BANGOR, Maine — A group of university students from South Korea’s capital city got a taste of downtown Bangor on Thursday afternoon as part of a Husson University cultural exchange program.
The 17 students from Kookmin University, the sixth largest university in Seoul, went from storefront to storefront down Main and Central streets
They’re spending three weeks in Maine as part of Husson University’s Summer English Enrichment program, which brings international students to the school to practice English and build their understanding of American culture.
The students sampled sushi from Thai Siam, quesadillas from Verve, juice from The Juice Cellar and made stops in Mexicali Blues, Paddy Murphy’s, The Rock and Art Shop and Umami.
Wednesday, they were in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, where they tried lobster.
“Maine’s lobster tasted very good,” Woong Been An, 21, said. He also described the people he met as “very kind.”
Daehee Lee, 24, said he was enjoying Bangor and would like to return to Maine some day. He studies forest science in Seoul and pointed out that Maine has plenty of trees.
Seoul, with its population of about 10 million, or about one-fifth the nation’s citizens, is a far cry from Bangor. Kookmin University has about 22,000 students and 800 faculty members, while Husson has about 3,500 students enrolled in its graduate and undergraduate programs.
Kim Seong Yoon, 21, described Seoul as “complicated and noisy” compared to Bangor.
Colleen Grover, director of International Initiatives for Husson, said students attending the Summer English Enrichment spend three hours each morning studying English in the classroom. After that, they head out into area communities to practice English and learn more about the U.S.
On Monday, for example, the group learned how to tip wait staff. They also learned about the imperial measurement system, American holidays and common greetings and euphemisms.
“Downtown Bangor is a rich and vibrant environment for our international guests to explore,” Grover said in a news release. “The afternoon will not only be fun for students; it will also provide local businesses with international exposure as these students share their adventures with family, friends and classmates back home.”
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.