Name: Nur Diyana Binti Muhammad Hasrin
Nationality: Brunei
Age: 19


1. What do you think of the Korean wave?

During high school, I was really into K-pop stuff and copied everything Korean people do. I was quite amazed and stunned that the Korean wave was spreading all over the world. Some of my friends used to hate me being weirdly ambitious of going to Korea because for them it was quite impossible. This year I was supposed to be the president of a Korean culture club in my college, but I had to back out once my name was listed as the successful candidate to go to Korea. Since then, I have received a lot of honor from my friends because my dreams really came true. I hear that I influenced a lot of people in my country to come and study in Korea.

2. Please introduce your religion Islam and tell me your idea on religion.

I am a Muslim. I understand some people may ask why I am not wearing hijab here in Korea. It is due to my desire not to be the center of attention and to let people get to know me, not to fear me, for those who might think girls with hijab are terrorists. However, I may eventually wear it in the end anyway. The main purpose of hijab is basically to cover women’s body and keep dignity. Back in my country, I studied Islam thoroughly for 7 years. That shows I do have a knowledge of my own religion, including how to read the Holy Quran, which is written in Arabic. Islam is peaceful and makes you feel relaxed performing a prayer. I may not be a perfect Muslim, but at least I have a strong faith in what I believe and try my best to be a great servant of my God.

3. Please introduce your hometown.

I came from a not so famous country in Southeast Asia, Brunei. Here in Korea, whenever people ask me where I am from, most of them do not know, but for those who know, Brunei is one of the richest countries in South East Asia. Many people think that Brunei is part of Indonesia or Malaysia, but Brunei is an independent country. Brunei is a peaceful Muslim country. It is ruled by a monarchy, and I am grateful to be Bruneian because education and health fees are all free. The education system in Brunei is excellent, and every subject is in English since Brunei was before under the power of Britain. Therefore, almost all Bruneians use English as their second language.

4. What is your favorite thing about living in Korea?

The first thing that popped out from my head once I read this question was tteokbeokki!! It is my favorite thing I like to do or should I say love to eat in Korea. I am not good at eating spicy food because I have my spicy limit. If it is the maximum spiciness, I tend to get hiccups. The reason why I love to eat tteokbeokki so much is it is kind of fun for me to chew the rice cake.