Stephen Wulff ETA :: 2006-2007 Gumi Shinpyeong Middle School
I
n 2006, my life as an ETA was like the Beatles song “A Day in the Life,” which I believe goes something like this: Woke up, fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head Found my way to the kitchen and ate kimchi, And looking up, I noticed I was late Found my coat and grabbed my hat Made the Gumi bus in seconds flat…
Each morning, when I arrived at Shinpyeong Middle School—a public school in Gumi, the industrial hub of Korea—my fan club of hyperactive middle school students greeted me with handshakes and high-fives, as they played soccer in the sandy courtyard before classes started. (That year alone, I must have shaken more hands than former President Clinton has shaken in his lifetime, which may explain the carpal tunnel syndrome forming in my right hand. But it doesn’t bother me. When you’re a cultural ambassador, that’s the price you pay to promote cultural understanding, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!).
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| Fulbright ETA Program 20 years in Korea
