Before this experience, I can’t say that I knew much about Seoul or Korea at all. I had a friend who lived here for a few years as an English teacher and a few Korean acquaintances from whom I grasped bits and pieces of what it was like. Most of my knowledge actually came from my time as an academic coach for long-term English learners with AmeriCorps at middle school in Minneapolis, MN. Because it was the 2020-2021 academic year, most of the year was spent online over Google Meets, where I supported long-term English learners throughout their school days and assisted in their daily English classes.
A few of my students stayed after class one day to ask me if I would be their moderator for the new K-Club they wanted to start. The club was basically a dedicated hour each week to gush over J-Hope’s new haircut and breakdown episodes of Itaewon Class or analyze new idols. Eventually, it morphed into in-depth presentations for me to learn EVERYTHING they thought I should know about BTS (from their blood type to their most iconic interview moments) and giving me a never-ending list of the K-dramas I NEEDED to watch. I have an endless supply of silly anecdotes from that, but their infectious laughter and genuine curiosity about Korea has stayed with me since. Here was this group of five to seven girls, none of whom were Korean themselves, who were so curious to learn about a new culture any way they could and were elated to share that with others.
So, in case they somehow happen to be reading this, I wanted to include what I’ve learned, beyond BTS and K-dramas, about living in Korea for almost three months.
This summer challenged me in many new and unexpected ways. It has felt weird and isolating not being able to understand much of what is happening around me, and I honestly still struggle to say hello. Someone please let me know if there is a language whose “hello” is somehow even longer than the four syllable mouthful that is “annyeonghaseyo.” After two weeks of attempting to greet the security guard at the front desk every morning, he finally lit up and told me, “Beautiful!” with two thumbs up after I apparently FINALLY said it correctly. Now that I’ve finally got that one word down, I’m still trying my best to learn a few helpful phrases and am extremely grateful for advanced translation apps.
The last time I lived abroad, I felt very confident in the language and never really felt like it was too much of a barrier between me and my colleagues, but this summer has been much different. While I feel incredibly lucky that most people can understand and speak English, it isn’t the same and still very limiting for social interactions.
I have felt much more embarrassed, humbled, and reminded once again how important language is to truly experience a place and get to know people. While language learning in US schools is generally on a decline, Korean is one of the only languages across US high school and higher education institutions that is showing growth across course enrollments.
With the development of sophisticated AI translation technology, many passionate language teachers and learners (like myself) worry that there will eventually be no need to learn other languages (especially for native English speakers), but this summer has once again reiterated to me how powerful language is and the doors —and most of all genuine connections—it can unlock. I can’t help but shout out my favorite organization, Concordia Language Villages, who inspires courageous global citizens through language immersion summer camps. To me, supporting language learning should be a crucial piece of GCED—and not just ENGLISH learning! It was also a good reminder of the importance of compassion, patience, and empathy for others—language learning is difficult!
If you look at almost any travel guide to Seoul and Korea, you will often hear how amazing the cherry blossoms are in the spring, how the foliage in the fall is unbelievably stunning, and how cozy the heated floors are with the snow in the winter. And what about the summer? The summer is extremely hot, humid, and rainy. We wouldn’t recommend it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to choose what time of year I am here, so I had to make the best of walking through what feels like a sauna at all hours of the day. Surprisingly, there is actually so much I have come to love about the summer, so I am re-writing the narrative that you should avoid the summer in Seoul! Once you embrace carrying a mini electric fan and an umbrella (to block UV and for any sudden onsets of torrential rain) at all times, here are things that in theory you can enjoy year round, but I’m guessing aren’t as good when you aren’t minutes away from heat stroke:
- You can actually enjoy the beaches!
- Cold noodles
- Watermelon juice
- Bingsu (milk-based shaved ice)
Seoul is massive, seemingly never ending, and filled with interesting cafes and art around every corner. I feel like I’m constantly tripping on my feet or straying from whoever I’m walking with because I’m mesmerized by some cool artwork, sign, or storefront. Three months, while it seemed like a long time when I arrived, turned out to be barely enough time to see all the unique places that give Seoul its character.
When I asked my colleagues how to say, “How are you?” in Korean, they seemed a bit stumped and just responded that, “We don’t usually ask how you are. Instead, we ask if you have eaten. Bap meogeosseoyo? Have you eaten well?” So, just like our conversations every day after lunch when we exchange what we’ve eaten for lunch, I can confidently say that I have eaten well this summer. I’ve eaten more pork than perhaps my whole lifetime pooled together and my blood is made up of more coffee than water at this point. While the food has been delicious, in the end, my favorite part is getting to share the meal with my lovely colleagues and fellow interns, turned friends. I love that our hour and a half lunch break – much different from my normal bad habit of eating lunch at my desk in the US—allows me to explore new restaurants in the neighborhood and truly take a break from the workday.
I love how safe I feel here! I love the big umbrellas at the corners to escape the sun while waiting for the crosswalk. I love that restaurants have bibs available and wearing them isn’t embarrassing, and I love how truly convenient the convenient stores are!
I love how instead of asking if I had a good weekend or a fun night my colleagues will ask if I took some rest. I am so impressed by people’s abilities—across all ages—to sleep in so many environments—from a fully packed subway, to the park, to the office library, the jjimjilbang (Korean spa) floor, and wooden platforms across parks.
I adore how the subway is always busy but not necessarily always packed like a sardine can. On the weekends, I often notice groups of friends decked out in hiking gear headed toward the mountains, a few airport-bound folks rolling suitcases, amateur athletes with various sporting gear in tow (from badminton, to tennis, basketballs, and even croquet!), young people dressed up to go to a concert, parents carrying scooters for their tired toddlers, couples with extravagant picnic baskets headed for one of the many parks along the Han river, and yes, so many shopping bags from the most stylish and trendy stores. This mixture of people makes people-watching so fun, and my quality of life in many ways feels so much better here without needing a car thanks to the robust public transportation options.
Most of all, I am so lucky to have gotten to share this journey with my fellow GW student, Logan, and I will be eternally grateful for every colleague I have gotten to know. I have loved getting glimpses into Korean culture through stories of childhood, families, weekend trips, and funny stories from their university days. It is definitely a kind of warmth different than I have experienced elsewhere, but I have been consistently met with genuine kindness and generosity at work and by strangers.
Those little moments and relationships will be some of the most cherished memories of this experience, and what I will miss the most. While “Education for International Understanding” is in the name of the organization, I have also found it to be genuinely lived out in the smallest moments by each staff member and within each event, project, and material that is created. GCED at its core is about learning to live together –peacefully and with respect for diversity, and I am so happy I’ve gotten to live this experience together with some amazing, inspiring people.
Unfortunately, I have no idea where my previous K-Club girls have ended up now six years later, but I wish I could share this experience with them. Even more so, I hope they too will have the chance to explore the world that they’ve been curious about. And, I hope they would be proud of how I’ve made the most of this opportunity! They may have been one of my earliest examples of blossoming global citizens, so it feels so full circle in a way to now be here intentionally focusing on Global Citizenship Education and learning how various stakeholders (across policymakers, school leadership, NGOs, educators, adult educators, K-12 teachers, and researchers) are all trying to infuse GCED core values through non-formal and formal education settings and inspire collective participation. It also reminds me that I can never know when an experience may come back or build a foundation (no matter how small) for a future opportunity. I am so curious and excited to discover which of my many pieces of this experience may become particularly relevant in my future.
GCED involves “making the global local,” so I am looking forward to taking all that I’ve learned about GCED and Korea back with me. My experience this summer at APCEIU has solidified how important education is, how thankful I am for organizations such as UNESCO and APCEIU for doing this work, and that I know I’m on the right educational path for me and that I can continue working in transformative educational spaces that prioritize high-impact opportunities, experiential learning, and inter-cultural dialogue.
Ally Glasford is a current M.A. Candidate in the International Education Program at the George Washington University. Her interests include experiential learning in higher education and international exchange for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.