Jiang Lai who is 25 years old and is a Chinese student studying abroad. Jiang Lai made a significant friend named Ham Gyeong-Hui at the beginning of new semester. They both major in English Literature. They are a great help to each other in many ways. Jiang Lai advises Ham Gyeong-Hui on lifestyle as an elder, while she helps him on how to do even minor things regarding CNU and Korean culture. Here is a meaningful meeting, which makes us feel a fresh friendship!
Two and a half years after Jiang Lai arrived in Korea, he felt a pressure on his chest because he couldn’t express what he really wants to say. He wants to make a Korean friend, so they could meet through tutoring program designed for foreign students implemented by CNU Language Education Center in March this year. Although tutoring was originally designed to match with a person who has the same sex, Jiang Lai and Ham Gyeong-Hui were matched because of her late application. She looked very pretty and nice to him when he first met her in front of the office of the Language Education Center. They think it was a very special opportunity for each other.
2. How Did They Become Special Friends to Each Other?
Jiang Lai got in touch with Gyeong-Hui to ask how to register for courses at first because everything is unfamiliar and hard to do himself. Gyeong-Hui gave a detailed explanation to him even after calling the concerned department office. Jiang Lai generally asked her helps in everything because he didn’t have any Korean friends except for her. For example, he had to find out materials about Korean movie “Sunny” for a project in his class. She helped searching for the materials together. Also, Jiang Lai got to know the things that he hadn’t known if he hadn’t talked personally in Korea such as Korean emoticons using Hangul. He recently learned the mean of “ㅡㅡ” that is used when one feels bad. Moreover, they shared a common experience regarding having the same kind of a dog, poodle. They talked about them going out for a walk with their dogs and training them to obey an order that is common in both Korean and Chinese cultures. They became special friends by sharing their experiences.
3. What Culture Do You Want to Introduce to Each Other?
Jiang Lai says he wants to show her the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday that is the biggest events in China. As family members gather altogether including relatives, they eat delicious food such as dumplings. He would like to spend the time enjoying this holiday with Gyeong-Hui. On the other hand, Gyeong-Hui wants to show him demonstration culture of Korea because she thinks it is unlikely to happen in China. She said she would like to let him know we can protest in public by a peaceful means such as candlelight vigil that is becoming topical in Korea nowadays.
4. What Do You Want to Do Most Together?
They both say that they would like to take a trip together even though they don’t know where they want to go. Jiang Lai says he wants to take a trip with her because it is hard to travel alone in Korea. He especially wants to travel Jeju island as he knew only Busan, Jeju island, and Seoul in Korea before he came to CNU. On the other hand, Gyeong-Hui would like to take him to Daegu because it is her hometown. She thinks it will be very interesting if she can introduce beautiful places of Daegu and meet her family.
5. What Friend Means to Each Other?
Gyeong-Hui : Jiang Lai is my Chinese friend who met through probability of one over 1.3 billion Chinese population. I like to introduce my foreign friend, confidently Jiang Lai to persons I know. He looks like my older brother because he sometimes shares his various experiences, such as working at a hotel as a bellboy and even his love story.
Jiang Lai : Gyeong-Hui is a precious friend who makes me feel comfortable in Korea. I think I’m poor at Korean language and unfamiliar with Korean culture. However, I had a Korean friend that I can rely on in asking all things up to even insignificant things. I’m so happy to have a special friend through a tutoring program at CNU.
Ha Ye-ji | By CP Cub Reporter
Dept. of English Language and Literature
Dept. of English Language and Literature