Kyungsung UniversityPre-Travel Article

Summer Cultural Experience Program 2011

(July 20 – August 20)By Angelina Lim & Raymond Lam

What Is This All About…? Two students from HELP, Angelina and Raymond, have been chosen to

participate in a Summer Cultural Experience Program in Kyungsung University, South Korea.

We would like to thank HELP University College and Kyungsung University for this opportunity to participate in something really different and exciting. Just imagine the experience waiting for us!!

So what is this program all about? The Summer Cultural Experience Program allows students from other nations to join Kyungsung University to be exposed to Korean culture during their summer vacation. We will be learning about the Korean language, culture, customs and traditions. You name it… Its all about the Korean wave~

Of course we will not be stranded within the University’s four walls throughout the program. We will be visiting places and recreational areas as well. What is a trip without visiting?

Well, we wish we could tell you more, but we have inadequate experience at the moment to share. Wait till we are back from the trip!

Pre-Travel Story #1By Lim Shu Yan, Angelina; Bachelor of Business (Marketing) Year 3

I was first exposed to Korean culture years ago in 2005. Back then, I remember watching a Korean movie called “A Millionaire’s First Love” and crying one litre of tears watching it, HAHA. But it was then I was hooked on Korea and everything Korean. I started off with movies, then to K-Pop and then Korean dramas. It didn’t just stop there – I then became addicted to their food, fashion, culture and language! I even took up the pro-bono Korean language classes offered by the Korean Tourism Organization in Malaysia and am now able to speak conversational Korean *proud*. My friends all started to call me “Weird Korean” but have gradually become more open to Korean culture because of me! Or so I’d like to think! Without a doubt, Korea is my dream travel destination. I have wanted to go there since I first fell in love with the country. Finally, the chance is here!

Feasting on Korean Food :D

Back in January 2011, I participated in the Korean Buddy Program in HELP and met a wonderful person who was in charge of the Buddy Program. She is none other than Ms Dorothy Chen from the Customer Marketing Department. Through her, I learnt about the Summer Cultural Experience Program at Kyungsung University. It felt too good to be true! It was like a dream come true. Nothing can describe how I felt the moment I found I had been accepted into the program. I was both excited - and worried - as I have never been to a foreign country before. Thankfully, my friend Raymond Lam, will also attend the same program so we have each other for company. Prior to the program, HELP had also organized a dinner for all the HELP students participating in the HELP Korean Summer Exchange Program. This year, HELP students are participating in the summer program of 3 Korean universities namely Kyung Hee University, Dankook University in Gyeonggi-do and Kyungsung University in Busan. Despite being in different programs, the dinner made all of us closer and psyched us for our upcoming visit to Korea. Some of us even made dates to meet each other in Korea! Countdown Korea: one month left! :DH E L P’s K o r e a n B u d d y P r o g r a m

An outing: me, my friends and my Korean Buddies! Farewell party: Last day with them :’(

Dinner with HELP Korean Summer Exchange Program Participants 2011 with Dorothy Chen (front, middle)

Pre-Travel Story #2By Raymond Lam Pang Wooi; Bachelor of Business (Marketing) Year 2

I am currently pursuing the HELP Bachelor of Business, Year 1. All my life I have never been exposed to Korean culture (K-pop, K-drama, K – you name it), only heard of it from my Korean fever friends who kept repeating the names of K-pop groups which I can barely remember… until I joined the Korean Buddy Program, January 2011. Only then did I try immersing myself into a little of their culture stuff in order to bridge the difference between cultures, and I

was fascinated. I’ve got to know some Korean buddies throughout the program and found they are really nice and awesome people to hang out with. Their culture just never fails to amaze me. It makes me feel like trying my best to give what I can to ensure their stay here is a good one. Since then I’ve always had the desire to make more Korean friends and hopefully know people of other nationalities as well. But of course at the moment, Koreans are attractive.

These are some of the Korean students I met during the program. The middle one was my buddy and currently we still keep in touch. I really appreciate the opportunity to be part of this exciting program as it has exposed and taught me many things. I’ve also managed to keep my promise to see them in Korea, which is an unexpected opportunity given by HELP. Now I will be going to their country – a foreigner in a foreign land to be impacted with many elements of surprise as I’m keeping my knowledge and exposure about Koreans as limited as possible.

May this Summer Culture Exchange Program in Kyungsung University give me a jaw dropping experience that I never thought I would have in my life! SEE YOU!

Some of the Korean buddies My buddy, Lee Ye Eun The two I got close with even though they are not my buddies. Yun jung and Juhyun