My first K-drama club meeting with the Hankuk Drama Fan Club

Anyeonghaseyo, Hanguk Drama Fan Club Hawaii

I'd always wondered what a Korean drama club was like.

Now the mysterious veil is opened. I just got back from my first drama club meeting with the Hanguk Drama Fan Club Hawaii.  It was a fun and exciting afternoon to be surrounded by fellow fans, who enjoy watching K-dramas and learning more about Korea.

The luncheon was held at the Waikiki Resort Hotel, off of Kalakaua Street near the Honolulu Zoo. The hotel is supposedly owned by Korean Airlines.   Walking inside, we saw proof that might validate that... an agent office and some Korean Airlines stewardesses waiting in the lobby. We went upstairs to the ballroom area. First was check in. They gave every member a lucky number card, with a picture of a drama on it. Each person had a different drama. Finding seating was a problem, even though we were 15 minutes early. It was packed!  There were about 170 people there and most people seemed to
have come early.  One person gave up her seat so my daughter, Chris and I could sit together.

.

Note to self: Next time, get there an hour early for choice seating.

On the table there were party favors - a packet of product samples and a fun photo of a famous Hallyu star or K-pop group, with a decorated clothes pin attached to it.  

My daughter, Chris, had the K-pop group, 2PM and I don't know who I had.  Extra photos passed around each table so everyone could take one.   I got the picture of Rain that was on his wall in "Full House" - my very first drama.  Chris got Kim Hyun Joong.

 cute: party favors and hair product samples

What goes on at a Korean drama club meeting?

The program was well-organized with performances, games, and ways to keep the luncheon entertaining and away from stagnation. So much so, it was almost hard to meet people and have conversations. Another reason to come early next time! What I didn't know is that the Hanguk Drama Fan Club has been around for 10 years! Some members have attended for that long! They only meet three times a year (I wish it were just a little more), so some members are also members of other drama clubs. The program started with a nice cultural performance by a traditional Korean music group. .

Traditional Korean musical performance

 

Next up- chop chop!

Anyone know how to make Chapchae?

A chef demonstrated how to make chapchae and gave us the recipe. It's a dish with clear noodles and it's yummy.

korean food recipe 

Paego-payo? (translation: Are you hungry? )

Lunch was really good - didn't think I would like it, but I did.  All kinds of Korean food: duk boki, chapchae, fish jung, bulgogi, etc.  and of course Kim Chee.  I think it was from the Korean restaurant next door, Seoul Jung. My daughter took some photos but she's a vegetarian so she only got snaps of foods that she liked. .

Chapchae

Kimchi

doekbokki: mochi (rice glutton), fish cake, light cabbage, red spicy sauce"]

my daughters plate

My plate. Yummy!

Favorite dramas and Lucky numbers

Lucky number drawings were held before lunch and again after lunch.  Remember that lucky number ticket that members got upon sign-in? That's what was used. They'd call the name of a drama and if you had the ticket of the drama, you'd win a prize. Cute idea and listening to the drama names brought little murmurs of revival around the room.

I remember that....

Did you watch it?...

. They had a lot of fun Korean stuff for prizes- K-drama shows, K-pop music on CDs, magazines, ... a lot. The lucky number went on for a long time, but I didn't win anything... and I didn't even see the drama I had. Too bad. Included in their program also was a promotion of Korean or Korean-drama inspired products. A Hawaii t-shirt designer, who designed the club's T-shirts introduced some new cute K-drama designs at KoreanDramaQueen.com. Then, a saleswoman who donated an expensive box of popular herbal shampoo for lucky number drawing and gave everyone sample packs, spoke. The shampoo is  supposed to help those with thinning or falling out hair, which is something women at my age, could use. .

Our Lucky Number ticket

The prizes

 They showed movie clips with popular songs from shows like Spring Waltz, Personal Taste, Autumn in my Heart, which had people sighing.  Amazing how excited people got at seeing some actors and hearing some songs.  I guess, I'm just the unemotional type. Well, with Korean dramas you can't be completely unemotional. So maybe I hide it well. .

Guess which drama has this song....

 Then a woman who works for a Korean TV station in Hawaii  informed us about when/what new dramas would be in the upcoming schedule. This was good news for those who watch dramas on TV. The drama "Rooftop Prince" looked pretty good with a lot of  comedy. .

Welcome to new members and "Saegnil Chukha hamnida..." to all.

They had new members stand to be acknowledged and had a gift for them.  Don't know what the gift was, cause they ran out by the time I got up there. They also had a birthday celebration with a large cake and candles for everyone whose birthday was in Jan. - April.   Everyone sang Happy Birthday in Korean.

Saengil chukha hamnida... Saengil chukha hamnida... da da da da da da da daaa...

(no one ever knows how that third line goes) Birthday people had to blow out the candles, then the cake was served. Towards the end of the luncheon, they said everyone who did not get a door prize had to kai, bi, bo (aka the Korean version of the game 'Rock paper scissors') on their table to see who gets the package in the middle of the table.

 

You couldn't even feel time pass.

Luncheon started at 11 a.m. and we left at 2:45 p. Next luncheon will be in July.  They were also talking about trying to get an actor to attend the Nov. luncheon, if they can raise enough money. ( I wish!) All in all, I had more fun than I thought I'd have. The luncheon was so well-organized and packed with oodles of ways for the Korean drama fan to feed their fixation. Kamsahamnidas to the club organizers and volunteers who worked so hard to make the luncheon fun for everyone! So, the next meeting isn't until July.

Can't wait! .