Writer홍보협력팀
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2021-10-15
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Hong Su-min and Camila, who were teacher and student, and colleagues from KSI Santiago UDP to Korea. Let’s take a look at the special story of their long relationship.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
My first job as a dispatched teacher of Korean was in Chile. The three-year assignment I spent at KSI Santiago UDP from 2015 was my first step as a dispatched teacher at KSI. Since then, I worked at KSI Cultural Center in Mexico, and now I’m working at KSI at KCC Spain since 2019. Of the three KSIs that I"ve worked at, KSI Santiago UDP is the most memorable. At the time, I didn’t know any Spanish at all. Camila, who was working as a class assistant helped me a lot.
Camila:
I’ve always been interested in K-pop and Korean dramas, and I got to know about KSI from a friend. I studied Korean at KSI for four years since 2014. From 2015, I also worked as a member of the operations team. I met Teacher Hong Su-min when I had started working in the operations team. The teacher who was there previously spoke good Spanish. It was easy to understand because he explained not only everyday conversations but also difficult Korean words in Spanish. However, you can only improve your language skills by using the language repeatedly. I was concerned that my speaking skills were not improving. That is when I met Teacher Hong. I was worried when I first found that she didn"t speak any Spanish, but I tried hard to communicate in my poor Korean. Naturally, my Korean speaking skills improved quickly.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
To me, Camila was a student and a colleague who worked with me on the operations team. We also worked together in assisting administrative affairs. As far as I know, Camila had already a high level of Korean proficiency to communicate smoothly. I’m happy to hear that her Korean skills improved with me.
Camila:
I’m sure that all the students in the Dinosaur class thought the same. The Dinosaur class is the intermediate class that Teacher Hong first taught. It was named so to mean a class of talents as big and strong as dinosaurs. Thanks to Teacher Hong teaching the class only in Korean, we could all improve our skills, as big as dinosaurs.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
There were many talented people in the Dinosaur class, as its name. There were two outstanding learners from Korean Speech Contests. The students in the Dinosaur class were very active in the class, and they took the lead in volunteering for various school events. They are the only class at KSI Santiago UDP to start the intermediate class and finished until graduation.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
Out of the three years that I worked at KSI Santiago UDP, I spent two years with the students of Dinosaur class. I remember the students who dressed in hanbok and performed samulnori at the talent show the year they graduated. They won the first prize, of course!
Camila:
To me, the students of Dinosaur class and Teacher Hong are like family. I used to look forward to Saturday mornings when I went to classes. I had so much fun studying together with the students that I sometimes wish I could go back.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
I have a lot of fun memories with the students of Dinosaur class. Especially, Camila and I became good friends naturally by working together outside class. Once, I met Camila by coincidence while I was traveling in Atacama in northern Chile, and I thought, “We really do have a special relationship!”
Camila:
What I remember the most is the day Teacher Hong invited us to her place. When she was first dispatched, Teacher Hong was just “a foreigner in Spain.” It must have been hard for her to come to a country where she doesn’t even speak the language and make it home. However, Teacher Hong invited the students of the Dinosaur class home and gave us a heartwarming time. I felt that communication was done not only through words but through hearts, and we were able to get closer to each other.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
Thanks to Camila and other students in the Dinosaur class, I was able to adjust to local life quickly. However, the time for parting came too soon for us, too. On the day I left for Mexico from Chile in 2017, Camila and a number of students from the Dinosaur class came to see me off at the airport. We made a promise to meet again there someday.
Camila:
We kept the promise in Korea. In 2019, I was selected as a scholarship student invited by the Korean government to study abroad. When Teacher Hong returned to Korea in 2020, I was delighted to meet her again. It was even nicer to see her in Korea!
Teacher Hong Su-min:
We traveled to Wiyangji Pond in Miryang that Camila has badly wanted to visit. What was particularly memorable was when we walked through Pyochungsa Temple, a historic temple built in the Silla period. Against the backdrop of the Cheonhwangsan and Jaeyaksan Mountains, the scenery was really beautiful. We took a leisurely walk around the temple and took photos. We also enjoyed aromatic tea in a traditional teahouse and learned about Korea’s tea ceremony culture. Those happy times now feel almost like a dream!
Camila:
We still keep in touch through mobile messaging. We decided to go to see the sea of Jeju together when COVID-19 is over. The day we look at the sea together will surely come, right?
Camila:
I had a recurring dream since I started studying at King Sejong Institute. It was studying abroad in Korea. I finally achieved that dream, and now I am studying visual design in Korea. These days, I am interested in traditional Korean architecture. There certainly was a good reason why I visited Pyochungsa Temple with Teacher Hong!
Teacher Hong Su-min:
It’s a pity that Camila cannot have a normal life of a student studying abroad due to COVID-19. Classes are conducted through Zoom instead of face-to-face, and most of the friends she made here are foreigners from her language school. She must have been excited to travel around Korea, experience the culture, and make new friends. Fortunately, some of her friends from the Dinosaur class are studying here in Korea, and they are helping each other out.
Camila:
There is nothing I can about it, as the entire world is experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, but it is frustrating for me. I heard that KSI is also having online classes mainly. I feel lucky that I got to meet Teacher Hong and my friends in the Dinosaur class before the spread of COVID-19. Even in these difficult times, there are a lot of precious memories, which give me renewed strength.
Teacher Hong Su-min:
As she did for me in Chile, I want to help Camila as much as possible while she is in Korea. I cannot come to Korea because I have responsibilities as a dispatched teacher, but I want her to know that my heart is always with her. See you soon, Camila. And let’s walk together on the beach of Jeju, the place you’ve always wanted to visit. We will always be friends!
Camila:
I cannot forget the moment I met her again in Korea. I was really happy. To me and my friends from the Dinosaur class, Teacher Hong is a kind teacher and a good friend. I will finish graduate school next year, and I want to get a job in Korea and settle there. I will work hard for the future, waiting to see her again. Teacher Hong, and my friends from the Dinosaur class, I love you all!