'I saw real India in Delhi'

Twenty-one year old South Korean student of prosthetic makeup, Choi Hyun Jin has been living in Mumbai for about nine months. However, she found the images that describe ‘real India’, here in Delhi.

Part of Korean troupe which has come to the City to participate in International Youth Fellowship (IYF) camp as a volunteer, Choi says Mumbai is very tourist-friendly but Delhi houses ‘real’ India.

“If I ask something from any one person, many come to help me. Even in local trains, ladies were very helpful. The architecture there was very British. But in Delhi I see things that I expect in India such as a big Lord Hanuman idol, people worshipping at different temples and kids bursting firecrackers since Diwali is around. I had heard all this. I found that facilities and infrastructure are also better in Delhi than Mumbai,” she chirpily shares with Metrolife.

Choi, who is co-ordinating the Mini-olympics event and sessions on skin care at IYF, says she loves spending time with Indian students as they always have something or the other to share. She has been working at the Thane office of IYF. “I like everything about India except the weather. I like the danger and dirt on roads, its festivals and traditions. Indian students I interact with are very curious about everything. They have many questions and complaints which means they are taking more interest. In between practice sessions and events, they teach me a line or two of Hindi,” says Choi, little realising that this simple trust can be misplaced and hilarious too. A girl taught her to say ‘Main tumhara khoon pee jaungi’!

Does she relish Indian cuisine? Disappointingly enough Hyun Jin says, “I am a completely non-vegetarian person. Both in Delhi and Mumbai, it is not easy to find good non-vegetarian food and very few restaurants offer Korean food. But on a brighter note wherever I have had Butter Chicken, Chicken Hakka Noddles and Masala Chicken, I have simply relished it. I enjoy eating momos too in Delhi. They are very similar to Korean dishes.”

As she spends most of her time at Thyagaraj Sport Complex in South Delhi, Hyun Jin has not had time to visit historic places in the City. But in Delhi for a few more days, she does hope to watch some of them. “I have been to Chhatarpur temple where I saw Indian women clad in traditional Indian dresses worshipping. I also visited the Sarojini Nagar Market. I do hope to see many more places.”