Why am I Seoul Searching?

TESTING... testing. Is anyone there? Well probably not. Anyways, I am very new to the world of blogging or even writing out my thoughts as writing isn't always my forte. BUT I thought as this is such a monumental moment in my life and something I have been looking forward to for so long I must keep record. Also, because I may be too busy will be too lazy to email everyone individually.

This will be the space for friends, family, peers and future exchange students to check up on the next six months of my travels to... drum roll please... Seoul, South Korea-- as if the title didn't give it away.

So, why Seoul, South Korea you ask? In short, I see the exchange as crucial to coalescing my past with my future.

As a third generation Canadian of Korean heritage, I am thoroughly Westernized. As many of you may know, I am unfamiliar with the Korean history, language and many aspects of contemporary Korean culture. You know when you should be embarrassed when your white or brown friends know more about k-pop, and the language more than you do. This has left me somewhat alienated from the Korean community here. For once, I'd like to order food in a Korean restaurant without having to speak English or watch k-dramas with English subtitles.

Growing up, I've built a powerful desire to find belonging in my Korean heritage. More significantly, it is my grandmother aka "hal-mu-nee"aka "harmony"-- my strongest link to Korea-- who crystallizes the importance to my heritage.My "harmony" is one of the most important individuals in my life. We have always been so close despite the wall of communication barriers we face. My "harmony"can only speak Korean and understand minimal English. I am the opposite. It is my life-long goal to share a long, intimate conversation with her without any confusion. Yonsei University's free 16-week Korean Language Course will help achieve this goal.

So there you have it, I will be studying and residing at Yonsei University from August-January via SFU's International Exchange program. Are you wondering why I went with Yonsei University rather than other respected universities in South Korea? Stay tuned...

xoxo,

Michelle, Kimchi