31 Questions with Lia, our International Partnership Coordinator | AMA Series
- What are your favorite Korean convenience store snacks/drinks?
Great question! I love triangle kimbap (it kind of looks like Japanese onigiri), honey butter chips, and barley tea!
- What’s your favorite video game of all time?
Hands down, Legend of Zelda. Twilight Princess has a special place in my heart since it was the first one I ever played. But I also really love Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
- What video game world would you choose to inhabit if you could?
I think I would have to go with Hyrule (from Legend of Zelda). It’s just so pretty!
- What is your go-to strategy game when playing with friends?
When playing with friends, I really like playing Catan or Ticket to Ride.
- How did you go about choosing your cat’s name?
I actually didn’t choose his name. Surge was the name that he was given at the shelter we got him from out in Washington state. Caleb (my husband, for those who don’t know) and I liked the name so we didn’t change it.
- Of all the places you lived and/or visited, which one is your most favorite?
I think that my favorite place would have to be either Osaka or Jeju Island. Osaka has a really great mix of quiet, beautiful places, historical monuments, and sightseeing. If you’re lucky enough to be there during cherry blossom season, you’re in for a treat! Jeju Island very much has small-island town vibes and is sooo pretty to hike. Or, if you’re more into the beach, Jeju has plenty of shoreline.
- What are your top three strengths?
Hmmmm….I think my top three strengths are my deductive reasoning (thanks, Nancy Drew!), willingness to try new things, and empathy.
- What do you like most about working at the WC?
The people I work with 🙂
- What are your plans after graduation?
Excellent question! I don’t have a solid answer yet, since Caleb and I have no idea where we will be going or when. We are waiting to find out when the next part of Caleb’s military training (BOLC) starts, and where the Army is going to station us afterwards. Depending on the answers we receive, I could be sticking around East Lansing for a bit, or I may be moving right away. We should hopefully have some more answers in a month or so.
- What’s a cultural tradition or celebration from Korea that you find fascinating?
Something that I found fascinating when I was living in Korea was how age works. First, when a baby is born they are considered one year old. Also, most people have a Korean age and an international age. Korean age is based on the lunar calendar and everyone “ages up” on lunar new year (usually around January 1). International age is based on the calendar that we are most familiar with here in the west. So, it is entirely possible for a baby born in December, for example, to be two years old (Korean age) before they are even a month old (based on their international age). It was definitely something that I wasn’t expecting!
- What recommendations would you give someone traveling to Korea for the first time?
Depends on what you want to do while you are there! If you want to see the city life, you have plenty to choose from. I really liked Seoul and Busan, personally. I also recommend trying to set up a templestay while you are in Korea. For those who don’t know, a templestay is where you can essentially book a stay at a Buddhist temple. While you are there, you will follow the same schedule as the monks (mostly), get the chance to talk to some of the monks, do guided meditations, and sometimes even make stuff. When I did a templestay, I was actually able to make my own prayer beads and I still have it with me to this day.
- Who is your favorite airline if you have one?
Overall, I’ve had the best experiences on Delta or Korean Air. I’ve also had good luck with Southwest.
- What are some self-care strategies you practice or would recommend?
I highly recommend finding some sort of creative project to work on! I find that even if I suck at a particular craft, the process of making something is very calming and soothing. And, even if I don’t end up liking the final product or the craft itself, I can at least say I tried.
- What are some books you wish you could read over for the first time?
If I had to choose…I’d say the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Harry Potter, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and the Daevabad Trilogy.
- What are your go-to tips for writing?
My go-to piece of writing advice is to read your work out loud. I cannot tell you the number of times I wrote something that I thought made sense only to find out that it was super confusing and convoluted after reading it out loud.
- Would you ever get a dog? If so, what kind?
I would definitely get a dog! I grew up with/around dogs my entire life – Surge is actually the first cat I’ve ever owned. I would love to get a rescue dog, I’m not particularly picky about the breed but I love Pitbulls, Dobermans, Boxers, Irish Setters, Irish Wolfhounds…honestly, I could go on forever hahaha.
- What’s your favorite color?
Sapphire blue!
- Do you have any 2024 New Year’s resolutions? If so, could you share with us also?
I’ve been wanting to go to the gym more to feel healthier, so I’ve set a goal to go to the gym at least once a week. I find that if I give myself a goal like “go to the gym every day” I’m more likely to drop it, so I’m starting off small.
- What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done or would like to do?
The most adventurous thing I’ve done is moving to Korea without knowing how to say anything (not even hello, yes, or no) and learning to live there for a year. It wasn’t my first time living alone, but it was my first time living so far away from family and friends and I was fresh out of undergrad.
- What’s your comfort food that instantly lifts your mood?
Ramen! Specifically, good ramen from a restaurant, not instant ramen.
- What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
I love to get into comfy clothes, make myself some tea, and spend the evening either playing video games or working on one of my many works in progress.
- What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from a mistake you made?
Wow, what a question…I’ve never thought about it. If I had to narrow it down, I’d say the most valuable lesson I learned was how to be okay with being my own company. For a long time prior to moving to Korea, I spent a stupid amount of time trying to fit in with a group. I cared way too much about being a “loner” and struggling with feeling like I was being left out of everything. After living in Korea for a while and needing to figure out how to do literally everything on my own, I realized that hanging out with me, myself, and I was just as fun, if not more fun, than going out with friends. It gave me an opportunity to really learn about myself outside of the influence of friends and family.
- What’s a skill you possess that you’re proud of, but not many people know about?
Within the past two years, I taught myself how to build a gaming PC. It was something that I always wanted to do and I finally pulled the trigger on it last year as a Christmas gift for my husband and I. I learned what the different parts were, what they did, and how they fit together. When the computer was all put together and booted up without any issues, I literally had to sit down because I was so relieved that it worked! I’m definitely proud of myself for learning how to do this because I never thought of myself as a mechanical or technical minded person. But I proved myself wrong and actually really enjoyed the whole process!
- Team Apple or Samsung and why?
Team Samsung because I feel like their phones have better longevity than Apple products. When I used to have an iPhone, it would die out after two years or so. But I had my Samsung Galaxy S6 for, like, six years before I finally had to cave and get my current phone (which I’ve had now for four years and it is still going strong).
- What is something you would recommend to someone in general?
I would recommend learning how to say no and sticking with your answer. Saying ‘no’ to something that does not serve you does not make you a bad or mean person. Say no to that extra work project, to that person asking you for a favor, to anything you don’t want to do. It’s better to say no upfront than to suffer long-term consequences.
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
From my grandma: “Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves’”. My grandmother and her twin brother were born just a few years before the start of the Great Depression to a single, widowed mother and four other siblings. Most of her early life was spent trying to survive the economic devastation she had been born into, so learning to make everything count and stretching resources to their limits was a way of life that she passed on to her kids and grandkids. I’ve found that this is not only relevant to financial matters, but also to situations where the small details or changes can add up to a big difference.
- Who is the last person you texted?
My husband, Caleb. We were trying to figure out where to meet up on campus.
- If you were to choose a different first name for yourself, what would it be?
Ooooh! I like this question! I think I would have to go with Autumn. I love that name and I feel like it’s one that you don’t hear very often.
- What would you say is one of the best resources students should take advantage of at MSU?
The Writing Center, of course!
- If you won a million dollars, what is the first thing you would buy?
Not necessarily a thing, but I would pay off my husband’s and sister’s student loans. They both worked so hard to get to where they are and they don’t need student debt dragging them down. But if I had to choose a material thing, I think I’d buy a house!
- Go Green?
GO WHITE!
