Hope Danison -- Korea (Home Club: Ballston Spa)

October 17^th, 2014

Sponsor Rotary Club: District 3661 – Busan

Current Host Family: Kim Ji Eun, Kim Keon Ung, Kim Hye In

Counselor Name: Lee Dorim (Sophie)

            I'm doing swell! I am incredibly comfortable with my first host family and in the city of Busan. I'm a little worried that it has been relatively easy to adjust to life here. My relationship with my host family is very good. Despite my limited Korean I believe we communicate well. They truly treat me like part of the family, which outside the immediate family is quite large. My host mother has 5 other siblings, all of whom I've met and enjoy the company of their families as well. I've met both grandparents on both sides of my host family as well. I feel incredibly lucky to have landed in such an excellent first host family.

            My greatest obstacle at the moment is the nagging voice in the back of my head urging me to keep everyone at home updated. On occasion I become quite distressed about all the pictures I haven't posted to Facebook, all the videos I've taken that fester in my hard drive, and the messages I haven't replied to because I'd rather not English at the moment. I feel quite guilty to be able to travel and experience so many great things while my friends in the US are beginning to forge their own paths in College and my Korean High School friends are vigorously studying at all times. But I figure I'll deal with those thoughts later.

            I attend Busan International High School, which is a prestigious boarding school here in Busan. I live in the dormitory with a Korean roommate Monday through Thursday and attend class regularly. Everyday I wake up around 6am to participate in morning exercise, for which I run around the dirt parking lot which doubles as a soccer field. Some of my classmates do this with me so we go to breakfast together at 7am. The time between finishing breakfast and 8:20am is self-study time. The foreigners are obligated to attend daily morning meeting at 8am with the school foreigner coordinator to discuss upcoming events. On normal days I proceed to follow my class schedule, listening to various teachers in one room for 50 minutes with 10 minute breaks in between. I usually study Korean on my own during this time.

            There are also some scheduled classes and activities specifically for the foreigners. On Wednesdays we do traditional Korean painting, and on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings we discuss Korean culture in an informal class called “World Issues”. Our foreigner crew consists of four Swedes- two boys and two girls who will stay here until December; and the rotary students- two other Americans (one boy and one girl) besides myself and one Swiss girl. Every Monday and Wednesday there is after school activity time during which I play the flute in the guest dormitory with some eight other students. Every Tuesday and Thursday the Rotary students are permitted to leave the school via public bus after classes end to attend Taekwondo class with the other Rotary students.

            My environment in this school is quite pleasant, but full of English. Every student, despite their refusal, is quite proficient in English and would rather practice their second language with you than listen to you struggle with yours. Furthermore the foreigners are frequently clumped together and segregated from the regular students because we are rather a distraction to their rigorous coursework. This is completely understandable and I have nothing to add to this topic. Everyday I must remind myself that I indeed have more time here in Korea to learn Korean and two months of immersion doesn't make one fluent.

            I have attended one Rotary meeting on the of September. I frequently see my Rotary counselor- about once a week because of Korean language class at Dong-A University, where she works. The Rotary crew also stays in contact using “KakaoTalk”- a popular messenger app in Korea. I have not been informed of a meeting schedule and have not been summoned since. The Rotary committee here is rather evasive and still quite mysterious to me. I will have to work on that. Even so, we exchange students have already taken a bus tour of Busan and taken a trip to Boseong. Thanks to my host family I have also gone to Seoul, Yeosu, and Jeju Island- all beautiful and exciting places I have yet to reflect on. At any rate, I still have much to do; much to think about; and much to learn. Thank you very much to my home Rotary club and all the folks supporting me in the US!