Heaven Sent

Blessings! We receive blessings of different sorts everyday. Just waking up to face a new day for instance is already a blessing. For me, people that come to our lives  are the best blessings we can get, well of course more especially if they make our lives easier, more enjoyable and fruitful, and they help us become a better person.

Dr. Dong Sup Lee and Dr. Sung Ho Kim

I've been hearing about Dr. Dong Sup Lee (이동숩) for a long time. He usually visit the Philippines once a year and each time he will stay in our university.  He was, back then a professor at Sangju National University. I first met him in 2011 or was that in 2010, I'm not really sure. While having dinner he asked me, "Would you like to come study in my University?" Who in her right mind would answer "no", right? So I said "Yes Sir."  

When Dr. Lee visited the Philippines in July 2012, I was so surprised that he still remembered who I was, and in passing he again talked about me studying in Korea. This was also the time when I met Dr. Sung Ho Kim (김숭호), a colleague of Dr. Lee who became the president of Korea Forest Promotions Institute after retiring from the university.  I wasn't able to personally talk to him during that time because they were busy.  But after that we had constant communication because he was the one who looked for a scholarship for me.  In February 2013 he asked me to apply to the KGPA Scholarship Program and in March I received notification that I'm "nominated" to get the scholarship but that I have to apply to and be accepted by a university.  He helped me in a lot of other things after that. He "introduced" me to Professor Kim, answered my querries about the application process in the university, visa application, and even on how will I to get to Sangju once I arrive in Korea.

Professor Dong Geun Kim

One of the application forms for the scholarship has to be filled-up by a professor in Korea and this was accomplished by Professor Dong Geun Kim (김동근) of Kyungpook National University, probably due to persuasions coming from Dr. Lee and Dr. Kim. Still he did it even without meeting me or knowing who I was.  I just started sending him e-mails when the result of the scholarship application came out and so I had to apply to a university. I applied at KNU in May this time with the help of Professor Kim. He even paid the 60,000 원 application fee. And after a rather long wait I was accepted by July. (Oh, for those who have Boxbe, make sure you check the Boxbe waiting list folder if you're waiting for an important communication. I almost lost this opportunity because I thought there's no email yet, but all along it was just in the waiting list and I almost missed the deadline for confirmation.) I've pestered him with a lot of questions, especially when I was preparing for visa application. There might even been a time when I've sent him 3 e-mails in a day but he replied to each query even when he was on a business trip in Europe.

The three of them had and are such blessings to me until now.  One is my 아버지 (ahbeoji - father), he introduces me to other people as his "daughter from the Philippines"; the other my sponsor and the very first person to make me drink 소주 (soju) :-(; and the last one is my 교수님 (kyosunim - professor), a very caring and understanding mentor. They are the three pillars I hold on to.  I wouldn't be able to enjoy this opportunity without them.

Oh there's a fourth pillar, who's in the Philippines.

Lunch with Kwan Hee and Areum

Another person has been helping me a lot since I arrived in Korea. My laboratory Captain, Kwan Hee Lee (이관희).  He fetched me from the airport, brought me to Daejeon for the KGPA Scholarship Awarding Ceremony, accompanied me in Daegu for the orientation, helped me in applying for a bank account, an Alien Registration Card in Gumi, a hand phone, registering in my classes, and with a lot more things. At times, I think I've burdened him enough to last a lifetime but he's always there ever so willing to assist me, to be my representative, translator (I cause most of his headaches by forcing him to speak in English ^,^), and friend - even if here in Korea you can't say that you're friends with those younger or older than you. But since I'm a Filipino, I guess I'm exempted. He even sometimes tags me along and introduces me to his friends, who are always fun to be with. He has made my first months here in Korea a lot easier.

They are all heaven sent. I can only pray that blessings be poured upon them by the Almighty.