N.B. – Allow me to share with you a short essay written by my wife Joy on our first few days in Daejeon, South Korea. We will upload pictures very soon. Thanks!

The Start of My Korean Adventure

By Judith L. Balean-Arao
March 12, 2009

It was a mixed emotion of excitement and anxiety. It will be a new and different adventure for Danny and I but we have to endure being apart for a year. Or can we be apart from each other that long?

Prof. Danilo Arao, my husband, was asked in early January this year by University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) Dean Elena Pernia if he is interested to serve as a visiting professor at Hannam University in Daejeon, South Korea.

My immediate reaction was to encourage him to take the opportunity since, to my mind, I can travel to Korea. I’ve always wanted to travel to Korea since I heard a lot of beautiful things about it. Nevertheless, we agreed to seriously think about the pros and cons of the offer. Only then would we finalize our decision.

On January 20, 2009, I got a call from Danny. He informed me that Dean Pernia had a serious talk with him with regard to going to Hannam University, possibly before the Spring Semester which will start on March 2.

It happened so fast that we have not even included traveling elsewhere except Jakarta, Indonesia in our plan this year. Danny went to Jakarta three times last year for lectures to ASEAN-based journalists sponsored by InWEnt-Germany. His professionalism on dealing with his craft and his expertise on media might be the reason the Germans liked him. He is also invited to go to Jakarta this April and May. Consequently, the “programmed leave” I filed with LandBank where I work is scheduled for those months, including the out-of-town speaking engagements in the Philippines he was scheduled to do.

Last February, we squeezed into our hectic schedules weekend get-aways in Cagayan De Oro and Cebu. I scoured various locations while he stayed in venues to conduct workshops. My mother, Dr. Purita L. Balean, gave us a moniker – the Explorer and the Lecturer “love team.” Nevertheless, we had a compromise to have one day for us to see the sights together.

And then came Danny’s invitation as visiting professor which further tightened our schedules but a welcome development nevertheless. For my part, I was also busy preparing for a new project, the Philippine Basic Urban Services Sector with the Asian Development Bank. On the other hand, he was busy not only with lectures but also with conducting his classes, thesis advising and the launching of Plaridel, UP CMC’s refereed journal.

I could not imagine things worked out well for us. We are now here at the center of South Korea in Daejeon. It is spring time and the wind is cool while the sun is up.

Right after welcome breakfast at the airport last March 5 by no less than the dean of Linton Global College, Prof. Todd Terhune, we took a three-hour bus ride to our new home – Hannam University’s Global House. While on the bus and I was sleeping soundly, Todd oriented Danny on the rules and regulations of the university, as well as Linton Global College (LGC).

Todd brought us to our apartment on the first level of a five-storey building. It is a wonderful, very cozy and large unit with a white motif. The entire place has a heating system. It even has a terrace. There are white blinds over the glass windows. The comfort room is standard in size. The water system has provisions for hot or cold. There is a big refrigerator I had dreamt of filling up with fresh goods, a huge and high-technology washing machine and a state-of-the-art two-burner flat stove I wish I have back home!

The university also provided us with a new bed frame and mattress, two big wardrobe cabinets with hangers, a study table, dining set and sofa set. Grocery items and snacks were brought for us as well as sewing kit, dinner ware, kitchen utensils and two umbrellas (because they say it sometimes rains in the afternoon of spring and summer). What more can we ask for?

For our very first meal together, Danny and I had Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) in-flight food for lunch. We had it packed since our flight left Manila at 1:00 a.m. We were very tired last March 4, the day before our flight. I reported for work the whole day, making sure everything is in order for my 12-day leave. Danny went to UP in the morning and then quickly drove home to pay the bills in advance, put the house in order and then buy items for his one-year stay in Korea. Upon arrival from the office I cooked our dinner while Danny prepared the luggage. We are very fortunate that Uncle Nel, my mom’s brother, and Auntie Tess, his wife, came for a surprise send-off dinner and gave us maps and books on Korea. They helped us out in washing the dishes and cleaning the table.

After a few hours rest in our new home at Global House, Danny attended a meeting at 6 p.m. with some LGC students and faculty. True enough, it was raining hard outside and was freezing cold. I was left alone again. Inspired and amazed by our new home, I cleaned it though it already looked neat. After watching what I achieved that afternoon, I had some reflections on my mind. What is happening with my mom, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, with the office, with the Philippines? Is there any difference if we are there right now or if we are here?

I also thought about the people around us who wished us well and gave us something to warm us up here made us feel very fortunate to have them. They are Dr. Aleli Quirante, Dr. Georgina Encanto, Prof. Luis Teodoro, Ms. Deng Serreng, Ms. Angie Quadra and my officemate Almi. We are also blessed that there are friends who made the launch of Plaridel on February 26 which served as a despedida party for Danny as well.

Are those gestures God’s ways for giving us a thought of migrating in this cold foreign land yet warmly welcoming us? Is our future here in Korea?

I was brought back to my senses when Danny opened the door asking me out to dinner. We dined in a nearby fast food. We spent 16,000 Korean Won, or roughly 640 Philippine pesos. For a fast food dinner, that is costly. Anyway, that is our first dinner and our first expense. We told ourselves that we will cook our food so that we could save.

The next day (March 6), I was brought by Danny to his office at LGC. I wore five clothes with a scarf and hood already but still the cold wind somewhat stretched my face and froze my hands while we walked towards the building. It is a 10-minute walk from our place to LGC. I joked to myself that the cold wild is the cheapest way of having a facelift or a botox. I even thought that in a few days I might just have a smooth, Korean complexion.

Late in the afternoon of our second day after heading to the Immigration Office with Kitty (the LGC staff who helped Danny in applying for an alien registration card), Danny and I went shopping. It was a very exhilarating experience at Home Plus-Yeonjong Branch. We had to pay for our cart and plastic bags but we can pack our purchases with boxes for free (packing tape, ribbons and scissors are also provided)! We bought flat iron, thick blankets, a coat rack, cleaning kit and cooking ware, as well as various food items.

In going home, we got lost inside the Hannam University campus for the first time due to language problems with the taxi driver who also was not familiar with the Global House which is a new building inside the university.

That night in our new home, we only had fruits for dinner because we were excited to assemble the things we bought. We felt the same excitement we had during our first purchases upon moving to our house in Marikina City in 2005.

It seemed that we are starting all over again. It was already late. Danny slept ahead of me while I was pondering on the new things we just had and the new beginnings here in Korea. If the good weather is any indication (it only rained once since we arrived), will we be able to handle everything that comes our way?

Anyway, I look forward to visiting different places here in Daejeon and hopefully in other areas like Seoul before I go back to the Philippines on March 22.