Drumming Again

January 12th, 2010
It snowed about an inch and a half during the night, covering all of our trails and paths, and making my first trip to the bathroom in the morning a very cold-footed affair.






Breakfast, then we practiced. This was the first time I brought the video camera to class. I video taped the entire class, without a break, to show what 2.5 hours of instruction looked like (playing with the camera and extra sleep last night meant I didn't space out). I will later analyze it for specific important reoccurring elements, to talk about exactly how 수희 Suhee teaches and compare it with teaching style of other teachers. Suhee still talked far too much, in my opinion, but it was a much better class because we practiced the same thing over and over (ten times to be exact). I am drumming the 장구 janggu better than I ever have before.

Lunch and then we had our game afternoon, a tradition here at the Training Center. It breaks up the week. We played three different games, my team lost. It was, however, pretty funny.














Gaming losing team (mine) being pelted with snow as our penalty (I escaped to use the camera, obviously)

Gaejeonyeon members (who were there on Wednesday)

With Wonno, Seungmin, Eunjeong and Yeongnok:

These guys don't LOOK like winners to me...


In the evening after dinner I quickly used the internet then we had our group practice. At first each person did their own thing, for nearly two hours. I spun the 상모 sangmo, but didn't feel super energetic and excited about it. At about twenty minutes to nine the group (again at 은정 Eunjeong's urging) jelled and began to perform as a group. I was going to put away my sangmo but then 지용 Jiyong who is also doing sangmo was still spinning his, so I stood next to him and copied. He can only do the moves I can, and not always better, so it worked out well.

We actually had really warm water, so after a group bathing out of the big bucket (the three of us dippered water out at a rate a bit faster than it replenished) I felt clean and nice, but it was time for 뒤풀이 duipuli, not sleep. The little kids who are studying in another building actually shared some of their duipuli food with us, that was so sweet. We then added more and had a good bunch of food, I mostly talked with 국진 Geukjin, who is a practicing traditional medicine doctor here for the week (he switches from 꽹과리 ggwaenggwari to 장구 janggu to occasionally for fun, 징 jing).