Western Illinois University
Gwangju University
Winter 2012 Exchange Program
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Rocky Beauty Picture Show
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Kim Nara Nation Before I came here, I thought that the time at WIU would be very long. And I worried about American foods. "How can I survive in that huge country for six weeks?" Surprisingly, I have eaten the pasta, the pizza, and hamburgers happily, without hot peppers or garlic and have felt some comfort here. I really want to stay longer. If my mom and dad heard this, their hearts would break. But, I don't want to go back to Korea yet. I want to meet more American friends, practice speaking English more, and make many good memories here. Culture or food or whatever, I haven't finished learning "how to live in America." Every moment that I spent here is very special to me. My role as the leader in this program gave me the opportunity to mature through a variety of experiences. And I was lucky to have the privilege of talking with teachers and other Americans. I needed to be more diligent and accept more responsibility than the others in the group, but I was really happy and loved it! The one thing that made me sad was some students in the Gwangju group didn’t try to learn English or to understand American culture as actively as they should have. I couldn’t accept that they just let the opportunity pass, so I scolded some of the young students and I was hard on them. Before they came here, every student must have had the dream themselves, and their parents had to spend a lot of money to buy tickets abroad. But, when they came here, they just sat in a chair or looked at people with empty eyes, and that made me feel upset. We can be shy and uncomfortable when we meet Americans, because we are Korean. But, we must not be passive. The passive person can’t build their life by themselves. They need someone
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with them who can do things for them all the time. I really want to make sure that the young students try to make their life more beautiful and splendid, on their own. They should try to fulfill their lives with the precious advice of their elders. The most memorable times with my dear friend Pete, who is open minded and taught me how to respect different viewpoints of others, will be a treasure in my mind. One thing that made me have a lot of fun with him was the differences in our humor. I think Americans like to make puns as jokes, but Koreans enjoy squashing one's self or others as jokes. For that reason, when I called him "Ugly Pete" he felt maybe I struck him down with a big punch. I didn't mean that but, anyway I was really sorry. I thought "Ugly Pete" meant that he was cute! So my another friend, Brittany, who can read minds and relate to people well, said to me, “You tend to say some words that you shouldn’t.” That was so funny! I know the conversation between us was secret, but what a surprise?! We just spent our time in conversation that overflowed with honesty and humor. My teacher John was so handsome and manly. He checked our grammar, pronunciation and writing. Also, he stole our hearts. After he finished his class, he left, and girls started a little chat about him. How fantastic he was today! How many times he showed us his twenty-four teeth (he smiled a lot). Everything he did was good, neat and polished. He was deserving of our undivided attention. And, sometimes, when we went on field trips many students wanted to take photos of him. If he stood around and talked with somebody, we pretended to listen to what they were saying, and stood by his side quietly and secretly. Then friends came and clicked the shutter of their camera. Finally, the photo of us was completed! Perfectly! Sadly, after we met his wife, Karen, we let him go. He is no longer our “prince.” Anyway, John and Karen are a really beautiful couple. Our first mission at WIU was making American friends.
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Every student wanted to become friends with Americans who can connect on Facebook, or something after we go back to Korea. So we made small flyers and posters and attached them to the wall in Tanner Hall to invite American students to our class. We wrote things like: “Help, We Need Friends!” and “We Can Be Soul Mates!” Unfortunately, we didn’t meet too many students, but that was fine. And I am thankful for the Americans who did come, like Perm, Cool, Bernie, Matt, Chanel and another John. Ice hockey was awesome! Even though I didn’t know any hockey vocabulary, rules, history or the players, I really enjoyed the hockey game. The most interesting was an old lady with gray hair who watched the game from the front row with her grand children. She screamed, hit the plastic wall and said “What the hell, jerks!” I thought that a grandma’s only chore was waiting on her children or knitting on the rocking chair all day long, but she really enjoyed her life no matter her age! That scene really made an impact on me. She looked cool and beautiful. I have changed my thinking that hockey is for only the young. And I will now take my grandma to athletic events. I was pretty suspicious about a Clark’s wallet that I bought for my mom’s present in Grand Prairie Mall. It was only 21 dollars! In my experience, to buy a Clark’s wallet I needed at least $50 in Korea. After that happened, when I bought something, I would compare the stuff with the Clarks wallet. My new habit has made me a more critical person while shopping. So… I have not bought a headband yet, even though they are the best I have ever seen, because the price was 20dollars! It doesn’t make sense to me, anyway who cares? I want to talk some more, but before some of you feel bored, I should stop. I will never forget what
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happened here, who I met as good friends, how much Americans loved me. And I will cry when I don’t have any choice in an Chicago airport but to go to Korea. Also I couldn’t express my emotions to my good friend Pete. He gave me a book as a present, I know it was kind of his lesson for me. So, I will leave this by paying honor to him with small poetry. The wise person acts without effort and teaches by quiet example. He accepts things as they come, creates without possessing, Nourishes without demanding, accomplishes without taking credit
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, so I was abToday
I met my fabulous grandma, Dorothy. She is German and lives with husband, who is in Argentina now. And she is running the cozy and classy hotel ”Inselhaus.” It was built in the Queen Anne style in 1901, and she and her husband bought and remodeled the house years ago. Her dignified and active spirit intimidated me at first, but soon I lost my heart to her positive attitude. She was Crystal and my host grandma for one night. We three girls, including Dorothy, met at 10AM at our dormitory. Before eating lunch, we unpacked at her house. The first floor was for dining and talking, the second floor was six bedrooms for guests, and the third floor was for Dorothy and her family. My room would have been $110 for one night! We went to ‘Fuji’ (Japanese hibachi grill) for lunch; it’s a sushi and steak house in Quincy. We three girls ate a California Roll, Boston Roll, NY Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, real Salmon (It was amazing!) and watched a fire show! The restaurant offered us a fire show in front of our table. The lunch price was over 40 dollars…. It was worth it too! Dorothy paid for everything! And then we visited the Quincy art center. The funny thing was that I wanted to buy a little picture for Dorothy, but the art center would not accept credit cards; they accepted only cash. So, the picture for Dorothy was paid for by Dorothy, and then she gave it to me to be a gift for my parents. I was so embarrassed, and the picture price was another $25! After leaving the art center, we went to Starbucks to get coffee. (Dorothy said to me she doesn’t like Starbucks coffee because Starbucks kill the original coffee tastes and smells. So I told her my friend Pete makes coffee by himself in his home like Dorothy.) I paid for the coffee for Dorothy!! And we talked to each other over coffee; coffee that was good for me, but not good for Dorothy. She told me a meaningful German fairy tale I want to write here: Bear and Tiger live in a house together. And they are content with their sweet house.
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One day, Bear found a box on which was written “Panama” and smelled like banana. It looked wonderful! So Bear and Tiger decided to leave their house for this new world “Panama” that smelled of banana. On the road to “Panama,” they met Mouse, Fox, and Crow and then they arrived “Panama” finally. The smell in “Panama” was fantastic and the house was perfect for them. It was, of course, their original home. This story was short and simple, but powerful for me. While we shared that story, Dorothy understood exactly what kind of person I am. I always scream, “Better than now!” and I continually search for something that needs to be changed. She said to me, “Just enjoy your life! Everything is beautiful at your age. You’re so young and pretty. You just enjoy how wonderful it is just being” We went back to her home and ate dinner, that is American food made by a German. Everything was beautiful, like her story. There were beef dishes, tomato salad, wine and our charismatic Dorothy. (Crystal cried because Dorothy said to her, “Crystal, you can speak in English! Don’t be afraid when you speak in English. You can hear and speak. You just don’t know how to best use your ability!”) And then we went to the theater. We watched a play called “Almost, Maine” that consisted of different 11 episodes. It was a very unique play, with have many meanings, but it was really funnysorbed in the play. And again I found that humor between Americans and Koreans is very different. Of course, Crystal and I laughed many times, but the Americans looked like they were being killed by the humor of the actors in the play. Sometimes Crystal and I couldn’t get what was going on. Anyway, the play was really great. And we bought ice cream and ate it in the “Inselhaus” and finished our really beautiful day. The next morning, Dorothy gave us fresh fruits with yogurt, pumpkin cakes, 9
eggs, bacon and bread. She asked me about Korean-style breakfast. Crystal and I answered, “We usually eat rice, kimchi and soup! It is the basis of our every meal.” She was really surprised by our diet, and we experienced real American style ‘courses’ for the first time in America. The dishes never stopped coming! Anyway, I was really happy because I finally had the “courses” that I saw in the American drama ‘Desperate Housewives.” Then we went to ‘The Good Hope United Methodist Church,’ and after worship we went to the Adams Street Coffee Shop. There we ate chili, sandwich, and coffee as a lunch. While we had a lunch, we had ‘talking time’ again. I asked about Germany’s reunification and I told her my thinking about the situation in Korea. She gave me homework: to search for more specific information on “Jung-eun Kim”. And when we said good-bye, she kissed us and hugged us. We gave her our little presents: purse for her lipstick, Korean style can, sauce, and curry. The day with Dorothy was really great. She was strong but loving. I want to be like her. Now she is my Role Model.
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Yoo Eunsook Victoria I think WIU is a very nice school. The campus is good, the buildings are good, and the school system is also good. Everything was perfect, especially the campus recreation system! Korean universities do not have such a Recreation Center. I hoped there would be a fencing club, and as you can see from the photo there is. In the first few days, Pete led us to an exhibition of WIU clubs. At the event, I met the fencing coach and he gave me a pamphlet in which there was a schedule for the fencing club. Even though I was skilled in fencing, I was not good at speaking English with Americans. After I considered that matter, I decided to challenge my thinking and asked myself: “Why am I here? I came to learn English and to have many experiences that I can’t have in Korea. So just do it! Challenge yourself!” On February 6th, I went to the Rec. Center to enjoy the fencing club. When I warmed-up my body, the muscles began to stiffen, because I hadn’t exercise for a long time. But, I couldn’t help but do my best because this is my favorite hobby. After I warmed-up, I had a match with the club members. I beat all of the members because they were just enjoying fencing, but I had been a fencing for six years. Anyway, I had a very good time. Although I didn’t make many friends, I felt refreshed. Isn’t that funny?
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Remembering the Last Days During the five weeks I stayed in W.I.U., I made many wonderful memories. I want to tell you about one of them. One time during John’s class, he invited some American friends to come. There I met Matt. Matt is good at playing instruments like the drum and the guitar, and he sings very well too. One day, Matt invited Nation, Bella, and me to Aroma Café. There, Matt bought us coffee and showed us his musical skills. He sang a lovely song. It was like a mini performance. I have never seen such a friendly musician like Matt. He taught me to play the drum. It was a great time for me but Nation and Bella were bored, so they were talking to each other. After that evening, in the dormitory, they said to me “What happened?! He was always focused on Victoria! He didn’t even notice us!” After a few days, Matt made a melody for me with his violinist friend. It was amazing! And another thing that I was also surprised by was that he was studying Korean. I think he likes me but… I have a boyfriend… Sorry Matt! You are good friend! It may be sad memories for him but I want to leave with good memories. Anyway, while I stayed in W.I.U., I think I didn’t challenge myself enough. Now I feel something lacking. For this reason, I’ll keep trying to study hard in Korea. I’ll come back to America someday, and by then I will be a designer who is better at conversation with Americans than now. To all of the Americans who joined with Gwangju program, I’ll never forget you! Thanks a lot!
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Ji Subin Interview with my Friend Paris 1) What is the scholarship system at WIU? Some scholarships are first come first serve. Many scholarships are based on GPA (Grade Point Average). Some scholarships are small and some are large. It is possible to receive more than one. Scholarships also are based on leadership, service, and dependability. 2) What do you think about eating habits in America? Americans eat salty, sugary and fatty food. Americans eat more food. As a result of the poor American diet, many people are overweight, have diabetes, or heart disease. 3) What do American students usually do when they take a temporary leave from the University? Many students work so they can pay for expensive schooling. Some students wish to study abroad in another country. 4) How do you spend your allowance? Paris’s parents pay for her phone. She works three jobs to pay for other things like food, movies and gas. 5) What is your opinion of early marriage? Paris thinks many people get married after college, at 21 or 22. Marriage gives couples the benefit of shared power. 6) Do you have any prejudice against Asians? No! I don’t. Some American students hold a grudge against Asians because they think they are all smart. 7) Many American University students drive a car. How much do they spend a month on gas? Paris drives to work or to karate class. Since she lives in town, she does not have to drive very to get far home. It costs Paris $40 to fill her gas tank. She fills her tank once a month.
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I had a fear of coming to the U.S. I have lower English abilities than many other students. But, as soon as I saw the University facilities, my fear disappeared. On the first day, when I ate breakfast in the cafeteria, I felt as if I became the main character in an American drama. The cafeteria was different from Korean cafeterias. There were many handsome men. I couldn’t hear anything, even my friend talking beside me. I had a lot of fun at WIU. I will tell you about two little episodes that happened at WIU. The first episode was when I left Coco in the Theatre Arts Building. She is the same age as me and is a Gwangju University student. We went to the Theatre Arts Building to buy the next day’s tickets for a musical performance. Coco told me that she wanted to go to the bathroom. But, I forgot what she said and we all went back to Sallee Hall. I totally forgot her. A few minutes later, I realized that she had disappeared. So, I ran to the building where she was and found her crying. On that day, Coco and I became good friends. The second episode is about my little purse that looks like a fish. Last summer I bought it in China. In America, students and people are interested in fish. So, Americans think that my fish is cute. That’s why our team name in John’s class is “The Fish.” I was so surprised by their big response to my little purse. I am becoming accustomed to life in America, but we will leave here soon. In my opinion, we don’t have enough time for speaking English. I want to improve my English skill. Also, I have no self-confidence about communicating with foreigners. However, there are good teachers here and kind helpers, so I enjoyed American life very much. I will never forget the experience of living in America and I will take my memories back with me to Korea.
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Chae Jinil Phillip Islamic Center What do I really know about Islam? I barely knew anything about it when we visited the Islamic Center. But from the bottom of my heart, I have been wanting to have an opportunity to learn about Islam. Visiting the Islamic Center on February 11th provided me such an opportunity. Eshraq Alkhabbaz, who was already there, welcomed us in the center. There was a neat carpet on the floor and a small bookshelf that was filled with Qurans. A few minutes later, five Muslims came inside and greeted us with smiles. We sat down on the carpet and made a circle. The eldest Muslim, from India, began to explain how they worship there. He said that people prayed to Allah in the direction of Mecca on their knees in this center. He continued to talk about the origin of religion and who Muhammad was. While he was talking, I was so pleased because I could listen to a philosophical, wise and brilliant speech. He said that Muslims never force another person to believe their religion. From his point of view, ‘All religions believe in the same God even though they practice their religions differently.’ I was so amazed and felt great because I have had the exact same idea as him. His deep knowledge of Islam and open-minded, kind personality deserves to be respected. Through this experience, I think, I can easily meet somebody of another religion, culture, or race in a friendly way. Last, I hope that someday I can visit Mecca and watch Islamic culture more closely.
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My Impression Looking back on all my time at Western Illinois University, it all seems like a dream to me. I’m surprised by the fact that I have already passed more than three quarters of the time of our program. During the program, I’ve learned and experienced a lot of things that will be helpful for the rest of my life. For example, I used to prefer doing things alone and didn’t like to do group activities. But now I’m willing to enjoy working with other people. Me, an introvert who likes being alone, came to know about the advantages of living together. I would like to express my thanks to all the WIU program participants for helping me with this valuable lesson. Most of the Americans were much kinder than I had expected. I thought Americans would behave indifferently toward Asians. However, I’ve never seen any racial discrimination. This is possibly because the people I met are rural folks, as John Curtis mentioned. I also made some African-American friends: Naughty, Tinsey, Perm, Jeremy, McCool, Tall Bernie. They were really kind and humorous. Those new friends were willing to come in our class every Wednesday to play funny games. They enjoyed the games right away. I was pleased by their enthusiasm. Reviewing 5 weeks in the United States, all the memories that I got from WIU were so nice. It will be impossible to forget those memories. If there is another chance to apply to the WIU program, I’m sure that I will definitely do it! 16
Yang Seonho Bella Nursing Home When I arrived at Wesley Village, John’s grandmother gave us a warm welcome with a smile. I had thought John’s grandmother must be sickly because I heard that she lived in nursing home, but she was vigorous. And the person in charge of Wesley Village gave some nice things to us. I was grateful for the gifts because I hadn’t expected anything like that. And then we started looking around Wesley Village. The person in charge explained that the building is divided into two big spaces, one for the people who need physical care, the other for the people who can take care of themselves without help. The thing most surprising to me was that they have every sort of facility at Wesley Village. They have a hair dresser, a restaurant, a card shop, a billiards room, a health care center, a library, a church and a dining room. I saw then that nobody in Wesley Village is too badly off. We visited John’s grandfather’s room and I saw that he decorated the room with his personal items. I was surprised there were so many nicely decorated rooms in Wesley Village. Although the rooms are a little small, the atmosphere of the rooms is good. I heard John’s grandfather feels unwell, but he also gave us a warm welcome with a smile too. I want to say to them, “Thanks for kind smiles and words!” In retrospect, I haven’t thought much about the nursing home. I don’t think they are portrayed positively in movies and TV dramas I have seen. I saw that some children send their parents to nursing home, and I thought they were ungrateful children. But that was the wrong idea. Old people or sick old people need someone to look after them. So, if the children can afford to send their parents to a nice nursing home, I think they shouldn’t feel bad about it. On the other hand, I also felt melancholy. If I have to live in a nursing home someday, I would feel very sad because I would no longer be able to live with my family. Finally, I heard that the average expense to live in Wesley Village for a month is $4,000. I hope that there’s a home for poor elderly people someday.
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If we step back a little from the earth, We would come to know how tiny we are. The great land to which cannot each matter, We walk until the end of our lifetime. That is a passage from my favorite book. Whenever I’m confused with my complicated the thoughts I turn to it. I realize now that I only wanted to come to the U.S. In Korea, university students often apply for a leave of absence from school and take a trip to a foreign country, or go abroad for language training. My older sister went to London and came back, and some of my friends went to America, England, Malaysia, Australia, and the Philippines to study English. Two of my friends got working holiday visas and they are working in Australia. I wondered then if it was difficult for them to leave their loved ones behind. Now I think I know what it really means to do that. I’m doing just a short language training, about 5weeks, but I’ve learned many things, mental and physical. I realize how small and ignorant I am. I remember everything that has happened to me here. In the Chicago airport, I met Kevin and Pete. At first I thought they were just drivers for us, but they were our teachers. If they were in Korea, they would have been called “workers.” I was thankful to come to Macomb. At that time I felt our teachers were shy and reticent, but now I think they are wonderful people who care for us. I haven’t had many conversations with them, and I’m really sorry for that. They are always thinking about us, and trying to help us when we need it. Actually I sometimes envied Nation who talked about everything with every teacher at WIU. I wanted to share their thoughts, but I didn’t act on it. I have ever since that I need to do everything in my power to improve my English skills. 18
Park Jooyeon Becky Pete’s Invitation On February 12th we met Pete and Princess (his dog) at Memorial Hall. We went to Pete’s home together. His home was wonderful and cozy. Subin and Jane were scared of Princess, so they went downtown to buy presents for their friends. We were sorry they left. Pete’s home was decorated with meaningful things. I think these things make his home valuable. And Pete had a lot of games, like chess, Chinese checkers and Monopoly. While playing the games, Pete and CL cooked curry. Finally, the cooking was completed. CL handed out curry to us with Coke to drink. The smell of curry was really good. Wow, the taste was very nice. Pete and CL’s cooking skills seemed to be great. We appreciated that they cooked for us. After the meal, we played games together. Pete suggested charades. The rule of this game is: you can’t speak, only act! First, the titles were animals. We each wrote an unusual animal name, and put them in a cup. And Pete chose one first. Then he imitated what he chose. We didn’t quite understand, but I made a good guess. The answer was cheetah. Everyone enjoyed this game. Because of the rules, this game was interesting; it was fun to see everyone act like an animal. Then we changed the title of the game. We decided that we would choose a person who we know at WIU. This was very exciting. because we knew characteristics of these people. That was funny. And then we played another game. This game was suggested by CL. This game was very nice also. First, we took a person by the hand, at random. Untying hands was the mission of the game. That was difficult, but really fun. And we played joyfully so we didn’t realize the time. A hand on the clock was pointing to ‘7’. It was time to go to our dormitory. Therefore, we said goodbye to Pete and CL. They gave us a box with curry and rice in it. (Actually, Pete was cooking more spicy curry during the game.) We were really thankful. So we told them “thank you, see you and good night” repeatedly. Then we went toward the bus stop. And the sky was filled with many stars. The stars glittered brightly. In the city in Korea we generally can’t see stars well. So we admired the stars in the sky. That was beautiful and made us feel warm. Today was a memorable day, and I’ll always remember it.
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My Impressions It’s already been about 4 weeks and we have only about a week left. Time flies. Before I came to America, I worried about the unfamiliar culture in America. I was going to live in a dormitory and heard that Macomb is very cold. But when I met our teachers and director, my thinking changed for the better. I had a good impression about them at that time. They were John, Pete, Brittany, Kevin, Joanne and Eshraq. I looked forward to having a lot of experiences here and my expectations were correct. In retrospect, this program seems to be great. We had wonderful lectures and many trips every weekend. Also, we had a lot of time to learn American culture and spend time with American students. I’ll share the most memorable points: First, I found that Americans love sports. I saw a hockey game, basketball game, and football game. They were very exciting and wonderful. I hadn’t ever seen a hockey game, as a matter of fact. So it was very nice to see. Also, children took part in the middle of the game. Second, the St. Louis trip was very good. This trip was 1 night and 2 days. We went to the City Museum, Budweiser Brewery and the Arch. At the Arch, I wanted to get in the elevator, but it was broken. I was really sad, but I felt good seeing the Mississippi River that I learned about in my society class. The river was beautiful. Also, the City Museum was fun. The museum was decorated with many logs with holes and slides. So we passed by logs that looked like small caves. The museum was unusual. Third, we went to Fun City. At Fun City the game that was the most fun was laser tag. The game took place on two floors and I played with Victoria, Betty, Nation and Sylvia. And every time I shot another person’s vest with a laser gun, I got a point. I ran and hid. In the end, we were sweating. Finally, I’ll remember Macomb and the people who were kind and friendly. I was happy to have wonderful experiences. I’ll always remember my memories of Macomb. I appreciate everything that happened to me. Thank you.
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Kim Eunhee Betty The third day after we arrived at W.I.U. we had a campus tour. We were supposed to find certain things and take photographs on the campus to prove we were there. The most important thing was that we didn’t have a campus map after starting our mission. My team members were Nation, Crystal, Subin and me. Bri gave us the directions for the mission and we had about 10 minutes to find the best route to complete the mission using the campus map. But our team didn’t have a campus map! We could only guess at the contents of the paper. At last, the campus tour began! First, we asked American students where the buildings were. The American students answered us very kindly, even if we couldn’t understand what they said. Some American students guided us to the places we needed to go. Honestly, I expected American students to be kind to Asians. Because of this, I was more confident about meeting Americans and talking in English. I became more and more interested in the mission. Since I was not embarrassed about the fact that I couldn’t speak English well, I was able to do everything! Look at our route on the campus map! We wandered all over the campus. As we couldn’t see the campus map before starting the mission, we had to walk more than the other teams. Eventually, we completed all of the missions and came to the last mission place. We came in third place.
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My impressions I experienced many things in the U.S. I have too many things to write and I don’t know where to start. While studying I felt, saw, and learned many things. I met many American students and saw beautiful scenery during the trips on Fridays and Saturdays. And I learned about manners and the culture of American students in the dormitory. Also I had many funny experiences with my friends. On the other hand, I faced some challenges in the U.S. Through these experiences, I have become wiser and more openminded. And the view of my future has broadened . It’s thanks to the people I met: Korean students, American professors, American students, Korean professors who are working at W.I.U and our staff. I feel Americans are positive, kind, energetic and excited by new situations. Also they seem to think that promises are important. And they have quick judgment. The interesting thing is that they have so much confidence, and that means they are willing to take chances. So far, I have underestimated myself when I have been challenged by something. In the past, I second guessed my ability and I guessed that I would fail. My dreams didn’t have room to grow. Before coming to the U.S., my dream was to be an early childhood teacher because that is my major. That was the most comfortable and convenient thing to do. But now, I would rather challenge myself than choose the easy path. My majors are early childhood education and social welfare. But I want to learn English and science also. I want to travel abroad and meet a lot of different people, as many people as possible. I was afraid of doing new things but now I’m so excited and full of expectations. I remember an American friend who said that if he hadn’t had good and bad experiences, he wouldn’t have his job or have met his wife or Korean friends. I agree with him! I expect some changes to my future and dreams. I want to say to you, ‘Set your sights high. Aim for the sky.’
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Pete’s Pic Picks
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Our Fearless Leader
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Postcards From Middle America
Photos by Jeong Seorin 25
All for One!
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Lee Hwejae Chris Finally, we saw an American men’s basketball game, which I was looking forward to. Though it wasn’t an NBA game, I was excited that I could see American basketball. The game was WIU vs. IUPUI! Each half was only 20 minutes. From the beginning of the game, the match was very competitive and both teams were equally strong. At every break time, cheerleaders and supporters cheered and sang and there were many funny events. So we were happy. The match was getting more and more exciting. With only 4.7seconds remaining, the WIU team was losing by 1point. What a tense moment! The whole crowd stood up! WIU’s ace received the ball! And passed to another shooter! As soon as he received the ball, he shot from the 3 point line and the ball went in!!! It was the final shot! All of the people except the IUPUI team shouted and were very excited. Only 0.6 seconds remained. All of the people were convinced of the victory of our team. The opposing team had a last shot but it didn’t fall. All of the people were very joyful. But the opposing team looked sad because nobody supported them. I’ll never forget this game. After the match was finished, I felt many things. In Korea, we have no real interest in basketball, beside professional basketball. I hope that a Korean University basketball culture can be developed because it really is a great thing. 27
What I think When I heard that there was a program for studying English, I applied to this program with my friends. Only I passed. I worried about participating because I couldn't speak English well and wasn't very social. On the other hand, I was happy because I would have the opportunity to go to America. When I arrived in America, I was nervous but excited. Macomb is far from Chicago and is very calm and beautiful. While in America I was very happy, thanks to fun trips with good teachers and meeting good friends. I'd like to introduce four things about my experience in America. 1. Dormitory When I arrived at the dormitory, I saw many amusing games and communal places. I was especially surprised by the security of the dormitory. If I didn't have the key I couldn't use elevators and stairs on the first floor. Though the many facilities were very nice, my room was too cold. However, I was happy thanks to my nice neighbors. 2. American culture I experienced real American culture. I saw American agriculture, a nursing home, the lifestyle of Americans and many sports. Among those sports, I was impressed by hockey. The hockey game in Peoria was vey exciting. It was very fun! 3.WIU facilities I think that WIU's size is about five times bigger than Gwangju University's size. There are many buildings, trees, and grass. Among the facilities, I was impressed by the Rec. Center. The Rec. Center is the training center. It is huge and has many workout machines and courts to play on. I envy WIU students. 4.Basketball I like basketball. At WIU I usually went to the Rec. Center. I wanted to play basketball, but I didn’t have people who could play together. And then one day John, our professor, invited me and Philip to play basketball. I was very pleased. On Tuesday, John came to Tanner Hall for us. When we arrived at the gym, we met many people. We played basketball with them, and we had a very good time! I was impressed by John’s basketball skills. John was the best player, and his friends were very good players too. I went there every Tuesdays but one. John and his friends were always happy to see me. Often Pete joined us and we played basketball together. Though I would have liked to thank them all, I didn’t do that. So I’d like to convey a message through this letter. “Thank you so much. I’ll never forget you all. And I hope that you will be very happy.”
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Oh Sora Crystal
My Time at WIU When I arrived at the Chicago airport 5 weeks ago, I was so glad to meet Kevin and Pete after our long flight. At that time I was worried about adjusting to American culture. This was the first time that I had left Korea for a long period of time. Though I wasn’t afraid of foreigners, I just couldn’t bring myself to say a word to them. I didn’t know why. Whenever I talked with American people, I realized that my English skills were too low. That’s why I made up my mind to study English seriously. And I loved my American life. I went to a jazz concert once and to the Rec. Center often. Everything was very exciting. First, what I loved most was the free and interactive way of teaching in the US, as opposed to the stodgy methods of teaching in Korea. Second, the dormitory atmosphere was nice and made me comfortable enough to study well. Third, I thought that the ID card was very useful at Western Illinois university. Our Gwangju University ID card is not as useful as the one at WIU. Now I have started to adapt to life in the United States, but I have only a week left. It is too bad. I hope that I will come back to America some other time. If so, I will have a more satisfying time in the US.
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The Difference Between St. Louis and Korea We went to St. Louis last Friday. I felt that Korea and St. Louis had many differences. (I also feel Macomb and Korea have a lot of differences.) When we arrived in St. Louis it was a big city. We discovered many different things. The first thing was the salesclerk’s attitude. In Korea, if we enter shops, clerks help with many things and recommend clothes for the customers. In Korea we sometimes feel uncomfortable that we browsed through the clothes, and finally we leave the shop. In the United States the salesclerks let us shop freely. In a way, I felt that they showed an attitude of indifference toward me. In my opinion, I’d like to harmonize Korean culture with culture of the United States. Second, after 9 o’clock on the weekends people who are under 16 years old can’t enter the Galleria shopping mall. If they came with their parents they could enter, of course. Foreigners must have a passport. If they don’t have a passport, unfortunately, they have to go out. I was surprised by that. We don’t have this rule in Korea. Third, St. Louis had many antique buildings. I thought most of the buildings were antique as we saw them from the vans. The city looked like a museum. We don’t have these buildings in Korea. Our buildings are made of cement. In a sense, I envied these antique buildings of the United States. Fourth, there was an aquarium in the city museum. I was surprised by that. I didn’t understand why. The aquarium had too many snakes and frogs. I was a little disappointed because Korean aquariums are very huge and have a diversity of fish, snakes, penguins, etc. Finally there was no parking lot attendant. In Korea there is a person who receives the parking fee at the entrance or exit. In the United States, there are some places that do this, but at the museum there was not. They had a coin slot there. I saw it! I still have a vivid memory of the coin machine. These cultural differences made me more interested in the U.S and helped me to learn more about the American people.
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Choe Ahyeon Coco I visited the “Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum” today with my fifteen peers, Kevin, and Pete. The museum was stunning! I haven’t seen one like it in my 21 years! It was a marvel of scholarship and showmanship. It was perfection of design. I will give you some detailed information of the museum: This museum is the precious and rare story of America’s greatest leader. At first, as soon as I went inside, I could see how important he is in American history because of the huge size of building and its ornaments. There were many exhibit halls, my favorite of which were ‘The Journey, Part 1: The Pre-Presidential Years’ and ‘The Journey, Part 2 : The White House Years.’ In there I saw Lincoln’s childhood of chopping logs, his first lover, his marriage and life with endless hurts and troubles. And how many competitors he had, and the troubles he faced in his push to and liberate the slaves. For 4 years as president he survived many bad situations and overcame serious issues with his opponents. Lincoln liberating the slaves was really magnificent in my mind. At that time many thought slaves as not human. (There is one picture in the museum, a slave’s back covered with scars, which is really powerful.) But great Lincoln wanted to change this terrible injustice! What a good man! The most impressive part of the museum was the collection of posters! The posters were to mock him: a slave is top on him or he is kissing a slave. He was ridiculed by many opponents for wanting to liberate the slaves. I can’t imagine how very difficult his life must have been. For that reason people all over the world love and respect him now. By the way, the one thing made me sad was they don’t allow pictures inside the building. (They gave us a place for photos in the lobby.) Perhaps I really wanted to be like Lincoln inside my mind, even though his life was filled with pain and loneliness. My explanation is not enough, so you should go there. The museum was not only a museum, but a diverse history events!
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My Impressions When I first came to America I was so excited! Although, I was apprehensive. When I have traveled in the past I missed my parents, Korean friends, and sisters. Also I really missed Korean food. When I arrived in Chicago, I was anxious about the food. Even though pizza, hamburgers, and pasta are not common meals in Korea, I love them so much! I was really excited about eating American foods. Pizza, hamburgers, and pasta are special foods in Korea. However I gradually became exhausted by American foods. My body finds them difficult to digest, they create skin problems, and sometimes I feel uncomfortable. Now I miss the rice my mother makes. Rice makes me stronger than fast food. On January 29th Chris, Phillip, Bella, and I went to Wal-mart by the brown #5 bus. As soon as we arrived at Wal-mart we bought a pot, shrimps, onions, rice, salt, eggs, potatoes, paprika and margarine. We paid $23 to buy the ingredients. It was delicious and the shrimp had a wonderful flavor and texture. When I was in Korea, I was often angry at my mom because all the food she made was too traditional Korean. I usually grumbled about food. Now I really miss the food from home and I am very excited to get back to it.
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Ryou Sojung Jane
It seems like only yesterday that I arrived in Chicago, but it’s already time to go back to Korea. So I feel sad. At first, I was worried about living in America for five weeks because it is unfamiliar to me. However, I have become accustomed to life in America. John, Bri, Pete, and Kevin made it especially interesting. I want to say, “thank you very much” to them. In America I experienced difficulties understanding English speakers because of their pronunciation and the speed at which they speak. It is certainly different from class in Korea. Even though Koreans and Americans have different languages, we made friends, which was nice. We went on a field trip every Friday, which was great. Each Friday we left Macomb. I enjoyed each field trip, but one of the most interesting places was St. Louis where we stayed one day and two nights . On the first day we went to the City Museum of St. Louis. It’s not the usual museum; It has an amazing cavern. We played in the cavern. And we went to a huge shopping mall. We had a great time shopping. The next day we visited a beer factory, but I couldn’t drink because I’m 20 years old. Also, we went to the St. Louis Arch. We couldn’t go up in the Arch because the elevator was broken. We had to wait a long time. I was disappointed. If I have the opportunity, I hope to go to the Arch again. I also remember when we went to Wesley Village with John. I was glad to see John’s grandma and grandpa. By the way, there was a dog in to Wesley Village. I was scared of it was felt nervous. Anyway, five weeks went by and I was happy to experience America culture at WIU. It was like being a WIU student for five weeks. I often think that I want to attend Western Illinois University. I really want to! I will never forget these memories of the USA. I will miss all of the people such as John, Pete, Bri , Kevin. And I appreciate Matt. Because he helped me write this article. I appreciate all of the people at WIU.
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Let’s look at the USA through the eyes of a Korean Part1. Food When we first went to the USA I was surprised by America food because the serving size is large. For example, a pizza slice is as large as a person’s face. And a hamburger patty is too. Foods taste very salty in the USA. When I ate French fries or potato chips in the cafeteria they tasted salty. How can they eat such salty food? Korea foods are generally very plain, and that’s why I noticed the strong saltiness of the food in the U.S. I was not only surprised by what I found in the school’s the cafeteria, I was also surprised by the many kinds of desserts in Wal-mart. Of course, Korea has many kinds of desserts too, but it can’t be compared to the U.S. In particular, I was really surprised at the many kinds of flavored cream displayed on racks in Wal-mart. I took a picture of them and I uploaded it to my Facebook page. My Korean friends saw it and said they felt “culture shock”! It’s amazing, and when I go back to Korea I’ll miss the desserts of the U.S. Part2. Weather I heard that Chicago is called the “Windy City,” and it is true. When I arrived in Chicago, I felt the cold I expected. The cold weather continued a few days, and the weather never stopped. But, after a few weeks the weather suddenly became warm. Groundhog Day was during that week. At that time, we saw the movie and I felt more interested in Groundhog Day. However, a few days later it was cold again. I really hate winter. So I felt extremely cold. Nation let me borrow her cardigan. Part3. Fashion I’m interested in fashion. I watched the American students closely. I saw their fashion. First, I often saw boys who wore pants that are falling down. When I saw them I couldn’t understand. Why do they wear pants that are falling down? Despite wearing their pants like that, I was surprised that their pants never fell down. Also I often saw girls who wore leggings without pants! If Korean women were to dress like that in Korea they would appear on TV as strange people. At first, I was embarrassed by their fashion. During the week around Groundhog Day, many American students wore summer clothing. We asked an America friend, “You’re wearing short sleeves, aren’t you cold?” She said, “Not cold at all. It is warm today because of the sunshine.” We Koreans never wear short sleeves outside during the winter. Part4. Culture. The best thing about American culture and behavior is that they are friendly. They always say a little greeting when they see a person. Also, they hold the door for people, even though the person may be a stranger. In Korea, this act is not common in that most Koreans do not hold the door for a stranger. I think that this American behavior is great.
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Lee Kyoungduck Sunny
The John Deere Factory We visited the John Deere Factory in the city of Moline. It took about three hours to drive form W.I.U to Moline. It was very interesting to see the John Deere Factory. because I was a farmer 10 years ago. I had a John Deere tractor. We watched a video of the manufacturing process of a combine, and we followed a guide. He explained all of the processes in detail. The John Deere Factory has undergone many changes over 100 hundred years. I think about myself and compare myself to the John Deere Factory. How much do I think, plan and act on my future?
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My Impressions
At last, All of the students arrived safely here in Macomb. We were to stay here to learn English and to learn other useful things for five weeks. As a matter of fact, I was worried about my ability to do well here. But, in the end it was not any problem at all. We became friends with the American students as soon as we met them. All of the students are very kind and friendly. We have classes during the weekdays, and we tour cities on the weekend. When I saw the huge fields on my way to tour a city, I was surprised, and I could understand why the U.S. is the richest country in the world. I like touring the cities better than studying in the classroom, because I can understand more about U.S. culture. I want to stay and to learn everything, but I don’t have enough time. We have to leave here soon, we will never forget everyone in the U.S. We have to leave here, but our footprints are left. We will remember all of our times with our American friends. Now, we would like to say good bye and hope to see them again.
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Jung Juyeong Judy THE SUPER BOWL Established in 1966, it is the championship game between the AFL (American Football League) and NFL (National Football Conference). 2012 is the 47th game. -Date : February 5, 2012 18:30 (local time) -Location : Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA The field is marked with lines, called “yard lines.� 10 yards in American football is a very important unit of length. The red area, called the 'end zone' is the space where teams can score. American Football Rules Offensive chances are given four times, and if offensive team moves forward 10 yards within four times they have offensive chances continually. But if they cannot, the other team receives offensive chances. Scoring methods are typically running plays or pass plays, for a touchdown (6 points), extra points (1 point when successful kick after a touchdown), field goal (3 points), safety (2 points). Game time Four quarters are comprised of 15 minutes each. Between the first half and second half is 20 minutes for half-time. During the game, a timeout can be requested three times in the first half and 3 times in the second half. The game is usually completed in 2-3 hours. Watching the game together was a new experience. I watched on the second floor, but first floor offered many foods and drinks. I was bored by the game breaking continually, because of advertising or fouls between players. One thing is certain: that game is very violent. I wondered why companies want to advertise during that game because they would spend much more money than the usual times. I could imagine how many people watch this game. In the game, one player pushed someone, that person who was pushed flew away. I was very surprised. It made me think of a butterfly. All of the players gathered to the ball like bees.
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What!? Whenever I went on a trip, I always wondered why the driver didn't go the side of the road which is empty. When I had lunch with foreigners, I asked one woman her age who was seated beside me (I don't remember who she was exactly). She answered me 'I'm 31 years old.'. When I heard her age, my face must have looked like I was shocked. But I didn't mean that I was surprised by her age. Her face seemed younger than her age. I wanted her to understand this but unfortunately I have no way to contact her. I like the empty sky of Macomb. It is hard to see any sky without electricity lines in south Korea. It feels like I am in a high place. Korea has many high buildings and these buildings make me feel like I'm in the basement. Koreans usually sleep when they ride in a car for a long time. Do American people also sleep on long car rides? One day I went downtown with my friends and we lost our way. I was stamping my feet because I got off at a strange place. Finally, I returned to the dormitory. The funny thing is that when I went downtown with the other people later, they dropped us off at the same place but I didn't recognize it! OMG (It means I got off right place but I didn't know my way around there.) Do you understand what I mean if I say that trees feel like America? In south Korea there is too narrow a range of where a tree should grow. Trees here are just big and wide, I mean. In my dorm room, whenever I sleep, the sound of the air-conditioner is too noisy so I always wear earphones. However, if I sleep like that, I feel like I went up a mountain (the air pressure is not equal my ear). The USA has very good methods for selling cosmetics. If people like me visit the cosmetics store they might go crazy! In my room, all of my laundry becomes dry with in an hour. Whenever I say the word 'buffet', I always think 'buffalo'. I think Bri likes big earrings. Time runs so fast. I cannot catch it.
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Hong Seoyoung Sylvia 18 Feb. 2012 An English language winter adventure began! I departed early morning from Gwangju to Incheon for the flight to the US. At first, I was more nervous than excited. I felt kind of afraid somehow. Really, I didn’t like that time flew like the wind. However, I departed Incheon in Korea to Chicago in the US, via Japan. We crossed over the international dateline and arrived at the Chicago international airport. During our time in America, I had two weighty problems. First of all, as soon as I arrived in Chicago, I felt almost dead because of the freezing cold. “Too cold to go outside!!!” But, it wasn’t just cold outside; I had never imagined that my dormitory room would be so terribly cold! The first week, I couldn’t even sleep 4 hours. The thing that bothered me was not the time difference, but rather the freezing and horrible cold. Actually, I expected the winter in America to be colder than in Korea, but I didn’t expect that the dorm would feel just as cold. The problem was that my room’s heater was not working properly. I woke up at least 3 times every night. Finally, in the second week, the heater was fixed! YEAH! I was on top of the world. After the most serious problem was solved, I faced another big problem: FOOD. In America, I can’t avoid eating greasy and fatty food, hamburgers, pizza, and oil fried food. Actually, when I was in Korea, I ate fast food or instant food rarely, if ever. When I eat fast food my stomach gets upset easily. Eating American food was not easy for me.
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Sometimes, I had trouble digesting my food. I faced hardships unknown to others in my group. I have adapted myself to the new circumstances. Now my stomach doesn’t affect me as much as it did. My stomach is more flexible now, even if I eat a hamburger or pizza. Since coming to the US, I have experienced many interesting things. First, it was my first time living with people from other countries. I had no experience living in a dormitory, so it’s also a new experience for me. The students of WIU are so kind and friendly. I thought that they would be afraid of us because we are foreigners. The reason I thought this is we Koreans do it also. To meet someone who comes from another country can be very interesting, but it also can be a nerve-wracking experience. Nevertheless, everyone gave us a hearty welcome. I was so impressed by of that. And they always have smiling faces and say “hello!” They always hold the door open for people even if they don’t know them. Also, they always say “thank you,” “sorry,” and “excuse me.” I think we should learn these types of American customs; that is, respecting each other, using good manners, and having an open and friendly mind. One more thing that we Koreans could learn is to have an open, but responsible atmosphere in the classroom. I mean, classes in America are not as strict as Korea. There are more comfortable and friendly relationships between professors and the students. In Korea, even though we don’t want it, most classes have an atmosphere that is heavy, and it’s very hard for students and professors to get close. It doesn’t sound interesting, huh? For this reason, I was so impressed by the careful concern of Bri and Pete for me.
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We visited John’s house, his parents’ house, and even his grandparents’ retirement community. In Korea, I couldn’t show others my grandparents in the nursing home. I think that here, in America, they have a more liberal view toward elders than in Korea. When Americans retire from their job, there is no depression because of retirement. They look like they are just as happy as other working people. There are so many activities in our classes. It was an interesting experience. I love all of these activities: We visited farms, many factories (such as the Budweiser brewery, and the John Deere plant where they produce combines) sport games (hockey, basketball, etc.). What a pleasure it was to have so many experiences in 5 weeks. February 13th is a special holiday in WIU. Also February 13th is my birthday. (This is the second time I have spent my birthday abroad.) Now I'm 22. ♥ To celebrate my birthday, we planned to go to Fun City. Bri and Kevin borrowed two vans for me so we could go. We departed the dormitory at 11AM. Bri, Becky, Betty, Nation, Victoria and I went bowling. We divided into two teams and enjoyed the bowling competition. And, WOW! Bri bowled a strike four times! Can you believe it?! She got the strikes twice consecutively and four times altogether.WOW!! And she was surprised as well. She said "I've never ever gotten so many strikes like I did today!' She won the game, hands down. One more episode: I took a long time to buy my brother’s shoes. Actually, I’ve never bought a man’s shoes. So, it was so hard to choose which ones were the best for my brother. I was tormented by this shoe-nundrum. Thinking about it had given me blisters on my feet. Finally, after careful consideration, I bought brown leather shoes. They are awesome. Looking back, I generally had a good time even though I had homesickness sometimes. Thank you for all of you, Bri, Pete, Joanne, John, Eshraq, and Kevin. And I love you. I really miss you all.
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Jeong Seorin Sarah
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Macomb is one of the most wonderful places I ever imagined. I was surprised when I saw the sky one night. The sky was so clear that it seemed to be raining stars. It was a stunning spectacle. The regular sound of the train passing by makes a friendly atmosphere. The flaming sunset from Tanner Hall’s 2nd floor was really beautiful. I loved to spend time there when the sunset glow was spread out over the evening sky. This time was very important for me because it helped me to know who I was and what I like. I found out that I tend to choose furry items (of course, artificial fur) when I go shopping. I hadn't had any experiences at big malls at all so I couldn't know my tendencies. I didn't need to go to shopping malls before. There are some places like Fun City in Korea, but I didn't have a chance to go to them. I didn't know that I would like a lot of the games where I had to act or move. I thought I would not like active games. I was active there and I liked it. I lead the group to do the games, but I participated. I was surprised when I won many games, especially the gun and racing games, even though it was the first time I had played. I thought I would be very poor at the games. It also might be the first time I had played many games with a smile. I now understand those who say those games are exciting. The Scavenger Hunt activity also showed me I like to find things, read maps, think about how to get there, and memorize the way to go. I usually don't like writing very much. Surprisingly, writing in English while here became one of my favorite activities. From now on, I will like writing in English. I was weird to some who looked at me because I am a foreigner. I couldn't feel that at the first but I felt it when I took a bus alone. I thought conversation with Americans would be easy for me if I could make sentences immediately but the reality is different. Students who lived in my dormitory spoke much faster than my teachers. I couldn't think at their speed and I had to think before I said something. I was nervous when I did my laundry the first time. I asked a student who was next to me in the laundry room how to use the machine. Fortunately it was easy to use and she was very kind. My room was warmer than other rooms. I was lucky and it had me wearing shortsleeves. I wondered why there were no numbers on the wall outside of the elevator. I thought it was only our dormitory's problem, but I could see the same situation in the hotel located in St. Louis. Then I understood it was a cultural thing. I had to be patient and I used the stairs instead of the elevator. Some students, including me, went to Wal-mart one Sunday night. We took the last bus even though we didn't know how to get back to the dorm and the bus driver said we'd better spend the whole night in Wal-mart and take the first bus the next day. We bought some items each and we asked someone who worked there how to call a cab. I didn't know that a taxi is called a cab. It was an interesting experience. I was happy to be here. I will never forget all of these moments. Thank you to all of the WESL program staff and people who helped us.
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Hidden Objects
This place is in Tanner Hall, where we lived for six weeks. This room is where we gathered when went on field trips. But, today is a little different. The Gwangju University students are up to something in Tanner Hall!! Look at that!! Nation is following a rolling ball, and what is Becky doing? In this photo are some strange things that don’t quite fit. Let’s see how many we can find...
*Items to find: two balls, an Ugg boot, a note, a hat, a watch, a wooden stick, a buzz light year toy
*Bonus: Philip
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Straight From the Horse’s Mouth Chris (Hwe-jae Lee)
Jane : Papa! Make sure you make a photo album for Phillip in Facebook. Victoria : I was Mom and you were Father. Then… WE ARE…? Sarah : More and more thanks for you is piled up constantly. Coco : Your only problem is being too kind Becky : I want to imitate your instinctive fatherly attitude. Victoria (Eun-sook Yoo) Sylvia : I need to learn your sense of humor! Nation : I will never forget what did you do for me, and I feel that we will walk the same road for a pretty long time. (Just my thoughts??) Betty : Your first impression was dark girl, but now, cute darling, queen of the charms and no Philtrum PICKLED SHRIMP. Becky : Thank you for your multitasking, being both a big sister and a friend. Betty (Eun-hee Kim) Crystal : I remember you ate a LEMON Phillip : Thank you for starting a conversation with me. I was a shy boy… Thanks to you, I had a nice time for five weeks in WIU. Jane : I will so much miss your unique laugh, the sound!! Don’t go far away! Sunny : It seems that everything in nature exists because of you. To the future, go! Nation : After I got to know, I learned the truth that “when people share their hurts, real friendships starts.” Nation (Na-ra Kim) Sylvia : Even though your position makes you feel though, you want, like and enjoy it. So, you look pretty and I am happy too. Jane : Thank you for all the trouble you took to wake every room, every morning! Philip : Did you have LEADERSHIP as part of you, when you were born? Sunny : Your character that can hold the Pacific tightly made the time enjoyable. Bella : How can I imagine living without your colorful humor and FRANKNESS. Becky (Ju-yeon Park) Victoria : You scared me the first time, but I felt sure that you would be my buddy soon. And my hunch was totally right!! Betty : I envy your everything! From your positive mind to your dirty humor that can break your cold first impression. Coco : I met her in the bath. Everything was WHITE. Bella : You have gorgeous legs. Coco (A-hyun Choi) Betty : When I see the color of MINT, you come across my mind! Judy : you said hello first and came up to me before I did, so thank you. Crystal : I will always think about your voice that is filled with charms. Subin : My little foolish Coco! You have positive thinking all of the time. Chris : Your smiling face is nice but thanks to you, I am always tired A.M. & P.M. Sunny (Kyung-duck Lee)
Subin : I will never forget your awesome HARMONICA performance! Nation : I respect you truly, You always challenge the new on matter your age. And thank you, your precious story make me a better person. Victoria : I am impressed once again by your spirit of challenge. Crystal : You are so splendid! You are my role model.
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Jane (So-jung Ryu) Subin : If we are with So-Su music (So-jung & Su-bin), Everything is ok! Go! Philip : I taught you as if you were well acquainted. You can punch me twice! Judy : We have known each other for a long time. Thank you for being with me! Becky : Sit beside me when go back to Korea. Chris : Do not steal other’s ALCOHOL. Subin ( Su-bin Ji) Betty : You KILLED us with your hilarious humor all the time!! Coco : I want to sleep with your rap every night. Bella : You who have very strong your taste! Jane : It is a marvelous issue that we became friends with each other! I praise your passion of the music. HEARTILY Becky : I can recognize where you are! There are hearth laugh 100 meters ahead. Phillip (Jin-il Chae) Becky : Your fourth dimensional charming is a black hole!! Victoria : Unlike the view, you have something… SMART! Sylvia : Let’s go! Out of your world!!! Bella : I wanna see you wash well, drink some beer and hang out with somebody after you go back to Korea!! PLEASE!! Chris : Why don’t you change your underwear? Do you mean it? Are you Serious? Sarah (Seo-lyn Jung) Victoria : My heart leaps into my mouth because of your big GUN size camera! Bella : You are not pretty until you smile. Judy : Thanks for giving me chance to release the shutter of your expensive camera. Subin : Call me! When you hang your own photo exhibition someday. I’ll visit with heavy hands! Betty : If you don’t hold your camera, you are naked.
Crystal (So-ra Oh) Victoria : It is amusing to make gun of you! Because you are a good laugher! Betty : Hi, BEAN POLE! This is a PYGMY! Subin : Hey roomi! You are k..k..kin…kind! Sylvia : I wanna see you someday at an airport for free service. Bella : Finally, we became the company who goes to the bath together. Judy (Ju-yung Jung) Subin : Our staunch sponsor! Fill up our empty stomach every day! Coco : You are so cute and pretty! Don’t be shy~ Chris : The root cause of the SMELL is Philip! Sylvia : How I envy your chic face! Nation : No man would deny how lovely you are if they saw your sleep! Sylvia (Seo-young Hong) Sarah : If I go back to ordinary life, whenever I study English, I won’t be able to stop thinking about your pronunciation. Bella : Next time we see each other, let’s meet our boyfriends together! Nation : Until we go to heaven, I will be your chatter box. Love you! Jane : Your character is so vivid! Your TOMBOY style is your charming point! Bella (Sun-ho Yang)
Chris : I really thank you, You always took care of me and let me join you every second! Could I be your friend…? Nation : Even though, when you are getting old, you need BOTOX in your nose, Your nose smile gave me a lot of energy! Betty : Your white legs that were revealed to me every night turned me on.
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The Korean flag, called “Taegeuki,” has three parts: 1) a white background; 2) a red and blue circle in the center; 3) the black trigrams, in the four corners. The white background symbolizes brightness, purity, and peace. The red and blue circle represents the origin of all things in the universe, according to the two principles of Eum and Yang. ( In Chinese “Yin and Yang”) Eum (blue color) means darkness and cold, while Yang (red color) means brightness and heat. Eum and Yang are related. The black trigrams, called “kwae,” in the four corners represent a continuous movement that merges the two into one in infinity.
The American flag is called “The Stars And Stripes.” The American flag is red, white and blue. The flag has 13 stripes on it : six stripes are white and seven stripes are red. Each stripe stands for one of the first 13 states that formed America. The flag has 50 white stars on a blue background. Each star represents one of the 50 U.S. states. The American flag as we know it first flew in 1777 during the war for American independence. The current version of the flag has remained unchanged since 1960, the year that Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state.
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In The End...
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