My Little Korea

I would like to apologize for the late posting due to my telephone being out of order. It took the authorities six long days before they decided to come and check on my phone whilst it only took less than five minutes to throw away a faulty cable box and replace it with a new one.


Then for some reason or other I could not get connected to the internet, something wrong with my internet provider and another three more days gone down the drain.


One day without the internet is like hell, what more 9 days? I was at wit’s end trying to find things to do to pass away the time. Luckily I had saved a lot of things hurriedly on my computer, but had no time to really organize my files, so I used the spare time I had, reorganizing my filing system and it looks better now.





Today, I would like to tell you about the inauguration of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club organized by the KTO branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 22nd  May 2010.


The objective of the club is to gather all individuals/groups that share a strong interest in all things Korean, to act as volunteer ambassadors to promote Korea in Malaysia. This year is a special year because it marks the 50^th anniversary of the friendship ties between Malaysia and Korea.





For a mere subscription fee of RM20/- one gets a goodie bag consisting of a T-shirt, a cap, a membership card (which is priceless, considering the amount of discounts we can get with it), a KTO calendar, an IRIS mouse-pad and an ‘etude’ cosmetic starter kit, good value for the money I should say. Much more benefits are in store for all who have joined this club, me included of course. In fact I was one of the first few to sign up long before the inauguration date, had to, as I’m passionate about Korea and all things Korean. Moreover I am also a member of the Bae Yong Joon Malaysian Fan Club so I must show my support for this club too.


Let’s see, what are some of the activities planned for the club and also the benefits of joining this club? There are plans for:-
i. a Hallyu Festival once or twice a year
ii. Korea promotion activities such as organizing supporter’s own events or participating in any Korea related events
iii. Joint charity events like blood donations, visiting orphanages/old folks home etc.
iv. Members can promote Korea by publishing and writing articles/blogs related to Korea and via the social network (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Forum)


And finally since Korea qualified for the coming 2010 World Cup competition there will be a World Cup street cheering to be held in cooperation with the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club. In fact the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club has extended an invitation to the Saranghaeyo Korea Club members to join them at their premises to watch the matches LIVE on TV. Not only that, we would also be getting Korean supporter T-shirts as well. I didn’t know that there are about 30,000 Koreans staying in Kuala Lumpur alone. Now that we have a Saranghaeyo Korea Club in Malaysia, shouldn’t someone in Korea start a Saranghaeyo Malaysia Club over there?  I’m sure there must be supporters of Malaysia in Korea too. Just a thought!


And now for the benefits for being Saranghaeyo Korea Club members like:-
i. Being provided with membership cards,
ii. Hosting special events for Korea Supporters (Hallyu festival and other events)
iii. Prior invitations to KTO/Korean embassy's events, TBC and any other events like the

• Korean Music & Dance @ Istana Budaya, 7th May 2010 
• R16,B-boy competition @ Berjaya Timesquare, 17th April 2010 
• Nanta, Korea nonverbal music performance, to be held on 23^rd & 24^th July  2010.  

iv. Best members, leader and team will be rewarded with a trip to Korea.
v. Prior entries to attend Korea Plaza Events (-Cooking Classes, Korea Language Classes, K-pop singing classes/free of charge)
vi. Special discount at Korean restaurant, Korean hair shops, Korean brand products, Korea Tour Package.
So what do you think? Great isn’t it?


   

 

 

Plaza Korea is situated on the ground floor of the Hap Seng Tower in Jalan P. Ramlee, one of the busiest streets in Kuala Lumpur. The surrounding area is beautiful, it’s very quiet although there are many restaurants in the vicinity.





In front of the Korea Plaza is a spacious open area where activities and gatherings can be held.





They have a collection of Hanbok for visitors who would like to take pictures of themselves dressed in one as a souvenir. To prepare for a trip to Korea one can always come in to get tourism brochures to read before going there. One can also learn Hangeul, Korean Cooking and K-Pop Singing at the Korea Plaza and it’s all for free. Aren’t we all lucky? The Korean Language classes are always in heavy demand and finally after more than 6 months of waiting, I shall be starting classes next week. Wish me luck!





So on the launching day of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club, a group of us from the Bae Yong Joon fan club had arrived earlier than the scheduled time because we wanted to have lunch at one of the restaurants above the Korea Plaza. We had timed it so that by the time we finished our lunch it would be perfect timing for the event. Because we had already sent in our applications via email, all we had to do was to collect our T-shirts, caps and membership cards. As there was plenty of time, we went around taking photographs of each other.



There was a long queue for those who were just filling up their applications. There was a turnout of about two hundred or more people and by the end of the day over four hundred applications had been received in all, including those sent by email and in earlier promotions.





When the registration was all done, we then adjourned to the auditorium where we had an oath taking ceremony before we became members of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club. We also had the Managing Director of the KTO Kuala Lumpur office, Mr. Kim Keehun, and two other guest speakers, from the Korean Embassy and the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club making their speeches.





The highlight of the afternoon were the performances by the first and second runner up winners of the Korean Wave Contest 2010 held recently. The guests and members were treated to a sampling of the Korean Rice Cake (Tteok) after which group photographs were taken. It was a perfect ending to a Saturday afternoon well spent.




Special thanks and appreciation to the following
Photos © courtesy:
Korea Plaza