YuChing Lin learned Korean in Taiwan following his friend’s recommendation. He was interested in Korean culture, so he came here. He met two Korean friends here, and they are his best friends, not just one but two best friends in Korea. This is how two men and one woman became best friends. It is not easy to find one friend who is congenial, but YuChing Lin has two. Let’s hear what he has to say!

 1. How Did You Become Friends?

 YuChing Lin: Last semester, I took a political science and diplomacy class. In that class, I met Lee Aehwa. On the very first day, I introduced myself as a foreign student. Her friend saw me talking in Chinese and talked to me first. Her friend could speak Chinese. So, I became friends with her friend, and naturally I met her. After that, she became my guide as a Korean student. She helped me very much, and we got very close to each other. One of her friends wanted to have a foreign friend. So, she introduced me to her friend. Her friend was Lee Kwangyeon. The three of us often met and had chicken together. We became good friends.

 2. Is There An Episode That You Want to Share?

 YuChing Lin: We often went to E-mart and had pizza there. One day, Lee Kwangyeon showed us his tongue touching his nose while eating pizza. So, I tried it. We took pictures in ridiculous poses. It was very funny, so I remember it the most.

3. What Do You Three Have in Common?

 Lee Aehwa: We like to eat. So, we usually visit famous restaurants together. We visit restaurants in and out of Gung-dong. We sometimes prepare and pack up delicious food and go on a picnic.

 Lee Kwangyeon: We also all like to travel. We haven’t had a chance to travel together yet, but we promised to go to Incheon. I hope we can go to some other places as well.

 4. How Have Your Friends Helped You?

 YuChing Lin: Lee Aehwa has helped me a lot as a foreign student guide. It was very difficult to adapt to Korea without knowing too much about the country. However, I could get over the difficulties with her assistance. She also helped me register courses. When I went to Jeju Island on vacation, she booked an airline ticket for me. I thanked her a lot. Lee Kwangyeon made me very comfortable. He often told me jokes, so I could become friends with him quickly.

 5. What Did You Find Impressive in Relation to The Cultural Exchange?

 Lee Kwangyeon: We talk in Korean with each other. We found out that pronunciation is similar between Korean and Chinese. For example, the word ‘library’ is similarly pronounced between Korean and Chinese. I was very impressed to find that two entirely different languages can have similar pronunciation.

 Lee Aehwa: I learned a Chinese dialect from YuChing Lin. I was impressed with it.

 YuChing Lin: I was very impressed with Korean greeting custom. In Korea, people bow when they greet someone. In Taiwan, there’s no such thing. In Korea, people are addressed differently, depending on the age, for examples, ‘Nuna’ or ‘Hyung’. At first, I found it awkward and inconvenient to bow, but now I bow before anyone else does.

 We heard from YuChing Lin on how he met friends from different countries. Their age and nationality are different, but they have overcome the difficulties by understanding their cultural differences and focusing on what they have in common. Most of all, maintaining their relationship is possible because they care for each other.