Gwangju International Center

안녕하세요! My name is Jeremy and I am from the United States. Recently I took part in the GIC Feel@Home Homestay program last Thursday, October 3. The GIC started October off with a bang as local foreigners explored Damyang with their new host families as part of the GIC's Feel@Home Homestay program. Fifteen participants from Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Gabon, Malaysia, the United States, and families from South Korea dyed t-shirts, walked in the "Slow City", tasted Smoked Duck, gained a firsthand view of a traditional Korean Tea Ceremony, and ended the day with a treasure hunt and game of Charades. This trip to Damyang was a truly different experience that I simply could not find in my home country of the United States and I'm glad I got to share it with the GIC!

I was greeted by my host sisters, Jinsil and Gina Choi, when I arrived at the GIC early Thursday morning. We met the other homestay families and rode the bus to our first activity of the day: dyeing t-shirts! I had never dyed t-shirts using Indigo (or any other natural ingredients for that matter), a blue color that is associated with the Azure Dragon of the east to symbolize water and plants. My shirt came out pretty well if I do say so myself! After dyeing our shirts, we strolled along the Slow City to learn more about its history but I also used this time to meet the other homestay participants and families. 

Afterwards our group had lunch at Cheong Jeong Ok. Two delicious smoked ducks were on the menu along with traditional Korean side dishes. With full stomachs, we were ready to enjoy the Korean Tea Ceremony to see the proper way tea is prepared and drunken. Tea was a luxury in the past and drinking it was a sign of nobility and class, therefore preparing it required a specific process that we were fortunate enough to witness. 

We ended our day with two games: a treasure hunt and Charades. The host families and homestay participants searched for the treasured pieces of paper with a GIC stamp for a prize at the end. We played our final game of Charades in which my team got second place!

I had great time exploring Korean culture in Damyang but my favorite part was dyeing our t-shirts. It was an interesting process and now I have a cool new t-shirt to show off! However, it was each and every one of the participants and host families that truly made this trip much more memorable. I'm glad I had the privilege and pleasure of sharing Damyang with the GIC!

Thanks GIC! Until next time! If you're interested in learning more about the GIC Feel@Home Homestay Program, check out our web page and join today!

Jeremy Azurin(USA, Feel@Home Homestay Participant)

Photos by Gyeong-hwa Park