Masks during the pandemic 마스크

When Corona virus started spreading in Korea in February 2020 everyone was trying to buy maximum number of masks from Internet and other places. Some middle men were hoarding and trying to sell within Korea as well as other countries for higher prices. It left the government to make regulations on mask production and distribution. Masks could be bought depending on the last digit of one's birth year. (Which meant that people who did not have ID card were not eligible to buy masks as it was mandatory to produce your ID card when buying masks.)

N-94 masks were distributed to Pharmacies, post offices and some other places. From Monday till Friday the digits were from 1 to 0 i.e. on Monday people whose last digit of birth year was 1 and 6 could buy masks. On Tuesdays 2 and 7, on Wednesdays 3 and 8 and so on. On Saturday and Sunday people who could not buy masks during the week were able to purchase it. In one week we could only purchase 2 masks as our purchase was recorded using our ID cards. 

I did not need 2 masks per week as I was spending time at home. So I bought masks once in 2 weeks. The pandemic had made masks a necessity that I thought that I will have to spend a lot on buying masks. This made me to challenge myself to make washable cotton masks. So I followed the directions given in a Youtube channel and made the cuttings and sewed it up. I used the strings and wire from the disposable masks for the cotton mask that I had made. 

My first mask came out well and I started using it. I made it with a filter pocket. 

I have a Korean aunt who lives in Busan and she calls me occationally to check whether I am keeping fine. Then she asked me whether I had enough masks and I told her that I had made a mask myself. She asked me to send her a picture of it. I sent it and she loved it. She then asked me if I could make masks for her daughter who was living in the US. (It was difficult to send disposable masks to people in other countries). I said yes and as her daughter lived with her husband and 3 small kids I decided to make 10 masks for them. I also decided to make masks for my friend who lives in the US. 

 

The masks have all Christmas touch to it coz I had bought cloth with Christmas designs in December 2019. 

 Once I finished making 14 mask I was confident to make more. So I made more and gave to people whom I knew and wanted it. 

Slowly I started realizing that disposable masks are becoming pollutants and these cotton masks will be better as we can wash them and use it more than once. So I made 2 more masks for myself and am using them whenever I go out. I feel good coz they suck in the sweat and when I come back home I wash them. Disposable masks do not absorb the sweat which makes it feel like having salt water around my mouth.

I am happy to have tried making these coz now I can reduce pollution, my expenditure and help others as well. :) 

Henna(Mehendi) 헤나

   In 2018 again I had visited Jeju Island (제주도) for Indian Film Festival and I was asked to run the Henna booth. They had prepared four beautiful henna designs. People coming to watch the movies could choose among the designs and I was supposed to draw it on their palm or places on their hand where they wanted it. 

I also gave them the option to write their names in Hindi with Henna and many liked it. It was a hit! 

Even small kids came to get henna drawn on their hands and took pictures with me. It was a nice experience for me as I could meet many Koreans interested in India. 

The only instance that made me uncomfortable was when a guy came and asked me to draw on his neck. I was baffled at that moment and tried to look away so as not to show my facial expression to that guy. Now I can sit and laugh at it. ㅎㅎㅎㅎ(Korean way of laughing)

Another visitor made a painting and presented it to me. 

He said that the Tibetan colorful flags are represented in the art. I don't know whether it contains other meanings related to Tibet. Anyway I was happy to get such a beautiful piece of artwork.  

Hanbok Making 한복만들기

  In 2018 I got an opportunity to do something very Korean. It was sponsored and we being a team of eleven had different ideas on what to do. I agreed to be part of this program without knowing much about what to do. All I was thinking was that I will get to visit some places in Seoul. But that was not what the program was about. Like I said we had do something which represented Korea and we ended up on Hanbok(한복) which is Korea's traditional attire. And it was not just about wearing Hanbok. We had to make it ourselves. 

   So we decided to make our own Hanbok and for this we found a place where they teach how to make Hanbok. We met the teacher and she gave us a list of items to be bought. So we went shopping in Seoul's Gwangjang Market(광장 시장). We bought cloth material, lining material, thread, chalk, pins etc. and it was all paid by the sponsoring organization. I knew how to sew using a sewing machine so I decided on making a modern Hanbok(철릭한복) which is normally made with cotton material. But as I was not familiar with the cotton material of Korea I ended up buying silk kind of cloth for my modern Hanbok. 

It was not easy making a modern Hanbok but I enjoyed the process as I was excited to see the final product and wear it. (It made me look a little fat as it was made of silk kind of material but I loved it.) And finally it came out like this. 

   I had wished to visit some place in Korea when I heard about this program and to my happiness they had arranged for us a visit to Jeonju Hanok Village(한옥 마을). I was so happy to visit Jeonju for the third time. But there was something different in this visit. We were not going to Jeonju Hanok village just for sight seeing. We had to wear the Hanbok we had made and go around the village in the attire. I was little hesitant as my Hanbok was not the traditional one. It was a Modern Hanbok made with traditional cloth material. But I wore it and walk all around the village.  

             

       

  We also got the opportunity to make a traditional hanging for the Hanbok which is called Nori-gae(노리개). I loved making it coz it was complicated. We made butterfly using knots and it looked so beautiful. 

                                   

  I was happy with the whole program as it was an opportunity to show my talent. During my Hanbok making lessons I saw various Korean items being made by others and it inspired me to make my own handmade items.