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Hello, Kia Ora, and of course Guten Tag to my fellow Mercatorians! As many of you might already know, my name is James Moon, and I’m from South Korea *and New Zealand*. Now this raised a lot of eyebrows during Orientation Week; just a glimpse of the world map would show the sheer distance between the two countries. So, each and every time, I had to give a brief explanation of my cultural background, and even though I ( and also my friends) found it repetitive at times, it was pleasant to have people interested enough to ask more about me.

I was born in Korea, between Korean parents who decided to immigrate to New Zealand, where one of my aunts resided with her family. (I have aunts that are currently living, or have lived in 4 different continents; this has its ups and downs). New Zealand was a very unfamiliar place for a kid freshly from Korea. The cultural distance was as wide as the geographical distance between the two countries. I was foreign to every aspect of their culture; food, tradition, etiquette, and not to mention the language, but I was fortunate enough to find a local Catholic primary school that embraced my problems, and constantly encouraged me not to give up. Despite all the enthusiastic support that people gave me, I would have to say that adapting into a new culture is light-years away from being easy. From this experience, I learnt that it is a privilege, rather than a right to be part of a certain culture.

I continued my education at ‘Sacred Heart College’, a Catholic secondary school for boys, situated in Auckland, New Zealand. I attended this school for seven years, and that place feels like home, and the staff & students, like family. I am very proud of my junior/senior high school to say the least and I am definitely not ashamed to show it. The school taught me to reach my full potential, and to be strong in the face of criticism and external pessimism. The religious dimension of their education has deeply influenced my morals and thoughts, and I am committed Roman Catholic.

New Zealand and especially Auckland has a diverse range of cultures represented in the population, mainly due to immigration, and it is simply reality that there exists social tension between the different ethnic backgrounds. Sacred Heart College is a place where cultural difference is not only accepted, but also embraced and celebrated. It was a normal thing to have friends from as many countries as you would have here in IUB. I was chosen as a prefect (senior leadership role), and I was specially assigned as an international students’ liaison, whose duty is to look after the all foreign students. By my senior year of high school, as you can see, I was a zealous multicultralist, and where-ever I was, who ever I spoke to, I promoted harmony and celebration of cultures. People back home would still identify me by this quality the most.

IUB was the place to be. It wasn’t too long after I have sat the SAT I, and I remember checking the mailbox and finding a thick envelope from Germany. It was the IUB viewbook sent by Mr. Can (Jon) Ikram. Deutschland? I was expecting colleges from the states to mail me their catalogues, but Germany? Then I read on and it was as if I was reading my own vision. I was more than thrilled, I lost my words to read about a university that shared the same idea that I had about how diversity generates strength and new possibilities. Before the excitement passed, I was thrilled once again to see that Geoscience and Astrophysics was one of the majors offered in this university, as it has always been my dream to have a space-related career. Unfortunately, such courses are not offered in New Zealand, and that’s why I have pursued entrance to foreign universities. I consider it truly a miracle that the admission officer sent me that viewbook; nobody has a university custom-made for them, but I have come as close as you can possibly get to it. I was very honored to be accepted, and I am enjoying every moment I am here in IUB, as I have made many affable people, and valuable friends. (Thanks for the Bday cake girls!)

I hope that I don’t offend Cra…(cough) Kruppies, or college III students, but when I was “shopping” for residential colleges online, I got the impression that Mercator was the place where they had that extra college spirit, and a more defined purpose. The mission statement, the mascot, and the web site all made me want to be an active part of this college. I have enjoyed many social occasions prepared by Mercatorians, and I am keen to contribute to these excellent traditions. I am also very honored to be the Mercatorian of the month.

Onto the less serious side of things, my hobbies include swimming, distance running, cycling (somebody sell me a bike!!!), and going to the gym. I belonged to a competitive swim club in the past, and I am currently formulating a swimming club for IUB. I am sure that you will see me either in the pool or the gym at some stage :) :). I also like listening to music, and I am mainly into rock. So if you want a friendly chat, you can always find me at the servery, probably enjoying my pancake!