Reminiscence: Jeonju City, South Korea

 Reminiscence: Jeonju City, South Korea (2011 June)

A trip to South Korea for a conference on Language and Literature where I met teachers from Cebu, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and other neighboring Asian countries is one of my enjoyable milestones.  Such trip came after the study tour in May and I was fortunate enough that my South Korea visa got processed while I was still in Germany as I got a call regarding this trip on my 3rd day in Berlin. When I reached Bacolod City on 12 May, I prepared my presentation on "Netspeak and Its Implications to Language Teaching" and resumed teaching my undergrad classes. 

On my own, I left for South Korea on 4 June with strict instructions to take the 9 pm (last) bus to Jeonju City, but not to leave without getting my Korean Won allowance (from a sponsor-partner of USLS EGC) that I used for the duration of my stay. There I was worried because the tarmac of Incheon International Airport was a train-ride away from my luggage and the exit, and I was late for the bus! Out of nowhere, a university professor that I met on the plane guided me on the airport train and gave me directions on where to go. In all of my travels, strangers came to my rescue and helped me out of the predicaments that seemed difficult to resolve on my own. We both ran to the baggage carousel while he cleared the way as we went along. As soon as I got hold of my luggage, he told me to go quickly and look for terminal 9 as it was almost time for the bus to leave! I bought the ticket with the Won that I exchanged in Bacolod and waited inside the bus for a Mr. Park. Since I didn't know any Korean except "anyonghaseyo", I talked to one of the younger passengers who I knew was a university student. She spoke English! In the orientation, I was told that I could borrow a phone to call the USLS exchange students who waited for me at the station in Jeonju-- for the bus that was to arrive at 12 midnight from Incheon. It turned out they were given instructions to pick me up and bring me to the residence hall where I was billeted during my 4-day stay. I asked USLS and the faculty-in-charge at Chonbuk National University to let me stay for another three days to go around the city. They relented. It made me so blissful!

Anyway, Mr. Park arrived just before the bus left. He gave me my  allowance (which I don't remember for how much), plus my own pocket money which I thought was enough to let me enjoy the place, eat the famous samgyeupsal, buy travel mementos for family and friends, and many more. I couldn't sleep on the bus because I was half excited, half nervous. My presentation was scheduled the following day and there I was traveling in the middle of the night. I borrowed the Korean student's phone to call the number that was given to me. One of the USLS students picked up. It was almost midnight and I told them that I was on my way. Finally, when the bus swerved to the side of the road and the Korean student told me that it was my stop, I hesitated because it was very dark, with no bus terminal that they spoke of. How glad was I when I saw the faces of the exchange students. They were my students in the Public Speaking class- all three of them! I was relieved when we took a taxi and were brought to my apartment. We went out after, because we got hungry, to a McDonald's store near the campus. It was around 1 a.m. We ordered warm rice and chicken, ate hurriedly, and went back to the apartment. But since it was very late, I asked them to sleep there. They happily stayed to watch TV while I said my goodnight and went to my room. I only had 6 hours left before the conference and I couldn't sleep! 

The following day, a graduate student brought me to the conference hall for the plenary session. Then, we were ushered to a room where our talks were to be delivered. I was the second speaker. The first one was from Japan. A professor from South Korea followed my talk. There was a pleasant exchange of questions and answers all throughout the conference and I was glad that it was over after the simultaneous sessions and the final plenary talk.  Soon after, we had an early dinner at one of the famous restaurants in the city known for bibimbap.  The conference felt like a dream. It ended quickly.

On the second day, the graduate students who were assigned to help me around, brought me and a Cebu professor to the Hanok Village (a Korean traditional village that was preserved as a heritage site). 

The third day was eventful as it was a cultural day when the delegates from different Asian countries dressed in their splendid national costumes and paraded around the Hanok Village. It was a colorful and majestic sight to behold! I, of course, joined the Philippine delegates, with no costume to wear because I wasn't informed that there was such an event. 

On my last night there, all the Filipino exchange students had samgyeup dinner with me. We enjoyed it very much over strips of pork belly and all the other side dishes and condiments, and of course, stories of their stay at CNU. 

I had to leave for the Philippines with a heavy heart the next day. That short visit was truly amazing. I took the bus to Incheon Airport from the proper bus terminal where my three students dropped me off. They had to leave me there as they headed back to their classes. 

I survived that trip to South Korea without any knowledge of the language, and that cemented my belief in the goodness of people, of the magnanimity of the human spirit, of respect between strangers from different cultures. This was the reason that I never stopped traveling after. That study tour in Germany, followed by this South Korea trip, made me a citizen of the world. 🥰