Fashion Boy from Nigeria, Ofulue Nonye Timothy
Managing Editor Seo Yun-chan
danseo123@naver.com
There are a lot of foreign students in Busan University of Foreign Studies. Students from all around the world, such as China, Japan, the Philippines, and America come and study at our university. We seldom see African friends on the campus. There are some, but we cannot see them as often as we see other Asian students. However, as the university names goes, BUFS is open to every race and people. Today, a super student from Nigeria is studying in BUFS. He was born in Nigeria, grew up in a wonder city called Lagos. There, he fell deeply into fashion, and kept his passion about fashion in his heart. He has decided to come to Korea this year, and is speding a wonderful time in BUFS. He is interested in a lot of things as he lives his life. He has a lot of stories and experiences to share with all of us. Let's hear about his story.
Q1. Please introduce yourself
A I am Ofulue Nonye Timothy, a Nigerian. I was born and bred in the most vibrant and popular city in Nigeria, Lagos, also known as Lasgidi. I have five members in my family; my dad, my sweet mother, and two lovely sisters.
Q2. Tell us about your country, Nigeria
A Nigeria is a very fun and interesting place to stay. Especially the part of Nigeria where I came from Lagos, it's always lively, and there are lot of things you see on the street that makes you laugh. Nigerians are really interesting people, and you can't be in a room with a Nigerian and you won't laugh (I'm sure my friends here can attest to that) There are lots of things about Nigeria I feel people do not still know. Because when I came to Korea for the first time and people saw my Instagram page they couldn't believe I took those pictures in Nigeria (probably they still see Nigeria like some kind of village). Trust me there are whole lot of things to try in Nigeria, from the food(hmmmmmm the food, me talking about this now makes me crave Nigerian food), to the amazing culture, to the people! And so on.
Q3. Why did you decide to come to Korea?
A I fell in love with Korea as a kid because I watched a lot of Korean movies and I said to myself that I would love to go to have my tertiary education in Korea. I love the student-teacher relationship, because it is so cordial and affable. Korea is known to be very good with machines and electronics, and being an engineering student, I thought it would be a good idea to come to Korea to study. This is because I love excellence in what I do, in everything I do. Excellence is the goal.
Q4. What do you like the best about Korea?
A Wow! Korea is a very beautiful place. It has many beautiful buildings, and there are beautiful people everywhere. The fashion in Korea is mind blowing, I mean people dress like they are going for a fashion show. Also, since I am a fashion lover, I appreciate each fashionable person I see in Korea. I love some foods and drinks here, too. I mean I could eat the Bulgogi for a whole month without getting tired. The pizza I had at one-piece pizza lives forever in my memory. I never had a pizza taste so yummy! Korea is just so lovable.
Q5. What have you learned in BUFS so far?
A Well, BUFS is like home to me. The warmth reception I received on the first day made me even more relaxed and I felt like I was at home with my family! BUFS has taught me to have better relationships with people I am not so familiar with. It also taught me how to be more tolerant and understanding; this has helped my stay in Korea. This was a beautiful experience because my relationship with people got better. BUFS also helped me to understand and love Korea's culture, teaching me about Korea's food (my favorite Korean food is Bulgogi), lifestyle, and the people. BUFS made reading interesting for me. Also, the manner of teaching is so unique and easy, it makes me love reading and learning new things.
Q6. It seems like you are very interested in fashion. How did you get into fashion?
A Fashion has been a thing for me since childhood, and I definitely got that from my beautiful mom, since she is a fashion lover. Growing up, I watched fashion shows and dreamed of walking in a fashion show someday. Fashion gives me so much joy. Seeing myself all dressed up in my own style, being the center of attention wherever I go makes me elated. Sitting down and thinking of a fashion item combination is like a hobby to me, and that is how much I love fashion. I hope to bring some Nigerian fashion to Korea as well. I mean it will be nice seeing Koreans wear Nigeria's Agbada, senator styles, Isi agu and the likes (these are some of Nigeria's cultural dresses). My family encourages me to go into the fashion industry and I sure will. Also, to me outfit is mostly about the shoes! Because you can wear a really good outfit and a bad shoe can ruin the whole fit. I totally believe in the phrase people address you "the way you look". Explore in fashion: Don't just stick to one particular fashion style, explore! Move out of your comfort zone. You might end up finding something you wouldn't even believe will look good on you. The current trend are baggy clothes, am I comfortable with them? A big YES, I just feel you can't do any wrong with baggy clothes. Once you just get a feeling that an outfit is boring, a little accessories can turn a boring outfit to a really happy outfit. My answer when people ask me what can I do to be good at fashion is always: BE YOU, BE UNIQUE. WHAT YOU THINK IS A DISASTER MIGHT BE THE NEXT TREND.
Q7. We also noticed that you are into SNS like Tik-Tok and Instagram. How did you get interested in them, and what kinds of contents do you usually upload?
A Instagram has always been my thing. I mean I am quite popular on the app. I just got on Tik-Tok not too long ago, and I hope to get popular there too. My contents are based on fashion and visiting restaurants, relaxation centers and fun places. I love dressing up to go out and take nice pictures. If you check out my page, you can see it for yourself.
Q8. What are your plans during your stay in Korea?
A I am going to explore a lot of positive things in Korea, though my priority is my academic study. But, we all know "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Tim does not want to be like Jack, so I am going to balance things here in Korea, school and good fun. I would love to visit some places I have seen in Korean movies, and I would love to expand my fashion here in Korea. I would not mind visiting the Korea government house and having a conversation with the President.
Q9. Would you recommend Korea to your Nigerian friends?
A Yes definitely I will, I mean why not? Korea is a very beautiful country, and it's a very popular place in my country. I know people will want to visit, plus Korea is so safe! I remember forgetting some of my things and I still found it in the exact same spot untouched, coming back late at night with no fears in my heart, the people are very welcoming even with the language barrier. They still try to communicate with me the little way they can.
Q10. Any last words for BUFSians?
A BUFSians! In Nigerian slang, we call them my padi (meaning my friends). Thank you for your loving and warm reception. It is something I will never forget. Even after I have finished here, I will ensure that I will still keep in contact with the friends I made in BUFS. You guys rock! And Tim loves you all.