While my grandma was touring Seoul with her host family in that June of 1979, 400 other New Mexicans were doing the same, as part of a massive goodwill exchange trip organized by the Friendship Force. While a Korean TV crew traveled to Albuquerque to document the Korean friendship ambassadors' visit, a reporter from the... Continue Reading →
While staying with their Korean host family in June 1979, my grandma and her fellow Friendship Force ambassador were shown the sights of Seoul. Mrs. Lee's brother was a student at Dongguk University in Seoul, so he and a couple of his classmates served as interpreters and guides. According to my grandma's notes: They were studying... Continue Reading →
My grandma, along with another Friendship Force ambassador named Joby, spent the first week of their two-week Korea trip staying with a host family in Seoul. This must have been overwhelming, not only visiting a completely foreign land but being immersed in its culture 24/7. But I think my grandma really enjoyed it, and got along especially... Continue Reading →
My grandma traveled a lot during her senior years, often with group tours, including those arranged by an organization called the Friendship Force. Founded in Atlanta in 1977, the Friendship Force is a nonprofit cultural exchange organization that now has chapters in 60 countries, according to its website. The Friendship Force chapter in Albuquerque, where... Continue Reading →
Korea 1979 