International Experiences Reflective Essay
As a University of Hawaii at Hilo
student I have been able to attend 3 different study abroad programs in two
different countries. My first study
abroad program was to Hanyang International Summer School 2012 in Seoul, South
Korea. My second study abroad program was to the University of Stirling in
Scotland during the autumn 2013 semester. My third study abroad experience was to
the Chung-Ang International Summer program 2014 in Seoul, South Korea. Although
I have gained many wonderful insights about Korean and Scottish culture, an
important theme I would like to draw attention to for both cultures is the way
some locals view their neighboring countries. South Korea’s neighboring country
I will be writing about is North Korea and Scotland’s neighboring country that
I will be writing about is England.
While I was in Seoul it was very
interesting to learn that a majority of South Koreans do not fear North Korea’s
continuous threats. One of my South Korean friends said, “I think people in
Seoul are more worried about finding a parking stall than they are worried
about North Korea’ s threats”. To me
this was very interesting to hear because most American media stories constantly stick fear in people when they talk about North Korea (North Korea
launches missile… North Korea Imprisons American college student for 15 years).
Although I have not been to North Korea, I was able to go to the Joint Security
Area of the Demilitarized Zone. The Korean Demilitarized Zone is heavily guarded
by South Korean ROK soldiers, American soldiers and North Korean soldiers. While I was at the Joint Security Area I
looked over to the North Korean side and to my surprise, I was able to see a
North Korean tourist doing the same exact thing I was doing. He was taking a
picture and just being “normal”. In the midst of the heavy guarded boarder were
civilians on the North and South Korean side. It is amazing how people are separated
by this boarder, history and dictatorship.
In Scotland I learned that many
Scottish may feel negatively toward the English people because of their history
becoming a part of the United Kingdom (Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern
Ireland). I came to learn about this issue during my study abroad experience because
I would constantly see parades of people holding signs for the Scottish
Independence Referendum. The two groups holding signs were people for Scottish independence
called, Yes Scotland and those
against becoming independent called, Better
Together. The referendum was a vote for only Scottish people to decide if they
wanted to become independent from the United Kingdom. The actual vote took
place in September 2014, a whole year after I studied in Scotland. As we know
today, Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom, but there are still people
who are fighting to have Scottish independence. This fight for independence
reminds me of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement because both are fighting to
have their culture recognized as being independent from a bigger nation such as
the United States or the United Kingdom.
It is possible to learn a lot from tourist
attractions, but I believe the most beneficial thing to do on a study abroad is
talk to the local people and learn more about their lives and perspectives. By
talking to South Korean people and Scottish people while abroad, I learned
about their thoughts on issues and struggles related to their country. My study
abroad experiences have taught me that although media can be informative, it is
better to understand a culture or country through first hand interactions with
its people.
A photo I took looking in to North Korea from the JSA of the DMZ on the South Korean side. The blue huts seen in this photo sit in both North and South Korea.
Posing for a photo with Stirling, Scotland's Provost, Councillor Mike Robbins. He represents the council and Stirling at civic events. He also promotes Stirling on the local, national and international levels.
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Seoul Searching
The Motto for Hanyang International Summer School is “Don’t
just visit, live it”, so that’s what I did! While in Korea, I experienced many
things for the first time, I tried new food, new public transportation and was
forced to play the role of the confused foreigner. In the process of learning how to adapt to a
foreign lifestyle I felt my soul falling in love with Seoul and all the people
I met there. I enjoyed my classes, going on adventures with new friends and
constantly being surrounded by the Korean language.
When I first went to Korea
I was only confident in saying two things in Korean. Those words were ‘Hello’
and ‘Thank you’. I am still amazed at how much Korean I was able to learn in
just four weeks. During my final week I met an elderly woman on the subway who
spoke absolutely no English. She had an amazing warm smile that made me think
of my own grandparents. Only using
Korean I was able to introduce my friend and myself to her. I was also able
to tell her where we went to school, where we were from, how old we were and a
few other personal details about ourselves. The cool part was that she seemed
to be able to understand me and I could understand most of what she said back to
me. After we talked for 5 stops it was time for my friend and I to get off, so
we had to tell her good bye. This was
probably the best conversation I’ve ever had with someone I may never see
again. Just thinking about that conversation still warms my heart, I will never
forget her smile.
Although I only studied abroad for a month, I feel that I
could write an entire novel on my experience. I’m very grateful for having the
opportunity to study at Hanyang International Summer School. This is only the
beginning of my study abroad adventures; there will be many more travels to
experience and more knowledge to gain.
Me and some of my friends pose for a photo while exploring Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) Palace
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/studyabroad/documents/Fall_20121.pdf
You can also finds my testimonial on page 14 in the 2013 Hanyang International Summer School Brochure:
http://www.waseda.jp/cie/pdf/studyabroad/2013/abroad8/Hanyang_U/2013_Hanyang_International_Summer_School_Brochure.pdf
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