Ambassador of the Fields: Working on the Farm #2

In the Mud and the Spotlight


http://jeju.kbs.co.kr/tv/seethejeju/totalview/vod/

One thing that I love about working with GJC is that we are always doing lots of fun filming projects with local and national TV stations. I've been on Korean television about a dozen times by now, but it's always a fun and exciting new experience every time.

Why do they film us?


One of the special things about GJC is that we are all from different places. Many of our members are from Daegu, but we also have members from Seoul, Jeonju, and even the United States.

More importantly, all of us have come together in Jeju to help the local people. 

We are getting involved in the community because we want to help the people here: to make their lives better while we gain our own unique experiences and find our own personal happiness.

This is something we each chose to do simply because it spoke to us. 
Because it gave us a purpose while giving us the freedom to do what we want and enjoy.

One of the best ways to get involved? FARMING!!!

Jeju has a VERY agriculturally driven economy and culture, so many of the people here are farmers and have been their whole lives. It's their way of trying to remain self-sufficient and protect their island from industrialization.

So, our Jeju Youth Farmers (제주청년노부) help out as much as possible!


The work can often be hard (usually more on the clothes than the body :P), but we dedicate ourselves to helping the people of Jeju with their work as much as we can.

Since it's not often you find young people choosing a rural life and working in field labor, we tend to draw quite a bit of attention from journalists.

What do they usually film?


Normally, we will spend two to three days on a filming project. This usually involves shooting intro sequences (pictured above), as well as action sequences of our work and activites (photo below).


The producers tend to take an interest in be because I'm a foreigner, which makes my work here even more surprising. Young mainland Koreans tend to shy away from finding work in rural areas, let alone Jeju, so it's always a surprise for people when they find out an American chose to come here.

The best part? Watching ourselves after the programs air. :P


Personally, I always try my best to only speak Korean and respond to interview questions as best I can. So, while I may be a bit shy or embarrassed about listening to my Korean afterwards, it is always nice to see that I was able to get through a full interview or at least understand what everyone was saying and take part.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

What's next??? ..... MORE FARMING!!! :D


It's March and that means we're in the muddy trenches of broccoli harvesting season!
Almost every day we have to go out and pick more broccoli. 
While it may sound repetitive (honestly, it can be), it does have it's unexpected perks!


Today we were surprised with a gorgeous field of rapeseed!
Beautiful yellow flowers beneath a lightly clouded blue sky.
Tourists usually pay top dollar to be taken to the "best spots" for seeing huge fields of these pretty yellow flowers. Yet all we had to do was go to one of the broccoli farms and see them growing wildly all over the place. So beautiful! A perfect surprise!


And really, a find like this is a perfect summary of why we do what we do.

In helping to make others' lives happier, you too can find happiness.

It's what we do and what we love. The filming projects are of course an added bonus, but they're just as unexpected as the flowers in the broccoli field. So, what we've all learned more than anything is: 

Hard work really does pay off...and often in the most unexpected of ways.

If you're interested in joining us, whether in person or just offering that good ol' moral support, then please check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
"Global Jeju Culture Co-op" "Korea Working Holiday" "Global Village Jeju"
@globaljc_coop @jeju.farmers.brother @workinghollyday

Thanks for reading, and welcome to Jeju!

^_^

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