Getting Oriented

First day of International Orientation—Tuesday August 27^th

My first breakfast in Korea involved kimchii and french toast. My mixed culture breakfast couldn't compare to the incredible mixing of cultures I experienced during the rest of the week (and continue to experience). That first official day of orientation we were given a chance to rest after the long trip down here. We registered properly for orientation and turned in some paperwork, and then we went to opening service. This was a time for worship and a good devotional from one of the English pastors here. Many of the Handong staff members introduced themselves to us and gave us useful information regarding various campus services and organizations. We had time for fellowship and getting to know each other as international students, finding many things in common as well as exploring our differences.

To give you an idea of the culture mixture, here is a list of countries represented by our group of 43 incoming internationals: Korea, Mongolia, China, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Palestine, India, USA, and Russia. So many languages are spoken amongst the whole group—it's so colourful. I love it.

That evening we all piled onto two buses and went shopping in the city which is about a half hour drive away. I managed to obtain bedding as well as some of the other necessary items I did not have. It was tiring, but a lot of fun to experience a little more of Korean culture. I went to bed tired but feeling accomplished.

Wednesday August 28^th

For orientation we were put into teams consisting of three rooms (4 people per room), which had three Korean helpers as leaders to help us navigate the week. The teams typically sat with each other at meals and played the games together. It was really nice to have a smaller group to focus on getting to know. Our team was called Team C, and obviously was my favorite group.

In the morning we had another devotional session and another series of informational lectures. We discovered that Handong has a curfew of 11 PM. They take roll at that time and request that the main lights in the rooms be turned off. If you need to be out later, you can send in an electronic request for a late pass or an overnight pass. This is very different from my home university where you can be out as late as you feel like. I honestly don't mind the idea of lights going out at 11, as I am sure I will be needing sleep at some point.

Tuesday afternoon we spent playing water games, the various teams being pitted against each other. It was a little bit chaotic but actually a lot of fun despite the messiness of it. It was a good time to get to know people better and take a break from the stream of information that had been poured into our heads earlier that day. After getting cleaned up and eating, we spent the rest of the evening fellowshipping with each other.

Thursday August 29^th

The big event of Thursday was the Handong Honor Code Ceremony. This is a time where all of the new students commit to abide by the rules of Handong and the Godly principles that the school upholds. After the ceremony, I started to feel truly honored to be part of an school like this, if only for a semester. They take a high value and moral system very seriously, and although there are many intimidating aspects that come with that, I am excited to be a part of Handong Global University. I was told that only the top ten percent of Korean students make it here.

We got to go on a tour around the city of Pohang in the form of a big scavenger hunt. It was a lot of fun to see all of the sights and smell all of the smells. We visited various shopping centers, markets, and finally the ocean. We also ate various Korean treats, excluding the American Baskin Robbins bit. We also had to use what Korean we knew to ask locals how to write the names of various objects in Korean. So much fun!

That evening we were partakers of what they called the love feast which was arranged by the international union here. Food from around the world was set up in buffet style, and I have to say, it was one of the best meals I have ever had.

The rest of the night was spent playing games and giving presentations on all of the various cultures represented. A very long, tiring day but exceedingly fun. I made some already treasured memories as well as becoming more comfortable with both Korean culture and Handong culture. I think very few orientations can compare to the one we got. I feel spoiled!

Friday August 30^th

Last day of orientation! It was a sad prospect to have to end this very fun period, but we made the most of it as we went through breakfast, the closing service and then the Handong tour. We were given various locations on campus to find and had to take pictures at each one. In the end each team's photos were voted on in a contest.

We took care of more registration details and then departed to spend time with each other in various ways. Most of us internationals ate dinner provided by the international church where we got to meet many other of the internationals here. It was hard to know that soon the grind of school would be upon us, but at the same time I felt more prepared for it. Thanks to all of those who worked hard for orientation, I was able to have an incredible week and make even more incredible friends that I hope to keep throughout the semester and beyond.

Team C!

The entire crew of international orientation!

Thanks for reading! More to come.