Our Korean student Eunyoung’s story

Hello. I’m Eunyoung from South Korea. I’ve been in Ireland for almost 4 months and I’m studying English in ISI.

I won the photo competition in March. I got a Paddy Wagon voucher for 2 people including 1 night. I went to Northern Ireland on the 25th & 26th May 2019 with my boyfriend.

My trip to Belfast was so amazing. This was my first time going to Northern Ireland. I went to the Titanic museum, dark hedges which are the site of ‘Game of Thrones’, and also the Giants Causeway. I’ve never experienced winds so strong. I was shown rocks that were eroded by the wind. I also had a chance to see Queens University. That was magnificent. The scenery was astonishing. It was windy and cold during the trip. But, there was a moment where the sun came out when I was at the Giants Causeway. It was fantastic. The sky was clear. Every picture that I took was like a painting.

There are not a lot of differences between Belfast and Dublin. I think the main difference is that they use English flags and pounds. But, when I asked the cashier, I found most of the shops accept Euro as well as pounds. The car plates are different, the plate at the back is yellow and the front one is white.

Compared with the situation in Korea. Visiting Northern Ireland without ID was completely impressing due to the fact I can’t go to North Korea at all. Korea is divided into South and North Korea. If I want to go to North Korea, I need a passport and visa. But it’s impossible to get a visa for South Korean to travel North Korea. I got jealous of this. I hope we can get reunification soon.

I love life in Dublin. I’m having a great time. I’ve always lived with my family. After I came here, I do everything on my own. I feel like I’m being a real independent adult. And, it’s good to learn about Europe’s culture which is different from Korea’s culture. Every experience helps me to think creatively. I’m glad that it’s getting warmer and the sun is staying longer than usual. And, it’s interesting to see that it’s still bright outside at 10 pm.

My teacher was Finbarr and I was in his class for 3months. He’s the best teacher ever! He cares about his students. He taught us balanced English skills in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Thanks to him, I can improve my English skills. Now I’m confident when using English.

I love social activities. It’s a vitamin in my school life. I took part in a lot of social activities. On the first day of school, I did a walking tour which helped me to get to know Dublin. I think it’s good for new students. The fact that students can experience good quality outdoor activities is the best thing. To improve English skills, we have to use English. Studying happens not only in the classroom but also in real life, and social activities help me with this a lot. For example, there was an event for students to find chocolate eggs. We don’t celebrate Easter in Korea. It was an interesting event that helped me to learn about Easter. And it was really fun! I found 2 eggs : )

I like everything about Ireland, especially the people. I usually meet people through volunteering. All of the people that I’ve met here are delightful. They pay a lot of interest to me and Korea. I’m proud of introducing Korea. I love Ireland’s rich history as well. All of them are interesting. There’re a lot of exciting places to visit which are related to history. I’m planning to go everywhere before I leave. The best thing that I love is ‘Guinness’. That’s so good here in comparison to the taste of Guinness in Korea. If I’m ever dying just plug Guinness straight into my veins please~ haha : )

I’m glad I study at ISI. Firstly, it has good teachers. Studying is communication with the teacher and their students. I find the school very helpful because the teachers are interactive and nice. I feel like I can learn ‘Real English’ here. Secondly, there are many students who come from different countries to study here, which is good for learning a variety of cultures. I can understand other cultures better now. And I made nice friends in the class. My best friend Marina went back to Brazil and I’ll go visit her next year. It’s good to have friends all over the world. I’m sure that the people that choose to study at ISI are making a great choice. In addition, it has an amazing canteen!! It’s comfortable, cozy. I can relax there. I enjoy spending my time in the canteen.

I would like to say thank you to ‘ISI’ for this amazing experience!