A Lupa

2010 Seoul - South Korea

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Find out more about your CPI friends. What they do in Korea. What they learned.

Editor in Chief: Sidney P Silva Text Editor: Jerome Diaz General Support: Le Minh Hong
Design

Editorial

Art Director: Sidney P Silva Colaboration: Jerome Diaz Photo profile: Douglas Morara and Sidney P Silva Personal photos: CPI participants Special Guest (writer): Kim Eunhee Special Guest (interview by Sidney P Silva): Soyoon Bong Special Guest (interview by Rafa Ortega): JinSuk, Seo Le Minh Hong Irina Streltsova Syeda Lubna Khatoon Ratemo Douglas Morara Mamaime Motanyane Victoria Quansah Rafael Chavez Ortega Maija Veide Wit Chin Lu Noran Foaud Ahmed Hassan Eddie Ruida Ching Jerome Diaz sidneysidy@hotmail.com silva_zn@yahoo.com.br
Contact Writers Photography

Contributors

After six wonderful months experiencing life in Korea, now it is time to go. But what have we learned? What do we leave here? What do we take with us? The opening text Home, Our Home tells about the three characters who find Korea their home. The charaters may represent you and me since it describes the powerful emotions we attached to Korea as our home for the last six months. As you leaf through every page of the magazine, you can arrive at a Karaoke bar, watch a performance on stage, listen to the sound of music, take a tour on grandiose palaces or spend a day at a temple. All these described and seen by a foreigner guests, scholars and experts in various fields with different cultures and backgrounds, but who find Korea their warm cozy home in the end. After six months its time to go home ... Pick up our bags ... Collect what we learned ... Save the memories ... Review the photos ... And say farewell to friends whom we can now call brothers. Sidney P Silva Editor in Chief

Sidney Silva, age 25, started his career as an actor, and then worked with nongovernmental organization where he worked in Gol de Letra Foundation of the football players Ra de Oliveira and Leonardo Arajo, and in some projects of Abrinq Foundation. In the year of 2003, he started working with the Choreographer Ivaldo Bertazzo, where he participated in the shows Samwaad (2004/2006) and Milgrimas (2005/2006) presented in Brazil and Europe. He developed body researches in Dans Centrum, in Stockholm - Sweden. In 2010 he came to Korea where he showed his own solo creation Biography without Facts on the International Busan Dance Festival Market. He also participated in the project Asia, Africa, South America Dance Exchange where he worked with LEE K. Dance company on the performance FIVE choreography by LEE Kyung-eun. Parallel to this he did the performance 3, 2, 1 Cala a Boca that is a collaboration work between Brazil, Malaysia and Togo. Both was performed at the 13th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance). Nowadays, he is choreograph, dancing and work as a journalist for Brasilian websites.

Sidney P Silva

Jerome Diaz is presently connected with Philippine Tourism Promotions Board (previously Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation) as a Senior Convention Services Officer. He has more than eight years of experience with the Philippine Tourism Industry working with hotel, convention center and national tourism office specializing in Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). He was involved and worked as a project officer for many national tourism events in the Philippines such as the Philippine Incentive Marketing Program and the Philippine MICE Conference, among others, as well as participation of the Philippines in many international travel fairs, expositions, conferences and other MICE related programs and projects. He is in Korea to participate in the National Tourism Officers Exchange Program conducted by the Korean Tourism Organization and the Cultural Partnership Initiative Foundation. His interest aside from travelling and events organizing is teaching events and destination management in college.

Jerome Diaz

together
Growing
he Cultural Partnership Program was launched under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea for the purpose of building social networks and expanding cultural exchange between Korea and with the countries of Asia, Eastern Europe, South America, and Africa. Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) brings people to find common ground and understanding by means of culture. However fast we may travel on the information super highway these days, no one can dispute the value of experiencing, especially when this could open up a whole new, unrevealed perspective on life. The CPI program is all about experiencing new culture, not only at ones destination, but also through Interacting with the people you meet there. Leaders from the cultural communities of the four continents will meet and form friendships with each other, hoping to build a solid network for the future. With this mind, Korea is eager to serve as your destination. The CPI Program solicits study residency candidates from 21 organizations in various fields to include general culture, arts, culture industries, media, tourism, and sports to stay for a period of six months in Korea for cultural experience, professional training and Korean Language classes.

Why culture?
The 21st century is the age of culture. Cultural discourse will dominate every aspect of society. This discourse will not be restricted to a countrys borders, but will reach far to touch hearts and minds worldwide.

Why Asia, South America Africa and East Europe?

Globalization has not only standardized the economy, but also the mind. The domination of a few super industrialized cultures has permeated our everyday lives, not allowing space for us to explore undiscovered cultural worlds. By learning about how the unique cultural fragments that make the bigger picture have survived hardships and development vestiges, we can advance to a higher level of creativity.

Growing together through cultural exchange

There are several reasons and objectives of the CPI Program as mentioned in its website to include: a. Prime Partner Korea The most dependable partner of the various nations of the world/ A country which can be understood and trusted. b. Friend Korea Improve the image of Korea so that all nations of the world can feel closeness with our cultural and the arts. c. Culture Hub Plant Korea Conduct function as a global cultural hub through network exchanges and create drive for joint development of Asia. d. Culture Tolerance Korea Bring about a cultural consciousness and mentality based on tolerance.

or 2010, the CPI Participants has 70 participants from 37 countries namely: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

map from CPI site www.culturefriends.or.kr

Eunhee
Kim

Home, our home

ince I was asked to write an article for this special magazine, Ive been thinking what to write. Ive thought for more than a week, but well, to be honest, I still have no idea. Only one word has kept coming up to my head; home. Six month-living in a new country, where is far from your family and friends, where people speak different language and where they have different life style which may be sometimes difficult to understand. I think sometimes it must be very hard and lonely. You do work, you have lots of new and fun experiences, you learn new things and you meet new friends, however, there may be a certain loneliness hidden somewhere in your hearts, which cant be described and spoken out easily.

For the last months since I met the three lovely boys; Lu, Moussa and Sidney, what I hoped and still hope to be is a home for them. Sometimes like a sister or sometimes like a friend, Ive always hoped to be a home where they can take rest and feel warm. Im not quite sure if I was good enough, however some time later, very strangely, I found that they also became a home for me. Strange, isnt it? I feel that we dont just think what we can receive from each other, rather we think more about what we can give to each other.

Just a month or less left. Sometimes time seemed to go very slow, but after all, it flew, right? On a cold winter day, we will say goodbye to each other, as we met on a hot summer day. After they leave, I will surely feel empty and somethings missing. However, I believe we will remain as a home for each other, wherever we are and whatever we do. As one of the Korean poet wrote, Sadly Not too sadly but sort of sadlySeparationNot If someone says life is always so, well, yes, separation for good but with a chance of meeting hes right; we are all strangers living on earth. again even it is in the afterlifeNot like a wind However, especially in a foreign country, where blowing to meet a lotus, but like the one blowing you dont know many people around, one after it met a lotusLike the wind blowing not morning you may woke up and feel you are lost after it met the lotus yesterday, but met it a season or two ago and alone here.
Eunhee Kim International relations/ CPI coordinator Seoul Section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO

Friendship never ends

Living without friends is to die without witnesses

What did you do in the CPI program? I came here with a group of musicians. I likewise worked with the Korean National Theater.

Hathairat Pongpitak
Date of Birth: July 16, 1979 Country: Thailand Education: Higher Education Work: Teacher Budditpattanasilpa CPI Program: National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. Likes: music Contact Details: b_tairat@hotmail.com Social Network facebook: b_tairat@hotmail.com
Do you have any funny episode during your stay in Korea? Yes. I bought something which I thought was an oil for cooking. And I made a mistake. I can not use it for cooking. Up to now I still do not know what I bought.

Favorite place in Korea? I actually like all the places I visited in Korea. But my ultimate dream place is Jeju Island.

What was the most difficult part of living in Korea? Communication and going around the subway was my only problem. But, now I started to travel and go on my own and shopping by myself. Favorite moment in Korea? Enjoying my favorite Korean food. Listening and playing my favorite Korean musical instruments.

Difficult to learn? Learning the GayaGeum was difficult for me because it is so much different with Thai music. But I learned how to play it. It was a good thing for me because I had the opportunity to learn another musical instrument. Another instrument I learn is how to play the Korean drums called Jango. But that one I didnt find any difficulty in playing. I like it very much.

Le, Minh Hong

Date of Birth: February 14 Country: Vietnam Education: Bachelor of Music Work: Vietnam National Academy of Music CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Movies, drama, music, comic, travel Contact: thientamhong@gmail.com Social Network Facebook: thientamhong@gmail.com

Sa rang hae
had a chance to visit Korea to participate in the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) program under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea. The Program aimed to facilitate cultural exchanges between Korea with other countries for us to have the opportunity to know more about the people and culture of Korea.

Korea

The first thing I want to say is that Korea is so exciting for me as a country and I love Korea! I took part in the CPI 2010 program to undergo workshop for traditional artists in The National Theatre of Korea where I studied Gayageum. In addition, I participated in musical performances organized by The National Theater of Korea/Cultural Partnership Initiative as well as took Korean language lessons at Kyunghee University. I knew about gayageum before I took part in the CPI program. As a traditional music instructor in Vietnam, Gayageum music and sound has captivated me because it is similar to a Vietnamese traditional instrument called Dan Tranh. Although the sounds of these musical instruments have depth and emotion, the Gayageum sound is different because I can truly feel the music of Korea deep within me. It is for this reason that I love gayageum.Even with the similarities with the musical instrument I played in my country, it is not really easy to study gayageum because you need to study the technique, the style and understand Korean Soul and music. I also had a great time in Korea. I made a lot of friendswith both Koreans and CPI participants from different parts of the world. We visited interesting places, savored the moment of eating together, watched performances, shared and exchanged culture and many more. The most interesting and fun part of my visit to Korea was learning the Korean language. It was really difficult because the sound of Korean language is different from

my own language. However, after one month I was able to read Korean words although I did not really understand them. The way I mixed Korean language with English and Vietnamese made it even more fun. During my stay in Korea, I went to Chandeokgung, Gyeongbokgung, Myeongdong, Dongdemun and Busan City to name a few. One of my most unforgettable activities was shopping at Dongdemun Midnight Market where I bought so many interesting stuff particularly clothes and shoes. I likewise watched the Fireworks Festival in Han River, walk around Ilsan Lake and tried different various culinary delights such as Samgepsai, Bulgogi, BiBimbap or Bapbingsu. Since I love Korean drama, one day my friend suggested that we should go to the Coffee Prince film location which is located near Honggik University in Hongdae. I was excited because Coffee Prince was a popular Korean TV Show in Vietnam. Although we were exhausted looking for the coffee shop for hours, we were finally relieved when we got there. We tried some of their best seller coffee drinks and took pictures of the place. The only difficult part of my life in Korea was learning the language, adjusting to different cultures, and homesickness. But the kindness, friendliness and hospitality of the Koreans, made my stay in Korea one of the most memorable part of my life. I will miss Korea very much. I miss Korean people, my teachers, my Korean friends and my CPI friends too. I hope that one day I will come back to Korea.

Tatang Suhenda
Date of Birth : July 04, 1968 Country / City : Indonesia Education : Administration Scholars Work : Department of Tourism and Culture of Jakarta CPI Program : The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Music Contact Details: email : tatang_suhenda@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: Ncang Gope

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Favorite place in Korea? Ansan. It is because there are many Indonesian restaurants and Indonesian people who worked there. Likewise, there are many fast food and Indonesian special spices and other essentials that you can buy there.

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Cultural Note

Traditional Korean food consists of rice , soup, Gimchi and various side dishes.

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Syeda Lubna Khatoon

Date of Birth : April 17 Country: Pakistan Education : Masters in Fine Arts CPI Program : Cultural Heritage Likes: Paintings Contact Details: s-lubna11@live.com Social Network facebook: Lubna Khatoon

Stranger
very strange but we realized...

Gi

rl

ife is not always the same in this world; and this is the beauty of life. One day in my country I visited Lok Virsa. I went there because my friend asked me to accompany her to visit it. I was waiting for her to finish her work when I heard about the CPI Program and Scholarship. I showed my interest, so they said if I want to apply I can submit an application form the following morning. I liked the opportunity and tried my luck. At that time I was not aware of the fact that I was very lucky. And one day, when I almost forget about the CPI Scholarship, I received a call to give my passport to a concerned department as I was selected to visit South Korea. Before that I was not aware of South Korea. So I started to gather information about it. When I came here it seemed a new kind of world, but I adapted soon to my new environment and made new friendship with CPI participants from different countries. It was a good experience for me. One night while I was strolling with my friend we stopped to have rest in front of a shop. It was a small shop with some chairs in front of it. Seated next to us was a Korean Girl who was fully concentrated on her food unaware of what was going around her. After 20 to 30 minutes of rest we again started walking. We were just walking for about one or two minutes when my friend heard a voice from the back. First we ignored it, but the voice was persistent so we looked back. We were surprised to see a girl running toward us and was saying something. And so we stopped to find out that it was the same girl who was seated next to us enjoying her food. When she reached us she started talking to us in Korean. Although we were not able to understand what she was saying, she was able to convey her message to us. She wanted to give us smoothies, a blended cold drink usually with fruity flavors. To take food from a stranger was indeed very strange but when we realized her hospitality we accepted it. First we did not understand why she wanted to offer us food. But we soon realized that she offered us food because we are foreigners and we waited in front of the shop for 30 minutes and did not buy anything. So the girl thought that we were hungry and she went inside the shop and came back with food to give to us. It was one of the touching moments of my life. I realized Korean people are very hospitable. Now after spending some part of my life in Korea, I will try to continue the message she gave us and that is to help everyone, regardless if you know that person or not, or you can understand his/her language or not. Thank you Stranger Girl. I wish God Bless you and you may live your life happily and be successful. Thanks again for teaching me a wonderful lesson in life.

Tshering Choki
Date of Birth: May 10, 1984 Country: Thimphu/Bhutan Education: Bachelors Degree major in Commerce (Hons) Work: National Library and Archives of Bhutan CPI Program: National Library of Korea Likes: Photography and travel. Contact Details: oshin84_24@hotmail.com Social Network facebook: oshin84_24@hotmail.com

How did you know about the CPI Program? My office received an invitation from the National Library of Korea. How was your first month? I missed my home. But as time went by, I started to love Korean people, culture and food. What is your impression of Korea? Korea has a perfect mixture of tradition and modern technology. Korea is a beautiful country with beautiful people. What was the first Korean word you learn? . What is your favorite Korean food? Bibimbap. I love bibimbap because I am a person who likes lots of vegetable and less meat. I dont eat sea food, so I feel safe eating bibimbap. Name one place you will recommend to your friend or family to visit in Korea? Busan. What was your funniest or memorable experience in Korea? My funniest experience was losing my balance and falling over a young couple inside the subway. What is your favorite Korean phrase or expression? Sa rang Hae yo. What will you miss most about Korea? Bibimbap and shopping. What was the most challenging part living in Korea? Learning Korean language. What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? Learning about the language. What are your plans after the program? Hoping to take back whatever I learned here and try to implement it in my country.

Cultural Note

When drinking alcohol , the elders will pour the liquor. You should hold the cup with to hands, when receiving it. Afterwards, you should pour the liquor for the elders, again making surethat you use the two hands.

e ncupon a time, longtime ago ... O long

Research by Sidney P Silva

Mikka Nurrochsyam
Date of Birth: December 08, 1969 Country: Jakarta/Indonesia Education: Master Degree Work: Center for Research and Development Culture Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Indonesia Republic CPI Program: KCTI (Korea Culture and Tourism Institute) Likes: Watch performance Contact : mikkawildha@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: Mikka Nurrochsyam

puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by a puppeteer. It is usually but by no means always - a depiction of a human character, and is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre. There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a wide range of materials, depending on their form and intended use. They can be extremely complex or very simple in their construction. They may even be found objects. Puppetry is one of the most ancient forms of performance in the world. In Korean traditional puppet play, puppeteers all belong to the lowest social class who were oppressed, mistreated or even persecuted. Puppet plays were vehicles for their satire and criticism in society. Transformed to the puppet, the puppeteer discovers to speak something that was not revealed in his everyday life. It can be criticism or free imagination. Puppet has been functioned as a revolutionary interface to bring peoples free speech and imaginative storytelling.

There are many advantages in puppets. They never argue. They have no crude views about art. They have no private lives

Oscar Wilde

How did you know about the CPI Program? Through my friend in Indonesia. How was your first month? It was really ok. I adjusted easily.

Name one place you will recommend to your friend or family to visit in Korea? Jeju Island.

What was your funniest or memorable experience in Korea? What is your impression of Enjoying fun with my supervisor in KCTI and his jokes. He is very Korea? The attitude of Korean people kind and imaginative person. was very nice. What is your favorite Korean What was the first Korean word phrase or expression? and . you learn?
.

What was the most challenging part living in Korea? When I interviewed with some experts in Korean Puppet Theater (they spoke in Korean Language). What will you miss most about Korea? The people in CPI Secretariat, my Supervisor, my teacher in Korean Language class and my CPI friends. What are your plans after the program? I plan to continue my research about Korean Puppet Performance because I like it so much.

What is your favorite Korean food? Bimbimpap because I like vegetables.

What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? My reasearch about Korean Puppet Performance Kkaktu Kaksi Noerum.

Do you know her?

Probably you already met her.As a supporter for some of our colleagues. She likes to go to Karaoke () and always willing to have fun with the CPI participants. Soyoon Bong, 22 years old. She was born in Seoul and has a younger brother. Lets find out a bit more about her.
by Sidney P Silva

What is your profession? Im a student and my major is law and political science (Diplomacy). I am currently working at UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) National Committee for the Republic of Korea as an intern. Are you supporter? Yes, I am! Who was already supported by you? Rafa and Jerome What do you do as a supporter? I used to help CPI participants when they need a help with Korean stuff. Otherwise, I hang out with them as a friend. Which languages do you speak? Korean, English and Spanish Who was your first contact? Rafa. I met him at the orientation of supporters. It was good to know him because he speaks Spanish. Do you think that speaking other languages helped you make

contact with the participants of the CPI? Of course! Its easy to make a friend if I speak a foreign language. At least, English helps me a lot to get to know someone new. How long do you know participants? I have known them for months. Ive met them 2010. Ive supported them beginning of the program. the CPI about 5 in June from the

to clubs, cinemas and restaurants. Ive been everywhere with them! Where was the best fun that youve had with them? Clubs in Itaewon! I went there with Sidney, Moussa, and Lu. It was the coolest night Ive ever had! Why did you decide to be a supporter? Ive been supporting CPI participants since 2008. It was my first year as a supporter and it was unforgettable. I helped them when they need me, and they also made many great memories. Tell me something what you learned with the CPI participants? Friendship. I had a good chance to get to know many people and made lots of good friends. Moreover Ive learned about different cultures. How do you will contact them when they finish the project? Through Facebook. I think its the easiest way to keep in touch. I might also visit them!

How many participants do you know? I think I know around 20 participants of the 2010 CPI program. Do you already attend some presentation of the participants? How was it? Yes, I went to see a dance performance of Sidney, Moussa and Lu. It was brilliant as I expected. What are the places youve been with the participants? Weve visited Itaewon, Gangnam, Hongdae, Myeongdong and all other interesting places in Seoul. We went

Seoul Arts Center: Soyoon with CPI friends after performance.

A better world
Separate the waste into organic waste and recyclables. Do not throw your garbage on the streets, beaches or squares. Choose products with less or returnable packaging and recycled. Avoid excessive use of paper. Use recycled paper. Save water! Do not consume unnecessary products. Do not buy products or equipment containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. Do not waste energy! Utilize natural light, open the windows and curtains! Always turn off the lights when not in use. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions, using the car less, which represent the second largest global source of CO2.

A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind.
Daisaku Ikeda
philosopher, writer, photographer, poet

Marta Almeida
Date of Birth: May 11 Country: Argentina / Buenos Aires Education: First degree: Graphic Designer Work : Masters in Communication Design / School of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, of the University of Buenos Aires. CPI Program: National Museum of Contemporary Art Likes: Play piano, read books, study art, travel Contact: E-mail: info@martaalmeida.com Social Network facebook: I dont use facebook or others...

Cheonggyecheon: Counterpoint between old traditions and young generations in a dynamic images conformed by two photos. A young girl is entering and going out from the most important building of the Cheonggyecheon Palace.

What was the most challenging part living in Korea? Communicating with Korean people. What are your plans after the program? Go back to my country and share the information that I have researched to my colleagues. Probably, I will start courses at Centro de Cultura Coreana in Buenos Aires. And also, I would like to come again to Korea as a professional and work for some time here.

How did you know about the CPI Program? Through the Internet.

What was the first Korean word you learn? and

What is your impression of Korea? In my opinion, it is one of the most exciting and fascinating countries that Ive ever visited.

Changgyeonggung lake: This collage shows an image of old couple talking peacefully beside a lake. Again, the idea of nature balanced with human being inspires a dialogue between wisdom and peace and, finally, the power of nature.

What is your favorite Korean phrase or expression? :

What is your favorite Korean food (why and describe it)? Gimbap because it is not too heavy, not spicy and easy to eat. Gimbap is a rice roll with vegetables inside. It is delicious, and also you can combine it with other food like soup or noodles, you can eat many and you will never get dull eating it.

Changgyeonggung palace: Colorfull signs at Changgyeonggung stream show the enjoyable and funny way as Korean people expres their own felings. The contrast with simple drawings and the big City Hall skyscraper makes this image fascinating.

What will you miss most about Korea? The nature and the dynamic relationship with tradition and modernity.

What was your memorable experience ? My experience living in the mountain of Korea gave me the opportunity to be in contact with nature.

Coffe at Sinchon: The Korean spirit is full of optimism. This image shows how in a simple coffee we can draw through the foam an idea and an emotion, a heart. In every simple things Korean culture discovers a universe of feelings and deep emotions.

Name one place you will recommend to your friend or family to visit in Korea? In my opinion every thing in Seoul is fascinating, I will recommend every neighborhood (Insadong, Myenong-dong, Namsan, Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, Daehangno, Sinchon, Jamsil, Itaewon, Yeouido, Gangnam) and every little town in the city.

What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? Every little detail has enriched my life: food, people, art, nature, history, tradition and technology.

Changgyeonggung garden: A lovers meet in a typical Korean garden. The couple is mixed with the landscape and unique architecture. The image shows the balance of nature, architecture and human being.

Mamaime Motanyane
Date of Birth: December 13 Country:: Lesotho Education: BA degree in Humanities Work: Ministry of Tourism Environment and Culture CPI Program: World Tourism Organisation STEP Foundation Likes:Travelling Contact: motanyanem@gmail.com Social Network facebook: motanyanem@gmail.com

I changed
W
hen I got here in South Korea, among other things I was told about was to go for a temple stay. I had never heard of such. Auspiciously my organization had that in the schedule of places we were to visit, so I became very excited about it. I went online to find more information about it, and the excitement grew the more and more I learned about it. As I was waiting for this magnificent trip, I happened to hear from my Korean Language classmates who had already been there the previous weekend about their stay for 2 days in one of the temples. They were very exhausted from the trip, telling me this and that about it. From what I learned from them I wanted to reconsider my decision joining the temple stay. They told me about waking up as early as 3 a.m for meditation, eating weird food and what I found very frustrating was drinking the water that was used for cleaning the dishes. That, of course made me think twice. However, I still wanted to experience this so called Temple stay, so I convinced myself that may be it is for a good cause or may be my organizers would choose a better temple where I dont get to do that kind of stuff.

The monk during Dinner The day finally came. I was really keen on doing it, not only because I was going to stay in a temple and get to experience Buddhism, but also because I was going to learn how to meditate. That was very important for me. I was also happy to find out that the temple was near the ocean, because I love the beach. First we were told to change our clothes into what looked like a uniform for Buddhists or at least for us who were going to participate. Then we were introduced to the Monk who provided us with the schedule. This was a big room which we were supposed to share with all the female participants. Getting to have dinner with the monk became one of my special moments. However what became difficult for me was sitting down on the floor folding my legs as I am an African. At 3 a.m, when we heard the gong sound, we had to wake up and head straight to the temple. Here we commenced our early day with meditation. That felt very good. Once there, there was no talking or waiting around, we then later moved to the Statue of Buddha where we started bowing. Now this was what I would call the highlight of the whole trip. I wanted with all my heart to finish the 108 bows. But I could not. However even if I did not finish, the important part was to experience it. When we were done and ready to go, our legs were pretty sore afterwards. In the end though, I really did appreciate my experience and I had a new found respect for Buddhism as a religion. It was a nice feeling to wear the same thing as everyone else.

Temple Stay

How did you know about the CPI Program? My Museum got a letter from Korea. How was your first month? It was hard because of time-lag, weather and food. What is your impression of Korea? Beautiful.

Virg Hrsvlgyi
Date of Birth: November 26 Country: Hungary/Budapest Education: Art historian, art historian teacher, museum educator Work: Museum Educator at Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts, Budapest, Hungary CPI Program: Curatorship Program for Museum Professionals Likes: photography Contact: harsvolgyiv@gmail.com Social Network Virg Hrsvlgyi

What will you miss most about Korea? The scenery. What was the first Korean word you learn? What was the most challenging part living in Korea? Finding non spicy food. What are your plans after the program? Go back to Hungary and teach children about Korean culture. What is your favorite Korean food? Seongpyeon and rice cake, because it is sweet. Name one place you will recommend to your friend to visit in Korea? Seoraksan National Park. What was your memorable moment in Korea? The first music performance at the National Theatre.

The Master Kimchi Kimchi (), also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish, made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Kimchi may also refer to unfermented vegetable dishes.There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi, made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onion or cucumber. Kimchi is the most common banchan, or side dish, in Korean cuisine. Kimchi is also a main ingredient for many popular Korean dishes such as kimchi stew (; kimchi jjigae), kimchi soup (; kimchiguk), and kimchi fried rice (; kimchi bokkeumbap).

What was the first Korean word you learn? ? What is your favorite Korean food? I like bibimbap! Made with rice, vegetable and egg; also it is very spicy. I love it. Name one place you will recommend to your friend or family to visit in Korea?: Jeju Island. All Vietnamese have known this place through Korean movies. My family wishes to have good chance of going there. What is your favorite Korean phrase or expression? . . What will you miss most about Korea? All the time I have spent in Korea. I love the life here very much. Hopefully, I would have more occasions to return here. What was the most challenging part living in Korea? The cold winter season. Although I would like to take a picture of the mountains covered by a white snow, the winter here is so cold. I was always worried at getting sick in the cold winter. What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? My trip to the National Gukak Center in Jing do. I visited many beautiful landscapes there, went to the Pansori museum and enjoyed the Korean traditional music. What are your plans after the program? After finishing the CPI program here I will go back to Vietnam. First, I will look for a Korean language course in my country because I want to continue studying Korean language. I will also research more about Korean music. Hopefully, I would have more opportunities to return here to study more about Korean people, culture and country.

Hangul The native phonetic alphabet system for the Korean language. Before the creation of Hangul, only members of the highest class were literate (hanja was typically used to write Korean by using adapted Chinese characters while Hanmun was sometimes used to write court documents in classical Chinese). One would have to learn the quite complex hanja characters in order to read and write Korean. King Sejong presided over the introduction of the 28 letter Korean alphabet, with the explicit goal being that Koreans from all classes would read and write. He also attempted to establish a cultural identity for his people through its unique script. First published in 1446, anyone could learn Hangul in a matter of days. Persons unfamiliar with Hangul can typically pronounce Korean script accurately after only a few hours study. Each hangul letter is based on a simplified diagram of the patterns made by the mouth, tongue and teeth when making the sound related to the character.

Le Thi My Hanh
Date of Birth: July 4 Country: Vietnam Education: Higher Education Work / Organization in your country: Hue Monuments Conservation Center CPI Program: National center for Korean traditional performing arts. Likes: music Contact Details (phone, mail): hanhhuemusic@yahoo.com.vn

How did you know about the CPI Program? Through my friend who took part in the first CPI program in 2005. How was your first month? Everything was not so difficult for me. I was able to adjust easily with the life in Korea. What is your impression of Korea? Korean people are very kind and friendly. Korea is a very beautiful country. In particular, Korean music is special and perfect. What was your funniest or memorable experience in Korea? Our activities at Chusok festival in the Folk museum.

Wit Chin Lu
Date of Birth: June20, 1984 Country: Malaysia Education: Degree in Business Management and Dance Work: Dance Artist CPI Program: Dance Exchange Likes: Cooking, Painting, Runnning Contact: tt_lu@hotmail.com Social Network facebook: tt_lu@hotmail.com

The collaboration experiences here in Korea also helped me to be more culturally sensitive and understanding more about people.

On Stage...
M
y friends and I have been working intensively for the past few months with Korean artists. Overall, it was enjoyable and a rewarding process for us. Personally, it was a challenging collaboration as we do not speak the same language and came from different backgrounds.
The way we think, react, and do was totally different. However, it was amazing to see when the production overcame all these barriers and put us altogether on stage. Art has this special power to communicate and create better understanding among different people with diverse cultures and conditions. In Korea, the dance scene in particular is one of the top in Asia. Looking at the education, quality of the performances, creative works and the market itself, I think Korea deserved a wide recognition in the international dance scene. First, the percentage of the audiences that attend the dance performances is quite high in Korea. For example, I attended several shows in Opera Theatre and Hae National Theater where the attendance rate is more than 85%. This is critical in terms of support for the growth of the overall dance scene. Secondly, the quality of the performances is quite high as the market demand that a production should not only be for entertainment per se but also for the artistic aspect of the production that can bring more aspirations to the community as a whole. Korea also possesses a unique personality in the contemporary arts. I think mainly because they have both well preserved traditional culture and dynamic contemporary culture. For example, in Korea you still can find a very good traditional performer and also a stylish contemporary dancer. It is hard to see the co-existence of these extreme genres, but Korea has made this possible. It was likewise exciting to know that many universities in Korea offer dance education as a professional study. The figures are far more than any countries in the South Asia. Therefore, Korea would not face the problem of lacking professionals in the dance field. They are likewise very competitive which will enable it to survive in the competitive dance market. I also study the Korean Language which I get so addicted. Thus, I try to memorize more Korean words and improve my Korean vocabulary everyday. One of the main reasons I think is my aspirations to travel and wanted to be multi lingual and be able to communicate with the locals using their own language. The collaboration experiences here in Korea also helped me to be more cultural sensitive and understanding more about people. It was my first time to collaborate with artists from different countries in various dance genres. It challenged me from the way I used to communicate with people. Now, I started to realize how important communication is in todays society. I have tried out so many different things in Korea; weird things or whatever you call it. For example, dancing in the rain and joking with Koreans in the streets. I havent done this before in the place where I am familiar. All the things Ive done here made me feel so alive so much and also made me feel that art is actually the life itself. In fact, it is only in Korea that I have started to know more about myself and more about life.

on day life

am a lucky person for joining in both the CPI Program and the AMFEK Program. It gave me the chance to live in Seoul, the Heart and Soul of Korea, and witness its dynamic economic and cultural activities. My life in Seoul generally revolves around participation in cultural and arts performances, attending seminars, holding workshops, and viewing art exhibitions which I considered a great way of appreciating and learning more about the Korean society. I regularly visit museums too such as the War Memorial, National Museum of Korea and Seoul Museum of History where I learned Koreas history, traditional arts, and many other interesting stories that were important to the transformation of Koreas economy and society. In addition my interaction with other fellow CPI Program participants gave me an idea about different countries and their cultural background (location, history, modernity, population, religion, climate, traditional foods, costumes, images which including famous places). The AMFEK Program arranged for us meetings with different art sectors, watched traditional musical performances, contemporary dance performances, and many other performances of varying degrees, genres and styles. Below are some of the landmarks I visited and other interesting activities I did in Seoul just to show you my rich cultural experience for being its transient resident for six months.

Noran Foaud Ahmed Hassan

Date of Birth: September 24 Country / City: Egypt - Cairo Education: PhD in Globalization and Egyptian Folklore Work: Supreme Council of Cultures CPI Program: Korea National University of Arts Likes: Reading, writing articals, Youga Contact Details: noranf2008@gmail.com

South Korea is on peninsula and therefore is surrounded by three bodies of water. The east sea is deep and clean, the southern sea and its numerous islands are known for their beauty and the yellow sea contains long sandy beaches to enjoy the beautiful seas of Korea. Popular National Park in Gangwondo Seakcho s frequented by the visitors for beauty of the rock formations of the Seoraksan Mountain, there are several established Buddhist temples on site, Sinheungsa Temple, Baekdamsa Temple and Naksansa Temple.

Buddhist Temple and Mountains... Korea is a mountainous region although it doesnt really possess the highest peaks or the deepest valleys in all of Asia. A large number of wonderful mountains and hills provide hikers and mountain climbers with stunning sights, what makes hiking in Korea more interesting is that most Buddhist temples are located on mountains exuding a sense atmosphere and magnifying the picturesque beauty of the traditional architecture of the temple. Making a Buddhist temple the destination of your hiking; the trip will be more interesting if you try a drink of cool and crystal clear stream water at the temple. As this experience will add to the breathtaking view formidable perched on top of a mountain. I cant forget my temple stay at Naesosa temple, the magic of enjoining meditation. This Sport for the Soul taught me how to keep myself away from the material world which is full of both personal and general problems for having an impure spirit. Royal Palaces... Gyeongbok-Gung, Chandeok-Gung, Changgyeong-Gung and Deokso-Gung are major royal palaces from the Joseon era. Since they are all located north of the river Gangbuk and relatively closer to each other touring royal palaces was a great way to discover the history of Seoul. I also visited traditional villages which are places where foreigners can gain a glimpse about Koreas well preserved past. Staying in traditional houses gave me an idea of how the ancient Koreans lived (housing, traditional costumes and the guarding system). Further, you can not visit traditional villages without a short trip to its local market which sells both traditional and modern wears as well as variety of vegetables, fruits and traditional foods.

Sharing in Chuseok event days at National Folk Museum of Korea learned the history and meaning, traditional games, making special day food (songpyeon) and trying traditional costumes (hanbok) which are related to the event. Bucheon International Comic festival, one of the representative comic specialized festivals, is jointly held with the International Comic Artist conference which is special space for exchange among world comic artists.

Victoria Quansah
Date of Birth: August 16 Country / City: Ghana Education: Student Work: Musician CPI Program: Tourist and musician Likes: Singing and story telling Contact Details: vicquansah@gmail.com Social network facebook: Victoria Quansah

Subway d n a culture
he most efficient way to get around the city is through a subway, an underground rapid transit train system. At first, it was difficult for me to read the subway map but eventually after a few weeks I learned how to use it. The subway serves almost all commuters in the entire country of Korea. In the subway people usually ignore all cautions or reminders of safety and continue to do anything that pleases them. You can also see people peddle their goods and wares inside the train as well as mendicants who beg for alms. The worst thing that can happen to you is to be seated beside a drunkard or to be coughed up or spitted with saliva. Another subway culture that I do not like is that people do not seem to care even if they bumped or stepped on you. You will not hear apology for it as if nothing happened. Since the time I came to Korea it was hard for me to hear the word sorry inside the subway. One more difficult experience I had in the subway was when somebody stared or looked at me rudely or strangely. It was an awkward feeling but I just do not mind them and continue with my own business. There is however positive values that I observed in the subway like giving of seats to elderly people and to foreigners like me. This is very commendable especially when you see young people stand up to offer their seats to you or to the elders. I got the feeling that technology and advancement in lifestyle has affected the culture of people in Korea sometimes in a rather negative way. My subway culture shock experience is just a manifestation of how competitive environment, complex systems, and unprecedented progress changed and modified behavior of some Koreans. I just hope that for a country as beautiful as Korea something can be done to address this issue.

Rafael Chavez Ortega

Date of Birth: January 15th Country: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mxico Education: Master in Education & Communication / Major in Communication and Mass media Work: Mexico Tourism Board CPI Program: Tourism Likes:Music, Cinema, Technology and Gadgets Contact: rafiux74@me.com Social Network facebook: rafiux74@me.com

The sound of Music

... and without realizing it, in seconds, I was surrounded by my colleagues, my study session had been completely invaded...

36 hours before

cant exactly remember, but I think its four or five times that Ive been to Korea. Nevertheless, this country never ceases to amaze me given the similarities between Seoul and Mexico City. In essence I think it is the spirit and the joyful character of the Koreans which reminds me of Mexico and of Latin America, in general. I have been working in Asia for almost three years and Korea is one of my favorite destinations. From hightech intelligent buildings, old palaces and temples, to the small streets that are always lined with street food stalls with smells that take you to a whole new culinary experience, with these centuries old tradition and modernity complementing each other, without any doubt Korea offers a unique experience even for the most demanding visitor. I am completely sure that Korean people are extremely friendly, except in the subway where you can witness a fierce fight to win a few remaining seats during peak hours. However even in this subway fight, one can also observe Koreans greatest quality which is respect for their elderls. In many situations, you will see young people offering their seats to an elder person which I find an admirable character of this country. But what about the language? It was a pleasant surprise to realize that learning Korean language was easier than I thought compared to learning Japanese language. What excited me the most was that at the end of my first Korean language class, I already knew all the vowels and consonants. Further, outside the school, I now began to read street signs. However, not everything was easy since the sound or pronunciation of Hangeul was really complicated. In an effort to find some connection with Spanish, I managed to convince one of my teachers that one of the vowels

sounds similar to the Spanish U is the Sexy, U, so you can imagine the rest. We laughed a lot. I think learning Korean is a real possibility while I am in this country. For now I have suffered some (not many I admit) study sessions in the common area of the dormitory where I live. This is how it began: I was trying to study on my own when a girl who was a supporter of another foreign student approached me. We were in the middle of our study session where she was explaining to me the difficulty pronouncing Korean sounds when we heard the alarm of my phone indicating that the cycle of the washing machine was over. I excused myself and left the table to get my clothes. When I returned, I went to my computer to turn it off and I did not realize that I was already surrounded by my CPI Colleagues. My study session was completely invaded, it had taken over my space, my supporter, my book and my notebook. I guess this is part of the multicultural experience. In any case, this situation gave me an opportunity to write another chapter of my life, as always, full of adventures and surprises. In an effort to understand the dark side of the Korean sound, I organized a field trip with my colleagues to the only place where we could actually feel the real essence of the Hangeul. It was the only place where we could have an actual conversation with our new Korean friends, the only place where we could be safe from a bad grade from our , was a place called, . After long session of singing and practicing what weve learned, I have become more familiar with Hangeul sounds. I likewise realized there were more similarities than differences between the people who participated in this Program with our Korean friends and that everybody can sing The Sound of Music.

Maija Veide
Date of Birth: December 9 Country: Latvia - Riga Education: MA in Arts Work: Theater Research and Directing CPI Program: Participant, Korea National University of Arts Contact: maijakaija.veide@gmail.com Social Network facebook: maijakaija.veide@gmail.com

Korean audience
What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? Seeing 37 different performances in 40 days.

y project here in Seoul is a research on contemporary Korean theatre and its roots in Korean traditional performing arts. For this my plan was to see a lot of Korean theatres. However, life brings its own corrections into our well-meant plans. So it happened that just at this time there were three major international theatre festivals in Korea, which for me and my schedule meant spending almost every night in various theatres watching performances from all around the world. The only part that stayed constant was the audience; the absolute majority of it was clearly Korean. When I go to theatre to see a show, its not only the show itself that is important but also the audience. Audience in many ways defines the show and determines its success. During every performance there comes a point when my attention turns to the audience. If the show is good, I want to know if others are enjoying it and what are their responses. And, well, sometimes observing the audience can be more fun than watching the stage. It is a somewhat magical view seeing all those people with their faces turned in one direction, sometimes sleeping, sometimes laughing or crying, sometimes enjoying or clearly detesting and so on, with many emotions on display. Further I will offer some observations on Korean audience, hoping that it might be useful as a view of Korean mentality.

1
3

Koreans enjoy being with the crowd. Dont believe me? Look at Koreans on the streets, in subway or how many people bought iPhone 4 at the same time. Audience is a crowd, and it contributes to the fact that Koreans like the spectacle. Even more they believe in spectacle and thus help creating a special energy in theatre halls.

2 4

Koreans like to communicate. Communication is a two way process. It means that a show involving audience or a show where actors communicate with spectators will be more successful here in Korea. Koreans would talk, sing and give other spontaneous responses or even actively participate in the show on stage.

Koreans and emotions. This is a very complicated issue in the society still so strongly under Confucian set of rules. Apart from smoked Hof-Soju bars and loud Noraebang( ), the dark theatre halls definitely are places where daily stress is relieved and emotions can be displayed. Koreans are emotional public; laughter is the easiest response and sobbing is not rare as well. Other emotions include giggling, different patterns of screaming, and of course, a broad variety of facial expressions.

Koreans are polite. One day I saw a really boring show from abroad, which, luckily enough only lasted for one hour. During this hour, for sure, I had plenty of time to observe audience and I could see that they agree with me about the quality of the show. However, AFTER the performance, there was a storm of applause and cheering, which lasted for at least 5 minutes. Wondering as I was, I asked a prominent Korean theatre critic, could it be that the audience liked the show? No, of course not, was his response, They are just being polite.

Douglas Morara
Date of Birth: 9th Jan 1972 Country: Nairobi, Kenya Education: B.A & Social Sciences; Post Diploma Studies in Professional Management in Sports Industry Work: Sports/ Gym workouts CPI Program: Sports Scientists/ Specialist Invitational Training Likes:Reading History, Current and Spiritual Contact: dougmous@gmail.com Social Network facebook: dougmous@yahoo.com

Supporter
a new friend

More then Language

anguage Supportres or helpers are referred to as Doumi in Korea. A Doumi is a person who guides foreign students learn about the Korean language. Moreover, he / she helps a foreign student understand Koreas culture, history, tradition, transport system, as well as key geographical, physical and tourist features like museum, town, and important venues. Doumi does not only represent Korea to a foreign student. They likewise are culture buddies who can help interpret or provide information about the culture and heritage of Korea. I appreciate the role of our language supporters who assisted us (CPI Participants -2010) understand the culture and the way of life in Korea. I would like to emphasize, that aside from their duty of helping foreign students learn Korean language, they likewise helped us appreciate the rich cultural and natural heritage of Korea and made us aware of its importance. For instance, my supporter invited me to her home and later went to a Buddhist temple located near her home. That experience gave me a hindsight of how Koreans interact with their families in a home setting and obseve the various rituals associated with Buddhism. My Doumi provided me useful and interesting information about life and history of Korea. I have appreciated many places in Korea because of her help. She educated me about local stories, history and culture. My CPI friends would know that my supporter was unique and wondeful. She did not limit herself to guiding me in understanding Korean language nor help me alone. Whenever she had an idea about visting a place, she would always ask me to bring along my friends.

One thing I will not forget about my Doumi was how she prepared information in advance before we set out to visit a place. The information she gave me would always prove useful especially in understanding the historical and cultural significance of the place. Likewise, she researched and studied the place herself so that she can talk more about it and answer our questions. Many small details about the places we have visited which I thought of as not important was explained to me by Doumi and that gave me a wholistic and cohesive view about Korean culture and tradition. My Doumi helped me in so many things possible aside from showing me the beauty of Korea and its culture. She has a genuine concern for me and how to live a memorable life in Korea. I was fortunate to have found a Doumi like no other. I believe that i have gained more information about Korea from my supporter more than i could get from any other sources. I take this opportunity to appreciate the honorable work of 2010 CPI Doumis for supporting us and working with us closely in our program. You have made our burden bearable, you sacrificed your precious time to be with us when we needed you, you were not wanting in all our cares for you, and you sometimes spent your little savings on our behalf. We salute you all 2010 CPI Doumis. We will remember and cherish you in our hearts as a little token of our appreciation. More importantly, we implore you to quickly forget our shortcomings as we will do yours. Above all, Margarette Sohyun Yoon, you deserve the very best from me because i would not be able to write this article without your inspiration. THE PERSON SHE WAS!!!!! May the LORD bless her now and forever and in all her endeavors.


Ms. JinSuk, Seo

by Rafael Ortega

During the exchange program the CPI participants attend Korean language classes. Each class normally has 15 students and the course takes place twice a week with four hours each class. Ms JinSuk Seo one of the teachers took time to answer some questions for our magazine.

What do think about the CPI Program? Its a great program! What is the main goal of the Korean course for the CPI participants? The Korean course is designed to help CPI participants become better acquainted with Korean language, culture and daily life. When did the program with the CPI start? We started the program five years ago, maybe in 2005, but at the begin the program was different, CPI was focused on the relationship of the Asian Organizations. Do you think 6 months is enough for a student to be able to communicate in Korea? Thats enough. But in a sense, I think it needs a technical correction. It seems the main problem is that we have to select the contents of the daily life. Also I personally think one semester is good for CPI participants. And it is better for CPI participants to learn the Korean language everyday than twice a week. But I need to discuss with the person in charge of CPI program and with

each institution, because I think the language course is closely tied with each institutions schedule. Do you have any interesting or funny anecdote to tell us with this years participants? In this semester, I remember one student. But the memory is not fun. When this student arrived here, he found the room in a mess and then he experienced mattress problem. So we had a lot of discussion. It was problematic. He had a problem one after another. He had a run of bad luck. I am sorry about that. But, thanks to that experience, I learned many things from him. Did you have any recommendations for the CPI participants to keep improving their Korean learning? I think Korean drama and song can help develop the Korean language. It is also interesting. Any other comments I had such a great time in 6 months. I want to say dont forget your experience in KyungHee University and Korea, and I hope everybody will be happy.

To remember

0pen your book Listen carefully Repeat after me Please read it ? Do you understand?

Korean Class

Receiving the certificate

Eddie Ching
Date of Birth: August 08, 1983 Country: Singapore Education: Diploma in Film and Media Studies/ Bachelor in Communications (2011) Work: Creative industries/ Illustration and IP development CPI Program: Game Rating Board Korea (GRB) Likes: Painting, drawing and gaming Contact: Hobbypaint@hotmail.com Website: http://Collateralds.com

Koreas modern visual culture

Exploring Manhwa

y time here in Korea is spent researching the much celebrated local game/ entertainment industry and culture, long famous for its prolific E-sports scene and rapid growth of the gaming scene. During my studies and infrequent trips to various conventions, I found myself entranced by the nature of Koreas modern visual culture, which draws upon its vast reserves of history and mythology, combined with impeccable skill, to create strong and dynamic concepts that can be turned into veritable icons in both the fields of entertainment as well as gaming. These works of art now grace nearly every aspect of everyday life, and it is not uncommon to see Korean game and entertainment art, or Manhwa, on advertisements in newspapers or on bus stops. This modern visual culture draws heavily upon Koreas own art history and cultural heritage, which has been meticulously preserved like good kimchi, despite the countless years of conflict the nation has been subjected to. Memories of war, in fact, have added its own visual touch to modern entertainment art, and themes of conflict, separation and reunification, and/or parallel dualities of good versus evil are common in game and entertainment visual culture. Keeping in touch with history has also given Korean entertainment arts a unique flavor, with a heavy emphasis on eastern concepts of mythologies, fashion and aesthetic preferences. Depictions of colorful, elegant wuxia characters wielding eastern martial arts techniques have quickly become the signature style of Korean, as well as Asian visual arts. In fact, to laymen, Korean, Chinese and Japanese entertainment art is often indistinguishable from one another. Korean visual arts, however, carry

certain characteristics that render them unique from their rival counterparts. Often cited in the Manhwa style is a heavy emphasis on vivid colors and vibrant brushstrokes, as well as a tendency for hyper realistic anatomies coupled with heavily stylized facial features. This sets them apart from their closest counterpart, Japanese manga, which favors fine linework and a more stylized anatomy, with a heavy emphasis on faces. With such a strong pedigree, it is not surprising to see that Korean manhwa is a strong contender in the field of the entertainment industry. Illustration and concepts are used to promote icons, make games and provide inspiration for generations of artists, local and foreign alike. Korean games, in particular, provide the single biggest platform (together with published comics) for the spread of manhwa both in Korea and around the world, thanks to their immense popularity and ease of access. Entire schools are based around teaching manhwa for budding talents to enter the industry; indeed, Korean visual artists are amongst the most sought after creative talents around the world in terms of entertainment art. With any luck, manhwa has the potential to be the trend setter in modern times; already, Korean character goods, comics, animation and games are famous around the world, and it is only the common perception that they are indistinguishable from other Asian arts that holds them back from being the leader of the pack. I have seen the very best this industry can offer, and it is with my humble blessings that I wish them success in their conquest of the entertainment world.

The Sisters
For many CPI participants staying six months away from their family is difficult. But this year there are two sisters attending the same program.

Altangerel Delgermaa
Date of Birth: 1984-11-01 Country: Mongolia Profession: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Singing, shopping Contact: dima_mn1111@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: dima_mn1111@yahoo.com

Undarmaa Delgermaa
Date of Birth: 1986-02-26 Country: Mongolia Profession: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Singing, cinema, arts Contact: amur20032003@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: amur20032003@yahoo.com

How did you know about the CPI Program? From our friend who took part in CPI 2009 What is your most enriching cultural experience of Korea? Korean drama, and traditional Culture. The music, instruments and music technique. Name one place you will recommend to your friend to visit in Korea: Jeju island and Seoraksan mountain. What will you miss most about Korea? All our friends

Uzbekistan Boys

khodjayev olim Date of Birth: 1981-02-14 Country: Uzbekistan Education: Uzbekistan Conservatory Work: Doni Zokirov orchestra CPI Program: Musican Likes: Football and Jazz rock Contact Details: email:olimperkussion2@mail.ru Social Network facebook: olimperkussion2@mail.ru

Aziz Alimdjanov Date of Birth: 1982-03-05 Country: Uzbekistan Education: Bachelor of Arts Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: watch boxing and movie Contact Details: azizxon82@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: azizxon82@yahoo.com

Bekzod Turayev Date of Birth: 1985-10-08 Country: Uzbekistan Education: Master Degree Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Boxing Contact Details: begzodtura@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: begzodtura@yahoo.com

What was your funniest or memorable experience in Korea? The funniest experience in Korea was when a journalist asked me what is my favorite Korean food but that time I didnt know that samgepsa is made with pork and I said to her that I like it very much, but you know Im Muslim so I cant eat pork. its very funny.

What are your plans after the program? I will try to search a similar CPI program offered by other Country

How was your first month? I had difficulty eating Korean food because its so different with Uzbekistan food.

All of them said they will miss their CPI friends, korean teachers, their coordinator and Korean people.

Mongolian Girls

Amarjargal Orsoo Date of Birth:1985-01-10 Country: Mongolia Education: Bachelor Work: Military Song and Dance Academic Ensemble CPI Program:The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Song, dance Contact Details: amaraa_0110@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: Amaraa

Orsoo Ankhtuya Date of Birth:1984-06-03 Country: Mongolia Education: Bachelor Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Music, movie Contact Details: ankhtuya8061@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: ankhtuya8061@yahoo.com

Narankhuu Tuul Date of Birth: 1971-07-20 Country: Mongolia Education: Bachelor Work: Musician CPI Program:The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Music, Tv drama Contact Details: tuul999_mn@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: Narankhuu Tuul

The Mongolian Team

Alfonso Mantilla Date of Birth: August 12 Country:Pakistan Education: Bachelor Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Song Contact Details: m.meh6i@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: Mohd Mehdi

Alfonso Mantilla Date of Birth: March 01 Country: Ecuador/ Quito Education: Bachelor Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Volleyball Contact Details: alfonuma76@hotmail.com Social Network facebook: alfonuma76@hotmail.com

Hoang Trong Cuong Date of Birth: October 13 Country: Vietnam / Hue city Education: Bachelor Work: Musician CPI Program: The National Theatre of Korea Likes: Music, Football Contact Details:
hoangtrong_trongcuong@yahoo.com

Social Network facebook:

hoangtrong_trongcuong@yahoo.com

Issiaka Moussa isamoussa@yahoo.fr Togo Dance Exchange

Tatiana Blanco tatiana_blanco@yahoo.com Colombia Korea Tourism Organization

Afif Siman afifsiman@yahoo.com Colombia Korea Tourism Organization

Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc ngochn123@gmail.com Vietnam Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation

Nikolay Shan Fung niki_fung@abv.bg Bulgaria Kukkiwon

Vu Thi Thanh Tam thanhtamvme@gmail.com Vietnam The National Folk Museum of Korea

Ahmed Abdullah Humaid AlMaqbali a7med.almaqbali@gmail.com Oman KAIST

chandankumar_01@rocketmail.com

Chandan Kumar

India National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea

Darmawan Dadijono iwan2nd@yahoo.com Indonesia Andong Festival Tourism Foundation

Azad Sarker sarker.azad@gmail.com Bangladesh Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation

Donald Joseph Tenga donaldtenga@yahoo.co.uk Tanzania Korea International Broadcasting Foundation (Arirang TV)

Netra Bahadur Thapa Magar netra.thapa25@yahoo.com Nepal Kukkiwon

Ding Lanlan lan_lan1980@163.com China The National Museum of Korea

Cheat Khemara tkdnang@yahoo.com Cambodia Kukkiwon

Dinh Thi Le Huyen xiaolongnu999@gmail.com Vietnam The National Museum of Korea

Oliver Filan oliverfilan@centrum.cz Slovakia Korea International Broadcasting Foundation(Arirang TV)

Chinpulat Kurbanov chinpulat@gmail.com Uzbekistan The National Folk Museum of Korea

MD Jamal Uddin jamal_nlbd@yahoo.com Bangladesh The National Library of Korea

Ta Hoang Thien tahoangthien@yahoo.com.vn Vietnam Korea Institute of Sport Science

Huu Viet Nguyen vhn03@yahoo.com Vietnam Korea Culture & Tourism Institute

Bakri Abdalla Elhamim bakri913@hotmail.com Sudan Kukkiwon

Pragya Saini pragya.saini@gmail.com India Korea International Broadcasting Foundation(Arirang TV)

Yeni Yanas yeya_yanas@yahoo.com Indonesia Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation

Insawang Suphachai kru-koong@hotmail.com Thailand Andong Festival Tourism Foundation

Sun Jinglin altensen@live.cn China KAIST

Roza Utegenova Rous.77@mail.ru Kazakhstan The National Library of Korea

Saraprom Benjaporn benja_sara@hotmail.com Thailand The National Museum of Korea

Tsogjargal Baasankhuu tsogjargla@nationallibrary.mn Mongolia The National Library of Korea

Hatanaka Ayako runachao@hotmail.co.jp Japan Museum network

Makhbal Tsengel tsengelm@yahoo.com Male Mongolia The National Museum of Korea

Tran Van Viet Male hanhhuemusic@yahoo.com.vn Vietnam National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts

Lucia Paola Osorio Orozco Woman sunrenai@hotmail.com Mexico Korea International Broadcasting Foundation (Arirang TV)

Djuraev Kamoljon Male djorakomol@yahoo.com Uzbekistan National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts

Shi Jinghui Woman s2008@nmkgyjs.nm.cn China The National Museum of Korea

Desang Namgyel Male gyamtsho@hotmail.com Bhutan Andong Festival Tourism Foundation

Erdenetsetseg Shagdar Woman nmm@mongolnet.mn Mongolia Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation

Korea Argentina Bangladesh Bhutan Brazil Bulgaria Cambodia China Colombia

Daniel Ricardo Vulliez Male danielvulliez@hotmail.com Argentina Korea National University of Arts

Anyong Haseyo Hola Kemon Aachhen Kuzu-zangpo Tudo bem Zdravei Jum Reap Sour N ho Hola Hola Assalamou Alykoum Abo J napot Namaste Apa Kabar Konnichi wa Kalay zhagday Muriega Sveiki khotso Selamat datang Hola Sain baina uu Namaskar Assalamou Alykoum aslamualaiykum Mabuhay Privet Hello Ahoj
Zhivio / Zdravo Assalamou Alykoum Jambo Sawadee Salut Salaam aleikhem Xin cho

Ecuador Egypt Ghana Hungary India Indonesia Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Latvia Lesotho Malaysia Mexico Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Russia Singapore Slovakia
Slovenia Sudan Tanzania Thailand Togo Uzbekistan Vietnam

Akyn Yermek Male eakinov@yahoo.co.uk Kazakhstan Korea National University of Arts

We want to know
When I go back to Thailand will you miss me? The subway is going to City Hall. Five people boarded the train at Hoegi Station, another ten boarded at Cheongyangni Station, and four left the train at Dongdaemun. My question is how old are you Billy?

Billy Write
Hes from New York, but hes living in Itaewon. He is interesting in traditional Korean culture. After follow Billys during 6 months our friends want to know more about the Star Billy Write.

Which place in Korea do you want to bring me?

Why did you come to Korea? What do you feel about Korea?

How can you speak korean better than me?

Billy shi, I like your hair style, but I wonder if you want to change this?

Which chapter will you buy a dog? Which Night Club do you like to go in Itaewon? Mr. Billy, I think you are very popular in Korea even we have to study about you in beginners class. I would like to ask how long you studied Korean language before and what is the easiest way to learn the Korean language When are you going back to New York?

How much allowance do receive each month for the scholarship? Is this enough for you to live in Korea?

, how long have you stayed in Korea for good? Are you planning to live in Korea? When are you graduating from beginners level? Which chapter will you be dating? I like Seong Eun shi than Naoko shi.

Did you move from Itaewon during you stay here?

Do you already have a girlfriend here?

Sidney P Silva
Date of Birth: November 18 Country: Brazil Education: Journalism and Dance Work: Free lancer CPI Program: Dance Exchange Likes: Music, dance, books and you. Contact Details: sidneysidy@hotmail.com silva_zn@yahoo.com.br Social Network facebook: sidneysidy@hotmail.com

Discovering
day before coming to Seoul I received a call from my coordinator asking me if everything was set and if I am ready to travel. We talked for ten minutes. After that I started to think about the new world that I am about to discover. On board a plane to Paris from Brazil, I still did not understand what was happening. Was it all a dream or imagination? But when I took the flight to Seoul and the flight attendant spoke in Korean at that exact moment I realized that the dream was a reality. When I arrived at the Incheon airport there was nobody waiting for me and my phone didnt work. I tried calling my contact but I couldnt get through. Millions of thoughts were running in my head but I told myself to calm down, relax and breathe. But the thoughts did not stop. Could it be that I was dealing with international mafia who would want to steal my beautiful legs to implant them on a giraffe? Or perhaps a trafficking syndicate who would harvest my organs to be transplanted to another person? Once again I asked myself not to panic since I may just be dreaming and soon I will wake up. Another 10 minutes passed and a person with a piece of paper with my name written on it arrived. I felt relieved but at the same time stupid for worrying too much and entertaining wild thoughts. From the airport we went directly to Osville, our accommodation place, met another dancer and went to dinner together. On way to a restaurant, I was looking and observing things around and realized I couldnt read anything at all. The characters looked like a bunch of little toothpick men dancing. My first experience with Korean life happened in the restaurant as we had to eat with chopsticks and it was my first time using it. After 36 hours of exhaustive flight I couldnt feel my hands. Eating with chopsticks was a great physical and mental exercise. Feeling very tired from a long trip considering 12 hours time difference between Brazil and South Korea, I returned to my room, took a bath and slept until the

The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or even touched. Must be felt with the heart

next day. When I woke up I did not know where I was. For a few minutes everything was strange. I looked from through a window and saw that I couldnt read anything. Exactly on that day that I started really believing that I was in Seoul. The first week was very fast. I learned new information, met many people, and discovered a whole new world. More or less two weeks after I arrived, we traveled to Busan where we presented our solo dance performance. On this trip I met a brother, another dancer who also came to participate in the CPI program. After the show we had dinner with other people who also attended the same festival. At that dinner I met and heard many different stories. It was my first contact with several people and the first encounter with the Korean tradition such as serving the other using both hands etc. When we returned to the hotel I decided to take a walk by the beach and asked my friend Lu to go out with me. We were tired, but as always I say that this unique moment may never happen again in my life and I may never come back again to Busan. At the beginning, six months may seem a long time but I realized last week that some of my dear friends already went back home. In Korea, I not only began to understand who I am, I likewise discovered others. Each day I learned something new about the local culture and understand more about my own culture in the process. As I observe the difference, I likewise recognize what is common with my own culture. The culture exchange is not only with Koreans but also with many other nationalities participating in the CPI program. Since we are living in the same building, we are in contact with almost every day which enables us to indirectly engage with each others culture. Before, I thought that six months would be enough time to learn the local culture; but now I feel that it is not enough. And now is a time to go back home. Brothers and Sisters Bon Voyage!

Jerome Diaz
Date of Birth: Sept 29 Country / City: Philippines Education: BA in Economics and History, Masters in Public Management Work: Senior Convention Services Officer (Philippine Tourism Promotions Board) CPI Program: National Tourism Officer Exchange Program under Korean Tourism Organization Likes: All and many exceptions Contact Details: jerome_diaz@yahoo.com Social Network facebook: jeromebugantediaz@yahoo.com

After All
They say time flies when you are having fun. I have not notice it but June 14, the day I arrived in Korea as CPI Participant, seemed like yesterday. Finally, it is time to pack our bags and go back home.

went to Korea to undertake training in tourism upon the invitation of the Korean Tourism Organization. As a tourism officer, my program gave me the pleasure to spend time visiting touristic sites to evaluate its tourism value, attend seminars and workshops related to marketing and promotions, experience Korean life and culture at its best, and discover facets of Korean life hidden in little nooks and corners or omitted in guidebooks. What strikes me about Korea is the image of modernity which is obviously reflected in its physical surroundings such as hi-rise buildings, smart technologies, ultra urban lifestyle, and state of the art infrastructure. However, to describe Korea as simply modern is to ignore the driving force and spirit that has been the source of its transformation as among the leading country in Asia economically. From a tourism perspective the image of a country is crucial since that defines its character; hence, the marketing adage that perception (or image) is a reality. And for Korea, I admit that I struggled for months to actually locate it in the map of my tourism experience. It is not for a reason that Korea has a weak national identity. It is just that my visceral impression of Korea lacked an arresting impact having been familiar with similar modern countries and cities of Asia like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As I went further into self examination, I realize that perhaps it is the modernity itself that obscured my vision of Korea. For that reason alone, I told myself to participate in all familiarization tours arranged for

us by our host Organization and never turn down any invitation that will offer me the opportunity to be as closer as possible to Korea. However, as I journey deeper into Korean identity and discover more about it, I realized that the information I gained made things commonplace so much so that my Korean coordinator many times had to ask me where to eat, shop, how to get there etc. One friend who visited Korea was likewise surprised with how I smoothly navigate in the labyrinthine streets of Seoul which made him wonder if I was a Seoulite in my previous life. The bottom line of my six months stay in Korea has been culturally enriching and yes professionally rewarding. My experience has made me aware tremendously of the dynamic spirit, youthful appeal, and versatility of Korea weaved seamlessly with its glorious and conceivably painful past. Given this knowledge, I will say with confidence that I have become an expert on Korea. Everybody who participated in the CPI Program have their own interesting stories to tell about the many wonderful experiences they had in Korea. It may not be exactly as luxurious and pampering as what we in the tourism program enjoyed, but surely their stories define their image of what Korea is. Just like me, they will take back with them to their end destination fondest memories of Korea which they will cherish until eternity. Now as we end this journey in our life, we bid farewell to each other and to our Korea no longer as a stranger, but as friends.