A Visit to the Cultural Heritage Administration

July 4^th, 2011

It was an intense day; a day when I used all my energy and was on my toes the WHOLE time. I got up and shortly afterwards headed to the bus station and took a bus to 대전천사 the government complex in Daejeon where some of the Korean gov't ministries, etc. are located, including the Cultural Heritage Administration. I timed my visit to arrive directly after lunchtime, and that part was successful. I managed to get ALL the info I knew to get, but the problem was I wanted them to just brainstorm what else might be useful and pile it on me—I mean, if I don't know if it exists how can I ask for it? So either I already know everything (doubtful) or… I came away without something that I'll find out about in 2 years and be pissed I didn’t know when I was writing the dissertation. The guy who helped me, Kim Sam-ki, was nice, though, and accommodating in regards to the stuff I knew to ask for… now I have to re-read the Cultural Property Protection Law's section on Intangible Culture, though. I feel a headache coming on, already. So I talked to Mr. Kim and got some good info from him in regards to the government's position on this and that, but then he ran out of time. I had to at least briefly talk to 엄승용 Eum Seungyong, my friend who is also the Director General of Cultural Heritage Policy at the Cultural Heritage Administration, before leaving, and waited outside his office for at least 40 minutes (knowing I was going to be later and later for the rest of my day). This chat yielded something unexpected- he asked me to serve as an outside adviser on a new government task force he's setting up called "Korean Cultural Heritage 2020"- designed to think about the future issues with cultural heritage in Korea (and head off problems in advance). I feel very honored, though later when I need to be articulate and substantive I might feel a little less excited.

Finally I left and by din of jaywalking I managed to make the next bus heading to Seoul (without even 2 minutes wait). Yes! But since I'd forgotten my exercise pants I had to run home, then run to Bongsan Talchum 봉산탈춤 class, arriving 10 minutes late (I did stop to have a 5 minute dinner—two minutes to wait while she made kimbap and 3 minutes to wolf it down- I had only had a snack at lunch time so I really needed it.) Usually 10 minutes late is no problem as 김은주 Kim Eunju comes to class at 7:15 every time, but she's in Russia or Uzbekistan teaching Bongsan Talchum and so 장용일 Jang Yongil was filling in. Everyone's afraid of him and once I was, too. But now I think he's awesome and I even have a little crush on him (when he's dancing, when he's not dancing it's too obvious that he was born in 1946, but when he's dancing he's still so amazing and lithe and powerful~!).  He's a slave driver. We had 17 people in class today, and fully 7 of them were beginners in their first two weeks—but he didn't teach them. He just told them to follow along (which meant everything was rather chaotic at the back of the room (I am at the front in the center as is the responsibility of the senior class members) and I had to be careful not to look in the wrong direction or I'd get thrown off and screw up). Actually I did great. But we worked HARD. There was almost no break time as usually the advanced students rest while Kim Eunju teaches the new students, but today we just would stop to breathe for 3 minutes and then go on. Instead of grandmother or any other parts we have been practicing after the monks, today we did 사자춤 lion dance and then did 취발이 Chuibali, which is the first time I've ever learned his dance. Cool! Jang explained a lot about Chuibali, who he is, his motivations and what his dialogue means at the beginning of the scene (he taught about 1/3 of the scene I think). The whole class was so intense, we didn't even get to meet the new people, and we had to do ALL the monologues for all the monks. We've never done that before. I don't know 5 at all. I know a tad of 6, parts of 4 (I can fake 4 if others are doing it with me) and 7 was short and I almost learned it before we did it during the 3 minute breather. (I already know 2, 3 and 8 perfectly). Oh, and this guy who did Bongsan Talchum with me in 2006 came back from the military yesterday and showed up for class today. 

Songpa Sandae Noli Performances for the Elderly

October 20th, 2010
Usually Wednesday’s are pretty boring, they’re my only day off. Today, however, 송파산대놀이 Songpa Sandae Noli had two morning performances. I rolled out of bed and got across town as fast as I could, arriving only a couple minutes before we left for the first site. At a park close to Seoul Noli Madang a large group of local elderly residents had gathered for an event in their honor. Although the event was supposed to begin at 10:30, it kept being pushed back. I had only brought Karjam’s little digital camera, which almost immediately ran out of batteries as the crew were putting their costume on over their white 민복 minbok (cotton peasant garb). The two 피리 piri players walked around with their 서 (the seo is the vibrating double reed of the piri, so just picture high school band and the clarinet or sax players except close to the size of a fat partially smoked cigarette), 탄종원 Tan Jongwon flirted from behind his mask, 전철규 Jeon Cheolgyu who was playing 해산어멈 Haesan Eomeom, the midwife who exposes a naked extended belly and dances with exaggerated butt-wags, looked a little less happy to be standing around for awhile in his costume. 이영식 Yi Yeongshik who has been teaching some of the more active elderly in a special evening Songpa dance class kept seeing people he’d taught and he’d want to say hi, except he kept forgetting they couldn’t see who he was. Everyone seemed to have a different story on how they’d played hooky to come dance that morning. Yi Yeongshik had actually walked out of a meeting at school (he’s a principal), Tan Jongwon had gone to work and left his regular shoes there, then run out in his 미투리 mituri. Yi Byeongok had called and said he couldn’t come teach class (please reschedule it) and he’d miss a departmental meeting. Jeon Cheolgyu is a publisher (I think he’s the boss or close to it) for several magazines and he could be absent in the morning without a large problem. 김학석 Kim Hakseok, one of our two National Human Treasures, is retired. 이영순 Yi Yeongsun, one of the only female members of the group is a private 장구 janggu teacher (although she dances for Songpa). Notably 함완식 Ham Wanshik, our other Human Treasure and the group’s director, was absent (as was his son, 함승헌 Ham Seungheon who is doing a graduate degree in public health). Both our 해금 haegeum and 대금 daegeum players are college students, so it wasn’t surprising they were available, I am not sure about most of the rest, but it was pretty amazing how many people were there and ready to dance even on a Wednesday morning!

The elderly locals sat around at long folding tables and were served appetizers, fruits and 떡 ddeok (a cake from pressed cooked rice) until finally things got rolling with Professor 이병옥 Yi Byeong-ok leading some initial pressure-point pressing and introducing the acts. First a woman (who is an 이수자 isuja) sang경기민요 Gyeonggi (province) folk songs, then Songpa performed the 취발이마당 Chuibali Scene, then four young men played 사물놀이 samulnoli (a modernized form of 풍물 pungmul played while seated with more complex rhythms on only the four percussive instruments without 소고 sogo, 태평소 taepyeoso or 나발 nabal). We rushed out to the other performance site, but what with the issues with parking, we were quite late (and the people parking the cars, all essential people, were even later). Oddly I ended up being the person hearing the organizers freak and having to apologize and explain that the other site had started much too late. The minyo singer had to start without the 장구 janggu player, which made it really hard for her, then although we intended to do two scenes, they even shortened the Chuibali Scene (drastically), even the samulnori players played for only 5-6 minutes or so.

Cell phone photos:



After the performance, which was also for a group of elderly, but this time on the fourth floor of a community center in a large room that probably is normally used as a church, they served us lunch. Lunch was 갈비탕 galbitang (rib stew) so I had rice and side dishes, but despite the current price of kimchi, they weren’t stingy at all. Afterwards I talked to the office manager (and 이수자 isuja) 김영숙 Kim Yeongsuk for a little bit about politics inside the group and then came home via the grocery store.

A Visit to Changwoo Theatre and Won Jung's Audition

October 13th, 2010
I stayed home doing computer work (mostly photos) all day, Karjam came home after his exam fairly pleased with himself, in the early evening we took a walk on 남산 Namsan (maybe I can upload photos later) while practicing his Korean prepositions.

October 14th, 2010
In the morning I went to class with Professor Hilary Finchum-Sung, the day’s lesson was on shamanic music. Her largest point was that the music used by hereditary shamans is often much more elaborate/sophisticated because they have been training throughout their life, whereas the spirit-descended (spirit infected/possessed) shamans often have to play catch up quickly, though they do sometimes hire the musicians of the hereditary shamans (often relatives of hereditary shamans) to accompany them. She offered an opportunity to attend a performance by her TA 기쁨 Gibbeum (seriously, I saw it written) and other students, I accepted. After class we bus/subway-ed our way to 북천 Bukcheon (a traditional neighborhood near 인사동 Insadong) and the small (approximately 80 seat) 창우극장 Changwoo Theatre. After a delay Gibbeum and her group (she’s the leader) of three women and three men singing 가곡 gagok accompanied by several musical instruments (양금, 장구, 가야금, 징 and probably others, I was really focusing on the singers) began the performance. They sang two extremely interesting pieces, her group is called 월하가인 Wolha Ga-in if you have a chance, see them. Then another group, called 아나야 Anaya played and sang several totally put-me-to-sleep numbers which could best be described as soft jazz with some Korean instruments (mostly overpowered by the guitar, bass, top hat & snare and chimes). In other words, I am not recommending this group, although competent, they were not exciting. [Anaya on Youtube, some of this is better than what they did today by far example 1, example 2, example 3]

After late lunch with Hilary I rushed home, grabbed a change of clothes, 미투리 mituri and 한삼 hansam and left for 봉산탈춤 Bongsan Talchum. On Thursdays we practice in the largest room on the 9th floor (북청사자놀음 uses the really large practice room above the theatre on that day), so I always visit the 봉산탈춤보존회 Bongsan Talchum Bojonhoi (Preservation Association) office before class. Today when I got there 원중 was jumping up and down to tell me he had made it to the second round in his application to the Korean National University of the Arts. So now I can tell you about the first audition.

There were 39 students who applied as specialists in 풍물 pungmul performance of some kind—they chose a piece on 장구 janggu, 꽹과리 ggwaenggwari, to show off 상모 sangmo skills while playing 소고 sogo or other such piece for their audition. Four students did mask dance, three 봉산 Bongsan and one did 강령탈춤 Gangnyeong Talchum. Six students did 무속 musok (shamanic performance and Won Jung didn’t have any details about what specifically they did, so sorry, I’m not sure) and three students did some aspect of 남사당 Namsadang. On the first day they all played 설장구 seoljanggu (while sitting) and on the second day they did the specialties listed above. Five test examiners sat in a row and watched them, with 김덕수 Kim Deoksu (a professor at the university), one of the most famous janggu players in Korea, a founder of the group 사물놀이 Samulnoli in 1978, and the child of a Namsadang 인간문화재 National Human Treasure, sitting directly in the center his arms crossed and his brow puckered in a frown. Won Jung told me he was so scared he even screwed up the easiest part of the beginning of seoljanggu. After he did his mask dance solo on the second day they asked him to sing the song that is sung by 취발이 Chuibali, the character he danced, and after he ended told him he’d done well. Of all these students (my math makes is 52) only 13 can enter the university. That must mean that 23 advanced to the second round, because Won Jung told me that ten more will be eliminated after the second round of auditions, to be held on Monday. At that time Won Jung has to sing, not his strongest point. I really hope he can make it. [video of 김덕수 Kim Deoksu playing 설장구 seoljanggu)

photo: Won Jung showed me the results on the computer, he was pretty pleased with himself.

Bongsan Talchum practice was pretty ordinary, we worked on the daesa of the 3먹중 (third dark faced monk) and practiced all the other normal stuff. 수미 Sumi, who has been absent, is back since her high school midterms are now over.

Under the Weather

October 5th, 2010
I got more and more sick over the course of the day, climbing back under the covers for about three hours in the afternoon. Nevertheless I went to the 임실필봉농악 서울전수관 Imshil Pilbong Nongak Seoul Training Center and tried to participate in 상모 sangmo class. It costs me 70,000 won per month (2 hours per week of lesson), and I rarely find time to practice outside of class. I practiced a tiny bit, felt horrid, right before class was to begin 이종휘 Yi Jonghui (the instructor and 이수자 Isuja) had 원 중 Won Jung perform his 설장구 Seol Janggu (drumming) and then his mask dance (취발이 Chuibali) solo. I was very surprised at how good Won Jung’s mask dancing actually was. When he practices the 먹중 meokjung or 상좌 sangjwa parts with us I am also practicing, and I never noticed that he had any particular talent. Maybe because he wasn’t concentrating, or because he was exhausted, or because those parts are not what he will be tested on, but his Chuibali was extremely good. A bit extra energetic and not-so-drunk perhaps, but with great emphasis on the motions which were very clear and perfectly executed, and his daesa (dialogue) presentation was excellent. I now feel very hopeful that he will get into the university. Around 8:40 I gave up on sangmo practice because I’d already taken several unauthorized breaks and was totally making an ass out of myself with a lack of coordination caused by a splitting headache (combined with spinning my head, not good).

I came home and the sweetest thing was that Karjam came down the hill and met the bus and had me lean on him to walk me home. He even carried my bags.