Volunteer at Bu-ku Youth Centre

Today I had studied with my friends for the exam and quiz. We had gone afterwards to eat some traditional Korean dishes such as Ox blood and Ox bones. It is very delicious if you are not afraid of the names - which you shall not be - go for it and try it. It is very nice - even some Koreans are afraid of those dishes. I think everyone just has a different taste.

After the meal we gone back to university to finish off my Korean language homework before heading into the Karaoke Bar where we had spend a long time. We sang various music from British Pop to K-Pop.  It was great fun, as finally I also could think a few of the Korean music. I may have told you that on the second night here in Korea I spend a night in the Karaoke Bar with my friends. I was not able to sign the Korean music.

 In some occasion we managed to score 100% on the songs - which is pretty good! The time has gone so fast and now I needed to head to meet the volunteers at N Gate for the volunteering.

We had been picked up by school bus of the centre and introduce to the key members of staff. They told us why they are doing this events and who will join us. It shall be a great experience. We had also been offered free dinner in the canteen - which is similar to the dorm canteen just with radish and not just Kimchi as a side dish.

We had later been introduce to the children with whom we had drawn pictures of what they liked. I had three boys - and Korean boys like football and baseball. Therefore - yeah - they drawn footballs and baseballs. Afterwards we watch a film on what the children have done last year in the volunteer centre. The session had been very quickly over.

The final stage for me for the night was just to relax and celebrate the birthday of my friends.

Challenge Korea

Right!

In the evening I had meet up with my friends to discuss the last steps for Challenge Korea. We come to the conclusion to only visit one place but on one weekend instant using many weekends. We therefore just have written down the report and made sure it was feasible to reach the place. It was there is one bus on Friday and we all don't have classes on Friday therefore we can leave early and do not need to be worried of skipping classes.

I hope we can get the scholarship as it will be a great experience to go up into the mountains and explore a country side area of S Korea. I might would not have come to the conclusion on visiting the area on my own without my friends.

We have spend most of the night to write up the report and it is something unique I feel to visit in South Korea and far away of Daegu that it would not come up to mind of visiting on a simple weekend.

Team work

Today I had two team works. I have joint the Korean challenge project. Therefore I meet with my friend and his friends after class to discuss on where we shall travel. We needed to finish the proposal by Friday afternoon time.

We come up with many ideas in a brainstorm and shall think more deeper by tomorrow on how we shall solve it to try to visit some unique places here in S Korea. It is very hard something to find which is unique excluding it is in the north east of Korea or south west of Korea. This is my opinion that this areas would be very unique.

The next group meeting was with my course work. We had finish our assignment and just did a few adjustment and check the grammar of the report. We just stayed together for about two hours to complete the assignment to put all three component into one.

After my last meeting I have joined up with my friends at North Gate to relax and going for some chicken. We have invited also some of our friends that we would be a big group. I have invited the prospective students of Northumbria and did not knew that actually we are already in the same class.

Yes, in Korea or in the English spoken class people usually do not really chat after or before class. That why it can be sometimes hard to meet up with new people. Excluding you start the innovative to talk to them.

We had a great night  and learn more about each other, especially our new friends who we might already seen in the class room..

IVF

Lets go straight to the evening.

Today was again the society meeting of IVF. We had a new member to the group and this time I could take pictures for my memories one day to review it again and show my friends in the UK to may improve our society.

Today's topic had been on the key issue grace and that we shall be thankful for it that God has given it to us. After the dinner we had look a small movie done by the members on what they had done this long weekend together. I could not join them as I been away, but next time.

After our fellowship some of us have gone to the library to study for the exams. I token the time there to practise the writing of the Korean words and try to build bridges to memories word. Try to see some similarity and maybe that it makes stand out that it will be the word. After the exam I will work on the pronunciation. Actually in Korean is better to learn speaking first and writing simultaneously as every sound which is spoken out is also written down. There might be just a few words where it is not the case, but if spoken slowly it will be every sound written down.

Dorm (Library) Day

Today was actually holiday but I had one group assignment and needed to prepare for my Korean quiz. I have been now suddendly left alone as I had been travelling with my girlfriend around Korea, but now not anymore. I token the time to study and prepare for the group meeting in the afternoon.

We have a group meeting with a Hungarian students in Hungary - it was difficult to connect as we did not had communicated very well and the technology suddenly also in Korean given up to support us. At least the students had done some part of the work before we even started and shared with us on Google Docs. We used this as a template and decided to meet up back again on Wednesday to complete the assignment. Everyone of us will be focusing on one area of the topics.

But, let me discuss of Korean style group work. I will surely take this back to my final year of university. It is so relax and still the power of achieving a high grade. The most important aspect that we are truly working as a team and everyone is taking care of each other. Today a team member has bought coffee for all of us - and next time somebody else shall purchases something for the team. I think this is truly team work instant coming back to the next meeting with all the homework done. It is to make sure that everyone understand on where we stand  with the work.

British Council and Seoul

(30^th September until 2^nd October)

Today on Friday I had a meeting with the British Council director. He liked to find out more of British students and studying in the UK from abroad and now here in S Korea abroad. His mission is to bring more UK students into Korea, as many of them come for travel but not studying. He is keen to find out the reason on it - why and how do they hear about the opportunity of coming to S Korea. I hope I can contribute to his mission - by posting my experience here and be read by my home university for the start and expand to other students who come across this blog and make them exited on what they can experience while being here. 

In the later afternoon was a session for Korean students  on who like to find out more about the UK and progress their studies there. I have been asked to come for the Q&A session that students could ask me on my experience - as technically I will encounter nearly the same problems as they will do. They also can ask me about the student life into more detail as British council would answer it with case studies and on past students they had meet on the return. The lady from the British council had been greatful that I have attended the Q&A session of her event.

 As soon the event has finish we made our way to Seoul. It is now the last weekend for my girlfriend here in Korea or only one day off the weekend as she is flying away on Sunday morning. The weeks had gone by very quick I still can remember on how I pick her up from the airport and actually on how myself I just arrived to Korea.  

Before the meeting of the Brtish Council we said good bye to her friends from the church at a place which my friend had recommended me to go for tea and coffee (or Coffee and bread).  As the name says you get for every drink you order 4 to 5 different types of bread. The price of the drink does not vary much from other places, therefore actually it is cheaper in this place if the cost of the bread is included into the price. 

After the meeting with British Council we made our way to the station and set off to Seoul. I promised the hostel to come for 10pm but due to late finish and want to save a bit of money (therefore not token KTX) got the train at 7pm and arrived at around 11pm in Seoul. The hostel is very friendly and let us arrived and check in for 11pm. I am not sure as if I had been guest there now twice or is that there policy to wait until 1am. 

The next day me had met up with our friend from Seoul and said good bye to him (or at least my girlfriend). We also have given him the Kimchi we had made ourselves in Suncheon. He was very happy - as it is actually his favourite Kimchi.  

We could not stay long with him as we had been looking out for our tour guide and needed to go to the theatre at 2pm. The promised tour guide did not had shown up or they already meet up and walked around. We did not had register for the tour anyway as it was closed - as we found out one day before. We just thought just to join them when we arrive there. We just made our on way at Namsan to the Namsan Tower. It is very confusing on how to get there, from the base it might be a 4km walk but then it can not decided itself either 2.7km and then you walk for a long period of time (maybe up to 5mins) and the next sign says 2.6km or 2.8km.

 Maybe we just walked wrong or they can not decided on where to start the measurement, but during the time many new ways up have been formed which are a little bit faster then the sign says. Therefore it might be a different way.  After a while of walk we found the way to the tower, but on the way there we had found other interesting things, such as a wedding and a Korean garden. 

As soon we reached to the tower we could only stay for a while before already making the way down. As we are going to the show "Pan" not far away (by subway) from here. It is a traditional show of Korea, and we purchased the tickets online. 

It was actually very easy to find the location - as on the map they given it looked simple but when actually being on the road it is a bit more difficult. In this case the simplified version had worked and we found it on the first go.  Unlucky both camera have died - as forgotten to recharge last night. We need to remember the event of today in our brain. I surely will not forget it as I was able to participate in one of the games they played. They played very nice music and told stories, those who's Korean isn't fluent there had been subtitle provided on the screen behind the acting  and on the side there was general information on what this play was about. 

After the show we had a look around the area and head back to the hostel for an hour to recharge the cameras.  Then we head back to the Namsan area to look around the market - as last time we been for the food but not for items. As my girlfriend wanted to buy last minutes gifts. 

 The next day has broken up and it is Sunday. We had made an early start to the airport. The flight was scheduled for 11 in the morning. After I said good bye to her, I wanted to visit Incheon and token a bus from outside to Incheon Train Station. Incheon itself is also very big therefore I just visited only two parts of it China Town and an Island. Where I could find a Korean style garden with buildings and Emigration Museum. I have learnt on why Koreans aim to US and who the first emigrates of modern Korean been. It was also interesting to find out that Koreans in 1903 had been classed as "low cost" labour. 

I did wanted to stay to long in Incheon as I had been a bit tired and needed also to be back to the dorm before 1am. 

I also did not wanted to sit on the subway all the way to Seoul Station and decided to take a bus to Daegu, which is nearly gone the similar time as I would have taken the subway plus train.