My name is Minkyo Kim. I am originally from South Korea. I have had the privilege to live and study in three different countries, Korea, Canada, and Singapore. Consequently, I have gained a lot from the diverse cultural backgrounds, making me a better person. I have been in Canada for four years now. I have learned a lot during my stay here. I have come to develop my own understanding of Canada and its people. Trust me, the view held by many people back at home concerning Canada is completely distorted and inaccurate. Even though I have lived in foreign countries, I was so scared of Canada. I was made to understand that it is a country of extreme discrimination despite the existence of multicultural policies that most countries have emulated. I was made to believe that Canada is friendlier on paper than in reality. I can’t deny being discriminated against in the past. However, the support and the love I have received have been overwhelming. In many cases, I have been treated better than I would have been treated by my own people back at home. As a result, I have made new friends, toured the country and enjoyed its scenic views and learned to appreciate the people.
Canada has made me fall in love with English music and TV shows. Even though I still love my home music and TV shows and often stream them online, I have developed serious interest in Canadian literary works including music, drama, comedy and paintings. I especially enjoy watching gags –the comedy show that is broadcast across various platforms. Even though I enjoy almost all the episodes, I especially like the compilation available here.
I can say I am a very outgoing person who easily makes friends with people. I like swimming, listening to music and traveling. Canada has given me a unique opportunity to enjoy doing all the things I like and love and I can’t imagine how it will be when I travel back home. Strangely though, I miss home with all its misgivings. Home is surely the best.
My experiences in different countries have given me the opportunity to understand the ways of different people, their past, and systems of government. I have done three other courses in gender studies and I can say I have had the best experience so far. I always feel empowered by the courses and see myself more as an integral part of my male chauvinistic society. The role that gender studies play in the lives of people who comes from countries and families that oppress women is tremendous. The first time I did a course in gender, my expectation was to find a course full of women empowerment stuff. I later realized that it is more to do with society as a whole and the role each and every member of the society plays or should play to make it a better place. I have come to learn the important roles played by female writers in shaping the destiny and course of humanity, the role women played in roles that made Jeffrey refer to them as “The Great Silent Army of Abolitionism” in a book with the same title (134). I am looking forward to learning more in this course. I am very excited.
Works Cited
Julie Roy Jeffrey, The great silent army of abolitionism: ordinary women in the antislavery movement (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998), 134.