BHA Recap: What to know for your turn
This past February, the Grade 9s visited Branksome Hall Asia in Jeju, South Korea. This was the second grade to travel to Korea since Covid-19 hit. We decided to interview Ayun M and Avery H, two of the Grade 9 students, about their experiences at Branksome Hall Asia and provide our own perspectives on the trip.
Was this your first time visiting Seoul and Jeju Island in South Korea?
Ayun: ”No, but it was my first time visiting Jeju Island but not for Seoul as I have family living there.”
Avery: “It was my first time visiting Jeju Island and Seoul”
What was the highlight of your trip?
Ayun: “I really liked the Korean skincare and the shopping we got to experience”
Explain to me how you dealt with the 13-hour time change. Was it hard?
Ayun: “It was quite difficult but the first day we arrived at our hotel between 11-12 pm and the next morning we had to be up bright and early for 7 am. So having that schedule really helped with the adjustment to the time change and the teachers were able to help with that”
Avery: “Personally, I found it quite easy since I slept on the plane. I was just in the zone!”
How did you get along with your buddies? What was it like having them come to Canada and then having to go to South Korea?
Ayun: “My own buddy was very shy so I did not get along with her that well but we were friends on Instagram. However, I was able to make many other friends and guess what! This student who I am really close with now, is actually coming to Toronto in the summer and we are going to hang out which is going to be super fun!”
Avery: “My buddy and I bonded really well. When she came to Canada, we hung out at school and we stayed connected on Instagram. And when I went to Korea, we bonded even more.”
What activities did you do with your buddies?
Ayun: “We were able to build wind turbines with them. They were all very kind – my buddy actually gifted me a really special gift basket and I was able to eat lunch with her sometimes.”
Avery: “My buddy and I taste-tested snacks and we went to advisor together.”
What was your favorite part of trying the food?
Ayun: “One of my favourite foods was Korean street food. I loved trying Tanghulu which is sugar coated strawberries. It ended up being one of my favourite desserts! It was so fun to go to the CU where we could try all of the different types of Korean snacks ”
Avery: “I enjoyed being able to experiment trying different types of food. Even though there were some things I didn’t always enjoy, it was so interesting to learn more about new cultural foods from a completely different place.”
At our hotel in Jeju there was a Korean convenience store called CU. If we were ever hungry at the hotel, we were able to go downstairs and choose from an assortment of Korean snacks. One of my favorite types of Korean food was hot pot. There were a couple of days where we were able to go to a restaurant and fry pork or beef with a selection of vegetables, rice, and kimchi. There was also a day to go to the Korean market where we were able to try some traditional dishes. It was so interesting to see how many parts of South Korea are different from Canada.
What was one new thing you learned about being in a new place?
Ayun: “I was able to experience a new culture and to connect with others. I learned about the importance of forming connections with not only my current grade, but our buddies from South Korea.”
Avery: “I learnt that I can always rely on my friends to be there for me. South Korea was an experience that brought my friends and I together.”
From being in a new place, I learned the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. Whether it was trying out a type of Korean food I had never tried before, putting on Korean Hanboks, or venturing out around Seoul and Jeju, one thing I took away from this experience was the importance of risk taking and stepping out of my comfort zone.
Did you like the hotel? How were the rooms set up?
Ayun: “The first hotel was spacious. It was the perfect size for two people. There was a fridge, perfect for storing all of the snacks we got at the CU. I also loved the second hotel because it felt really luxurious. In the room, my roommate and I stuck our beds together. It was so fun! The views from the hotel were so pretty because we were able to see the entire city. Both were really nice!”
Avery: “All of the bedrooms in South Korea are very small but it is amazing how much you can fit in! Personally I was in a 3 person bedroom.”
One of the great things about each of the hotels was the scenery surrounding them. The Aerospace Hotel in Jeju is surrounded by beautiful mountains and hills. One of my favourite parts of the hotel in Seoul was the 50th-floor restaurant. We enjoyed our breakfasts there each day and enjoyed the beautiful view of all of Seoul.
How did you find the BHX project?
Ayun: “I found it quite interesting to do with our buddies. But the last day was definitely stressful because we had to do all of our work. I’d recommend managing your time efficiently throughout the IDU to ensure you do not get stressed out by the last day.”
Avery: “It was a really interesting experience. It was different from Toronto, because we were able to see the project we were making in the real world. One of my favourite parts was going on field trips to see the windmills in person. It was interesting how we could apply something we learned in the classroom to real life.”
I loved creating the windmills with my buddies. It was such a good way to get to know them, while doing a project at school. We were put into groups of 4, with two Branksome Hall Canada students and two Branksome Hall Asia students. It was nice to get to know more people besides my buddy and to get to know someone outside my typical social group at school.
How did you combat the language barrier in certain situations?
Ayun: “I am Korean, so it was so nice to be able to translate for others. It was a great experience to improve my speaking in Korean and be able to use my skills in applicable scenarios in real life.”
Avery: “It was great that so many nice people were there to help us along the way. Our tour guides for the trip were all so nice, my tour guide Loopy was able to help translate and teach us new words in Korean.”
My buddy was happy to help translate. All of the students at BHA are fluent in Korean and the teachers were always there if I ever needed anything.
The BHA trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through the long-lasting connections, memories, and a new perspective gained on life, it is an experience that cannot be forgotten. Let’s hope these interviews have excited you more about your trip to South Korea!