TED Salon, a global conference platform dedicated to spreading ideas about “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” came to the Canadian Embassy on Thursday, drawing the wisdom of professionals.

The speakers were radio announcer on EBS and TBSeFM Steve Hatherly, social food entrepreneur Han Young-mi, start-up entrepreneur David Lee and singer Cha Sang-gu. 

While narrating their unique life experiences in Canada and Korea, the speakers conveyed messages of unity and universality in a live interaction with audience.

Han, who runs social food enterprises Yori and Slobbie, said that Toronto between 2003 and 2005, where she learned English and worked at restaurants, was “the happiest” time of her life.

“What I felt most genuinely in Canada were diversity and freedom,” Han stressed. “It was a horizontal diversity, and people seemed to trust one other and exchanged positive energy. There were no artificial boundaries and I never felt discriminated against.”

Han said she also reveled in the free atmosphere, which felt precious as she was used to Korea’s “paternalistic” and “parochial” norms. 

After returning to Korea, Han established start-ups in the food business that hired women from multicultural families. Contrary to their rose-tinted ideals of Korean life, having a Korean husband proved to be emotionally draining to these women, Han learned.

“Working with them gave glimpses into their lives,” she noted, adding that to assimilate, they had to master so many things from learning Korean to eating kimchi and catering to their prickly mothers-in-law.

“However, many Korean families prevented them from speaking their mother tongue, effectively cutting communication with their children,” she said.

“Our families and schools need to be much more open and generous toward these new members of our society. The problem of Korea is not being able to recognize and respect differences.”

Han claimed that despite the social and political discourses that emphasize nationalist, ethnocentric sentiments, Koreans are merely “early settlers” of the land, rather than “natives.”

“We simply happen to have arrived here earlier,” she pointed out. “Then, there must be others who come after us. As a humane society, it is our duty to help them adapt to their new homes. I learned this in Canada where I felt taken care of upon arrival.”

Her business aims to build bridges and restore frayed ties between individuals through food. Aiming to create a sustainable eating ecosystem, it has strengthened contacts with local farms in Korea, provided food to children and people with disabilities and trained young chefs. 

 

Hatherly, a native of Nova Scotia on Canada’s east coast, said that Canadians were “extremely proud” of the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity.

“Of the 35 million people in Canada, only 20 million are native English speakers,” he underscored. “If you walk down the street in any city in Canada, you will come across people of all different colors and walks of life.”

Noting that his 15 years here has endowed him a “Busan guy” character, Hatherly encouraged the participants to harness their similarities as opposed to harping on differences.

Vancouver-native Cha urged the guests to follow their dreams, by relying on their “heart” than “brain.”

Quoting Apple founder late Steve Jobs, Cha said: “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Cha, who has worked with musicians Elton John and TLC, aspires to be a hallyu tour de force. He said he was inspired by Korean singer Psy after watching his megahit “Gangnam Style” on YouTube.

The event was organized by nonprofit organization TEDx Seoul and the Canadian Embassy as part of “Inspired by Canada” cultural promotion events this year.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)