Meet Ella

Emanuella Olaoye (known as Ella) is a Master's student at the University of Ibadan, studying communication and language arts and majoring in broadcast and film. She also works with media and various brands remotely. But she would mostly like to stick with being called a student. She’s a Korean enthusiast with a main interest in Korean history.

We had a fun chat with Ella about her Korean journey and who else are we putting on if not you, our chingus? Here’s Ella’s story.

What first drew you to Korean culture? Was it the food, the music, the dramas, or something else entirely?

There's a fun story to that. Yeah, it was the drama, but I got to know about it through my dad. He came home one day when I was in, I think, JSS2 years back. He came home, and he was telling us (his family) that they were watching a film in the office, and they didn't know the language. I was surprised, and I remember asking him jokingly why they were watching a drama in their office and if they didn’t have to work. And then, luckily for him, the family and especially me, since it struck me more, our neighbor had that drama they were watching in the office, my dad went to get it, and the rest is history. The drama was ‘Lee San (Wind of the Palace.)’

I did not start with any modern-day drama, and we became addicted to binge-watching it even when we're supposed to go to school. Sometimes, we're still watching around 3 am. I would say that's where I started my Korean love era.

You mentioned you're still exploring Korean food generally. What's one dish you've tried that surprised you the most (in a good or bad way)?

I've tried a variety of them. The day I tried it, I went to a Korean food festival that was held in Ibadan. That was the first time we were doing it. So I went there, and we tried some Korean dishes. I am not really a fan of experimenting with food because my body doesn't really like it. But I knew that this is something I'd always seen and watched, and because it's a culture I like, I said, okay, let me just try it. Something like ‘let's do this!’.

Okay…

I tried some dishes like kimchi, Dakgalbi, Doenjang jjigae, and Manduguk, if I'm not wrong. But the one that really stuck with me was the Dakgalbi because it was a meat dish, and I liked the flavors. However, for Doenjang jjigae, maybe if I try it again because I don't want to use that experience to judge the dish, but that day, I told myself I would never have anything to do with it again. But the Dakgalbi from that experience was nice, I really liked it. It's a dish I would definitely want to try again.

That's nice. Do you have a go-to K-Drama or variety show that you’d recommend to someone just starting out? Why that one?

That might be a hard one, though, because everybody has their personal interest. Personally, I prefer historical dramas to modern-day dramas. I will say that’s probably because I started with historical dramas. Some people might have started with historical dramas, and they might prefer modern-day dramas, but then it was a historical drama that struck me from the onset. So I would recommend a historical drama to anybody.

Speaking of particular dramas, I would recommend ‘Scholar Who Walks the Night’, and it's because of Lee Soo Hyuk. Honestly, I will not lie. This is me calling my own self out because of him. And definitely ‘Lee San,’ my first drama, and I would recommend it to anybody. For modern-day dramas, there are a lot.

Nice…

I can't really pick one. And like I said, some people's interests might not be my interests. So I wouldn't say. I can recommend something to you now that I like, and you end up not liking it, you come back and maybe badmouth it, we're gonna have a problem… (laughs). So let me just dey my dey (be on my lane) and not be overly excited about recommending something. But I will stick to the historical dramas when recommending to anybody. For variety shows, the most popular one I know and the most popular one most people know is ‘Running Man’, and I will recommend that because it’s funny, with a variety of people in it.

Okay. Fashion-wise, how would you describe Korean style in one word? And do you think it has influenced your personal wardrobe? 

One word? Beautiful! Yeah. Now, to explain it, it has influenced my style in a way. I look up the way they dress, and I kind of recreate them sometimes. Now, going back, I think most of these things will just go back to their historical part. I really like the historical dressing style; the Hanbok is beautiful. My stylist even made me a hanbok for my birthday one time, and I still have it. It resonates well with me. It was even made with Adire. So it's like a fusion.

Korean and African fusion?,

Exactly. I have something that blends both cultures that I appreciate. I would definitely say it has influenced me in a positive way.

You mentioned you're learning Korean on a basic level. What's a phrase or a word that makes you feel like a pro whenever you use it?

Well, I don't think it's a word, because it's a swear word, so I would not like to say it here, but I use it a lot!

Although I am sure I know what the swear word is, is there something else apart from that?

Sure, anybody can put things together and guess what it is. The other word is “Daebak” and I use it a lot too. I use both of them simultaneously.

Has learning Korean made you see language and culture differently in general? If yes, in what way?

Yes, I think learning any language would open you to more. To learn more things about a particular culture or about a particular part that you're learning the language. Another reason I was not so serious with the Korean language is I felt it was a bit difficult. But when you are learning a language, you want to learn more about those things and more about that place. Because, you know, even when learning Korean, there might be instances when some words are spelled the same way but with different meanings. Sometimes, one thing is the same thing, but it is pronounced differently.

True…

Apart from just learning the language, you have to do further research on the language, and that’s where you start to know more.

Another thing I noticed when I was learning is that you would use a particular tone for somebody of maybe the same age or another tone for somebody that's older than you. Generally, hierarchy matters in their language. Yes, I would say I've learned about other things through the language.

What’s something about Korean culture that you admire but feel isn’t talked about enough?

That's a tricky question. I would not say people don't talk about it a lot because people actually talk about it a lot, but it's something I really admire. It’s the way they put themselves out there.

The way they promote themselves is something I admire. Korea is not perfect, right? But the way they've framed themselves, if someone who is not so big on research or who is not curious to know beyond the media portrayal sees these things, they will see Korea as a fairy tale land that is so perfect and beautiful. It's like how Africa has been framed to be a place that is uncivilized, without technology and all that. I'm not saying Korea is only portrayed beautifully, but it is majorly seen like that. They've marketed themselves so well that a lot, I would say a lot of us have played into their market space, and we're already comfortable there. And that’s something I admire. They are doing a wonderful job. 

Any tips for people who want to start exploring Korean culture without getting overwhelmed by all the content and trends?

For someone like me, I am big on Korean history. I would keep saying people are different, but if anybody would want my advice on coming into the Korean space or liking any of the things, be it K pop, K drama, fashion, dramas, anything, I will say, don't just go blindly into saying, ‘oh, I want to start liking this thing. Where can I start?’ I mean, don't just go into it. For instance, I noticed that with K Pop Demon that just dropped not so recently, many people are more open to listening to K Pop songs and want to know more. I'm like, ‘well that's nice, come in” but don't come in blindly. Go and check more, and research more.

Kpop Demon Hunter movie is more about the music. Apart from that, go and listen to more stuff, check out how they do their things, check out their idol, training, and how they get to that point that they are. The point is not to go blindly without doing more research to avoid disappointment along the way. At least when the disappointment comes, you are prepared because, in truth, there is a lot of disappointment. Take Kpop, for example, scandals, finding out some things and you are like "What!"

That's why I would advise somebody to think about it first. Are you sure that you want to come here this way? It's actually a fun place, but it's not perfect or as rosy as we might make it seem. We come online and we talk about it all bubbly and everything, but it is not all that great.

Bonus Section- Balance Game

Would you rather binge a K-Drama all night or attend a Korean cooking class?

I will gladly binge-watch because it’s something I have actually done before. Going for that cooking class means I have to leave my room and go outside, and I do not like to leave my room, so I will rather binge-watch.

I am not trying to influence your choice, but since you made that choice because you don’t want to leave your room, what if learning to cook Korean dishes has some advantages to it, like appearing in a cooking show?

I'm not even a fan of really being in front of the camera, so I will still choose to binge-watch.

Okay, that’s a wrap. Thank you so much for doing this with us

Thank you.