Writer홍보협력팀
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2021-12-15
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It didn't take long for Kim Su-jin and Deborah, who met as a teacher and a student, respectively, to become friends and further into a family. Here we take a look back on the five years of the friendship they have built at the KSI in São Leopoldo, Brazil, over the past five years.
![A relationship that started with a misunderstanding]](https://www.ksif.or.kr/newsletter_eng/21_12/img/202112_0802.jpg)
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
It seems like only yesterday that I landed in Brazil, on the other side of the world, five years ago, in August 2016. I’ve met many people here in my late 20s and early 30s, but, if I have to pick one, I can’t help but choose “Deborah” naturally. She was one of the first students in the Sejong Korean Beginner Class 1 at KSI São Leopoldo, Brazil. Deborah joined the class only three weeks after the class began because her email address was missing, so she was not informed of the class date. We met later than we were supposed to and that was how our special relationship began.
Deborah :
I was in high school when I first visited King Sejong Institute. Through K-pop, I became interested in the Korean language, and as I learned about Korean culture and economic development, I thought, vaguely that it would be great if I could do whatever I like later in Korea. While researching schools in preparation for college, I learned about the KSI São Leopoldo run by Unisinos University. It was like discovering a new world, although I was a bit late, unintentionally, in taking a first step into a new world.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
Those who missed the class when learning Hangeul tend to find it difficult to catch up and give up completely. I was worried about Deborah because she seemed frustrated on the first day. I thought to myself, “Maybe she might not understand it at all and totally give up.” However, I was thankfully proven wrong. After the first class, Deborah came to me and asked for the class materials from the previous classes. When she approached me, I was a bit concerned because I saw her grimacing throughout class. Also, I had a meeting right after class and didn’t have time to copy all the materials. So I gave her the materials I had. Deborah sent me a message that evening.
Deborah :
I saw all the answers handwritten by Kim in the material she gave to me. Since I couldn’t read the letters correctly, I sent her a message, which eventually drew us closer.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
We text-chatted and my misunderstanding about Deborah was also cleared up. She made her face in class because she was concentrating on my lecture. She was quite active, asking a lot of questions, and showed enthusiasm for learning Korean. I could feel her passion and helped her as best I could. We spent more time together outside classroom, having a heartfelt conversation. Deborah visited the KSI to have lunch with me even when there was no class. When I was sick, she followed me to the infirmary and volunteered to take care of me as a guardian. We became friends, then. We still talk often about the first day we met. Deborah still complains about being misunderstood by me.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
As we got closer, Deborah invited me over for Christmas and New Year holidays, as well as her family’s birthday parties. I especially remember the Christmas I spent with her family. In Brazil, a Catholic nation, Christmas is a holiday similar to New Year’s Day or Chuseok in Korea. It was a time to celebrate with family, but Deborah and her family greeted me warmly during the Christmas season. Since her family is German-Brazilian, they spoke German at home. I couldn’t tell if they spoke Portuguese or German. I made a lot of mistakes while trying to learn their language.
Deborah :
In Brazil, most stores are closed on Christmas Day. Since I was worried if Su-jin would be home alone, I invited her over. In fact, I had till then little experience in meeting foreigners until I studied at KSI. When I met Su-jin, it was really amazing. At first, she didn’t understand Portuguese, so taught me by drawing a lot and her drawing was really bad, which I found really cute. Thanks to her passion for teaching, many students including me could open their hearts and learn Korean. I wanted to do my best to help her. In doing so, I came to consider her part of my family.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
Deborah and her family even gave me a birthday cake on one New Year holiday season. My birthday is in November, but she gave me that special present upon learning that Koreans turn one year older on New Year’s Day in class. The cake was decorated with the phrase “Happy Birthday” written in Korean. It really touched my heart and felt warmth as if she were my family here on the other side of the world.
Deborah :
Su-jin is now so close to my family and relatives that they ask me about her whereabouts when she doesn’t show up on my family occasion. We are 10 years apart, but we’re like sisters. We used to see each other at least once per week before the outbreak of COVID-19, but it’s a shame that we can’t, now.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
However, we still text chat every day. On Deborah’s birthday in October, I visited her and had a great time together. I also invited Deborah and her family to dinner on my birthday and served them Korean dishes. I hope that the COVID-19 pandemic ends soon and so that we can spend more time together in the future.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
Although Deborah was a latecomer, she worked harder than anyone else. She made great strides in her study and even helped her classmates with Korean later on. Also, she got a near perfect score on the final performance assessment and topped her class. Some students were even jealous of our friendship. Although she made the achievement on her own, some students took it the wrong way as if I had something to do with her grade. I then asked my colleague to teach the class Deborah belonged to and she stood out in that class as well. In May 2019, Deborah won the first prize in the Korean speaking contest and was chosen as an outstanding student. I was really proud of her.
Deborah :
I was chosen as an outstanding student and given the opportunity to visit Korea. I still remember that Su-jin’s parents visited me at the hotel in Korea to give me a congratulatory present. In fact, this was not my first time to visit Korea. A year ago, I bought a plane ticket to Korea with the money I saved since I was a child. Luckily, Su-jin had to participate in a workshop that was held in Korea. She left for Korea a couple of days earlier than I and, when I arrived in Korea, she came to the airport to greet me with a welcome sign written in Korea, which was quite a pleasant surprise and we laughed a lot. I stayed at her house for a week and had a great time with her family. I’m grateful that her parents still remembered me and came all the way to the hotel just to congratulate me.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
I’m sure Deborah felt the way I felt when I met her family in Spain. I also hoped that she had many memorable experiences in Korea, even though she stayed for just a short time.
Deborah :
The Pansori performance I saw in Jeonju was especially memorable. Before watching the performance, I worried that it would be difficult for me understand the traditional Korean art. However, the singer struck a dialogue with the audience a lot and it felt like a stand-up comedy. As I love comedy, I really enjoyed it.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
Deborah is graduating from college this year. She’s now busy writing her thesis and doing her internship. She also completed all the final 8th Sejong Korean course last semester, which is great in that she completed the KSI course before she graduates from college. I hope she will return and take the TOPIK class even if she joins the workforce after graduation next year. I’m already excited to do a lot of memorable things together with her.
Deborah :
I would like to attend a graduate school in Korea, even if I cannot do it right now. Su-jin also encouraged me to follow my dream. To me, KSI and Su-jin are like the “map” in my mind. If I haven’t found KSI São Leopoldo or met Su-jin, I may be still wandering in search of some place to learn Korean. Again, I thank Su-jin for allowing me to count on her whenever I feel exhausted and lonely. I will continue working hard to become your student you’re proud of and a foreigner fluent in Korean.
Teacher Kim Su-jin:
Cheers to Deborah’s future! And I’ll always be with her on her journey to the future. I remember our first overseas trip together. We took a bus to go to Uruguay. I hope that our friendship will endure for the rest of our lives!
