Stepping into Ewha Womans University again, I feel very familiar and comfortable. Maybe because I am a part of it. When walking in the campus and seeing the confused and nervous freshmen, they remind me that my first semester was also the same. As a foreigner, it made me so frustrated and confused. Although there was no problem of communication, I still felt fear at that time. Didn’t know how to recognize the class building, didn’t know where the shuttle bus stop and didn't know how to withdraw or save the money in ATM.
By good fortune, I made my first Korean friend who is my roommate called Jin-yong. She helped me to solve all the problem and introduced me to join in an association called EKLES, which is helping international students to speak and practice Korean and also can experience the local activities. Joining the club, I have made lots of friends who came from different countries. In my group, there are Mongolian, French and me.
M y n e w K o r e a n f r i e n d , as mentor, she was nice and enthusiasm. She briefly introduced Ewha for me and talked about herself a lot. When I talked about myself in Korean, she would correct me how to say it right in grammar and taught me currently how the young people said. For in return, she wanted me to teach her Chinese by the way. It was good for me as a foreigner to improve my oral Korean and also was great for cultural exchange.
In EKLES, there were three activities that impressed me. First of all, it was making Kimbap. As a foreigner, I have only eaten the Kimbap but not made them. My mentor told me not be afraid to do it because it was so easy to make and showed me how to do it. Although, it didn’t look good it tasted so delicious and my friends said I have talent in cooking. Secondly, we went to Deoksugung Palace. On the way, I saw the trees on sides were decorated by wearing clothes. It was colorful and adorable. In the Deok-sugung Palace, my mentor told me some history about Korea, which was when the palace was built, who had lived in it and what fun things had happened. I learnt lots of history of Korea from her and let me know more about Korea. Last but not lease, we went to the Hangang River and ate the chicken on the lawn which also was my favorite activity. While we were taking the bus, she introduced the Seoul scenery along the way. After arrived, I was setting on the lawn and chatting with my friends. Also, we have played some Korean games. But the most impressive me was the sun set which was the most beautiful sun set I have never seen before. It reflected in the river and made the whole world be golden and I would never forget it. There were too many activities to tell you in detail. However, the activity was once a week in an hour. It was short but every time I would enjoy it and make it unforgettable.
As graduated sophomore, I would like to tell you that it is unnecessary to be frustrated and nervous. The people in Ewha are all kind and patient. They would love to help you until the problem solves. So, enjoy yourselves in Ewha every day, it will be your most unforgettable and valuable experience in your life. Just as the sentence printed on the school uniform: Where change begins. Ewha Womans University is the place that makes you better.