You’ll probably think I’m crazy.

For many reasons, you’d be justified in thinking so. I mean, who would be foolish enough to brave the thick crowds, huddling beneath plumes of smoke from food tents and ducking under the expanse of vendor tents to hide from the rain?

Me, of course.

But I do not regret even a second of it because of these three very important words: the Korean Festival.

I’ve always been a culture enthusiast. From geeking out over Greek and Roman history and mythology to teaching myself two foreign languages at home, understanding different aspects of the world has always been one of my priorities in life. I have also tried to become more in touch with my Palauan culture.

Korean culture is just one of the many cultures that I hold dear to my heart because I came across it during a difficult time early on in life; without it, I would still be in that rough patch. Here are some photos that best capture my love for the Korean culture and annual Honolulu festival. This year, I attended the event with my close friend Elane.

We both enjoy Korean culture and are avid fans of Korean Pop. In fact, that’s how we initially became friends. Now both she and I, along with our close friend Tiani, are on the Academy’s Korean Club Council.

Tiani had plans that day, so the “Three Musketeers,” as we call ourselves, temporarily shifted to the “Tiny Two.” Elane and I met up when the festival began at 10 a.m. and just in time, too. The Korean Farmers Music and Dance group were just about to perform a traditional Korean dance.

It’s rare to find such cultural displays in Hawaii. Aside from the Korean Festival, the last time I witnessed a traditional Korean dance was during my summer study tour to South Korea with the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council; I visited a village called Hahoe, located in the city of Andong, where I watched a traditional play.

These types of performances are definite jewels for culture-oriented events. It’s one thing to watch videos of the dances or to listen to audio files of the music, but to see it in person is a surreal and profound experience.

After coming down from my cultural high, I was met with the most serendipitous five minutes that I’ve had so far in my 17 years of life. I spotted my good friends from K-POP in Paradise, a group of Korean Pop and culture enthusiasts who perform every year at the festival. I’ve danced with them in 2013 and 2014, but due to a busier school schedule, I haven’t participated since.

Saying “hello” after a year felt so nice, but it didn’t occur to me that I had one more person to say hello to: Masahiro Yamaguchi sensei.

Masa sensei taught Elane, Tiani and I in our freshman year at the Academy. He was our Japanese One teacher. He left the school last year, so it was really nice to see him again. He spotted Elane and I in a cluster of people, which was pretty cool; he remembered what we looked like! He even treated Elane and I to “snow,” a sweet dessert that is a cross between shave ice and ice cream.

After walking around together and catching up on things, like school and life, I bumped into fellow Ka Leo reporters Rebecca Meyer, Shelby Mattos and Martha Nicholas, who were also covering different aspects of the Korean Festival. Since we were all together, we decided to share lunches. Rebecca and I grabbed ddukbokki, a popular spicy Korean street food made of chewy rice cake, and hotteok, sweet Korean pancakes with melted brown sugar inside. We found a small spot in the center of the festival and sat down, digging into our Korean goodies.

After lunch, Rebecca and Shelby had to leave, so we said our goodbyes (or annyeong, in Korean). With little money left to spend, Elane and I went to the Korean Pop Culture tent, which exhibited booths sponsored by Korean cosmetic shop The Face Shop and N.Cat., a Korean accessory store. There, I saw more friends that I made through K-POP in Paradise, who were leading a K-POP dance game. Players listened to a special mix and danced along to all the songs that they knew. It was a hit among the younger attendees.

For the remainder of the time I had at the festival, Elane and I hung out with my friends from K-POP in Paradise, danced to K-POP, ate pipe ice cream (a twist on the traditional sugar or waffle cone) and chatted away the afternoon.

Once 5 p.m. rolled by, Elane and I had to leave. With acute sadness, I bid farewell to my friends (who I probably won’t see again until next summer) and with a bittersweet smile, left the festival grounds.

The Korean Festival has always been a highlight of my summer; I’m able to immerse myself in a culture I love so much, enjoy the festivities and most of all, see friends from outside of school. For anyone who loves Korean culture, like I do, or simply wants to try something new, I highly suggest attending this event.

Until next year, Korean Festival! Kamsahamnida–thank you!