Elfelson Malik
Freshman, Advanced Material Science
Yeungnam University

First of all, I'm very glad and grateful that I was given a chance to write for The Yeungnam Observer. Hello, my name is Elfelson. Let me introduce myself briefly. I'm a foreign exchange student here at Yeungnam University. I'm from Indonesia and I'm 23 years old. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in August 2008 from the University of Indonesia. I am currently taking part in an MA program here at Yeungnam University in Advanced Material Science. I arrived in Korea in February of 2009, and I'm a first grade student. Well, that's my brief introduction. I've been here for almost 4 months, and I would like to share my experiences regarding my life here in Korea and especially at Yeungnam University.
My first impression when I came here was "it's freezing", as honestly, I never had to live in the cold. However, I managed it fairly well. In my opinion, Korea is such an interesting country that I want to get to know much better. There are so many interesting things that have impressed me, such as the culture, traditions, the people, the places of interest, the language, and the food. In my opinion, Korea is a country of manners. What I mean by this is that people respect each other by bowing their heads and they really know how to respect older people. I didn't find it difficult to adapt myself to the food here. Every dish has a unique flavor and they serve it very well. Bulgogi is one of my favorite Korean dishes. I feel like visiting all the places of beauty in Korea especially Dokdo Island which is still being contested between Korea and Japan.
Studying at Yeungnam University isn't bad at all except for the amount of work. I have a lot to do since I am a research assistant for a professor at this university. Anyway, apart from that, I truly enjoy studying my major here. Passing two levels of Korean language proficiency is compulsory at this university, but I really enjoy every minute of that class. All of the facilities are well provided here, such as high speed internet, computers, comprehensive and convenient laboratories, the dormitory, and also the meal plan in the dining room. Moreover, there are so many kinds of festivals which are held at Yeungnam University as well as trips to visit famous places in Korea.
Before I finish, let me share my experience from attending the YU Spring Festival. The cherry bloosoms were blooming perfectly at that time and everybody enjoyed seeing or taking pictures of them. Besides, there were many other interesting things such as traditional games, traditional music, parades, and other performances. What's more, we also had some competitions for foreign students who were divided into teams representing their own countries. It was a really wonderful and beautiful festival. Spring is the best season here in my opinion.  A short time after that festival, we took a trip to Mungyeong. It is a small town almost 2 hours away from Gyeongsan. There, we made pots from clay (like the scene in the movie "Ghost"), tried on dresses from other countries, and rode twin-bicycles on a rail. It is such an interesting place to go.
 All in all, I am looking forward to continuing my life here. I am always interested in learning about culture and the history of other countries. I hope I can get along with all of the people here. However, communication is still a big problem for me. I often find it difficult to talk or to express my thoughts to other people. I will try my best to learn Korean in order to speak more freely and express my opinion.

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