Day 3: The festivities Begin

Can anybody find me a fork around here?  Not a chance!  Do you remember what it was like the first time you tried to use chop sticks?  I do, and I would rather not think about the experience.  Luckily, I was in the USA, and quickly able to wrap my fingers around a magical utensil called a fork.  That would have been a very bad day for my belly had it not been for my handy fork.  I think it's safe to say that we were all pretty much just forced to learn how to eat with chopsticks, even though many of us may have never even tried before.  Luckily, most of us were eager to try our game at fitting into Korean culture, so for the past week we have clumsily fumbled with them trying to pick at what's left of our neat rice piles.  But by the end of one week in Korea, most of us are professional chopstick users.  How else would we eat our Kimchi?  Speaking of Kimchi, it is so popular, that it has become the new greating.  Instead of hello, you can just say, "Kimchi!"  It makes life alot easier.  You can even use the phrase kimchi when taking a picture.  One thing I have noticed in my time being here is that most of the white foreign males have been having to say, "Kimchi!" very often.  You may ask why, and I'll tell you.  Korean girls, especially the younger ones, love white men.  I don't know why, but all I know is that they like to take pictures with them and show all their friends. 

Vocabulary to know when going to Korea:
Hello = Kimchi!
What?= Kimchi?
I love you= Kimchi <3
thank you= Kimchi.

Do you get the idea yet? You can substitute Kimchi for anything and even if they don't know what you are really trying to say, you will still get a bowl of Kimchi out of it.

South Korea has much more to offer than just kimchi though.  Have you ever experienced the wonderful hospitality of the Korean families?  Let me explain a little bit.  Some of the students have been involved in what is called a "homestay".  So basically Korean families invite us into their homes to experience a little bit of life with them, and pretty much offering everything they have.  I have never seen such hospitality in my life.  It is not uncommon for someone to give up their own bed and sleep on the ground, so that their guest can have a nice comfy bed.  At times when the AC would generaly not be used, they turn it on just to keep guests comfortable.  Food is always given to the guest first.  The guest not only gets the first food, but the most food.  Every need is taken care of right away, and most families would not even think of letting you do your own laundty.  These are just a few examples of Korean hospitality at its finest.  Most people would whole-heartedly agree with that statement if they have ever been a guest at a Korean person's home.    

In our first day of the festival, we found out many new things about Korean culture.  We tried our luck at kite flying, and if luck was in your favor, the kite soared high into the sky.  In Korean tradition, once the kite is in the air and flying, you cut the string and make a wish as it blows off into the wind.  There was even a whole section devoted to "going green".  Now when I hear that something is "green", I imediately think, 'hippies and tree huggers.' You may be thinking the same thing right at this very moment, but this was not just about saving Free Willy or Sparky, the bottle nosed dolphin.  Some of the events were devoted to health awareness such as washing hands, and eating less junk food.  These are simple steps we can take as an individual to better ourselves and the environment together. 
These are only just a few things out of the many booths with a wide array of options including Taekwondaeo training, mask making, pottery making, and drumming.

The night festivities began with a bang, litteraly.  We were all quite shocked by the fire, smoke, and loud fireworks that shot off into the night, erupting with a magnitude that about bursted our ears.  After recieving a warm welcome from every leader in Yeosu city, a few Korean Pop bands played, one of them by the name of Secret. Not a chair was left sitted in as soon as Secret hit the stage.  Koreans sure do love their girl-bands, especially the younger generation.  Security gaurds had thier hands full as most everyone under the age of twenty was anxious to take pictures with the most famous band.  Unless you stood on your chair, you probably couldn't see anything, probably because everyone else was standing on their chairs too.

The night ended with whistles blowing rediculously from every direction, all in different keys, but all for the same purpose: stop the kids from rushing the band.  Secret had a hard time getting back to their vehicle because so many anxious fans were excited to maybe get the chance to take a picture with them.   Yet another explosive day in the world of culture exchange in South Korea.