Our Korean Christmas Day Experience

Christmas in South Korea holds different meaning to different groups of people. For some, it’s a time to spend memorable moments with family and close friends, for sacrifices and charity, for special partners, while for others it is just another regular day in their lives. Truly, there are many different perceptions and ways to celebrate Christmas. Let us see some of the Christmas experiences as shared by some of the GEO students:

Children are all excited to receive gifts during the Christmas season

Chae-Jun Lim

When I was young, I believed that Santa Claus really existed. I always wait for him to give me presents. Every Christmas morning, I boast to my parents that Santa Claus gave a gift to me again, meaning, he thinks I am a good boy. Gifts that I receive were lego play set, toy car, bicycle and so on. I was so happy. But one day, through a TV show, I discovered that Santa Claus was not real. In the show, they said that ‘Santa Claus’ presents were bought by your fathers’. I was shocked. It made me a little sad. After this incident, my parents noticed that I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore. From then on, they ask me directly what I want for Christmas.”

Hyung-Ha Choi

“I spent my Christmas with my boyfriend last year. He gave me a surprise party and I was very impressed. We then travelled to Busan where he gave me flowers and a lovely ring. It was our first couple ring. We went to a wonderful restaurant wherein he gave a surprise again. He played the piano and sang a song for me. I was so happy. Sadly, we broke up this year. This wonderful Christmas experience will always be in my memory.”

Geun-Ju Park

“Last year, I had a wonderful Christmas experience with family and friends. My family woke up early to have breakfast together. We then went to church to pray and thank God for all the blessings that He has given us. In church, we sang beautiful Christmas carols that made me feel happy and contented. My father then gave my mom, my sister and myself gift certificates for shopping. We were all very happy. We went shopping that day for winter clothes. My mom bought a beautiful handbag. Seeing her smile made me feel all warm inside. In that afternoon, I spent time with my high school friends. We ate chicken and shared stories. It was really a fun Christmas and I hope this coming Christmas will be the same. ”

Hope that we remember the real reason for the season ^_~

Song-Eun Oh

“When I was still a kid, the thought of Christmas always makes me excited because of the gifts that I will receive from Santa Claus. As I grow up, my belief with Santa Claus, along with my enthusiasm about Christmas faded away slowly. I guess this is because most people in Korea think that Christmas is a day for couples. The streets, restaurants, shopping malls and parks are flooded with couples. I think people should start to rethink their perception about Christmas day. It is important to spend it with your loved-ones but they should not be the center of the celebration, rather it should be Jesus Christ.”

Article written by Chae-Jun Lim, Hyung-Ha Choi, Geun-Ju Park and Song-Eun Oh

from GEO Class 1-1 (Prof. Tom Kim and TA Cynthia Garcia )

Having fun in Dormitory English Clinic

Something new offered this semester - the Dormitory English Clinic

Every GEO 14 student has to participate in the English Clinic activities for at least three times this semester. But they can be exempted from English clinic activities if they join the English writing contest or English speech contest. For the required English clinic hours, students can accomplish this by going to the GEO Global Lounge Mondays to Fridays from 1 to 9 in the evening and talking to English Clinic teaching assistants there. The problem however, is that some GEO students don’t have enough time to do English clinic during daytime. They are very busy with their classes, doing their homework with other classmates. So, sometimes it is hard for them to make an appointment for the regular English clinic. Good thing, there is another option available this semester – the Dormitory English Clinic. This is the answer for busy students who don’t have much time during the day.

Dormitory English clinic is a new way of doing English clinic. It is first introduced this semester. You can do English clinic conveniently – just in the confines of the dormitory. You don’t have to go down stairs to the GEO Global Lounge. Actually GEO Global Lounge is quite far from the dormitory. But the dormitory seminar room? Oh, you can reach the location in less than 30 seconds. And, dormitory English clinic is available at nighttime, which makes it easier for busy students like me.

Last November 9^th, I went to the Global Lounge to make an appointment for the dormitory English clinic. Coincidentally, the 9:00pm dormitory English clinic FTA was Gerard. He is my roommate! I was excited. I quickly signed up for the dormitory English clinic. Although Gerard and I used the same room, we haven’t done English clinic together before. After eating dinner, I did my homework until 9:00 pm. Gerard and I went to the seminar room together. We met another GEO student who signed up for the dormitory English clinic. We don’t have a topic in mind, so we just discussed about crime, the topic given by Professor Stephen. We talked about crimes in the Philippines and South Korea and how each country dealt with crimes differently. It was quite interesting experience to talk about various crime and know more about how people with different culture respond to it, how individual opinions vary with respect to crimes. We were enjoying the discussion so much that we didn’t feel that the time has gone so fast. I really enjoyed this time. So like me, if you want to do dormitory English Clinic, just go to the Global Lounge and sign up for the dormitory English clinic. The schedule of dormitory English Clinic is 8pm – 10pm Monday to Friday. Many Foreign Teaching Assistant (FTA), my roommate Gerard included, will help you develop your English skills. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now and Have loads of fun! ❁◕‿◕❁

from GEO Class 3-7 (Prof. Roger Stephen and TA Gellene Custodio )

My awesome Global Lounge experience

My experience in global lounge is very interesting and valuable. The very first time I went to the Global Lounge, it was amazing for me. Every person spoke in English in that place. I thought that it seemed like a small America in CUK. It was so awkward for me but I came to like Global Lounge. I love playing board games there and drinking OBF’s ‘OREO shake’!

Want to play board games? Just go to GEO Global Lounge front desk and our friendly GEO Global Lounge Manager and staff, Jinju, Heejong and Solsem will be happy to assist you

When I borrowed board game at the front desk, I used to be embarrassed with the fact that I couldn’t speak English well. I couldn’t articulate even such a simple conversation! I understood then that learning and speaking English are two different things. Knowing my English ability was a very valuable revelation for me. That experience made me realize that I have to study English more.

In fact, while I play games, speaking in English is very hard for me. However, the more I play games, the more I try to speak, the more comfortable I am in conversing in English. Watching movie or American drama series during my break time between classes is a lot of fun too. I think the Global Lounge has been playing a vital role in increasing students’ English abilities, providing a venue to use English more often.

Generally, Korean students hardly have enough chances to speak in English and to know Western culture. But CUK students can learn not only English conversation skills but also Western culture in the Global Lounge.

I hope that students can actively participate in more festivals or programs. I hope the events in Global Lounge can be open to the public so more students can participate and join in the activities. At present, there are many programs already, but it is hard to know. So I suggest that our school actively promote these programs as it is very beneficial to the student populace.

Indeed, going to the Global Lounge for the past two years, I can say that my experience in Global Lounge was truly awesome! And it still continues to be splendid! I hope you get the chance to experience it yourself too. That way you will know what I am talking about.

Article written by Jung Ye-sol

from GEO Class 3-1 (Prof. Roger Foard and TA Young Ju )

Enjoying Counselling Session with Professor Roger and TA Jin

Professor Roger giving a congratulatory speech to successful students who completed the GEO program during the this year's summer camp

A student from Class 3-4, Choi Ki Wone, shares his counselling experience with our readers:

“I consulted with our GEO professor, Professor Roger Foard. It was a meaningful time for me. He advised me about my plan to study language abroad. Nowadays, I worry about the life I will have abroad. He talked to me kindly and gave me advice. He even provided me a lot of information about living abroad. He said that if I go overseas, I have to spend time doing worthwhile activities, being involved in any area of my interest, for instance being involved in a sports group with foreigners. He said that it will be very helpful to me. I decided that it is best to join a sport club. He said that government organizations can link us to various groups who can give us a lot of information related to any social activities, including sports club activities. Through these organizations, we can find a group that we are passionate about and eventually we can join these organizations.

We talked about other things too. We talked about my presentation. After a few days, I have a presentation in our GEO class. He suggested ways on how to do and deliver an effective presentation. He also encouraged to me to do my best and not to be fearful of speaking in English publicly – to be confident and enjoy the presentation.

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TA Jin (striking a pose for this photo) and TA Ezzy during the GEO promotion counselling held last November 8 and 9. They were indeed passionate about their work, counselling students and encouraging them to join the GEO camps.

Few days ago, I also consulted with our class teaching assistant (TA), Jin. She wondered if I have problems in our GEO class. So I asked her questions about some of our GEO assignments. She explained it very well. In addition, since I am eager to take part in the GEO winter vacation program, I asked her some of the intricate details concerning the program. She answered every detail completely. She encouraged me to join the winter camp. Since it is an intensive program, students can learn a lot from the program. Moreover, she said that GEO is not just an intensive English program, it is also committed to upgrade students’ English proficiency, providing students with a unique social and cultural experience that develops their communicative competence in a professional and fun environment. Before I heard about this program, I originally planned to enroll in an English private educational institute. But after learning more about the GEO program, I changed my mind and decided to take part in GEO winter camp, Catholic University of Korea’s (CUK) winter vacation program. Yesterday I already applied for the program. I am excited about the program and I am looking forward to having a fruitful and meaningful winter season. I hope to learn a lot in this camp in order to maximize my winter vacation.

During the session, we also talked our personal lives. We shared our personal stories to each other. It was such a wonderful time. I felt that we become friendlier towards each other. I felt good about the counseling sessions. It gave me motivation in doing my best in class. I am happy to take part in GEO program. I feel that it is indeed a wonderful program as I increase my English language skills through the help of our skillful professors and able teaching assistants.”

GEO Class 3-4, Professor Roger and TA Jin's class

Article written by Choi Ki Wone

An American Thanksgiving Dinner

Last Thursday, November 24th, about fifteen GEO students and four TA’s from Roger’s classes went to Roger’s home church, International Lutheran Church, to participate in a free American Thanksgiving dinner. We left CUK at 5pm and arrived at the church just after 6 pm. We entered the church sanctuary and participated in the service.

During the thanksgiving service, the minister said, “Even though we have different religion, race, or language, we are a family in God. And God loves you”.

During the service, there was worship, music with piano, singing and the minister talked about the meaning of Thanksgiving Day. During the service, a family with two adopted Asian girls sat in front of some GEO students. The parents are both Westerners. The students were very impressed that this mixed family represented the true meaning of thanksgiving and true love. “Even though we are different from each other, we can still share what we have with each other. That is the true love” said one GEO TA. At the end of the service communion was offered to everyone. But before leaving the sanctuary, the minister hugged and prayed for each family, including the GEO students and TAs. The minister said, “Even though we have different religion, race, or language, we are a family in God. And God loves you”. The ministered ended with a warm hug. The students were very impressed by his actions and words.

Yummy and delicious turkey usually served during Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated every fourth Thursday of November in the U.S.

Afterwards, we got in line for the buffet. It was all you can eat and drink buffet. To give you an understanding of the food we ate, here is a listing:

Turkey, stuffing, salads, breads, sauces, chicken, chop-cha, mash potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, brownie, cheese cracker, fruits, kim-pop, along with different wines.

There were about 80 to 100 people who attended the dinner, some of whom were busy serving, whereas others were busy cleaning and organizing. While we were eating, the minister made a toast and then went about visiting each table, mingling with almost every person present in the gathering. One GEO student commented that he felt like he was in America during his visit. The GEO students and TA’s had a wonderful cultural, food and language experience, and as a bonus, the students even received Incentive Bonus Points.

It was the first time for all the students and TA’s to experience a Thanksgiving dinner and eat turkey. Roger had mentioned the sense of community during Thanksgiving and all the students and TA could sense it. We were all thankful for going. It was a memorable experience indeed!

from GEO Class 4-2 (Prof. Roger Foard and TA Sehyun)

Hallyu – the Good and the Bad

Jung Ji-Hoon or better known as Rain captured the hearts of a lot of international fans

Korean Wave or Hallyu which is the spread of South Korean culture around the world has made a lot of impact to the Korean society, as well as to the international community. Locally, the Korean wave is responsible for achieving over one billion dollars in revenue annually for South Korea through cultural exports. Aside from this economic benefit, there are other effects too. GEO 4-4 student, Jung Su-ji, reveals what he thinks about Hallyu.

Known as Sandara back in the Philippines. Now, she is better known as Dara by her fans worldwide

Jung Su-ji shared…

I stayed in the Philippines to pursue my high school education. During my stay there, it was truly hard for me due to the differences in culture, language, among other things. But I could overcome difficulties all because of Hallyu. At that time, in the Philippines, Sandara Park, who is member of Korean singing girl group ‘2NE1’, was very popular. She lived there for about fifteen years, and she was a well known talent before she debuted here in Korea. Thanks to her activities in the Philippines, Filipinos had good impression of the Korean people, they deeply tolerated us.

Guys from all over the world likes Girl's Generation

Another interesting situation that I’d like to share is an incident that occurred in Taiwan. When my friend went to Taiwan for a trip, she enjoyed a free dinner. That restaurant owner was a fan of ‘Girl’s Generation’, he knew all their songs. Only for the simple reason that she was Korean, they offered her their restaurant’s special menu and dessert – all for free. After she came back to Korea, she said, “Thanks to Girl’s generation. I got to eat a sumptuous meal for free!”

Like what I described in the two stories above, there are lots of strong points that be attributed to Hallyu. We can get great benefit from it. However, disadvantages also exist. In any given situation, there is always the good and bad side. Hallyu is not an exception, there are side effects too.

One of the points which we have to solve is the act of being suggestive. Most Korean girl groups (not all girl singers) perform slightly exaggerated action and dance moves. Their dance moves are sometimes evocative. Furthermore, their main focus is their body; they portray sexy girls even if they are not adults yet. These actions are bringing about foreigner’s gaudy eyes. Due to this factor, there was an undesirable scene between Korean netizens and Japanese few days ago.

In addition, individuals who lived abroad naturally follow an unfamiliar culture – even their customs are opposite from ours, native Koreans. However, as singers or actors, they have to conform to the Korean way of doing things in order to be accepted and to become successful in the movie/drama/music industry. If they did not conform to the existing rules in showbiz, they will be blamed tremendously. It is too hard for some artists and they suffer a lot. As an example, in the past, one comedian was rebuked heavily here in our country when during her tour in Japan she mentioned something that belittles Koreans. Actually she meant it as a simple joke, but it was never accepted by the general public.

Indeed, Hallyu has both good and bad facets, and we should not be biased on one side. ‘Mediation’ is important. I believe that keeping the good effects, giving up the bad effects will be the best way for our Hallyu’s future.

Article written by Jung Su-ji

from GEO Class 4-4 (Prof. Nigel James Power and TA Hani Afuang)

My GEO Speech Contest Experience Part 4

Seung Eun Lee, an avid learner of the English language

My name is Seung Eun Lee and I major in culture contents. People might think my major is not that related to English, but I think learning English is important. I was a GEO Level 3 student last summer vacation. In our life, we need to gain confidence in using the English language and that’s why I joined the English speech contest. I participated in that contest with no hesitation because I thought it would be really helpful to me. I spent almost 2 weeks preparing for the speech. Whenever I am confronted with difficult problems such as choosing proper words, writing a script, and making visual effects, I used to try to solve them with my speech partner. This is the third year of school for me, and I am pretty busy nowadays. But if I am a freshman or sophomore, I will definitely join the speech contest again. I can say that it was a really special experience for me. I learned a lot throughout the whole process and I definitely cherish the memories that I had during the speech contest. Let me tell you a funny episode I went through. To attract audience’s attention, I and my partner made face masks. But the thing was my partner’s face is too big to fit the size of the mask. So we struggle making masks. I hope GEO students will also have these kinds of good experience by joining in English speech contest. I highly encourage everyone to join the English speech contest. It’s a great opportunity to practice your English skills and at the same time learn from others as well. You will definitely become a better person, a more confident individual by joining this activity.

Seung Eun during the English Speech Contest. She is standing second from the right

from GEO Class 4-1 (Prof. Nigel James Power and TA Sarah Kwon)

My GEO Speech Contest Experience Part 3

Ji Min Choi with her partner TA Sarah (Class TA of GEO Level 4-1)

I’m Ji Min Choi and I completed the GEO program. I graduated from GEO level 5. Since I’m interested in learning English, I participated in GEO courses and English contest organized by International Language Education Center (ILEC). It was last GEO spring semester this year when I was taking the level 5 class that I asked my friend to join me in the contest. I expect to learn many things from the speech contest experience. There was a certain topic and I also had to make a power point materials. My partner and I really tried our best to make a good script, an informative and entertaining power point materials. We even practiced many times so that we can deliver a great speech to audience. One thing I remember is that I was really nervous so it was really hard for me to keep focusing on my part of speech. But I can say confidently that I truly cherish the experience. Indeed, I learned a lot. It was a wonderful opportunity. How can I forget my speech contest experience!

from GEO Class 4-1 (Prof. Nigel James Power and TA Sarah Kwon)

My GEO Speech Contest Experience Part 2

Chul Woo hopes to win the GEO English Speech Contest

Let me introduce myself shortly. I’m Chul Woo and I’m majoring in life science. Now I’m taking GEO level 4 class and my homeroom teaching assistant (TA) is Sarah. When I was a middle school student, I had experience participating in speech contest with my friends. That is why I decided to join the English speech contest this semester. I also want to become a GEO TA someday so I thought if I join this speech contest, it would be helpful for me when I become a TA. Moreover, there are some prizes for participants. That’s why I joined the speech contest. It took me about two hours to make a script for my speech. While I was preparing for my speech, I had difficulty figuring out the flow of the speech. I also tried to find proper English words and make correct sentences and I ensured that everything is accurate grammatically.

I thought I could ask help from TAs, but I just searched my dictionary because I know that TAs are busy too. If prizes gets better in the future, I would like to join the English speech contest again. Now I’ve just got through preliminary round. So I’m still practicing for the final round. I wish I could get good results.

from GEO Class 4-1 (Prof. Nigel James Power and TA Sarah Kwon)

My GEO Speech Contest Experience

The author, Seong Hyun Park, during the Speech contest presentation

My name is Seong Hyun Park and my major is social science. This is my first year in the university. I’m glad that I joined the Global English Outreach (GEO) program and the GEO English speech contest during the summer vacation. I participated in GEO 12. We were required to join the speech contest. Good thing that I was also interested in delivering speech. So I together with my friends made a team and registered in the speech contest as a group. I and my other teammates prepared for our speech everyday so as not to get nervous in front of many audiences. Although, it took us almost a week to practice our speech, nonetheless we enjoyed the whole process. Finally, we finished our speech successfully and we won the first prize. I was so happy at that moment. I am so pleased that I participated in the activity. It was so memorable for me. I think it was really great experience that is why I like to participate in GEO program and English speech contest again. If I join once more, I think I will improve a lot and I can do better than before. Of course, there was a funny episode during the time we prepared for the contest. We bought a soju to use it as part of our speech props, but we found that we can’t use props that are against educational purposes and moral conduct. So we bought a lemon juice instead of soju. (Laugh) I can still remember that clearly! I was extremely satisfied with that experience.

Seong Hyun and teammates during their speech delivery

from GEO Class 4-1 (Prof. Nigel James Power and TA Sarah Kwon)

11.11.11 South Korea’s Millenium Pepero Day

Peperos of all shapes and sizes found almost everywhere in observance of the Millenium Pepero Day

Every November 11th, South Koreans become maniacal frenzy individuals who purchase and trade chocolate covered biscuit sticks named ‘Pepero’ which are manufactured, heavily marketed and distributed by one of the largest conglomerates in both Korea and Japan: the Lotte Corporation. November 11 is Pepero Day, a quirky holiday in South Korea which is similar to Valentine’s Day.

Lotte Corporation is very aggressive promoting the Millenium Pepero Day. Even subway stations were flunked with Pepero advertisement campaigns

You might ask why Koreans celebrate Pepero Day during November 11th? Well, because when you hold up two Pepero sticks they resemble the number 11, and what better way to celebrate 11/11 than clearing out every mini-mart, supermarket, and department store of these delicious treats. Not only are simple boxes of Pepero available, there is a wide variety of cellophane-wrapped, glittered and bowtied gift baskets lining shelves for that extra special someone in your life. So like me, why don’t you also give love, share joy and offer some Pepero to your friends and loved ones today ^_~

Article written by Jeon Chang Bae

from GEO Class 3-5 (Prof. Stephen Jones and TA Mario Rebosura)

Korea is simply the place to be

If someone asked me ‘Why do you love Korea?,” how can I respond to him or her? Perhaps, every Korean loves Korea because it is ‘our country.’ But I have to answer this difficult question, and I finally found the answer why I love my country.

Take your pick. Chicken to suit your taste. A number of chicken dishes to choose from. Fried chicken with sliced green onion. Fried chicken covered with spicy and sweet sauce.

First, it is all about chicken dishes! Korea is a paradise of chicken dishes. From simply fried chicken to boiled chicken, there are so many kinds of chicken dish. I love fried chicken with sliced green onion. Sliced green onion reduces the fried chicken’s oily taste. Also, the chicken’s crispy texture makes the green onion more delicious. My brother, who is addicted to chicken dishes, said that the best chicken is the fried chicken with spicy sauce. Yes, there is another delicious kind of chicken. Only Korea has this. It is fried chicken covered with spicy and sweet sauce. If you have never eaten it, you can’t understand this. But after you eat this chicken, you could get addicted to it.

Next is Korea’s great delivery system. I heard Japan and other countries have poor delivery system. Especially Japan, if someone sent a package to his or her friend, he or she would receive it after 1-2 weeks. In Korea, nobody think it could happen. Every delivery takes only 2-3 days; 1 week is perhaps the latest. As an example, I deposited money to Interpark one early morning. I thought I would receive my books on the next day. However, I got my books late that night! It took only one day! Many foreigners might be surprised with this speed; some Koreans like me get surprised, too! I really love this fantastic system so I think if I went abroad, I can’t understand why deliveries are late.

Why I love Korea? Because of its... Trusted and ever dependable Korea Post. And because it is Haven of Cosmetics (skincare and haircare)

Yes, there is another reason why I love Korea! This is because of the good quality and cheap prices of its clothing and cosmetics. Korea is famous for its cheap and nice cosmetics like Innisfree, Etude House, Tony Moly, etc. I truly love Etude House for its colored make-up and Innisfree for its base make-up. Etude House has many cute and pretty cosmetics. The range of their make-up’s palette is really gorgeous. Colorful and beautiful is their slogan. On the other hand, Innisfree’s slogan is health and well-being. Their quality is really nice, so I think they are better than any other expensive cosmetic brands. In Dongdaemun and Myeongdong, there are many clothing stores. They sell wonderful clothing. I think their quality don’t fall behind expensive brands, as well. They have beautiful and nice quality, and above all, cheap prices.

Next, the subway system is the other reason why I love Korea. Korean subway is clean and very convenient. My cousin who lives in London doesn’t like London’s subway because it’s not clean. Also, when I went to Tokyo I was really confused on how to transfer to another subway line. Compare to these, Korean subway is like heaven.

The last but not the least reason is my family. I sincerely love my family. I couldn’t imagine my life without them. My parents, my younger brother and my relatives live in Korea except for the one who lives London. Anyway, I can’t live without them, and a country without my family is just nothing to me. I love Korea, my motherland. That is why for me, Korea is simply the place to be.

Article written by Jeeyoung Ryu

from GEO Class 4-3 (Prof. Peter Jenkins and TA China Pring)

Why I Love Korea

I love my country Korea. These are some of the reasons why.

Convenience stores are almost everywhere around the corner ^^

First, it is very convenient to live in Korea. Whenever I want to eat something, even at midnight, I can go to a convenient store such as Family Mart or GS25. They are open 24 hours and they are accessible to everyone. I can even find stores near my house. Also, the delivery system is very well organized in Korea. I can order chicken or something else in my home just through calling. Recently, Internet shopping is very active, as well. I usually use the Internet in many ways like searching information, chatting through Facebook or Nate On and watching television series.

Reliable transportation and communication system. Delicious and nutritious Korean meals

Second, communication and transportation are good. It takes only one hour to go to Jeju from Seoul if I took a plane. Maybe, it’s because Korea is a small country. However, I think, that is also a strong point anyway. We also have KTX, which is a high-speed railway. Thanks to the development of transportation, we can now travel from one side of the country to another within the same day. Also, almost everyone in Korea has a cellular phone. Even young children have one. These days, smart phones have come into a wide use. A simple example of mine is that everyone in my GEO class except me has a smart phone. Anyway, cellular phone makes my life more convenient.

Third, I like Korean food. I like bulgogi, kimchi, galbi jjim and so on. Lately I was busy so I could not eat a square meal. I just ate some biscuits, cup noodles, and sometimes Michelle Food. I felt uncomfortable over time. Then, I realized why people always say that rice is very important for Koreans. It’s impossible for me to just eat pasta and pizza, for instance. It might be good for several days but a few more days after, I would be sick of that meal.

Fourth, Korea is pretty safe. We can’t own guns. There is no shooting rampage. Furthermore, transportation operates until late hours, so I can come back home after long hours of studying from school. The busy streets are also bright at night because of shops, which are open until midnight. So, these make us feel safe. These are the reasons why I love Korea.

Article written by Hee Jin Lee

from GEO Class 4-3 (Prof. Peter Jenkins and TA China Pring)

My travel experiences in South Korea’s provinces

A glimpse of South Korea's Oedo island

My hometown is Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. Because of the character of the island (Geoje-si is also known as Geoje-island. It is located near Busan.), I can go anywhere by boat. Excluding Jeju island, my hometown is considered to be the biggest island in Korea so our family have traveled the whole of Geoje island, from end to end. Geoje-island is famous for tourist spots.

Venus garden in Oedo Island

I think the most famous place in Geoje-island is Oe-do (‘외도’ in Korean). It is a small island. If you want to go to Oe-do, you should check the weather first! The only way to enter that island is by ship. My family knew this already, but the weather was not good at that time. Every time my family visits Oe-do, the waves are relatively high. But Oe-do has a magical power that cures our hurt mind with its amazing weather. We feel rejuvenated every time we go there. At the entrance, you can see some trees that seem to appear only in fairy tales. When I saw the trees for the first time, I thought that I was a small Alice (in the tale, Alice’s adventures in wonderland, she gets bigger or smaller from time to time). We also went to the place named ‘Venus garden’. All the trees in this island were magnificently laid out. Oi-do was chosen as the set of the famous Korean soap drama, Winter Sonata (‘겨울연가’).

Sacheon - the place I will always vividly remember

My father loves traveling. He brings me along when he travels. So I remember that I travel a lot around Gyeong-nam when I was young. There is this one particular place that I vividly remember intensely in my memory. One summer, we went to Sacheon (사천) with my father’s friend and his family. We went to some small village named Dong-hwa (Fairy tale) village. And there is a good place where people can enjoy and have fun in water. That place is named after its village, ‘Dong-hwa forest’. It was interesting for me because there is a very dense forest near the river. And there was an underground pass so we could play hide and seek. I don’t know why I have the memory of playing in water, but obviously I think that it was the most interesting place to me. Thanks to my father, just like him, now I love traveling too. When I go home this vacation, I’ll go somewhere with my family and bring along some camping tools. I’m excited for my future trips. I hope you also get your bags packed and be ready for your travel adventures. I’m sure it would be loads of fun.

Article written by Koo Gi Young

from GEO Class 3-8 (Prof. Stephen Jones and TA Ezzy Lee)

Big and Small Festivals in Korea

Korea has about seven hundred big and small festivals. I want to share some information about festivals that occur here in Korea.

Chicken and Beer Festival

2010 Poster of the Chicken Festival

Since I know that most people like chicken and beer (^_^), I want to tell you about the chicken and beer festival.

There is a chicken festival in Coex. Actually it’s a festival that was created to spur business. However, even if that is the case, a lot of people still patronize this festival. People enjoy new chicken items. Not only chicken festival, they also have the Seoul national wines and spirits expo. Aside from wine, other beverages such as beer are available as well. They also display hard liquors, traditional alcoholic drinks, cheese or olive and etc. Other items such as accessories like wines refrigerator and glasses are also available.

Chicken Festival Poster 2011

I think it’s good chance and experience especially for those people who love drinking. Even people who just want to taste the beverages will surely enjoy this wonderful treat.

Buryeong Mud Festival

Tourist flock Buryeong for the mud festival

I recommend another festival. It is a famous festival to both locals and foreigners alike. It is called mud festival. Boryeong mud festival happens every July in Daecheon swimming beach. Initially, the mud festival which first occurred in 1998, was something that organizers made in order to advertise the superiority of Boryeong Mud and Boryeong Mud Cosmetics. In addition, it is to boasts about the sightseeing places in the vicinity. Since the event was very successful, it became a yearly event.

There are a lot of events during the festival proper. First off, the mud pool sliding! Falling into the mud or sliding into it. You can also opt to massage your whole body with mud. Second event is the mud fall adventure. It’s very simple but interesting. Mud will drop to your body from 5m high! Thirdly, there is this event called “conquering the mud peak”. Individuals compete and grab a flag to win. It’s fun especially when participants roll in the mud.

Songpyeon rice cake that is normally served during Chuseok

Chuseok

One of the most commemorated days in Korea is the Chuseok holiday. It is the thanksgiving day in Korea. It is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Koreans like me visit ancestral grave and perform some ceremony for ancestors. And we eat delicious foods too. At that time, we eat a lot of rice cakes. The rice cake is called songpyeon. The contents of this rice cake vary depending on the region. But I can guarantee that it’s delicious. Aside from eating songpyeon, some even enjoy rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju.

Left photo: Korean children perform sebae during Seollal; Right photo: tteokguk that is usually served during the Korean New Year

Seollal

Seollal or the Korean New Year (first day of the lunar calendar) is the most important of the traditional Korean holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year’s Day. Korean New Year is typically a family-oriented holiday. The three-day holiday is used by many to return to their home towns to visit their parents and other relatives where they perform the ancestral ritual known as charye (차례). Many Koreans dress up in colorful hanbok. Tteokguk (떡국) (soup with rice cakes) is commonly served. They also perform sebae towards elders and sometimes they even play folk games in the household during this holiday.

Article written by: Choi Yun

from GEO Class 5-2 (Prof. Tom Kim and TA Porter)

Class 2-1 students share their English Clinic experience

In GEO, we encourage students to express their ideas. The GEO’s English Clinic Program provides a venue for them to share their thoughts and dreams in English. A few students from Professor Peter’s class wrote about their conversations and the teaching assistants (TAs) they talked to.

Jung Hun

Jung Hun (in photo) shared his dreams with TA Gerard

My English Clinic TA was Gerard. We talked about Dreams. Dreams mean “If you have enough money, and enough time, what do you want to do?” I told him about my dream. “My dream is to tour Europe. Start in England, and then go to Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy then Greece…” Then he said, “Why do you want to travel around Europe?” I answered, “I want to visit almost all the museums in Europe. In England, I want to go to the Great Britain Museum, and in Netherlands, to the Rijks Museum…” And I told him more about my plans for visiting museums in Europe.

And then I asked him, “How about you?” He told to me about his dream. He wants to travel to India and to other countries nearby, like Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. He said “Those places are filled with mystery. I want to go there, and want to feel the nature.” After that, we talked about so many things about each other – About the future trip to the Moon, about Japanese characters, and so many other things. It was a fun experience for me. I was extremely satisfied that time.

Both TA Lia and Kim Yoo Ji (in photo) loves to travel

Kim Yoo Ji

I will introduce TA Lia. She is from the Philippines. She is pretty. Her character is very kind and she looks cool. We talked about our dream vacation. I told to her about my vacation when I travelled America. She said she loves travelling, too. So we talked about that easily. She wants to go to many countries, especially, Cambodia and in Southeast Asia. Lastly, she wants to travel with a camping car. It is not safe but it looks very attractive. I think she really loves going on trips.

Lee Jin Sol (in photo) and TA Kerwin talks about their major - Digital Media

Lee Jin Sol

My English clinic TA’s name is Kerwin. He is from Manila in the Philippines. His major is Cultual Contents in Digital Media. Our major is the same. I don’t have a specific major yet, only Digital Media because I’m a freshman. I want to take both Cultural Contents and Media Engineering in Digital Media. However, Kerwin wants to change his major from Cultural Contents to Media Engineering. He doesn’t want to study both of them. Because his major was Computer Engineering in the Philippines, he says Media Engineering is like Computer Engineering. He told me that C++ (that is Computer language like Java.) is very easy. I don’t think so… ^^ Ah, and he wants to be a computer programmer or work at an advertising company. I think he can achieve his dreams ^^

Ahn Taebong (in photo) is inspired by TA Alex's Korean speaking ability

Ahn Taebong

My English Clinic TA is Alex. He is a graduate school student and this semester is his last year in this school. His major is Digital Media. Before we met, he came from COEX because he participated in a job fair. So he looked very tired during the clinic. He wants to get a job in Korea, but I can’t remember exactly the job that he wants. Also he spoke Korean very well.

He talked about a lot of things such as the TOEIC, the Korean and Philippine education system and his future job. I was surprised that Filipinos can already go to the university at 17 years old. During the clinic, I talked about my future vision, learned more about foreigner’s thinking and also improve my English skill a little. So this chance was very useful to me.

Article written by: Jung Hun, Kim Yoo Ji, Lee Jin Sol and Ahn Taebong

from GEO Class 2-1 (Prof. Peter Jenkins and TA Tin Luna)