Bravo! ASEAN in Korea (part 2)

 

The host (Korea) performed its taekwondo extravaganza. 

It's really a feast to the eyes. 

Was it taekwondo? was it K-pop concert? was it a theatrical performance?

all in one. 

And they sealed off the show with a parade of ASEAN members' flags. 

to signify the unity of its members along with Korea as its ally(?) 

it's Thailand team. 

which was pretty impressive: they combined contemporary dance, drawing on stage, and a Chinese zither show...all in one: symbolizing harmony. 

It's Vietnamese team. 

Myanmar team. 

They're colorfully clad in adornment that matched perfectly in tune with the music. 

I think it's one of the best shows.

Bowling with International Friends (1)

Me and my friends from Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 

We live in the same neighborhood. Some of us study and some others work in Korea. 

We have something in common: being members of multicultural neighborhood in Seoul. More precisely: we take pride in taking part in Pureun Multicultural Organization.  

One of today's activities is going to the bowling alley and having fun together.

Well, we can spot and find bowling alleys in most areas in Seoul so..we picked one near the neighborhood.

We are one team and we got to compete with 7 other teams. 

There were 8 teams with each team consisted of international friends.

We loved the fact that we come from different countries, and yet we could be one like this. 

First attempt by our group. Oh, what a great afternoon it was. 

Well spent.

Om Wawan was trying his first string of luck. Yes, most of us are first-timers and amateur  in action. 

But, that did not hinder us from taking this seriously simply we knew that we could win a prize should we be number one. *-* aha!! 

Most of us gazed on the monitor....what the scores were...and how many we missed and how many we led the scores for each team...

Thailand.....Back in Time!!

I bumped into the photos when we visited Thailand back in 2006. Wow..it's been like six years ago. Eyra was still 9 months or so. Guess, it was her first trip abroad.

I remember walking around Bangkok with Eyra. 

'Tis a good thing that we brought along the stroller.

.or lest.......^^ 

I wonder if Eyra would even remember visiting Bangkok^^

I don't know...but I feel like it good to post the pictures right here on the blog so as to make it memorable.
I love Thailand, well I mean Bangkok.
The Grand Palace with all of its charms...still lingering on my mind.
In the midst of this freezing temperature in Seoul....it's kinda nice to imagine myself being in Thailand..^^

Thailand always amazes me...

Amazing Thailand did impress me. It did not fail to impress me and I am sure...lots of other visitors. As soon as I laid my eyes on Thailand's pavilion at World Travel Mart this time, I felt the awesomeness that Thailand has.

Why not? I was like absorbed into the real Thailand. I felt like I was there. (Well, I visited Thailand a couple of times) and the scent and sight of the pavilion did bring me back there. Simply loved it.

Just look at these intricately served exhibits. They put lots of details into the pavilion that made it so attractive to every eyes that see them. I love the way they put all of this simple yet traditionally nurtured culture of Thailand. Oh, the flowers were really good.

The pavilion itself was designed so as to show the traditional house of Thailand. It was well crafted. Amazing  it was. We took our time to relax and enjoy the ambiance and nuance offered by this sheer simplicity--though not that simple. In fact, it was marvelously made.

See the chandelier? It was a nice touch to the already beautiful pavilion. Me and my daughters were having a rest after visiting endless-looking booths we had yet to go.

See the bag in front of us? It was already full with lots of brochures and discount ed packages of tours be it in domestic or international areas. 

Now this one was very cool. They even provided all guests with authentic Thai food, well it was a dessert. But, this simple dessert served well to showcase what Thailand had for its visitors. As a person from Indonesia who has similar dessert, I felt like being home. That's how well-managed the Thailand pavilion was. They provided the dessert until around 6 pm when the time of mart was about to be over. It means that they did prepare some small things like that. 

Then, this one is also interesting, they gave away some paper-made chandelier like souvenirs. They provided  the famous Thai massage. Well, it seemed that they've gone all out to showcase what Thailand really was. They did amaze me and apparently lots of other people who were queuing (see the picture?)

Splendid!

Thailand amazed me, again.

2012 Korea-ASEAN Culture and Arts Forum (part 2)

It was the 2nd day of the Forum or the main event of the program.
The Forum was held at Korea National Museum at Yongsan.
The place--I think--was a perfect venue for the occasion since it had what this Forum needed. all of the gadgets available...even the interpreting booth and its devices for all of the participants were available. Not to mention, the stage. It was relatively small, but big enough for a forum like this.
That day I managed to see the Thailand, Brunei, and Indonesian delegates' presentations.
Too bad..I came after noon so I did not have a chance to see the Korea's parts--which I heard was a marvelous one.











So, Thailand delegates portrayed the intricate movement, gestures, mimics of dancers in portraying the dynamics, the feeling, the attitudes of people of different classes, the monkey, and even the demons!!!

Indeed, judging from the fact or the sheer seriousness of the delegates, I could learn that Thailand's version of Ramayana stories performed by those dancers t have been the best ones ever.
They have evolved and developed such an intricate details in capturing human's as well as non-human's expression through arts and dances.










As for Brunei's delegates, I learned some things about Pencak Silat, an Indonesian by origin, a Malay martial art form. Well,,,,not much to say about this...apart from the fact that...one participant's remark did strike me most since he asked or wondered as to whether Pencak Silat would be able to kick opponent's butt as he saw or thought of it as being too subtle and tender and soft and looked to him as having no....power whatsoever....as opposed to Taekwondo^^
Well,....what I could say was.....well...you should see what the real Pencak Silat is, then.^^

then, Mr. Eddy's turn came.
I was helping him preparing the show...well..not much...or sort of accompanying him in preparation.
Pak Eddy was performing the modern traditional shadow puppet called "wayang kancil"

It was like being zapped into the whole world of Javanese culture when I listened to pak Eddy's voice imbued within the echoing surround gamelan orchestra....that was being played on a CD^^
at least...I thought it was a remarkable show....and forum...highlighting the best that ASEAN and Korea have to offer to each other.

The mere fact that culture and arts do exist...simply show that people do evolve in conveying their humanity...and that was something in common that we should cherish as a human.
--
at the end of the Forum, we took pictures with Dr. Lono Simatupang, Mr. Eddy, Prof. Yang Seung Yoon and my friend Seon hee.
A nice afteroon well spent!!!

Bye-bye, friends

from left: Mai (Japan), Seogon, Gaheun, Sangil (Korea), Soso, Yurim
alone at the back: Tanapat^^ (Thailand)
others come from China

So, this was the day when one of our classmate (Sang il ssi) had to leave the class without having to finish it. He got to be in Pohang to start his class at a university there.
So, that was the last day he went to school...and thus...we luckily managed to say goodbye and wished him luck.

Me, Tanapat, Sang  il

Sang il has been living in Pakistan until he finished his high school, or that's what I learned, though.
So, it is his time to start a university-level life right here in his parents' country.
Quite an interesting story, indeed.
Some of our classmates showed up and met him and wished him luck.
Been quite nice to know all of those friends of mine at level 5.

Welcoming Dinner @ Seoul Olympic Parktel

then....

Off we went to Olympic Park where Seoul Summer Olympic was held back then in 1988.

I went there to attend the welcoming dinner held for the participants of PAS (Pacific Asia Society) gathering at Seoul Olympic Parktel. This time around, as many as 20 students from 10 countries (?) participated in the program. 

I got a great dinner there.

^^

One thing for sure, I met the professors and the dignitaries from PAS and my students.

It was indeed a great time to reflect to.