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omonatheydidJESSICA SOHO: In any part of the world, South Korea's influence has become so widespread through what they call "Hallyu" or Korean Wave. Their songs, dances, fashion, and dramas cannot be stopped from interfering even our native culture.
Just when they thought "Hallyu" or Korean Wave--the spread of South Korean culture--has dissipated in the Philippines, they are wrong.
Just this Sunday (July 13), a Korean Cultural Center has opened in Taguig City!
[For those who are too lazy to read, you can skip this part.]
The housewarming begins with a traditional Korean dance called Taepyeongmu. The dancer wears her traditional dress called Hanbok. And the foods served to the guests are Korean cuisine.
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA: A lot of their culture is similar to ours. Both our countries are part of Asia. At the same time, there can be cultural exchanges between our two nations.
SEONG UN HWANG: The Koreanovela and K-Pop (are) not just everything about Korean culture. Korea has more than 5,000 (years of) history. We want the Filipino people to know more about Korean culture.
SOHO: Inside the Korean Cultural Center, an exhibit about Hallyu is displayed, which says began in China in the 1990s until it has reached the Philippines in 2003 when the first Korean drama translated to Tagalog was broadcast. The series is called "Bright Girl."
One of the center's main attraction is a gallery where photos of the most famous Korean stars are displayed, such as Kim Tae Hee and Kim Rae Won of Love Story in Harvard; Kwon Sang Woo and Choi Ji Woo of Stairway to Heaven; and Cheung Ryeo Won of My Name is Kim Sam Soon.
K-Pop fanatics will surely be happy because this place contains a library of CDs and DVDs of different K-Pop groups. Their cultural hall has a very colorful interior where their traditional clothes and musical instruments are displayed, such as the Gayageum, Jing, and Janggu.
[OK, you can stop skipping the text now!]
But what the Korean pop culture fanatics get really excited about are the special classes that teach the Korean language, way of cooking, and of course, singing and dancing. All of which are free!
SEONG: The tuition for all classes is free. We just charge for textbooks or for the music class, we charge for the musical instruments. So I think it's quite affordable.
SOHO: They say the Philippines has had a beautiful relationship with Korea since the 1940s, when the latter was not yet divided into South and North. But when the North was subjected to Communism, the Philippines only established diplomatic relations with the South.
Meanwhile, with the dawn of the new millennium, a sudden influx of Koreans arrived in our country not to have a vacation or to study, but to reside or retire permanently.
The opening of Korean Cultural Center has paved the way for these officemates--namely Thix, 40 years old; Bembette, 44 years old; Shai, 31 years old; and Devon, 36 years old--to fulfill their dreams. Before they "finally arrive late on the ride*," the four decide to shake their hips along with the K-Pop dance craze!
THIX TRIPULCA: (We like K-Pop because) their dance steps look too cute, even their music videos. I enjoy watching their dance moves.
SOHO: Even though their "seniority" sticks out in their dance class compared to their classmates, they still give their all in dancing.
TRIPULCA: We find it very challenging. I mean, can we still do (those dance moves) at our age?
BEMBETTE LADLIP: Actually, it wasn't just the moves (that we need to cope with). It's the pain we felt in our bodies. I was like, "Oh my God! My knees hurt!" But the moves themselves are OK. They are fun to do.
SOHO: And who wouldn't be interested in dancing if the K-Pop dance teacher is a choreographer for the K-Pop stars? Dasuri Choi has danced with heavyweight showbiz personalities in Korea.
DASURI CHOI: When I was in Korea, I was a choreographer and backup dancer for Wonder Girls, Brown Eyed Girls, T-Ara, Kara, 4Minute, (as well as) singers of JYP and [inaudible].
SOHO: Choi flew to the Philippines to teach Filipinos her dance moves. Although she finds it easy to teach K-Pop dance steps to us, the differences on the dance floor (between Filipinos and Koreans) still stand out.
CHOI: When it comes to Korean students, I find that they are very particular about the dance steps and how they are supposed to execute it cleanly. Meanwhile, you could see how Filipino students like to show the emotions of the dance, as well as the passion they put in it. Filipinos are quicker to teach.
[You can also skip this part as well.]
SOHO: Meanwhile, 25-year-old Jeremy will take on a Korean cooking class. She wants to make sure that her Korean dishes are done just right. That's because her boyfriend is full-blooded Korean and they plan on getting married on September.
JEREMY GASCON: His grandmother is very good at cooking, so he's telling that I (should be just as good). He wants me to learn even the most difficult of Korean dishes, which I would pass on to our future children
SOHO: An authentic Korean chef teaches Jeremy how to cook. And the food they are going to do are Kimbap and Dak Kang Jung. To make Kimbap, they need to fry all the ingredients and lay them all together with cooked glutinous rice on a piece of kim or seaweed sheet. It is then rolled and sliced.
Jeremy is also taught how to cook Dak Kang Jung, which is made from chicken and a special kind of sauce.
STUDENT 1: It's very Korean.
STUDENT 2: It's sweet.
STUDENT 1: Sweet and salty.
SOHO: It is Joanna's infatuation with Korean dramas that pushes her to enroll in a Korean language class offered by the Korean Cultural Center. She fell in love with the Korean language ever since she watched the drama Full House. (She also wants) to fully understand the things she hears on her DVDs that she bought from Korea.
She is determined to learn Hangugeo, the language of Koreans... as well as Hangul, their alphabet.
JOANNA MARIE SOLMILLA: I've been looking for a Korean language class for so long through different institutes. I called countless times on the phone and I always find their fees to be very expensive. It could reach between 8,000 and 11,000 pesos (US$190 and $262). I am very happy when I learned that the Korean Cultural Center offers language classes for free.
SOHO: Once Joanna finishes this language course and graduate from college, she plans on becoming a tourist guide in Korea.
[Stop skipping.]
According to Professor Jovie Peregrino of Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (Filipino Language Center) of University of the Philippines, there is nothing wrong about getting infatuated with Korean culture, but it has to be put in a proper perspective.
PROF. JOVIE PEREGRINO: In other words, it is easy to say that your culture is better and ours is ugly and vice versa. You get a comparison of two cultures, but you are not supposed to be so swept away to the point that you, as a Filipino, have lost your own identity.
SOHO: It is proper that we should open ourselves to cultures and traditions of other nationalities, especially that many of us go to other countries. Apart from learning their way of living, as well as tasting their differences and similarities to us, it is through this that we realize how to value and honor our very own race.
Note:
* The idiom means "become old." It probably stemmed from the days when public transport vehicles do not make a complete stop when picking passengers, thus leaving the slow-moving older people behind.
Source: DCRJPhilippines on YouTube, annotated and translated by me
Wow, that dance teacher looks very hot. She could actually make a career in the Philippines.
ETA: Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines is located on 2nd Floor Mancor Corporate Center, 32nd Street Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines. For inquiries, call their office at (02)555-1711. You can also Like their Facebook page for updates.
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Date: 2011-08-02 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 01:44 am (UTC)And yeah, just learned that Block B is coming to Manila. That got me excited.
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Date: 2011-08-02 11:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 09:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 01:49 am (UTC)now they are getting block b, one of my favorite groups. ugh
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Date: 2011-08-02 04:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 09:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 02:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 04:24 am (UTC)but thanks for this OP! ilu
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Date: 2011-08-02 04:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-02 08:20 am (UTC)And Song Joongki *_*
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Date: 2011-08-02 11:32 am (UTC)phils i miss you can ur flights be cheaper soon kthx
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Date: 2011-08-02 02:13 pm (UTC)