Korea Day Colorado and the Kpop contest!

My friend and I went to the Korea Day Colorado festival and had a blast. It was a fun event, held in the Infinity Park Event Center. They gave out free cups of noodles, and offered free samples. We even sampled a Korean wine. It was a lot of fun to watch the Taekwondo demonstrations which were done to music, including the soundtrack for Pirates of the Carribean and the music from the Korean drama Kingdoms of the Four Winds. After Taekwondo, a music demonstration of traditional drums and drum dancing was shown.

After the traditional music, it was time for the Kpop contest hosted by KBS (A Korean Drama Station!)

Many of the performers danced to some well known Kpop songs and one even sang! It was cool listening to some of my favorite Kpop songs played on a loud speaker system. After the contest, a well known Colorado Korean band performed called the Appa Band. They had some good songs, and people started dancing. 

All in all it was a fun experience, and I was proud of much Korean I managed to recognize and understand. 

Writing Prompt 42: On dream vacations

Prompt: 10 Countries you would like to visit

1. South Korea:

I've been wanting to go there since I started watching Korean dramas. There are so many places in South Korea that I would love to visit.
The scenes they film in Jeju island and Busan are so beautiful.
I want to see the Teddy Bear Museum and find the Goong Bears.
I want to see the Dragon Falls.
I would love to see the palace where they film the historical dramas.
Shopping in Seoul sounds like a lot of fun.
Korea has inspired my  writing.

2. Japan:

Since I began learning Japanese, I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms in Japan for myself.
I want to be there during the Tanabata festival and celebrate at Tokyo Disney.
I'd love to see Mount Fuji and visit historical temples and real water gardens.
Shopping in Tokyo would be fun, and I want to try Puri Kura.
I've also wanted to visit a real Karaoke place in Japan.
Visiting Kyoto would be amazing.
There are so many beautiful places in Japan that I have wanted to visit for a long time.

3. England:

I want to see where some of the greatest authors grew up.
I'd love to visit Kingston Gardens  where the Peter Pan statue is.
Visit  Buckingham Palace.
Find Baker Street.
Watch a play at the Globe Theatre.
See Big Ben, The Eye, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge . . . the list goes on.
I would also love to tour the Castles and ride the Chunnel.
England houses so many of my favorite authors.

4. Italy:

It started with Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series, working at Disney World and a trip to the Venetian in Las Vegas.
I want to ride a real gondola.
Try all the great food in Rome.
See all the sites: The Coliseum,The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain . . .
Go to Florence.
Attend a real Masquerade with amazing costumes and ballroom dancing.
I've wanted to see Italy for a long time.

5. France:

I blame both Epcot and the Paris hotel in Las Vegas.
I would love to see the real Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral . . .
Go to the Lourve.
Visit Château de Pierrefonds where Merlin filmed.
 Go to Disneyland Paris.
Have a real crepe, and visit a nice French Bakery.
Witness a fashion show.
France looks like a cool country to travel to.

6. India

I've always been fascinated with India.
There are so many landmarks there: The Taj Mahal, The Lotus Temple, The Golden Temple . . .
I want to see the floating lantern festivals.
All the lotus flowers and gardens.
Participate in a dance event like the one in Bride and Prejudice
I would love to shop at a real Bazaar.
India would be a beautiful place to see.

7. Australia

I've have wanted to see  the Great Barrier Reef since I can remember.
Of course I would love to go to the Sydney Opera House, The Sydney Bridge . . .
I want to see the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Go to the real Outback and hike some trails.
See Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, Castle Hill
It would be so cool to see Australia.

8. Norway

I am fascinated by Norse Mythology and what I have seen of Norway consists of beautiful landscapes.
I would love to see the Northern Lights for myself.
Hike the mountains.
Stand on Preikestolen, Geirangerfjord, Nordkapp . . .
Visit the Northern point of Europe Monument. 
One of my favorite fairy tales comes from Norway, so I would love to find a beautiful spot in nature and just write, and write, and write 

9. Greece

Greek Mythology is another fascination of mine. There are so many places in  Greece that I would love to visit.
The Parthenon, The Acropolis . . . just Athens in general 
Olympia, Delos Island (dedicated to Apollo)
Mount Athos
Santorini, Delphi, Meteora,
This whole country would be a trip back in time for me, recreating Ancient Greece in my mind and trying to solve its mysteries.

10.  China

The Great Wall has been one of the places on my bucket list. I've read quite a few books that describe it, but I would love to see it on my own. 
I would love to visit Beijing
See the stone Quin Terracotta Army 
The Yangtze River, Yellow River . . .
Mount Everest- although I'm not sure I could ever climb to the top. 
And of course Disneyland Hong Kong.
I want to witness a real Dragon Festival and Moon Festival
I'd also love to visit my former roommate's town :) She taught me all I know about China.

Kdrama month prompt 1: Your Favorite Kdrama

You're Beautiful may not have been the first Kdrama I watched, but it was the first Kdrama I became engrossed in. I've probably watched this drama more times than I can count. I became fascinated with the Kpop celebrity theme, and I loved the complexity of the characters. The symbolism also drew me in. Reoccurring themes like stars, light and darkness helped expand the story and reflect some of the dynamics of the characters.  These writers knew how to keep you in suspense, yet gave you some hints as to what was coming in the near future. I also liked how human the characters were. There wasn't a single character that I abhorred or didn't understand. Even the worst character, Hwang Tae Young's mother had a specific grudge that held her back, and made sense based on the habits of her character. What I loved about this drama's plot was how they took the pop idol stereotype and broke it down to show the real people that lived under it. You learn about Kpop idols along with Go Mi Nam, a complete outsider to this idea of the world. I also like how Go Mi Nam creates her own family with these idols while trying to reconnect with her own family. She grows with each mistake and becomes more comfortable with who she is once she realizes who she can be. This drama was really focused on the complex characters, but it also held a comedic element to the situation and balanced tragedy and comedy really well.  

Korean Drama Review: The Moon that Embraces the Sun

      This drama is beautifully written with so many memorable characters. The best character of all is Heo Yeon Woo, wise beyond her years and born with a regal personality. Her journey to remember who she is, and what she can do is a powerful story involving fate, betrayal, rebirth and love. The symbolism in this drama involves the cycles of the moon and the sun. As King Hwon mourns the loss of his bride,  Yeon Woo becomes the shaman who must find a way to heal him. Hwon gives her the name Wol which means moon and is reminded of Hue Yeon whenever he is around her. With the mystery of  Yeon Woo's death and Wol's identity clouding his mind, King Hwon must discover his true enemies and become the great ruler he is destined to be.
    Based on a novel of the same name, The Moon that Embraces the Sun is an intricately woven tale with many secrets, surprises and wisdom. I recommend it to any Korean drama fan, fairy tale fan and anyone fascinated with Asian culture. 

Plot:
Thirteen year old Heo Yeon Woo is chosen to become the Crown Princess of Joseon until the Dowager Queen plots against her and secretly orders her death. With the help of a powerful shaman’s magic, Yeon Woo escapes with her life, but loses her memories. All believe her to be dead, including the Crown Prince Hwon, who loves her and whom she was to marry. Eight years later, Yeon Woo returns as a shaman named Wol. She has not been forgotten by those she left behind, and her fate is still intertwined with Hwon, who is now the king. She must contend with the current Queen of Joseon, the Queen’s Father, and the Queen Dowager in order to reclaim her rightful place as Queen of Joseon.

Soundtrack: