happy chuseok! Probably one of the best ways to experience a different culture’s practice is to experience a particular holiday. I was fortunate to be in Korea during the national holiday of Chuseok (한가위) which is a three-day holiday celebrated in Korea. This holiday is the equivalent of the United States’ Thanksgiving as many families come together to celebrate, sharing food and stories, and honoring their loved ones and ancestors. While I was not able to witness many of the traditional activities performed during this holiday, I was able to at least witness families coming together in preparation for Chuseok. Subway stations were packed with citizens and their belongings, which primarily consisted of their luggage and gifts. Bottles of wine, packages of dessert, cases of pastries, and even gift sets of SPAM (yes! The one we eat in Hawaii!) and much more could be found in the hands of people in the days leading up to the holiday. I was very amused and amazed that, just like in Hawaii, even in Korea SPAM can bring families together. While I didn't have real family members in Korea during the holidays, I was still glad to spend the holiday spirit with close friends from back home. They're close enough to family after all! I had many plans lined up for the three-day holiday - I did get three days off of school and I wanted to make the best out of them! However, one simple yet stressful mishap changed it all. |
the tooth loss crisis
On the day before the actual holiday of Chuseok, I experienced quite a dental mishap: while flossing my teeth, I discovered that one of my filled cavities failed and had broken off, leaving me with a very sensitive (but surprisingly not painful) tooth. “You’ve got to be kidding me” I thought to myself. There I was ready to celebrate having no school, only to find myself with a broken tooth, a sensitive mouth, and a stressful piece of mind.
By the grace of heavenly fortune, I was able to wait until the holidays were over to receive dental treatment. It was quite the inconvenience of having to chew only on one side of my mouth, but I am still very grateful that I did not experience any serious or damaging pain that needed urgent attention.
At the end of the week, I visited a dental clinic in my neighborhood. They were extremely nice, but barely spoke English. The thought of receiving medical treatment with minimal communication was indeed daunting. But with the help of Google Translate and high quality dental photos, I was patched up in no time.
I think that it was interesting to experience this side of Korea: their healthcare system. The dental clinic I went to was extremely professional and clean, and an extreme sense of respect enveloped the entire office. I was also able to witness how much pride Koreans have in their education: I found headshots of the dentists on the wall with their school name and emblems proudly presented.
On the day before the actual holiday of Chuseok, I experienced quite a dental mishap: while flossing my teeth, I discovered that one of my filled cavities failed and had broken off, leaving me with a very sensitive (but surprisingly not painful) tooth. “You’ve got to be kidding me” I thought to myself. There I was ready to celebrate having no school, only to find myself with a broken tooth, a sensitive mouth, and a stressful piece of mind.
By the grace of heavenly fortune, I was able to wait until the holidays were over to receive dental treatment. It was quite the inconvenience of having to chew only on one side of my mouth, but I am still very grateful that I did not experience any serious or damaging pain that needed urgent attention.
At the end of the week, I visited a dental clinic in my neighborhood. They were extremely nice, but barely spoke English. The thought of receiving medical treatment with minimal communication was indeed daunting. But with the help of Google Translate and high quality dental photos, I was patched up in no time.
I think that it was interesting to experience this side of Korea: their healthcare system. The dental clinic I went to was extremely professional and clean, and an extreme sense of respect enveloped the entire office. I was also able to witness how much pride Koreans have in their education: I found headshots of the dentists on the wall with their school name and emblems proudly presented.
course review pt. 1
It’s been about a month into the academic semester, and the workload and rigor of the classes are beginning to spike. I’m using this time in the semester to do a quick overview of what classes are like in that weird area between syllabus week and midterm season. BUSS 407 (MKT 372) - New Product Development I’m reviewing this class first because it’s my favorite class of the semester. The concepts of the New Product Development process is interesting, and the professor teaches with immense passion and engagement. There is no homework, so there is plenty of emphasis on the final group project and exams. I’m not worrying too much about this class just yet, but I’m not relaxing just yet. Our final project requires us to develop a new product for a chosen company with a team and to experience the entire new product development process. We’re just getting started, and I’m excited for the challenge throughout this journey. BUSS 311 (MGT 341) - Organizational Behavior Even though this class is my second favorite, it is still up-to-par with BUSS 407. As an aspiring professional who wants to work in talent management and organizational development, I find this class extremely interesting and fun! The professor of this class is quite young, which allows him to connect more easily with this student generation. His youthfulness and awareness of current trends makes his lectures so intriguing that I can almost identify the basic OB concepts in my everyday experiences in group and organizational settings. This class also doesn’t have homework, so there is much emphasis on the final project: interviewing a Korean manager and suggesting solutions based on content learned throughout the course. BUSS 313 (MGT 342) - International Business Management Having taken multiple international business electives before, I find this class quite easy. In fact, I began to realize that this course could serve as the introduction to international business as it covers multiple areas of multinational business and international relations: cultural differences, economic differences, political analyses, and cross-cultural relationships. This class is pretty direct and simple, and isn’t too demanding. Having no homework is a plus, but there’s a heavy emphasis on a group case study analysis and a final group research project. BUSS 325 (BUS 367I) - Korean Business & Management in the Asian Context Ironically, the class that meets only once a week is demanding the most out of me. While this class is truly interesting, it takes quite the time and effort to study the many diverse and complex facets of Korean business. I like to think of this class that merges Korean history, economics, business strategy, and globalization all into one pot. With each facet already being quite heavy on its own, keeping up with this class is extremely important. This class demands two group projects: one case study analysis and another final research paper. Additionally, homework assignments would pop up here and there, so this class is quite challenging in its own way. Though stressed, I’m still up for the challenge! Overall Reflections I’m not used to not having homework! I’m very accustomed to having weekly assignments and quizzes so there was just some adjustment into this new student lifestyle. At the same time, I’m learning how to balance my time while working on long-term group assignments. These group projects that I’ve just started are much more heavy than the ones that I’ve experienced before. While I know it will be a challenging part of my semester at KUBS, I am very much looking forward to growing immensely from working with so many other students in a new environment. |
the awkward forming phases
One of the things that I did not consider while studying abroad is that awkward phase of forming groups in class. Usually, I have a pool of friends and peers back at Shidler, so regardless of whether I could choose my group members or not, I was always in a situation where I could work with people I know. Now that I’m in a totally different university, I don’t have that privilege, and I’m now experiencing the exciting challenge of working with both Korean and other exchange students.
Each of my classes has a group project assignment, and each of these groups are quite different considering the nature of the work and the background of my teammates. While I could go on for ages talking about the dynamics of my different groups, there’s one common thread that I noticed while working with others: it is important to understand that what’s normal for you may not normal for other people from different backgrounds.
Some members approach group work individually, agreeing to only work on their part and then integrating towards the end. Others prefer a more collective approach, expecting consultation upon every step of progress. Some members prefer to meet late at night after 9 pm, and some others prefer not to because, culturally, that is their dinner time.
From cultural habits to academic customs, I did not expect myself to work with so many different fronts. However, working through these differences has taught me how to collaborate more effectively through means of communication, compromise, and understanding. I truly believe that after this semester, the challengingness of future school group projects wouldn’t be up to par to the rigor that I am experiencing this semester.
One of the things that I did not consider while studying abroad is that awkward phase of forming groups in class. Usually, I have a pool of friends and peers back at Shidler, so regardless of whether I could choose my group members or not, I was always in a situation where I could work with people I know. Now that I’m in a totally different university, I don’t have that privilege, and I’m now experiencing the exciting challenge of working with both Korean and other exchange students.
Each of my classes has a group project assignment, and each of these groups are quite different considering the nature of the work and the background of my teammates. While I could go on for ages talking about the dynamics of my different groups, there’s one common thread that I noticed while working with others: it is important to understand that what’s normal for you may not normal for other people from different backgrounds.
Some members approach group work individually, agreeing to only work on their part and then integrating towards the end. Others prefer a more collective approach, expecting consultation upon every step of progress. Some members prefer to meet late at night after 9 pm, and some others prefer not to because, culturally, that is their dinner time.
From cultural habits to academic customs, I did not expect myself to work with so many different fronts. However, working through these differences has taught me how to collaborate more effectively through means of communication, compromise, and understanding. I truly believe that after this semester, the challengingness of future school group projects wouldn’t be up to par to the rigor that I am experiencing this semester.
chapter close
You might have noticed that this chapter was much more academic than anything else. It’s that phase of the semester where things are moving quickly, especially as midterms are fast approaching.
While embarking on long adventures are now difficult, I’m still finding immense joy in those spontaneous and short adventures that are squeezed in any moment that I can get. Stay tuned for more adventures coming up!
You might have noticed that this chapter was much more academic than anything else. It’s that phase of the semester where things are moving quickly, especially as midterms are fast approaching.
While embarking on long adventures are now difficult, I’m still finding immense joy in those spontaneous and short adventures that are squeezed in any moment that I can get. Stay tuned for more adventures coming up!