Mumbai: Seoul-ful conversations in Govandi

Korean students visit Noorul Islam Urdu School in Govandi

A student trio from Seoul, visiting the city for a meeting with the founder of an edutainment platform, was in for a pleasant surprise when they headed to Noorul Islam Urdu School in Govandi last week. "They were keen on visiting a grass-roots school to see how we function here, so I took them to the Urdu school," said Dr Parag Mankeekar, founder of RealLives. Things soon took an interesting turn when they found out that nearly 20 girls from the school could speak Korean, leading to an intriguing string of events.

Principal interacting with the students. Pic/Shadab Khan

Mohammad Fazlurrehman Khan, the school principal, said, "Most of our students are first-generation school-goers. Many have taken up odd jobs such as working in factories and garages for a living. It was a revelation for me when the girls started speaking Korean. The visiting students' perspectives shifted instantly upon seeing this." A student from the school, Uzma Anam, 17, told mid-day that the brief exchange included talks about Korean culture, lifestyle, and even skincare routines.

"I have been following Korean pop culture since 2020, listening to bands like BTS, Exo, and Blackpink, and watching K-Dramas such as True Beauty. This sparked an interest in the culture for me. I also have a Korean friend on Instagram from whom I learn the language," she revealed. "It was impressive to see the young kids' fascination with our culture.

We visited their homes later for a meal and even got mehndi applied to our hands! I hope to see more cultural exchanges between the countries," shared Hyeonjin Jeong, one of the visiting students.

20
Approx no of girls who could speak Korean