- About DICE -
“DICE” stands for the Dormitory of International Cultural Exchange. As its name implies, it has residents who come from various countries and enjoy many activities together. DICE consists of 100 international students and 50 Postechians. The countries where the international students come from include India, Pakistan, China, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the USA, Mexico, and Vietnam. DICE functions in a different way from the typical dormitory. All residents register with a Google group which connects them individually through the Internet. Thus, whenever someone plans to do something interesting like doing exercise, going to watch movie, or experiencing Korean food, he or she uploads the notice about the actively on the Google group so that the ones who are interested in the activity could express interest in participating by replying. This helps all residents to get along very well and strengthen friendship. Also, the residents who are good at English help Postechians to improve their English skills by making classes open to all residents. Moreover, the international students offer seminars about their culture every week. Through the all activities that happen in and around DICE, the residents become much closer and feel friendlier. They appear less like residents who live in the same building than members of the same family who care about so much each other.
- I-Pub? -
The “I-Pub” is the name of the “international pub.” It is a temporary beer pub that sells dishes and alcohol during the festivals. But it is a little different from the usual pubs that are found easily during the festivals. As the name mentions “international,” it is a globalized beer pub that sells foods from various countries. The I-Pub started from last year with the purpose of uniting all Postechians including international students and to enable people to try foods from various countries as a cultural experience. It was very successful last year. Many people visited the I-Pub booth to try the foods and hang out with international students. It looked like a real festival to all people. So, after the success of the I-Pub, it has been set up as an annual event for DICE since then.
- Preparation for the I-Pub-
A day before the I-Pub opened, the cooks from various countries, which are India, France, Italy, Vietnam, Austria, Germany, Norway, and Korea, got together to buy the ingredients that they needed to make their own foods. They went to E-mart and bought as much as two million won worth of food. It was a quantity too enormous to find the place for. So they kept their ingredients individually. On D-day, from noon, the cooks started to prepare their food. In the kitchen, which is inside DICE, they did pre-cooking so as to be able to serve later in a fast and easy way. Although it took quite a long time, they looked happy and sincerely enjoyed themselves.
In the I-Pub booth, some of the residents were setting up tables and arranging chairs for customer. Others was delivering foods from DICE to the place for I-Pub. As every component functioned together like a well-oiled machine, the I-pub was ready to get started on time.
- D-day for the I-Pub -
On the day of the I-Pub, the following menu announced the what it sold as dishes and drinks.
<Menu>
[Dishes]
(1) German (cook: Jessica)
- Currywurst (2 pcs) 2000 won
(sausages with ketchup & curry on top)
- Baked potato (2 pcs) 3000 won
(2) French (cooks: Elodie & Julien)
- Crepe 2000 won
(Crepes with chocolate spread & fruits)
(3) Italian (cook: David)
- Bruschetta (2pcs) 3000 won
(Garlic-flavored baguette with tomato & herb topping)
(4) Indian (cooks: Prochant & Dinesh)
- Potato Pakora (3 pcs) 2000 won
(Fried potato cutlets with spices)
(5) Vietnam (cook: Linh)
- Pho 4000 won
(Vietnamese rice noodles)
(6) Norway (cook: Marianne)
- Riskrem 3000 won
(Sweetened creamy rice porridge with berries)
(7) Austrian (cook: Alexander)
- Kaiserschmarrn 3000 won
(Ripped apart pancakes with raisins)
[Drinks]
All cocktails : 4000 won
Soju (Korean alcohol) : 3000 won
Beer (Bottle/Can): 3000 won for (Asahi, Heineken, Corona, Beck's, Krombacher)
4000 won for Oettinger
By hanging each countries' flag on the top of the tent and putting a poster on the table, each store in the I-Pub could get the customers’ attention. So, as soon as the whistle to begin rang, people gathered at the I-Pub and starting to enjoy the foods served. As the I-Pub had the form of an open market, customers could see the process of cooks making the dishes in person. The quality, variety and price of foods appealed to the customers. It didn't take a long time to fill the tables completely. So people who didn't have their own seat were even sitting on the stairs to try the foods. Especially, the Vietnamese food was most popular for customers. A lot of people were waiting in line to try it. It is pho which got the most popularity among Korean people, because the Vietnamese students prepared it very well and had a well organized system to serve the food by simplifying the process through pre-cooking. They could prepare food for 150 people within three hours. A lot of people loved it. There were even people who tried it three times. Besides the Vietnamese pho, the crepe which French international student Elodie and Julien made was very popular for the women and children. It was a pancake with sweet chocolate and strawberry syrup inside. Around 11 PM, all the foods that the I-Pub had prepared were gone. So people who came late had to be turned away and were left with something to be desired. The I-Pub was as successful as that of last year. Also, a lot of people visited and tried various foods. By communicating with international students, it helped customers to experience different cultures and gain sympathy with them. It looked like a genuine festival for everyone.
- Interviews -
Answering the question, "How do you feel about the I-Pub?"
Rohan (Australia, Mechanical Engineering Department) said, “The I-pub was a fantastic night. All the food was amazing and being able to sample different countries' cuisine was a wonderful experience. The cocktails were great also; especially the special ‘POSTECH’ cocktail created uniquely for the festival.”
Kumar (India, Mathematics Department) said, “It was a nice experience with mixed food. I could be much closer to the residents by going together, joining the festival and buying the stuff. I have one suggestion for the I-Pub. It is to make a food competition. When we sell the foods to customers, we collect the score sheet from the customers and accumulate the score for each country. After that, the winner will have a prize. It is just for fun and could give the motivation for the cooks.”
- Looking Back, and Forward -
Through the I-Pub, people could not only enjoy the foods from various countries but they could also help to make an opportunity in which all students in POSTECH could join and have fun. This kind of this cultural exchange event helps POSTECH to be globalized. It could also give a good impression to international students. As a reporter who really enjoyed the festival with the I-Pub, I hope that the I-Pub will prosper again and again.
