A unique aspect of modern Korean culture is its strong presence in esports, particularly through games like League of Legends. Before learning about Korean esports culture, I saw gaming mainly as a form of entertainment. However, I was surprised to d
Read more…The film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, left a strong impression on me because of how it portrays class differences in a subtle but powerful way. At first, I thought it would simply be a story about two families from different economic backgroun
Read more…The Netflix series Squid Game initially drew my attention because of its intense and dramatic concept. My first reaction was shock at how extreme the games were and how quickly the situation escalated. However, as I continued watching, I realized the
Read more…One of the most meaningful cultural artifacts in Korea is Kimchi and the communal tradition of Kimjang. Before learning about kimjang, I mostly saw kimchi as just a common side dish served with Korean meals. However, exploring its cultural background
Read more…I decided to research the Gyeongbokgung Palace because I visited it with my friends on a trip. From the outside you can see how beautiful the palace and the architecture is. I could easily tell that this was an important place to those in the area an
Read more…For my third artifact, I picked the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are arguably one of the most important Hebrew cultural artifacts ever discovered. The scrolls were found in 12 different caves near the Dead Sea, close to a place called Qumran in Jordan. A
Read more…I was unable to paste the image I found, so I have included the link here:
For this cultural post, I wanted to investigate the Silk Road and its historical significance, as it is a topic I have often heard referenced as incred
Read more…For my second cultural artifact, I decided to look deeper into the concept of Pancasila, the foundational ideology of Indonesia. Previously, I did research and wrote a thesis in Indonesian on the historical legacy of this ideology, and decided to dig
Read more…The LIttle Prince is one of my favorite tale of all time. The Korean musical adaptation of The Little Prince (어린 왕자), based on the original novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and performed in South Korea with Korean lyrics and dialogue.
The Korean mu
Read more…Over spring break last year, I went to South Korea and decided to get each of my family members a gift from there. My dad has always been interested in masks and skulls, and these are two things I have seen in a lot of different cultures. When I went
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For my second cultural artifact, I have chosen to do mezuzahs. I have put a picture below, they are pretty recognizable, even for non-Jewish people.
A part of the mezuzah has a handwritten scroll, called a klaf. It normally has the following torah v
Read more…Oracle bones are commonly recognized today as incredibly important artifacts that have provided key insights into the development of the Chinese language, as well as Chinese history. It is difficult to identify when they were first discovered, but a
Read more…For my first cultural artifact post, I decided to research the Chinese civil service exams. I had often heard them referenced in various history classes or discussions of education and government structure, and I was curious to learn more. It was som
Read more…For my first authentic cultural article, I want to focus on the Ketef Hinnom scrolls. These are two extremely small scrolls made completely out of silver, and they contain the oldest passages of scripture ever discovered. I have attached an image of
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In October of 2024, while studying abroad in Indonesia, I had the chance to check something off my bucket list. This was visiting Kalimantan. I hoped to see orang hutan and other wonders of the natural world, but I soon became very interested with t
Read more…Through independently selecting and engaging with various Korean cultural posts, I have gained deeper insights into Korean society, values, and everyday practices. The cultural artifacts I explored included social media posts, short videos, interview
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This image above was a part of a Funk exhibition in the Contemporary Art Museum of Rio de Janeiro. I went to see the Funk exhibit on the second to last day that it was available in Rio in March, 2025.
I was stunned by this exhibit. I had a feeling t
Read more…The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Magen David or “Shield of David,” is one of the most widely recognized symbols of Judaism today. Its six-pointed shape—a hexagram made by overlapping two equilateral triangles—carries deep associations with J
Read more…I’ve become increasingly interested in the history behind the foods that have stayed on the table for generations. In addition to the ever popular bagel, another icon of Jewish/Yiddish culture is challah. It is served at Jewish celebrations and somet
Read more…The bagel, a now-mainstream common breakfast item, has its roots in centuries-old Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Far more than a brunch food or supermarket staple, the bagel began as a practical and symbolic cultural staple among Ashkenazi Jews, part
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