Mailbox of peace

Section 1. Memor ies of Korea Mai lbox of Peace 026 027 Korea Foundation & US Peace Corps KF COVID-19 Survival Box Gratitude Letter Col lection Thank you so much for a wonderful gift , your COVID Survival Box ! I was so surprised and overjoyed to receive this amazing and timely gift . With our KF94 masks (& mask straps ), antimicrobial copper gloves , Ginseng Candy , and Maxim Mocha Gold coffee - mix plus more special items in my own Korea - Peace Corps Volunteer Covid kit / backpack from Korea Foundation , we , my wife and I , believe that we are the best - equipped family in Connecticut to fight the pandemic . I spent my four years ( K - 26 ) as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English at Pusan National University from 1973 to 1977 . My PCV years were one of the best times of my life and helped shape my life and career path . < omit > Many students , professors , administrators , staff at the university and my hasukjip ajumonie were most kind and often went out of their way to help me stay healthy and happy , in both mind and body . < omit > I will never forget the first Chusok ( 1974 ) with my student “ Hungry Kim .” We took a very crowded Jikhaeng train and then a bus with a few other spe- cial passengers ( chickens and goats !) to a tiny village west of Masan . A few ajumanis , with a few sips of makkoli , even started singing to Arirang played on the bus . After a two - hour bus trip , we walked about 2 miles to get to his home . In 1976 , I visited Chindo at the invitation of my student ‘ Mr . Sul HeeBang ’. While his family and relatives were interested in checking me out - the first American to visit their island ( I was told that I was the first American to visit there ), many children touched the hair on my arms and shouted “ Mee- guk - saram , Meeguk - saram ..”. Finally , a Chindo visit is not complete until you witness the cleverest of the Chindogae . I was certainly impressed by the smartest Korean dog and clear- ly the pride of the island . My hasukjip ajumonie was another important individual whom I will never forget . She was like my adopted mother . She made sure I had healthy meals and stayed warm during the cold winter months by making sure my ondol “My PCV years were one of the best times of my life” Bob Chudy , K - 26 did not burn out . She did not speak a word of English , but I certainly learned a lot of Pusan sa- turi . One word I still remember clearly , with fondness , is Morokano . < omit > Dr . Choi , having studied in America , understood better than anyone else my background and helped make my experience in Korea more enjoyable and valuable . And we are still friends after all these years , ~ 47 years ! I have many other happy memories of my PCV years in Korea - too many to list here . But the best and most important of all is marriage to my wife . I married YoungHee ( yes , she ' s a Korean !) after my PCV years . And we have been married now for 43 + years . Both of us spent over 30 years at the Uni- versity of Connecticut and retired a few years ago . We have two daughters , Jennifer and Stephanie . Interestingly , in 2007 , Jenni- fer carried the family torch by going to Korea as a Fulbright scholar to teach English , 30 years after I had left . She taught at a private high school in Gyeo- ngju . ( She is now a professor at Wellesley College , MA .) My experience in Korea laid the foundation for my career as a Director of In- ternational Students and Scholars at the University of Connecticut . Through my Korean experience , I was better able to appreciate the diverse back- grounds and understand the needs of international students and scholars . Living in Korea as a PCV gave me a first - hand perspective , empathy and ap- preciation of what international students and scholars are facing . Especially Korean students and scholars felt comfortable talking to me about their personal problems and goals knowing that I lived in Korea . Once again , thank you very much for your thoughtful and perfect gift during this year of COVID - 19 . Bob Chudy