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| Group photo |
How many languages do you know? By learning a new language, we dive into a new world. I love talking to people, especially to those who come from afar. When you have friends who live around the world, the world itself seems to become a big house. For a good knowledge of the language, the ability to speak it and to write it isn’t enough. Each language displays the history and traditions of its origin.
This year a Korean language club was formed in my school, “Santarves". The teacher in charge , Aistis Vaicekauskas, went to South Korea in 2002, where he learnt about the culture and the language itself. The lesson is held for Children from all over the city every Wednesday.
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| Aistis Vaicekauskas during one of the lessons |
Two exchange students from South Korea, currently studying in the University of Siauliai, surprised us with a visit during one of the lessons. One of the student’s name is Nam Hee-Kyung and she is 22 this year. She is studying in the Chonnam National University and specializes in Business Management. Her friend’s name is Cho Sangkyu and he is 24 this year. He specializes in advertisement, business and marketing.
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| Cho Sangkyu and Nam Hee-Kyung |
Nam Hee-Kyung told me that both of them only met in Lithuania. This sparked my interest about why they chose to come to Lithuania. So I began to ask some questions.
-Why did you choose Lithuania?
-There is very little information about Lithuania in Korea so I wondered about where Lithuania is and what kind of country it is like as well. Coming here was a great chance for me to learn more about Lithuania and as I lived with my family, this also served as an opportunity for me to start living independently.
-What were your first impressions about Siauliai?
-When I first came here in August, I was mesmerized by the clear blue sky. I couldn’t take my eyes of it. Up till now, I still find it breath-taking even though the weather is getting colder and the sky is graying. I also liked the boulevard in the city centre. It is a great idea as citizens can roam about safely without having to worry any vehicles around.
-What is the difference between Lithuanian and Korean education system?
-In Korea, high school students are required to study from 7am until 10pm. The long schooling hours result in many of the students suffering from stress. I heard that Lithuanian high schools have shorter schooling times. Hence, have less students suffering from stress. Korean students also have free time every Sunday and are allowed to take a 3 to 5 day rest from school to celebrate different festivals such as Chu-seok and Seol-nal with their families.
-Have you made any friends here?
-Yes! I’ve made friends with my mentor, Simona , and the teacher who teaches Korean here. Everyone is really awesome!
-Do you know any Lithuanian phrases?
-As there is no “ž” sounds in Korean, some of the Lithuanian words are rather difficult for me to pronounce. The first word that we learnt upon our arrival here was “labas” (a.n. – Hello). There are a lot of cafés in the city so the next phrase we learnt was “Kur čia restoranas?” (a.n. – Where’s the restaurant?) and also “į sveikatą!” (a.n. – Cheers!).
-Which Lithuanian dishes do you like and dislike?
-There was once we were invited to have lunch in one of the cafés. I was recommended to try the national dish – “cepelinas”. When the waitress brought the plate, I couldn’t take my eyes off it for quite some time. It had such a weird shape and a weird taste… I couldn’t believe it was entirely made out of potatoes! I really loved kvass too! It is amazing how it is made out of the bread and is non-alcoholic.
-If you had the chance, would you come back to Lithuania again?
-Why not? This is where my boyfriend and I met for the first time and where we became a couple. We have already decided on what we will call our future children. Soul - this one is comes from Siauliai because the pronunciation is similar or Lia - we just summarized Lithuania to Lia. When our kids grow up, we would like to visit Lithuania again and tell them about our life here.
-What will you tell your friends about Lithuania?
-As there are very few Asian people in Lithuania, you might feel a little weird at first because everybody will look you like you’re an alien! But don't be afraid to say hello to them! They are a little shy but also extremely kind. So approach them and greet them!
-Thank you very much. It was nice to talk to you!
After the conversation with South Korean students we were once again convinced about the wisdom of this saying: ‘’Explore the world, nothing should stop you, especially not the language barrier."
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela
