September 28, 2008

 The episode in Seoul

Mizy_animation.jpg We've been in Seoul since last week. Yesterday, a Pangaea activity was held at the Mizy Center, near Myeongdong. I just observed most of the time, as I cannot speak Korean. Twenty-three excited participants came, greeting us with "an nyoung ha seh yo"!

We then formed two groups. One group participated in an anime workshop, while the other painted, colored on own works, and created a panoramic picture collage of everyone with the help of a Pangaea staff member we like to call "Woophin". Halfway though, the groups switched.

While sitting at the painting and coloring table, I met a young boy in about the fifth grade who remembered my name. "Yumi!" he said to me, followed by something I did not understand. It turns out he was in Japan for just three days over the summer at our children's camp.

(An English-speaking Korean facilitator translated this for me.) Actually this same facilitator, a boy in high school, told me that his family hosted a Japanese child home-staying in Korea during the summer. Despite the recent political tensions between Korea and Japan, these children are really enjoying learning and teaching about each others' cultures.

I really wished I could speak Korean!

Posted by: yumi | 8. General