What Inspires Me About Korea: Touch by Touch EVERYBODY TOUCH!

"안녕하세요"

안녕하세요 is the most common and important phrase in the Korean community. It is pronounced as annyeong-haseyo, which basically means "Hi or Hello" in English. It also carry other meanings such as good morning, good afternoon or good day. It does not just have such limited meanings, it actually has a wider meaning and is a form of greeting that people use when they meet each other. This phrase is one of the first words that you will learn if you are into the Korean culture.

What will you think of when you hear the word Kimchi? Which country will you think of when you see the word "Winter Sonata"? What gets into your mind when you hear the word "K-Pop" or "Hallyu"? The answer is none other than "Korea". Korea is not just a country. It is a place filled with love, warmth, culture, beautiful scenery, beautiful people and a lot of interesting places. What really attracts me is the beauty in the culture regardless the traditional or the modern society. To me it's a country with a really splendid and rich custom that makes me super curious to delve into the culture and find out more.

Talking about food and taste, Korea is the country that is famous for its mouthwatering delicacies and its traditional dishes that captured a million taste buds and hearts all over the globe. The uniqueness of the ingredients use and the varieties of tastes make one yearn for more at every bite. " 아주 맛있습니다 " which is pronounced as "Aju mas-issseubnida" is a common phrase used to describe how one feel after a scrumptious dinner which literally means very delicious. The wow factor of the Korean cuisine is that it provides us different textures in one meal as it always include rice, a stew or soup, meat and a variety of side dishes or panchan (반찬). Most of the side dishes includes kimchi as one of them. Kimchi (김치) in other words means fermented vegetable and is one of the mandatory traditional dish in a Korean meal that has been passed down from generation to generation in Korean families. It is like one of the symbol of the Korean cuisine. I would like to learn the ways and steps that Korean families use to make Kimchi and if I can try it out personally it will be a very good experience.

Kimchi (김치)

Here are some local delicacies that I would like to try if I happen to visit Korea as they are highly recommended dishes as seen on television, newspapers and magazine.

Bulgogi (불고기)
Barbecued meat

Samgyetang (삼계탕)
chicken soup with ginseng


Bibimbap (비빔밥)
Mixed rice with vegetable on hot stone


Dalkgalbi (닭갈비)
Mixture of chicken, vegetable, rice cakes and more.

I would also like to try the appetizers and snacks that are famous in Korea like ddeokbokki (Rice cakes with gochujang), kimchi pancake, gimbap (Korean style sushi roll), japchae (mixture of vegetable and noodles) and many more. Food in Korea definitely plays a big role in promoting the specialty of Korea.


Ddeobeokki (떡볶이)
Rice cake

There are a lot of interesting and beautiful places to visit in Korea for example the N Seoul Tower or more commonly referred to as the Namsam Tower because it is located at Mount Namsan in which one can enjoy the breathtaking and panaromic view of Seoul from a bird's eye view. There is a special place on the top of this tower for couples to lock padlocks on the fences and I personally feel it's a very unique thing to do. Another interesting place in Korea is the Han River, especially during the night time where the lights in the city glow in the dark and to be able to have the experience on how Koreans enjoy their lives overlooking such a magnificent view would be a great one. I would also like to visit Gyeongbukgong, which is a palace in Seoul because from pictures the monument looks very spectacular and has very majestic architectures which portray the glorious Dynasties in Korea's history that dated centuries back. I would also like to experience how it feels to walk in the streets of Korea that are full with beautiful trees and buildings, how does it feel to actually be there in Korea and experience every single thing all by myself. That will really be a memorable and unforgettable moment in my life. Well talking about islands in Korea, it is almost impossible to leave out Jeju Island which is a well-known place for honeymoon. Nami Island is another lovely and attractive place to visit in Korea which became famous prior to the very popular Korean drama "Winter Sonata" that had touched many hearts.



Jeju Island

A street in Korea during early autumn

Not to forget the thing that all female including me would like to do is shopping and shopping in Korea is like shopping in heaven as there are different fashions and shopping centers to choose from. Most of them are at the Dongdaemun area. Famous shopping centers like COEX or around Myeondong area are usually packed with both locals and tourists. According to my Korean friends these are places that they usually hang out with friends. Dongdaemun is an area in which there are many wholesale malls and they provide various sorts of fashion to choose from and as many already know that Koreans have really good taste in fashion and this have influenced many people across Asia. I heard that they even sell "Hanbok" which is the traditional Korean dress for females. It would be great if I have a chance to attempt wearing Hanbok because it looks so pretty due to the fine embroideries and the ever-changing patterns on it. I would also like to visit Insadong, a place full with antique and artistic pieces from many of the inspiring artists in Korea. It would be nice to be able to look at these amazing artworks and to experience how does it feel like to be in a country that is so rich in history and art.

Last but not least, the thing that everyone would relate to when they hear the word Korea is K-pop or Hallyu. This has caused a "Korean fever" all over the globe that influenced mostly teenagers and youngsters. The K-pop industry is mostly led by young idols regardless bands, solo female or male artists that focuses a lot on one of a kind dance steps, unique and different music genres, bizarre and special outfits that captures a lot of attention which is imitated by many youngsters all over the world. The very thing of K-pop is the manners and healthy images of the idols when they meet people. For example, bending their bodies over when they meet people that are elder than them. These idols are also very well-trained and well-behaved as all of them have to go through many practices and classes before they debut and become superstars. The days during their trainee period might be very tough and tiring but because of their perseverance and the hungers for success, they managed to overcome all these difficulties. The sweat they had, the tears they shed and the joy they shared during those days are irreplaceable. This is what makes K-pop idols special and different in their own way.

Of course I would be delighted to meet two of the famous Korea bands 2PM and Miss A who are also the ambassadors for the Korea Tourism Board and to have a chance to go on a Korea tour with them is just a one in a million chance. I am personally a 2PM and miss A fan and it would be a great time of my life if i get to meet them in Korea itself, the origin of these bands and where they debuted and become superstars like we see today. I've been to 2PM's concert when they were here in Malaysia; their stages and performances are superb and their vocals are just over-the-top! They are 6 charismatic figures on stage and their dances are just extra ordinary. From their well-known acrobatic moves in the song "10 Points Out of 10" to their very catchy melodies like in their hit song "Hands Up" to ballad songs like "I Can't" and "Thank You" i can feel the diversification in their performances. I never thought one could be so good in both dancing and vocal.

2PM

I've never seen miss A in real life before and I would really love to. From experiences of those who have been to one say that miss A has great dancing skills, exceptionally good vocals and are very pretty in real life. I've noticed them since their debut song "Bad Girl Good Girl" which is a really good song with a very lively and powerful performance to "Breathe" to "Goodbye Baby" to their recent one "Touch". "Touch" is a totally new concept and genre that sounds really fresh but mysterious in a good way to me. The good thing is their song title matches the motto of this blog contest which is "Touch Korea".

mis A

As i have mentioned earlier, Korea is a place that is very rich in culture and thus it would be great to dive into it and to experience it myself. I would be more than thankful to be able to participate in this awesome journey to explore Korea, to taste the origins of good and tasty food, good music and to learn more about a different culture, community and society. Now if you ask me again what inspires me about Korea? My answer is EVERYTHING! From the culture to food to the interesting places, fashions, arts and music. This is why I think I have to partake in this event to "Touch" Korea. All thanks to the Korea Tourism Organization, now I am one step closer to "Touch" my dream, my goal and my aim. Korea is deinitely a place where dreams and ambitions are realised!

The clip below is surely a clip that will lead me to "Touch" my dreams! To "Touch" everything that i have been dreaming about since i fell in love with the Korean culture.



Clip courtesy of Touch Korea youtube channel

Now let's TOUCH and ENJOY KOREA TOGETHER with our 최고 (best & awesome) ambassadors!

"Touch by Touch, EVERYBODY TOUCH!"

clip courtesy of ibuzzkorea