김치전 (Buzz Korea)

Kimchi Jeon

I made Kimchi pancakes or 김치전 this morning, made just enough batter for 3 small pancakes because I wanted to try... Although I feel is more something I could enjoy on a hot day with a Beer or some Makgeolli :)

I will not add quantities because it's really up to you and how much do you want to make :/

You'll need:

Choped Kimchi (and the juice)
Flour
Choped Onions (I used green onions)
Salt
Sugar
Vegetable oil

Heat up the oil in a frypan

In a bowl add the Kimchi, onions, a pinch of salt (If your kimchi is salty dot add any more salt!!!), a pinch of sugar, 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water and mix them well.

Put the mixture on your frying pan the size you want it, you can make a big one ad then cut it in squares, for presentation I made them small.

Wait about 2minutes (or until golden) and turn them over.

Wait a bit to eat it, you don't want to burn your mouth with it!!

And there you go the 김치전 is ready!

-Gisela V.

Korean Cultural Festival in Mexico (Part 1)

Hello everyone!

Master of Ceremony

This past March 10th 2012, the Korean Cultural Festival took place in the City Theater (http://www.cultura.df.gob.mx/index.php/tcm), Luckily for me I got an
Invitiation from a friend (Thank you Younhee!!!), I was supossed to bring someone with me, but the only person interested was my sister but she couldn't make it :( so I decided to go alone (I know... Foreveralone, right??). I usually don't like going places alone, specialy if I know it's going to be crowded, anyway after I decided to go on my own a storm came and I thought it was a sign of god telling me not to go... When it was time to leave the house the rain was almost gone so I took a cab and guess what!, the streets were closed... was that another sign??
I was about to quit when I decided to walk...and I'm glad I did because the Festival was WAY more than what I was exptecting to be and I met Laura, soon we started to talk about Korea and turns out she had an invitation for the openning of the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico, she invited me to go with her and I gladly accepted her invitation.

It was 7 o'clock when the lights went off and we heard music comming from the outside of the Theater... Drums, people yelling, music, samulnori outfits

When everything started I obviously started taking pictures.... turns out... I wasn't allowed to do it so I was asked to stop :( ... I couldn't just NOT take pictures...I hate posting without pictures... so I enjoyed the 1st time of the show but I was sort of nervous because I couldn't take pictures, so when I sawthe "No pictures!!" girl I asked if there was something I could do or someone I could ask for permission to take pictures and she send me to the Press balcony YAY!!! *so much win!*, I waitied until the end of Part II and then I hurried back to the Press balcony the only downside to it was... I had to stand for the rest of the 1 1/2hr show (Remember I was holding a big/heavy camera, my bag, an umbrella, another jacket, etc).

Part I

Sori/Sounds

SKYBULLS, a composition by Shin Chang-Ryul

This openning act was in charge of Kang Eun-il & Haegum Plus

Part II

Harmony between Tradition and modernity

LIBERTANGO
An adapted piece between Argentinian Tango and a russian popular song

NEW AH-MI

This was interpreted by Oh Ah-Mi, an Electric cello  pioneer from a new gendercalled "Electronic Cassic", her performances combine music and a startling performance. I must say, Oh Ah-Mi was incredible, she has so much energy and charisma, she can dance with the cello (An electric cello is supposed to stay still on the ground) and everything is very energetic. You can see a video of that day HERE

Oh Ah-mi - Han's Dancers - Oh Ah-mi

HAEGUM RAPSODY (By Peter Schindler)

It is a musical work that includes classic repetition of phrases. Is influenced by European style chords, jazz and Asian music

THE CHASE

This piece expresses the run of a fugitive and its chaser, this piece was performed by Kang Eun-il & Haegum Plus witch is a group of people making hybrid music, it was created in 1999 and is one of the most representatives of Korea.

WOLFGANG'S TUNE

Interpreted by the Haegum trio, Electric cello and piano.

BELLE AND EMERALD (Notre Dame de Paris)

Interpreted by BOS (Bridge of Soul) Popera male trio, that fuses classical music with popular music. This was accompanied by the Han's Dance Company.

Bridge of Soul

Since I don't want this post to be super long, this will be it for today, but wait for Part 2 of the Korean Cultural Festival with B-boys, Samulnori, the Jing Dance, K-Tigers (Taekwondo), Namsadang, Bésame mucho and ARIRANG!

-Gisela V.

Buzz Korea 

Korean Cultural Center in Mexico

Yesterday March the 13th 2012 the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico held its Grand Openning, I've been waiting for this for over a Month ever since I found out about it.

Last month I went to the KCC to meet the Director Professor Bong Chul Kwan, Mr. Kwan was kind enough to show me the yet unfinished building and answer a few questions, so here's some information about the KCC in Mexico.

Me: How does the idea came up to open a KCC in Mexico?
Mr. Kwan: The idea came because there are a lot of people in Mexico interested in Korea, K-pop, the Language and culture in General

Me: What kind of activities will be held at the KCC?
Mr. Kwan: Cooking Classes (Korean and Mexican Food), Language Classes, Dance, Music and we also want to provide a space for people to show their art, paintings, shows, etc.
We also have a room with a Big TV where people can come and watch Korean News, Dramas or Movies, there's also an auditorium where conferences can be held or used for Meetings.
In addition to this we'll have internet access and Computer with access to Korean Books directly from Korea.

Me: Do you have planned to invite Korean Artists only?
Mr. Kwan: No, the idea is to invite Korean and Mexican artist, we still don't have a convocatory opened yet, but people can show us their work in order to have an exhibit here at the KCC.

As you can see, there will be lots of things to do at the KCC in Mexico, I'm glad it's opened now since all of us Korea-Lovers can enjoy some more of Korea here in Mexico.

Right before the Ribbon cutting ceremony there was a little show outside the KCC of Samulnori (Traditional percussion music from Korea)

The Openning included dignataries from both countries, incluiding Korea's Culture Minister Choe Kwang-Shik and the Korean Embassador in Mexico Sung Hoa Hong a representative of Samsung in Mexico and other personalities.

Ribbon cutting

Outside of the KCC in Mexico

Korean Ambassador in Mexico - Korea's Culture Minister Choe Kwang-Shik

The event included Speaches of the Ambassador, The minister and a member of the SRE.
After the speaches we enjoyed some Traditional Korean Music

 2 Korean songs by the "Niños Cantores de Chalco" sort of like a Chorus of under priviledged girls who take music lessons from nuns, I've never seen this chorus and must say those girls can really play and sing.

Then it was the turn of "Bridges of Soul", a Popera (Pop - Opera) trio who sang a famous Mexican son "Bésame Mucho" with Mariachis, I didn't get to take pics of this since it was really crowded :(

This was the only pic I was able to get... sorry guys!!

Last but not least, all the artist came back on stage to perform "Arirang", everyone sang and it was a very exciting moment.

Just to finish this great event we all went downstairs to have some yummy korean food and drinks, funny thing is... At the buffet line I met the Architects who worked with the building, they were really nice and asked me about Korean food, I promised I would mention them here since no one else did at the ceremony, so Hi!!! Mr. Leonardo Garcia (Lead Architect) and Mr. Isaias Gonzalez!! Thank you for making such a nice building for us :)

All in all, it was a great event and I'm really looking forward to all the activities that will soon start at the KCC in Mexico.

As for the Korean Culture Festival of last weekend... I still owe you that post!! and I promise this weekend you'll have it!!

Hope you like the post and if you have any suggestions for posts, just let me know!!
Here are some pictures of what's currently being shown at the KCCM

-Gisela V.

PS. The KCC is located in Temístocles #122, Polanco. Right next to the Subway station, you can see the map here

Korean Cultural Festival in Mexico

Hello everyone!

How've you been?, I feel like it's been a while since the last time I posted about ME going somewhere....
This saturday March 10th at exactly 18:20, I have been invited to the Korean Cultural Festival in Mexico, this event was organized by the Korean Embassy in Mexico to celebrate the International Festival of the Arts in Mexico, promote Korean Culture in Mexico and to help Mexico and Korea to get closer through Culture, Music, Dance and traditional Corean Games.

The program is Divided in 5 Parts:
(I will obiously be posting more about it next week)
Part I
Sori / Sones
 -Sky bulls

Part II
Harmony between Tradition and modernity
 -LiberTango
 -New Ah-mi (Electric cello) by Oh Ah-mi
 -Haehum Rapsody
 -The Chase (Musical Piece)

Part III
Korean Lines
 -Samulnori
 -The Jing dance
 -Taekwondo
 -B-boying

Part IV
Dynamic Korea
 -Pungmulnori and percussion performance
 -Namsadang

Part V
Encounter
 -Besame Mucho (Kiss me much)
 -Arirang

Well.. there you have it, I'm really excited about this and next week the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico will be openning, here's hopping to be able to assist to that event as well.

-Gisela V.

I'm sorry for the lousy picture!