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Experiencing Korea

By Ryan Anthony M. Bestre

One minute, I was just at home, minding my business. Before I knew it, I was propped in a seat inside a plane which was to fly to Sandara Park’s homeland – Korea!

No, I went there not to visit Sandara (I’m not a fan), nor to personally meet Vivian and Carlo (for non-TV watchers, these two are the main characters of a then hit Korean telenovela “Lovers in Paris”), and definitely not a winner of an all-expenses-paid trip. I’m simply one of the ten lucky delegates from all over the Philippines who participated in the Korea-ASEAN Future-Oriented Cooperation Project: Youth Exchange Program 2005 held at Seoul.

The program with the theme, “The Nature and Heritage of Asia” was basically a venue for cultural exchange among the participants. It’s also where issues of the environment and heritage were discussed.

Hosted by Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the ASEAN Secretariat; and organized by the National Council of Youth Organizations in Korea, the program had 11 to 12 delegates from each ASEAN member country and 51 Koreans who all together spent 10 days, from February 16 to 25, 2005; and kept each other warm through the freezing temperature. The Philippine delegation was accompanied by two national leaders – Director Mary Anne Padua of the Office of ASEAN Affairs and Commissioner Marc Fabian Castrodes of the National Youth Commission.

Aside from the youth summit and cultural performances, the event was all about experiencing Korea, its heritage, culture, and people.

We visited Gyeongbokgung Palace built in 1394, which according to the Travel Guide is the most comprehensive and grandest of the five palaces of the Joseon Dynasty. Amazingly, after decades of exposure to the elements, the structures are still standing great and strong.

If you’re into performing arts, the SamulNori (percussion music), dance, vocal music, and instrumental music of the Chongdong Theater’s Korean Traditional Stage would blow you away. It may be similar to shows you see in Arirang TV but watching it live is way better.

Now, eating the Buddhist way is something you may want to try. We had Balwoo-gongyang, a Buddhist meal with the use of traditional bowls. It was very spiritual, solemn, and was quite a shock to many. Why? Well, after you’re done eating, you have to clean the bowls and utensils with water, which you would have to drink afterwards! The principle behind is that nothing’s supposed to be wasted. “You will not die,” one monk even assured the squeamish participants.

It was winter that time so we enjoyed all the snow we can get. We went sleigh riding and skiing (skiing is now my favorite sport).

Want to go shopping? Go to Insa-dong where you can find paintings, ceramics, paper crafts, and antiques. For bargains, Namdaemun and Dongdaemun Market are the places to be. Don’t go converting your money though or else, you won’t be able to buy anything.

And why not try wearing hanbok, their traditional costume. Before the arrival of Western-style clothing, the hanbok was actually an everyday attire. At present, they still use it during special occasions.

Of course, your stay in Korea cannot be complete without taking a bite of kimchi, their internationally famous cabbage dish fermented with chili pepper. Koreans eat it almost every meal. It may not be that palatable to some but the heck, we only live once.

Korea should definitely be included in your destination list; a place where there is harmony between traditional living and modernity. And when you get the chance to go to Korea, greet them there with some hello. Say, Annyeong-haseyo! #

(The author is a BS Environmental Science graduate of the Benguet State University)

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