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A conversation with Jenny, a New Media Member

Evgeniya Zibireva, an international resident from Russia, is a representative of the 2024 New Media Members. She shared her life in Busan and her ideas on how to transform Busan into a global city.

 

Please introduce yourself to Daily Busan subscribers. 

My name is Evgeniya Zibireva, but many people know me as Jenny. I'm originally from Russia but now live in Busan. I'm a teacher, tour guide, writer and influencer.

Over the last two years, I’ve led many tours for people from different countries. Not only Russians but also people from Singapore, Israel, and other European countries have contacted me. 

Where is your favorite tour spot in Busan?

Well, I have my programs. First, I take people to famous spots, such as Gamcheon Culture Village and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. I also go to the old areas of Busan, like Jagalchi market, Nampo-dong, sometimes Busan Tower and Gukje market, Bookstore Alley in Bosu-dong, and sometimes the 40-step Stairs in Choryang. But it also depends on people's requests. 

Can you tell me about your life in Busan? 

My life in Busan is quite dynamic as Busan is. I did my master's in international trade at Busan National University. I had a great experience in a Korean company for six and a half years. I learned a lot. I worked for a company that makes radio and navigation equipment for vessels, and I did many things like translations and managing. And then I left and just kept teaching.

Do you have any difficulties in teaching English? 

Not now. When I was teaching kindergarten, it was a little bit hard because, you know, kids are very noisy. Now, I have a group of elementary to middle school students, a maximum of nine people, so it's easy to control them. 

Koreans may not be used to speaking English, so they are afraid of it. They can read well, pass exams and get perfect test scores, but they cannot be that chill about speaking English. I'm trying to give my students the idea that English is not about passing exams; it's about talking, so do not be shy. You can make mistakes, but that's not a problem. 

Busan is becoming more global than in the past. Do you have any ideas on how to make Busan more global? Do you have any recommendations for the city? 

As a member of the Busan Foreign Residents Representatives committee, I discuss many issues. One of my ideas is to make the city more English-friendly. For example, it would be great if taxi drivers had written English manuals. I know people can hire taxis using an app, but still, sometimes my tourists complain to me about some taxi drivers. They do not act with good manners, you know, sometimes they are kind of rude to the tourists because they can’t communicate with each other.

So, I just want an English manual for taxi drivers. It should explain how taxi drivers should act, what to say, and specific phrases.

The other idea I offered is having English menus in restaurants because many of my tourists complain that they don't know what to order. For example, many restaurants have a menu but no picture. It's quite hard to understand what’s in a dish.

I also wish we had more foreign-friendly events with the same age group. We have exchange programs, but most of them are just for students. But I’m not a student anymore, so I would like to have some events with workers.

<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>

equipment: 장비 vessel: 선박 discuss: 논의하다 specific: 특정한 phrase: 구절