On Korea

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by Victor Stegemann

The following is a speech written by Victor Stegemann, who attends Moody Middle School in Port Moody, B.C. He chose to write about Korea for a class assignment, because he wanted others to talk to his friends from Korea. He did not want his friends to feel excluded, and he wanted them to feel important. He received the highest mark in his class and represented his class at a school competition.

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I think the best way to get to know people from another culture is to learn their language.
"Ahn nyoung, Nae ereum eun Victor Stegemann eya." That means, "Hello, I am Victor Stegemann" in Korean.
Our Korean friends have learned English so they can get to know us better. If we take the time to learn some Korean, we will get to know Koreans much better.
Anyone can learn a few words in a new language. My friends from Korea have taught me a few words, and I will share them with you:

Ahn nyoung is hello in Korean.
Kahm sah hahm ne dah is how they say thank you.
Yeah is yes.
Ah ni is no
Hah ji mah is how they say do not do that.
Hal money is how they say grandma.

Now, some words may sound similar, but you want to make sure you pronounce the words properly. For instance, uh money is mother, but if you call her ah buh ji, you are calling her father. You do not want to do that.
When I visit the homes of my friends from Korea I get to hear their language and try out traditional foods that I have never tried like kim chi. I never knew that rice is the most used food in Korea. Along the coast, Koreans also add fish to there daily meals.
Korea borders on China and Russia. There is a North Korea and a South Korea. The DMZ (demilitarized zone) border divides North and South Korea, and it runs along the 38th parallel.
I have always wanted to go to Korea to experience this amazing culture that my friends have shown me through their food, language and traditions. However, until I can save up enough money to go there, I can enjoy much of the Korean culture and food right here in the Tri-Cities.
Every year during the month of June, the Korean Heritage Festival welcomes 10,000 people from all cultures to the Town Centre Stadium in Coquitlam. Attendees from all over come out to enjoy the music, dance and food. Everyone is welcome. This year the Korean Heritage Festival will be held on June 16. To learn more about this festival, pick up a Coquitlam events and attractions passport that lists all the festivals throughout the year.
All year long, you can experience Korean food in the restaurants and the grocery stores on North Road. North Road borders the cities of Coquitlam and Burnaby. Both sides of North Road just below Lougheed Highway are filled with stores that showcase foods and products from Korea. With all the excitement and new foods and the Korean language to experience on North Road, I imagine that it is a taste of what shopping in Korea would be like.
My friends from Korea come from a town called Busan. Busan is a typical Korean city. When you drive, you see high buildings, trees, many people, coastline, many taxicabs and buses.
My friends tell me the best thing about Busan is the lovely beaches. The beaches have shiny, soft sand and the waves are wonderful. There is a really big fish market, too.
One day, I hope to visit Korea. In the meantime, I will continue to learn the language, visit the Korean restaurants in our community and attend the festival. And most importantly, spend time with my friends, learning about their home country and sharing with them why we love living in Canada.
Kahm sah hahm ni dah.

To submit a column to C3 News & Views, contact Angela MacKenzie at aymackenzie@gmail.com. To find out more about C3 Society, visit www.c3society.com.

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