Since participating in the gap year project, I think I''ve become a more proactive person. Compared to before, I don''t worry as much about others'' opinions and can assert what I think. Before the gap year I would avoid people, but now I can be the one to start a conversation or even crack a joke.
[Overseas Volunteering/Extracurricular] Showing Cambodian children an endless world through English education Heo Seung-hyun, gap-year participant (gapper) (24 years old, university student) / 12-week gap year |
# Social anxiety from being afraid of people — the volunteer work I chose to overcome it
Hello, I''m Heo Seung-hyun, now 24 years old.
Actually, I have a bit of social anxiety. I tend to be somewhat afraid of people. I also discovered this fact through the gap year
consulting, and the suggested solution was volunteer work.
Regarding having a long gap year in Cambodia, I had thought Cambodia was an economically struggling country, but I didn''t know Phnom Penh would be such a large city. Prices are just cheap, but I realized they have everything except maybe a few things—cafes, clothing stores, supermarkets, swimming pools, gyms, PC rooms, bars, clubs—so once I learned that, I realized there was nothing to worry about.
Before leaving I mainly focused on vaccinations and visa preparation, and because Cambodia is a very hot country I packed sunscreen and sunblock. Also, during my language study in the Philippines the teachers told us to prepare games to increase children''s concentration when teaching, so I prepared some simple English games.
My goal for this gap year wasto overcome my social anxiety by meeting a wider variety of people.Also, by volunteering for the children, I hoped to feel more trust and love for people and to change myselfto hope.
# Like a kite soaring against the wind, let''s try doing what I want!
A typical day in the local project was waking up at 6:30, washing, eating breakfast, and then biking off at 7:30 while hoping the packed lunch the manager prepared would include chicken. We would arrive around 8 and classes would start; my job was to sing children''s songs together or teach them the alphabet.
Then at 11 I would teach the teachers for about 30 minutes, have a 20-minute lunch break, and join the children for nap time until 2. Then we''d have classes with the children again until 4:30, and that would be it.
One memorable thing during the project was that I poured out my worries to John, a psychologist and my closest friend during the gap year.I always cared about what others thought, so I thought about why that was and concluded that it was because I didn''t want anyone to hate me.
When I asked myself again why I didn''t want to be hated, I realized that if someone felt uncomfortable because of something I did or said, I would become extremely tense, hold back my words, stop asserting myself, and increasingly avoid people.I said.
After hearing everything I had to say, after a long pause John said this:
Just trust yourself no matter, no matter how crazy may sound,
how what anyone else think
If you want to be loved by everyone and avoid all problems,
there is no reason for you to exist.
(No matter if absurd sounds reach your ears, no matter what others think,
just believe in yourself regardless.
If you try to be loved by everyone and avoid all problems,
there is no reason for you to exist.)
What I realized through John isNo matter where I go or what I do, there will always be people who don''t get along with me, and I can''t let that make me shrink back. Like a kite rising against the wind, I felt I should do what I believe is right.
And while volunteering — before the Gap Year I thought volunteering was something you did out of obligation with a sense of responsibility, but it wasn''t like that. Doing good for others is a joy and increases the health and happiness of the person who does it. To be honest, volunteering wasn''t easy, but it taught me that there is value in the process of making the effort.
It''s really hard, but when the kids shout "Teacher!" it''s so cute that it makes me smile. Through that experience, I think I realized that happiness lies within one''s own heart.
I became more proactive and was able to assert my thoughts!
Comparing before and after participating in the Gap Year project,After participating in the Gap Year project, I think I became more proactive. Compared to before, I worry less about others'' opinions and can assert what I think; before the Gap Year I would avoid people, but now I can start conversations or crack jokes first.
Also, I am simply grateful that the Gap Year coordinators cared a lot, supported me with comforting emails when I was having a hard time, and were a pillar of support throughout the project.
If I were to give advice to those planning to join the Gap Year project: my only regret about coming here is that I should have really studied English harder. Although my English improved a lot from language training in the Philippines, I wanted to have more conversations with foreign friends, but I couldn''t speak well in English, so I only thought about things and didn''t approach them as much as I wanted — which is a bit disappointing.It would be great to study a lot of practical English you can use in real situations before coming.
* For Heo Seung-hyeon, who wanted to challenge himself with new experiences and find his career path,daily missions that challenged existing ways of thinking, tailored one-on-one personal missions about new experiences and career concerns were provided, and a Gap Year Note to reflect on oneself and make planswas provided.
My personal Gap Year Tip
(How to get there)
At the airport someone was waiting holding a sign that said "korea gap year", so there was no difficulty.
(Accommodation)
Because it''s Cambodia I thought we''d be sleeping in tents, but I was surprised — the lodging was better than most accommodations.
You don''t need to worry. There are a lot of mosquitoes, so it''s a good idea to bring mosquito repellent.
(Meals)
To receive a packed lunch when you go to work, there is a paper on the dining table at the place where you eat where you can sign up for a lunchbox the day before,and if you sign it, you can pick it up the next morning.
(What to bring)
"Arm sleeves, a hat, and a mask" are essential!
The sunlight is so consistently strong every morning that you really feel its intensity.
Also, traffic here is as hectic as a 7 o''clock rush hour; perhaps because of that, it''s filled with exhaust from motorcycles and tuk-tuks, so it''s a good idea to bring a mask.
And"emergency medicine and mosquito repellent"please bring them as well. In the first-floor lobby, friends play card games or drink beer and chat, and the mosquitoes sometimes join in too.
If by any chance If you are planning to travel to Angkor Wat alone, I recommend bringing a related bookI recommend it.I traveled to Angkor Wat alone for 3 nights and 4 days; exploring the ruins slowly while reading a book was very enjoyable.
And if you have extra time, it might be good to know how to ride a bicycle or motorcycle. If your commute is short you don''t necessarily need to use tuk-tuks, but if it''s far and there are no colleagues to go with, using tuk-tuks every day can be a burden.
So it may be slightly cheaper to buy a bicycle from someone who is finishing their volunteer work or to use a motorcycle rental shop. However, if you are uneasy about using a motorcycle or bicycle...the Kakao Taxi Pass app in CambodiaIf you install it to get a tuk-tuk, the price is automatically calculated according to distance and is more reasonable than hailing one directly, so it will be convenient to know about this app.
But if even that is bothersome, you''ll have to haggle: tuk-tuk drivers will just shout ''5 dollars.'' Don''t hear that and just say ''ok gogo!''. Of course, prices are cheap compared to our country, but this is Cambodia.You should haggle it down to $3. For most trips, around $3 will do.You can think of this as the Cambodian way to use taxis.
My gap year is
Experience ★★★★☆
You can broaden your worldview by meeting the diverse people who come for volunteer work.
Learning ★★★★☆
I also learn a lot in the process of teaching children.
Environment ★★★★★
It wasn''t very different from where I used to live, but being on my own gave me the space to reflect on myself, which was nice.
Safety ★★☆☆☆
There are pickpockets, so you need to be careful.
Leisure ★★★★☆
Prices here are really cheap, so you can enjoy a lot.
