․ Name: Denis Soriano
․ Age: 22
․ Country: El Salvador
Q. How is your school life?
I’m a little bit tired because I study from 9am to 4pm and then again we have to study in the dormitory and I get bored. On weekends, I usually meet my friends. We explore many places in Daegu. Last weekend, I went to Palgong Mountain with my friends. Also, I like going downtown. Sometimes, I go to a traditional tea house. In the dormitory, I usually read books, play games on the Internet, and watch movies. But I like meeting people best. When I am stressed out, I listen to music or sleep all day. Sadly, I can’t do my hobby, ballet, here because it’s very expensive. For ballet, I need to go to a dancing academy, but I don’t have much money.
Q. Do you have a place in school to recommend to students?
Actually I like the International Lounge and Hanhak-chon because the International Lounge is a good place to make friends and Hanhak-chon is a pretty place to experience traditional things. In addition, I think the International Lounge is a good place for practicing Korean and getting help from Koreans.
Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of dormitory life?
The advantage is that the dormitory is close to school. It’s so easy to go to class and it is pretty safe. The disadvantage is that we can’t cook in the dormitory. I’m not so good at cooking, but sometimes I want to cook. Furthermore, the curfew bothers me a little bit. We have to go back to the dormitory at 11pm.
Q. What is the difference between Korea and El Salvador?
There are a lot of differences. In culture, I think there are some simple differences. For example, we don’t need to take off our shoes when entering a house. Also, when meeting someone for the first time in an informal situation, we usually kiss on the cheek or hug. In Korea, I think people usually bow or shake hands. In addition, I think the basic food in El Salvador is beans, corn, rice, meat and cheese, and the flavors are strong in Salvadorean food. Also, Korea has a lot of sweet foods. On the other hand, El Salvador has a lot of salty foods.
Q. Which hot place in El Salvador do you want to recommend to Korean students?
I think El Tunco is a nice place. This place is famous for a beautiful beach. Also, it is good for surfing and there are a lot of events like concerts. Another nice place is El Tazumal. It is an archaeological site. There are some ancient temples, so people can learn about Pipil culture. Pipil is the name of the native people from El Salvador.
Q. How did you become interested in design?
When I was in high school, I was interested in art. I wanted to become an artist. However, in El Salvador, there was nothing for studying art in university, so I decided to go to a similar major, graphic design. But later, I realized that I’m good at 3D painting. Therefore, I changed my major to product design.
Q. Do you have a favorite designer?
Yes, I have. Karim Rashid. His designs are very colorful, and the lines are clear and stylish. He is very famous. Also, he participated in diverse Korean art projects. His representative productions are Morimoto Restaurant in Philadelphia and the Semirais Hotel in Greece. I think he likes pink because he usually uses pink in his designs.
