Three Months in Seoul, Korea
Donation protected
4.NOV.2017
Hello Everyone!
Much has changed since my last update. The journey hasn’t ended. I’m happy to share the latest chapter.
Since first sharing this campaign, I successfully made my first trip to Korea for two weeks in November, 2015! The trip took a different form than I was expecting, but when all was said and done, it made me really happy nonetheless.
In 2015, I moved Norway for an opportunity an au pair. It was an unexpected adventure - Norway was not a destination I had seriously considered before, and yet I ended up there, with a lovely Bralizian/Norwegian family. experiencing life in Bergen, the second largest city in Norway. As an added perk, I had the opportunity to enroll in a language course as well. I hope that everyone received my letter in the post updating you about this part of my journey. You can also read it on my blog here.
In Korea, I met up with my Korean-American, or Gyopo friend, Susan, whom I met at work sometime in 2012. We traveled around Seoul, and Jeju Island together for two weeks. I met some of her friends and family, and we ate so much good food! I posted tons of photos to my social media accounts, and just had an all-around good time.
It's been almost exactly two years since I made my first trip, and finally, I am back! I write this post from my rented room in Daehakro, a theater district in Seoul. I returned to Seoul for my 25th birthday this past September to continue my dream. What I initially planned as a one month stay, has now become the 3 month trip I wanted from the beginning. Seven years in the making, and finally I'm here. It's the real deal! I’ve been posting on my Instagram accounts, and I hope to continue to have rich experiences that I can share in more detail on my blog. There have been a multitude of challenges and missteps from the beginning. It’s been tough. In some aspects that I expected, and others that caught me by surprise. Nonetheless, as my mother reminds me, I am in the midst of a dream come true, and I need to stay focused on the positives and push forward.
It’s not clear the next time I may find myself here in Korea for such a long stretch, and I want to take full advantage of being in this space, and use all of the inspiration that is around me, that has been fueling me all these years. There have been countless times where I felt that I should quit, and just let this dream go. Even since I’ve been here. At times, I’ve felt unwelcome in many places, and completely inadequate in navigating these foreign, culturally homogeneous spaces as an absolute minority. But at this stage, I can’t lose the resolve I’ve maintained all these years to make something like this possible for myself. I must keep pushing forward with my studies, and “get in where I fit in” within this culture that has fascinated me for my entire adult life.
Before leaving New York City, I took weekly lessons with a tutor, Yoonhee Roh, at the Korean Culture Center in Koreatown, Manhattan. I had the pleasure of seeing her here, in Seoul, last week when she came back to Korea for a visit with her family and friends. Yoonhee also encouraged me to keep my New York fighting spirit and reignite the passion and intrigue that helped me learn Korean independently all these years.
I plan to start my next round of classes in January or February, here in Seoul. Once again, I ask for your support. A donation of any size will help me reach my goal.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to write me with any additional questions or suggestions of things I should experience here in Korea.
Best,
Ngozi
--
My goal has evolved since originally making this GoFundMe page, but I want to leave the original post below as a reminder of where it started.
--
Why Korea?
In September 2010, I was first introduced to Korean language and pop culture by chance, when I came across a music video on youtube. Immediately I wanted to know more, and researched the groups whose music I had listened to, where they were from, and of course, what the lyrics to their songs were! I shortly realized that I was developing an addiction. Not only was I instantly addicted to Kpop groups like 2NE1 and Big Bang, but to knowledge about South Korea, as a whole. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. Every little bit of trivia was so exciting! (More so than my studies in college at the time.)
For some reason, when I listened to those catchy songs sang in Korean (with English words peppered in from time to time), or watched a segment of a Korean drama with English subtitles, I had two feelings: frustration, and eagerness. I was frustrated at my inability to understand what was being said, and therefore so eager to learn Korean, and lose the need for translators and subtitles. It was the first time that I can recall having such an intense desire to learn something independently, and having such a strong interest in a culture and language other than my own.
Since then Korea has always been on my mind, and I have been wishing to go there and see it all for myself. So, here's my chance.
Why I Need Your Help:
I've spent the past three years dreaming of ways to make this trip possible, but have struggled to make it happen on my own. Nevertheless, I'm determined to make this happen, and I need your help.
My plan is to attend a 10-week language intensive at Yonsei University, in Seoul at the start of 2014. I am raising money for the tuition for the program, and my round trip airfare to South Korea - I am saving my own money to cover the cost of my accommodations and travel once in Seoul.
Any contribution you are willing and able to make to help me on my journey is greatly appreciated, this trip is a dream come true!
Hello Everyone!
Much has changed since my last update. The journey hasn’t ended. I’m happy to share the latest chapter.
Since first sharing this campaign, I successfully made my first trip to Korea for two weeks in November, 2015! The trip took a different form than I was expecting, but when all was said and done, it made me really happy nonetheless.
In 2015, I moved Norway for an opportunity an au pair. It was an unexpected adventure - Norway was not a destination I had seriously considered before, and yet I ended up there, with a lovely Bralizian/Norwegian family. experiencing life in Bergen, the second largest city in Norway. As an added perk, I had the opportunity to enroll in a language course as well. I hope that everyone received my letter in the post updating you about this part of my journey. You can also read it on my blog here.
In Korea, I met up with my Korean-American, or Gyopo friend, Susan, whom I met at work sometime in 2012. We traveled around Seoul, and Jeju Island together for two weeks. I met some of her friends and family, and we ate so much good food! I posted tons of photos to my social media accounts, and just had an all-around good time.
It's been almost exactly two years since I made my first trip, and finally, I am back! I write this post from my rented room in Daehakro, a theater district in Seoul. I returned to Seoul for my 25th birthday this past September to continue my dream. What I initially planned as a one month stay, has now become the 3 month trip I wanted from the beginning. Seven years in the making, and finally I'm here. It's the real deal! I’ve been posting on my Instagram accounts, and I hope to continue to have rich experiences that I can share in more detail on my blog. There have been a multitude of challenges and missteps from the beginning. It’s been tough. In some aspects that I expected, and others that caught me by surprise. Nonetheless, as my mother reminds me, I am in the midst of a dream come true, and I need to stay focused on the positives and push forward.
It’s not clear the next time I may find myself here in Korea for such a long stretch, and I want to take full advantage of being in this space, and use all of the inspiration that is around me, that has been fueling me all these years. There have been countless times where I felt that I should quit, and just let this dream go. Even since I’ve been here. At times, I’ve felt unwelcome in many places, and completely inadequate in navigating these foreign, culturally homogeneous spaces as an absolute minority. But at this stage, I can’t lose the resolve I’ve maintained all these years to make something like this possible for myself. I must keep pushing forward with my studies, and “get in where I fit in” within this culture that has fascinated me for my entire adult life.
Before leaving New York City, I took weekly lessons with a tutor, Yoonhee Roh, at the Korean Culture Center in Koreatown, Manhattan. I had the pleasure of seeing her here, in Seoul, last week when she came back to Korea for a visit with her family and friends. Yoonhee also encouraged me to keep my New York fighting spirit and reignite the passion and intrigue that helped me learn Korean independently all these years.
I plan to start my next round of classes in January or February, here in Seoul. Once again, I ask for your support. A donation of any size will help me reach my goal.
Thank you for reading, and feel free to write me with any additional questions or suggestions of things I should experience here in Korea.
Best,
Ngozi
--
My goal has evolved since originally making this GoFundMe page, but I want to leave the original post below as a reminder of where it started.
--
Why Korea?
In September 2010, I was first introduced to Korean language and pop culture by chance, when I came across a music video on youtube. Immediately I wanted to know more, and researched the groups whose music I had listened to, where they were from, and of course, what the lyrics to their songs were! I shortly realized that I was developing an addiction. Not only was I instantly addicted to Kpop groups like 2NE1 and Big Bang, but to knowledge about South Korea, as a whole. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. Every little bit of trivia was so exciting! (More so than my studies in college at the time.)
For some reason, when I listened to those catchy songs sang in Korean (with English words peppered in from time to time), or watched a segment of a Korean drama with English subtitles, I had two feelings: frustration, and eagerness. I was frustrated at my inability to understand what was being said, and therefore so eager to learn Korean, and lose the need for translators and subtitles. It was the first time that I can recall having such an intense desire to learn something independently, and having such a strong interest in a culture and language other than my own.
Since then Korea has always been on my mind, and I have been wishing to go there and see it all for myself. So, here's my chance.
Why I Need Your Help:
I've spent the past three years dreaming of ways to make this trip possible, but have struggled to make it happen on my own. Nevertheless, I'm determined to make this happen, and I need your help.
My plan is to attend a 10-week language intensive at Yonsei University, in Seoul at the start of 2014. I am raising money for the tuition for the program, and my round trip airfare to South Korea - I am saving my own money to cover the cost of my accommodations and travel once in Seoul.
Any contribution you are willing and able to make to help me on my journey is greatly appreciated, this trip is a dream come true!
Organizer
Ngozi Ka
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
