최종수정 : 2007-04-12 00:00
by Sara West
As a Canadian of British and American lineage, my exposure to Asian cultural traditions has been limited. Although I’ve recently become an avid supporter of Vancouver’s sushi restaurants, for the most part, I’ve missed out on the “Asian experience.”
Until this past year, my exposure to Asian cultural events consisted of being in the right place at the right time. By this I mean conveniently getting a window seat in a downtown breakfast caf?, while watching a colourful dragon being paraded down the busy street outside.
Fortunately, I got the chance to learn more this past February when Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken Restaurants - the company I work for - sponsored C3 Society’s Korean New Year Celebration at the Bell Centre for Performing Arts in Surrey.
Arriving with a friend of mine on a rainy February 15 evening, I was warmly welcomed at the centre. The main lobby was packed with people. Some were guests like me, and others were there to present or perform Korean cultural traditions and art.
Loud drumming dominated the whole building, while brightly dressed dancers in gowns of blue, red, white, yellow and black moved in large, circling dances. My friend and I felt like we were in a different world.
As a fan of the arts in general, I was absolutely blown away by the Korean paintings that surrounded the perimeter of centre. It was the kind of art that made you feel at peace just by looking at it. Beautiful landscapes, among other works, impressed me.
Moving to another exhibit, we learned what would have been eaten at a traditional lunar new year dinner. There were seven small courses on a mat, and I later learned that this was a meal only for a man. A poor family would only be able to have a 3-course meal.
My friend asked about the envelopes and the money children receive from elders. We were told, to my surprise, that the tradition of envelopes is actually only about 70 years old, and that Koreans give white envelopes to symbolize peace, as opposed to the Chinese tradition of red envelopes to represent good luck.
Mi-Jung Lee and Jin Hong Park emceed a wonderful evening of Korean dance, theatre and music that was truly unlike any other festival I have ever seen. My favourite performance was the fan dance, in which girls dressed in bright-pink dresses and hand-held fans moved together in quick, shuffling steps. I felt it symbolized the season of spring, danced out perfectly in front of 500 people watching the splendour on stage.
As we left the theatre, my friend was excited to receive a free quarter-chicken voucher from Nando’s. On the way home, we reminisced about what an enjoyable evening it had been and how lucky we were to have been exposed to such a unique culture. I am very grateful that the C3 Society invited us to attend.
Sara West is the national manager of marketing and human resources for Nando’s Canada. To submit a column to C3 News & Views, contact aymackenzie@gmail.com
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