Sphinx in the Hangul country
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| Samy Rashad (right) is the Egyptian representative on the Korean TV show 'Abnormal Summit.' |
By Korea.net honorary reporters Salwa Elzeny and Esraa Elzeny
Photos = Samy Rashad
Christopher Columbus once said, "You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."
Every one of us has a dream or a goal that they want to achieve, but can we achieve everything about which we dream? We will face difficulties and obstacles along the way. Sometimes we will fail and sometimes we will succeed, but hope, patience and challenges are the main factors to achieving our dreams and turning them into reality.
This is what Samy Rashad El-Baz "the Young Pharaoh" said on the Korean TV show "Abnormal Summit" (비정상회담). Rashad was one of the non-Korean presenters on the JTBC show, which first aired on July 7, 2014. The program features non-Korean men who live in Korea. All speaking in Korean, they debate various topics, like culture and what Korea looks like to them, all in a talk show format.
Here you can see some footage of him on "Abnormal Summit."
Samy Rashad is an Egyptian man born in Dakahlia Governorate. He graduated from the Korean Language Department at Ain Shams University in 2011. He now lives in Korea. He has been on TV before, but his appearance was limited to only a few shows, such as "Hello Stranger" on MBC and some other programs on Channel A, on TV Chosun, on JTBC and on MBN. He also hosts a monthly radio program on KBS Radio, and he has appeared on other radio programs on KBS and TBS. He has won awards in many Korean speaking contests, like first place in the Korean Conversation Contest in the Middle East and Africa 2010 with an amazing speech titled “Sphinx in the Hangeul Country." He also won third place in a Korean conversation contest in Busan in 2012, and a second place in a world-wide competition hosted by Kyung Hee University in 2014. He is currently studying for a master’s degree in Korean linguistics at Seoul National University. He also teaches standard Arabic and he is a professional futsal indoor soccer player in the FK-League (FK-리그).
He also volunteers with international students in Korea and helps them during their studies in Korea.
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| Samy Rashad is actively involved in many athletic activities. |
Korea.net honorary reporters were able to sit down with Rashad, even though he is very busy. Please find our interview below.
Why did you choose to study Korean?
As usual, Egyptians like to study things that will benefit them later on. I have a friend who taught German and who advised me to study Korean because the department was new and the number of students would be limited. Also, there wouldn't be much competition in terms of post-graduate employment opportunities.
What did you learn after being on the TV show "Abnormal Summit"?
The benefits were obviously great in many aspects. I tried to break down the barrier between the Arab world and Korean media. An Arab man almost never appears in Korean media. This was a public relations coup to bring fresh viewpoints into homes, and to correct many of the misconceptions in Korea about the Arab world and Islam more generally. Of course, the other benefit was that it was my biggest entry into the Korean TV world and that it was an opportunity to introduce myself to Korean viewers. Also, because most of the conversations on the show were comparisons between different countries or systems , now I have an understanding of many countries around the world. I could hear detailed explanations about these countries from people who lived there, and compare them to our countries in the Middle East.
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| Samy Rashad wants to break down barriers between the Arab world and Korea. |
As you're an Egyptian living in Korea, and through your interactions with Koreans, what similarities and differences do you see?
Yeah, there are some similarities between us, such as family values, marriage and other things. There are definitely differences, too, in the severity of family law and the lack of any ability to express one's opinions if you're younger or in a lower place.
Through interactions with your Korean friends, does anyone in Korea want to learn Arabic, the way Arabs want to learn Korean?
It's almost equal, but opposite. In Arab countries, most people who study Korean are more interested in Korean arts or history. In Korea, however, anyone who studies Arabic is only interested in a job.
Who was one of the most influential teachers you've ever had?
At Silla University in Busan, I had an excellent Korean language instructor. She was the most knowledgeable teacher I ever met. She was able to convey social and mental differences related to the Korean language to actual non-Koreans. She was named Professor Lee.
Do you have any tips for anyone learning Korean, to help them improve quickly?
Focus on the social aspects, as those are the most important and most difficult when learning Korean. Korean is not only a language of words and rules. it's also closely linked through expressions to human behavior. You can only master the commonly used sentences and their diverse uses in different situations if you have a familiarity with Korean mind, with intellectual and social aspects.
What are your goals or dreams that you want to achieve in Korea, and have you achieved them yet or not?
I want to be an effective bridge between the Arab world and Korea. I have achieved some of this so far, either by appearing on TV or radio, but of course I hope to have an even larger role.
What are some of the most beautiful places you love in Korea?
I love the historical places. Unfortunately, what with colonialism and war, Korea lost a large number of its antiquities. With progress and openness, however, Korea has changed. I feel that I live in Korea, but also not, because I love historical places and historical things. I love to visit the museums or the palaces in Seoul or the surrounding regions.
What's the best thing about Korea, the Korean people and their history?
I love the Korean people more and more. I have many Korean friends. I think that if the Korean people weren't kind or if I weren't able to find any good friends here, I wouldn't have lived in Korea for all this time.
wisdom117@Korea.kr
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