4 YEARS KOREA!

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4년 동안 한국에서 살아온 벨기에 학생 한명의 생활 업데이트

한국에서 산지 벌써 4년 됐구나라는 생각이 있어서 갑자기 블로그에 한 글을 더 올리고 싶었다! 

시간이 이렇게 빨리 지난 줄 진짜 몰랐다. 다시 생각해 보면 그 동안 나쁜 기억보다 좋은 기억과 경험들을 훨씬 더 많이 쌓았다. 처음에 한국으로 왔을 땐 한국어 한마디도 못했고 친구들이 한명도 없었는데 지금은 가족으로 여기는 친구들이 몇명 생겨서 고마운 마음으로 살고 있다. 

내 한국 생활의 첫해는 다른 정부장학생들과 같이 어학당 다녔을 때도 롤플레이 하면서 좋은 선생님 덕분에 한국어를 많이 배웠다. 지금 내 한국 실력이 아직도 많이 부족하기는 하지만 일상생활에 충분한 것 같고 그럭저럭 편하게 살아갈 수 있다.  어학당을  같이 다녔던 시간 또한 이미 귀국했던 어학당 친구들을 많이 그리워해서 앞으로 다시 마주칠 수 있길 바란다.

대학원에 입학했다가 진짜 악몽이나 지옥에 깊이 바찐 줄 알았다. 강의를 잘 알아듣기 위해 노력했더라도 교수님과 다른 학생들이 무슨 말씀인지 무엇에 대해 말씀하셨는지 모든 것을 다 이해못했기 때문에 갈수록 점점 더 절망해벼렸다. 포기해 야할 마음 뿐만 아니라 가족을 그리워했기 때문에 귀국하고 싶었다. 하지만 포기함을 허락하지 않은 좋은 친구들 덕분에 와신상담하며서 수료했을 때까지 계속 공부할 수 있었다.

지금은 수료한지 벌써 1년 넘게 되었으며 논문만 남았다. 논문을 빨리 마무리하려고 하는데 쉬운 일 아닌 것 같아서 조금 더 많이 걸릴 수도 있지만... 이미 끝까지 가기로 했으니까 끝까지 지켜봐야겠죠!

4년 동안 지원해 주신 가족과 친구들께 감사의 빚을 지고 있습니다! 진심으로 감사합니다! 그 동안 고마웠습니다! 사랑합니다! ^^ ♡

우와 이 글쓰기를 썼다보니까 내 능력이 진짜 많이 부족하네... 하고 싶은 말이 다 머릿속에 있거든... 왜 안나오지... 한국 문법 어렵다고... 싫다고 ㅜㅜ 언어를 배우려하는 사람들 힘내세요!... 저도 공감이요!ㅋㅋㅋ ^^

KIMCHILAND UPDATE!

I've been living in Korea for over four years now! So, I was thinking to write on my blog once again after a long period of silence.

I can't even believe that four years have already passed by! Fortunately, I'm not (yet) brainwashed into believing that Kimchi is the best thing in the world! However, when it's not there I do feel there's something missing with the food! Haha! ;) Looking back, I would say that the good experiences and memories certainly outshine the bitter ones!

My first year in Korea was fun! I totally enjoyed going to language school, while doing silly role plays and studying Korean together with my fellow KGSP friends. Thanks to really wonderful teachers (이정화 선생님 deserves a special mention here!) we were able to spend an amazing year at SNU's Korean Language Institute. Although many students hated the Korean classes -especially those who didn't need Korean for their academic pursuits- after entering the real world aka SNU college, we can all agree that our time studying Korean together was really a period without many worries, allowing us to grow together while discovering all the good things about Korea! With my Korean abilities now I can get by in daily life situations but they are still very lacking. I really need to work on my Korean academic writing too! Got "only" my thesis left now. Slightly panicking right now! Haha. :D

After entering grad school, I thought I had ended up in a really bad nightmare I was desperately trying to wake up from, or even some kind of hell... I couldn't understand what the professors or the students were talking about during the classes. What I had learned in language school was helpful to overcome our challenges in every day life, but it was far from sufficient to enter college and not even close enough to barely survive Korean academics! On top of that, it was very hard to make friends in my department. Especially, since there weren't many other foreigners whom I could relate to. I felt like an island surrounded by Korean geniuses. Still, college life is nothing without good friends, so I tried to make Korean friends within the department but it didn't go as smooth as I wanted to. I'm thankful for not only my seniors and few good friends I was able to make in our department, but also my other friends who knew about the struggles of SNU life! They all took care of me and helped me to live through this Korean academic challenge (and also that horrible thesis exam, for which I studied six whole months!... Belgian students can't even imagine, right?!)!

Nowadays there are many foreigners coming to our department, so the atmosphere has changed for the better. The assistants in charge of our major's students affairs also have helped a great deal in making life easier for both Korean as well as foreign students! 

Right now I'm tutoring English as a part time job and I'm also teaching about Belgium in kindergarten and schools five times a month. In the beginning I felt really shy when having to speak Korean in front of other people, but after going to schools regularly I don't really care that much anymore, haha! Not sure if that is a good thing, though... ;)

And... Oh yes, also thank you, KakaoTalk, for existing! My life in Korea, and perhaps to a greater extend all our lives in Korea, would be totally miserable and boring without! :D

I'm also thankful to have met nice people along the way, especially when we went to Batam to do volunteer work. During those ten days we got so close and made friendship bonds we will be able to cherish for the rest of our lives! Although SNU can feel like a hell at times, it's still a great place to meet new people from all sorts of backgrounds!

To all those people, family and friends, who have supported me in any way possible during the past four years, I'd like to express an heartfelt thank you. THANK YOU SO MUCH! ♡

I still can't believe I was only 23 when first arriving here, and now I'm already 27 going on thirsty... I mean 30!