Chapter 02

Student Exchange Program, New Zealand

“We plan our lives according to a dream that comes to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It’s just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it was a riddle, and fulfils the dream in a ways we couldn’t have expected.’’

  ~Ben Okri Quotes

Shinhye POV

Like every other exchange-student-to-be, I had no thought except about how life would be. New place, new universities; I got to experience other cultures while learning the good English language for myself and having fun for a whole year. I had no idea that I was going to meet two wonderful people who would later be listed amongst the most important people in my life.

I was selected as one of 10 university students to be involved in a student exchange program. For one year, everything was going to be funded, and clean on-campus accommodation was going to be provided while we studied.

This special program brought me to New Zealand: Home of The Lord of the Rings. The plane trip over was incredibly long, but definitely worth the view that we got as the jet landed at Auckland International Airport.

After the stress of immigration and customs clearance, we walked out the arrivals hall where the program’s representative, Mr Mark Milan had been waiting.

We gathered around for a little brief about the programs and had a chance to inquire about our accommodation.

“Ms Park Shinhye?’’ Mr. Mark asked, calling out my name from a clipboard.

I approached him, only to be informed that I was be relocated to accommodation outside of the campus.  The on-campus hostel was full. I don’t know if I should say that I was lucky as I also found out from Mr Mark that the host university would be paying for my student apartment rent but not the food. So yes, I was living in luxury while in Auckland, but I would not be able to splurge on meals.

While in Auckland, the place where I called ‘HOME’ for one year was METROPOLIS 18^TH Floor A located at Courthouse Lane, City Centre. Adjacent to it was the beautiful Albert Park, and just 10 minutes away was the University of Auckland: my host university.

After sending other students to the campus hostel, the representative dropped me off in front of my apartment building. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the bell boy, and the receptionists gave me my room key. My room was on the 7^th floor, Room 7B. I walked to the elevator and stepped inside, but a strange thing happened once I got inside.

I couldn’t find the elevator button.

“Where is the button?” I mumble. At the same time a young man entered the elevator too. Startled and Confuse I just stand like a fool..

“What level?”  he asked.

“Uh uh, 7,” I said.

“Room key?” he asked again.

“Room key??” I asked back.

“You need to swipe your room key for the lift to move. Then only you can press the elevator button for your wish level. Room keys are important here. Without them you can’t even open the emergency stair’’ he explained.  “So make sure you never forget to bring your room key.”

After that, the lift moved. It stopped at 7^th floor. I thanked him, got out and searched for my room. Once inside, I was surprised to see how big it was.

“Am I really going to stay here alone?’’ I mumble. I screamed out in joy, and unpacked my luggage. I went to sleep early that night because I was so tired from the flight.

On the first day at University of Auckland, New Zealand, I felt like I didn’t fit in. I understood the English language very well but I wasn’t a fluent or confident speaker.  Also, the culture was so different. Just having lunch was hard.  When I went to the cafeteria for the first time, I wondered where I was supposed to sit.

I didn’t know a single soul in the eatery, but I then thought that the year would be whatever I chose do with it. It can be great or it could be the worst year of my life – my choice.

I chose to work things out myself. I asked a girl next to me in line at the cafeteria if I could sit next to her. She was so nice. She introduced herself as Seo Joo Hyun.

Startled, I asked, “Are you Korean?’’

She told me that her dad was Korean, but her mother was American. She was an exchange student from America, where she majored in international trade and commerce.

Even though I was just having lunch with her on that first day, I knew she would become a great friend. (You know how you get the feeling as if 'you have known each other forever’). We talked and laughed throughout the meal until she excused herself so that she could return to her faculty.

Time passed as it usually did, and it wasn’t long before I had been there a week. There had been some homesickness, but it only came like a small wave, and then it was gone when I remembered how lucky I was. I phoned my family back in Seoul and told them everything about New Zealand thanks to Skype.  I also told them about my increasing friendship with Seohyun.

Seohyun POV

As I looked up at the departure sign, a lot of emotions ran though me: excitement, curiosity and nervousness. It was finally time to say goodbye to my mom. I’d prepared myself for this exciting and sad day, but I never knew that the ‘goodbye’ part would be the hardest.  I’m very close to my mom, and I’m about to set off to New Zealand, a country I’ve never explored.  I would be there for a full year as part of a student exchange program.

When I arrived at Auckland International Airport, I was more nervous than I thought I would be. My nerves were going crazy as the car pulled up to my home for the next year. Mr Mark Milan, the host university representative, was the one that got me to my campus accommodation.

After sleeping off my jet lag for two straight days, I explored some of Auckland. I decided to explore early.  The first day of classes at the University of Auckland was fast approaching.

I stood in line at the cafeteria. While waiting, I looked around for empty seat.  Suddenly, the girl in front of me asked if she could sit with me during lunch. I was thankful to her because otherwise, I would have been eating alone. We chatted a bit before I excused myself for my next class.

One month in Auckland passed quickly. Besides being busy with classes, I spent a lot of my spare time Skype-ing my mom.  I told her about my trip and what everyday life was like in Auckland.  I also told her about Shinhye.

At first I thought that I’d only be having one meal with Shinhye, but we actually got to become really close friends.  Whether it was for mutual support, talking or teaching, we were there for each other. When she taught me the Korean language, I helped her to improve her English language in return.  Yes, it was like that; giving and taking.

Yonghwa POV

The day we met was a windy sunny day.  As usual, I make my way home to my apartment after finishing all my classes for the day. Upon arrival at the lobby, I saw a young girl hauling her luggage on to the lift. She pushed the buttons countless times, but she was getting nowhere (It was a glass elevator shaft).

“Definitely new in town,” I said to myself.

I slowly make my way to the elevator. Once inside, I stood on the other side of the elevator and waited to see if she would ask for help.  She just stood there, looking cute and confused.

I took pity on her.  I asked for her room floor and told her the importance of the room key at Metropolis. When we reached her level floor, she thanked me before exiting the elevator.

Two days later, I meet her again on my way to buy food at the nearest supermarket. She was standing in front of an ice-cream stall eating Hokey Pokey, the official New Zealand ice-cream flavour. I walked past her when she suddenly stopped me, and she thanked me again for my help with using the lift. She introduced herself as Park Shinhye, an exchange student from Korea.

I then introduced myself as William Jung.