Hi I am Belinda Serwaa. I will participate in a four-week study abroad experience as part of the Global May KOREAN 2797 course for my STEP project, which will take place between May 6 and June 4. During the four weeks of this program, I will travel to other cities like Suwon, Ulsan, Gyeongju, and Busan in addition to Seoul, South Korea. I will have the chance to travel to a new country and learn about its language and culture through this program. I can draw comparisons between the culture of South Korea, my home country(Ghana), and the United States. I observe as a foreign student. This will be helpful to me as I consider moving abroad after completing my education.
It is always a good idea to research the potential positive and negative aspects of a destination before traveling to a new country. In your case, you found that there were many positive aspects to the country you were visiting, such as safety, cheap transportation, cheap food, great scenery, cheap services like massage and nail care, and cheaper/great skincare. However, you also found some negative aspects, such as girls being stared at, places refusing some services like using fitting rooms, and during rush hour the transportation being extremely crowded, which made you very uncomfortable.
It is important to be aware of both the positive and negative aspects of a destination before traveling so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to visit. If you are aware of the potential negative aspects, you can be prepared for them and take steps to avoid them or minimize their impact on your trip. For example, if you know that girls are often stared at in a particular country, you can dress more conservatively or avoid traveling alone. If you know that transportation can be crowded during rush hour, you can try to avoid traveling during those times. By being aware of the potential positive and negative aspects of a destination, you can make the most of your trip and have a safe and enjoyable experience.
Ohio could make several changes to improve the environment. One change would be to implement a better transportation system for the people. This could include more public transportation options, such as buses and trains, as well as more bike lanes and sidewalks. This would help to reduce the number of cars on the road, which would lower air pollution. Another change Ohio could make is to implement a landfill system similar to Korea’s. Korea has a system called an ecological park, which is a landfill that is designed to be environmentally friendly. The landfill is covered with soil and plants, and it is used as a park for people to enjoy. This system helps to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills, and it also provides a place for people to enjoy nature.
In addition to these changes, Ohio could also do more to promote recycling and composting. This would help to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills, and it would also help to conserve natural resources. Ohio could also do more to educate its citizens about the importance of protecting the environment. This could include teaching children about recycling and composting in schools, and it could also include providing information about environmental issues to adults.
An event that will stick with me will be when myself and a couple of my friends went shopping after our classes. We went to the clothing store, we picked some clothes and asked to use their fitting room. The store personnel told my friend and I that we would fit in their clothes and wouldn’t let us try them on. I am not sure why but I shop for myself and I know what will fit and what won’t fit. We left the store out of discomfort and anger being told I was fat. In the same area we went to another clothing store because I desperately needed some bottom for the next day because I wouldn’t give time to do my laundry. My friends and I picked some clothes and asked the personnel if we would use the fitting rooms because we knew there were fitting from the sign. The personnel said they didn’t have a fitting, as we left to put back some of the clothes we were somewhat sure wouldn’t fit or didn’t like seeing people coming out of the fitting rooms. This was one day out of many great wonderful days which I will cherish.
You had a great time in South Korea! You made a Korean friend, visited a host family, and met one of the program directors who lives there. You plan to contact them again when you visit South Korea again. You also went to an aquarium with your friends and met a random person who was from Ohio and had moved away a while ago. Her parents went to Ohio State University, which was an amazing coincidence. You finished touring the aquarium with her and took a picture of you all with the letters “OHIO” spelled out in front of you, which she loved.
This trip was significant to me because if I put my mind on something I can do it, I manifest this trip for years and was incredibly amazing/thankful. I thought I wouldn’t be able to travel by myself but I did it and was very happy that I was becoming my own person and independent. I will be moving forward with researching to live aboard in Ireland or Iceland in the near future. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see how Korean dental practices worked but I will do research for those two countries and pick the best option for me.
I am once again grateful for the opportunity to go to South Korea. I would not change a thing, except maybe eating more Korean BBQ. The trip showed me that I can be independent and become an adult. I am now ready to move out and start my own life, but the economy is making it difficult. Thank you!
