Hello, everyone. I was born in Bundang, Gyeonggi-do, and I moved to Dongtan when I was in middle school. I’ve lived there ever since. I also lived in Seoul for two years while attending my previous university, which was in Yongsan. Now, I’m living in a dorm on campus.
One of the places that means a lot to me is Yongsan. I spent two years there in my early twenties, studying hard but also having a lot of fun with my friends. I enjoyed exploring different parts of Seoul, so I have a lot of good memories from that time.
My favorite travel destination so far is Boracay. I recently went there with some of my university friends, and since I love the ocean and outdoor activities, I had so much fun. One of my favorite memories was hanging out with some local kids and even making a short video with them. The pictures and videos from that day are some of my favorite photos.
I also really enjoyed Switzerland and Australia. The view from Jungfrau in Switzerland was amazing, and in Australia, I loved getting to hold a koala. In Korea, I especially like Sokcho, Jeju Island, Boryeong, and Gyeongju because there are lots of things to see and, of course, lots of good food.
In the future, I’d really like to visit Portugal and Spain. I became interested in them after watching travel videos, and I’d love to experience their beautiful cities, food, history, and culture in person.
Looking back, I think the places I’ve lived in and visited have each left me with different memories. I hope to learn more about how places and people’s lives are connected through this class.
H (Home Region) – My Neighborhood, Dongtan
I live in Dongtan, a newly developed area in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. Dongtan has many apartment complexes, schools, parks, and shopping areas, so people often need to use buses to move between different parts of the city. However, bus intervals are not always consistent, and sometimes buses pass a bus stop even when people are waiting. These problems can make public transportation less convenient and may lead people to use cars instead. For this project, I decided to look more closely at public transportation in Dongtan and find ways to make it more convenient and environmentally friendly.
O (Observation & Objective) – Observing Dongtan’s Buses
I decided to focus on Bus No. 9, which I often use in Dongtan. The bus interval varies from about 15 to 40 minutes, so the waiting time can be very different depending on when you arrive at the bus stop. I have also noticed cases where a bus passes a stop without stopping even though there are people waiting.
To understand the problem better, I will record the bus arrival times and actual waiting times at different times of the day. I will also observe whether the bus stops when passengers are waiting. Through this investigation, I want to find out whether having a bus route available actually means that people can use it conveniently in their daily lives.
P (Plan) – The “Dongtan Bus Watch” Project
Based on my observations, I will create a “Dongtan Bus Watch” project. I will record the bus intervals, waiting times, and whether the bus stops at different stops. I will organize the results using graphs and a map so that it is easy to see when and where people experience the most inconvenience.
I will also encourage students to observe the buses they use for school or other daily activities. Based on the results, we can suggest ways to improve public transportation, such as making bus intervals more consistent and encouraging drivers to check for waiting passengers before passing a bus stop.
E (Execute & Example) – Record, Share, and Take Action
For one to two weeks, I will use Bus No. 9 and record the arrival time, waiting time, and whether the bus stops at each observation point. I will also work with friends to collect data from different times and bus stops. Then, we will organize the results into graphs and maps and share them at school.
We will also encourage simple actions to reduce car use, such as walking or riding a bicycle for short trips and using public transportation whenever possible.
Making public transportation more convenient can help people choose buses instead of cars for everyday trips. By observing the buses we use and suggesting small changes, we can take the first step toward creating a more convenient and environmentally friendly way of getting around Dongtan.
