'Dots' at the Gwanghwamun Square

['Dots' at the Gwanghwamun Square] 

Shine Jung

 

15 Jun 2013. SAT. 

It was a special day for me and for refugees too.

 

Since in the morning, volunteers came to prepare the event at the Gwanghwamun square, where thousands of cars were passing. I was little afraid because I had to work outside on a hot day. However, I have a house that I could take a rest after it. The hardship was nothing, comparing to what refugees go through.  

At one o'clock, the festival started by performance of 'La Percussion'.

 

I could see unusual hair style such as dreadlocks, yellow, and orange hair... Every players, who dressed in their white conspicuous fashion, drummed 'boom-boom'. It did not have any melody but beats. I could not just standing but shaking my body. Each players had the happiest face when they played, saying 'there is no such a thing to make them happier than performing'. This made audiences happy too.

 

Along their performance, audience's eyes followed to rolling balls. We and refugees became balls together with drum tempo. I was a guider of 'the Stories of Dots'. I approached to people on the street and made a chance for people to listen 'the Stories of Dots'.

Children were interested in various colorful balls, and parents were interested to educate their children. It was hard to see young man and woman, but I was happy enough because many people were interested in than I expected. 

Lots of booths caught children's interest via interesting activities. Even though they were young, they would think about other friends who are living in insecure.

 

 

 

When the hot sun rising higher, another show caught our interest.

It was Movement DangDang, which gave me big impression.

Dance was about the movement of isolated people. They clenched their belly, because they were hungry. They looked down the floor with despair and looked up with hope. Invisible shackles did not disappear. The show was only three minutes, but it delivered well the feeling of isolated people. Flash mob continued with students. They welcomed isolated people with applause and danced together.  Like the cheerful music, we were cheerful and beautiful when we were together.

After the second flash mob, 'Khan Family' appeared. They seemed to have liberal spirits by their appearance. They made audience to shake audience's body. Lastly, 'Earthian Music Band' came out. Earthian Music Band was composed by 15 people who were from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Each musicians brought their own traditional instruments and mixed their own culture music and language, and made another beautiful fusion music. It was a new band, which was founded only a month ago. At the Gwanghawmun square, there were 10 players with Janggu, Jembe, Harp, Guitar, and so on. Their songs were beautiful and impressive.

'Korea Refugee Week Festival' was ended by encore of 'Earthian Music Band'.

On June 15, 14 organizations, Koreans, and refugees became the same 'dots' and danced together. In this early summer, nothing could make me trilling than 'Korea refugee week'.

From this event I learned that refugees are next to me and we are refugees. We can be refugees suddenly anytime. Some scholars have to leave their own country and live very poorly in other land. It is like one night thunderstorm. I am so thankful what I have now. I could not understand fully the feeling of refugees, but they are brave and strong on a foreign country. Other people also go through some hard time in their lives, too. We need to remember that we are not different than refugees and we need each other. I hope that we can relieve our burden with love.