Leaving on a Jet plane

It's been a hectic week. I finished summer semester on August 13th and since then I've been preparing for my departure and tying all loose ends back in Canada.
I am currently alone waiting at the airport. Honestly, I don't think the idea of me being in a foreign country all by myself for the next 5 months has even hit me yet. My mom, Julie and Dai dropped me off at the airport. I really tried to hold back the tears but that was a #fail.

While I finished my last goodbye phone call I realize that I am scared, anxious, nervous... but I keeping trying to remind myself that I am following my dreams and goals. Regardless of all the negative emotions I may feel prior to being in Korea deep down I know that I want this with all my heart. I knew this the moment I truly thought my plans to Korea would be cancelled at the Korean Consulate when I had issues with my visa. When I thought I wasn't able to apply for a student visa I cried so hard. My world felt like it was crashing down and I never realized how bad I really wanted this. Although discouraged at first, I didn't give up and I (and my amazing family) did everything I/we could do to continue this trip. So whenever I have second thoughts about Korea I just think of that time when it was almost taken away from me and how much I wanted it.
So this is my suggestion for you guys:

Keep searching, be curious, build your own opinions and then question them, open your mind to the things you thought you didn't like or that your scared of, speak up, work passionately, and never stop loving and smiling ..

PS: I had a going away party this weekend at my friend's house. Many of my close friends attended and we had a great night! Here are some pictures. LoVe my family and friends always and forever, it's not goodbye its see you later <3

The Point of No Return

Un-yung-ha-say-YO!

So I fell off the blog-wagon for the last little bit. I've just been incredibly busy with blah blah. However, there is some a lot of good news I would like to update on.

I must admit that I can be quite the procrastinator when I know I have time to get things done. That is, until I realize I only have just over a month to get my act together. I really needed to have several of these errands done in order to officially be able to attend Yonsei University in the fall.

- - -

1) Apply for my Visa: PENDING

Unfortunately, this is the only thing pending on my list. On Thursday, July 14 I am heading downtown to the Korean Embassy to apply for my D-2 visa. I will apply for an open-entrance visa so that I can leave and enter the country on several occasions. This is due to the fact that I plan to travel a lot. 

Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand . . . 

Finally I have all my paperwork ready. This includes: a bank statement with $10 000 USD or more, visa pictures, passport original and photocopy, $80.00 cash, completed application form, flight itinerary, admission letter to Yonsei University, SFU transcript. 

The visa should take about a week to process. 

2) Purchase a flight ticket: CHECK

Because I was so busy lazy, I asked my dad to call a Korean flight centre to check up on flight tickets for me. He has always been the hard-working, get-er-done, proud-korean type so naturally I knew I could depend on him to be more than excited and find the best possible ticket deal. 

Note, it is super helpful to go to a Korean Flight Centre when purchasing tickets to Korea. Employees speak both English and Korean; as well as, they seem to know the best deals and communicate very efficiently. 

There is a current promotion going on for $1290.00 tax incl., Korean Air, round trip, direct flight, and open-ended. Open-ended flight means that I can decide to change the date of my return flight whenever I please as long as it is within the next 6 months of my departure. My flight will be departing YVR on August 22 so that I can arrive August 23, the day of dormitory check in. As I do not have my Visa yet, they were able to hold my seat for 2weeks.


Note, it's cheaper to leave after August 20 because that is when high season ends.

4) Apply for IYC Airport buddy pick-up: CHECK

IYC airport buddy pick-up program is a great way for exchange students to meet local students and get to Yonsei University safely. IYC is a student club at Yonsei University that links local and exchange students together. The program is meant to help exchange students settle in. 

Two local Korean students will be waiting for me when I arrive at Incheon Intl. Airport with great big "Michelle" signs.

5) Get accepted into SK Global House (Yonsei University's Intl. Exchange dormitory): CHECK

I applied for housing a couple of months ago. Yonsei University has two dormitories for exchange students. I-House and SK Global House. SK Global House is the newer, "nicer" dormitory, so I applied there.

I applied to stay in a room with two beds, meaning I will have a room mate. I know its a big change from my life right now. Living on my own for the past 5 years has allowed to me to have my own space and to do things according to my rules. Living with a complete stranger from another part of the world will be quite the experience. However, I thought this would be the best way to make friends! 


Also, the price is significantly lower at 1 587 000 Won for twin bedroom compared to 2 394 000 Won for single bedroom (1000 won is apprx. 1 dollar).

Source: http://ih.yonsei.ac.kr/?code=0201

I am so thrilled to announce I have been accepted to SK Global House. All I can say is... I hope I like my room mate and I hope she likes me!

6) Wait for my acceptance in the Morning Korean Language Course: CHECK

As mentioned in early blog posts, learning Korean is the absolute most important goal on my Korean bucket list.

The Morning Korean Language Course is very intensive. It involves learning Korean from Monday-Friday from 9AM-1PM. It is equivelant to 6 credits (2 courses). In addition, they only accept 50 students per semester. 

I am pleased to announce I have been accepted into this program! I cannot wait to be transformed into a real life Korean. 

- - -

So this is my update... I am at the point of no return and I can safely say... KOREA HERE I COME!!!

xoxo,

Michelle

Kimchi

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Have you ever paused to think about how repetitive, or typical your life has become? This is a thought that has been hovering in my mind for a while. What bothers me more is how comfortable I am with the constant repetition of my daily routine. 

I read somewhere that we are so conditioned to automatically running patterns, that coming up with new ideas and approaches to things may be too much effort to even bother. It's easier to stick with what we comfortable with, then actually make a conscious effort to "interrupt" those patterns.

I realize that too often I eat the same foods, have the same conversations or find myself hanging out at the same local venues. Don't get me wrong. I love the faces I am so fortunate to see everyday and the amazing opportunities this city and country offer, but there is a tiny part of me screaming for new challenges and expectations. I know Seoul will provide just that.

The moment I say goodbye to my loved ones at YVR and walk onto that +15 hour flight, is the moment I'm all on my own, regardless if I then realize I really want to be or not. I am excited, happy but also scared. I can't help but constantly wonder how I will feel in Korea. Will I love it, hate it? Did I just commit myself into 4 months of loneliness and regret or will it be the best experience of me life?

Ultimately, I hope my experience in Korea and travelling to neighbouring countries will really help me appreciate my life in Vancouver. Too often I think I take it for granted. But most of all I hope it will help me look at the world with a new perspective and passion for life.


xoxo,


Michelle
Kimchi

Why Yonsei University?

The prospect of earning a spot in SFU's international exchange program can be very exciting yet daunting at times. The most challenging part for me was having to decide which university to attend--although coordinating and submitting all the required documents was quite the pain as well.

I knew I would be attending one of the SKY universities. For those of you who don't know, SKY refers to Korea's top universities: Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Ultimately, I chose Yonsei University because of its internationalized academics, dynamic social life and close proximity to Seoul's entertainment districts.

Yonsei University offers an intensive Morning Korean Language Course where I will have the opportunity to study Korean from Monday-Friday, 4-hours a day for 10 weeks. There is no way I will come back less than fluent in Korean after this course.  In addition, Yonsei University offers a multitude of courses taught in English that I can transfer back to SFU. These courses are open to local and exchange students.

I am confident that I will build amazing, life-long networks because local and exchange students are encouraged to interact with one another via courses, student clubs, outings and buddy programs. As I tend to get homesick easily, it is essential for me to make solid friendships to share the Korean experience with.

With my new friends I will be able to experience contemporary Korean culture by visiting Seoul's entertainment districts. Yonsei's students have no trouble visiting Seoul's entertainment district because Yonsei University is situated in the heart of Seoul which is Shinchon, Hongdae and Edae. These three areas are filled with restaurants, shopping, clubs, lounges, spas you name it!

Talking about it makes me excited and I can't wait to experience it all but not without a student visa.  Next week I will be applying for a student visa and a traveling visa that will allow me into neighbouring countries.

xoxo,

Michelle
Kimchi

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