선공! I was successfully on time to the Korean Global Forum last Thursday, and was able to interview the guy from Germany, Matthias something (don't have the business card with me now...sorry), without revealing just how nervous and inexperienced I was.
The KGF was mostly in English, woot! They have these interesting headpieces that simultaneously translate though, that many people were using... very cool. Our past Secretary of Defence, Secretary Cohen was the keynote speaker. I have to admit I felt pretty cool--I was without a doubt one of the youngest, if not the youngest, person in the whole place. :)
After listening to some speeches and Q&A, we had lunch (which was amazing, I took the menu with me hahaaa just because Shilla Hotel is a very nice hotel and yes I was allowed to take the menu I didn't steal it)
and then it was show time. I had prepared a few questions beforehand, which is what I used to open up. Unfortunately, although I was supposed to interview the actual German Ambassador, he didn't end up making it to KGF for some reason, whether he was late, got sick, wasn't coming, or something of that nature... which is why I interviewed an Advisor from the embassy instead.
The interview was about 10 minutes. Once I have the write-up I'll post it here, in case anyone is interested in what I asked and in what he said. He was surprisingly young, actually.
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FRIDAY 9/10
friday
Got to CoEx Mall by 11, ate amazingly delicious pizza at Mr. Pizza with Sehee unni, looked around the Korean International Art Fair (SO COOL YAY art by Asian artists!) that was being shown there, had 설렁탕 for dinner and left. Pouring, pouring rain. Had to grab a cuppa in the Charlie Brown cafe next to Ewha University because it was pouring so much.
The cool thing about KIAF was the special exhibit of video art! The first video artist was Nam June Paik, a Korean-born but NY-based artist. I didn't even know about video art until I went there are saw it myself. Wish I could've recorded some of it for you all but that would be an epic no-no. Most artists don't want people to take pics of their stuff anyway. But if you are interested in more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_art
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nam_June_Paik
Today was also the first day of Yon-Go Jeon, the epic battle of sports teams between Yonsei and Korea Universities. Of course Korea is still a weensy bit behind on the gender front and thus only the guys' teams played. >_< However, art takes precedence over sports any day! I did see a huge group of supporters from both schools enter CoEx right as I was leaving though, to grab some dinner and then party in the area, I presume.
SATURDAY 9/11
Deciding not to be a pooper I went to the soccer game, the last game of Yon-Go Jeon, with my Yonsei Mentor, 태웅. Being a completely newbie and wet behind the ears, I was taken aback when I first entered the stadium. Half blue. Half red. Chanting, dancing, singing, shouting, stomping... wow Akaraka people work hard! (The cheering squad.) It was fun because
A. My mentor is really into the chants. Like really. It was funny.
B. I ran into my study abroad friends, and they were half exhausted, half into it. It was funny.
C. Some members of Akaraka dress up in these weird semi-European fruity costumes and are on these small stages at strategic areas to lead the crowd on. Watching them was entertaining.
It was a little uncomfy because
A. Lots of the chants include bumping hips or putting our arms around each other's shoulders. AKA I got people's sweat on me and my sweat was on them. Gross.
B. Everyone is sweating. Koreans don't have B.O. exactly, but it was getting there. Maybe because I was in the international section.
C. I didn't know the chants. And I was tired. Did I mention that in Korea...
they
are
constantly
cheering?
CONSTANTLY.
How am I supposed to watch the game? Oh wait, I can't. I have to stand and be awk and watch the game and seem awk because everyone else is cavorting around, or I have to do the cheers and not watch the game.
I don't mean to say it wasn't entertaining or fun, but it is def. a workout. I respect Akaraka members so much.
I like that Yon-Go Jeon is about friendly competition. Some of blue to go to red side (AKA Yonsei to Korea's side, or Eagle to Tiger's side), some red come to blue side, we switch cheering teams at the opening ceremony to cheer for each other... yeah it is nice! People in America get knifed because they go to the wrong school (sad but true T_T) but here it was pretty friendly. No booing, dissing, threatening, etc...
like! But yes, tiring.
Closing ceremony of Yon-Go Jeon: miss A came and performed! But before that I had to stand, waiting, for two hours X_X The concert began at 7 pm but of course there were random performers, and of course no one really knew who was performing or why or how and when or in what order or to what degree... okay I am exaggerating... but yes communication on Yonsei's campus is next to nil, I never know when anything is going on and no one else does either. It is lame. >_< Miss A was awesome though! Like them a lot, they are very talented and cute.
