Category: Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia

Making friends

Perhaps the most pressing concern I had on my mind before I left for South Korea was the need to make friends while on the trip. Prior to leaving New Zealand, I was already incredibly close with many of the other UoA students on the trip as we were in the same 2022 Korean classes…Continue Reading Making friends

First week of classes

Classes started on the 13th of December. After our zoom placement tests, we found out on the school portal which level we would take. The level structure for Korean classes at KU’s Korean language centre is different to the University of Auckland’s. Having completed only Korean 110 and 111 at UoA, I was confident I…Continue Reading First week of classes

Middle-Ditto

Walk in this 미로 다 아는 건 아니어도 바라던 대로 말해줘 say it back /Walk in this maze Not that I know everything but Just as I want it Say it say it back/ -NewJeans, <Ditto> Firstly, happy new year! I can’t say I was 100% looking forward to it, but like most things in…Continue Reading Middle-Ditto

Tourist trapped

We have reached a strange point in the trip. We have officially passed the midpoint of our journey, which now counts as the longest continuous time I have spent outside Aotearoa. It is a strange time to pass through because we have adapted to life in Taiwan, and, at the same time, we have not….Continue Reading Tourist trapped

Goood Morning, Vietnaaaam!

The last few days have been surreal. I can’t believe I have only been here for four days, but I’m not sure if that’s because it feels like I only left yesterday or if it feels like a lifetime ago. We have managed to pack so much in since we arrived, and I’ve been able…Continue Reading Goood Morning, Vietnaaaam!

New Year’s Eve in Siam, Bangkok

สวัสดีปีใหม่. Happy New Year! I’ve decided to start my first blog post by describing the amazing night in Siam, Bangkok, as midnight hit and the new year began. The night began around 7pm with a quick train ride to Siam Station via the BTS Skytrain, absolutely crammed with locals and tourists alike. Many were excited…Continue Reading New Year’s Eve in Siam, Bangkok

New year, new city

Taipei’s New Year’s fireworks are world-renowned, so it was impossible to pass up the opportunity to see them. That was the primary driver of the most intense all-nighter I have pulled. Despite the difficulties, it was an enriching experience. Our night started in the day with a 1:30 pm train from Tainan to Taipei. Given…Continue Reading New year, new city

its not all fun and games sometimes, and that is ok

January 2nd 2022 9:56 PM 大家好! 圣诞快乐! 新年快乐! This last week has been very busy. Busy enough that I forgot to submit my last blog for review! Last week was Christmas, which was very different and interesting. It was hard to be away from family, however. This was the second year in a row in…Continue Reading its not all fun and games sometimes, and that is ok

台南 Shenanigans Continued: speaking 中文

December 22nd 2022, 11:05AM 大家好! 我希望你们很好! 这周很忙! 我们去上课,去开会等等。 This week has been our first official week in the 大学的宿舍, and I had not realised how much of a difference it would make. I will not lie, it has been a bit of an interesting experience to live in the 宿舍, more than anything because of…Continue Reading 台南 Shenanigans Continued: speaking 中文