APEC2005FU's Xanga

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 23:52:20 GMT

Just writing to let you know that we're HOME! We made it safe and sound, and we'll be compiling our pictures at the start of next week.

Hopefully we'll be in the news or on FUNet in the near future, and if anything like that happens we'll link it on this Xanga.

~Monica Handa

Friday, November 18, 2005

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:49:07 GMT

Hey there! I apologize for not writing until now, but with all of the interviews and tours and just taking in Korea, it's been hard to get time on one of the public computers. Anyway, I have been having an AMAZING experience and am so thankful to Furman, The Riley Institute, and the VTM program. It seems like the other folks have been keeping you up to date on a lot of the people we are meeting, but I thought I would write a quick note about some of the interesting cultural experiences we have had the past couple of days.

For the first part of our trip, most of us were concentrating on just the basics--like eating entire meals with stainless steel chopsticks (which is more difficult at first than one would think) and bridging the language barrier. Now that we're nearing the end of our visit, I feel like we have had so many incredible opportunities to be immersed in Korean culture, I hope that I get to return someday to travel the country more widely. Yesterday my group traveled with the spouses of the APEC CEOs, and we participated in a traditional Korean tea ceremony, saw a re-enactment of a traditional wedding, and explored a street market. Although all of the speeches and fancy dinners have been interesting, and I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to question business leaders in an open forum, these are the types of experiences I will remember when the name of the Chilean diplomat or the Australian businessman fade from my memory with time. I somehow managed to fold my 6' tall frame into a low kneel to drink tea with the spouses of the world's business leaders. We got to try on the beautiful Korean traditional dress (Monica ended up in the Queen's outfit--lucky girl!), and play with the little children that always seem to be running around together after a wedding, whether it is held in the U.S. or Busan, Korea. We've been joking about how some parts of Korean culture have been a little difficult to adapt to, like the fact dessert here is nearly always fruit (some of us are serious about our daily chocolate intake) and a dish of spicy, pickled cabbage is served with every meal, but I think other cultural elements of Korea I would be able to quite easily adapt to. For instance, when walking around the street market, men would call out to us "You are beautiful! I love you!" I personally think that tradition would make a trip to the mall much more enjoyable if it was carried over to the States.

In all seriousness, though, I have had not only a lot of fun but also many meaningful experiences. I've learned more than I ever dreamed about trade, globalization, and APEC as an organization and had the opportunity to meet interesting people from around the world. Well, I have to get going to another interview, but I hope the next couple of days are as enjoyable as the rest of this trip has been. As much as I have been enjoying Busan, I still look forward to getting back to Furman an seeing everyone again!

Take care,

Jen Holden

Friday, November 18, 2005

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:42:59 GMT

I can't believe today is the last day of the conference!

Just a quick recap of what we've done so far today (it's 10:42 am here in Busan):
Breakfast with Vicente Fox (President of Mexico)
Address by Ricardo Lagos (President of Chile)
Address by John Howard (Prime Minister of Australia)

Our own Nadia Savova even asked President Fox a question!

We'll be having a traditional Korean lunch, visiting some traditional markets (including the fish market), and returning for the CEO Summit farewell dinner tonight. At the dinner there will be a performance by APEC participants for the CEOs as after-dinner entertainment.

Tomorrow we'll get to tour Busan on our own and meet with a US Ambassador to Korea. Then on Sunday we have our loooooooooong flight home, and we'll be in Greenville in the afternoon. Even though we've had a week full to the brim with interviews, cultural experiences, and addresses by influential political figures, it's still amazing to think that it's almost all over.

Time for more interviews and lunch now--we'll be seeing you soon. I can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner!

~Monica Handa

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:30:03 GMT

This place is great!

Yesterday, my group was able to experience some tradition Korean culture with the spouses of the CEOs and APEC leaders. We went off to Busan Women's College and had a traditional tea cermony. The spouses and us students were able to try on traditional Korean costumes prior to the peaceful tea cermony that took place afterward.One thing I have learned about the Koreans is that they like to take their time with their culture and not rush it all. After the tea cermony, we went to another learning center within the College to experience a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.

The women at the Busan Women's College treated us like almost royalty for the day. When we left our first site, there were people lined down the sidewalk to greet us. But the coolest part of all were the kindergarten students who were playing the drums in costume for us. I can see how Korea is able to produce masterminds of technology because they start the discipline at such an early age. These kids were adorable and gave us a little performance befor the wedding began. It was really interesting to see the traditional Korean wedding practices. The bride never sees the groom until they are off at their honeymoon spot, they do not speak their vows, and instead of slauting the bride with a kiss at the end of the ceremony, the husband gives his new wife a piggyback ride out. We found that to be humorous. Our guide was sure to tell us that Korean's no longer practice arranged marriages, except for those families which are really stubborn.

After the wedding, which the Mayor of Busan's wife attended, we were able to try the different teas. Sooo good! As we stood out in the courtyard area, we were asked to take pictures with the children who performed and then there were the girls of the Women's College. They were so fasinated with the guys from the Mexican delegation as well as the blond hair blue-eyed All-American boy- Chris Schoen. That was pretty funny! After the experience at the college, we went out for yet another traditional Korean meal and then we were able to head to the markets.

At the market we caught up with the spouses again, but in many ways had paparazzi followiing us around. This made it incredibly difficult for some of the spouses to baragin because with cameras around snapping pictures, it was clear that they could pay full prices for those items. As far as fashion, Korea is pretty much like the States. After the market, we took at walk to one of the parks and I finally got up enough courage to speak with two of the spouses that I had sort of admired all day. They were wery, very friendly women and one was actually from Texas.

Meeting people is what I have enjoyed the most. I hung out with some of the Canadian delegation and was able to meet Adriana Lever, one of the 6 women who are apart of the ABAC. Can you believe that 6 out of 63 members are women?! She introduced us to some other people. At the start of dinner, I met one of the contacts I had with the US State department, which was fun. But, the best part of the day for me was when I was able to chat again with one of the CEOs from Citigroup.The one-on-one conversations is what I have enjoyed most here. And was unique about our conversation was that I met Mr. Andrews the first day that we were at the Lotte Hotel and he remembered me. We did talk at the end of the evening about how I was the only African-American at the APEC summit and how interesting that was. Ok...well, Condi is here too, but who really gets to see her. hahah =) Just kidding.

Anyways, this was typed quite fast and I will spell check later I promise. We have another interview in a little bit, so until my next post have a great day!

--Christina Henderson

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:26:39 GMT

This here is a quick one, as I am writing this running to another interview. It is Friday morning and we just came out from PRESIDENT VICENTE FOX's speech, my hands still shaking since I got to ask him a question on the microphone in front of all those CEOs and political leaders, but I think the Bulgarian upbringing has trained me well to survive in critical situations!

From my experience working for the OAS in Washington and for the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education on a joint project, I pointed out Mexico is a leader in the Americas in the area of intercultural education and scholarship opportunities for minorities, asking him what role he sees for the education and cultural preservation to play in the formation of Mexico's young generation in moving the country forward along the path of liveralization it has chosen. President Fox's response was imbued with energy and inspiration, with the belief that broadening educational opportunities is one of the main facets that would harness and fully develope the immense human potential of his nations, and I myself have experiences every word he said.

However, I have also lived the extreme poverty that still plagues many areas in Mexico, and the injustices in the Chiapas area with the unequal government treatment of the Zapatista movement for indigenous rights. More government commitment to the roots of national identity and the land rights of its 62 different ethnic groups needs to be integrated into a comprehensive development plan for Mexico to advance in the world. And it is a country of truly beautiful people, to whom I wish the freedom to expand and enrich their potential.

KISSSSSSSSSSSSSES!

Nadia

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:24:28 GMT

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EVERYONE!
Korea is simply AMAZINGLY AMAZING ! With my English as a second foreign language, it will probably be hard to express all the impressions gathered here in the past days. I constantly realize the incredible opportunity we have to become great leaders after the breadth of insights and experiences we come across by interviewing people and by we ourselves living Korea and its progress.
Let me share with you the first highlight of two days ago that I still have not had the chance to post: on Wednesday the 16th, I almost got to talk to CONDOLEEZZA RICE. I joined the group of journalist travelling with her at the BEXCO Center where the majority of the meetings are held, and got to take a picture of her as she was going in to a press conference with Ambassador Portman, the U.S. Trade Commissioner. The security, however, was way too tight to let me in the press conference. I approached the head of her "Advance Team" ( almost as good as our Riley Advance Team, but not quite), and she said that the press conference was only for the media people travelling with the Secretary, who actually pay money (and quite a good amount) to be on her media team. Condoleezza was smiling the whole time and I found she had a unqiey presence and charisma.

I waited until the press conference was over and then walked just right behind Mrs. Rice and Ambassador Portman while chatting with Frank Spicka, the Head of the Special Agents Security Force with Ambassador Portmanhis . While waiting for the Secretary to come out of the press conference, I started a conversation with Mr. Spicka, and it turned out to be quite a pleasant chat, starting from his Czech origins (I am telling you, those Central-Eastern Europeans always find each other anywhere in the world!) and share our mutual nostalgia about European food specialties (one of my main strengths). Then we talked about his studies at Stanford where I am now applying for a PhD in Cultural Anthropology. Mr. Spicka was an incredibly friendly and gregarious man, intelligent and funny, and he was excited to hear about my cultural-anthropological interest ( and the plan of becoming the Minister of Culture of Bulgaria - and then maybe the President ( watch out, Boris!!!)) since these were his favorite courses at Stanford.

Thanks to Mr. Spicka, I not got great encouragement in respect to Stanford's academic offerings and the importance of cultural policy, which politicians often leave last on the budget agenda but which the Head Special Agent in Korea found especially important and pertinent within the system of globalziation. In the end, he introduced me to Ambassador Portman, on his run to another meeting, and the Ambassador mentioned he had heard very good things about Furman: YAY!!!!!VIVA FURMAN!

At Bexco, I also met the Chilean Minister of Commerce, with whom we briefly talked about Chilean Public Health policies since I told him I am going to be a teaching assistant on Furman's HES Program in Valparaiso, and he was impressed with the variety of programs our school has to offer.

Now I am off to tons of other interviews, but as you can maybe tell: KOREA ROCKS!

I send you all back home a big HUG all the way from across the globe!

Nadia

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:10:15 GMT

Hey folks! I haven't stopped by here yet so I decided I will drop in and share with you some things about our experience here in Busan, South Korea. But please, you must excuse me, between meeting presidents and ministers I have had little time to sit back and gather my thoughts, so this might be a little "all over the place."

First off, WOW. This has been an amazing experience so far and I could not help but get a little sad it is our last day here at the APEC 2005 meeting. Sitting in the hotel lobby over breakfast with Mr. Ignacio Walker, Foreign Minister of Chile, I finally began to realize that what we have experienced here will be with us forever.

I thought I would share with you our "presidents" experiences over the last two days. It all started with a surprising call I received from a fellow student from Mexico. "The Peruvian president is speaking," she said, "come now!" So I rushed to the third floor of the Lotte Hotel here in downtown Busan to find myself among distinguished CEOs and political leaders from around the world listening to a speach by the Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo. I was very impressed! We attended the special lunch afterwards. Next, very casually, we almost ran into China president Hu! We listened to his inspiring speech on China's economic emergence. To top the day off, we had the privilege to listen to a heart-touching speech on natural disasters by Indonesian president Bambang Yudhoyono. And just when we thought there is no way we can meet any more world presidents...

...we started day off with a formal breakfast with Presidente Fox - president of Mexico! Well, the only thing left for me to say as I run off to another interview is...simply wow.

Stay tuned from some more APEC news as we embark on our last official day here in Busan, South Korea.

Brought to you by,

Boris Michev

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 13:47:55 GMT

What an incredible day!! Never in a million years could I have imagined that I would be interviewing the Foreign Minister of Chile, eating lunch in the same room as the President of Peru, hearing a keynote speech by the President of China, and enjoying dinner and an address by the President of Indonesia with the ABAC CEOs - all in the same day!

We've had such an enriching experience in Busan, and each day is more exciting than the last. I've loved experiencing Korean culture - the food, the graciousness of the people, the beautiful views from the port city. Even more amazing has been the opportunity to engage leaders in discussions about APEC's vision of trade liberalization and open economies among its members. We've interviewed CEOs from companies such as GM Daewoo, Time Warner, UPS, and Citigroup, and I have been impressed by how willing these leaders are to offer us their insights and answer any questions we have.

This morning a small group of us traveled to a hotel near the political summit meeting to interview Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker. The Minister sat around a table with us and candidly answered our questions about a variety of topics - from farm subsidies to free trade agreements to social justice issues that arise from globalization.

When we rejoined the rest of our group at lunch, we found the others rushing into a ballroom luncheon where the President of Peru was speaking to the CEOs. Our group had the unbelievable opportunity to join the activities of the APEC business leaders at the luncheon and during their afternoon sessions.

The most anticipated session of the afternoon was an address by Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China. After entering the room with a large security detail, the President spoke to a packed audience on the implication of China's economic growth in the region. We were all very excited to be only a few feet away from the President as he walked past us!

To top off an already unforgettable day, we were invited to join the CEOs again for dinner, which featured a keynote speech on Natural Disasters and Global Responsibility by the President of Indonesia, Susilo Yudhoyono. The President gave a heartfelt speech and talked of the need for the leaders gathered in the room to continue supporting the many regions hit recently by natural disasters. Afterwards, we enjoyed a Korean dinner and impressive entertainment - a traditional Korean song, dance, and drum performance.

I am so grateful for the opportunities we have had so far in Korea. I feel like my world gets smaller every day as I gain a renewed respect for those from other cultures I've encountered. The program has truly been incredible, and I am learning more from each new interview, speech, and cultural experience.We found out on the way home that Vicente Fox, the President of Mexio, has invited us to breakfast in the morning! Tomorrow will be another eventful day to say the least!

- Elizabeth Crockett

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 04:41:20 GMT

Wow, wow, wow! I just had the most amazing experience! You truly do not understand "engaged learning" until you attend something as great as this international conference. As I am writing this, I have just met with leaders of the Export Association of Peru. And that's not the best part. I just ATE LUNCH with the PRESIDENT OF PERU, Presidente Alejandro Toledo!!!!

Last night, we had an amazing fireworks show in which we had access to some of the most high profile leaders from around the APEC world. I had the chance to network with a couple of Peruvians, and even speak some of my broken Espanol with them. One of the men that I met suggested that I contact him in the morning and sit with him at the summit, where we have many speakers present issues concerning trade, the environment, natural disasters, etc. I met with him this morning and we discussed the economic situation concerning trade with the USA and Peru, and he even outlined the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) that Peru is proposing with the USA.

Then, we moved to the luncheon where the gentleman seated me at his table and even donned me with an official APEC CEO Summit pin that all of the participants wear. As I sat with him, he kindly informed me that I would be sitting at one of the head tables of the Peruvian delegation in which the President would be taking lunch with us.

As the President entered, everyone stood and gave him a gracious round of applause. He approached the podium with much fervor and passion and gave an amazing speech. Since his presidential term is coming to a close, he spoke a great deal about the current and future economic transitions facing Peru. As he stepped down from the podium and took a seat at the table, I had the opportunity to personally introduce myself and explain the organization I represented (The Virtual Trade Mission as well as the Riley Insitute at Furman). He took great interest and even took Furman's URL so that he could visit the site.

The lunch was truly amazing and the conversation we engaged in was fantastic. I am forever indebted to Furman and more specifically to the Riley Institute for sponsoring me and allowing me to experience this great opportunity!

How's that for some great engaged learning?!

-Cindy Youssef

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 05:47:11 GMT

It's Wednesday afternoon here in Korea, and the week has been a whirlwind to say the least. We've been driving around all of Korea, taking in some sights through the bus windows, and eating loads of native Korean food.

On Monday we went to Hyundai in Ulsan, which was an amazing experience. Apart from the nap during the drive up, we also had the opportunity to see the making of more than a dozen Hyundai models first-hand. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the factory, but the entire assembly was astoundingly efficient. Apparently that plant alone produces 64 Hyundai Santa Fes every hour, and that is with an entirely human assembly process.

After a native Korean lunch, we visited Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is responsible for the building of many large ships like those used to transport oil. I don't remember specific facts and figures, but seeing the sheer size of the vessels was enough to astound anyone. It had never occurred to me before that trip that ships that large must be assembled somewhere, and seeing the process at such a large scale was impressive.

Tuesday was a day spent at Dongseo University, which is a Christian university located here in Busan. Although the weather was FREEZING, the trip was pleasant overall. I felt like I was in Minority Report because the technology was that advanced. The university receives millions of dollars in funding from the Korean government for the next few years as part of an initiative to make the country a technical powerhouse in the global economy. I received the special honor of being made a guinea pig on this trip, and I was given an RFID card with my name and various other information encoded in it to wear around the technology center. In practically every room, sensors recognized my tag and catered the room's surroundings to my needs--music changed, news related to my interests appeared on flat-screen tvs, and surveillance photographs of the technical center materialized with literally a wave of my hand. Virtual reality rooms and a high-tech editing studio were also part of the technology at Dongseo. It is the university's goal to have this incredible technology in every classroom by 2015.

My group on Tuesday afternoon took a short trip to a Buddhist temple located not far from the Lotte Hotel, where most APEC and ABAC meetings are being held for the week. The temple was extraordinary, and I found it particularly interesting as I am taking Buddhism at Furman this term. The trip was short but refreshing, and the students who did not have time to go hope to squeeze in even a short visit later in the week.

Today was spent mostly with interviews, and this evening we will be attending a farewell dinner for the ABAC members and an ensuing fireworks show. Our interviews were with a variety of members ranging from an executive at UPS in Singapore to a businessman with SAI in Australia. Early in the morning I also had the opportunity to speak with Craig Kraemer from Johnson & Johnson about intellectual property and the medical market in a global economy.

Another small highlight of our day today was lunch at McDonald's! While we were provided with bag lunches, a small group of students and Dr. Khandke went out to lunch for some comfort food as a reminder of home. French fries have never tasted so delicious.

That's all for now--I know it was lengthy, but this is literally only my second access to internet so far this week. See you back in the States on Saturday!

-Monica Handa