Learning, in and outside of the Classroom

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Classes started on Thursday the second. The system here is “try before you buy,”
giving students a chance to visit the classes before they decide which to take. This works well because it turned out that one I had singed up for was not at all what I had thought it was, and one I wasn’t really excited about looks like it will be the most informative class I will have at Yonsei.

Walking into a sea of people the Thursday classes started, jolted me back into a place I had seen before, but I couldn’t quite put my hands on it. Oh, yes. That was it. A popular Korean soap opera where students ran to and fro greeting one another with huge smiles and words I could not comprehend. As I watched from the doorway, over 70 students filled the room and the desks that seemed to be piled over 20 feet high. I hesitantly asked one of the girls if this was room 218. After she stumbled over a few thoughts, she confirmed to me that is was. Reluctantly, I went in.
So far my biggest fear was walking into the wrong classroom. Actually, it was more than this. It was the fear of walking into the wrong class, with the wrong professor. It was that fear of having to justify myself in a language I did not speak, to a group that could care less to understand me. It was the fear of not living up to a school whose credentials made me feel like a high school dropout, of being in a city that would swallow me whole if I forgot the subway map. It was a fear of not recognizing a country I could barely relate with, and being somewhere in a world I was starting to wonder if I really belonged.

I took a seat, 3 desks from the front, in the center. It didn’t take long for me to regret this. The professor came in and in his clear, soft voice spoke the words in English that had the power to bring the racing of my heart back down to a subtle beating. After the professor told the students that the classroom language would be English, several of the students asked if their papers could be written in Hangol (the Korean language). He said yes, because they were not done in the classroom. Then he casually asked, “Is there anyone here who does not speak Korean?”
I froze in shock of the question as all eyes fell on the only non-Korean girl who sat as a stranger to them in the dead center of the classroom. I raised my hand. He looked at me intensely, “You don’t understand any Korean?”
“No,” I said, but that was a lie uttered merely out of fear.
“But you will be taking some Korean Language Classes, of course?”
“A few.” Another lie.
By this time another student, Go dai, fessed up.
“Wait, you don’t understand ANY Korean? Where are you from?”
“Japan.”
“And you are from across the sea!” the professor stated in a half joking manner, “I don’t thing you have an excuse.” The glass hummed with light chuckling.

By the next class period, Go dai had dropped it. I was the lone exchange student who the professor would call on every now and then in an almost professional manor, “What are the thoughts on this Subject from the U.S.?”

It was then when I understood what Kristen Shepherd, the Director of International Exchange at Maryville College, meant by being an advocate for you own country. I didn’t know that when she said this I would have the feeling of standing on trail as the sole representative. This class is International Education.

Our Professor Youngchul Yoon, invited the class to have a chance to get talk with visiting European Journalist. I was surprised to find that out of the now 50 students, only 8 had come from his class. The topic of discussion was how the younger generation felt about the Reunification of South and North Korea. There were 9 journalists from all over Europe, about 10 Yonsei students, my processor, Sarah (a girl from the Netherlands I had invited) and me. The discussion was very enlightening and beneficial. I learned a great deal about the political and economical issues that were involved if this unification were to take place.

When asked if the students were for the unification, they spoke openly about how it was a “Question of Morality” rather than a question of fact. To say no was on the same level of saying you were a thief, or a liar. It was also an eye opening experience to find that there were countries who supported the idea of Communism being the best solution for when the reunification takes place. The topic of U.S. Troops came up and it was so hard for me to not dig in farther with questions, as I had so many. This subject is one I plan to do my own research on while I am here.

I also took advantage of the networking opportunity, and got as many e-mails as I could. Audrious Matonis, the Editor-in-Chief of the Baltic News Service in Lithuania, and I talked after about the challenges that were faced by foreigners who were set a part by the language barrier. He asked about my school and about the classes I was taking in Korea. He said if I ever was in Lithuania what I now knew someone. I had similar gestures from a few others, both insisting that I visited their country.

By the time I left, I was on an all time high, practically in disbelief of the event that just took place. It also gave me a chance to get to know a few of the girls in my class better and aroused a good political discussion between Sarah and I as we walked back to the dorm. Later on it sparked many topics ideas for thesis, including Globalization of Media.

As I already mentioned, I am taking International Communication. I am also taking Traditions of East Asia, which breaks down the society and political system of the East based on their defining philosophies such as Taoism and Buddhism. I also am taking 18th Century Novele, where I am also the only international Student in the class. Along with these I will be taking the Graduate level coarse Traditional Korean Philosophy, which will only cover Confucianism. On top of this I will be taking a fencing class for fun, and doing two language exchanges: one in Korean and one in Spanish.

This past week has also been a constant battle of me pushing my body to and beyond its limit. It started with a cold last Saturday. That cold came with a constant runny nose and scratchy voice. This turned into me being unable to go through the night without waking up. The air is so dry here and it seemed every time I would breathe in, I would have to cough. I drank over 10 glasses of tea a day and had god knows how many cough drops. Through this, I would go to bed at late hours only to rise early for class. I knew I needed sleep but I could not permit myself to end the day without finishing all that needed to be done. Two of the International students have been to the hospital this last week because of food issues, including Hasan, the Turkish guy.


Also in this last week, I have walked around the city and observed the contrasting existence of tradition and of modernity. I hope you enjoy the pictures as usual.

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