Q: What is the strangest or funniest experience you’ve had since you moved here?

A: People eat with their hands more [here]. It was kind of funny to me because I wanted to use a fork to eat my fries but everyone was looking at me like “Why are you using a fork?”

Q: Are you a native english speaker? What other languages do you speak?

A: I speak Korean and I learned English when I was 5.

Q: What have you learned as a foreign exchange student?

A: I’ve learned how to respect other peoples personalities and tastes, whether they are different or not…basically learning how to accept different cultural people.

Q: How is school different in your home country? Is it easier? Harder?

A: Well I’m not taking hard classes here, so maybe that’s why I think school here is easier. In Korea I didn’t really have a choice to choose classes, so I just went to mandatory classes. But when I came here, I was given the choice to pick what classes I want to take.

Q: Why did you decide to be a foreign exchange student?

A: I was kind of sick of Korean schools, and I always wanted to study abroad.

Q: How did you get accustomed here?

A: I just try to adjust and respect all the cultures even if I think it’s weird, and that works for me.

Q: What were your expectations coming here and did they meet your criteria?

A: I expected people being able to live more freely and everyone respecting each other no matter how different they were, and it did meet my expectations.

Q: Do you get homesick, and if so what do you do to overcome it?

A: I would eat Korean food or call either my mom or friends to overcome it.

Q: How is it like living with your host family?

A: It’s my first time living with another family other than my own, so that was different. It’s easier than I thought to live with them, so it doesn’t feel like I’m living with strangers.

Q: Do you plan on potentially living here in the future, and if so, why?

A: Yes if I can, but I’m not really sure right now. I want to live here because I really like the way people are allowed to be different. In Korea there is one standard way that you have to be. But here you’re allowed to do different things and go different ways without receiving criticism.

Q: What do you think you’ll gain from this experience?

A: I think I will gain a wider view and more insight that there are so many more people and countries outside of Korea.