Saturday, July 2, 2011

Catching Up

June 25th, 2011
We went to the studio but really had nothing to do except talk a bit and take some commemorative photos.  In the afternoon I went to 송파산대놀이 Songpa Sandae Noli it was only Sr. and Jr. who showed up (it was raining cats and dogs). However, it was still good, esp. because FINALLY I got Ham Wanshik (Sr.) to give me a nice long interview.

June 26th, 2011
On Sunday after lots of computer time Karjam and I roamed the city with a video camera.

June 27th, 2011
I did a lot of work on the computer and reading.

June 28th, 2011
I went to Dankook University this morning and dropped off my reader pages.

I did some work on the computer and in the evening went to a dance performance because 박연식 and 손병만 were in one of the groups. To tell the truth I had not been looking forward to the performance. It was a big omnibus performance with four different teachers, 한혜경, 김은희, 진유림 and 이정희. I have seen one of them do a big show before and it was quite a waste of time, but this time the other three were okay, pretty good, and really good, so it was not a bad show overall.  The really good was 이정희, who was also the teacher and leader of the performance that Son Byeongman and Bak Yeonshik were in (each teacher did two performances, one solo and one group).

But what made the show for me was that I had the best seats I've ever had. Which is a bit of a story. Yeonshik had asked me (three times) how many (free) tickets I needed, and I'd told him two. I was a little chagrined when Karjam decided not to go, but he's been to a lot of Korean dance performances, and some haven't been so good, so I understood. I didn't have time for dinner, so I quickly found a 삼각김밥 when I got off the bus and ate it as a I walked to the hall. I got in about 10 minutes before the show. And Yeonshik had not gotten my ticket to the counter and processed, which meant that –after- I met up with him (you should have seen the make-up he had on! And the fake eyelashes so long they must have tickled his eyebrows.) I had to try to redeem a 초대권 invitation ticket for a real ticket, but the show was sold out… so no chance of that, except a bunch of people were mobbing the desk trying to be let in to sit on the floor in the aisles. I couldn't handle pushing, and was standing back and suddenly a woman I know from 봉천놀이마당 Bongcheon Noli Madang but had only met once ran over (everyone was already entering the theatre, since it was now 2 minutes to showtime) and asked if I was alone and gave me a ticket. It was a 30,000 won ticket in the center section 3 rows back from the stage!!! And she refused to take any money for it.

I would have stayed very happy if only after the show it hadn't been raining (and I had no umbrella) so I jumped on the first bus that came, but it was heading the opposite direction of what I thought and I ended up taking the LONG LONG LONG way home. 

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