STUDENT LIFE_JACKSONIAN_7
Tyeisha Walton, senior business administration major Busan, South Korea, July 20, 2011
I
t has been two weeks since my arrival in Busan, South Korea, and I must say that I love it. I will be living in Busan for three weeks as a member of the Pukyong National University’s Cultural Exchange Program. Since meeting my student partner at the airport, Korea and its people have been very welcoming in every aspect. This is my second international experience after China, and there was still a question about if the initial experience would be the same. Although I had traveled to the Far East before, I still wondered whether I’d have culture shock, whether I’d like the people and they’d like me, and whether I’d like the food. Since I’ve arrived I love it. I live on the 16th floor of the new student dormitory. I have a balcony with an immediate view of the famous Gwangan Bridge, right off the Haeudae Beach. My view each morning is absolutely stunning. Although the campus is very large, I am quickly getting used to where all of the buildings are. Because Korea has so many mountains and hills, Pukyong University is famous because its foundation is so flat. My time here as been quite enjoyable so far, and I look forward to more great things to come.
Nicholas Hinton, junior computer science major Xi’an, China, July 26, 2011
T
his is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of, going to another country where you can get to know the culture first-hand and learn the foreign language in a totally immersed environment. As the saying goes, “If a person wants to learn 3,000 years of Chinese culture, he should visit Beijing; to learn 5,000 years of Chinese culture, he should visit Xi’an.” The culture here in Xi’an is overwhelmingly rich, and the people are very friendly. I’ve met a lot of Chinese people who I can actually call my friends. I was homesick for an entire weekend, but soon as Monday came, I was in the mode for learning. Our teachers, Miss Wu and Miss Shi, are graduate students who major in teaching foreigners Chinese, and they are very dedicated to teaching us. The Great Mosque of Xi’an. Photo credit: Blazej Mrozinski/flickr Creative Commons