Pagina's

29 augustus 2002

Korea August 2002

Thursday August 29, 2002
Today I had my East Asian Civilization class, lectured by Professor Mark C. Monahan. It was very interesting, since it is about Chinese and Japanese dynasties and civilization. My other courses are:
- Confucianism, Liberalism, and Democracy
- Korean International Relations
- Comparative Asian Economies
- Beginning Korean Language

You can also take a Taekwondo or basketball course.
When talking with other (exchange) students, I realised that I am taking more courses than most other students. I am taking 18 credits this semester, others usually take around 15; even MBA students! A remarkable thing is most other students do either a 4-year BA or BSc programs. Additionally, many exchange students here are surprised that in our business school (IBS) it is compulsory to go abroad for one year.

I am lucky enough to stay at the dorm/International House. My roommate Xiaodong is from China. We have no curfew, broadband internet, airconditioning and a free laundry service here. The Millennium Hall - where classes are - is less than a 5 minutes walk. Even though there is no cafeteria close to the dorm, there are a few (cheap) restaurants nearby. Until now I feel at home, here in Korea. Probably that has to do with the co called honeymoon phase. I hope it will last for a long time!

Thursday August 8, 2002
The Mu-Ak (dormitory) is located in Sinchon, which is very close to downtown Seoul. Seoul has an excellent subway system, so it takes only a few minutes to go to the centre of Seoul. What do I do during the day? In the morning I have Korean language class, after that we usually go for lunch in Sinchon. In the evening I try to study as much as possible, since the KLI program can be rather tricky. Some students even study about five hours per day.

Wednesday August 7, 2002
The Yonsei University surroundings are very impressive. As soon as the rain stops to fall and the skies clear up I will make photos and put them online.


Monday August 5, 2002
My 3-week program (Korean language course) at the KLI begins. Today my roommate, Leo, arrived. He is a really cool guy who showed me around and told me important tips.

Sunday August 4, 2002
I have arrived at the Yonsei dormitory (Mu-Ak). Saturday I saw some of my uncles and my grandparents again after two years. It is still very difficult to communicate with my Korean family, especially because I was very tired after the 11-hour flight. My Korean uncle's family was very friendly (on the first evening two plates of Kalbi, a Korean meat dish), they even took me to Yonsei by car in the afternoon and only left after I finished having dinner in the basement of the dormitory. During dinner I met two other foreign students, one of them has a Dutch roommate. We met later, and he told me he is a Leiden student - learning Korean. The Mu-Ak dormitory is a temporary solution. I actually have broadband internet connection for my notebook and my own phone in the room (I can only receive calls). Well, in two or three weeks I will move to the new International House.

Friday August 2, 2002
Welcome and thank you for visiting my homepage. I am Jong Keun; International Business School (IBS) Groningen undergraduate - International Business and Management program, major marketing - from The Netherlands. I was born in Incheon, Korea. When you are reading this, I will have left for Korea to stay there for one year! For my program (junior year), I have to study one semester abroad and also do an internship of at least 5 months abroad. In order to keep contact with you, I have created this website. Feel free to take a look at the photos I have uploaded and to read my log.