Last Words on Korea

I won't say I'm happy and I can't say I'm sad. As hard as it is for me to write this, my experience in Korea has changed my life!

You know, there were lots of concepts of Korean culture I really couldn't understand. However, living abroad has helped me grasp and appreciate it. I made some great Korean friends through absorbing concepts like 는치(neunchi~ keen sense in social situations), 정(jeong~ spiritual and emotional bonds), 체명(chemyeong~ preserving harmony and balance), 분위기(bunuiki~ mood or atmosphere of a group), and 기분 (kibun~emotional state aka aura). Understanding how Koreans build and maintain relationships has helped me make wonderful long-term friendships.

While living in South Korea and being around the people, I've come to figure out how a Korean mindset is different from an American. There are exceptions, but most Koreans posses values such as hard work, human relations, collectivism, social face, and hierarchy. This is also a key component to Confucianism.

Things I will miss in Korea:
~Fast driving taxi's and buses
~Fun and embarrassing drinking games
~노래방 (karaoke)
~Great clothes and bargaining
~Korean FOOD!
~홍대 and 신촌 (places in Seoul)
~Nightlife
~Staying out all night until the subway opens
~Hearing Koreans speak better English than some Americans lol!
~There's just too much to name!!!

To the people who want to study abroad in Korea:
~Always carry around hand soap
~Make friends in your dorm or home-stay
~Be prepared for confusion or frustration at times
~Keep a sense of humor
~JOIN A KOREAN CLUB! (You'll interact with more Koreans that way)
~Participate in traditional activities
~Travel as much as you can
~Feed your cravings (food, clothes, music, TV, etc from home)
~Keep a diary and write down your experiences (trust me, you'll laugh about them later)
~ Build a cultural bridge to understanding Korean culture

Also, I want to give a special thanks to:
~UCD Study Abroad office
~CIEE Seoul
~CIEE friends
~Yonsei University
~H.A.R.I.E.
~Ye Won Church
~Korean Language Institute
~and ALL the friends I have made on my journey!

I wouldn't have transformed as a person without this experience! It's all thanks to my support system. Now I can go back home taking everything I've learned with me. This has been the time of my life I will never forget!!

감사합니다 ^^

My KLI Class ROCKS!

We all had a Korean language class for two hours a day five times a week together. I had fun listening and cracking jokes with our teacher, and speaking pre-school Korean. Lol! I actually learned a ton more then I ever would on my own. Since I've been teaching myself the language, it was really nice to be in a classroom environment again. I'm gonna miss each and every person in that class, as well as our teachers. We all created so many memories together. ^^

KLI Level 1 is the best language class I've had!

선생님 brought us all ice cream

친구들이 끝까지 friend's until the end!

Last Weekend in Korea

To spend off the last weekend in Korea, I visited my friend from my home university in her home town 전주 (Jeonju). It was a long bus ride, but totally worth it! I finally got a chance to see a familiar face from Colorado ^^.

For starters, went to go see Madagascar (all in Korean btw), but there was a long wait for the movie. So to kill time and build memories, we took a bunch of sticker photos! Lol!

After the movie, we went on a ride called Disco Pang Pang. This ride is only available in certain spots in Korea. It spins around and shakes you~ violently!! And the operator of this ride, oh don't get me started! All he does is operate the machine and make fun of the riders. In other words, he gets paid to poke fun. Since I was obviously the only foreigner, guess what?! I was a target! Accept for he is the worst trash talker I've ever encountered. Like I'd wish he would have tried harder. All he was saying was that I had hairy armpits and my hair looks like a chicken. HA good thing I can laugh at myself easily! The second time we rode the ride, be had the nerve to ask for a picture together. After the ride was over, I really didn't feel like it. Haha so we zoomed right out!

After many bruises and soreness from the ride, we took a walk through a traditional village on Jeonju. Actually, it's the same place I stayed at when I visited with CIEE early on in the semester.

 

우린 너무 배고팠어. We both were very hungry, so we spent time walking around a local uni (forgot the name).  We finally found a place to eat, and it was super delicious!! I don't remember the name of what we ate, but it had cheese! And I love cheese!!!

To end of a fun but exhausting night, I went back to my friend's home to rest. I met her family, and it was the first time I've ever been in an actual Korean household. Her family was extremely nice and humble, and the house felt like home. 

Shout-outs to one of my best friends right here. She's one of the main people who properly prepared me to come to Korea. Plus, she looked out for me the entire time. There were many new experiences on that last weekend, and I had the time of my life! 고마워 girl! ^^

B-Boy Redbull Cypher Competition

Seoul had the biggest B-boy competition called the Redbull Cypher. It was packed with people, and it was hot! So I went up to the roof and chilled out there watching the competition on the screen. Before I knew it, a b-boy from the competition came up to the roof to clear his head. He had lost, and seemed disappointed. So I didn't think it would be a proper time to ask for his autograph. But either way, I had tons of fun!

After the competition, me and my friends headed back home. As we were walking, I hear one of my friends fangirling. I look, and it's the b-boy who won the competition! He was just chilling outside with a girl. We asked him for a picture, and he was more than happy to be greeted by his fans. Although he told us lo to quiet down before any other fans noticed. It was awesome! I'll never forget that.

Winner B-Boy Differ (gray) w/ friends

Worldwide DJ Festival 2012

The biggest party I ever went to~~ I mean EVER! And I'm glad I spent so much time with the Yonsei Mentor's Club. Go Cell #1 ^^

생일 축하합니다 Birthday Party

I want to wish my Korean teacher a very happy birthday. If you don't know the words for happy birthday, well~~ now you know haha! Saeng-il chuka-hamnida!

Ye Won Church

I found my closest family away from home at Ye Won Church in Seoul. Honestly, I wouldn't have made it through this journey without this church and the members. Big shout outs to Maurice and Jessica for creating a great support system for me. I love you all!! ^^

The sunday we I became a member of the church 

Fellowship group with Maurice

Farewell Seoulmates/ CIEE Party

We're on a BOAT! Well, not quite. CIEE had a dinner for the Seoul-mates and a farewell party for the Spring 2012 program. It was at a Yacht on the Han River. The dinner was a fancy buffet, and unlimited beer! Well, the cheap stuff anyways. It was so much fun, and I'll miss everyone! For those of you CIEE programees or seoul-mates reading this~~ I love you guys!!

Words Just Can't Explain~~ 정

My words can't explain the feeling of being mentally close and connected with the people here. Honestly. This kind of telepathic connection is called 정 (jeong) in Korean culture. But let me try to explain what is on my mind.

I have three weeks left in Korea, so I have been preparing my farewells (see you later's). I feel like creating this process will help me cope with leaving and welcome home with open arms. So you'd think that I've mentally prepared myself right~~ wrong. One particular bye was harder than I thought.

The dance group H.A.R.I.E. had an end of the semester battle, so I thought I'd show my support. Now I had said my bye's to most of the members about three weeks ago, and bye to the club. Some of them had the saddest looks on their face, and I began to feel sad too. Funny thing, I didn't know I mattered so much to the group until I said my farewells. I thought that night was the last I'd see of the group, but something pulled me back to them. 정. After the battle we all ate dinner and got drinks together, but it was unlike other nights when we hung out. I really felt the strength of 정.

I have never felt so close to a group (team) in my entire life, and for such a short period of time. I have best friends back home, but this connection is so different. So unexplainable. Being part of H.A.R.I.E. was so important in my experience here, because now I can understand a significant key in Korean culture. Collectivism and relationships with one another which roots deeper than usual.

Now I understand 정and I can honestly say that H.A.R.I.E., and all the friends I've made since studying in Korea have impacted my life. ^.^