A Day in the Life of a Foreigner in South Korea - Blog Assignment #7

Yesterday was the last day of UIP, so the staff invited us to a celebration last night.  The celebration lasted till 3 am but I stayed up until 5 am chatting with some friends that I knew would not be able to see in the near future.  I managed to see the sunrise over the horizon of Ulsan.  It was a beautiful sight, both happy and bittersweet because this was the end of seeing all the wonderful people I have met.  I went back to my room and slept for nearly 5 hours.  After 5 hours of deep sleep, I got up and got ready to move out.  I ate a little lunch and went to the post office to send off a box of clothes.   I said my last goodbyes to the staff and Mr. Jung dropped Eric and I off at the KTX Station.  Eric, from the previous blog post, and I are traveling together to Seoul because it turned out that we booked flights that had similar timing.  This was my first time taking the KTX so I did not really know how it worked.  Eric had taken it before so I trusted his knowledge.  Our day had not been very eventful until we accidentally got on the wrong train.  We ended up getting on a train that was 15 minutes earlier than the one we booked.  We got on the train and there were people in our seat.  We were so confused but the attendants helped us and told us that our train was the one after this one.  After getting off the next stop and waiting 15 minutes, our train arrived and we hopped on the correct one.  Eric was concerned the whole time but the more I get lost the more nonchalant I become; maybe it’s because I know South Korea is a safe country.  As I write this, I am traveling on the KTX to Seoul.  The rest of the itinerary for the day is just check in to the hostel and have dinner.  Hopefully, nothing else too eventful happens and if it does I hope it's a good event.

Blog Post 5 - Friendships

Friendship is a complex entity. Rarely linear, it has a lot of exceptionalities, and is a continual roller coaster of learning, understanding, and working towards growing more connected with another individual. On a stay like this one-month program there is certainly enough time to lay the foundation for life-long friendships and connections, both here in Korea and back in countries of UIP Programme members. Friendship in my experience thus far has had two clear roads of cultural normalcy: the path of friendship with westerners – which tends to be more like back in the United States and is the mode I am far more familiar with; and the path of friendship with Koreans – which has been successful, but a lot more personal commitment because of the construction of social interaction as it relates to friendships.

I have built several strong friendships with a few friends who have joined several of us with similar sense of humor, academic pursuits, and general concern for other people. The two strongest friendships have been with Chinese-born American Eric (Jun Yan) Xiao and Texan Pete Ortega. As the program has continued the friendships that we all share have flourished even to the point that all six of us (Jennifer, Lacy, Giau, Eric, Pete, and Myself) may decide to have a friend reunion in Dallas at some point to reminisce over our Korean and friendship-building experiences.

I have made far more Korean friends than I had initially expected I would, now ranging at around six or so friends beyond the UIP staff in Ulsan and Seoul. Two or three I have encountered because they approached me with an interesting bettering language skills where we exchanged Kakao talks and later met in mixed company with other friends to practice English skills. Some of my Korean friends bonded more strongly than others with meals as the central focus of social interaction in which friendships have been built. These friendships were more arduous to construct, but in many cases are far stronger and more founded in innate loyalty than western relationships. I have found that taking time to hang out, even if just for a meal, or keeping in close contact via social media is essential to maintaining the friendship without seeming duplicitous, dishonest, or disloyal.

Goal Satisfaction? Maybe.. - Blog Assignment #6

As the time to leave Ulsan draws near, I keep thinking about the goals I had set prior to my departure. Learning more about South Korean language and culture, how their hierarchical society works, and improving my Korean language abilities were some of the goals I had set for myself. So far, I believe that I have done fairly well in pursuing these goals and working to achieve what I had set out to do. Concerning the Korean language, my abilities have improved quite a bit. I am still quite shy when it comes to speaking out, but my reading and listening skills have changed significantly. I have realized that listening to the general context of conversations allows me to understand a lot more than trying to focus on the meaning of words I don't recognize. As I learn more vocabulary, I am sure that I will only improve in the future.

Understanding the hierarchical society has been an interesting goal to work towards. In general, most Koreans tend to push aside this aspect of their culture when they interact with foreigners. Because of this, it has been a little difficult to see this particular part of South Korean culture on a daily basis. Fortunately, my language abilities are decent enough that I can follow the politeness of a conversation between Koreans. It has been through this method that I studied the Korean hierarchy in their relationships with each other. It has been really fascinating to see how the language and behaviors of people change, all depending on the politeness required when speaking to a specific person.

Overall, I am proud of my progress. However, I would definitely like to work on speaking Korean and having closer relationships to the native people here. It will have to be a goal for next time, right?

Some of the wonderful staff that has helped my language goals.

Surprise Birthday Party - Blog Assignment #5

Throughout my stay in Ulsan, I have had the opportunity to make a lot of new friends. The staff of the Ulsan International Program have been amazing, always inviting us to dinner or drinks, answering any questions, and even sharing their personal lives and friends. A few of nights ago we had a surprise birthday party for Jungho, a Korean student here at Ulsan University. Because Jungho is interested in learning English and plans to study abroad next semester, it was really easy to get to know him and have a great time. A few other UIP members and Ulsan University students joined the party and it was nice to show a new friend how much we appreciated him. After hiding inside the dark club room for what seemed like forever, Jungho was finally led to our surprise attack by Gwangho, another new friend from Ulsan University. He was really touched by our efforts, explaining that he had never experienced this kind of surprise before, as usually his friends just have a meal or drink together for his birthday.

While there have been several great experiences throughout this trip, it is our personal relationships that will continue to grow and shape our lives. I truly hope that I will be able to keep in touch with all of my new friends from around the world. There is so much left to learn from the people around me, it cannot just end here. Besides, who knows when I will need a couch to sleep on when I go traveling again!

Until next time~

Learning Goals – Blog Assignment #6

Before coming to Korea I had little experience with written language.  I have always wanted to learn how to read and write Hangul but I never had the time to sit down and actually learn it.  After finishing all the lessons on Hangul in the program, I am proud to say I can recognize some words and read the language very slowly.  Sometimes I need reminders to what the characters are but for the majority of the time I can recognize and read the phonetics of the words.  I do not know enough vocabulary to know what it says but with only four lessons in Hangul I think I have made great improvement in my goals.   As for writing, I am still working on that.  Due to the lack of knowledge in vocabulary I still have to work on writing.  If you give me the phonetics, however, I could probably spell out the words.  I still have lots of things to learn and I plan on coming back to Korea so this is not the end of my studies.  One day, I wish to become a fluent speaker so through practicing reading, writing, and using Rosetta Stone, hopefully I would achieve that goal in the future.  As for right now, I am a really slow reader so my immediate goal while still in the country is to increase reading speeds a little more.  How I would go about doing that is reading more and more of the signs wherever I go.  Other than that I think this program has helped me achieve what I’ve always wanted to do.  

Friends - Blog Assignment #5

During this study abroad experience, we do not have a host family because we are staying in the dorms so I will be focusing on the friendship I have developed over the past two weeks.  As my stay lengthens friendships becomes stronger.  Hwi Young was a student at UAFS previously but I never got to meet her and become friends.  Jennifer knew her and since she lived in Ulsan she contacted her and we have had dinner a couple of times.  She showed us around the downtown area and we have grown to be good friends.  We have plans of hanging out with her more throughout the time we have left.  The other local friendships we have developed are with the staff.  They are all students just like the participants and since we are so close in age it was easy to become friends.  They not only help us but they invite us to do things with them making it easy to develop friendships.  One of the most enjoyable times I have had here is with the staff, when we were all hungry and decided to have a midnight gathering.  It was great getting to know them and become closer to them.  From that night, Jang Won, a staff member, said he was a tree because he wasn’t interested in anyone so now we have a running joke that he is a tree.  Although local relationships are great, the most complex relationships are between the UIP participants.  When you are forced to interact with certain people for long periods of time you can learn many things about them and you become so close in such a short amount of time.  For that reason those friendships are the ones that will last a lifetime.  At this time, I’m going to give Eric Xiao from Tennessee a shout out for joining our little UAFS group and becoming so close to us.  Let’s meet each other again in the US!

Today, a day of surprises

Today we went to visit the Hyundai heavy industries complex. Seeing a major component of the miracle on the Han river in action was amazing. Millions of dollars per ship flow through the compiles each day stimulating one of the worlds top economies. At the same time there were many other not so megalithic surprises. For example we went to eat at a Korean style Vietnamese buffet, which was absolutely delicious. But what I found intriguing was Korean ice cream. I noticed out students waking away with piles if ice cream but Koreans first filling their bowls with shaved ice then I cream on top to flavor the ice as it melted. Wow, I'm not sure how that evolved but I'm not sure it would win over customers in the USA haha. Later when coming back to school the staff notified us that when we go to the water park we will have to wear life vests. My reaction was astonishment. Never in my life have I ever had to wear a life vest at a water park. The whole thing seems kind of over kill to me but I am interests in learning the reasons behind it. This also reminds me of when we had gone to the amusement park on a really hot day and we chose to ride some water rids to cool down. When we get there e Koreans were all buying ponchos to protect them from getting wet so they still looked good. Let me tell you not only was I a bit astonished, but also made me realize Americans care a lot less about outward appearances. Then when we get back I went to go eat a rice burger and ordered the spicy one and the Korean employees at the eating place were surprised I could even it it. In fact I have been disappointed that Korean food is not spicier but I won't tell the Koreans haha. Finally I get back to the dormitory and decide to eat up on the roof to watch the sunset, and I'm surprised to see the number of solar hot water heaters and roof top gardens on the buildings below. I realize there are economic reasons behind this but I cannot help but admire the Koreans for the green life style and resourcefulness. 

Mantra of the day, "remember your learning goals"

Wow wheat I could say about my learning goals before I came here is really quite a bit, most likely due to the fact that I talk a lot (haha), but it's that skill of talking a lot that I planned to utilize to achieve my goals. Before coming here I wanted an authentic immersive Korean experience that would not only give me some insight in to the Koreans national identity, but also learn about their business culture, see how Confucianism has affect the country, and also all the same for my fellow foreighn students. In order to achieve this I have taken certain steps such as the first day of the UIP program we had to go up in front of the class and present ourselves and tell why we had come to Korea. Amoung the other things that I shared I took out time to just alert the other participants that I could be very talkative and ask many questions about them because for many of them they would be the closest I may ever come to being in their country. If I remember right I said something to the effect of," so yea just to let you all know I am a very friendly open guy and I don't really have much of a bubble, so just warn you I'll asking each one of you a lot of questions about yourself and your country. I thought I should let you know so you didn't think I was just a creepy guy that super intersted in you(haha)". Luckily I was met with many laughs, and later many receptive people.  So as the days have progressed I have had many deep insightful question that challenge not only their limits , but thankfully have made us all ask ourselves hard questions.  As for understand Korea better, I can confidently say that my insight to the Korean mindset has grown by leaps and bounds I would have never been able to achieve if I had stayed in the USA. 

Growing relationships

For me the prospects and benefits that come with growing relation ships with Koreans was very exciting when I was anticipating this trip. When I arrived I found Koreans to be a very friendly people who are great hosts. I had studied many aspects of Korean culture before I came as part of several different classes and projects In preparation for this trip, but there were a few things that I was still unprepared for. One such thing was level of volume Koreans use when speaking. Never before have I been so aware of how loudly I spoke in comparison to the people around me and had to try to avoid being known as a loud mouth!  Now another thing that has I come up with a lot between our Korean friends and many of the male participants has been varying degrees of and jokes about homophobia. Going to club for the first time in Ulsan was a unique experience as many of the men and women never dance together but the guys do, and being westerners we had a large group of very friendly guys dancing and shouting with us all night. This was something that took cultural insight to understand that these guys were not hitting on us, but rather building male friendships and this was Korean "bro-ness" in action. In variable many of the German students cracked some jokes, which at times let to rather red faces from the Korean staff members, but it was alla in light hearted fun and I fact lead  to a lot of bond building between us. 

American culture

I am some

one who loves to study contrasts between cultures, so as an American student in Korea I have on many occasions asked Koreans, especially those that are staff members for the UIP program, what their ideas of American culture were. What I can say about these conversations is that they mostly revolved around what is most commonly in our own media as it trickles down into their media as well. Most seem to hold the same stereotypes of Americans that we ourselves hold being that we are a mixture of some negative elements that don't exist in Korea such as drugs and violence, but that we are also wealthy freedom loving people. I found that those that had actually been the the states had a much better more refined understanding of America but still seen through the eyes of Koreans first and foremost. Which really leads to three topics that have come up not only with Koreans but also almost every other foreigner I have talked with at length being gay marriage, the American military, and Americans relationship with guns. This is not much of a surprise really considering that like I said before the Korean media reports on what we report on maybe just minus a lot of junk about celebrities. I cannot tell you how many times I have been told something along the lines of "when you go to the club all the guys will dance together but it's not gay, we don't really have gay people like in America". Also as an a member of a nation with a military with a budget the size of the proceeding next 12 largest militaries, and military action around the world, talk of my countries military will come up when discussing the DMZ. But really to me one of the saddest perceptions of American culture was the misunderstanding that we all have guns, that everyone knows how to use a gun, and that our country is unsafe because we have guns, rather than understanding that it's really the right to have a firearm if we so choose and that most Americans in fact do not own a gun. 

Blog Post #4 - 'Murica

America is an ever-egocentric nation. Things seem to find their way to discussion of our politically polarized super-nation. In my conversations with Korean individuals the topic is one rarely discussed. It seems that Korea is a nation apt to avoid any form of dependence or stylistic appropriation (real or fantasized) related to the United States. Koreans are a wholly nationalistic society with no less of a drive towards westernization than I had expected to see.

That being said, I have encountered a variety of individuals from other nationalities within UIP at the University of Ulsan who are quick to comment or ask about American generalizations or cultural phenomena. The individuals I have encountered most interested in America/American culture have been German students. One particular student has taken a lot of time to ask me about my experience and about food culture in America, like portioning sizes costs of beverages. It is surprising how food can create cultural common ground.

My roommate, Conner Peta is a Canadian from Lethbridge, Alberta majoring in comparative politics and international relations, has quite an interest in current events and upcoming presidential races. On one occasion we discussed the “confederate” flag in the south and how there were even individuals in Alberta who were waving “confederate” flags in support of southerners. I was both appalled, because of the racial and political implications attached to the symbol, especially to be doubly misused by a province in a different country over a thousand miles away. Another discussion with my roommate concerned the infamous Donald Trump and his racist tirade against immigrants from Mexico and Central America. He inquired about the political climate of race in different regional locations within the United States. I must say the discussion of which was quite a breath of fresh air coming from a more conservative location like Arkansas.

American Culture? Interesting! - Blog Assignment #4

Before coming to South Korea, I thought about how I would answer the typical questions I would expect foreigners to ask me. Do Americans like to party hard and try drugs? Does everyone have a gun? Are there tons of fat people everywhere? However, honestly speaking, there have not been a lot of interactions that involved people asking me about America or her culture. I'm not sure if it's because they assume they know American culture based on our television dramas or if they are simply too shy to ask. However, tonight I had a dinner appointment with a friend and two Korean students that are planning to study abroad in the United States this coming fall semester. While most of their questions were about the school, Tennessee Tech University, and what campus life would be like, many other topics came up throughout the evening. One of the topics we discussed was southern hospitality and what to expect from the "friendly neighbor" type of attitude that a lot of southerners have, which is not often seen here in South Korea, as generally strangers do not say hello, smile, or nod at each other. We also talked about tipping culture, safety at night, and some useful tips that will make their life as an international student easier.

A lot of the discussion made me think about things from my own culture back home. There are definitely some things in South Korea that I wish we could add, such as sales tax being included in the listed price, not tipping at restaurants, and sharing meals more freely between friends. Interestingly enough, there are things that I miss from the United States, southern hospitality being at the top of that list. It's probably safe to say that I will compare the pros and cons of my culture to others, and I'm quite content with this. How else will we become more globalized and work to make our own country a better place for future generations?

Until next time~

Korea Meets America Blog Assignment #4

Through making numerous friends, we have met a native South Korean by the name of Jun Ho.  He is studying at the University of Ulsan and is majoring in electrical engineering.  In interacting with him, I discovered that he was coming to America for an exchange program next year.  It turned out that in August he will be studying at Texas Tech for two semesters.  This is the only American exchange experience I have had so far so I will be elaborating three things we discussed.  During our conversations, I explained to him what Southern Hospitality was.  I explained how people in the south smile at each other even between strangers.  I told him that it is really different from the culture in South Korea where strangers do not really interact with each other.  I also told him about PDA between two genders and how it is more common in America than in South Korea.  In South Korea, it is okay to for PDA between the same sex, but in America it is considered a homosexual act and commonly frowned upon in the south.  Then he told me about how much he loved America.  In school, they were taught that the Americans helped them during the Korean War by sending supplies and support.  He said that without America, South Korea would not exist and be as successful as they are today.  He even said that they would never want to be one with North Korea ever again.  I hope to interact with more Koreans and see what they think about America but as of right now this was the most prevailing conversation I've had regarding America.

A Place Where I Feel at Home - Blog Assignment #3

I would have thought that by now I would be missing home greatly. To my surprise, I still haven't gotten homesick. Though she was excited for me, my mom kept half-heartedly trying to talk me out of leaving for this long. She was afraid that I would miss home too much and that being this far from home would be overwhelming for me. She probably wouldn't like to hear it, but I feel extremely comfortable here. I think I feel like I fit in here partially because everyone here has been so welcoming, partially because I was somewhat familiar with Korean culture before I left, and partially because I have already made really awesome friends here. 

Everything is so convenient in Seoul and Ulsan. It's almost a little bit hard to wish I was home when food and entertainment is in such close walking distance, stores stay open late, and if there is something out of walking distance there is public transportation and taxis at our disposal.

I think I can understand why I don't miss Fort Smith, but I am surprised that I don't miss my family and friends to a point where it makes me sad yet. Of course I miss them, but I think because I constantly have Jen, Giau, Matthew, Luis, our new friend Eric, and all of the other UIP participants and staff to distract me, I never feel lonely. It's really nice that I have so many great friends to share the memories with. 

I wonder if eventually homesickness will set in. Traveling with friends I think improves the experience because I won't have to feel alone. I'm thankful that Luis will accompany me in Japan, so I can hopefully feel at home there too.

Onggi Village - Blog Assignment #3

It has been a little over three weeks since I left the United States. Before I started my journey, I had the opportunity to speak with a few of my friends about their experiences abroad and how it felt to be in another culture. Many of them had jet lag for days, severe home sickness, and some even felt frustrated when they couldn't understand what was going on around them. I'm not sure if it's because of the amazing UIP staff or having familiar friends nearby, but I have not experienced any of those negative feelings. Although we are completely immersed in the Korean language, most of which I cannot understand, I feel quite comfortable in South Korea.

A few days ago we visited Onggi Village (외고산옹기마을) where traditional Korean earthenware (옹기) is produced. The amount of work and detail that is handcrafted into every piece of earthenware is quite astonishing. There were hundreds of pots, some that had been fired and others that were, I assume, waiting for their turn. We got to explore the village, learn about the history of the earthenware in the Onggi Cultural Center, and even create our own masterpieces, which will be fired and returned to us in a few weeks.

This small trip was definitely a great opportunity to learn about a specific part of Korean culture. On top of that, we even get a special souvenir to take home with us, assuming it didn't explode while being heated. I hope mine is doing well!

Until next time~

On the topic of culture.

Each of us that were selected to come to Korea to represent UAFS had a different reason for coming, mine being mainly a cultural study. Korean culture has a long and rich history, and  today stands as the 13th largest economy in the world. This combination means that as an international business major I need to know, understand, and especially have an insight to Korean culture. So being the naturally inquisitive guy that I am I have started many conversations with our Korean hosts during our time here, which in effect has actually sparked many conversations about American culture. What I have found most interesting and beneficial from these conversations is that they have helped demonstrate our cultural, political, and economic differences, all the while helping me to not only better understand the Korean mindset, but also take a deeper look at myself and my country. I strongly believe that any nation, just like any individual, can benefit greatly from such introspection and questioning of methodologies, and in fact must do so I order to grow. Interestingly one topic that has come up many times not just with Koreans but every non-American  I have met has been the issue of guns in America. At the hostle I stayed in in Seoul the inn keeper had pretty decent English so I asked him where he studied. He said that he had studied business in Australia for two years. When I asked him why he chose Australia he said,"because America have to much guns". My response to this was both surprise and hearty laughter. When he asked why I laughed so hard I told him," I can understand why you may have he viewpoint that we Ll have guns and often are violent with them as I know the international news talks about it often, but the thing about Americans and their guns may surprise you. It's really not that we all have guns but rather more that we want the right to have guns. Most people in fact don't and never have owned a firearm, while others own many. But most Americans value that ability and right to have them If they choose". Now while this may have been one of many incidents of cultural enlightenment on both sides of the ailke, I think the important thing to keep In mind is that we as people of the world from different nation have come together and tried to understand one another. This is not only important to us as individuals aspiring to find our niche in the global market place but also as members of a species desiring to keep peace in our time as we face the challenges of tomorrow hand in hand.

Blog Post #3 Culture & I: Eating Best Experienced Together

How does it feel? Does it make you a wholly different individual? Travel is a transformative experience, a metamorphosis of thoughts, expectations, and personal reality. It is simple to be confined in one’s personal realm of familiarity, to be held within mindsets of how the world operates or how expansive it realistically is. Travel, in my life, has been a means of bridging cultural boundaries and developing a sympathetic and cosmopolitan composure. Coming from an area where sociopolitical tensions and education is succinctly different, South Korea formulates opportunities to gauge differences in culturally sensitive pragmatics behaviorally and linguistically. Many of the behavioral and interactive aspects of culture that may have startled me previously were solved in advance by the advice of Korean students and friends. What has most intrigued me, in the last few days, is the importance of social food culture – comparable to Spain’s. My particular experience was one that involved three separate restaurants for one dinner. From Korean BBQ to eating Korean-style pigs feet to eating patbingsu, the conversation and laughter was unbroken and in many ways exhilarating. To be a part of a culture and not feel out of place, rather to enjoy the value of a moment, is an inexplicable sensation.

Eating is important, and best executed with many friends or colleagues, an innumerable amount of shared dishes, and preferably shared beverages like soju or makgeolli. It is not a sociocultural behavior that in any way deters me from enjoying my experience, in fact I believe it is a valuable asset to individual betterment in cultural understanding and provides linguistic learning opportunities. A particular cultural pastime that I hope to continually engage with during my stay in South Korea.