduous day, churches—or maybe better said, the feeling of accomplishment—is worth every sleepless hour.

Project development session — Intense project development session

Day 4: Field Trip and Elice Lab

Our visit to the Elice Lab truly highlighted how utilitarian the whole approach towards learning was: hands-on learning and collaboration come out on top. The high-end Mac All-in-One PCs, coupled with ultra-fast lab Internet, provided the perfect setting for journeying deep into concepts related to programming, under the tutelage of expert instructors.

Stopping by the coffee shop on our way to Elice Lab was sweet, too. There, Min Jae treated us for a cake. I ordered a latte, so it tasted more or less nice, giving us a boost for the day ahead.

Elice Lab provides a hands-on learning experience that fosters practical application of knowledge. The variety of courses is vast, from basic to advanced, but the real points of this platform are the valuable community and fast feedback. Elice Lab would increase the learners' skills, group project experience, and the state-of-the-art technology to be provided.

From Elice Lab, we went to dinner to fill our tummies for the long and fierce night. With the project deadline looming, we spent countless hours debugging and testing, fine-tuning every aspect of our app.

Day 5: Submission, Evaluation, and Victory

This was the last day for submission and project evaluation. At 12:00 PM, we finally submitted our .apk file, PowerPoint presentation, and Demonstration Video. The presentation parts were divided among the team members at this point, and we stood ready to face the judges.

Each team presented their app, followed by several questions by the judges about our future plans regarding the app and contributions of each member. Right after the event, we got a short break while judges were pondering, everybody was on one's toes, anxiously waiting for results.

With high anticipation after the judgment session, we trooped back into the ballroom for the announcement of results. It got even more exhilarating when the announcement of the fourth team was made, comprising participants from the Philippines and Indonesia for their exemplary diligence, shown appreciation by a prize from the President of the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity.

Only Team Bangladesh and Team Moldova remained in contention as the moment approached. We were feeling that we had given it all, but now doubts stirred in and convinced us that this would be the likely scenario for a second-place finish. The next call came for Team Moldova, and this cemented the frontrunners' place for us.

When Team Moldova got their accolades from the President of the Korea Education Frontiers Association high above our hopes soared. Finally, it was time for our team to be announced and into a thunder of applause went the entire hall. We felt very happy to take our award from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education of the Republic of Korea.

Being the only representative from my team, being called to give a oration in behalf of my team really felt quite out of the body. This was so deeply an experience, a realization of my dream, and evidence that our hard work and sacrifices were not worthless.

Team celebration — Celebrating our victory

In the evening, we had the opportunity to meet the alumnus of Dhaka Residential Model College, the ex-student of our teacher. He came to see us at the hotel we checked in and then took us out for dinner at 'Nun and Grill' to have plentiful Pakistani cuisine. The food was great, and later we walked down the brisk night streets of Seoul City downtown. Our alumnus succeeded in driving us back to the hotel later, rounding off what had been a very memorable day.

Day 6: Cultural Events, Goodbyes and Shopping

We had our last breakfast with the Korean teammates Chimin and See Hyoung—who had already packed their luggage but joined us for breakfast. Then, we went into the ballroom where the organizers gave some final remarks to thank us for coming. There was a subsequent evaluation form that we had to fill in to give our views about the whole event and some suggestions regarding future arrangements.

A touching end to our time together: we were encouraged to write to teammates and fellow participants. I received an heartfelt messages.

Right after lunch, it was time to say good-bye to our teammates. We hugged each other warmly, promising that if somehow in our lives it came our way, we would meet again. Right after their departure from the hotel a wave of reminiscence flooded me and I missed them so much. They kept in touch, letting us know once they had safely arrived home, a gesture that underscored the bond we had formed during this unforgettable experience.

Having a whole day to ourselves, we planned on spending it doing a little local shopping around the stadium. I picked up various accessories like headphones, a power bank, and speakers. We also ventured into the grocery section, where we stocked up on chips, chocolates, and a few canned drinks. Of course, no trip to Korea would be complete without indulging in the country's most famed cosmetics. I chose several products for friends and family; although the variety was quite huge at times. We faced a big language barrier as most of the sales staff didn't speak English. We couldn't do a thing without a translator app, which added some hassle to the shopping otherwise an enjoyable experience.

Well, we ended the day with dinner at a nearby restaurant, giving a delectable end to the day full of exploration and discovery.

Day 7: Departure

Our last day in Korea started with the task of packing our baggage and a light breakfast. Before heading to the airport we went to a nearby store and bought some items which we missed yesterday. Min Jae saw us out to the airport. Then, as we prepared to bid a final farewell, out came a heartwarming surprise: Min Jae was proudly wearing the Bangladesh-themed t-shirt that we had given him. The shirt sat superbly well on him.

Final farewell with Min Jae at the airport

Looking back—Korea felt nothing short of that—great friendships and, of course, knowledge gained. Every moment spent in Korea was a chapter in my story to be venerated for many years to come. To me it is More than competition or travel. The connection and memories I made will forever hold a special place in my heart.

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