INTERNSHIP AT ACOPIA SO FAR - ROMANA

I applied for the internship at ACOPIA by a chance. I was searching on the internet for work placements or internships in Korea, preferably Seoul, and ACOPIA’s website an internship popped up. I was immediately intrigued because that kind of internship was something I longed for. It looked like a creative, unique, fun, and every-day-different kind of internship which appealed to me immediately, as I did not want to in an office from 9-5 but I wanted to do something more creative. So I liked what this internship was about and applied straight away, and soon I was accepted and could go pursue my creative dreams.

The communication in the beginning was a little but difficult because of the time difference in the UK and South Korea, but after few hiccups along the way, I manage to get everything sorted and was ready to go to Seoul and start the internship. ACOPIA had the option of a driver pick-up from the airport which I used because it was much more convenient, especially with all the luggage. When I arrived to ACOPIA’s lounge, Ina was already there waiting for me and to welcome me. I did not know what to expect so I was obviously little bit nervous but she was very friendly, even though we had (and still have) a language barrier between us. I do not know Japanese and my Korean is not good enough to speak to her in Korean, plus she seems to be shy to speak to me in English, so we communicated mostly by Papago but that was not an issue at all. She helped me get settled and I had the rest of my day for myself.

I could choose myself which days I would want to work, so I chose I want to work Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and because I arrived on Monday, I was going to start immediately the day after I have arrived which was exciting. My working hours are from 9am to 1pm, so I struggled a little bit in the beginning with waking up early with adjusting to the time difference and the jet leg, but luckily, everyone I worked with were so kind and understanding. At first, I was surprised with how many Japanese people I am working with but then I found out that ACOPIA is originally a Japanese organisation that expanded to South Korea and other countries. As nice as it was working with people from a different country other than Korea, it was also quite stressful and the language barrier definitely did not help it. When I started, all of my co-workers and other inters were either Japanese or Korean, but mostly Japanese. This unfortunately led to our work relationship to be very shallow and not overly friendly because it was difficult to talk to each other. I did not know Japanese or Korean, and they did not know English. So unless we used Papago or just pantomimic gestures, it was really difficult to talk to one another. In spite of all of this, I was really enjoying myself and the internship because this was the creative job I was looking after.

The start for me was little bit rocky because the language barrier translated to my work as well – it always is difficult to explain what to do when you have to use a translator but after 2 weeks, it all got easier for me and I did not need much directions on what to do. Moreover, over the 2 months, there were 3 occasions where all the interns could socialise together, including the boss – 2 work lunches and one badminton tournament where even the K-POP trainees were included. All those events were so much fun and I cannot wait for more in the future. Additionally, apart from doing the social media management, I was asked to help Thuki with 2 new trainees from Germany when they were getting their cards in Def Dance studio, as I can speak German. I simply helped to explain how things work and answer any questions that they would have. This part of my job really excited me too because it was different compared to what I had done before.

Because I only work 2 days a week, I have most of the time for myself which I love. I always spend the day outside and in a different area than Yeonnam-dong or Hongdae, as I explored these areas during my first visit of Seoul and my first days of internship. Most of the days I carry my laptop with me and when I sit at a café, I use the time to prepare for the days I have to work. Because I had never used Canva before starting this internship and had never done anything this creative, I like to play around and just create ideas that I could later use when posting on ACOPIA’s Instagram and Facebook. But I do not just work when I am on my day off. I wander around Seoul, taking the metro to a random stop and then exploring that area, but in the evening, I always end up by the Han River. That is my favourite spot in the whole Seoul. It does not matter if it rains, if it is day or night, I always go to Han River. I have not missed a day yet, except when I was ill for a few days.

So far, I am happy with my internship and what I can do and create. The language barrier is still making it sometimes bit difficult for me to approach my other coworkers or people in charge but I know it will get better, and I cannot wait what my future in ACOPIA holds.