5월19일에 Rice-in-Korea 프로그램이 공식적으로 시작 됐어요! 학생 16명 중에서 14명이 본 프로그램의 참가들이고 2명이 새로운 CLIC 399 프로그램의 참가자들이에요. 모두 긴장된 모습이었지만, 한국에서6주 동안 경험 할 수 있는 것과 배울 수 있는 것을 생각 하면서 많이 설렌 모습 이었어요.
첫 번째 주는 천천히 진행되었어요. 학생들은 토요일에 한국에 도착해서 호스트 가족들과의 첫 만남을 가졌어요. 월요일은 오리엔테이션이었고 화요일은 휴일이라서 수요일부터 수업이 본격적으로 시작 됐어요. 첫 주라서 힘든 점이 몇 개 있었어요. 하나는 경희대 캠퍼스에 언덕이 너무 많아서 학생들이 수업 갈 때 아침 부터 벌써 지치고 힘들었어요. 그리고 점심 때 학교 식당의 메뉴가 이해하기 어려워서 어떤 음식을 먹을 수 있는지 몇 학생들에게 고민이 됐어요.
그래도 재미있는 일도 많이 있었어요. 예를 들면, 수요일에 첫 번째 문화 수업이 있었는데 그 날에 다 같이 댄스 스튜디오에 갔고 트와이스의 ‘What is Love?’ 춤을 배웠어요 ㅎㅎ 이번 주에 참가자들이 친해질 수 있는 기회가 많아서 참가자들이 친해질 수 있는 기회가 많아서 좋았어요. 앞으로도 한국어과 한국 문화에 대해서 배우면서 이렇게 추억을 많이 만들었으면 좋겠어요!
Saturday marked the beginning of the six-week adventure in Seoul for the 2018 Rice-in-Korea participants. In total, there are 16 students, with 14 being part of the main Rice-in-Korea program, and 2 of us being part of the newly created CLIC 399 Teaching Practicum course. We are all excited and perhaps a bit scared to start this journey, and this blog hopes to capture those various feelings and experiences to serve not only as a memory for this year’s participants but also as a reference for those who succeed us.
The first week was mostly for us to ease into things. On Saturday, the majority of us went from the airport to Kyunghee to meet our host families. We went to each of our houses after that and got settled. Most of us have a partner that is assigned to the same host family, which I think helps the transition a bit more. After that, we were free to spend the weekend as we wanted. People were taught by their host families how to commute from school to the house, and they also did some sightseeing before classes official start.
Monday was an orientation day. We gathered to go over the program schedule, take a writing test, get a tour of the school, and meet our language partners. We were treated to a lunch of bulgogi, and it was nice to see all the participants together since there were some who didn’t arrive at the airport on Saturday.
Class didn’t official start until Wednesday, since Tuesday was a holiday. Since the Kyunghee campus is particularly hilly, it feels like we have to scale a mountain just to get to our classroom. I have a feeling our legs will be particularly toned by the end of this trip. Lessons go from 9am to 12pm and are split into one and a half hour blocks between two teachers. Afterwards, there’s lunch time! We’re free to choose where we want to eat and who we want to eat with. Most of us end up going to one of the school cafeterias because they’re relatively close by and cheap. I personally liked the fact that you can do your meal selection using an automated kiosk, but I know some people were having trouble either because they couldn’t read the menu or because they were unsure from the unclear menu if the item fit within their dietary restrictions.
For our afternoon programming this week, we had the first of our cultural classes – this time comprising of us going to a nearby dance studio and learning the first part of TWICE’s “What is Love?” choreography – and also an orientation for our volunteering work which will officially start next week. Overall, although we are just starting to get the hang of things, I think we were able to bond a bit and slowly but surely become accustomed to our home for six weeks. I hope by the end we’ll create lasting memories and friendships while also improving our Korean language skills.
