By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Emilia Kircheva
Photos = Lilia Bozhinova too Emilia Kircheva
We live inwards quite astonishing times, don't you lot think? I'm an Eastern European listening to Korean music on my Chinese phone, piece drinking Indian tea too eating Russian cookies alongside. What a fourth dimension to live alive, right?
H5N1 few months agone piece I was inwards Madrid, I felt specially strongly this astonishing feeling of unlimited access to pieces of other countries. The uppercase of Espana is genuinely 1 of the most beautiful too amazing cities I convey visited. It's large too glamorous, total of people too crowds too even hence you lot don't experience lost inwards all of the commotion. You breath it inwards too permit it to infatuate you lot too to build you lot experience comfy. The wonders Madrid has to offering are endless: cathedrals, monuments, hidden squares, tiny shops with amazing food, statues with unsuspected stories, too hence on.
All of that genuinely amazed me, but the position down that is inwards my pump already is Korea. That fact leads to 1 for sure thing: I can`t aid but notice everything to a greater extent than or less me that has some connectedness to Korea. It's similar I convey a Korean radar. If I notice fifty-fifty a unmarried symbol of Hangeul out of the corner of my eye, I demand to plough to a greater extent than or less too expolore it thoroughly. It's a expert matter that my move companion was fine with that trait of mine too was fifty-fifty willing to contribute. Here is the story of what nosotros institute inwards our search for Korea inwards Madrid.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B1.jpg" width="640" /> I was going to pass some fourth dimension looking for pieces of Korea inwards Madrid anyway, hence why non produce it the proper way? With simply a few clicks too calculations of distance, nosotros already had some Korea-related places marked on our tourist map. It turned out at that spot were quite a few such places, specially Asia-themed markets: nigh 10 of them. Korean restaurants are likewise non missing; again, to a greater extent than or less 10 of them, mainly inwards the centre of the city. We didn't respect whatever stores that sell K-pop paraphernalia, but our master copy target was the Korean Cultural Center inwards Spain.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B2.jpg" width="640" /> From the listing of Asia-themed markets, the 1 that caught our oculus was called the “Supermercado asiatico de Principe Pio,” or the Asian Supermarket Principe Pio. We walked quite far to instruct there, and, to live honest, a few times I idea it was a flake weird to walk hence far inwards the estrus simply inwards companionship to instruct to an Asian marketplace position inwards the uppercase of Spain.
Nonetheless, every bit nosotros walked into the store all the wonders inwards front end of my eyes chased away all those doubting thoughts. It didn't seem that agency from start sight, but the store was rattling big, much bigger than the 1 nosotros convey inwards Sofia, too to a greater extent than oftentimes than non larger than whatever other Asia-themed marketplace position I've e'er visited. There were commodities from all over Asia: Taiwan, Japan, India, Cathay and, of course, Korea. The shelves with the instant noodles caught my eye. To my ain surprise, I recognized some of the brands too could fifty-fifty state inwards which lather opera the master copy characters ate that build of instant noodle. I for sure convey an oculus for detail!
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B5.jpg" width="640" /> At the alcohol shelves, nosotros were disappointed to encounter at that spot was no soju. Actually, nosotros institute an fifty-fifty amend drink: Korean sake! At start nosotros laughed when nosotros saw it, but hence nosotros agreed that it goes perfectly with our shout out for for multicultural experiences, and, indeed, it was a expert sake.
Our adjacent halt too master copy target was the Korean Cultural Center inwards Spain. It's situated inwards a large beautiful edifice too has 2 floors. To some extent, it does convey a similar atmosphere to the 1 nosotros convey inwards Sofia, but the infinite is much bigger.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B6.jpg" width="640" /> On the start floor, at that spot was an fine art exhibition past times the creative somebody Jung Jong Mee. The exhibition, titled "Dedicated to Femininity," consisted of several images of women inwards traditional Korean hanbok attire that was made out of paper.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B8.jpg" width="392" /> The instant flooring was a lot to a greater extent than spacious. There was the library too it was total of wonders. On the stands adjacent to the stairs are the pop civilization items. There are albums from groups similar Infinite, 2ne1, Girls Generation, Super Junior too others. The albums seem to convey attracted quite a lot of attending because the creases on the edges gave away that they convey been opened tons of times. At the dorsum of the shelf was likewise a collection of DVDs with Korean lather operas too movies.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B10.jpg" width="640" /> Shelves with books were all around. Most of them were inwards Korean, but at that spot were likewise some textbooks inwards English. H5N1 whole department was dedicated to materials to aid you lot report Korea: flyers from Korean universities with programs for international students, guides to the application process, et cetera. They were lying at that spot inwards illustration somebody needed them. Another department was focused on Buddhist temples inwards Korea that offering bed-and-breakfast services. There were guides too books nigh it, too it was my start fourth dimension to uncovering this.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B11.jpg" width="640" /> In the library, at that spot were likewise 2 other exhibitions. One of them showed pop Korean dishes similar kimchi, japche noodles, bulgogi marinated beef too other delicacies. They looked delicious, but sadly were made of plastic.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B13.jpg" width="640" /> The other exhibition was of musical instruments used inwards traditional Korean gugak music. We saw a gayageum, a kkwaenggwari and a geomungo.
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Korea%2Bin%2BMadrid%2B14.jpg" width="640" /> The biggest usage of the Korean Cultural Center inwards Espana remained hidden for us. The cultural centre provides arts too crafts too linguistic communication courses, too the master copy infinite on the instant flooring was really occupied past times classrooms too an events hall. We didn't grapple to encounter them.
We saw bits of Korea likewise at many other places across Madrid. In the bookstores, at that spot were books past times Korean authors, too likewise some Korean graphic novels. At some museums, at that spot were brochures inwards Korean. We likewise passed a Korean restaurant, but sadly it was closed.
I believe that seeing how other nations connect with Korea gives me a amend agreement of the position down too its relationships, too I volition top along looking for bits of Korea everywhere I travel.
wisdom117@Korea.kr