By Aditya Balaram | May 19th, 2023
The sounding of the lunch bell marked the return of The Woodlands’ first International Bazaar event, the first since 2019. The event surpassed expectations and was a massive success. For just $5 a ticket, students immersed themselves in different cultures, learned about the respective countries, ate tasty food, and had a great experience. Run by Mr. Miller and Ms. Moniz, this was an important event for The Woodlands because it allowed students to showcase their culture and all that is special about them. From cultural booths such as China, which served bubble tea, to Pakistan, which offered mehndi, every single country could represent a part of what makes them so unique.
On top of the delicious food, this event also gave us fantastic cultural performances and dance routines from our students. Each performance told a fascinating story, allowing students to experience the many cultures of our school community in artistic form. From a Bollywood dance performed by four grade 12 students—Akshaya Raamya, Siya Sood, Sanesha Hajiyanee and Pahul Johar—to a hip-hop song dance performed by seniors, Lucy Do, Savanna Tu and Michelle Tran, it was clear that all of the performers were very passionate about the culture they showcased. The audience was met with a kaleidoscope of colours and rhythm. This event was truly amazing, with the tasty food and cultural representation transforming everyday spaces at the school into a cultural wonderland. We at The Woodstock are hopeful that this event returns!
Interview with South Korea:
The International Bazaar represented many countries, and this interview provides readers with insights into what motivated students to represent their countries. The Woodstock spoke to the two grade 10 students in charge of the South Korea booth - Paulo Yoo and Young Won Lee, to better understand the importance of this event and to give readers a chance to know some faces behind the scenes.
The Woodstock (TW): What motivated you to start the South Korea booth?
Paulo: When I first heard about the International Bazaar, I thought it would be a good opportunity to help my peers take a deeper look into Korean culture. Korean products and media have become increasingly more popular in North America since the turn of the century, which I think is great, and shows the diversity of modern lifestyles. However, I wanted to create the booth to offer a more comprehensive overview of South Korea, instead of the limited or exaggerated presentation in Korean media. I chose to work with Young Won because I believed that she could help me convey my vision.
Young Won: To be honest, Paulo was the one who pitched the idea to me and although I was unsure that I could do well, Paulo convinced me and reassured me. I am also proud of my Korean culture, so I thought it was a good opportunity to show this culture to others and learn more about my own culture.
TW: Can you tell us what you hoped to convey to students about South Korea?
Paulo: Our booth was trying to convey common aspects of life, specifically for adolescent youth similar to high school students, living in South Korea. So, for example, the foods we picked were cheap, ubiquitous fast foods that a student might eat relatively consistently. We focused on media that a teenager would consistently interact with, like popular music and video games. We wanted to give the perspective of a Korean peer, almost.
Young Won: I touched on this in my previous response, but I hoped to teach other students more about the interesting South Korean culture beyond the surface-level knowledge. This way students could understand what it was like in South Korea.
TW: What was the reasoning behind choosing the specific food you served at this event?
Paulo: We chose these specific foods to serve at the International Bazaar because we felt they were ubiquitous in Korean society, foods that everyone could easily eat. We wanted the foods we offered to be representative of what an average person in Korea might eat. This is why we chose common cheap street food, such as Hotteok and Tteokkochi, and common grocery products, with the Turtle Chips and Milkis.
Young Won: I was not the only one behind the selection of food, as we listened to all the booth members’ ideas and took it into consideration, but to me, the foods we served were foods that made me feel nostalgic and were snacks I had when I was younger. Some of the foods also reminded me of my mother’s cooking.
TW: Why do you think that this event is important for representation?
Paulo: I think that this event is important for representation because it exposes students to a wide range of cultures, and educates them in ways they would otherwise not experience. For example, there isn’t a great number of South Korean students in the school, so I’m confident our booth developed an image of Korean culture that students wouldn’t have otherwise experienced through their peers or the curriculum. It also provides students [with] an opportunity to proudly promote their culture.
Young Won: I believe that this event is important for representation because each booth represents a different country, allowing all students attending to get a glimpse of many other cultures and learn a lot. Overall, it is a great learning opportunity and allows different cultures, especially the lesser-known ones, to have a chance to shine and display [their] beauty.
TW: Overall, do you hope that this event returns next year?
Paulo: I definitely hope that this event will return next year. I think it’s a great idea, and thought that [all aspects of the event] this year was a success, from the food, to education, to performances. I also thought that while this year was great, there were some issues that somewhat hindered progress, like a lack of consistent communication. I think that if we iron these issues out, the Bazaar could be even better next year.
Young Won: I really hope International Bazaar returns next year because many students seemed to have enjoyed it as well as myself. Although it was stressful and tiring, I think it was all worth it as I learned new information, had fun preparing with my fellow booth members, and liked the feeling of community within our school.
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