My name is Gilroy Middleton, and I am a Belizean fulltime marketing major student in the Ph.D. program of the Business Administration Department. I would like to commence this piece by saying "Thank you" to everyone that has made and is making my time here at Keimyung University and Daegu a memorable and culturally enrichinglife experience. This would include the faculty and staff at the Korean Language Center, the staff of the International Affairs Office, the staff of the Graduate School, the faculty and staff of the Business Administration Department, the members and officials of Keimyung Adams Chapel, the staff of the International Lounge, and the plethora of Korean and foreign students whose lives have crossed my path during my time here.
During my 4 years here in Daegu at Keimyung University pursuing my Ph.D., degree I have participated in many of the various activities that Korea and Keimyung University abound with for foreign students. These include sharing my country’s culture through programs like UNESCO’s Cross Cultural Awareness Program and travelling to various places participating in cultural, educational, and sports activities. Of all the activities that I have been lucky to be a part of, the singular activity that has left an imprint on me is my interactions at Keimyung Adams Chapel, particularly the English Worship Service which is headed by Dr. Park So-young.
Participating in the various activities of the English Worship Service, I have gained not only a clearer understanding of God, but more so of the various cultures throughout the globe. Through our interactions at Sunday service, Friday luncheons, weekend travelling to places like the beach, amusement parks and sports events, a barbeque at an elder’s home, outreach activities with Keimyung Culture College students, and house pot-luck events, we all share our experiences and cultures. At any given event, we all learn about some aspect of religion and culture from each other.
I recall two semesters ago, we were having one of our pot-luck events at our Filipino friend, Richard Basillisco’s, house. At this event, we had delicious cuisine from the Philippines, Belize, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Ethiopia, South Korea, Kenya, and the US. The four best dishes of the day were a succulent Ethiopian chicken covered with gravy overflowing with finely chopped stewed onions, a sticky Zimbabwean mashed potato-like dish made from corn meal, a tender Filipino stewed sweet and sour pork, and a steaming South Korean cow feet and beef pressure cooked soup. That day brought back memories of my own country, Belize, and our cuisine because we have similar dishes. However, we make them a little bit differently, and we have completely different names for them. That day,we realized that though we come from different continents, regions, and countries, we are all linked by the similar food we prepare and eat. We are many different people. However,we are of one world. It was a good day of learning and sharing in global culture.
Another activity related to Keimyung University English Worship Service was my travel this summer to a Chong So farm. I met two Korean families, the Mins and the Lees, at Keimyung Adams Chapel, since from time to time the English Worship Service and the Korean Worship Service come together. Consequently, I visited the Lee family who had recently relocated to their farm in Chong So. It was great being outdoors. It felt like the "green days by the river" of my youth when I usedto visit my relatives at Double Head Cabbage in the river valley of the rural north area back home in Belize. It was the first time I picked green apples from a tree, since we do not grow apples in Belize. Also,I picked corn, watermelons, hot peppers, and peaches.The food was so delicious, especially since I picked most of it myself. It was like a few days of "living green." It was a wonderful experience with the Lee family that I met at Keimyung University Adams Chapel.
Recently, our Sunday worship service has expanded to include a choir. Our choir consists of two Keimyung University professors from the Philippines, one from the US, a Ph.D. student from the Philippines, a masters student from Uganda and a bachelors student from Korea. Every semester, our group is joined by exchange students or Korean language students, who are only with us for a semester or two. However, we remain in contact through social media like Kakao Talk and Facebook when they return home or move to a new university. We all share and learn from each other.
This is my most memorable experience at Keimyung University. Through sharing and learning with people from many cultures at Keimyung Adams Chapel English Worship Service, I am experiencing and sharing in Keimyung University’s mission of "Opening the Light to the World."
