K-pop merchandise, plushies lining the walls, records, cards and an assortment of pins paired with the warm smiles of the sales associates at“Originally starting off as a Japanese and Korean stationery store in Toronto, the demand for K-pop and K-pop merchandise made the business owners at Sarah & Tom diversify,” said Vern Hiscock-Condy, a sales associate at the store.
Store manager Natasha Wright said students come to the shop to find like-minded individuals who share the same passion and can discuss K-pop without feeling judged. K-pop is popular in several Asian countries and the concepts that the artists pick are easy to relate to for a young demographic. Since some of the international students coming to Halifax are from Asia, this is a genre they are already familiar with.
Sarah & Tom’s bingo game has seen a gradual increase in attendees. Wright said that “the first bingo event had around 40 people and our last one had over 60 people who came into the store at one time.”“Seventy-five per cent of international students face problems coming into a new country and making friends,” she said.Amy Francis, an international student from Antigua, is a student at Acadia University. Francis does not participate in activities that generally attract students her age.
Lile said that “peer support that goes above the academic goals and builds personal relations is what helps students bond.”