K-pop

K-pop is becoming known more and more, but just in case you are wondering what´s K-pop... Well, is just Korean Pop music.... !!

There are so many K-pop artists. Some of the very famous K-pop groups that I like are:

2NE1



Wonder girls




Girls Generation

Super Junior

Big Bang

 

If you happen to be a fan of K-pop, and even would love to try singing K-pop, there´s a really interesting contest!! Hehehe seems like my latest posts are about some kind of contest :))

Anyway, please visit the following link and become a K-POP SUPERSTAR!!

http://superstark.mnet.com/WorldTour/EWtIntro.asp

Please share with me your favorite K-pop bands :))

Contest

Are you an international student studying in Korea?

Well, if you are, I have good news for you!! :)

The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) is holding a contest.

In this contest all you need to do is send them your experience about Korea in the form of Photos, essays, etc.

Just log on to their website for more info: http://contest.kocis.go.kr/kocis2011/

Have fun!!!!

Recruiting: Bloggers

Hello everyone!!


I´ve just received the e-mail from Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB), about recuiting the 5th batch for bloggers about Korea. If you are interested, please read below.


I´m 2nd batch :) so I hope you do apply, and let me know if you get chosen!!



World Students in Korea (WSK)

Recruiting the 5th Batch

The Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB) is recruiting the 5th batch of members for the program “World Students in Korea.”

“World Students in Korea” aims to provide international students in Korea with opportunities to experience Korea in a more organized, diverse, and involved manner and to promote cultural exchanges between Korea and the students’ home countries through the blogs (web logs) run by the member students.

The 1st batch was launched in July 2009. Members participate in a variety of activities including camps, field trips, workshops, performances and other events.


1. Number of members sought : Fifty (50)

2. Application Period : May 16 (Mon) – May 29 (Sun) 2011

3. Eligibility

- International students (i.e. those who are currently enrolled in an educational institution(s) in Korea)

- Those who own and run a blog (*Those who do not have a blog are requested to open one prior to applying)

- Those who are interested in Korea’s industries and culture

- Priority for selection will be given to those who speak Korean


4. Tenure:  Jun 2011 – December 2011 (6 months)

5. Tasks

- Open and run an individual blog upon which students are to post contents (articles, photos, videos, etc.) related to Korea

- Attend various workshops, field trips, and events hosted by the Council

6. Benefits

- Upon evaluation by the Council at the end of the tenure, students who have shown distinguished on- and offline activities will receive awards (e.g. A round trip flight ticket to home country for Grand Prize winner)

- A small gift will be provided for the students who have shown excellent activities upon evaluation by the Council at the end of the month.

- Opportunities to attend diverse cultural events and performances related to Korea, or those hosted by the Council

- Media coverage (TV programs, interviews with newspapers, magazines etc.) regarding WSK activities and Korea

7. How to Apply

Via the Council’s official web site. Click the following link: http://www.koreabrand.net/html/en/embeddedform_5.html

8. Inquiries

Ms. Jung-A Lee

Culture, Tourism & Global Citizenship Bureau

Presidential Council on Nation Branding

brand@koreabrand.go.kr

Ms. Jin-Sook Lee

International Cooperation Bureau

Presidential Council on Nation Branding

milkyway@koreabrand.go.kr

*** For further information on the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, visit www.koreabrand.net

I'll be Back...

Whoa, it's been a while since I posted here, and I just found a nice surprise, I got an invitation for an interview at Arirang TV, I don't know what to say but THANKS (감사합니다) for reading me!!! :D

I guess I'll take the dust off my photos and keep on writing here, I'm feeling inspired once more ^^

Seoul Metro

Korea's city, Seoul, is a big one! I can't imagine travelling in the city without it's Metro system. The Seoul Metro system has 9 lines, as of now, and more will be added soon. If you are ever in Seoul you can be confident that you will not get lost in the subway system.

It is very EASY to learn how to ride it!

Here are some guidelines from my own experience:

How to ride the subway

(Bear in mind that this is only for routes inside Seoul city. If you want to go outside Seoul you will need to take another kind of transportation, like the bus)

1. First of all you will need a map of the subway system. Don't be scared of the spider web! With your map find out where you are and where you want to go. Let's say you are in Ewha Womans University (이대) and you want to go to Gangnam(강남). Find both places in the map. In this case both are in the green line or Line 2. Now you know which Line you need to ride, and in this case no need to transfer between lines!



2. Next, you need to pay ofcourse :) You have many options to pay for your ride. There are transportation cards such as U-pass, T-Money which you can charge with money at the subway station in ATM-like machines. These machines explain the procedures in both English and Korean. Other cards are reusable which you can return after you arrive and they refund you 500 won included in the price of the ticket.


3. With your card go to the corresponding turnstile in the direction you are headed. Follow the signs and you'll soon be on the platform waiting for your train! ^^

In case you got lost, don't worry! there are many workers who can direct you on the right way. They are very helpful and kind with foreigners :)

There are other features of the Seoul Metro. It's very clean, even though there are millions of people riding it each day. Everything is well-lit and signs in different languages: Korean, English, Chinese.

Here is a short video of the subway station Line 2. Enjoy the ride !!

Korean Fan Dance (Buchaechum - 부채춤 -)

As part of my experience studying in Korea I have had the opportunity to learn its culture. I have had the opportunity to learn the famous Buchaechum dance (부채춤) (the Korean fan dance. This traditional dance is characterized to use quite big and colorful fans made of paper. The costume for the dance is the Hanbok, the traditional dress that covers all the body, the music is Korean traditional music.

The dance consists of several dancers (women) that move simultaneously moving the fans which they hold one in each hand and form altogether different figures. These figures are, for example, flowers, butterflies, mountains, even the waves of the sea. This dance requires much coordination from the dancers in the movements of the fans so that the figures can be appreciated.


Take a look at this video and I hope you enjoy the dance, it requires a lot of coordination!!



Here is another video:



I love the way the dancers move in this video:




I hope you enjoyed it!

That's all for now ^^

Hangeul (한글)

I think that the language is one of the basic components of a culture. That's why I think that I need to talk a bit about Korea's languange: Hangeul.

Hangeul (한글) is the name of the Korean alphabet. It was created by King Sejong in the 15 th century.


This is King Sejong....




The Korean alphabet is made of symbols which represent heaven, earth and the human figure (ㅇ,ㅡ, ㅣ). Hangeul is written horizontally from left to right, and vertically from top to bottom. The alphabet has 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Here's a chart showing all the characters of the alphabet:

If you are wondering how to read in Korean and how Korean language sounds watch this video:

I hope you can learn a bit of Korean ^^

아녕하새요!