2017/08/09

Yujong Cho/Final Draft/ISS2017

< Sharing Feelings with Others>

 

Sharing and empathizing with others' feelings is a key tool to work together with them.

By sharing the feelings, you can understand others more than before, it makes your job works better.

Looking back on recent experiences, I would like to write about how I could improve my job well by trying to empathizing with others. .

One is that I've been doing English tutoring and the other was my time working at ISO.

 

Firstly, I'll talk about the English tutoring that I gave to middle school students.

 

I've been teaching English for one year at the middle school every Saturday.

When I am with them, I feel younger so I love it and applied for this tutoring program.

It was for students from low-income families.

 

When I first started, I was quite confident of tutoring students in English since I had done it before. Of course, to teach someone I need to know what to teach them in class and consider how much they would be able to understand me. Also I have to consider students' level of English and their attitude for class.

However, the students at the middle school were totally different from the students I've tutored before.

They barely knew English and didn't even pay attention to class.

They were 15 years old but they hadn't even learned very easy grammar yet, for example how to use auxiliary verb or passive form.

It seemed as if only a few of them understood the class. I felt frustrated at first but didn't give up on them.

 

Therefore I tried to change the style of teaching them.

Before I just focused on how to let them understand the class well but as this was with boring textbooks and one sided classes, naturally it must have been boring for them, so I started trying to make class more interesting.

I used English movies, dramas and introduced some games at the end of the every class.

I showed them the movie "Truman Show", which they really liked and it was useful material for the class. It seemed like it was not that difficult for the students to follow what I was teaching a lot of fun with them.  and could wrap up the class well though it.

 

I tried to know what the students were interested in and tried to engange them in conversation about for example their favorite boygroup. Knowing about what they like outside classroom and sharing their interest really helped me to empathize with the students. I could keep talking with them longer so I got closer to them.

 

After every class, I listened to the feedback they gave me.

I listened to it and improve the class according to it. I tried really hard to communicate with them.

 Afterwards it looked like they feel more comfortable in the class than before and with me as a teacher as well. I'm still trying to make them feel more comfortable with me and make class more fun.

Since I've been working at ISO I tried to be more considerate of others' feelings too.

I have worked with many foreign students so far and it was really refreshing experience.

Before this, I was not exposed to foreigners a lot and the students participating in ISS were all from different countries, so at first I had difficulties in understanding them. Even from small table manners to a way of thinking, I was not used to most of them. For example German students told me when they are at the table they would not talk at all while still having food inside their mouth. They would have felt embarassed when I talk to them while eating. After I got to know the manner, I tried to pay more attention to this when I ate at the same table as them.

 

And I also learned a lot about vegetarian. Honestly, I hadn't met vegetarian a lot before, so I didn't know much of them. But, while working at ISO, I had some chances to meet them and learned how to do when I'm with vegetarian. When I was with them at first, to be honest, it was really annoying because whenever I hung out them and go eat something, I always had to take extra care of them. However, after I heard why they started being a vegetarian, I understood them. Many of the reasons were health problem and it was more than I thought. They don't want to be it, but they have to be it. It made me think about it again and now I'm totally okay with them. If I hadn't gotten to know them, I would have not been conscious of vegetarian, but now I can empathize with them.

 

Through the time at ISO and teaching at the school, I learned how to share others' feeling and empathize with them. Both were really valuable periods to understand what I have never felt yet.

 I would like to be a English teacher after I graduate and I have learned a lot from being with the students. I can definitely say that it will really help a lot to be a better teacher in the future. 

Final Draft/ Noemí Fuentes/ ISS2017

Stereotypes

 

I have always considered myself a person that does not fit the stereotypes of my own culture. Spanish people are said to be, among other things, a little loud, outgoing and lazy. Well, except for the last one, those are not adjectives someone would use to describe me. That could be one of the reasons why since I was a little girl I was interested in learning about other countries, maybe to discover the one that would suit my personality best. The first foreign country I set my eyes upon was England, possibly because of my fangirling years as a teenager, but most likely due to the image the world has of the British; they are seemed as introverted, well-mannered and discreet. When you start to enjoying things from other countries is very likely that you would also become interested in knowing their language. That's why, not being totally conscious of it, I started learning English. I liked their culture so much that my mother would always tell her acquaintances that I was going to live there once I finish college.  That was until later, when I discovered British reality shows and realised that maybe there weren't that polite after all. At that time, I was becoming slightly aware that stereotypes more often than not do not define a culture.

 

Later on, and not surprisingly, my hobby would turn out to be my chosen career path. My experience learning English motivated me to know more about other countries, to learn other languages. That is why once I started university, majoring in translation and interpreting, I met a lot of new people. The city (details)I moved into is visited and inhabited by people from all over the world, as well as a popular choice for exchange students. Those poor central Europeans fleeing the freezing temperatures and thrilled at the perspective of a year spent at the beach rather than in the classroom (they would too late realise they've been fooled by Spanish stereotypes when they, in fact, pass the year at the beach but forget to pass their exams). So, it was very frequent to find myself speaking in English instead of Spanish. Those months I met all kinds of people; British than were way more extroverted than me, Asian people that talked perfect English, and even a Scottish that was not ginger (unbelievable). Jokes apart, I learned to not expect certain things from people just based on the country they are from, that I needed to leave behind these stereotypes.  

 

Even though I had acquired this mentality, when I came to Korea a month ago I could not help but have certain aspects of the Koreans set in my mind. I had heard that many people would stare at me, especially the older population, and that most of the time they wouldn't be welcoming, or even some of them would be racist. True to that statement, I definitely can feel how the people stare at me on the subway. The day I arrived here, when I was in the train heading to the university one of my friends sat next to an old woman and she immediately changed seats. During the time I've been here I've had a few experiences like that, however, I've also experienced the kindness of the people. The many times elders have told me to sit next to them when I was standing and when they ask me where I'm from with a smile on their face.

 

These are just a few experiences that have changed my view on/off cultures and their stereotypes. Starting with my own self that do not live up to other people's expectations, and continuing with the encounters I've had with people in my lifetime, from which I've learned that every person is different, no matter where they are from. We all have different personalities and upbringings that makes us who we are. Stereotypes are just a poor way of labelling a whole culture.

 

When we meet a foreigner, we must be open-minded and try to know them as a person, not as a representation of what a country should be like in our minds. Do not let stereotypes prevent you from living new experiences.

 

.

 

 

 

Wrapping Up Questions/ Rhee So Hyun/ ISS2017

Q1. Choose one of the Korean stories we read and discussed. What kind of emotions were in it? If you had to describe the story to a friend in a few sentences, what would you say?

In Krys Lee's "At the Edge of the World", there is a wave of different emotions. The characters display a sense of lost, anger, confusion, excitement, sadness, relief, and happiness. Mark's mother was constantly angry due to the fact that her husband was consulting with the Shaman, and Mark's father was feeling a sense of lost and guilt after the death of his brother. Mark felt confused after seeing his father in a ritual, crying for his dead brother, excitement when he fell in love with Chanhee, sadness when his father did not shower him with affection, and relief and happiness at the end of the story when his father tells Mark about his brother and when he tells Mark that he loves him. I would tell my friend that this is a short story that makes you feel a wave of emotions. Though it is a fairly short story and it does not delve very deeply into the characters, the story makes you feel for the characters, especially Mark and his father. Through this story, you will be able to get a glimpse of the daily lives and the hardships and sufferings the Korean immigrants went through when they immigrated to America.

Q2. How have the stories we looked at in class changed your perceptions of Korean culture and immigrants? Was there one particular character whose experience affected you strongly?

The stories have made me aware of the sufferings and the sacrifices Korean immigrants went through. Being a Korean who was born and lived in Singapore, I never thought about the hardships Korean immigrants went through. Soo-Ja from "This Burns My Heart" particularly affected me strongly. My parents are both Korean immigrants who moved to Singapore when they were roughly thirty. They immigrated to Singapore in hopes of having better jobs and earning more money to raise my brother and I. However, I never once stood to think that they were indeed Korean immigrants. After reading the Korean stories and Soo-Ja's experience, in particular, I realized that my parents did indeed sacrifice their lives in Korea in order to provide my brother and I with better lives. Soo-Ja loved her life in Korea; she loved Korea and had dear friends in Korea. However, she had to move to America for her daughter. I related to this story because it is somewhat similar to my parents immigrating to Singapore. Whenever I talk about this subject with my mother, she tells me that it was extremely difficult when they initially moved to Singapore. Both my parents did not speak a word of English and they did not know anyone from Singapore. My mother often tells me that she misses her Korean friends and whenever I see her reminiscing about her past in Korea, I feel sad but grateful for the sacrifices she made as I am very thankful for growing up in Singapore.

Wrapping Up Questions/ Rhee So Hyun/ ISS2017

Final Draft/ Rhee So Hyun/ ISS2017

The Price of Greed

Cristina Garcia's short story "Tito's Good-bye" describes the last seconds of a man's life in the instant he is hit with a massive heart attack. Tito tries to reminisce about his past during his last few seconds and wonders where he went wrong with his relationship with his family. Tito is consumed by money and the story shows us how greed and money inevitably cannot buy love and happiness.

Tito is described as a masculine man who reminds me of the men who appear in The Godfather. Tito constantly tries to make money by taking advantage of immigrants and leads a rather sad and pitiful life, which is highlighted during his last seconds of his life. Tito, like most people, loves money and believes that money is can bring happiness. To pursue his love for money, he has forsaken his family. He has given up his relationships with his wife, daughter, son, brothers and sister. Instead, he focuses on trying to earn even more money, even going as far as sending his secretory home early to save on her pay. I sympathize with Tito on these aspects as I too, am consumed by money as I measure happiness and success with money. Ever since I was young, I have always had an interest for money. This interest started young, due to the many fights my parents had because of financial reasons, which made me equate money with happiness. As I started growing up, I realized that money can bring a certain amount of happiness. For example, buying whatever I want without having to feel worried that I was running low on money, going to fancy restaurants to eat delicious food, and having the leisure to travel around the world. Though I know that money cannot buy better relationships with my family, it definitely does give me happiness in other ways. Ever since I was a child, my parents always told me that I had to be rich when I grew up. This is because when my parents first moved to Singapore, they only had a few hundred dollars between them and they had to struggle initially. Since my parents know of the hardships of poverty, they do not want me to go through what they went through and therefore, always instilled in me the idea of being rich and successful. My father often jokes about the situation by saying "I wish my daughter would marry a man who drove a Bentley." Though it is meant as a light joke, it inspires me even more to become successful and earn a steady income to buy my own Bentley car. I may not be as consumed by money as Tito, but I definitely do have the desire to be rich, which makes me sympathize with Tito.

However, it is clear that money did not bring Tito love and happiness in the end as he can be seen regretting his life decisions during his last few seconds. Money has not given him a moment for "the luxury of nostalgia", for remembering his mother's cheek, his father's hands, or his daughter's childhood dance. Money did not give him the time to help save the desperate immigrants, call his brothers and sister, or make his estranged wife happy. In his futile attempt during his last seconds, Tito is only able to utter the word "Coño" which is ironic and sad at the same time. His dead body is only to be found after a couple of days by his mistress and none of his family members showed up at his funeral. These, although a little dramatic, depicts the price of greed. Through this story, we are able to learn that money cannot bring love and happiness and that family ties are truly the most important thing in life. We should always treasure and cherish family members now as no one can tell when someone might have a heart attack and pass on. Money truly is not the number one thing I should be aiming for. In this day and age, money is indeed important, making it easier for people to become preoccupied with money and put family relationships on hold. We should be aware of the price of greed. However, the majority of people fail to notice the negative effects of greed as we are too consumed with greed itself.

Everyone loves money and many of us often equate money as happiness, much like Tito. Although the importance of money and family is subjective, through this story, I have realized that though I like money and want to earn money, I do not want to strain my family relationships like Tito did. As cliché as it sounds, money truly does not bring love and happiness. Money does make life easier and more enjoyable, however, if there is no one around you to share such happiness with, it is truly pointless. 

Final draft/ Yujin Jeong/ ISS2017

What Changed Me

Unfamiliarity, change and something new is a thrilling for some people but frightening for others. For me, it was what I wanted to avoid as far as possible. I used to be a person who only likes something familiar with me. When I was confronted with an unfamiliar situation that I had not experienced, I suddenly felt nervous and was afraid for not being able to act as I am. For example, whenever I give my presentation in front of strangers, it makes me sweat and I cannot keep eye contact with the audience. I was overly concerned about what will happen to me because I had no idea what to do in such a case. I didn't want to imagine a situation I couldn't help myself. I was always full of thoughts if I forget what to say during the presentation and everything in my head is blanked out, the audience will whisper about my mistake. Though I liked meeting people and was rather outgoing, it was challenging that being confronted with a strange situation and meeting unfamiliar people in particular. Before I was in university, I used to settle for the situation there is no variety and accustomed to me.

ISO, international student organization, changed me. ISO marked a turning point in my life. I had no intention of joining to the buddy program at first, which is a program of ISO, matching an exchange student to a Korean student. One day, walking through the campus, my friend and I found a booth in front of the Globee Dorm where ISO staffs were promoting their program. My friend was interested in the buddy program and took the application form. She happened to take two papers so she gave me one. I still don't know the reason why I filled out that form and hand it in without courage to talk with foreigners in English. Ironically, my application was accepted but my friend's not. The orientation of buddy program arrived quickly. The auditorium, crowded with strange people from all across the country, made me feel that if I could turn back the time, I would. If my friend asked me, just at that time, to apply for the buddy program, I would answer her 'No way!' As the partner, matched with me, sat beside me, I got so nervous I froze up. Whenever a buddy asked me questions, I just gave one-word answers, yes or no. Though it was the first for me to talk with a person from another country, I was almost mute. I hated myself who knew how to speak in English but said nothing and regretted that I was such a bad partner for the buddy. I didn't even try to ask her to have lunch together because I was not sure I could keep talking while having our meal. I should have just gone for it. I hoped to overcome that whenever I meet new people or situation, I became too much nervous and I couldn't do anything. I made up my mind to be a staff of ISO and have a more experience to meet new, unfamiliar people and various situations.

I joined the buddy team as a team leader of a group. I had to lead a group of ten pairs of buddy from Korea, France, Germany, China, Mexico and Morocco. Though I had more buddies from a half year ago, it was much easier to talk with them and had confidence to be a friend with people who speak other language. Even if for the three months when I was in the buddy program, it was absolutely hard experience for me, the experience turned out to be worth enduring hardship. After I began not to be afraid of meeting foreign friends, I got to know I was a little biased. To be honest, I thought that foreigners would be more individualistic than Korean, they would like to take away from the smell of kimchi and are disgusted with sharing food eaten by others. However, it depended on person. It was like a taste that someone likes kimchi but someone does not. One of my foreign friends always asked for a refill of kimchi in a restaurant and was not reluctant to eat the food I left if he wanted more. If I didn't know how to say some words in English, they didn't get annoyed and waited for me until I finished what I was saying. I found out that everyone from other countries is the same. The taste doesn't come from the difference of language. Because of the untried prejudice, I paid too much attention to, was frightened beforehand and ran away from the chance to be close with new people.

I have never imagined that I would be a friend with foreigners from all over the world, travel with them and meet them in their country. While I was in ISO, I have been experienced a series of changes and something new at every moment. Every moment was unpredictable and full of unfamiliar experiences. I made different friends every semester and have heard about their own culture. I tried a lot of food from different countries such as halal food, taco and kebab. By the way, it is not terrible and dreadful memory for me as I felt at first. To meet strange people and be faced with unfamiliar situation doesn't make me shrink into myself. I might be inexperienced and immature at the beginning, but I can get more wonderful value from the experiences. I cannot think of going back to the former monotonous life.

Wrapping up questions // Repishkova Tatiana

Question 1. Choose one of the Korean stories. What kind of emotions were in it? If you have to describe the story to a friend in a few sentences, what would you say?

Krys Lee's story "At the Edge of the world" is not that kind of story you can easily describe with one word or even one sentence. "At the edge of the world" unlike the other stories does not have main and supporting characters. All characters have important roles; all of them have their own story. A genius 9 year old fell in love with neighbor girl and his parents are against her; father cannot forgive himself for his older brother's death and mother is trying to keep family together and lead a normal life in a foreign country. "At the edge of the world" tells you more about one normal family with their problems rather than about life of North-Korean refugee family. Every reader could find something for himself in this story or could even recognize his own family in it.

 

Question 2.  In "At the Edge of the world" the scars of deprivation and suffering mark the older characters in the story, Find and discuss them.

One of the examples of deprivation in "At the edge of the world" story is when Mark, a 9 year old boy, caught his father holding on to a branch with leaves in his hands and shaking it into a bowl of uncooked rice trying to talk to his dead older brother. Mark was sitting on the floor next to his father hugging his knees. He was afraid that his mother came home early and mother never forgive dad and they would never be a family.

Another example of deprivation in the story is when mother of the boy got to know that father asked shaman to make a ritual in order to talk to his death brother. She was crying for the first time in front of her child and screamed to her husband "He's dead. They're all dead. Just don't think". She was scared that he tried to turn back times she didn't want him to keep live past. She wanted to live a normal life.

Final draft, Repishkova Tatiana

Finding myself

 The Greek philosopher Aristotle once said: "Man is by nature a social animal". It means that no individual can live without society; human life and society go hand by hand. Man has a natural urge to live an associated life with others. From the very beginning I, as an average person, have been feeling a need to be a part of different social groups: member of sport club, college class, citizen of country.  I was born in Russia and for eighteen years I had proudly claimed "I am a Russian, I am a Russian citizen, my native language is Russian and I am carrier of Russian values. But now, I feel like I do not belong to Russian culture anymore.

When I was eighteen years old I started to learn Korean language. Every day I spent all my time to learn something new about Korea. I was addicted to Korean dramas, TV-shows, K-pop, I watched every program that was broadcasted on Korean channels. I was thinking that before I go to Korea I need to learn everything about this country because I did not want to make a fool out of myself. However, I could not imagine that I was losing my Russian identity at the same time.  

Finally, I entered Korean university and started to live a life I had been prepared myself for 4 years. I didn't have what people call" culture shock", I fully understood how Korean society works and easily adjusted myself.  However, no matter the fact I could speak Korean and tried to act as a Korean I was never treated as a normal Korean inhabitant only because I was White. Because of my European appearance I was treated differently lots of times my opinion was neglected accompanied with words "She's White, she doesn't understand".

After a year of living and struggling in Korea I started to crave to come back to Russia. Finally during summer vacations I found myself flying on the plane to Moscow. But my happiness was too short. It lasted 9 hours, flying time from Incheon to my hometown.  As soon as I arrived I was shocked with ignorance, slackness, slowness of Russians. When I went in in the first shop to buy something to eat I greeted a seller by saying "Hello" but didn't hear the answer in return, emotionless face of the seller glanced at me once and continued to read a book. It was my first shock coming back.

Later, when I was going to take a bus I could not find a bus line and every time the wave of late-comers swept me away from the bus door. I could not stand my anger and screamed "Please, let's stand in a line". It was my second shock coming back.

Also, every time I met my Russian friends who I used to hang out a lot before, I found out that I do not understand them anymore and they do not understand me, time to time even laughing at me for the reason I could not completely express myself and laughing at me for my slight Korean accent. That was my third shock coming back. At that time, a thought that I do not belong to Russian culture anymore struck me. I am not a part of Russian society and cannot be a part of Korean society too. I do not know what society I belong to. I feel like a misfit being on the edge of two cultures.

Recently I recognized that I am not on my own, I am not alone. There is a bunch of international students in the university I am studying in, some of them are Russians. They also feel apart from their mother culture as I do.  Time to time we make fun out of robotic "Yes, sir" nature of Koreans and "if something goes wrong, let it be "Russians. We are trying to stick together because we found our niche next to each other. Nobody can understand you better than the person who goes through the same things.

Final draft / Katharina Kosmalla / ISS 2017

Loving Who I Am

When I was eleven, I had my first experience of being away from my family for more than a week. For four weeks, I was part of the Children International Summer Village.  I remember how I arrived at the camp in the Netherlands and was so overwhelmed for a few moments. The camp was a big bungalow village, surrounded by open spaces and a big grass field where we later played games such as baseball or hidden flag. The air was warm and the sky blue with a few white clouds finding their way over our new home. Everyone spent a weekend in a local family before the camp started, sometimes boys and girls in different families.              So, what I saw was all those 44 boys and girls from eleven countries, running around with excitement and smiles written on their faces, waving their arms to say hello to each other. From all around I could hear kids speak their different languages, some of them I never heard before. I was so shy back then and my first excitement and curiosity was quickly mixed with nervousness. Thoughts, if I could get along with everyone and how I was supposed to make any friends swapped my mind.                                                                                                     I was a quiet girl by nature, always more in the background than being the center of attention. Even with friends it was sometimes difficult for me to speak with them or tell them what was on my mind. So how was I supposed to make any friends with all those kids full of energy and liveliness around me? Funny that I chose to go to a children camp when I found it easier to talk to adults, whose thoughts were structured and who didn't interrupt or judged me. In the first year of high school I used to bike to school with two of my friends.  The road we took each day was a bit narrow with some holes in the ground and on each side grew bushes and trees, so that only two bikes would fit beside each other. I was the one who would always bike in front or behind my friends. I could hear them talking and sometimes laughing. I would tell them to speak louder or ask what they were talking about. Sometimes I felt they were talking about me. The simple answer I always got: ''Ah… nothing, it's not important!'', and soon after I would hear them giggle again. Those simple words made me feel like I was ''nothing''.

I was the 'nice girl' that most people liked to have around but didn't really miss when she wasn't there. I would say, the only reason I got the courage to sign up for the camp in the first place was because of my neighbor, who was like a big sister to me since I was born. We grew up in the same house, playing together every day and going on holidays as one big family. She went to that camp two years before. She was older, smarter and more confident then I was. She was the kind of girl everyone wanted to hang out with. So many times, I thought I needed to be as good as her in school, get the same grades, so our family can be proud of me as well. Through pushing myself to be more like the people I looked up to, I did become more talkative towards strangers and if I wouldn't have taken part in that summer camp, I wouldn't have found my love for traveling and these kinds of foreign exchanges. Also, the camp helped me a lot overcoming a big part of my nervousness. I can remember a scene where me and my new made friends were all laying in a circle on the grass, talking, laughing and enjoying the beautiful summer day. I felt so happy and good about myself.                                                                                                                The problem that occurred through all this was that I became strict on myself and I couldn't say no anymore. Whenever I made a suggestion to go out or do something, like going to a specific place to eat or planning our next weekend, I would always say its ok when my friend wanted to do something else. I was so bothered, angry and frustrated at myself, that I couldn't speak up, that I sometimes ended up crying in my room feeling alone, misunderstood and as a failure. Me ending up being way too frustrated and stressed out to the point of breaking down crying also happened a lot when I couldn't meet my own expectations at school.                                                                                                                                            I guess at some point throughout and after my Working Holliday in New Zealand two years ago, I realized that I didn't want to do what others did anymore, just to not get into arguing with them or making them happy. To be happy with my own decisions, I needed to listen to what I felt like was best for me. For example, saying I wanted to spend the day alone, when my friend wanted to do something together. Over the years I learned that it doesn't make you a bad person for not living up to everyone's expectation or your own. It's ok to say what you want, to fail at things, to be outgoing on some days and on other days not wanting to talk to anyone. I started to love and accept myself as I am and that is what makes me feel good about myself. At least on most days...

first draft/Leia GILANTON/ISS2017

Some people, in france, said to me, that the old persons in korean can be very disrespectful with stranger like me, because for him, I look like american or russian with my blond hair and my blue eyes. So, for my first trip in korea, I was a little nervous cause this aspect of the society. But contrary to my think, I was very surprised. The ajumma and the ajusshi was very nice with me and my friends.

My first experience with the ajumma was in Busan, the july 8, I just arrived in Busan and a was very tired, because the 7, we out of the plane at Incheon Airport. So I was tired and hungry because the jet lap and when I waited for the subway, and ajumma came to me and start to spoke me in korean with a very strong busan accent. I speak korean since 2 years, so I can have conversation in korean but, maybe, because the fatigue or the stronger accent, I can't understood the women. So she saw my panic and she spoke to me very slowly and I answer to his questions. The subway stop and she followed me into the car. But when she asked me my age and that I replied " I'm twenty" she was very shocked and the women, another ajumma who heard the conversation, too. I think, she felt sorry but I really don't know why. After that, she plunge this hand in his bag and give me some korean snack. I was surprised and I doesn't know what said. But she just smile and take one snack to eat so I eat too. When I leave because it was my station, she said " bye" with a big smile.

After this event, my feeling about the old people was very better. It's just simple conversation but for old people, speak with young people and exchange about the culture or other thing, it's very precious.

Three days ago, after the university, I was in the subway and I saw a young women who had leg injury. I felt sorry for her because there are so many stairs in korea and the weather was very warm. So, the subway came and together we enter in the car. But all the seating was take. She remains standing and I rest nigh her, if something will happen. And something happened. The subway stop and she overbalance. I catches her and after we start to speak in korean. But three ajumma, who are setting heard us and came, one of the three saw my korean tattoo and catches my arm to read. In korea tattoo is not really accept and old people was, most of the time against tattoo. But the ajumma caress my tattoo and asked me if I know the signification. I said " yes, of course" and she replied " it's a very beautiful quote", and the two others ajumma nods. she ask me too if it's hurt. She was very interested by my tattoo and the young korean women too. And when the three ajumma leave I keep to speak with the young korean girl and an ajusshi came to speak with us and ask about my nationality and france.

During my one month trip in korea, I meet a lots of ajusshi or ajumma who are very kind with me. I think also, he was very curious about my nationality and it's was very interesting to me to exchange with this kind of persons.


Third first draft/ Vasiliev Iulian/ ISS2017

Our life is a test. We must be able to pass it and learn invaluable experience from it.

When I was 15 years old, there was a tragic event in my life. My grandfather died. Nothing had ever hurt me so much. I still grieve for him. He was very kind, wise, and taught me a lot. His name was Semyon Semyonovich. He died of complications from having a weak heart at the age of 79. He was a very kind and generous soul. When I was little, we often played together. He took me to different attractions and sports grounds, he even sat with me in the sandbox and we built sand castles. He taught me how to read and write when I was five years old because I could not do them well. He taught me how to repair a bicycle, teaching me about all the spare parts, what they were for, and how to choose the right keys for them. In addition to repair skills, grandfather told me how to properly behave among people. He constantly gave me interesting assignments and looked at how I performed them, after which he praised me for their successful implementation.

He often came to our house with a package of delicious apples and sweets. When my grandfather left, we usually went to the window to say goodbye to him, because we knew that grandfather would turn around and dance a short dance or do something funny.

Grandfather was very neat and tidy. At home he always had order and cleanliness. All things were ironed and breezed with the scent of "Red Moscow" cologne. I do not have any memories of my grandfather smoking or drinking. On the contrary he instilled in us a healthy lifestyle and love for physical education. I remember that every day, for as long as I can remember, my grandfather exercised in the morning.

Victory Day was the most important holiday for him, more important than the New Year and his birthday. Grandfather began preparing for the holiday in advance: carefully ironing his suit, picking up his medals, and studying the program of celebrations. Victory Day was a part of him! He enjoyed the victory parade, soldier's porridge, meetings and memories of the war years. With him, I really felt the spirit of these times.

Unfortunately he is no longer in my life. When I was doing my homework one day when the telephone suddenly rang. My mother answered the call and she was told that my grandfather was put in the hospital, so my parents went to hospital. I thought that it was not so serious and that he would certainly recover. I planned to visit him three days after I found out about her arrival at the hospital. It was on that ill-fated day, when I was about to visit my beloved grandfather, that they called me and told me the news: my grandfather was no more. After this news I felt that the whole world was destroyed and I cried all day. It was only after that I realized how stupid and small I was. If I valued every minute and did not postpone everything for later, then I would have had time to kiss him goodbye. How terrible and sad it is to realize that a person changes only when something horribly happens. I did not relize that it could be too late if I treated everything carelessly.

Perhaps many people, when they have lost a loved one, understood that they did not do enough for the one they lost. Why did this moment change me? Before that, I often postponed meetings because I was always busy doing something. After that sad moment, I became a completely different person. I realized that we need to do everything at once, because you may not have time. Now I live by this principle: "Do things now, because there may not be a chance to do it later!" If I had had the chance I would have been with him until the very end, until the last touch of his hand on mine, until his last smile, look, and until his very last breath. And if it were only possible to turn back time, I would hold my grandfather's hand to the very end. I will never forgive myself for my attitude and negligence. The only good thing is that I have become completely different. It was an expensive price to pay to understand and realize this, to grow up and not do stupid things again, and to be what I am now.

After this tragic accident I always try to find more time to spend time with people close to me.

Wrapping up questions/ Yujin Jeong/ ISS2017

In Native Speaker, Henry Park, who is the main character of the story, feels depressed and confused. Though he has Korean parents, they immigrated to America and he grew up there. He was born and educated in America. So he could speak English like native speaker. But actually, he was just like an immigrant under the influence of two different cultures. His parents were somewhat typical Korean parents. The father was patriarchal and the mother was not accustomed to express her own thoughts and feelings, being obedient to her husband. Henry was raised by that kind of parents, particularly by the father who compelled him not to show emotion. He got used to concealing his feelings and that is why he decided to become a spy who should be able to hide his feelings. His wife described him as "surreptitious, emotional alien and anti-romantic, stranger". Disappointed by Henry, she left him who didn't even know how to express his sorrow of son's death. On the other hand, America, where he lives, is the country that guarantees and protects the rights to express emotion. Rather, Henry would be encouraged to express his own thought and feelings. Henry was confused between two cultures belonging to neither of those cultures. I think he went through an identity crisis as a person who is in the middle of two conflicting cultures.

2017/08/07

Wrapping up Questions / Katharina Kosmalla / ISS2017

In my ''Wrapping Up'' blog post, I would like to talk about ''At the Edge of the World'' in connection to the second and last question. The story really spoke to me, after visiting the North Korean Human Rights Conference last week and also, because the talk about immigration and refugees is such a big topic in Germany right now.

There were some scenes, were we could really feel the suffering the parents of the kids went through. But Marks father stood out especially for me because even at the beginning of the story it seemed like he thought about the past times a lot and in contrast to Marks mother - who scared nothing more than the past – talked about his live in North Korea from time to time as well.            The scenes that stood out to me the most were, when Mark found his father on the ground and a shaman woman dancing around him, connecting him with his dead older brother. He was so sad and desperate, missing his dead brother so much, that he wanted to do anything to connect with him once more. He even did so much as asking a shaman to help him, which he knew would give a big problem with his wife, as she ''didn't do shamanism''.  

The other scene that stood out to me, and also showed how desperately Marks father missed his family was the last scene, when Mark follows him to the cliff of the Grand Canyon. In the very beginning of the story we heart there were four refugees living in LA last year. Marks family and a guy who committed suicide some time before. All the things that described Marks fathers' actions in the story could have lead him to commit suicide as well, by jumping of the cliffs edge. The information of the guy committing suicide could have been a foreshadow. Then when Marks father didn't jump but sat on the dirty ground, lighting candles on the birthday cake for his dead uncle, we could feel his sadness again and his wish for reuniting with his family, which would never happen.                                               I would say by doing those things, it helped him to get over his sadness a bit and feel more connected. But at the same time, he can't really go on with his live because he lives to much in the past and with his sad memories. The last scene where he hugs Mark for the first time and tells him for the first time that he loves him, makes me feel that he might have overcome a piece of the grieve of his past live.

Coming to my own experiences with missing someone you will never see again, I do know how it feels, though I could never compare it with the feelings the characters in the story must have felt. Knowing that and hearing their stories, what happened to them living in North Korea makes me terribly sad. All that makes me think of the German history again and how happy I am that I didn't have to live during that time. Both of my parents were there when the wall fell in Berlin and they sometimes told me how exited, happy and curious they were about the people of the east as they both living in Hamburg. Actually, a very close friend of our family used to live in the east and fled to the west after she was too afraid of staying in the east because of some things that happened to her friends. I don't know any details, just that she survived the ''killing zone'' where police fired at her by running through a corn field. She left everything behind, including her family, to get out of the east. What I am really proud of is the way the German people handled the reunion. There was and still isn't any discrimination towards the people from the east. People from both sides fell into each other's arms out of happiness of the reunion. I am sure there were still some obstacles and problems to overcome after the first wave of excitement went away, but I can say that I am proud of the way everything turned out. 

First draft/Yujong Cho/ISS2017

< Sharing Feelings with Others>

 

Sharing and empathizing with others' feelings is a key tool to work together with them.

Looking back on recent experiences, I would like to write about them.

One is that I've been doing English tutoring and the other was my time working at ISO.

 

Firstly, I'll talk about the English tutoring that I gave to middle school students.

 

I've been teaching English for one year at the middle school every Saturday.

When I am with them, I feel younger so I love it and applied for this tutoring program.

It was for students from low-income families.

 

When I first started, I was quite confident of tutoring students in English since I had done it before. Of course, to teach someone I need to know what to teach them in class and consider how much they would be able to understand me. Also considering students' level of English and their attitude for class.

However, the students at this middle school were totally different from the students I've tutored before.

They barely knew English and even didn't pay attention to class.

They were 15 years old but they haven't even learned very easy grammar yet, for example how to use auxiliary verb or passive form.

It seemed as if only a few of them understood the class. I felt frustrated at first but didn't give up on them.

 

Therefore I tried to change the style of teaching them.

Before I just focused on how to let them understand the class well but as this was with boring textbooks and one sided classes, naturally it must have been boring for them.

I started trying to make class more interesting.

I used English movies, dramas and introduced some games at the end of the every class.

I showed them the movie "Truman show", which they really liked and it was useful material for the class. It seemed like it was not that difficult for the students to follow what I was teaching a lot of fun with them and could wrap up the class well though it.

 

I tried to know what the students were interested in and tried to engange them in conversation about for example their favorite boygroup.

After every class, I listened to the feedback they gave me.

I listened to it and improve the class according to it. I tried really hard to communicate with them.

 

Afterwards it looked like they feel more comfortable in the class than before and with me as a teacher as well. I'm still trying to make them feel more comfortable with me and make class more fun.

 

Since I've been working at ISO I tried to be more considerate of others' feelings too.

I have worked with many foreign students so far and it was really refreshing experience.

Before this I was not exposed to foreigners a lot and the students participating in ISS were all from different countries, so at first I had difficulties in understanding them. Even from small table manners to a way of thinking, I was not used to most of them. For example German students told me when they are at the table they would not talk at all while still having food inside their mouth. They would have felt embarassed when I talk to them while eating. After I got to know the manner, I tried to pay more attention to this when I ate at the same table as them.

 

And I also learned a lot about vegetarian. Honestly, I hadn't met vegetarian a lot before so I didn't know much of them. But, while working at ISO, I had some chances to meet them and learned how to do when I'm with vegetarian. When I was with them at first, to be honest, it was really annoying because whenever I hung out them and go eat something, I always had to take extra care of them. However, after I heard why they started being a vegetarian, I understood them. Many of the reasons were health problem and it was more than I thought. They don't want to be it, but they have to be it. It made me think about it again and now I'm totally okay with them.

 

Through the time at ISO and teaching at the school, I learned how to share others' feeling and empathize with them. Both were really valuable periods to understand what I have never felt yet.

I would like to be a English teacher after I graduate and I have learned a lot from being with the students. I can definitely say that it will really help a lot to be a better teacher in the future. 

2017/08/06

Third "First Draft"/ Rhee So Hyun/ ISS2017

The Price of Greed

Cristina Garcia's short story "Tito's Good-bye" describes the last seconds of a man's life in the instant he is hit with a massive heart attack. Tito tries to reminisce about his past during his last few seconds and wonders where he went wrong with his relationship with his family. Though Tito has earned a small fortune from desperate immigrants, the story shows us that greed and money inevitably cannot buy love and happiness.

Tito is described as a masculine man who reminds me of the men who appear in "The Godfather". Although Tito is rich and successful in his business, he leads a rather sad and pitiful life, which is highlighted during his last seconds of his life. Tito, like the majority of the people, loves money and believes that money is equivalent to happiness. To pursue his love for money, he has forsaken his family. He has given up his relationships with his wife, daughter, son, brothers and sister. Instead, he focuses on trying to earn even more money, even going as far as sending his secretory home early to save on her pay. I sympathize with Tito on these aspects as I too, am greedy for money as I equate money with happiness and success. Ever since I was young, I have always had an obsession with money. I was taught to always save for a rainy day and my greed for money was born. To me, I have always taught about having a stable career and financial stability rather than getting married and having a family. This ideology is probably due to the many fights my parents had because of financial reasons and I therefore equate money with happiness.

However, it is clear that money did not bring Tito love and happiness in the end as he can be seen regretting his life decisions during his last few seconds. Money has not given him a moment for "the luxury of nostalgia", for remembering his mother's cheek, his father's hands, or his daughter's childhood dance. Money did not give him the time to help save the desperate immigrants, call his brothers and sister, or make his estranged wife happy. In his futile attempt during his last seconds, Tito is only able to utter the word "Coño" which is ironic and sad at the same time. His dead body is only to be found after a couple of days by his mistress and none of his family members showed up at his funeral. These, although a little dramatic, depicts the price of greed. Through this story, we are able to learn that money cannot bring love and happiness and that family ties are truly the most important thing in life. We should always treasure and cherish family members now as no one can tell when someone might have a heart attack and pass on. Money truly is not the number one thing I should be aiming for. In this day and age, money is indeed important, making it easier for people to become preoccupied with money and put family relationships on hold. We should be aware of the price of greed. However, the majority of people fail to notice the negative effects of greed as we are too consumed with greed itself.

Everyone loves money and many of us often equate money as happiness, much like Tito. Although the importance of money and family is subjective, through this story, I have realized that though I like money and want to earn money, I do not want to strain my family relationships like Tito did. As cliché as it sounds, money truly does not bring love and happiness. Money does make life easier and more enjoyable, however, if there is no one around you to share such happiness with, it is truly pointless. 

"This Burns My Heart" Reading Response/ Rhee So Hyun/ ISS2017

"This Burns My Heart" Reading Response

This story definitely took me on an emotional roller coaster. Reading just four chapters of this story, I felt so many different emotions- sadness, anger, frustration, joy and relief. Throughout the story, I felt that Soo-Ja was selfish and acted mostly on her wants and desires. Though I felt that she was selfish, I realize that that is how the majority of people act and live. We are all innately selfish people who have many desires and wants. However, there are situations that make us sacrifice our wants and desires. For example, Soo-Ja has to sacrifice her life in Korea to live and work in America to be with her daughter. I could, on a certain level, sympathize with Soo-Ja's feelings as my parents had to sacrifice their lives in Korea and move to Singapore to make a better living to provide better for my brother and I. I now know the sacrifices my parents had made in order to give my brother and I better lives. 

"This Burns My Heart" Reading Response

"This Burns My Heart" Reading Response

This story definitely took me on an emotional roller coaster. Reading just four chapters of this story, I felt so many different emotions- sadness, anger, frustration, joy and relief. Throughout the story, I felt that Soo-Ja was selfish and acted mostly on her wants and desires. Though I felt that she was selfish, I realize that that is how the majority of people act and live. We are all innately selfish people who have many desires and wants. However, there are situations that make us sacrifice our wants and desires. For example, Soo-Ja has to sacrifice her life in Korea to live and work in America to be with her daughter. I could, on a certain level, sympathize with Soo-Ja's feelings as my parents had to sacrifice their lives in Korea and move to Singapore to make a better living to provide better for my brother and I. I now know the sacrifices my parents had made in order to give my brother and I better lives. 

first draft of my 3rd writting project

Finding myself

Greek philosopher Aristotle once said: "Man is by nature a social animal". It means that every individual cannot live without society; human life and society go hand by hand. Man has a natural urge to live an associated life with others. From the very beginning I, as an average man, have been feeling a need to be a part of different social groups: member of sport club, college class, citizen of country.  I was born in Russia and for eighteen years I had proudly claimed: "I am a Russian, I am a Russian citizen, my native language is Russian and I am carrier of Russian values". But now, I feel like I do not belong to Russian culture anymore.

When I was eighteen years old I started to learn Korean language. Every day I spent every minute to learn something new about Korea. I was addicted to Korean dramas, TV-shows, K-pop, I watched every program that was broadcasted on Korean channels. I was thinking that before I go to Korea I need to learn everything about this country because I did not want to make a fool out of myself. However, I could not imagine that I was losing my Russian identity at the same time.  

Finally, I entered Korean university and started to live a life I had been prepared myself for 4 years. I didn't have what people call" culture shock", I fully understood how Korean society "works" and easily adjusted myself.  However, no matter the fact I could speak Korean and tried to act as a Korean I was never treated as a "normal" Korean inhabitant only because I was White. Because of my European appearance I was treated differently, lots of times my opinion was neglected accompanied with words: "She's White, she doesn't understand".

After a year of living and struggling in Korea I started to longed to come back to Russia. Finally during summer vacations I found myself flying on the plane to Moscow. But my happiness was too short, 9 hours flying long from Incheon to my hometown.  As soon as I arrived I was shocked with ignorance, slackness, slowness of Russians. When I went in in the first shop to buy something to eat I greeted a seller by saying "Hello" but didn't hear the answer in return, emotionless face of the seller glimpsed at me once and continued to read a book. It was my first "coming back shock".

Later, when I was going to take a bus I could not find a bus line and every time the wave of late-comers swept me away from the bus door. I could not stand my anger and screamed: " Please, let's stand in a line". It was my second "coming back shock".

Also, every time I met my Russian friends who I used to hang out a lot before, I found out that I do not understand them anymore and they do not understand me, time to time even laughing at me for the reason I could not completely express myself and laughing at me for my slight Korean accent. That was my third" coming back shock". At that time, a thought:" I do not belong to Russian culture anymore" struck me. I am not a part of Russian society and cannot be a part of Korean society too. I do not know what society I belong to. I feel like a misfit being on the edge of two cultures. 

2017/08/05

Third first draft/ Vasiliev Iulian/ ISS2017

Life is a series of events. There is one event in any life, which radically changes the future of a person and his life. Our life is a test. We must be able to pass it and learn invaluable experience from it.

When I was 15 years old, there was a tragic event in my life. My grandfather died. Nothing had ever hurt me so much. I still grieve for him. He was very kind, wise, and taught me a lot. Why did this moment change me? Before that, I often postponed meetings because I was always busy doing something. After that sad moment, I became a completely different person. I realized that we need to do everything at once, because you may not have time ... after all, it happened with me ... my grandfather was put in the hospital and I thought that it was not so serious and that he would certainly recover. I planned to visit him three days after I found out about her arrival at the hospital. It was on that ill-fated day, when I was about to visit my beloved grandfather, that they called me and told me the news: my grandfather was no more. It was only after that I realized how stupid and small I was. What can not be so negligent in everything to treat! If I valued every minute and did not postpone everything for later, then I would have had time to kiss him goodbye. How terrible and sad it is to realize that a person changes only when something terrible happens. I did not relize that it could be too late if I treated everything carelessly.

Perhaps many people, when they have lost a loved one, understood that they did not do enough for the one they lost. Now I live by this principle: "Do things now, because there may not be a chance to do it later!" If I had had the chance I would have been with him until the very end, until the last touch of his hand on mine, until his last smile, look, and until his very last breath. And if it were only possible to turn back time, I would hold my grandfather's hand to the very end. I will never forgive myself for my attitude and negligence. The only good thing is that I have become completely different. It was an expensive price to pay to understand and realize this, to grow up and not do stupid things again, and to be what I am now.

After this tragic accident I always try to find more time to spend  time with people close to me. 

Third first draft/ Katharina Kosmalla / ISS2017

Loving Who I Am

When I was eleven, I had my first experience of being away from my family for more than a week. For four weeks, I was part of the 'Children International Summer Village'. I was so shy back then. We were 44 boys and girls from eleven different countries. I was a quiet girl by nature, always more in the background than being the center of attention. With strangers especially, and even with friends it was hard for me to speak up and tell my opinion. I was the 'nice girl' that most people liked to have around but didn't really miss when she wasn't there. I would say, the only reason I got the courage to sign up for the camp in the first place was because of my neighbor, who was like a big sister to me since I was born. She went to that camp two years before. She was older, smarter and more confident then I was. She was the kind of girl everyone wanted to hang out with. So many times, I thought I needed to be as good as her in school, get the same grades, so our family can be proud of me as well. Through pushing myself to be more like the people I looked up to, I did become more talkative towards strangers and if I wouldn't have taken part in that summer camp, I wouldn't have found my love for traveling and these kinds of foreign exchanges. The problem that occurred through all this was that I became really hard on myself and also not being able to say no anymore. Whenever I made a suggestion to go out or do something, like going to a specific place to eat or planning our next weekend, I would always say its ok when my friend wanted to do something else. I was so bothered, angry and frustrated at myself, that I couldn't speak up, that I sometimes ended up crying in my room feeling alone, misunderstood and as a failure. Me ending up being way too frustrated and stressed out to the point of breaking down crying also happened a lot when I couldn't meet my own expectations at school. I guess at some point throughout and after my working Holliday in New Zealand I realized that I didn't want to do what others did anymore, just to not get into arguing with them or making them happy. To be happy with my own decisions, I needed to listen to what I felt like was best for me. For example, saying I wanted to spend the day alone, when my friend wanted to do something together. Over the years I learned that it doesn't make you a bad person for not living up to everyone's expectation or your own. It's ok to say what you want, to fail at things, to be outgoing on some days and on other days not wanting to talk to anyone. I started to love and except myself as I am and that is what makes me feel good about myself. At least on most days...

First draft of my third writing project/ Yujin Jeong/ ISS2017

What Changed Me

Unfamiliarity, change and something new is a thrilling for someone but frightening for someone else. For me, it was what I wanted to avoid as far as possible. I used to be a person who only likes something familiar with me. When I faced with a change that I had not experienced, I suddenly felt nervous and was afraid for not being able to act as I am. I was overly concerned about what will happen to me because I had no idea what to do in such a case. I didn't want to imagine a situation I couldn't help myself. Though I liked meeting people and was rather outgoing, it was challenging that being confronted with a strange situation and meeting unfamiliar people in particular. Before I am in university, I used to settle for the situation there is no variety and accustomed to me.

ISO, international student organization, changed me. ISO marked a turning point in my life. I had no intention of joining to the buddy program at first, which is a program of ISO, matching an exchange student to a Korean student. One day, walking through the campus, I and my friend found a booth in front of the globee dorm where ISO staffs were promoting their program. My friend was interested in the buddy program and took the application form. She happened to take two papers so she gave me one. I still don't know the reason why I filled out that form and hand it out without courage to talk with foreigners in English. Ironically, my application was accepted but my friend's not. The orientation of buddy program arrived quickly. The auditorium, crowded with strange people from all across the country, made me feel that if I could turn back the time, I would. As the partner, matched with me, sat beside me, I got so nervous I froze up. Whenever a buddy asked me questions, I just gave one-word answers, yes or no. It was the first for me to talk with a person from another country, but I was dumb. I hated me who knew how to speak in English but said nothing and regretted that I was such a bad partner for the buddy. I didn't even try to ask her to have lunch together because I was not sure I could keep talking while having our meal. I should have just gone for it. I hoped to overcome that whenever I meet new people or situation, I became too much nervous and I couldn't do anything. I made up my mind to be a staff of ISO and have a more experience to meet new, unfamiliar people and various situations.

I joined the buddy team as a team leader of a group. I had to lead a group of ten pairs of buddy from Korea, France, Germany, China, Mexico and Morocco. Though I had more buddies from a half year ago, it was much easier to talk with them and had confidence to be a friend with people who speak other language. The three months that was like a trip through hell worked. After I began not to be afraid of meeting foreign friends, I got to know I was a little biased. To be honest, I thought that foreigners would be more individualistic than Korean, they would like to take away from the smell of kimchi and are disgusted with sharing food eaten by others. However, it depended on person. It was like a taste that someone likes kimchi but someone does not. One of my foreign friends always asked for a refill of kimchi in a restaurant and was not reluctant to eat the food I left if he wanted more. If I didn't know how to say some words in English, they didn't get annoyed and waited for me until I finished what I was saying. I found out that everyone from other countries is the same. The taste doesn't come from the difference of language. Because of the untried prejudice, I paid too much attention to, was frightened beforehand and ran away from the chance to be close with new people.

I have never imagined that I would be a friend with foreigners from all over the world, travel with them and meet them in their country. While I was in ISO, I have been experienced a series of changes and something new at every moment. I made different friends every semester and have heard about their own culture. Previous three semesters were unpredictable. By the way, it is not terrible and dreadful memory for me as I felt at first. To meet strange people and be faced with unfamiliar situation doesn't make me shrink into myself. Getting over a callowness of the beginning, I can get more valuable experience from it. I cannot think of going back to the former monotonous life.