Go Global 22/23: Christmas South Korea

I am really grateful for the chance to join the Go Global 22-23 program and lead the team delivering services overseas.

South Korea is one of the countries I'd like to visit; I consider myself really fortunate to have been admitted into the program as a KOL. The tour is taking place during the winter, which is the best season for me to visit snowy Korea. Most importantly, I am able to interact with different groups to improve my communication and organizational skills, as well as research and organise various events that broadened my horizons while also doing something significant positive for the world.

"The experience could hardly be obtained anywhere else.

It's incredible!"

Preparation Process

I could participate in the entire tour's planning; everything is planned and organized by us. We have handcrafted the tour from zero to one hundred. Several obstacles arose throughout the planning phase, including interpersonal conflicts, agencies' interaction concerns, and labor allocation issues. However, we were able to effectively tackle the majority of the difficulties, thus our journey could begin smoothly.

During the tour

During the tour, there were far too many unexpected events. We must work harder to attain our goal in an unknown location with a language barrier and significant differences in weather. As a leader, I should also guide my team toward a common goal while simultaneously ensuring the safety of all members.

"In the past three months, I feel like I have reached far more accomplishments than I expected.

I have experienced significant growth in my different aspects."

Attitude

GILO 7.3 – Initiate interaction with other cultures: Engage in meaningful interactions with other cultures

Hanbok Experience

I've never tried wearing Hanbok since I didn't have the opportunity. It was an awesome time to see how Koreans used to wear and understand the design of the Hanbok. If I didn't have this opportunity, I'd never know the exact layer of the Hanbok set and how to properly manage the dress.

I used to interact with the store assistant to learn more about the history of Hanbok and was told that the styles of Hanbok symbolize people's socioeconomic status. It was interesting that my teammates were unaware that they were wearing something different than what they were expecting to be.

Cultural Exchange

Here, I met someone who is really kind and helpful. Jame is one of the collaborators I've been in touch with. He not only assisted us in setting up the volunteer work at the Thomas Homeless Shelter but also offered assistance for practically all of the events we planned while on the tour.

I'm really thankful that I got to speak with him about Korean culture, humanity, psychology, living and studying abroad, what we've seen and heard in other countries, etc. There are so much that I could not listed out here. I've had a lot of different perspectives regarding our surroundings as a result of our communication.

Folk Museum

To have a deeper understanding of a place, it is necessary to first study about its history and evolution. The exhinitions here fascinated me. Not only was the history of South Korea shown, but visitors could also engage in traditional activities or even use traditional utensils.

A lot about the growth of Goryeo, Silla, and Baekje was explained in depth, and I realized that I had misunderstood parts of the history of Korea. But now I have a clear concept.

Skills

Leadership

GILO 5.4 _ Manage Conflicts

Management of interpersonal conflicts that arise in close relationship

Different people have different opinions on what and how a successful leader is. I'm still learning how to be a good leader. I have prior experience directing teams to complete various projects and assignments. Over the last few years, I've developed organizational, communication, coordination, management, and other leadership abilities.

I feel I possess some leadership characteristics. I am really honored to have several leaders from various professions teach me what a leader should be like. Some of them informed me that they needed to manage a lot of paperwork before making effective decisions. There is no doubt that I am competent at handling and monitoring the majority of the paperwork and arrangement. I could certainly respond quickly in an emergency circumstance. I demonstrate flexibility and offer solutions to various issues. In addition, I am kind and fair to all of my colleagues.

It was a huge achievement for me to lead the team in arranging for the pre-tour preparations. The majority of things went off without a hitch. Even though there were certain challenges that prevented us from connecting to any agency to provide services at initially, I was able to take the team to other opportunities to investigate any potential collaboration.

During the tour, however, there were various challenges with labor distribution. I am not a mood creator, and while dealing with disputes, I will do so in a serious and dignified manner. Some may feel that I am difficult to get along with because I act "like a leader," which they do not want to see in an informal setting. I didn't consider this, and all I want to do is address the problem. However, it may jeopardize my relationship with my team. I shouldn't approach things on the tour in the same manner I do on other formal occasions because it's a more casual setting. I need to learn how to improve how I deal with different circumstances and individuals so that I may become a better leader.

Knowledge

Sustainable Development Goals

I initially learned about the Sustainable Development Goals during my summer internship. I used to organize community activities centered on SDG 10.2. However, I never conceive that I may further take use of the framework to conduct oversea activities. Throughout the Go Global program, I have developed a better knowledge of each SDG and how they are related to one another.

In addition, because we had to conduct study on Seoul's demographic condition, I could have a better understanding of the actual situation there. I aim to undertake more sustainable initiatives that will actually meet the demands.

24 December 2022

We took great courage to sing hymns in the streets on a freezing Christmas Eve night.