Our Year Abroad !

It has been a while since we've updated this blog and a lot has happened since then. Let's just say our experience in Korea definitely influenced our future goals and now we're on a mission to get back! We're making this post because we finally summed up our year abroad in about 4 minutes. Our follow on project for the Gilman scholarship was running this blog for the duration of our stay in Korea  and showing students the ups and downs of living in a foreign country as well as being informative to potential study abroad students and finally creating a video of our whole journey. We would have loved to have added more footage, but we tried to include as much as possible and we really liked the result. This video not only features our experience, but the experiences of some of our peers as well. Making the decision to study abroad can open a world of possibilities and we hope that our blog and this video encourage other students to make that important decision to change their lives just like we did. We hope you enjoy it! ^-^

Volunteering Opportunities in Korea

A great thing about our exchange program was that they had internships and volunteering opportunities for students. One of the opportunities that we've mentioned in a previous post was volunteering to teach English at a middle school. Initially we had planned to only teach for a semester, but we loved it so much that we decided to do it for the year. Although it was intimidating at first, but by the end of the year we became a lot more confident and we learned a lot from our students. This was definitely one of our most favorite times in Korea. We taught English to a 3rd year class and most of them were already fluent in English so our goal was to challenge them and encourage them to improve their speaking skills. Since it was our first year teaching we did a lot of trial and error and we spent a lot of time preparing lesson plans. Rather than making them learn from a book we challenged them with a variety of activities that kept them engaged such as spelling bees, critical thinking games, speaking games and so on. Overall it was one of the most rewarding experiences and we really recommend other students studying abroad to volunteer and take advantage of opportunities offered to them. This opportunity made us want to possibly pursue a teaching career in the future and having obtained a year experience under our belt will really benefit us in the future.

Some of our students playing a Jenga english game that consisted of  various challenges on the blocks! 

Pizza party on the last day of class ! 

Reverse Culture Shock

In a previous post we spoke about feeling homesick the first couple weeks we were in Seoul and how we coped with it. Four months later and the homesickness has returned, but this time it's reversed homesickness. We miss Seoul like crazy and most people don't understand why, especially our family. Adjusting to life back home has proven to be really difficult to us. Everything constantly reminds us of Seoul and all we ever want to do is talk about Korea. Lately we've felt really frustrated about our return home. Before embarking on our journey abroad our study abroad advisor gave us a chart that displayed the different stages of transition that students studying abroad will most likely go through as preparation. I couldn't find the exact chart but it's a chart similar to the one below which we found on IES abroad and it's terribly accurate. That chart freaked us out, it's pretty much a roller coaster of emotions and it has definitely felt that way.  We thought we'd take the opportunity to write about the most challenging things we've been experiencing so far. 

 

IES Abroad Stages of Transition Chart

                                                                     

    1. The first challenge has been readjusting our sleeping schedule. Most days we fall asleep at 7:00pm and wake up really early and then go back to sleep, but we're pretty sure jet lag is also to blame. Somedays we just sleep through the whole day and wake up in the evenings. We have to readjust this soon because there is so much to do now that we're back home! 

2. The second challenge would be boredom and alienation. Being back home is nice, but life has not been very exciting since we left Seoul. While we were in Seoul we spent most of the time on our feet exploring as much as possible. Our city is not fast paced like Seoul and there is also not a lot to do here.  We really miss walking everywhere and Seoul's amazing public transportation. We can't wait to go back to Seoul!  Also being home has changed our perspective on things. Take for example the size of things! Back in Seoul beverages and food portions are generally smaller than in North America and so after 4 months in Seoul we grew accustomed to eating less this even resulted in weight loss. We also grew accustomed to sharing our food and drinks which is something we continue to do and many people find this weird or even worse they somehow think we're just being ridiculous because nobody really shares a drink or food.  We technically just buy a meal and split it because now we feel like it's too much food for one person. We can't help it! We understand though because when we initially arrived in Seoul we felt the same way about cultural differences. We've acquired a few habits from Korea and we constantly feel judge by those around us which brings us to our following challenge. People just don't understand. 

3. Everyone has told us we have changed, some say in a good way and others (mostly just our family) think we've  changed in a bad way. We don't think we've changed in a bad way it's just that we're not the same people we were before we left. We acquired some new habits, our clothing style changed, our way of thinking changed too and our family is having a hard time adjusting to these new changes. We grew accustomed to being on our own all the time. We come from a large family so it's been difficult adjusting to this once again. Studying abroad really did change us, we are a lot more independent now then we were back then, and we also became really outgoing. We feel as if we really came out of our shells because we learned to be to take chances and we also overcame many challenges. We had some bad experiences and some really great experiences too and all these have really molded us to who we are now. Though we wished we were in Seoul for the Summer, being back home has helped us reflect on our experiences these past 4 months. 

4. Finally the most most annoying one for us has been people's reaction to our stories. Our family constantly lets us know that we talk too much about Korea and they're not interested in listening. We have the tendency to compare everything to Korea and all we hear is "You're not in Korea anymore." Even when they do listen to us most of the time they don't understand. We can't really explain just how wonderful and amazing our time abroad was and it's frustrating! Most of the time they think we're just boasting. So basically right now we're just really frustrated with the fact that we're no longer in Korea and it's been difficult to adjust back to our usual routine.

 We have been coping with these challenges by keeping in contact with all our friends back in Korea even though sometimes they just make us even more homesick. We also have our favorite Korean music playing 24/7, but this is just a habit we had in Korea too. We just need to listen to music all the time. It's been kind of difficult to do this back home though, we like to play it as loud as we can and this doesn't work back home. I think the best thing we did though was send ourselves our favorite korean foods and snacks before leaving! We received the package this morning!  

The most difficult thing has been getting our parents and siblings to understand that even though we're back home we're still on that study abroad roller coaster and we'll be on it for quite some time especially since we're going back! We know we're not the only ones that have been feeling this way. Many of our  friends have been feeling the same way so it's comforting to know that we're not the only ones dealing with all these crazy emotions! 

This is not the end

It's been almost a week since we arrived back in the states. Our last days in Korea were filled with packing, finals, goodbyes and many other things that we hardly had any spare time. Even though the semester is over and we're back in Texas it does not mean it's the end of our blog! There are still many things we did not get a chance to post about while in Korea so we will still be posting, but most importantly, WE'RE GOING BACK TO KOREA for one more semester! Originally we had only planned to study abroad for a semester, but the opportunity arose and we decided to extend our stay. Studying abroad in Korea has been such an amazing experience that we decided to stay a little longer. We will be spending the summer in Texas and returning to Seoul in August. Although we would have liked to stay in Seoul during the summer changing our flight was too expensive so our only option was to return home.

                                                            The Trip Back Home

The last picture we took of the view from our dorms. It had been raining for the past couple of days. 

The flight back home was much shorter than the flight to Seoul; it was about 13 hours from Seoul to Dallas and from there another 1.5 hour flight from Dallas to our hometown.  Our flight left to Dallas at 11:00am, but we left to the airport about a quarter to 7:00am  and this was because it took about an hour from Konkuk University to reach the airport not including traffic. The cab driver was really nice! Rather than calling an international cab one of our Korean friends called a regular cab for us and it was much cheaper. We paid about $30 each while others had to pay $40 each or more for the international cab. The cab driver gave us candy and had this television in the middle of the cab that played K-pop videos throughout the whole ride. We found ourselves singing to 2NE1 and other kpop artists which was really cool! Also the seats were so comfortable that we took a short nap. Once we were at the airport we searched for Korean Air so we could check in. Navigating Incheon International Airport was so easy and the employees were so nice! Going through security, customs and check in all took less than half an hour. We're not even kidding! After that we spent time with our friends  before boarding our flights and said our goodbyes. We made so many great friends in Seoul, we're really grateful to have met such wonderful people.  Once we reached Dallas we felt really overwhelmed. This is the part where reverse culture shock comes in. Many of our friends spoke about it, our study abroad advisor even tried to prepare us for it, and yet we were not. It must have been a mix of restlessness, stress, jet lag, and lack of sleep that made us feel so out of touch with what was going on, but I think reverse culture shock deserves it's own post because it's something no student who studies abroad can get away from. Adjusting back to life in the U.S.  has proven to be more challenging than adjusting to life in a different country. I'll leave you with a few pictures from our last days in Seoul.  

Kai's students at their farewell party enjoying potato pizza! 

My students at our farewell party! They were adorable! They got me some farewell snacks and wrote the cutest things on the board. I'll miss them a lot. :c

Me (Ro) on the left with my friend Sen on the morning of our departure. We were so sad not only because we were leaving a place we had called home for the past four months, but because this would be the last time we would see each other since we live in different states.

Hello Kitty Cafe inside Incheon Intl' Airport! It was right next to our waiting area. ^^

Korean Universities Spring Festivals

Every Spring semester universities all over Korea hold school festivals.  The festivals usually last 2 to 3 days or in some cases the whole week. My university's festival is held every year on the day of its foundation. This year Konkuk University was celebrating 82 years! The festival started early in the morning and while generally classes are cancelled during these days professors had the option of still holding class which we unfortunately had to attend. There were booths all around campus that served different purposes. The booths were organized by many different student organizations.  Many of these booths sold food, alcohol, games and many other things. They had food from different parts of the world including Chinese, Turkish, and of course Korean. At night after student performances came the celebrity performances and this year at Konkuk University we had performances by Epik High, Beenzino, Girls Day, K. Will and other artists. Our favorites and the ones we anticipated the most were K.Will, Epik High and Beenzino! If you're ever in Korea during the Spring we highly suggest you go to one of these festivals because they really are something else. I can't think of anything back in the U.S. that is similar to this. You get to eat good food, meet new people, and see your favorite Kpop idols perform for free.

The day before the main event a party was held in front of the student dorms. It started early in the morning and went on late into the night. There were many student performances and at the end there was a dj set where everybody pretty much went crazy. By this time many of the students had been consuming 2 dollar jagerbombs and many cans of 70 cent beer throughout the day!

 During the day there were many activities held by the students. Our favorite booths were the cocktail booths and food! We tried a chicken kebab and it was so delicious! 

This was one of the many cocktail booths at the festival. Apparently they have just recently become a popular thing at school festivals. 

Us with our mentor at the International Program's Booth in which we volunteered for a few hours and had not only nachos and beer but also different games where you could win free stuff. 

Our favorite part of the festival was Korean rapper Beenzino's performance with Beat Box DG. We waited hours in advanced just so we could make it to the front of the crowd and even so it was still a struggle. There were so many people that were pushing there was a point where Beenzino cstopped the performance because they were stepping over people, but we made it close enough and we were so happy! At one point before his performance the MC noticed my friends and I as the only foreigners in the crowd and asked us to send Beenzino a message! 

At the end of the festival there were many fireworks but I didn't get a chance to take pictures. The festival was so much fun I definitely recommend attending one if you're ever in Korea around in the Spring! 

The DMZ

It is hard to imagine that with everything going on at this moment between North and South Korea it be possible to take a trip to the JSA and to be honest who would ?! The answer might be surprising, but many people would and that includes us! As I discussed in my previous post, life in South Korea has not been affected by the North's threats, not even the DMZ. We found ourselves on an hour long bus ride to the JSA on the very day that North Korea declared a state of war on South Korea. (Take note that tours of the JSA and DMZ are scheduled days in advance.) At that time we had not heard of this until our tour guide informed us that there was a 5% chance that our tour might be cancelled, yes only a 5% chance. He informed us that it was common for tours to be cancelled, but that on this day the chances were a little higher. Before coming to South Korea one of the things we looked forward to the most was going to the DMZ or the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The experience is hard to describe, but we can say that there were a mix of feelings. It was definitely an exciting experience, and at the same time it was serious, but most of all it was fascinating. Throughout the tour we were closely monitored by the soldiers assisting the tour and there were many rules that included things you were not allowed to wear to how to act during the tour. It actually took a long time for us to make it to the actual demilitarized zone because there were so many check points that consisted of soldiers stopping the bus to check your passport and make sure you were wearing appropriate attire for your visit. Also during the tour we were only allowed to take pictures in certain areas and only when they said it was okay to, they are so strict that breaking a rule resulted in the cancellation of the whole tour! Aside from that the tour was an unforgettable experience.

It felt surreal when we finally reached the 38th parallel. There were no North Korean soldiers in sight that day, except one who kept looking at us with his binoculars.

Inside there were two South Korean soldiers and they were like life sizes dolls who did not move whatsoever. While inside we got the opportunity to stand in North Korea for a few minutes! It was awesome!! 

This is known as The Bridge of No Return. At the end of the Korean War,  Koreans were given the opportunity to cross the bridge to which ever side they wanted, but once they did they were never allowed to cross back. 

At the JSA gift shop you can find North Korean money !  

QATAR VS. SOUTH KOREA

Tuesdays are usually boring school nights filled with homework, but this Tuesday was different from the usual routine.  Luck was on our side because we had the opportunity to attend a 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match between South Korea and Qatar. This same night we were supposed to meet our mentors for dinner, but instead we changed our plans of having dinner to attending the soccer match. It was an amazing experience. South Korea won the match scoring 2 goals during the second half of the game! 

Our mentors chose the Red Devil's Area in which Korea's biggest fans gather and cheer the loudest for the team. It was definitely the most fun we have had in a long time. Drums and horns in every direction and we kept on singing and screaming 대한민국!! Which translates to the Republic of Korea!

Care Package from Home

Korea has been wonderful and Korean food is delicious, but sometimes it's hard not to miss homemade food or even our favorite snacks that are either rare or in our case simply not sold in Korea at all. Even though we have been in Seoul for almost a month  our stomachs have not completely gotten used to Korean food and so we have been terribly longing for Mexican food. Because of this our worried parents decided to send us a care package filled with all our favorite American and Mexican snacks and candies, along with some very thoughtfully written letters from each of our family members. To our surprise the box was so big we had to have help carrying it back to our dorm. Well I mentioned in a previous post that we had been homesick for a while this package really helped! Little things from home and especially the letters have helped us cope with the homesickness. For any student studying abroad. we believe little things like care packages filled with movies, snacks or anything from back home can really help make your stay in a foreign country better.

Starbucks in S. Korea

Back home our favorite coffee place has always been Starbucks so it has been quite interesting comparing the differences and similarities between a Starbucks in Korea and a Starbucks back in the U.S. The differences between each country are many, but they also share some similarities. We'd like to focus on the differences though because they are definitely something to talk about. What really caught our eye when we first entered Starbucks in Seoul was the size of the place. We've visited a few locations around Seoul and compared to the Starbucks in our city, the locations here are more spacious and often are two floors. It might be because Seoul is a large city, but I don't recall seeing locations as big as the ones in Korea even in New York City. One thing that really stands out is the size of the drinks. A venti in Korea is not a venti from back home; to us it seems that a venti in Korea is more like  equal in size to a grande in the U.S. Another thing that we have come to appreciate about the Starbucks here is that they serve your orders in trays! It's so convenient especially when you order pastries or multiple drinks and they don't ask for names at least they haven't at the locations we have been to instead they yell out the drinks in order, something that does not always happen in Starbucks back home so this means no taking someone else's drink or mix ups ! They also provide you with hand wipes to sanitize your hands before eating which is awesome. The last thing we really like and is extremely convenient, but at the same time is something that takes time to get used to is the recycling. This just doesn't happen in Starbucks it is everywhere! Any sort of restaurant, coffee place, fastfood joint has these recycling areas, and we love it ! The U.S. could learn a little something about Korea's recycling system. Although we have been going regularly to Starbucks we will soon start exploring local coffee shops to get the full experience, the only problem is that there are so many to choose from!

Starbucks is like our sanctuary away from home. 

Convenient and environmentally friendly.  

The view from the top floor. 

Take a Little Time

This is one of the noraebang we have been going to in 건대.

 

The first two weeks of being in Seoul were thrilling, breathtaking, and very much enjoyable. It was a mix of wonderful feelings and now we are half way into the third week and these feelings have subsided. Somedays if not everyday we feel frustrated, homesick, depressed and long for home. We miss our family, we miss the familiarity and ease of being back home. These feelings arise from the various frustrations we have been experiencing since the first day; the difference is that these have gotten more difficult such as communicating, overwhelming changes, the stress of classes, and daily small challenges that would not be a challenge back home. Communicating with others I believe has to be the most frustrating issue for us. While there are many tourists in Seoul and there is a great amount of English around most of the time you will have to communicate with people using hand gestures and so on. Communicating with professors and other classmates has also been frustrating. Finding the packets and books we need for class has become an issue because most of the time the people who sell them do not understand a word of English and this leads to considerable frustration as well as having no idea where some of the places where they sell our books are located. Our professors while they speak English have difficulty at times expressing themselves and we are often lost during class trying to figure out what is going on. Sometimes buying things or trying to get things becomes difficult, but it isn't all too bad because people are always willing to help! For instance one time a lady used her phone to translate what she was trying to ask us and other times we'll say it in Korean and they will try to say it in English and somehow we always (well most of the time) we manage to get somewhere maybe not always where we wanted to get to, but we get somewhere and learn what not to do next time.

Everyday is a new learning experience. The food has also not sat well with us and often we have trouble finding something to eat that won't make us feel sick, but we try everyday. While we have only been here for three weeks we have already learned so much and learned to appreciate the little things from back home. Everyday is going to be a challenge, but the real challenge is how we handle it and learn to cope and adapt to the situations we find ourselves in. We know it's going to get better as soon as we get the jist of things, but for now we have relied on karaoke known as 'noraebang' in Korean as a way to release the stress we feel. I think we have relied on it too much because we've been there already more than 4 times since we arrived.

                                           Got a perfect score on one of the songs we sang !