Now beset by an ear infection blocking up my whole ear, I stayed home until it was time to go to 봉산탈춤 Bongsan Talchum. 장용일 Jang Yongil came to teach us, but said it would be a while before he’d be back again. He didn’t talk much today, but made us practice the dialogue for 5목중 the fifth dark-faced monk over and over, first repeating, then reciting together, then with movement. Thirteen people showed up, including the mother and the younger boy who doesn’t participate, but not including Jang. That’s our best turnout in over a month. I was, however, feeling very frustrated. The students in general can be much to lazy, although 김은주 Kim Eunju will often have us dance three times in a row without sitting down, during Jang’s tenure everyone seemed to adopt a habit of collapsing at the end of each segment. It’s true that Kim Eunju often ends the segments at the repetitive part, so if we do it three times it’s really like two-thirds, two-thirds and then one full time, however I was getting really frustrated.
Which is why it was sort of ironic that as I was transferring from the subway to the bus on the way home I got a phone call from some high-level fans/amateurs who have just started regular 고성오광대 Goseong Ogwangdae rehearsals here in Seoul. I had reached out at the festival to find out if there was any way for me to rehearse in Seoul (because Goseong Ogwangdae is my third mask dance drama and I need to get closer to them since I’ve known them the least time overall) and this was them getting back to me. Unfortunately they rehearse on Tuesday (sangmo class) and Thursday (Bongsan Talchum) but after a moment I told the man (not sure who) that I’d come on Thursday and see if I could clear my schedule in the future. I think only one day a week at Bongsan, if the Goseong practice seems good, might be just what I need to keep me from getting burned out. Besides, more people always come on Monday than Thursday.
November 9th, 2010
When I woke up my ear was worse, so I bussed to Severance Hospital again. The guy who does the check-in and deals with foreign insurance has now seen me so many times recently he greeted me by name. Ran errands. Came back when they had time, got medicated ear drops.
상모 Sangmo class had only four other students this week. Nothing exceptional, I kept working on coordinating fancy steps with spinning. After class I talked to 이종휘 Yi Jonghui about an idea I have.
Cell photo: Jonghui's case full of various implements of the trade.
Photos from my real camera-- fall colors in Seoul. See the gingko nuts with the leaves?
The playground by my house. A volunteer demonstrating Korean calligraphy. An advert on the back of a bus seat for beginning Korean and English classes.
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