I give thanks God for the wonderful experience I had in Korea. It started in Santiago Chile expecting and exiting, after that my relatives were in the airport worried and giving advices to me in order to be safe in a different culture. It was my first travel abroad and I noticed during my 40 hour flying the wideness of my continent, the beauty of “Los Andes Mountain” and how people and cultures begins to change slowly according we travelled . Sao Paulo was the First and a warm and dancing people filled the plane, after that was Germany and seven hours waiting in the airport gave me time to know the city of Frankfurt, cold temperatures and blond and apparently cold people begins to change the environment .At this point I aboarded to Seul and eastern faces begins to be common like the Asian languages I heard from the people talking aloud.
Western food were changing into eastern food and a large portion of land appeared under my feet. I felt tired but always expecting and exciting.
Uses and customs of people changed slowly and I try to be respectful as corresponding to an invited host.
My Language which I mastered was changing into a new signs system that I don’t understand and sometimes I feel afraid of my illiteracy.
Weather is coldest I expected but it was widely overcome with kindness of many people who make their best effort in order we to feel comfortable.
I think to myself that even people, cultures, tastes and customs may change, humanity is only one, feelings are the same and friendship are always the presentation card of good people. I thanks to god because I had this wonderful opportunity to know wonderful people.
I was really interesting in lectures and i knew people apparently very distant but i confirmed that good people is everywhere, then i ask to myself why humankind is sometimes so divided. We have similar problems in our countries, similar feelings about injustice; same things hurt to us make us cry or laugh. Then today our generations have a big opportunity to use technological media to enhance friendship and understanding through our nations. In the ancient times Marco polo takes years to complete the same trip I did, today it takes only hours and amazingly an e-mail takes only a fraction of a second. We can have information from everywhere instantaneously even in the other side of the world.
I know that thanks technology i can keep this friends with me forever and this is something that Marco polo couldn’t do. Welcome technology at humankind's service
I could know a place that common people visit, it was Jong kung Sa Temple and Nurimaru. To know the common people from Korea was one of my main purposes. In the temple I saw people praying and I realize that god whatever name he takes is the same. People work, pray, and use technology but technology must respect traditions and culture. The soul of people is the soul of technology.
In my opinion, I have learnt a lot, but I saw only a little bit of the complex process of teaching and learning in different economies which belong to apec.
I saw in Korea Technological applications in education, successful experiences, the willingness of this people to work hard and do thinks well. It makes me feel full of experiences which like a seed will grow in my mind and thoughts, apply in my work place, and contribute to educational improvement in my country. I am completely sure this seed will grow.
We left Busan City and move to Seoul, I knew my classmates much more, we sang together during our trip and it was an emotional moment for me. I thought how wonderful would be if the world could understand each other as we did in this short period of time.
Languages, borders, religion have not importance and friendship allows to us working in a collaborative way to benefit the next generations and share prosperity.
Time was one of our main weakness. We needed more time to reflect about our experience, take more time in our visits, be more accurate in our reflections notes and make a better quality job and of course to know those normal people who is the soul of this economy.
Education is the most important richness of a nation. Planning and having a vision of future of education is like gold in hands of a craftsman that means projecting the main bases of a nation, and make sure of the increase growing of richness, wisdom, and independence.
I am thinking and reflection to myself and probably it will continue during a long time about this experience. Cultures are different but you have shown me that all is possible and it depends on the people. They have built a country again with effort, sacrifice of every kind and made a new and powerful nation. The secret....work hard and believe it is possible, and everything is possible if you believe it.
I thought how to share my experience with my colleagues in the office, with teachers, students and many people, how to transmit about their big effort, their collaborative work as a nation, their national proud, the soul of Korea. I hope to convince them as i am that we can be a bigger nation too. Planning more, working hard, being wiser, working the gold of education like the craftsman.
I love my country too as they do and my wish is to apply what i learnt, and sincerely try improving the education in my environment. May be saying the country is too big to me even the 5th region but from my place if i believe it is possible it will be. Not to be waiting for money, budgets or some difficult issue but from myself, start the first step and going walk.
Thanks
