525,600 minutes

A view from the plane before touchdown

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred moments so dear,
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

I first set foot on South Korean soil exactly a year ago. During that time, I didn't know anyone here aside from my sponsors (Dr. Lee and Dr. Kim of KoFPI), Prof. Kim, Yoo Ri (KGPA), and Freda. It was really such a leap of faith.

Love at First Sight - Mountains

It was truly an adventure. All I had were my luggage, a few bucks, and a printout of an e-mail in which the name of my laboratory captain, who fetched me at the airport, was written. I'm just so blessed that since I arrived, my professor (김동근 교수님), my laboratory captain (이관희) and other lab mates, my room mates/friends  were always there to guide and help me.

Fascinated with the tunnels
Some of which are almost 2 kms long

In a year, I've been to various places in South Korea; ate different Korean food/delicacies (including puffer fish); learned to eat spicy food,  use chopsticks and commute to and from Incheon International Airport and major cities; and most especially, gained new friends from different countries who've made my stay here more enjoyable and memorable. I'm so grateful for all of these.

There's one thing that didn't change though, I still can't speak Korean, my tongue is just too stubborn.

I look forward to another year.