여보세요!

     So after a significantly long break, I’ve decided to update this blog again.  Not too much has happened sense I last posted in regards to my going to Korea, but a lot as changed in my life.  First, I have really begun to feel as if this is what God is calling me to do.  When I was a Photography major I never really felt at peace with the direction my life was going, but ever sense I switched majors I’ve begun to feel a beautiful sense of peace mixed with a wonderful sense of purpose.  Because of this I have also changed my minor to Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

     Second, because I will soon become an international student, I have recently begun to seriously invest my time in the international community here on campus.  I originally started because I felt as if I owed it to the internationals here to give them what I wanted to receive from Yonsei.  But soon that initiative gave way to truly loving the internationals.  I have made some very good friends through the international Bible Study I’ve started attending every Friday night.  It is very obvious that God is working through this ministry and I would like to ask everyone reading this to stop and pray for Michael (the Bible Study leader) and all those involved with reaching out to the internationals.  I am looking to help start a Buddy Program (what would be called App Peers) here.  That’s pretty much a program where every international student is pared with an App student and it is the responsibility of the App student to help integrate the international student into Apps campus life and help them with any problems they might have.  Pretty much to be their best friend and helper.  I’m very adamant about this because most of the international students I’ve talked to on campus tell me that after orientation, they are pretty much left to their own devises in integrating into campus life and that having a “Buddy” would have been wonderful.

     Third, I’ve decided that after I graduate (and if I really feel this is where God is leading me) I am going to go back to Korea to teach ESL.  I’m looking at anywhere from 1 to 5 years.  I’m very excited at the possibility of this and plan on looking into options while I’m over there next spring.

     That’s all for now!  I’m super excited to see how all of these things fall into place in the future!

안녕!

Some of the international students I've gotten to know!

Yoon Hee (South Korea), Amy (China), Renu (India)

Chris (student leader in Bible Study), Renu, Me, Abhinaya (India), Jerry (China)

Expectation: an insane 2014

     여보세요!
Well things have definitely changed a bit from the last post.  For one, the Korean government has abolished the TaLK program so it is no longer an option.  That’s nice because I no longer have to worry about deciding which route to take, but it’s sad because it was a fantastic opportunity that would have given me a lot of experience in a field I’m considering going into.  But I suppose this is God’s way of telling me that’s not where He wants me right now.  So, as it stands now, I’m hoping to go to Yonsei University in Seoul.  If I can I am going to go over at the beginning of January and do an intensive language course at night.  That will overlap with the regular spring semester, which starts in March.  Then at the end of the spring semester I plan on staying another month for the summer intensive language program.  So all in all I would be gone from the beginning of January to the middle of August.  This way I get beyond beginner level Korean and am able to experience Korean culture through three different seasons.  I am also going to be looking into participating in Yonsei’s Home-Stay program where I will be able to experience first hand what the average Korean family is like.  The only crazy part about this plan (aside from being away from home for so long) is that the summer program ends August 2nd and ASU’s Fall 2014 semester starts August 19^th.  I wouldn’t be home for very long before I would have to leave for App…a little sad because that gives me almost no time with my family and hardly enough down time with no studying.  But if that’s what it takes to learn as much about Korea as I can with the time I have, I will do it without hesitation.
     안녕!

I-House is the International House, the dorm I hope to be staying in.

     

Korean & Spanish don't mix y'all

안녕하세요!

     On this last day in February I look back over this past week with a sigh of relief (and hold my breath again for next week, two tests ug).  With two presentations and two meetings on top of regular classes and homework I have been a little stressed but it has all come to an end now in a somewhat satisfactory manner.  I wanted to start of by explaining a little about my academic advisor, Dr. Hellenbrand.  She is a wonderful woman.  Every time I go to see her I leave feeling encouraged and rejuvenated, like nothing is out of my reach in regards to Korea.  Now for the information… 

     This is a collaboration of both my meeting with Hellenbrand and Davis, my study abroad advisor.  The first thing I talked to Hellenbrand about was my language contract.  I have to do a “language contract” (mash-up of three languages where I take 2 courses in one, 2 in another and 5 in the third) to fulfill my language requirement because I came into the program late.  As it stood two days ago I was going to take 2 Japanese, 2 Korean (while in Korea), 5 Spanish.  But after thinking about it, I  explained that I didn’t want my main language being one I wasn’t going to use in the future.  But, because App doesn’t offer Korean I would have to take the equivalent of 5 Korean classes over in Korea, which was going to be impossible to pack in on top of the culture classes I have to take for my focus.  So after thinking it over I decided that if I were able to replace Spanish with Korean as my main language I would stay in Korea through the summer in order to take required number of courses.  At the end of my long spiel explaining this to her, Hellenbrand looked at me and said, “Michelle, you plan it and I’ll make sure it works for you.”  She’s like an angel sent from Heaven to smooth away all my stress about Korea.  Seriously, she’s a God given blessing that I am so grateful for.

     The second thing I talked about was a scholarship program I may be eligible for.  The program is called TaLK (Teaching and Learning in Korea) and would be an unbelievable addition to my résumé!  The only downside is that Chonnam University is the only university in direct affiliation with App that offers the TaLK program.  Now if I get the scholarship I will gladly attend because the benefits of the program far outweigh the downsides of the university.  But if I don’t get it I don’t really want to attend Chonnam.  So what’s the problem?  Applications, deadlines, and money, that’s the problem.  I have no idea when I would here back from the scholarship people letting me know if I got it or not and by that time it may be too late to apply to another university.  But I also don’t want to apply to another university (the cost of all the applications would total…well a whole lot, over $500) and then get the scholarship and lose all that money.  So I e-mailed the woman in charge of the TaLK program at Chonnam to ask when deadlines are and when they start notifying people of acceptance to see if those times overlap with the deadlines for applying to another university.  My biggest dilemma right now is trying to decide what I’ll do if the time frames do overlap.  Do risk banking on being accepted and not apply to another university or do I apply to another university and risk loosing a whole bunch of money?  Thoughts?

     Now, in order to end this seriously long post on a happy note, I have a rather humorous story to tell.  This past Wednesday I was in Spanish class and we were told to find a partner and ask and answer a list of questions in Spanish.  Well my partner asked me which class was my favorite and why to which I responded casually, “Mi clase de Global Climate Change porque tango muchos chingos en la clase” (my Global Climate Change class because I have a lot of friends in the class) and went merrily on my way.  To you people who know Spanish, you’ve probably noticed where I went wrong, but I hadn’t.  It wasn’t until she asked me what the word “chingo” meant that I realized I had unconsciously replaced the Spanish word for friend, “amigo” with the Korean translation, “chingo.”  I had to laugh at myself because, even though I haven’t even started to formally learn the Korean language, I am already mixing Korean words into my Spanish (and sometimes even English) vocabulary.  Heaven help me not to do that on a test!

잘가요!