Worldwide Korea Bloggers 2013 | I'm In!

I made the cut. Oh yes, I did!

Happy happy joy joy. :)

But I sure wasn't expecting this as I submitted my application at the very last minute, literally and figuratively. I would have totally missed the opportunity to even apply as a Worldwide Korea Blogger, had I not chanced upon their announcement on my Facebook timeline.

And so there I was, just a few minutes shy of the May 26 deadline, frantically filling out the WKB application form. But this was not the ordinary 'name-age-address-date of birth' application form. This had essay questions - the kind that would get your brain working and would make you think of your future blogging plans. Imagine me doing this during the wee hours of the night, at a time when I should be sleeping instead of zoning out in front of my laptop, lol!

Given that circumstance, I wasn't even hoping that my application would be noticed, since the guidelines clearly stated that applications will be reviewed on a 'first come, first served' basis. I also felt that I gave half-assed answers to the questions, and that there'd be a lot of seasoned bloggers out there who could have given better answers, who could write better, who have a larger social media following.

So imagine my surprise when I received that email from the WKB admin. I had to double check just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. And there it was - my name was really on the list of finalists. Ah yes, I made it! I really, really made it! :)

Now I have to rack up my brain for my first post in The Korea Blog. Deadline's on Thursday, so I hope inspiration strikes before D-day. But then again, I work best under pressure. It never fails, haha! And just so you know, this is not a paid writing gig. I'm doing this for recognition and for the love of Korea. Manse, manse! (That's Korean for 'hooray')

About Worldwide Korea Bloggers.
Individuals that have the passion and dedication for promoting Korean culture though blogging; writers, photographers, videographers, and avid users of social networking mediums like Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

An online community that aims to work in collaborative, creative ways to reach and grow Korea fans all over the globe. It aims to create and introduce captivating content that best reflects the Korea of today, in everyday life, while showcasing the essence of Korea’s cultural heritage in a contemporary perspective.

For the Love of Pororo.

My fascination for Korea is no secret. If you've been following my blog for quite some time, then you pretty much have an idea how much I love the country and its culture. I watch Korean dramas as if they were my sustenance, and Kpop songs have taken over my iPod and CD shelf. My makeup is Korean, the noodles on my cupboard are Korean, the chocolates and canned coffee inside my fridge are Korean, heck, even my toothbrush is Korean!

Even my son has joined the bandwagon. Because now, even the cartoon that he watches is Korean. Of course, I'm referring to none other than Pororo the Little Penguin!

Pororo and Friends!

Yue first saw him in an episode of Running Man, a Korean variety show. (See? I don't even watch Philippine TV anymore!) Haha, one of the shows co-hosts, has earned the name of Haroro because of his distinct resemblance to the little penguin. If I remember correctly, this is the episode where Yue first laid eyes on Pororo.

Haha + Pororo = Haroro.

From then on, the little man has kept on bugging me about 'the penguin with glasses' and why he can't find him on TV. While Pororo has a worldwide following and broadcast rights of his show are distributed to 80 different countries, the Philippines - unfortunately - is not one of them. So for the love of Pororo and my son, I had to download episodes from the web, convert them into .mp4, and burn them into DVDs. I even had to weed out the Hangul episodes because Yue couldn't possibly read the subtitles just yet.

These days, he's asking for Pororo toys, which, of course, are also unavailable here. Now my husband is on a mission to buy (all of) these for his son.

Photo credit: The Korean Baby

Singing Pororo plushie.

Pororo ball.

Photo credit: The Korean Baby

Pororo bike.

That wouldn't be much of a feat since Pororo can be found practically anywhere in Korea. For sure the little penguin is available even at the Emart and Homeplus nearest to my husband's apartment. I smell (toy) shopping over the weekend.

And just so you know, Pororo is not just a penguin. He also happens to be a PR Ambassador for the Visit Korea Year Campaign.

Ambassador Pororo

Now isn't he inspiring? :)

Sharing with Toy Stories, Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Orange Tuesdays.