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March 29th 2024, I visited Newark, New Jersey with a friend to a K-pop girl group concert. I attended with a friend because they did not have anyone to go with. When the performance began, the stage and lighting was similar to the stages when I would perform traditional Chinese dancing and ballet classes as a kid. For anyone who has never been on a big stage, you would think that those who were on stage would have stage fright with the amount of eyes looking at them. But I have some good news, you actually cannot see a single person who is watching you as the lights on stage are so bright. This to me, was the best thing possible as I believed “out of sight, out of mind.” I don’t necessarily think that the stage I was on was the exact same as the group performed since the girls were able to also interact with fans who were on the floor section. It was nice seeing the girls on stage smiling while dancing, it almost got me reminiscing of the days where I would perform group dancing recitals. It was nice seeing them perform songs that I once saw other dance groups in BU mixx perform, I do not remember the name of it on the top of my head but I was happy to experience both.

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March 21st 2024, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts for the Korean Hallyu event as well as the beautiful oil paintings, my favorite being the Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet. Growing up in a mixed Chinese-Korean household, we would wear our hanbok as a way to celebrate new milestones and upbringings such as birthdays, weddings and even new years or as my mom like to call it “seollal.” Hanbok being the traditional attire representing Korean Culture only brings me back to the old memories I had back in China where my grandma used to dress me up in colorful hanbok for my birthdays each year until I had moved to America for a new life. The new transformation of traditional hanbok to its glorification of haute couture not only inspires designers to take a look into Korean culture for their beauty in aesthetics, but also the depth of culture these hanboks have. The modernization of this new wave of trend promotes and brings light to Korean culture, especially to the eyes of westerners who tend to depict Korean culture for its K-pop, K-drama and skincare which I deeply appreciate as Korea is more than mere good skin products, BTS and dancing idols.

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I went to the Hallyu exhibit hosted by MFA Boston! At first I didn't know what to expect, but I was also very exciting because I think it's new to see Korean culture especially modern culture being displayed in a museum. I also saw a lot of pictures circulating online so I was very excited to go see the exhibit in person. There were so many interesting stations once I went! I think my favorite was the clothing section as I recognized certain outfits like the ones aespa wore in Next Level and the notorious pink guard outfits in the popular Netflix show, Squid Game. I think I was thoroughly impressed with how much culture Hallyu exhibited, and I think this really shows how much Korean culture has been shared and influenced into other countries, as I could feel a sense of love for all the artifacts. I was amazed by this thought and it also made me appreciate how much Korean culture has evolved over time. I also had a lot of fun in the last dancing section at the end, where I was able to dance to famous K-pop songs!

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On April 27th, I performed in BU miXx's spring showcase, miXx it up! BU miXx is Boston University's k-pop dance group and I joined in the fall last semester. I was lucky to perform in the fall showcase already, so I was extremely excited again to have the opportunity to perform in the spring! For miXx it up I was in the opening act, Drama by aespa which is one of my favorite dances. I was also in We Go Up by NCT Dream and Peaches by KAI for the senior projects. Since I had a huge gap in between my performances, I stood behind the crowd to watch a majority of the dances during the showcase, which is something that I didn't do last semester. I have to say that this is something I will be doing in the future because watching the performances in live action with all the outfits, lights, and talent from the dancers was thrilling and it felt like a real concert. I think one of my favorite performances was IDEA by Taemin. The choreography was so good and everyone that was in the performance embodied the dance so well. During the showcase I also couldn't help but feel proud of all the work that the BU miXx members put into the showcase. Every performance I could feel the energy radiating and majority of the dancers were in more than one song, which often requires lots of practice time. Overall, I was very happy to be able to perform in miXx it up and I am looking forward to future showcases!

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Why do I look like a creep. Anyways I went to the japchae and boba making event at Myles. I went with my friends Haley and Samantha! I also saw my Korean professor last semester which was very fun. I didn't do much other than stand there but we stirred the boba a little and taste tested the noodles. It was a fun experience and the food was good. I had a lot of fun because I love cooking. The recipe was written in Korean. So we had to decipher what the steps were. This was fun because I got to strengthen my Korean. Also, it was fun to see other students from other Korean classes there. The milk tea was made from Lipton green tea packets. Some kid mixed the japchae with his hands and it was funny to watch. I think Allison from our class was tasked with cutting an onion? I'm glad I went to this event I had a lot of fun and learned a lot.

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For the next cultural event I decided to use the BU MiXx showcase called MiXx it Up! I was very excited about this event since I was actively involved in the showcase. In the club MiXx I am apart of the eboard so I have been helping plan this event for a while now and I was excited to see how the outcome would be. For this showcase we had over around 100 performers which actually is less than our other showcase that we usually have in the fall called MiXxhibition. I was a performer for two songs “Born to Be” by ITZY and “God of Music” by SEVENTEEN. I was so excited to do these songs since for the last showcase I wasn’t a performer at all, I was just one of the stage crew. Stage crew is still very important and even though I was a performer this time I still decided to be stage crew. I was what we call a runner which basically means I was going through back stage and making sure the performers who were up next were by the stage. I really appreciate all of the performers who were in the places that they were supposed to be because they make my life so much easier. One thing I regret is that as a stage crew I couldn’t really watch the full performances but I really enjoyed being a part of the people who keep the showcase running smoothly. After the showcase the club had a little banquet with food for all the performers and stage crew and this was a time where I can finally relax more and think about how well the showcase went. Overall I really enjoyed this showcase and the performances. I can’t wait to be in the next showcase and hopefully many more after.

Kirstin Smith

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At the very beginning of this semester I went to Myles to go to the Seollal festival. I have never heard of this type of festival before so I was very excited to go and see what type of activities there were. When I walked in there were presentations on the screen, snacks on the tables, and performances preparing to perform. I came a little late but when I walked in I saw Kiana and Caitlin making paper bokjumoni (I had to look up the name to confirm this was what it was). I wish I had came earlier so I could have made one myself. Other than the paper bokjumoni we made these really pretty blue beaded bracelets. I believe they were supposed to be for the year of the blue dragon which I didn’t even know that was what represented 2024. I also really liked the snacks and drinks that were provided. I can’t remember the name of the snack but I know the rice snacks were really good and I wanted to get more and more. Later on there were a couple performances such as the Samul Nori performance. I really enjoyed this performance because it was such a different type of performance and I have never experienced something like this before. The drums were so loud and I feel like it echoed throughout the whole room. I remember there were kids in the room and they were very startled when the performance first started. It was like I felt the drums throughout my whole body and I just really loved the performance. In general the whole event was very fun and I learned a lot more than what I knew before about the Seollal festival.

Kirstin Smith

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After our exam on Wednesday, I went to the MFA to see the Hallyu Exhibit with my highschool friend! When I entered the MFA, I didn't have a lot of expectations, but once I saw the entrance of the exhibit, I was really excited to see what it had to offer. At the beginning, I was surprised to see minecraft version of Gangnam Style on the TV! Once we got through the doors, the music caught my attention first. I recognized all of the songs that they were playing and I was intrigued by all the artifacts on the walls. I wasn't aware of how much Korean trends/influence that I was exposed to. I was able to recognize, films, artists, and actors among many other things. In each section I was able to recognize at least one piece of artifact and it was cool reading all about Korea's history and how it evolved over the years. I was especially excited when I saw the movie poster of the tale of two sisters! This is because, last semester I took a class on Korean literature and Professor Wuerthner had us read the translation and also hosted an event to watch the movie! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and the movie was really awesome too. I was happy to be able to say that I knew about this tale. When I we visited the fashion section, the Korean hanboks are so beautiful and I hope when I visit Korea, I will get the opportunity to try it as well. Before my friend and I left, we had to try the KPOP dance challenge! We were embarrassed at first and wished that they had chosen a different song and different dance moves, but once we did it, we had a great time just laughing at how silly we looked on the screen. Of course we took a stroll in the gift shop too! I wanted to buy a BT21 keychain, but decided that I should save money. I think I will visit again before the exhibit closes!! It was so much fun :)

Thao Dang Hoang

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On March 29th, I went to New Jersey to see the popular kpop group, IVE. They performed at the prudential center and it was so much fun! I really liked the venue that they performed at because I could actually see them up close. When we got there, all of the fans were dressed up so nicely, which is something that many fans do for concerts nowadays. All of the songs that they performed were so good and I was amazed by their outfits. All of the members were so so pretty, it was unreal. This makes me think of the korean beauty standards and the harsh diet idols have to be go on to do what they do. When they spoke in korean to the audience, I would try to listen and see if I could recognize what they were saying---- i could not but it was worth a try :D Their visuals all together looked so good!! They looked perfect every time the camera panned over to them. My favorite member, Yujin cried during the show because it was the last show for the tour and I cried too :( I wish I brought a lightstick or had a lightstick because I think it is a part of the KPOP concert experience to wave around a lightstick. All the lightsticks in the crowd made the venue look beautiful too. There were some younger girls sitting behind me and they screamed so loud the ENTIRE time. I found it funny, but at times I was annoyed. During the concert, I went to the bathroom and bought a keychain. Every time I go to a concert, I like to buy merch for memories, but this time IVE did not have cute merch. My favorite part of the concert was when IVE kept performed "all night" at the end. They performed it around 8 times to extend the concert time. It was so cute. Then when time came, and they actually left, I was pretty sad, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to go! Out of the 3 kpop concerts I've been to, I would say BLACKPINK is first, IVE second, and TWICE third. Hopefully IVE comes back soon!!!

Thao Dang Hoang

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I decided last minute to attend the BU miXx it Up! event to finish my last culture pass. In all honesty, I did not have high expectations for this event and was not too thrilled to attend. However, after going in and seeing a couple of the dances, I was hooked. Impressive is an understatement to describe this show! All the performances were so energetic and it was so cool to see students at BU do these dances that were developed and performed originally in Korea. It definitely did not disappoint. They played a huge variety of different songs from old hits to even the newer K-Pop songs (I do not remember the names well). To name my favorite, I was thoroughly impressed by the performance "Standing Next to You," by Jungkook. The overall vibes of the performance alone, as well as the sheer precision they had in their dancing had me overall super hyped up. It also helped a lot that I knew this song well and actually enjoy listening and seeing the performance of it online. Getting to see the performance live made me enjoy it all the more. They also played songs from other well known groups such as Seventeen, Twice, EXO, Enhypen, and more! I also heard a lot of new songs produced by groups I never personally have heard about, which was refreshing to see performed. A lot of the dances to these songs I have also never seen before, especially being done in person, and so it was a huge shock to me just how cool it looked and felt to see. The light effects also added a ton of depth to the performances, and they would often match them up to the songs transitions. Events like these really made me realize how much on a global scale Korea has in other countries. If multiple people can come together and perform these dances all the way from Korea, as well as have over hundreds of people come and attend to watch is impressive in itself! It must mean Korea is doing something right with their music industry to garner so much attention worldwide. The influence K-Pop has as a whole in the overall exposure and awareness of Korean culture is so apparent, and BU miXx showcased just that. I will definitely be attending again next year!

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For my first culture pass I went to check out the Museum of Fine Art's special exhibit, "Hallyu! The Korean Wave!" I was joined by two of my classmates, Daniel and Samantha, to explore the multiple assortments of different art pieces. When we first walked down the stairs to check out the exhibit, one of the first things that really stood out to me was the iconic PSY figure, the notorious creator of worldwide hit song "Gangnam Style," as well as a fellow Boston University alumni! Of course, we had to take a picture in front of it. I never realized just how much of an impact PSY had in not only Korea, but more importantly the importance it had on a global scale. I understand now why they would make this the front of the exhibit, as it was what really propelled this idea of the "Korean wave." Once we actually went into the exhibit, we immediately saw the huge display of different outfits that many different famous K-Pop groups had worn in special events. K-Pop music was also playing in the exhibit, and so it was made it clear to me just how important K-Pop was in Korean culture. As I continued to look around, I also noticed really stunning fashion statements in the far right of the exhibit. As I looked and read through the different blurbs for each clothing piece, it was clear that one of Korean's staples are their fashion, and more importantly, their efforts in creating new and innovative pieces. One that really stood out to me was this white dress. The design itself had me admiring just how much thought and care was put into creating it. Other things that really stood out to me was the numerous amounts of films that they had in one section. There was a outfit from the famous Squid Game Korean drama series and also a replica of the bathroom used in one of Korea's most famous films, Parasite. I had learned from this that the entertainment industry was something that defined South Korea's culture and even its economic prosperity. The exhibit also tributes homage to their older roots, or in other words the groups/projects that had set the stage for Korean industries to really succeed. A really good example of this was for the film "Oldboy," which was dedicated a large portion of the exhibit. I believe they did this to showcase just how iconic and game-changing it was for Korean identity as a whole. I of course also cannot forget about the silly K-Pop dance area where they let visitors try and learn dances. It was really fun to see and overall the exhibit was a great time. I am so glad I went to the museum!

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I had a great time at Hallyu! There were so many fun things to look at and I had amazing company with two of my classmates Isaac and Samantha. There were so many things to look at like Squid Games and dresses. I also learned so much about Korean history! This was such a fun trip because it was so cool and free. Hallyu! was so well designed and we all had a great time. There was also a place to dance and Samantha hit some crazy dance moves and impressed everyone at the museum. There was a bathroom that I thought was very cool. I think it was from Parasite. I also loved the museum shop because they had a lot of interesting products to buy. We all bought little gifts and pitched in to buy the 떡볶이 book for you. the dresses on exhibit were very interesting as well. My favorite part was definitely the Gangnam Style display right before we walked into the Hallyu exhibit. I would definitely go back to hallyu it was so fun and interesting.

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I went to the BU miXx showcase for my last culture pass (as well as to cheer on my friends Kirstin and Sarah.) BU miXx is the biggest Kpop dance club in Boston. I was so surprised to hear that there were over a hundred performers on stage that day. The event was well organized and I could see how much effort miXx has put in their show. I received a setlist brochure which has a cute design and a lightstick. The photo above was a lightstick of my favorite group I brought with me. Although they didn't perform any of my favorite group's song (I'm just a little upset), I still had lots of fun there. The first performance - "Drama" - has such a strong appearance and Sarah was performing!! I tried to film her a fancam but could not due to my bad eyesight haha. Kirstin also did so well with "God of Music" and "Born to be." My favorite performances were the songs "One Spark" of Twice and "Panorama" of IZONE. Their outfits were all so cute and the lighting effects were on point as well!! The stages were really satisfying to watch. The dancers looked passionate and seemed to enjoy dancing so so much, which was why I chose these 2 as my favs. I wasn't able to stay until the very end since I had homework. But overall this was literally the best $9 I have spent at this school. Keep it up miXx!!

Khanh Dung Cao (Caitlin)

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Even though I'm far away from home, I'm glad that I got the chance to celebrate and learn about the Korean style of Lunar New Year. I forgot to register for this event but since I got there so early to show my sincerity, Prof. Roh sneaked me in. There were so many interesting activities there. First, we got to do 복주머니, which is the traditional Korean lucky bag. The instruction paper looked comprehensible and easy to make but I was stressing out trying to figure out the right way. I ended up got mine done by Pink ^^ Next up was the 사물놀이 performance which I found so cool. I appreciated the effort of the performers so much, since I was tired only by observing them playing. I was curious how much they must practice to have such great stamina. There was also a mini presentation discussing more on the culture of Korea during new year days. My favorite part out of all activities there was enjoying Korean snacks. There was this puffed rice cake that we all loved so much. I remembered me and Kirstin putting a bunch of them in plastic cups haha. (Every snack there was so good tho.) I also met some of my friends from my Korean class last semester at the event. We were talking nonstop literally about everything. It was a fun and memorable day here at BU.

Khanh Dung Cao (Caitlin)

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On April 27 I went to the miXx it Up dance event! Although I initially went to cheer Kirsten and Sarah, I ended up being very invested in the performances! There were so many dancers in the club, and they performed so many dances. I was amazed at how organized everything was as each performance looked like professional work. However, I was most moved by how good everyone was at dancing and performing. I think the dancers not only did justice to the various songs they performed, but they also showed the beauty and energy of K-pop to the point where it felt like a presentation of Korean culture. I was very excited that the event offered fun lightsticks for the crowd to boost the energy. I was also in awe at how well the costumes were styled! From the styling and performances to the lights and music, I could tell that this event took a lot of practicing and planning. Since I knew some of the songs and a few moments of choreography, I thought it was very interesting to see how the ‘choreoleaders’ rearranged the performances to include more people or to change it up. If I had to choose, I would say that I loved the first Drama performance (go Sarah!) and the Sweet Venom performance. Throughout the dances, I kept thinking about how I would never be able to move the way they did. Lastly, I also thought it was crazy that I could understand bits and pieces of the music! I remember recognizing “기다리지마” from Into the New World and “있다면” from God of Music, both phrases with grammar points from this semester! Overall, I thought this was a very exciting event and I’m so glad that I went! It was inspiring to see how much their effort payed off, and I’m excited to see more from them next semester.

-Kiana Eickbush

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At the beginning of the semester, I went to the Seollal festival event at Myles. There were many activities, presentations, snacks, and performances that I thought were very fun. First, we started making paper bokjumoni with given instructions. While my first attempt was really messy, I made a really good pouch the second time! We also made really pretty bracelets with blue beads to represent 2024 being the year of the blue dragon. While I was vaguely familiar with the zodiac signs, I thought it was really interesting that there were different variations. At the event, there were also a few performances. I thought the Samul nori performance was very cool! It was crazy to hear just how much sound only three drums could make. The loudness grew to the point where I felt the beat in my chest, and I was very moved. There were also a few presentations to teach us about the Seollal festival that I thought were very interesting. Lastly, the event also had various snacks and drinks which are popular to celebrate with. I thought the yukwa (puffed rice snack) was delicious! Overall, I really enjoyed the event and I think I learned a lot from it. It was really fun to hang out with my friends, and I thought the communal aspect of the festival was very apparent. I can’t wait to celebrate Seollal again!

- Kiana Eickbush

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This past Saturday I attended Mixx It Up. I did not know, but this is the K-pop dance club's biggest event of the year. There were over 100 dancers in the program, some are in our class! It was so cool to watch how well-choreographed everything was. It was so fun to see how good everything was. It brought attention to this group and K-pop culture. Although I am not one to avidly listen to K-pop, I will definitely be adding some of the songs to my playlist. They passed out these fun light-up sticks and the program so I could keep track of what dance and who was in it. Some people were in multiple dances and it was so impressive to know they memorized 3+ dances. Each dance had its own costumes or color coordination. Everyone had unique makeup and hair done. Their outfits were so fashionable and well-blended together that I loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed the performances. It was also so cool when the whole room would sing along to the songs. It might be a small club and organization in BU, but the energy makes up for it. The high energy and support system there was palpable. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Mixx it up.

-Haley Newman

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Few weeks ago I went to the museum of fine arts with Isaac and Daniel to see the Hallyu exhibit. There were a lot of modern exhibits and even things I recognized like squid game and Psy! There was also a showcase of kpop music video outfits. It looked very cool up close and very different when it is not on the artist. Another exhibit I thought that was really interesting was where they showcased a really old korean action movie. There was a huge difference in quality with that movie compared to modern day movies. There was a lack of different camera angles, sound effects and intense action. It was kind of cool to see how far we've come with technology. It was also really cool to see some things I recognized like the room from parasite and the squid game models. There was also a lot of kpop music and showcases of new and old kpop groups. It was cool to see how many different things influenced the korean culture we know today. We also checked out the gift show and thought it was really cool that we were able to read some of the children books in korean! Overall this was a very fun experience! 10/10

-Samantha Pang

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I went to the cooking event at Myles and made Japchae and boba! The japchae was easy to make. We cut up carrots, peppers, onions, and fish cakes. Then we boiled the water and cooked the noodles. Daniel was very enthusiastic to try plain glass noodles. Afterward, we mixed all the ingredients together and added a lot of soy sauce. The noodles were very good at the end! Although, it was a little too greasy for me. We also made boba. The Chinese professor read out the instructions in Chinese to us. We first boiled the water and added the pearls in. The instructions had us stir the pearls for 5 minutes but we stirred it for much longer. It was very tiring! After we scooped out the pearls and soaked it in brown sugar. Then we made the milk tea using tea bags and added milk to that. The end result was ok. The pearls were a little too soft but overall pretty good. It was a good 7/10.

-Samantha Pang

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On April 16th, I attended the Global Village event. This was hosted at the GSU ballroom by the BU International Affairs Association. At this event, different Asian culture clubs came and had vendors to give out their culture's food for anyone to eat. I saw clubs like KSA, HKSA, VSA, and many other clubs. I wasn't super hungry but I went to the KSA booth and had some ddukbokki and kimbap! I hadn't had Korean food in a long time so it was nice to get a little from their booth. I also went to the HKSA booth, and I got some fried rice, tofu, and different types of pastries. I saw a lot of other different ethnic foods, like empanadas and spring rolls. I also saw the Indonesian Student Association giving out Nasi Goreng, which I learned is Southeast Asian fried rice dish which has a variety of meats and vegetables mixed in it. There were so many different people here trying a variety of food, and it was cool to see everyone eating and trying so many different cultural foods. Overall, this event was super fun and super yummy (and free!) I would for sure recommend anyone to go and try this out next year and to try out all the different types of cuisine that's offered at this event.

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On April 6th, I went with my friends to the Hallyu exhibit at MFA. There were so many cool exhibits and interactive ways to learn about Korean culture. In the picture, we're standing in front of the main display in the exhibit, which had different outfits that showcased the K-pop industry and culture wave. There were a bunch of descriptions that talk about how K-pop's success stemmed from catchy lyrics, edgy fashion, and high production value music videos. They also wrote about how K-pop is able to become widespread by breaking cultural and linguistic divides and with the help of many different social media platforms. Another section of the exhibit had a bunch of different hanboks on display, ranging from traditional ones to more modernistic takes on hanbok. They talked about how some hanbok are designed to be more roomy so that the wearer can move elegantly and sit on the floor comfortably. Some were designed as a more modern variation so that the garment could be promoted on an international level. Overall, it was super cool to see a korean exhibit at MFA. From K-pop to korean skincare, all parts of korean culture has been adored worldwide and has been able to bring many different communities together. The global fan bases for Korean artists have become a cultural phenomenon, and it was super cool to see different ways that Korean culture has been popularized amongst the US and how it is able to thrive despite the culture and language gap. It was a lot of fun hearing the korean music playing and seeing all different types of people enjoying the exhibit! I would highly recommend anyone to go check it out!

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I went to the cooking event at Myles Global House. I had actually never made the dish before so it was really surprising that it was so simple to make. Getting the recipe in Korean was really intimidating but I was relieved to find I could read it. We cut different vegetables and cooked them with glass noodles. The students all took turns cutting the onions, peppers, and fish cakes. There was a lot of down time between cutting because there were many people. This actually benefited me because I got to know people from different Korean sections. It was really interesting that everyone at the event was a Korean 2 student. The actually cooking was much faster than the prep time. It was nice to get to eat Korean food again. However, I really don't like peppers so I picked them all out. The dish was really quick to make and would be easy to make in a dorm kitchen. The students were less involved in making the boba and tea. We did get to pour our drinks and add boba. I added too much milk to my tea but it was still very good. Overall it was a really fun event!

Allison Kim

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I went with Sarah who I met last semester. We got to try Korean snacks. The snacks were tasty but I wanted there to be more traditional food. We learned how to make paper bokjumoni. I seriously messed mine up. Sarah helped me finish it because I got confused with the directions. While the music was really interesting, it was so loud that it was painful. I wish we could have gotten a larger room for the event. I really liked making bracelets. It was really nice to get to see my classmates outside of class and to get to know them better. It was also really interesting to see how the celebration differed from the one that I have with my family at home. Getting to spend the holiday with friends instead of family also made the experience unique. It was also really sweet that people brought their children to the event. I did not know it was the year of the blue dragon. I thought that the bracelet activity tied really well into this year's theme.

Allison Kim

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Pink C - Hallyu Korean Wave Exhibition, MFA

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Pink C - Hallyu Korean Wave Exhibition, MFA

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On April 5, 2024, My friend from USC came to visit so I took the opportunity to take her to the MFA along with me and my other friends to see the Hallyu Korean Wave Exhibition. Luckily there weren’t many people when we went so we could slowly take our time to walk around the space. Something I wasn’t expecting to see was the display of the things from “Dae Jang Geum.” Though I have never personally seen the series, I’ve always heard about it growing up as it was considered one of the most popular Korean series back then. Another really fascinating section was the outfits section where you can see up close all the intricate details on each clothing piece. I never thought that I would have the chance to see clothing worn by k-pop idols in real life, especially those in hanbok styles. I have to say that the highlight of the whole exhibition would be the dancing area at the very end. My friends were having a blast dancing to Psy and Suga’s song “Like That”, trying out all 3 levels of the dance choreography.

-Pink Chotikakovit

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On February 9, 2024, I went to the Seollal Festival Event hosted by the Korean Department at Myles Standish Hall. The event started with introducing the twelve zodiac signs, and how this year was the year of the blue dragon. After going through the whole zodiac cycle, we were given a brief overview of the festival itself and how it is a really important time of the year when you spend time with your family. I always see Koreans bow in k-dramas and tv shows, but from this event, I learned how to do it correctly and what to say when you do it during the new year. Another thing I learned was how to make your own origami bokjumoni to put in your “Sebaet Don” when wishing elders 새해 복 많이 받으세요. After a lesson about the family aspect of Seollal, we got to see a Samul Nori performance which was really interesting where you can do so much with just 3 types of drums. The last part of the event was probably another part that everyone most anticipated, as it was about the snacks and drinks people tend to eat. There were many traditional snacks given out but the most memorable one definitely had to be the choco pie. Overall, from this experience, I think it was a very helpful and successful event introducing me to the language, as I got to understand more about Korean culture.

-Pink Chotikakovit

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On Aril 6, 2024, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts for the Hallyu: The Korean Wave exhibition. It was kind of crowded on the day that I went and I found it interesting that most of the visitors were not of Asian descent. It was interesting since I guess I never realized how truly globalized Korean culture became. My favorite part of the exhibition was the recreation of the K-pop group's outfits. The outfits were used to represent the big three entertainment industries of K-pop, and my favorite one was Blackpink's Jennie. I really love the outfit from "How You Like That" since it's a modern interpretation of Korean hanbok. Another thing I loved about the outfits was that I could read the Korean words on some of the dresses. I felt very proud in that moment because I felt like I truly did learn and improve my Korean over the past year at BU. Another part of the exhibition that I found interesting was the recreation of the bathroom from the famous movie "Parasite". I've always wanted to watch the movie since I heard that it carries great symbolism and is overall a very enjoyable movie. I know that the movie brought great attention to the world of the rich v. poor and that helped bring Korean movies to the Western world's attention. Since I went through my Korean phase during quarantine, it was so nice to see everything again because I left that phase before college. Personally, it's interesting how much I recognized and how kept up-to-date I used to be. I think I even knew 1/2 of the light sticks hanging on the wall. Overall I had so much fun at the exhibition. It felt like a blast from the past (even though some of the stuff is only 1-2 years old). Maybe I'll even go back to my K-pop phase since I might be able to understand it now.

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On February 9, 2024, I went to Myles for the Lunar New Year event. I watched a performance by my students from another school who wore traditional Korean clothing and played traditional instruments. The drums were so loud that the young kids got a bit scared, but it was fascinating to listen to because I'd never even seen those types of drums. I made a Korean money-holding pouch (shown in the picture) too. It was easy to make. I thought that it was eye-opening since I thought that Chinese people were the only ones who had this sort of tradition on the New Year. Also, students from the club gave a presentation on how this year was the year of the blue dragon. They talked about the history and importance of the symbol too. We made bracelets during the celebration, using different shades of blue beads. I think the most fun part of it was just getting to sit there and talk with my friends during the event. Since the New Year is all about spending time with your loved ones. Although I couldn't spend it with my family, I am glad that I have such amazing friends that I could celebrate with. It felt as if the holiday was less lonely since there were so many people gathered to celebrate the same thing. I enjoyed seeing all the different Korean teachers, especially since my friends and I all had different ones. I had fun saying hi to all of them. It's also nice to know that even though we come from different East Asian cultures there are still similarities and that our core values are not too far from each other.

Plus you can never go wrong with coco pies.

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On Saturday, May 30, 2024, I went to Let’s Eat: Korea + China Global House Workshop. This workshop was full of different students as it was a culmination of multiple levels of Korean. The goal was to work all together to make Korean 잡채 and Chinese Boba Tea. Upon entering, we received a recipe all in Korean that would instruct us on how to prepare our meal. The instructor spoke to us in both Korean and English and offered us the role of cutting the paprika, onions, and carrots. We all took turns and taught one another how to use the kitchenware properly. What I learned was that making these dishes is surprisingly very easy to make. Plus, it only took us under an hour. But, time runs by when you are having fun! I thought the event was lively. In college, it is not often that you get to make homemade cooked meals, and everyone is eager for the final product.  After cutting the vegetables, I went over to wash the dishes in the sink to ease the work of the cleanup. As we added the paste, soy sauce, etc. as a group we counted 하나, 둘, 셋,넷 to the correct amount of seasoning that needed to be added to the 잡채. The boba was less of an all-hands-on-deck effort. The tapioca balls were boiled, and a bowl of tea bags were set. The boba tea was done quickly and around the same time as the 잡채. All of the members circled the table. We took up the glass noodles with chopsticks and chatted a little bit. I had never tasted 잡채 before so it was a new experience and unfamiliar texture. It was also a bit unnatural to eat as I had to use chopsticks. This is something I am not used to, but I still enjoyed it anyway. The 잡채 was delicious and I would try it again. Next was the Chinese Boba Tea. The instructor walked me through how I would take the tapioca balls with the liquid to sweeten the drink. Then I would add the strong Lipton tea and settle it with the milk. I am a big fan of tea so it was not surprising that I found this drink to be tasty as well. Usually, I don’t put milk in my tea but it added an interesting flavor that I would have another time. I am glad I went because the workshop was hands-on in a social environment. 

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날리야 할- Let’s Eat: Korea + China GLOBAL HOUSE Workshop

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날리야 할- Let’s Eat: Korea + China GLOBAL HOUSE Workshop

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On Friday, May 29, 2024, I went to the Hallyu (한류): The Korean Wave exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts. As I walked down the stairs “Gangnam Style” by PSY was playing on a wall which displayed the music video in a collage of TVs. This was both nostalgic, and funny because I remember dancing to this song on my cube TV as a kid, and PSY is a graduate of Boston University. There was a quick introduction “What is Hallyu? 한류란 무엇인가?” on the wall telling us about what we were about to enter into (most museum labels were English, but included parts in Korean). After opening the heavy glass doors, there was K-pop music streaming in the background. I saw old phones, pictures of Gangham, books, and warrior equipment. But I couldn’t help but run to where I found the music so I didn’t stay at the entrance for too long. This brought me to the main floor. From here you could see floor-to-ceiling Korean clothing, K-pop music videos projected onto the wall, and records all around. From this central ground were four to five paths that would take you to different eras of the Hallyu which I explored. Overall, what I learned was that there is a plethora of Korean historical, technological, and musical influences and achievements that have flooded the mainstream media. It has opened the doors to welcoming diversity, and the addition of new trends. But beyond what it has become today which is a blend of different cultures it is important to celebrate its Korean roots. I would recommend going to the exhibition because it was very engaging and exciting. Many of my interests like 만화, K-pop dramas and K-pop movies (ex. True Beauty, Parasite, and Squid Games), Korean skincare and fashion (ex. runway, streetwear, and Hanboks through the Ages), and K-pop (ex. AESPA, Blackpink, BTS, etc.) was packed into the exhibition. It was also very immersive. There were points where you could walk past curtains and watch a Korean fighting scene or put on headphones/speaker phones to watch interviews/listen to Korean classics. My favorite part was the K-pop dance challenge where you could record yourself performing beginner, rookie, or advanced moves to a PSY song. When done, your video would play on a big screen among other dancers and you could see how well you did. In total, I spent about two hours looking around at everything before leaving the bookstore exit. On my way out I participated in a Hallyu is ____________? exhibition guest feedback wall, and took pictures in a cute photo booth. 10/10!!

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날리야 할- 한류: The Korean Wave Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Exhibition

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날리야 할- 한류: The Korean Wave Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Exhibition

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Today i stopped by Myles Hall to learn how to make Japchae and Boba! The japchae was fairly easy and simple. We chopped some onions and bell peppers. Tossed in some clear noodles and mixed in the sauce. The recipe was all printed out nicely and i took a picture to save for later. i plan to send it to my family to compare recipes. As for the boba it was the brown sugar boba balls heated on the stove. In a glass we would put the boba, some tea, and milk. the tea wasn’t much like a boba shop but I think my ratio of tea and milk was off. The boba itself was delicious though! The picture is me with my classmates Daniel and Sam waiting for our boba! We saw other people from our section as well.  The whole time was only about an hour in the little but very nice. After the ladies who ran the event spoke to us about the process in korean. it was nice to understand most of what they were saying. -Haley Newman 

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This is the place where you post your experience in participating in a cultural event on and off campus! Attend a cultural event and tale a photo. Write one interesting thing about the event in English and post a photo you took from the event. You may describe the event, what you have learned from it, and what you thought about the event in 15-20 sentences. You may use English for this assignment. Each report will count for 2% of your final grade, totaling 4% of your final grade. Post two times for two event reports this semester. The deadline of this report is by 11:59pm on the last class (5/1/2024) of this semester.

Good luck everyon! Happy participating!