I went to the Ewha International Summer College (EISC) with the main goal of improving my Korean language skills. I left feeling culturally enriched, with a much greater understanding of the Korean and Korean American communities, and with friends from across the globe.
When I arrived on campus, I was greeted by my roommate from the Netherlands, and we instantly bonded over comparisons between our home countries, cultures, and cuisines. I was fascinated to hear about his experiences racing down the Autobahn, and our conversations became even more international as we established our friend group including individuals from France, Singapore, and Hong Kong. It was exciting to realize how, despite our differences, we still experienced the same feeling of wonder when exploring the city of Seoul.
In the classroom, I quickly formed a second group of friends: other Korean American recent graduates who had come for the same reasons as me. With them too it was fulfilling to hear how our similarities in our family backgrounds and differences in hometown meshed to create such a compelling diversity of perspectives. It was also with this group that eating out the most enjoyable. Our shared cultural familiarity with the culinary experiences combined with our childlike glee from getting our first chance at exploring a foreign country by ourselves made for what felt like a pivotal moment in our lives. This connection of hometown and parents’ country at the same time as the transition into independent adulthood has served as a fundamental and formative piece of my cultural identity.
The classes themselves were also essential to the experience. My Korean language class helped me continue to improve my communication skills there, while my food culture course gave me a different perspective on the historical backing behind many of the cultural differences and similarities. It was particularly interesting to analyze the rapid rate at which both Western and Eastern cuisines have been adopting elements from each other; for example, Korean fried chicken restaurants in America represent a Western dish which was exported to Korea and subsequently reimported back to the US, all within the last century.
The EISC also facilitated many other cultural experiences. Gyeongbokgung, a historic palace from the Joseon dynasty, represents the long and majestic history of Korea. Insadong is a traditional village where craftsmanship is greatly honored, and shops sell handmade utensils. Gangnam is a highly commercialized area which demonstrates the hustle and bustle of modern-day Korea. Nami Island is a natural haven in the densely population nation. The EISC provided the opportunity to experience the entire spectrum of places around Seoul.
Attending the EISC was truly a transformative experience, and I am tremendously grateful to the Korea Institute for the opportunity to attend this amazing program.