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talentedcrayon
Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Location: Why do you even care?
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 9:41 pm Post subject: Korean cultural festival at Sungkyunkwan Univ. Suwon |
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Hi everyone,
I am volunteering for Sungkyunkwan University' HANON Korean cultural festival.
Anyone living in Suwon/Gyeonggi/Seoul might be interested in joining. It's a great chance to meet some Koreans (for those of you who complain about never meeting Koreans).
They put you up in one of their dorms for three days, provide food, speakers (so far they have the President of KIA, and a top researcher on inter-Korean relations joining), activities, prizes and trips to local attractions in Suwon.
I am mostly recommending it as a good way to make some Korean friends and learn something.
If you are interested in learning more feel free to PM me. You can also visit their website at http://www.han-on.org
Thanks for your interest! |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 10:24 pm Post subject: Re: Korean cultural festival at Sungkyunkwan Univ. Suwon |
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talentedcrayon wrote: |
It's a great chance to meet some Koreans (for those of you who complain about never meeting Koreans). |
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talentedcrayon
Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Location: Why do you even care?
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 2:59 am Post subject: |
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Haha, I'll clarify what I meant by that...
I meet a lot of people in Korea, who despite being surrounded by Koreans all day, don't actually have many Korean friends and wonder how to make local friends.
At this event you will be spending 3 days with them. So, you should come away with a good experience and some new friends. |
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talentedcrayon
Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Location: Why do you even care?
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 3:20 am Post subject: |
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I should also say -
They will be inviting some North Korean refugees who can speak English. If you want a chance to meet someone from North Korea and ask them a few questions this is your chance.
I know a lot of you complain about not being able to meet North Koreans... ^^ |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Location: Hyehwa
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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I'll try to not be too negative, but it does tend to turn into a cultural drinking-fest more than anything else from my experience.
Also, they pay their workers, why volunteer? Unless possibly you are a student? |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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talentedcrayon wrote: |
At this event you will be spending 3 days with them. |
Three day, huh? Will guns be available for anyone who wishes to shoot themselves in the head? |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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OP, I don't think you're going to get many takers. It doesn't exactly sound like fun. Maybe some newbs might sign up, but as Scorpion says it isn't going to appeal to many. I can count on one hand how many Westerners I know here who have any Korean friends. It's not that they haven't had the opportunity to meet Koreans. They've met them. They have no Korean friends by choice, and most are content to keep things that way.
I clicked on the link. The two hour opening ceremony itself sounds like torture. Two hours of listening to some ajoshie blather on and on about Korea.
Fuggetaboutit. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
The two hour opening ceremony itself sounds like torture. Two hours of listening to some ajoshie blather on and on about Korea. |
Yes, he'll be standing behind a podium with a microphone reading off in a monotone voice what it says on some PowerPoint slides someone else has prepared for him, while 90% of the audience play with their smart phones. |
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talentedcrayon
Joined: 27 Aug 2013 Location: Why do you even care?
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 12:28 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for your feedback (the feedback that didn't seem like trolling, but was honest). I think we just have to work on explaining what we are about better.
I have told the team that they need to make it fun to get people to come. Long "sermons" on how awesome Korea is isn't going to attract anyone to their event.
I have been to those too... I remember the GEPIK conference... I have been on tours... I have listened to it...
So far, I have had a lot of fun working with the Han On team. Last weekend I went to "MT" (membership training IE drinking games until 5:00am) with them and a bunch of girls from Sukmyong Women's University. I think they need to find a way to show people their event will be (and actually will be) fun like that.
Thanks again for the feedback and your impressions based on the website.
PS: To answer scorpion's question - no we will not be providing firearms so you can shoot yourself in the head... How the hell did you survive the first week you got off the plane in Incheon? |
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ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Location: seoul, south korea
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 1:01 am Post subject: |
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hi!
i live near suwon
and i'm not a negative nancy like some of the other people here
i would love to join!
i just sent you a PM! |
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thrylos
Joined: 10 Jun 2008
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Scorpion wrote: |
Three day, huh? Will guns be available for anyone who wishes to shoot themselves in the head? |
Nah, just soju should do it... |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 4:59 am Post subject: |
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Look these conferences can be about as much fun as shoveling snow, but to say that the president of Kia is "some ajosshi" really comes across as the kind of superiority-inferiority complex that people rail against Koreans for having. That and someone from INSS talking about North-South relations isn't exactly lame fare either.
The point is, there is about as much reason for people's attitude as some ajosshi looking at a conference featuring Carlos Ghosn (CEO of Renault), Wolfgang Puck, and Andrei Lankov and going "just some Westerner going on and on for two hours about how great the west is". Maybe if it was some random asshat of a professor or an EPIK lecture, that would be a reasonable expectation. But the level of speaker here suggests that there will probably be a higher level of speaking ability and a greater ability to connect to people.
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I can count on one hand how many Westerners I know here who have any Korean friends. It's not that they haven't had the opportunity to meet Koreans. They've met them. They have no Korean friends by choice, and most are content to keep things that way. |
Dude, that sounds like the kind of stuff I hear from bigots back home when talking about blacks.
Look, I don't expect you to be swarming with K-friends and doing K-things, but if you haven't been able to make at least 1-2 good Korean friends in a couple of years here that are worth keeping through all of the frustration with this country, I think that says a lot more about you and your associates than Koreans. |
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