For example, in the fall I got to put on my chef apron and help make kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) during the Kimchi Making Festival. Thousands of volunteers came together and spent all day making LOTS of kimchi to be donated to orphanages and elderly citizens. Kimchi is a side dish that seems to go with everything! You will find it served with most dishes in Korean restaurants. It is one of my favorite things to eat! The festival was a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun.
I came here to study at a university. I live in the dorms and my life mainly revolves around school. The other program that was very helpful when I first got here was KUBA — Korea University Buddy Assistant. KUBA is the largest club at my university. Together with our buddies, we went out to eat every Thursday night, and on weekends they would take us to fun places like ice skating rinks or amusement parks. It was a great way to make friends with both the Korean students and other foreign students while we got to know the area. It was a lot of fun and I’m so thankful I had a KUBA group to show me around.
Exploring Seoul with my new friends was the best part about settling into my community. I think if I had to do it all alone, I would have been too scared to go exploring as much. So if you find yourself in a new place, don’t be afraid to say hello and make new friends! They are probably just as nervous as you are!
