Arthur Nguyen, '15, Harvard Summer School in Seoul Program-Summer 2014
The Summer of Endless Wonders
As the title suggests, my experience in Korea this summer was just that—wonderful. Enrolled in the Ewha-Harvard Summer School Program in Film, and Korean Culture and Language, I expected a summer of just class intermixed with some excursions and outings here and there. However, this was not the case. The EHSSP exceeded all my expectations and has become one of my best and most meaningful experiences of my Harvard career. From training in film and daily Korean language classes to making my own documentary film and having the chance to integrate Korean in my daily routine, I found my experiences and opportunities in Korea to be both gratifying and humbling.
Taking the film and sociology course with both students from Harvard and Ewha students was a wonderful blending of cultures and backgrounds. Paul, David, Bertrand, and the TAs made the class not only fun and interesting, but also enjoyable and practical. Having known little about Korea and Korean society and culture—aside from my fascination for K-pop and penchant for Korean food, I came out of the class having a basic, yet solid foundation of Korea’s history and place in the world. There was never a dull moment in lecture. I learned about its turbulent past with Japanese colonialism and its subsequent rapid rise in development and modernization. And at the same time, we touched upon Korea’s darker and often overlooked social dilemmas, such as its alarming suicide rates and divorce, its treatment towards unwed mothers, and its stance on adoption and the elderly population. I found my learning experience to be comprehensive, reaching many of the relevant issues facing Korea today.
The practical side of the class revealed itself through the development of a skillset in documentary filmmaking. As an avid photographer, I partly decided to apply to this summer school program for its filmmaking opportunities, as I have had no experience in film. With David, a documentary filmmaker himself, and his expertise in film and creating a visual story, and Bertrand for his professional guidance in sound design, I was equipped with all the resources to traverse the streets of Korea and produce a film. Moreover, the film screenings after class were breathtaking, featuring powerful films that echoed various cultural and social themes present in Korean society. And they were only enhanced by special guest visits of the films’ directors.
For my film group, we decided to focus our story on the social and cultural significance of rice in Korean society, and its ultimate decline in modern-day Korea. As a foodie, the topic could not have been more perfect. Our group’s expeditions from restaurant to restaurant were satisfying and delectable, and allowed me to experience the vast array of Korean cuisine. Interviews of academics, teenagers, store vendors, a Buddhist monk, and a rice farmer made me realize how important rice was to the Korean society, while at the same time recognizing that it was threatened with the shifting food culture of Western and fast foods. The entire experience of pursuing a topic of interest, engaging in a process of self-discovery, and developing it through film was simply incredible.
The EHSSP gave me opportunity to also foster lifelong friendships with people I would not have had the chance to otherwise. Through the intermixing of cultures, I was not only able to share my own experiences and stories from home, but also was introduced to a new culture, complete with its set of traditions, practices, and etiquettes. It was a learning and teaching experience. As cliché as it sounds, I learned something new everyday. And with some added help from my Korean friends, I received a personalized tour of Korea and lived as any other Korean would. To list some of my adventures, I visited the N Seoul Tower, Banpo Bridge, and the Han River; watched the inspiring film, Myeong-ryang at the IFC Mall; and explored Insadong, Myeongdong, and Dongdaemun and participated in its late-night shopping. During our class’s excursion week, I had to chance to go beyond the borders of Seoul to see and experience more of Korea. I roamed Chinatown in Incheon, mediated in Naksansa Temple, scaled and hiked Seoraksan Mountain, and ate fresh seafood in Sokcho’s fish market and eateries. The class excursion was by far, one of my top highlights from the summer, as it brought together all the material from the classroom lectures and provided us all the chance to know both our classmates and teaching staff in a more intimate and relaxed setting.
My summer in Seoul with the Ewha-Harvard Summer School Program is one of the best experiences of my Harvard career. The friendships I have made, I would not have been able to do so anywhere else, and the experiences and memories I have made will continue to shape how I view the world. Living in a foreign nation and going about a daily routine in a different culture for the first time was enjoyable and exciting, and it allowed me to have a greater appreciation of other cultures. In all, I will always be grateful for the experiences I have gained this summer and if given the opportunity to do it all over again, I would without the slightest hesitation.