Life without limbs

Yesterday morning I awoke to a text message from a classmate telling me that my Sports Medicine class would be held in the chapel instead of our normal classroom.  I thought this was strange, and for a moment I even thought that perhaps somebody was just playing a trick on me!  But the more I thought about it I realized I was just being paranoid, so I got ready for class and then headed towards the chapel.  Before I reached the chapel however, my phone rang and it was my Sports Medicine professor, Justin.  He asked if I knew where class was meeting today and when I told him the chapel he corrected me and said to come to the auditorium.  When I got there it was packed with students!  I spotted a few of my classmates and sat down with them on the second floor.  I realized quickly that a church service was just ending, and that's why my classmate had said "come to chapel".  I arrived during the transition between the church service to a university-wide presentation by a man named Nick Vujicic.

Nick Vujicic has no arms and no legs.  He is limbless!  He developed a program called "Life Without Limbs" and travels around the world giving presentations and motivational speeches.  Many other classes were present for his speech, along with many faculty members, and the auditorium was almost full.  The audience seemed to enjoy it for the most part but I was bothered by a lot of what he said, or rather how he said it.

Nick's tiny body stood on a table as he spoke and a translator accompanied him.  He spoke about how he was born this way and how he's met many other limbless people who have ended up that way through injury, disease, or even from a brutal attack.  He explained how he's thankful for how much he as and he accredits God and Christ to his success and motivation in life. Nick is extremely religious and he incorporates much of his views on Christianity and Jesus Christ into his speech.  At times he went so far that I almost felt as if he was preaching to the audience, rather than speaking to us.  This was the first time that the University's Christian influence was really apparent to me.

The part that I disagreed with most was when he literally was shouting to the audience about how we all live our life in sin unless we believe in the power of Christ.  Now, I totally realize and respect the fact that this is a popular Christian notion, but I believe his speech could've still been heartfelt and powerful without all the Christianity references.  I wish that he had gone more into detail about some of the amazing experiences that he said he's had, like traveling around the world and even learning how to surf and golf.

Here is a picture I took from the presentation, Nick is the one on the table. Remember, you can click on a picture to get a bigger view.  

Samsung Library

Yesterday was the first day that I spent some time in Yonsei University's Samsung Library, which gets its name because it was partly funded by Samsung. I've been to the library before, but not the media complex. Professor Chun, who teaches my Religion and Culture 1 class is out of town this week at a conference in Germany, so he scheduled our class to watch a movie which we'll discuss when he gets back. We were told to report to the 2nd floor of the Samsung Library where a media specialist will set up the movie for us. She directed our class to a separate room down the hall and I was quite stunned! It was basically a mini-movie theater! There were a bunch of them down this hallway and it was quite fascinating to see. The class watched the movie in this theater, comfy seats and all, the only thing that was missing was the popcorn!

The movie itself was interesting. It was a Korean film called "The Way Home" and it was the first Korean movie that I've seen since I've been here. It was subtitled of course, but after a few minutes I got used it. The film was about a young boy from Seoul, maybe 7 or 8, whose mother brings him to live at his Grandmother's house in the country, while she looks for a job. The boy is rude and ungrateful and treats his grandmother horribly, but eventually he begins to learn compassion as he realizes how his actions affect their daily lives.

But more about the beautiful library! The Central Library, which is YU's original library, is also very nice, but not nearly as amazing as the Samsung Library. The two libraries are connected, and the link I posted below gives you get a "virtual tour" of the library complex. The new library is state-of-the-art in every way, from the high-speed glass elevators, to the touchscreen monitors, even the rooftop cafe. The elevators are almost completely made of glass, as is the wall facing the outside; standing in the elevator you can see the outside all the way up and down, and you can also see each floor you pass. Very cool!
In order to use most of the facilities in the library, you must first register and make a reservation using the touchscreen monitors in the lobby. Although I've heard it's very easy to do, I haven't mastered this part yet.

My Sports Medicine group members showed me the rooftop cafe last week when we were finishing up our project. Also, that happens to be the exact location I was in when I first received a facebook friend request from Grandma Judy! I got so excited, it's a good thing I didn't fall off the roof! The cafe is very nice; coffee and waffles (the Koreans' favorite), and bagels and specialty drinks, in a beautiful glass enclosed room as well as tables and chairs outside on the roof, giving you a great view of campus. Everyday I wish I could put all of you guys in my suitcase so you could see all the wonderful things I'm experiencing! Outside view of the Samsung Library:


Take a look at this!
http://library.yonsei.ac.kr/main/sub.do?menuCode=0019

A Day Out with Professor Chun

Today is the Korean national holiday of Chuseok, which is similar to our Thanksgiving. It is a harvest holiday where Koreans pay hommage to their ancestors and they all gather together as a family. Because of Chuseok we have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off from classes, but most professors cancel classes on Monday and Friday as well. My only class on Mondays is Religion and Culture 1 with Professor Young-Ho Chun and so he decided to invite the class to come with him as he puts it, "to experience culture". He invited the entire class, but most students went home for the holiday or had already left to travel for the week, so it was just Rosie, Professor Chun, and me!

We all met Monday afternoon in the lobby of our dorm, SK Global House. Professor Chun is a visiting professor from the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City; he also lives in SK Global House because the top floor is made up of apartments for visiting professors. We took the city bus to Insadong which was really great because Rosie and I had never taken the city bus before. Professor Chun explained how the bus system works so now we think we'll be able to conquer it in the future. The bus system uses the same T express card that the subway uses, so we just swiped to get on. Although, the bus is slightly more expensive, the subway is 900 won and the bus is 1,000 won, which is only about 78 and 86 cents, respectively.

We got off at the Insadong stop which was only two stops away from the Blue House, which is the South Korean President's residence. Insadong was very cool. The entire main street was all vendors, crafts, traditional restaurants, and antique shops. It was fun to look at everything and Rosie and I definitely plan on returning to do some gift shopping. We stopped at this one stand that was making a traditional Korean dessert. The guys at the stand did this entire demonstration where they showed us how to make it and even poked some fun at us Americans! The dessert was made of honey wax which they sculpted and molded into a very thin, almost stringy shell, and then filled with almond paste, and others with a peanut paste. When they transformed the hard wax into the soft dessert, they exclaimed, "Since you're American this is where you'll say OH MY GAWD, JESUS CHRIST, WOWWW!" We all couldn't help but laugh, it was so funny. Professor Chun bought a pack of the delicious honey dessert and we all shared it.

We then took a taxi to the next site that Professor Chun wanted us to see, a traditional Korean temple in Insadong that is famous for its secret gardens. Unfortunately when we got there we realized it was closed in preparation for Chuseok. Professor said that he hopes we can return later on in the semester with the whole class. We then walked along the Cheonggyecheon Stream which is a big landmark in Seoul. The stream runs through the center of the city, beginning at the Blue House. Until 2005 the stream had been completely covered and paved over, and it wasn't until the mayor at the time, Lee Myung-bak decided to invest in a huge restoration project to uncover the stream. Professor Chun explained that it was a huge political gamble, but it turned out for the best because that particular mayor, Myung-bak, is now the President of South Korea! As I was reading about this project I came across an online blog which I found really interesting, also it has great pictures of the stream.
http://dianhasan.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/reinventing-the-urban-park-cheonggyecheon-stream-seoul/

We then walked around a bit more and we even got to see the old Seoul National University campus. The University has since moved to a different part of Seoul, but the SNU Medical Center still remains in that area so it was neat to see that. I have to say though, it does not even compare to Yonsei University's Medical Center, which appears to be way bigger and much more modern.

We then traveled back into the heart of Insadong, back to the marketplace and Professor Chun picked out a lovely Korean restaurant. After walking for so long we were all happy to sit down. Professor Chun asked Rosie and me what we liked and went ahead and ordered for us. He even asked if we wanted beer or Soju, but Rosie and I both declined. We all shared this big pot of Korean stew that cooks at your table. It was delicious! It had noodles, beef, radish, tofu, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and a few other items in it. Every time our bowls were only half-way empty, Professor Chun would put more stew in our bowls! We certainly didn't go hungry, we left stuffed and extremely satisfied! Our professor treated us to dinner, which was extremely generous. During dinner we had great conversations and we got to learn so much about each other. Professor Chun is Korean born but left Korea in 1967 to go to university in the States, and he hasn't been back since. He's taught in Germany, Italy, and Kenya, and a few other locations, and he has also visited Israel multiple times. He even told us that he believes Kenya makes the best beer in the world! He was offered this position at Yonsei University and thought it'd be a great experience to come back to Korea for a few months. Most visiting professors stay for at least a year, but Professor Chun is only staying for one semester because he has a wife and daughter at home in Kansas. His daughter is a sophomore in high school.

After dinner we got back on the bus and headed back to campus. It was a really special day for many reasons. It was so nice that Professor Chun took us out, but also we got to learn so much about his life and he got to learn so much about Rosie and me.
Here's a picture of Rosie and me standing in the stream and the other is of me and Professor Chun.

Valerie

Curious to know more about my roommate? Me too! Here's a little bit about Valerie Wan.

J: Where are you originally from?
V: Singapore, Singapore

J: How old are you?
V: 25

J: What has your education consisted of thus far?
V: I attended secondary school and junior college in Singapore, then I attended college at the National University of Singapore. I attended University of California San Diego and graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology.

J: Why did you choose to study at Yonsei University?
V: POSCO (Pohang Iron and Steel Company) offered me a scholarship at Yonsei to complete my master's degree in international studies.

J: What part of living in Korea are you most excited or nervous about?
V: Well I'm afraid that I'll turn into an ahjumma. (Ahjumma is a Korean word that refers to the grumpy, old Korean ladies who yell at people on the streets) But in all seriousness, I'm really looking forward to learning the Korean language.

J: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
V: Call me then, and I'll let you know!

J: If someone told you ahead of time that you'd be living with a 20 year old from the U.S., what would you think/what comes to mind?
V: Oh gosh! She's going to steal all my chocolate and stay out really late!

My Classes

Yesterday was the first day of classes at Yonsei! It was a really exciting day; campus was the busiest I've ever seen it and you could tell that all the Korean students were happy to be back. The first class I had was Theory and Practice of Sports Medicine. I walked in and soon realized that I am the only white person in the class. Boy, do I stand out! The class was interesting though and the professor was very nice. His name is Dr, Justin Jeon and he's spent the last few years in the States studying the effects of exercise on cancer, cardiovascular, and diabetes patients. He studied for two years at Harvard Med, and what's really cool is that he spent some time developing an electro-stimulant rowing machine. Electro-stimulation is administered to athletes (we use it at school and I've received it on my back) to relieve muscle pain. Professor Jeon said that he's happy I'm taking his class, but he understands that being the only exchange student can be really intimidating.

Before my next class, I met Rosie, Felix, and Kia for lunch in the Student Union cafeteria. I had a rice bowl with some cabbage, a fried egg and some sort of teriyaki sauce. My next class was Religion and Culture 2: Christianity and The West. I have to take a class on Christianity for my Religious Studies major, and so I decided it'd be interesting to take it while I'm here since unlike the U.S., Christianity is only one of the major religions (accompanied by Buddhism and Confucianism) in Korea. The professor is Korean-born but she grew up in Argentina and studied in Italy. She's now back in Korea as a visiting professor. The class seems interesting for sure but I'm going to have to listen very carefully because her English is not perfect.

I then went straight to the next class, which I was not able to get into initially because it filled up so quickly. The professor told me it was fine if I take the class anyways and he signed Rosie and me in. This class is actually the pre-requisite to Religion and Culture 2, it's Religion and Culture 1: The East. The professor's name is Dr. Young-Ho Chun and he seems really cool; he reminds me a lot of Professor Dobkowski who is one of my favorite professors at HWS. Professor Chun is also a visiting professor this semester, and he teaches at the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. He has to go to a conference in Germany in October so he canceled a couple of classes, but me and Rosie are certainly not complaining!

The last class of the day was Imaginative Writing. I went to it anyways, even though I was pretty sure I was going to drop it since I was able to get into R and C 1. I think I made a good decision. The class doesn't seem nearly as much fun as I was hoping it'd be and I just didn't "gel" with the professor.

Today I had Religion and Culture 2 at noon and then I met Rosie for lunch at Cafe Kkini which is the restaurant in our dorm. We both had the Singapore chicken noodle dish. So delicious! My final class is Science of Nutrition and I had that this afternoon. The professor's name is Sooyong Park and she seems really easy-going. The class is largely made up of exchange students so I think she recognizes that we're in a different mind-set than that of Korean students. She was the only professor that I had that provided office hours for the students. I learned that professors don't typically post office hours here like they do in the U.S., but rather you're supposed to make an appointment with a professor on your own if need be.

So that's a wrap for my classes! I didn't get much sleep last night because Seoul was hit with a typhoon! We knew it was coming at some point but I was still alarmed when I woke up in the middle of the night. The wind was whistling and howling so incredibly loud that it sounded like someone was pounding on our sliding door! I got out of bed a few times to watch the storm from our window and it just looked like a flurry of green! The leaves were swirling everywhere so fast that you could hardly see anything else. Today campus workers have been very quick getting all of the brush cleared from the sidewalks and roads. I think it's pretty cool that I witnessed my first Typhoon!

Blue Knights

The Blue Knights is Yonsei University's official cheering group. Costumes and all! Tonight all the exchange students gathered in the Centennial Hall (academic building with large auditorium in the center) and learned all the YU cheers. Cheering is a big deal at YU as well as at Korea University. KU is YU's biggest rival. Each year they play each other in a variety of sports. September 9th and 10th is the kick-off for this semester's athletic competitions. The event is referred to as Yon-Ko Jeon, which roughly translates to Yonsei-Korea games. There will be a baseball game, soccer game, and I believe a tennis match as well. The Blue Knights are in charge of choreographing all the University's cheers and teaching them to all the students. At YU they take cheering really seriously and the Blue Knights put a lot of time and effort into choreographing the cheers.

The Mentor's Club, which is the exchange student club on campus hosted the event tonight where we all learned the cheers and then went out for dinner and drinks afterwards. We went to a German-style pub called Heidelberg Haus, only a few blocks from campus, and had sausage, fries, chicken tempura, and quite a bit of beer. Not exactly traditional Korean food, but it was a nice change of pace. It was also nice socializing with all the mentors. Although I haven't been assigned a mentor yet (I will be soon, they're recruiting additional mentors since there were more exchange students this year than expected) it was still fun to talk to the members of the club and learn more about campus life at Yonsei.

Pictures of my room!

Strawberry!

I'm here! I arrived at the Incheon Airport Sunday evening and since then I've been getting settled in, meeting new people and most of all, exploring the city! The city is beautiful, it's extremely big, way bigger than New York City. The area of the city that the University is located in is called Sinchon (similar concept to the different boroughs of NYC).

My first meal out was in Sinchon, just two blocks from my dorm, which is named the SK Global House. Monday morning, although still jet-lagged, I managed to wake up and meet some friends in the lobby of my dorm for a morning meal. The reason I call it a morning meal is that in Korea there is very little concept of distinct mealtimes, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner in the U.S. Koreans simply eat what they want when they want. In the lobby I met my friends Rosie and Jim and a few other international students. Rosie also goes to HWS with me, and Jim and I became friends on facebook before we met, he is from Rochester, NY. The other people I met were Axel and Andreas, two guys from Sweden, Felix from Germany, Aliana from France, Kia from San Francisco, and Jumee from Seattle. We ventured off campus and after only a couple of blocks we found a small restaurant called Strawberry. (Which is clearly a sign because strawberries are my favorite fruit!)

We were all starving since most of us hadn't eaten since the plane so we ordered right away. The wait staff did not speak English so we ordered by pointing to the pictures of what we wanted in the menu. I ordered a rice bowl with cabbage, garlic, rice cake, wasabi, and a few other unidentified objects, with a scrambled egg on top. It was delicious, but strange eating such a meal around breakfast time. The whole meal was 3,000 won which is about $3. Some others ordered raman noodles, dumplings, and a rice patty dish. We ended up swapping meals at the end so that we could all try everything.

Another great thing about Korea is that tipping is not customary, and also you are not taxed on food or clothing. Afterwards we walked back to the SK Global House and attacked our next order of business, registering for our alien registration card. So that's a wrap for my first official in-Seoul post! Stay tuned for an upcoming bio on my roommate from Singapore!