moving in the flight direction
If you understood that pun, please continue reading. If not, re-read it. I like to use humor as a way to distract myself from stress, and it’ll be a common theme throughout this chapter (and perhaps my entire blog series).
On August 9, 2021, my study abroad plans were finally in motion. They’re finally moving in the flight direction. Literally. Everything started with heaviness, truthfully speaking. I couldn’t tell what was heavier: my motivation to get out of bed that morning and head to the airport, or my checked-in luggage that was just a tad over the 50 pound limit. What was definitely heavier than the both of these were my eyelids from all the attempts of trying not to cry as I said goodbye to my family and island home.
I actually had two flights to catch as I was first flying from Hilo to Honolulu, and then from Honolulu to Seoul. To my amazement, boarding procedures for both of these flights were seamless. What made everything 200% better was the fact that many of my friends and classmates (who are also Korea-bound) were on that same flight, with most of us even sitting in the same part of the plane.
Things started to move fairly quickly once I sat in my plane seat. In what I felt were a few blinks of an eye, I went from boarding, to take-off, to filling out paperwork, to being fed, and then heading for arrival in Seoul. It was the smoothest and what felt like the fastest 10-hour flight I’ve experienced. Things were moving pretty smoothly. But gut feelings were telling that everything was too smooth.
If you understood that pun, please continue reading. If not, re-read it. I like to use humor as a way to distract myself from stress, and it’ll be a common theme throughout this chapter (and perhaps my entire blog series).
On August 9, 2021, my study abroad plans were finally in motion. They’re finally moving in the flight direction. Literally. Everything started with heaviness, truthfully speaking. I couldn’t tell what was heavier: my motivation to get out of bed that morning and head to the airport, or my checked-in luggage that was just a tad over the 50 pound limit. What was definitely heavier than the both of these were my eyelids from all the attempts of trying not to cry as I said goodbye to my family and island home.
I actually had two flights to catch as I was first flying from Hilo to Honolulu, and then from Honolulu to Seoul. To my amazement, boarding procedures for both of these flights were seamless. What made everything 200% better was the fact that many of my friends and classmates (who are also Korea-bound) were on that same flight, with most of us even sitting in the same part of the plane.
Things started to move fairly quickly once I sat in my plane seat. In what I felt were a few blinks of an eye, I went from boarding, to take-off, to filling out paperwork, to being fed, and then heading for arrival in Seoul. It was the smoothest and what felt like the fastest 10-hour flight I’ve experienced. Things were moving pretty smoothly. But gut feelings were telling that everything was too smooth.
oh for flying out loud
I knew that long lines of people at international airports exist. But the lines that I experienced were not only long. They moved very slowly. Even a line of snails could clear customs faster than what I experienced! There were three different stages that foreign travelers had to go through at Incheon. The first was the COVID Screening where airport officials ask for proof of a negative PCR test. I ended up waiting in line for two hours just to accomplish this task. The next stage was the Quarantine Debrief where a government official explains to each individual what the quarantine regulations are. They then will instruct and watch you download a quarantine-tracking app, and will even test if the app is working (A+ on the COVID-19 preventive measures, but C- on efficiency). This ended up taking another two hours. Lastly, the third stage was clearing Customs & Immigration. It was the easiest and fastest point in the arrival process. It had been 4 hours since landing, and I was still at the airport. But it didn’t stop there. After picking up my luggage, I proceeded to check-in with my quarantine providers and to wait for my designated quarantine taxi to take me to the facilities. It was already 11:00 pm KST, and with a small number of designated taxis in the area, I found myself waiting another 3 hours for my taxi to arrive. While I did find refuge once that taxi came to take me and a few others, my facilities were still an hour away from the airport. We landed in Incheon Airport right before 7:00 pm KST; I landed in my hotel room at 4:00 am KST. I was simply in disbelief that the amount of time spent in the plane was equal to the amount of time from arrival to quarantine. It truly shows how much COVID-19 has impacted international travel, and how South Korea is dedicated to implementing preventive measures. Altogether, I spent over a day’s worth of hours getting from Hilo to Seoul. I was tired, fatigued, but, surprisingly, not irritated. Perhaps it was because I knew I had two full weeks of quarantine life ahead of me. Lots of time to sleep and replenish! |
quarantunes
Sing this to the refrain tune of ABBA’s Dancing Queen: 🎶We’re all in quarantine, sheltering from COVID-19. Quarantine, we can’t do much of anything. Oh no. Can't escape, can't go out, can’t visit, can’t socialize. Ooooh. Socially distancing, living in quarantine.🎶 While these lyrics are a fun way of expressing what quarantine is like, the we can’t do much of anything part didn’t apply to me. I found myself quite busy during quarantine. Knowing that there would never be another time where I have two-weeks to myself secluded from outside society, I decided to make the best of the time I had. I updated my resume, edited my LinkedIn profile, spent time on LinkedIn Learning, reminded everyone that I’m still alive, and worked on preparing this blog site. Quarantine life helped me to realize that I am truly introverted. I could honestly pass as an extrovert, but actually enjoying time by myself away from the busy outside world really proved my case. My hotel room provided my basic living necessities (meals, bath supplies) and with my laptop and phone, it was far from difficult for boredom to catch up to me. Quarantining in Korea also allowed me to experience how serious the Korean government deals with COVID-19. Every morning, I get a call from a government official asking if I have any symptoms, and twice a day I have to fill out a COVID-19 screening questionnaire on the government app. I forgot to fill it out once, and they urgently reminded me to do so via text. A+ on the commitment, Korea! |
course registration = the hunger games
Registering for courses felt like the Hunger Games. Literally. Let me explain. In the beginning of the Hunger Games, all players charge towards the cornucopia, fighting for resources and equipment that would put them at a higher advantage over other players. And if you didn’t move fast enough, you would miss out on those resources and would have to find other ways and means to stay alive during the games. Registering for courses felt no different. Once the platform opens for registration, students charge towards the “Register” buttons before other students do and fill up the classes until the quota hits. And if you didn’t move quick enough, you didn’t get a spot and would have to wait until the Add-Drop periods to get the classes you need. I used a special countdown website that lets students know the exact moment when registration is open. In a matter of seconds, I moved my mouse swiftly through the platform, clicking “Register” on the classes that I needed as quickly as I could. There, I witnessed a miracle: I successfully registered for ALL of the classes that I wanted. Of course I had to just jump and punch the air in excitement. I praised the internet gods that day that my Wi-Fi connection was strong and fast. |
Here are the courses that I registered for. I’ve included course descriptions below as well to help you understand what my semester of learning will look like. I'm excited for my class schedule. I'll have classes at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm from Monday to Thursday, with an added class from 5:00 pm - 7:50 pm on Tuesday. Best part? No classes on Friday! I'm very accustomed to a busy week, so this will definitely be a change in pace.
BUSS313 / MGT 342: International Business Management. "This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the nature of international business and how it differs from purely domestic business. Students will gain insights into the global economy and the factors that influence a firm’s decision to internationalize all while learning about the skills needed to succeed in a global environment." This course scares me the most as I’ve always struggled with looking at things from a global perspective. Though I’m excited to learn more about international business management, let’s hope this Big Island boy can think globally.
BUSS402 / BUS 367G: Management Strategy. "This course is designed to help students develop broad concepts, theories, and techniques to develop socially responsible strategies in a global environment. Students will understand the basic concepts of strategic management, develop the application skill of strategic management tools, and develop the ability to think like CEOs." I don’t know about that CEO part, but this course will definitely challenge me as it serves as the management capstone course for juniors and seniors at KUBS. Will I return to Hawaii thinking like a CEO? We’ll see!
BUSS407 / MKT 372: New Product Development. "This course is designed to help students understand marketing’s role in the new product development process, and to understand the relationship of science, technology, and innovation to the market environment." I’ve heard lots of good feedback about this course as it’s taught in a fun and dynamic way. I’m not a marketing guy, but I’m up for the challenge to see how creative and innovative I can be!
BUSS311 / MGT 341: Organizational Behavior. "This course serves as an intro to basic organizational behavior topics and concepts. Students will survey several topics that are related to managing people in organizations, including leadership, decision making, motivation, conflict resolution, and organizational structure and culture." This course would count as an elective course for my HRM major. Definitely excited to learn about these OB topics and concepts!
EDUC282 / Elective: Program Planning for Lifelong Learners. "This course is designed to familiarize students with models, concepts, and techniques for developing learning programs for adults in organizations and communities. Students will learn how to conduct needs assessment as well as design, implement, and evaluate the adult learning programs." This course isn’t part of my academic plan, but as I ultimately plan to land a career in Talent Development, this course was too appealing to me! There is also no equivalent course at UHM, so I just had to take the chance!
NOTE: my course registration list changed after consulting with my academic advisor. feel free to check out chapter 3 to learn about my official KUBS academic plan!
chapter close
It’s been a busy Chapter 0 of the journey. But things are just beginning. Quarantine will soon come to a close, and the real journey will begin then! Stay tuned for Chapter 1!
It’s been a busy Chapter 0 of the journey. But things are just beginning. Quarantine will soon come to a close, and the real journey will begin then! Stay tuned for Chapter 1!