I had a lot of irrational fear about this year’s Winter Olympics, in
Pyeongchang. None of it would ever directly affect me, the sentient
potato watching the Games from her couch, but, as a Korean-American, I
still felt somewhat connected to the success of the Games. They were
happening in my home country, where the Summer Olympics were hosted two
years before I was born, and it was possible that they would never
happen again there in my lifetime.
Even before the Games started, there were a lot of . . . distractions.
But let’s go ahead and get into my list of my anxieties.
Worry No.1: What if no one shows up?
Even my parents, who live in Seoul, were sitting it out.
Later, I asked my mom why they weren’t going up to Pyeongchang to watch
the Olympics.
“Too cold and expensive!” she said.
So there you have it.
Was it justified? Olympic organizers say that ninety per cent of
tickets have been sold, but seats still remain pretty empty, owing to
the weather. My parents didn’t even end up going to the ice-fishing
festival. They love a good outing, and for them to give that up really
gives me a sense of just how cold it is over there right now.
Worry No. 2: What if the opening ceremony is overrun by K-pop?
Was it justified? Yes, this one actually sort of came true. NBC
broadcast the U.S. team entering the Parade of Nations to a six-minute
montage of “Gangnam Style.”
But! I was pleasantly surprised at a ceremony that was actually
tastefully traditional (minus the part about the kids growing up to be
cyborg robot painters), with classic Korean songs sung by a very old
man, and whatever this thing was.
This thing, or the Inmyeonjo, a mystical creature whose name
literally translates to “man-faced bird,” became a meme overnight.
Before its appearance at the opening ceremony, even Koreans back home
were unaware of it. We all collectively learned some history on this
day.
Worry No. 3: What if the Olympic mascot isn’t cute enough?
The first time I saw Soohorang, I scoffed. How dare he show up around
these parts when Hodori, the iconic mascot from the ’88 Seoul Olympics,
already exists?
Was it justified? No! Cute GIFs of Soohorang getting stuck in doors
kept popping up, and, finally, pictures of the stuffed-animal version of
him wearing the excellent Olympic glasses really won me over.
It turns out that there have been unexpected bursts of joy throughout
these Games. So many surprises! Like:
And, of course, the meteoric rise of the South Korean curling team,
affectionately dubbed the “Garlic Girls.” (Their home town is known for
producing great garlic—and now, national heroes.)
As we close up shop on the Games in South Korea, I still have some
nervous jitters about the closing ceremony, but, at the very least,
it’ll mark the end of my irrational worries. I’m pretty sad I missed my
chance to be in Pyeongchang, but maybe I’ll go the next time I’m in
Korea, and check out the ice-fishing scene.
Sourse: newyorker.com
