How was your life for a year as an exchange student here in Korea?

I liked it because I was able to do things I wanted to do. I went to watch a Korean TV show "Hello Counselor" in person. German TV shows are not as funny as Korean ones. I used to love watching Korean TV shows in Germany. In Germany, the organization called GEMA blocks videos on the internet, mostly YouTube, but other sites are affected, too, if they don't have copyright for the music used in the videos. KBS World on YouTube was just lucky not to be affected, so I could watch Korean TV shows with subtitles. I couldn't make many friends but I have enough friends who are willing to help me when I'm in trouble.

How was it to be an honorary reporter?

It was fun but I didn't write many articles. That's one thing I regret. I have an idea about an article I will write when I go back. When Korean people went to Germany to earn foreign currency in the past, they made German style kimchi because they couldn't find the right ingredients. I want to make my own version of German style kimchi and introduce it to everyone.

How did you come to know about Korea?

I heard of the country in a history class in middle school but my teacher just mentioned it briefly. I became interested in Korea during high school after reading the Japanese comic book "Mischievous Kiss," which was turned into a Korean soap opera.

What made you choose Korean studies as your major?

One of my friends advised I do what makes me happy when I was concerned about my major. I chose Korean studies because I wanted to learn more about Korea. I like languages and I read many Korean children's books.

Specifically what do you study in Korean studies?

I learn things in general. In Germany, I already had classes in politics, history, social studies and the arts. Therefore, there weren't many subjects left in which I could enroll as an exchange student here. I signed up for subjects I didn't learn in Germany, like Korean art.

What was the difficult part of studying Korean studies?

It was the language especially the Chinese characters. For example, look at the compound word sekyehwa. Even if you know the word sekye, which means "the world," you can't understand the full meaning of the full word if you don't know the word hwa. There are many Korean words like this. Dictionaries don't help much. So I ask for help from my Chinese friends or Korean friends who are good at using Chinese characters.

Do you want to get a job related to Korea? What is your final goal in career?

I want to be a translator or a Korean teacher.

What are some of difficulties you went through in Korea?

I couldn't find my size of shoes. On top of that, I had to throw away most of my shoes I brought from Germany after the rainy season. The shoes I'm wearing now are the last ones and they are almost worn out. Housing was also a problem. I had to move five times in total. Bank service was the most inconvenient. I'm living in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, now and there are no banks compatible with German bank services here. I had to travel to Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where my school is, to withdraw money. Many ATMs say they provide international services, but only a few do in reality. The limit in the amount of money you can withdraw once at a time was inconvenient, too.

Public transportation was one of the difficulties, too. Some non-Koreans in Korea don't take buses for that reason. Sometimes buses don't have announcement services or information screens. I didn't know where I was and people would get off anywhere when there wasn't even a bus stop. So counting the bus stops until my arrival wouldn't work. When I traveled to Gyeongju-si City, the map showing the bus stops at the station only showed the big bus stops, but the bus stopped a lot more often. I always searched on Google Maps and Naver Maps when I took the bus.

Food gave me a hard time too. I could only eat rice at first, but I couldn't eat it very well. So I switched to cakes. Then I ate Subway sandwiches or went to a fusion restaurant, Han's Deli, which somewhat satisfied non-Koreans' appetites. I used to eat gimbab a lot, like almost every day.

You had difficult times while adjusting to Korea, including the food. What is your favorite Korean food?

Budaejjigae -- spicy stew with kimchi and sausage -- is my favorite. I like it because it has sausages in it. I like bulgogi -- barbequed beef -- and samgyeopsal -- grilled pork belly -- too.

You are going back to Germany soon. What do you want to eat when you go home?

I miss sausages the most. And I want to have quark and milchreis too.

What is the best memory of Korea?

Traveling to Gyeongju-si City was the best. When I got lost in Seoul, I had difficulty finding my way. I didn't get lost in Gyeongju, and people were much kinder than in Seoul. Some were interested in seeing a Caucasian woman and asked me to take a picture together.

I appeared on Korean TV programs, which was fun, too. It was aired on a Korean news and TV program "Neighborhood Charles" (이웃집 찰스). Recording took three hours, but my part was only two minutes when it was aired. It was a special experience.

Who was the most memorable person in Korea?

There are many. When I went to Haeinsa Temple to stay overnight, I became friends with even a monk.

What do you think is the difference between German and Korean people?

The German sense of humor differs a lot. Therefore, German jokes aren't funny to Koreans, but Korean jokes are funny to Germans. I think Koreans are good at making funny jokes.

What do you think is the biggest difference between Germany and Korea?

Hierarchy is very important in Korea. We don't use honorifics with friends or family members in Germany, but you have to use it if you are younger than someone else in Korea. You have to be well-mannered in front of people who are older than you. I'm not used to it, so sometimes I make mistakes. In Germany, there is no such age discrimination.

I think Koreans doubt a lot. They don't take a favor as it is, and try to figure out why someone does a favor for them. My boyfriend is Korean and he didn't understand why his classmates helped him when he had troubles moving to another city, even though they weren't so close to him. If somebody helps me, I take it thankfully and I lend a hand too when someone needs my help.

What is the difference between Korean and German classes?

I was shocked in my first semester here. On the first day of the semester, professors were late for class or didn't even show up. A professor started a class two weeks late without any notice. It's something I've never experienced.

The grading system is different, too. You're marked on an absolute scale in Germany, but it's a relative evaluation here in Korea. I took an arts class here, but I'm not an arts major. I did my best but I couldn't get a good grade because other students who majored in arts were better than me.

Signing for courses is the other difference. You can't enroll in some classes if so many students want to take the class. In Germany, we can take whatever classes we want. In Korea, you have to memorize course code numbers and anxiously wait for the time to enroll. Once I sat in front of a computer and clicked for two hours because the site didn't open on time.

What is different between Korean students and German students?

I think the two are quite different. I don't understand why Koreans study like they do. It's maybe because they are graded based on a relative evaluation system. If it weren't for that, they'd have a lot less stress. In Germany, we're given the assignments that we can handle in our free time. No one is up all night doing assignments. Even college libraries are closed at night. German students party a lot during college too. Here, I almost didn't have any free time doing all the homework.

If your professor tells you to read a book, you have to read that exact book here in Korea. If not, you can't get a good grade. In contrast, I read a book thinner than the one my professor recommended, but, still, I could get a good grade in Germany.

What do you think you will miss most about Korea?

Food. I think it will be budaejjigae. No Korean restaurant in Berlin offers budaejjigae, but Asian markets sell instant noodles, Korean dumplings and kimchi.

By Yoon Jihye
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han Korea.net Photographer
wisdom117@korea.kr