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By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Lalien Guillen
Photos = Charmaine Cruz, Sydney Korean Festival Facebook profile, Alexander Ruspandy
I collaborated with very dear friend of mine who is currently living in Sydney. We have been friends since high school and she is like a sister to me. She also loves Korea very much. Recently, she volunteered at the Korean Festival in Sydney. I did a little interview with her. There was a lot of things to say when it comes to Korea, so we decided to divide our article into two parts. Come and join our two-part collaboration article.
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| The 2017 Sydney Korean Festival is held in Sydney in April. |
Part 1: Catching the Korean Wave
- How did you get interested in the Korean Wave?
The Korean Wave -- or Hallyu -- refers to the growing popularity of Korean pop music, TV shows and movies in East Asia and elsewhere. It entered my life in the third quarter of 2003 when one of the biggest TV networks in the Philippines, GMA, decided to air Korean soap operas dubbed into Tagalog. At first, I was only watching bits and pieces of each episode of "Autumn in my Heart" (가을동화), which was the very first Korean soap opera aired in the Philippines. It was in 2005 that I began my journey toward the world of Korean pop culture. That was the start of me developing a crush on several Korean actors. I started to imagine or to be hopeful that I would be like the lead actresses on the TV shows. It also marked my copying of Korean fashion and hairstyles. I had my hair cut the same as the Korean actresses, or I copied the way they styled their hair on the TV shows. I just couldn’t stop watching Korean soap operas from then on. I even resorted to watching the actual completed series with English subtitles rather than waiting for the daily episodes to be aired on TV dubbed into Tagalog. Korean soap operas opened up a lot of emotions for me and made my imagination work non-stop. During my Korean soap opera addiction in the Philippines, though it was well known in my household, I was still discrete about it outside of my home, as some of my friends weren't into it and I didn't want to be judged for being a fan of Korean TV shows. "Playful Kiss" (장난스런 키스), which was another of my favourites, was the last Korean soap opera I ever watched in the Philippines, as I embarked on a new life in Sydney in the third quarter of 2011.
When I arrived in Sydney, Korean soap operas and movies were my stress and boredom reliever. I can say that they have become my best friend. I've searched all the Korean soap operas and movies I could possibly watch on YouTube. However, it was an on and off case with me from 2011 to 2015, as I was also busy watching movies and TV shows in English and doing my other hobbies. So the year 2016 marked my solid return to the world of Korean media. I was literally and undeniably hooked, as a famous saying on the internet goes: “Korean soap operas are life.” They became my life too. I followed the ongoing series being shown in Korea at the same time and in between I was watching completed series or Korean movies as I got a little bit anxious when I wasn't watching anything from world of Korean pop culture. Even during break times at work, I would be scrambling on my phone to watch anything Korean. In addition, my list of male actors upon whom I had a crush expanded. The list just wouldn’t stop. By late 2016, I also started watching the Korean variety show "One Night, Two Days" (1박 2일). At first I just watched Park Bo Gum’s episodes but I fell in love with the whole program’s wit and humour so I did a marathon of season three while watching the current episodes and in between other ongoing soap operas. I would always feel sad when the final episode of the TV shows I was watching would come, but I would always anticipate the next show coming down the pipeline.
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| I'm a big fan of Korean soap operas. |
This year, three of my friends introduced me to Korean pop music. Before, I wasn't familiar with pop stars and their songs because I only loved to listen to the soundtracks from Korean TV shows and movies. The soundtracks are amazing and heartfelt. Now, I’m getting addicted to the pop group Bangtan Boys. I also listen to other pop stars recommended by them, but it was mostly the Bangtan Boys that I listen to. As I was so into the Korean Wave, I even used Korean products like facial washes and cosmetics and hair care products. I even started learning the Korean language. As I became more and more of a fan in 2016, I even started buying merchandise related to Korean TV shows and to the Bangtan Boys.
- What do you like most about Korea?
I like Korea's deep rooted traditions and its beautiful architectures and scenery. I like their fashion sense and their skin regimens. I love to watch Korean movies and soap operas. They always leave me in awe of the beautiful places in Korea, its food, traditions, fashion and cosmetics.
Some of my friends and relatives once told me that I look like a Korean. How I really wish I look like them. I always wanted to copy Korean fashion or hairstyles. I even make my eyes look as Korean as possible through make-up tutorials. I envy their skin. I also fell in love with the Korean language, so I continued learning how to read and write Korean with the help of my friends. I think now I just love anything Korean.
- What made you volunteer for the Korean festival in Sydney?
First of all, I always wanted to volunteer at any festival or event. Plus, it's my first time to experience any festival, and a Korean one at that. So being a self-confessed "Korean fanatic," I wanted to explore more about the world of all things Korean and wanted to be in contact with real Korean people and my fellow fanatics. I decided to give it a try. Secondly, being a shy person I think it was a great opportunity to challenge myself to make friends and to communicate with other people.
Part 2: Being part of the 2017 Sydney Korean Festival
- Please tell us about your experience at Sydney's Korean Festival.
First of all, when I finally decided to apply for a volunteer position at the festival and when I was invited to attend the orientation session, it never crossed my mind that there would be a Korean Cultural Center situated in the heart of the city. My workmates never seemed to know anything about Korea, aside from the cherry blossoms or just the existence of the country itself.
The Korean Cultural Center in Australia (KCC) was founded in April 2011 and has been working hard to introduce Korea to Australia ever since then. The people who work there are very enthusiastic in encouraging cultural exchanges between the countries. They offer different activities, such as Korean language classes, cooking classes, dance classes, make-up classes, and calligraphy classes that will start next year. There's an education program, school holiday programs, school excursions, a Korean mother's storytelling session, Korean pop music clubs, writing competitions, regular events, Korean movie screenings, art exhibitions, and other special events like the Sydney Korean Festival. They also have a library for both Koreans and non-Koreans where people like me can have access to Korean books. They offer a membership program that can give members a lot of benefits and discounts at any event related to Korea. The cultural center is located on the ground floor at 255 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. It's open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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| The Korean Cultural Center in Australia gives easy access to everything Korean. |
Now, let me tell you about the Sydney Korean Festival. It's all about opening up Korea and its wonders to Sydneysiders. The festival has been running for six years now on the first weekend of every April. From what I’ve heard, before the event only ran for one day, but last year 50,000 people came to the festival so the committee decided to make it for two days this year.
It was again held at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbor. I attended the event as a volunteer on the first day only, as much as I wanted to do both days, I already booked other plans on April 2.
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| Many booths prepare for the event. |
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| Some of my fellow volunteers are ready to welcome attendees. |
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| I received my official volunteer shirt and the festival’s guide before the event. |
My booth was the first aid booth. I was a bit lost at the time, as I was still alone at 10 a.m. Everyone else was busy at their own booth and assigned tasks.
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| I worked at the first aid booth at the event. |
Raffles were drawn every hour with more than 100 winners throughout the day. Prizes ranged from vouchers to boxes of food to cash prizes to plane tickets to Korea.
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| This is my raffle ticket. I was so unlucky. I didn't win anything. |
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| Performers roam the vicinity with their traditional musical instruments. |
Two of the highlights of the festival were performed consecutively. They were the traditional game called chajeon nori and a traditional performance called a Pyeongtaek nongak, or "traditional agricultural or farming music from Pyeongtaek."
A chajeon nori is a traditional game where the leaders of two groups are standing on their respective battle frames, large A-shaped wooden ladders or frames. Whichever team’s frame falls to the ground first losses. Because it was considered a mock battle among males, it showcased the martial spirit the community, but the spirit of playing fair is the true beauty of the game.
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| Many volunteers participate in this performance. A lot of attendees were anticipating this mock fight. |
Pyeongtaek nongak shows traditional Korean folk songs, dances and acrobatics from the region around Pyeongtaek. Nongak means simply "performing arts from the olden days of Korea, especially music, dance and related rituals," specifically from agricultural communities and farmers. It was an unreal experience for me because I had only seen these kinds of performances in TV shows and movies. It was as if the movie "King and the Clown" (왕의 남자) (2005) was playing right before my very eyes. I really enjoyed the performance.
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| Nongak dance and music from Pyeongtaek is one of the most traditional performances in Korea. |
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| The ingredients to make bibimbap mixed rice with vegetables and meat were arranged in the shape of the Australian continent. |
I was amazed at how organized the Koreans were! There's even a Korean Nurses Association here in Australia. They were the nurses that I helped on day one of the festival. They were so friendly and grateful that I volunteered for the festival. They thought I was Korean. When I said I wasn't, they were so surprised and asked how come I was volunteering and how did I find out about it. They also said I do not look Philippine, more Indonesian.
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| Many food trucks took part in the festival. |
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| People at the festival got to experience many Korean traditions. |
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| There are also pop performances at the festival. |
I roamed around the area while there were still no patients coming to our first aid booth.
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| Nongshim, a Korean food and beverage corporation, put on costumes from the TV show 'Descendants of the Sun.' |
This was my favourite among all the booths there. As I mentioned above, I only came to appreciate Korean pop this year. So this Melbourne-based K-pop store was really great for us fans. This made me realized that Korean pop music is also a big thing here in Sydney.
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| People try on some traditional Korean clothes at the festival. |
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| I make my own postcard at the festival. |
The K-pop World Festival is a yearly dance cover competition for Korean pop fans all over the world. The application deadline was March 19, with results announced on March 21. Applicants are not allowed to be ethnically Korean. Groups can have any number of people, as long as they match the real pop group that's being covered. A total of 10 groups competed that night. One of the groups flew from Adelaide to Sydney just to appear on stage. The grand prize winner and the second place finisher would have the chance to perform at the finals in Korea and a chance to dance alongside their idols. The finals will be on Sept. 29 in the city of Changwon. For more info, please can check the link below.
The songs covered include "Bombayah and Fire" by Black Pink and "Monster" by Exo, to name but a few of them.
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| Participants show off their dancing talent. |
The winner of the Melbourne K-pop World Festival also performed their dance cover to "Blood Sweat and Tears" by the Bangtan Boys.
The second place finisher, the group from Adelaide, danced to the song "Boombayah" by the group Black Pink. The moment they set foot on stage, I knew they would be part of the winners. They really had the moves, their hips swayed and they were really flexible.
There was no doubt in my mind that they would be the winner. They literally rocked the stage with their dance cover to the song "Monster" by the group Exo. I may not have seen the original video of this song, but I think the winner really was the best among the rest that night.
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| The grand winner draws a lot of attention from the audience. |
The night was pretty active during the competition, and everyone was active. There was a game with prizes of music CDs. Again, I didn't win.
I wasn’t able to attend the second day of the festival, but here's a guide to day two. There was a Korean Drama and Film Awards for the first time in six years.
- What was your fondest memory of the festival?
I really felt welcomed by the committee and I was very grateful of that. When I wore the 2017 Sydney Korean Festival official T-shirt as a volunteer, I couldn't help but feel giddy and proud. As I was in the first aid booth -- being a nurse myself -- I was given a vest from the Korean Nurses Association of Australia to put on while volunteering there. That made it even more real for me. The Korean-Australian nurses that were there with me kept thanking me for volunteering, even though I was a non-Korean. They would always hug me and introduce me to some of the committee members as an expression of their gratitude. I really felt appreciated.
Watching the traditional performances was surreal for me. A smile was plastered on my face the whole time. I was taking pictures and videos of the performance, too, telling myself that, before, I could only see this on a TV show or in a move, but that now I was seeing it in person.
It was also fun to watch a lot of people participate in the event. I never knew there were so many Koreans in Sydney. There were a lot of fans of Korean pop music, too, not only Asians but real Australians and other nationalities, too. I was amazed when the talent and dance competition unfolded, as I never imagined K-pop was a big thing here, as well. I felt as if I belonged. Also, I couldn't help but feel giddy whenever people would ask me if I were Korean or when they would speak to me in Korean, assuming that I was one of them.
Buying merchandise for the pop band Bangtan Boys was memorable for me, too, as I've never done this before. Mind you, I was trying not to buy anything that I didn't really need at the moment as a sacrifice for holy week, but I broke that rule for the Bangtan Boys. I also received a lot of freebies and to top it all, when I bid goodbye to the president of the committee, he gave me a big box of Nongshim instant noodles. I will definitely volunteer again next year. This event was a great opportunity to experience the colourful and diverse culture of Sydney.
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| I bought a whole bunch of products at the event. |
wisdom117@korea.kr
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