Jill Olsen sends this information from their visit to South
Korea
Greetings to the Rotarians of 5970 from District 3710
Gwangju South Korea
(Photo above, the team visits a HS boys English class)
Week One
We launched the trip of a lifetime at 7 a.m. at the Waterloo
Airport. After being in transit for 24 hours we were greeted
at 9:30 Sunday evening with applause and a big welcoming
banner from District 3710. What a wonderful moment.
Things have not stopped since that moment. After being whisked
to our hotel, we grabbed a night's sleep, and prepared for
our first reception. At noon we were invited to a formal Korean
banquet, tended by costumed servers with performances on classic
drums (Book and Jang-ju), flute and a stringed instrument called
the Ah Jaeng. District Governor Pil-Seong Huh and District
Rotary Foundation Chair Seong-Shin Kim, along with many other
district dignitaries offered toasts, to which we responded
with "Lead the Way" in both the Korean and English
language. We shared songs from both countries, and had our
first opportunity to sing the well-known tune Ah Ri Rang together
with our hosts, which we had previously sung with the in-bound
team at the District Conference in Cedar Rapids.
This first week has been a whirlwind. We have been treated
to tours of the Cancer Treatment Hospital of the University
of Chosun (conducted by the Director and the Chief Surgeon)
where we were taken into intimate settings to view patients
being treated with state of the art technology. We met with
the President and chief administrators of Honam Women's University,
and met with officials at City Hall. There, we learned about
economic and technology development, particularly in the area
of photonics, and the aggressive measures being taken to restore
environmental balance in the area. We toured the Eunhae School
for children with disabilities and witnessed firsthand the
contribution of equipment from the White Bear Lake (Minnesota)
Rotary. What an opportunity to see the good work of fellow
Rotarians.
We have traveled out into the beautiful mountains and valleys
of the countryside where we have visited ancient Buddhist Temples,
old farmsteads and had a chance to work with the clay at Goryeo
Celadon porcelain kiln.
Every day we have shared lunch and dinner with Rotarians.
We have sung with them, laughed with them and wept with them.
A few of our favorite acquired tastes include octopus, Kim
Chi (fermented cabbage which is the national dish of Korea),
steamed chicken with ginseng and Hong Uh (sting ray - both
raw and cooked). The food is incredibly healthy with approximately
20 choices at any given meal. Plum tea and the national drink,
Soju, have become favorites as well.
The most moving experience occurred on May 18, which is the
commemoration of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Hundreds
were killed and thousands were injured or imprisoned in an
uprising against a despotic government which put Gwangju under
siege. We placed flowers at the memorial, burned incense to
honor the victims' memories. We were able to visit the monument
at the side of one of the heroes of that uprising, who also
serves as president of one of the local Rotaries. We are often
reminded that Gwangju is a center for freedom and democracy.
This day will remain one of the most heartfelt memories of
the entire visit.
Finally, our team wants to thank the Rotary Foundation and
each of the Rotarians from 5970 for making this opportunity
possible for the team. We will be posting each week about the
experiences we are having and insights we are gaining. Until
then,
An-yoong-hey ka-ship shi-oh (good bye) from Jill, Kevin, Molly,
Laura and Steve.
Week Two
This is a report to District 5970 from South Korea District
3710. Whatever negotiations were necessary to create this
experience, they were well worth it. Yesterday (Sunday) our
team attended the district conference on the campus of Jeunnam
National University. Over 2000 Rotarians were convened there,
in an atmosphere of festival and business. Our 3 female members
made an honorable entrance dressed in the "hanbok",
the national costume of Korea. This gesture perhaps said
more than all the words of greeting and gratitude we shared
on behalf of district 5970. Here is the story of how we were
able to wear the hanbok.
Wandering through a market place with our fellow Rotarians,
we indicated an interest in a shop displaying the hanbok and
wedding costumes. Our GSE coordinator and a local president
then arranged for us to meet that afternoon with a Rotarian
who owned a hanbok shop in Gwangju City, negotiated a favorable
price (50% because we were Rotarians), were measured, selected
fabrics and voila! They were ready for us a week later. If
you would like to see any of us in the hanbok, we will be happy
to visit your local club.
There was a special joy for our team, at the Conference, since
we co-presented with the GSE Team from S. Korea. We had met
them stateside and it was a warm reunion. After the conference
Mr. Oh, S. Korean GSE Team Leader, arranged for a sumptuous
reception for our two teams at the Gwangju Palace of Weddings.
It was a very special and sentimental time for all of us.
Every day has been filled with events which are alike only
in that they exceed the day before. This week was Buddha's
Birthday (National Holiday) and we were privileged to attend
services and festivities in 3 temples, including audiences
and meals with both male and female monks. This was arranged
through the efforts of a very spirited female Rotarian who
serves as an Assistant District Governor.
A tour of the KIA Factory (one car every 95 seconds with robotics
that were as graceful as a ballet), a visit to a beautiful
mountainous tea plantation along with visits to museums and
home stays keep us busy and ever aware of the gratitude we
feel that Rotary makes wonderful things happen across the world.
Week Three
This is our third posting from South Korea District 3710.
We are averaging 14-hour days 7 days a week. It becomes a challenge
to connect and reflect. The teamwork has kept up our energy.
Here is a brief description of some highlights from our week.
Education: We have visited several locations including a boy's
high school, a preschool and two schools that work with children
with disabilities. Korean K-12 education is similar to most
other countries in that there is great pressure for children
to achieve and to pass the rigorous entrance exams for the
universities. The higher the score, the more chance you have
to get into a prestigious university which determines your
future. Therefore we have observed the middle and high school
students on the streets at 10 p.m. coming back from their
classes. They usually go to regular school from 8-6 and then
an academy from 6-10 after which they will do 2-3 hours of
homework. Teachers rely on small switches to correct students
who are not paying attention (They must be tired) and if
they do not recite as expected. The special schools we have
seen are comparable or better than our accommodations in
the US.
Living: The landscape here is mountainous with every piece
of land put to good use in the valleys. It is difficult for
our team to orient ourselves because the cities (high rise
apartments) snake through these valleys. Prices are about 3
times those in the US. We have seen little or no evidence of
poverty. There is much prosperity. All our home stays have
been in the high rise apartments which are well furnished with
more technology than the average American household. Social
services seem very good and taxes are high. We think the average
week for workers is about 50 hours.
Food: We have been treated to a virtual banquet at every meal.
We finally got a factory meal at Samsung, which the team really
appreciated. We wanted to know what "everyday" menus
looked like. The Koreans are very focused on health and our
meals have been the healthiest the team has ever experienced.
We have soups, rice dishes, vegetables and fruits with every
meal (including breakfast). We all love the fermented cabbage
(the national dish of Korea) Kim Chi. It is spicy and salty
and we use it to flavor our foods. The biggest challenge for
the team has been raw stingray and raw sea cucumber. Stingray
is like drinking ammonia; however, we take it and eat it, anyway
because it is a very special food from our hosts. We knew we
had really "arrived" when our hosts took us to an
Italian restaurant and we were lost not taking off our shoes
at the door, not sitting on the floor, and eating clumsily
with forks.
Thank you District 5790 for this opportunity. We look forward
to sharing our experiences with you. The GSE Team
Supplemental Week Three
The District 5970 GSE Team regrets to report the untimely
passing of District Governor 3710, Pil Sung Heo, on Sunday,
June 3. The team attended the memorial on behalf of District
5970. Mr. Pil welcomed us at our first luncheon just three
weeks ago. We join our fellow Rotarians in mourning the loss
of their leader.
Week Four (Final Week)
To District 5970 from District 3710
GSE Touchdown!
This will be the final installment of the GSE South Korea
Team. The past week showed no signs of slowing down. As we
reflect on the past three weeks, we have maintained a rigorous
schedule averaging 14 hours a day 7 days a week. Here are some
highlights from the week:
Home stays: Because most South Koreans live in high-rise apartments,
space is at a premium. However we were still able to experience
three home stays with Rotarians. These experiences added an
extra dimension to our visit because we could see first-hand
how Korean families live, share their lives for a few days
and eat some home cooking. (Always delicious). All of the families
had children, who often were our connection to English. We
had translators with us at all times except for the home stays.
We are really thankful to the Rotarians for their hospitality.
One family hosted ALL of us in their spacious apartment for
three days.
Visits to industry: We have been fortunate to visit KIA motors,
as previously mentioned, Kumho Tires, along with some smaller
businesses. The last week we traveled to Mokpo along the coast,
where we were able to get clearance to visit a shipyard employing
10,000 workers. S. Korea has three of the world's top 5 shipyards.
We saw a floating oil refinery in its final stages, which will
be shipped to the Middle East. It was the size of several football
fields. We also received clearance to visit a large nuclear
plant (6 reactors). This tour was personally conducted by the
general manager of the plant, who was the son in law of the
ADG in that region.
Visit to Seoul and the DMZ. We were the first team to S. Korea
who visited the DMZ. A Rotarian escorted us to Seoul using
the KTZ - bullet train traveling at speeds up to 200 mph. We
spent a day seeing sites in Seoul - a sprawling city of high
rises that has about 9 million inhabitants with the second
highest cost of living in the world, exceeded only by London.
Mr. Kim saw us off (S. Koreans are not usually allowed to visit
the DMZ). We traveled by bus joined by other Americans and
a contingent of Japanese tourists. We followed a very strict
protocol - formal business attire, no laughing or pointing--and
our passports were checked twice before we boarded a UN bus
for travel into the DMZ and the North Korean border. As there
are skirmishes on this border from time to time, it was a very
solemn visit. We were reminded of what another generation of
American soldiers fought for, and we carried their spirit with
us as we visited this historic site.
Finally, it was time to bid farewell to a country and a people
who had offered us warmth, generosity and hospitality. The
formal dinner was filled with speeches and toasts, and yes,
tears. We were exhausted. We were ready to come home, richer
for this experience. We have said that there is no way for
us to ever repay what was given to us in the past month, but
we have resolved that whenever we see a visitor in our country
(Korean, especially) we will do our best to make them feel
welcome.
After three flight transfers Gwangju/Seoul; Seoul/San Francisco;
San Francisco/Minneapolis; Minneapolis/Waterloo and 30 hours
in transit we touched down in Iowa on Saturday night.
The GSE experience stands without equal in the opportunity
it offers young professionals. As leader of the team, I want
to personally thank each member of the team, who gallantly
went beyond their comfort level and personal weariness to accept
the hospitality of the South Koreans. The team: Kevin Roisland,
Molly Cormany, Laura Karlin, and Steve Hinderhofer join me
in saying thank you to all Rotarians in both Districts for
making this possible. During that last evening I proposed a
toast to all the Rotarians on whose shoulders we stood to be
able to participate in the experience of a lifetime. We saluted
you with pride and with tears. Thank you Rotarians. God bless
both countries.
Jill Olsen, Team Leader
Click here for more pictures from the GSE Team
Click Here for
a printable (PDF) report from Dr. Olsen
