Graduation!

Sorry I haven't been able to update...FINALS were the main thing occupying my brain for the last week. I am now worrying about getting all my new purchases into my suitcases and getting everything home! I have posted a few pics of graduation/closing ceremonies, and I will be sure to add more thoughts and reflections on my experiences after I am back home. Check out the photos below!

Weekend #5

Friday was one of the last field trips of the program. We went to the Mud Festival aka MudFest in Boryeong. I had been anticipating this event throughout the week, however I wasn't sure what to expect from a festival that involved water and dirt. We got there and saw a beach and people the color of a sandy-gray. I tried to keep my camera and take pictures, but I didn't want to risk my camera getting broken or muddy. The Ewha cameraman was nice enough to hold onto it for me.

My PEACE buddy led me around for a while and we first got muddy going down this really fun mud slide. It was soooo slippery and dirty, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. What most people do is go down the slide and then run right to the beach into the salty ocean water. After that, I was somewhat covered, so I met up with some friends and we went on this one slide where you first climb up to the top and then slide down. It was a lot of fun also. Then we went into the water. It wasn't too cold, but still chilly.

There was also a huge stage that faced away from the beach and toward a wall of steps to sit on. There were random performances and even a few big TV screens near the "mud activities" so people could watch while they waited in line. It made the atmosphere more fun and comfortable.

Honestly, I didn't get too muddy. There were plenty of people who were covered from head to toe and therefore, way more muddy than me. Now that I think about it, it was fun to see everyone looking the same. In some sense, we all had the same skin color- the ugly, faded gray. I didn't do too much, or as much as I could have probably, but I still had fun. It was definitely a worth-while experience. MudFest is something that you can't go to in the States and it's a different cultural experience. Everyone in Korea knows about MudFest, and for me it's cool to be able to say I went to the 11th annual MudFest.

Saturday night, I went to a soccer game at World Cup Stadium with some of my friends. We saw FC Seoul play. The stadium was beautiful and it was definitely cool to be at the stadium where the World Cup was played back in 2002. I love international soccer, so to be at a game was fun. The fans, like at the baseball game, were crazy with support. There were so many people in red jerseys and even though the stadium was not even half full, the place echoed with screams. Soccer is Korea's favorite sport and it wasn't hard to tell from the fandom. At one point, the FC Seoul fans had some sort of red sparklers in their section and they were so bright. It was so cool.

The visiting team scored first, but Seoul retaliated with a goal of their own. After the first half, it was tie 1-1. The second half was exciting because Seoul scored within about 5 minutes after it started. However, the away team quickly got the goal back and the game was again tied. That's how it ended, but the fans were loud until the very end. It was a fun game and I'm glad I got the chance to go to a Korean soccer game. (Along with the baseball game).

That's all for now, the fifth week of classes is coming up. I can't believe it's almost over. Time flies!
My flights were recently changed, so I am able to stay for the remander of the program, including the closing ceremony. I'm very glad I get to stay for that.

More updates will come later! Some pictures from MudFest and the soccer game are posted below!
Allie

Update

Just an update from last weekend/beginning of this week.

Last Sunday I went to Hyun-Joo's house and we went to an photography exhibit. The exhibit was from one of her friends, Choi Byung-Kwan, who is a famous photographer not only in Korea, but she told me he travels to Japan also. I had never been to an art gallery for a photography exhibit before, not to mention in Korea. The exhibit was titled: 생명, 환힉 그리고 DMZ. I'm not sure what the translated title is, but it was focused on the De-Militarized Zone separating North and South Korea. There were tons of photos, and they were all beautiful. When we were leaving, Mr. Choi signed and presented us each with one of his photobooks that orginally cost $20 each. I was very surprised and thankful. We even got to take pictures with him in front of some of his work. (look below)

We went to lunch and then to the House of Sharing again. Hyun-Joo did an exhibit on the Halmonis at the Sharing House a few years ago and she knows them all quite well. I got to see and even meet most of the Halmonis. One of them was singing 노래방, (Norebang) and Hyun-Joo told me that she hasn't seen her smiling since she first visited the Sharing House. I also got to take a picture with Lee Oak-Sun Halmoni, (the Halmoni who spoke to our group last Friday).

I had an eventful weekend and this week has also been interesting, in terms of discussions in class. My Hallyu class focused on the aspect of technology this week, so we discussed the use of cell phones, cyworlds (Korean version of myspace/facebook), and videogames in Korea. One of my friends from Hong Kong, Pat, and I did a presentation together on videogames today. It went pretty well.

This weekend should be another interesting one. Friday, our field trip is to participate in the "MudFest" at the beach. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it sounds fun. Saturday, Kasey, Katie, and I are going to see a soccer game at World Cup Stadium with some friends.

That's all for now! Look for the next update sometime next week!
Allie

A Unique and Great Opportunity

Today was Friday in Korea, which meant field trip day for many of the Ewha International Co-Ed Summer School students. This week's field trip was a very specail one, at least to me. Today we went to the House of Sharing, a home for the many "comfort women" who served as sex slaves to Japanese Soldiers during World War II.

There were many students who went to the field trip, which made me happy because it showed how interested everyone was and that we were all going to experience something for the first time all together. It took us about an hour and a half to get there from Seoul; it's located in a more country-type area, and the land was beautiful and peaceful. When we first got to the House of Sharing, we watched a 15-minute video that gave some background on the time during WWII for many young, Korean girls. The video focused on a woman who was one of the first "comfort women" to come out and confess what had happened to her. She was a strong fighter and only wanted the Japanese government to apologize for what they'd done. She passed away, however her strong will and cause still lives on through her friends and those who supported her.

After watching the movie, we had the chance to meet and talk with a former "comfort woman." I was so grateful that this woman took the time to speak to us and share some of her experiences with us because we had heard that many of the women were sick and probably would not be able to speak with us. This woman was so cute and although quiet, we could all tell she was very strong. She spoke to us through a translator and gave inspirational words. She told us to be appreciative of our educations because she was not able to go to school, which was something she cried about when she was little. She was kidnapped at the age of 7 and taken to China. There, she worked as a housekeeper for a family she would later call her own. At 16, she was then put into sex slavery. It wasn't until 2000 when she returned to Korea. She did not have any identification stating she was Korean, though, and her return was very difficult. Although born in Korea, she lived in China for 50 plus years. It was a really great opportunity to be able to see and meet with her. We took a picture at the end of the session and I was right near her. She even pulled another girl and I closer to her so we would be closer to her in the picture. After the picture, I shook her hand and said, "Halmoni, kamsahamnida." (Grandmother, thank you). Everyone loved listening to her and I'm sure everyone was thankful for the experience as much as I was. (If you'd like to read a little about her, click this link: http://nanum.org/eng/index.html On the right, it has the women's names and pictures, click: Lee, Oak-Sun)

After the session, we went through the museum that is located at the House of Sharing. There were so many artifacts and pictures and my favorite, paintings. Many of the "Halmonis" painted when they were living at the House of Sharing so they could get their emotions and feelings out. There was even a replica of a room that was supposed to be like a "comfort room."

In case you're wondering why I'm using quotes when using the term, "comfort women," it's because our tour guide told us this fact: The "comfort women" were comfort to the Japanese soldiers, but paradoxically and obviously not comfortable with their forcement of living. The Japanese government has denied that all of this ever happened, which has caused many of the comfort women to go to the Japanese office located in Seoul every Wednesday to protest. They have continually been going there since 1992.

Many of these women were kidnapped at such young ages. They were forced into sex slavery and were abused every single day. There are few survivors and even fewer who will come out and admit what happened. The only thing these survivors want is to be believed and apologized to. They don't want people saying they were prostitutes; they don't want to be forgotten.

This experience was one that I am very glad to have had the opportunity. It was definitely something different and something that I could only experience in Korea, and maybe only through this program.

I hope this has allowed some of you to learn as much as I did today.
Some pictures will be posted later on.
Allie

Korea's Way of Baseball

Last night a few new friends and I went to see a Korean baseball game. I was very, very excited because although I have been to many American baseball games, I had never been to a Korean one.

The game was at 6 at 목 동 (Mok-Dong) Stadium and we took the subway to get there. Thank goodness our friend from the CNY Korean school, Katie, was there to help us transfer on the subway. The ride wasn't bad at all and it only took about 20-30 minutes to get there. (And all for about $1 for a one-way ticket!)When we arrived, the game had already started and the crowd was already roaring! We sat in upper seats, but the entire field was in view. I remember when I first looked at the field, I saw something that was unfamiliar to me: the majority of the players were Korean. Even though I knew before we went that we were going to a Korean baseball game, I never actually thought about all the players being Korean. By the end of the game, though, the initial "shock" had worn off.

If I had to come up with one word that related to my Korean baseball game experience, it would probably be: passion. The Korean fans attending the game were incredibly loud and supportive of their teams. The two teams we saw were the 우 리 (Woori) Tigers v. the 롯 데 (Lotte) Giants. The Lotte Giants are currently the best team in the league, and they had a bigger fan base at the game than the home team, the Woori Tigers. One of my friends told me that the Giants have so much fandom because for the past 15 years they've been one of the worst teams, and this year, they've pulled it together.

I honestly have to say that I had more fun watching the fans and the commotion than the actual game. We sat on the Giants' side and there were a ton of people with the Giants' jersies on (a lot of them were girls), and they all had pom-pom like things in their hands and were shaking them constantly. They also had a certain song they sang for each player and a catchy chant too. There was not a time when there was any sort of silence. Baseball players in America have unbelievable amounts of pressure, but so do Korean baseball players. The crowd didn't really "boo" the opposing pitcher, but instead cheered for the player at bat like it was the seventh game of the World Series. The support of the fans was incredible.

You may wonder, "How do all the fans stay together and in sync with each other?" It's very simple. There was a man who stood on the dugout facing the crowd with a whistle and a microphone. He blew his whistle to the beat of the chants and lead the crowd in uproar. For one player, 가 르 시 아, (Garcia), the man on the dugout conducted the crowd like a choir, while the crowd sang a scale of notes. Katie mentioned to me that the player looked like former Yankee, Karim Garcia, and she was right! It's funny how we went to a Korean baseball game, yet somehow still saw a Yankee. :)

Another funny thing about the game was that each team had cheerleaders. They were more like dancers, but they were cute and high spirited. Also, whenever a person in the crowd caught a foul ball, we noticed, they gave it to a little child. I thought this was interesting because normally in the States, the people, (usually men), who catch foul balls keep it for themselves. I remember seeing at least 2 guys near us catch balls and then give it to young children near them. I noticed it was expected of them to give the ball to a child. One woman ran across a row of seats with her baby in her arms to try to persuade a man to give her the ball, but she was too late.

The players in Korea seem very widely known. My friend told me one of the players on the Giants is so talented and therefore, popular, that he is also an entertainer and an MC.

I had a lot of fun attending a foreign baseball game. It was another culture change I experienced and I'm glad I'm getting these opportunities.

For some pictures of the game, look below!
Allie

Stereotypes:

I've received much interest in the stereotypes discussed in my Asian/American Representation in US Media class, so I've decided to post the basic information of the lesson on the blog.



The stereotypes we talked about were the 4 most common ones in US Media:
1. Model Minority- has good values and everyone should strive to be like them--the predictable "nerdy" and "dorky" Asian, for example.
2. Yellow Peril- the threat that Asians have in movies, for example, Fu Manchu. When there is an Asian in a movie, he/she is always looking to take over the world and gain power to lead third world countries. There is always the stereotypes of Asians as being bad and a huge threat. For example, the inevitable Chinese gangs in movies. Another thing that goes along with this stereotype is the role of the White, male hero. He always has to save the day, fighting/defeating the "bad" Asian.
3. Forever Foreign- the typical and obvious reasons for seeing that the Asian is different and does not know American ways of life. For example, the way Asians dress- in old movies, again in Fu Manchu, the Asian dresses in huge robes, with makeup, and long finger nails. Another thing that is heavily relied on for an Asian role is the thick accent.
4. Mysteriousness/Inscrutable- Asian ways of mysterious "magic" and voodoo to gain power/do certain things. Like a "master" teaching his "student" by catching the fly nearby with his bare hand. Very mysterious and sort of creepy ways of doing things.

These stereotypes are the basis of Asian representation in basically all of US movies. There were other observations we noted like:

1. The Asian male seen as "asexual." The Asian male almost never gets the white women in the film. This is why Asians are seen as very feminine. This goes back to the history: When the Chinese came to America to work, they were not allowed to talk or even look at white women or they would be beaten up/killed. There weren't many Chinese women immigrating to America, either, so they could not be with them. They were also given the "feminine" jobs, and not the masculine jobs. However, then they were seen as a rape threat if they looked at a white woman.
2. The "geisha girl" Asian woman. This was seen as an Asian girl who immigrated to America because she was forced into sexual slavery or prostitution. This was then formed into the "dragon lady" stereotype. This was formed and Asian women were looked on as dirty, filthy, and when sleeping with white men, accused of ripping families apart.

These are many of the stereotypes that we discussed, and today we watched some clips that prove them. Clips from "Fu Manchu," "Lost," "Heroes," and other movies/programs. We also looked at pictures/advertisements and the upcoming trailer of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." One picture was of a man selling a t-shirt near Wrigley Field in Chicago opposing the team's acquirement of new player, Fukadome. The shirt said, "Horry Kow!" with a picture of a panda, I think?? And another picture we saw was a promotional poster of the new "Dragonball" movie. Based off the Anime TV show, mostly all of the characters are assumed to be Asian. The main character, included. However, on the promotional poster, there is a white male, again, relating to the idea that all the "good guys" and heroes in US movies are white, never Asian.

I hope this was helpful in getting an idea of what the class is like.
We received our first exam grades today and I was very relieved at my results. I got a 93, however there was somewhat of a curve and generous grading was given. I'm still proud that I didn't do horribly on the test and I will definitely study harder next time.

More later this week!
Allie

InsaDong

Last night my Peace Buddy group went to InsaDong. Our Peace buddy showed us around and explained many traditional Korean ways to us. We learned about some foods, cultures, and it was a fun experience. Insadong is mainly a tourist area, so there were a lot of cute, little, Korean things to buy, but I was told by my parents, "not to buy anything for the family because we already have enough Korean trinkets in our house." ;) I really like how my Peace buddy initiates trips like these every week and wants us to have a fulfilling trip here in Korea. I've heard that some of  the other Peace buddies don't do as much with their groups, so I'm really thankful my group gets along really well and that we're able to visit places together.

While eating dinner, something came up that I thought was really interesting. Among the 5 of us, none of us were born in the same countries. My Peace buddy, though Korean, was born in India; InSung, also Korean, was born in the US; William, though he lives in Canada, was born in Hong Kong; Jenn, American, was born in Germany, and I was born in Korea. I thought it was really cool how all of us were born in different countries, but were all eating dinner together in the same restaurant.

Classes have been a lot of fun (and difficult). There is a lot of reading for homework, which I'm totally not used to, but I've managed to get it all done. It seems like we never stop studying; we have classes from 9:30-5:50 (with some breaks in between) and then we usually eat dinner, but then it's back to studying and doing homework. By the time Thursday comes along, everyone is drained and ready for the three-day weekend.

My Hallyu class is very interesting. We just ended our "Kpop" music week and learned how much it has spread and how fast it has spread in such a short period of time. We read an article that was about how popular Korean music is in Thailand and how much it affects the Thai youth especially. There is always an inconsistent number of people in my class, but there are now 2 guys who come regularly. So there are some different points of views.

In my Asian/American Representation in US Media class, we just had our first test. I think/hope I did well on it, but I've realized that analyzing the homework readings much deeper is very important, and that I should do better at that for the next exam. We've been discussing the stereotypes continuously and the clips shown in class are mind-boggling. I've never actually thought about most of these stereotypes before. When watching movie and TV show clips, (many of them contemporary), I look at the actual meanings more closely and the discussions in class help me to understand better. We talked about the 3 types of views of a move: preferred, negotiated, and oppositional. The preferred view is what is meant to be seen, what most people see when they watch the film. It takes the least amount of thinking when watching. The negotiated view is a view that someone can offer that is different from the preferred. It may take displeasure trying to figure out the actual meaning, which is why most people don't take this view. The oppositional view is the active effort to change the viewers' minds about the film. To give the oppositional view, one must understand the preferred view. This all may sound simple, but we did an activity using a film clip from "Lost in Translation" and the activity was harder than it seemed.

Korean class is going great. I think I forgot to mention the fact that my friend, Kasey, and I were put in the Basic class instead of the Beginner class. The level is the exact level we're supposed to be at and we're being challenged, but not too difficultly challenged. Everyone in our class is at the same level also. Even though it's 3 hours long, I feel that I'm getting better and better. Like I've said before, my professor is very well prepared and  a really good Korean language teacher. About 85% of the class is spoken in only Korean, but we all can still understand what to do. Since there is almost no English spoken, it makes us learn better and faster, especially at listening. We had our first exam last week and I got a 12/13 on it (I made a silly error). We just finished learning lessons on time, some directions, furniture, setting up appointments, and a lot of grammar. We're able to have full conversations in Korean and what we usually do is get parters and role play. This really helps with understanding basic phrases like, "Are you busy after work/school? Where do you want to meet? How much is this?" Currently everyone in my class is a girl and we're all getting closer and more comfortable speaking in front of each other.

I just got back from meeting with a family friend. A family from Korea came to the US a long time ago, and my family was assigned to be their host buddy family during their stay. Mr. YunSuk Kim is the head of the family and today, I met with is daughter, ChiSeul. She was very nice and pretty, and although I hadn't seen her in a very long time, it was like having an older sister for a day. She treated me so well; we went out to lunch, and then she showed me something that's very popular in Korea. Photo-stickers are popular among young people and there is a place near Ewha that you can go to to get them done with friends. It was a Japanese place and there were a lot of young girls there in their uniforms (probable on their breaks from school). Here is the procedure: You take 8 pictures in the booth, (you can get props and put funny hats on), an then you pick 4 of the 8 that you like the best. Then you can decorate the pictures on the computer outside the booth. You can draw on them, pick backgrounds, pick frames, add stars, hearts, little decals, and almost anything. Then, the stickers are printed and you get big ones and smaller ones. I had never done this before except in America, where your level of choice is limited to picking a frame. It was yet another new, Korean experience and ChiSeul showed me some of the pictures her and her friends had taken. After this, we went shoe shopping. I love shoes and she told me she did also. She also told me her mom gave her money to buy me a pair of shoes. I was shocked and very thankful. She asked me if I had any high heels, and I said no. (In Korea, especially at Ewha, all the women wear high heels. No matter where they're going, or what they're wearing, they wear high heels. Kasey and I are amazed at how all th girls can run, climb the hills, and walk without tripping in 6-8 cm heels!) We found these pink sandals with about a 5-6 cm heel, and agreed they were the ones to buy. She said Korea is the best place to buy shoes because they're cheap and durable. I never wear high heels at home, so I guess I have to get used to walking in them if I want to be a true Ewhaian! I had a lot of fun with ChiSeul and it was so nice of her to take me out so we could catch up a little bit.

I'm getting more and more comfortable here, yet at the same time, I miss home. Some might think it would be easier being in your homeland where everyone around you looks like you. I'd have to say in that sense, it is, but there is still the language barrier that keeps us (adoptees and native English speakers) separated. I feel that when I'm home, I'm different, but even here in Korea, I'm different. I've gotten used to saying, "MiGuk saram imnida" (I'm an American). However, there are other times when people can just tell I'm from America, mostly based on the clothes. For Kasey and I, it gets a little frustrating not knowing where exactly we can fit in and feel completely comfortable. We love both countries, but each has its way of distancing us a little from the majority.

That's all for now, I hope everyone has had great weeks/weekends. Thanks to all those who have emailed me complimenting the blog. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Allie