Back to Pilbong

February 6th, 2011

I woke up and cleaned some more and packed the rest of the way (but forgetting both my face lotion and my bite guard). Georgy arrived a few minutes before I had to leave, she'll stay at my place for three weeks while she attends an intensive Korean language class.

At the spot the bus picks us up to go to 필봉 Pilbong I met up with both 예술 Yesul and입새 Ipsae from 이화여대 Ewha Womans' [sic] University, which I expected, but also 범준 Beomjun who I studied with last summer and at the Seoul Training Center (and was my favorite fellow from last summer) and his university 'junior' (can't remember his name) who studied with us at Seoul Training Center as well. I was blowing half my brain out my nose every couple of minutes but felt more alert than I had the previous day. The bus was so packed that we had 장구 janggu and other instruments in the aisle to the extent that getting out to pee at the rest area was hard.

At the 임실필봉농악전수회관 Imshil Pilbong Nongak Training Center the independent people were assigned to room 12, at first this was me and 종욱 Jong'uk, a nice guy studying dentistry at Yonsei University. A little later another man, 주동 Judong joined us. He has just got back from 5 weeks in India and immediately changed into a full outfit of things he bought in India. All very comfortable but so not Korean. I liked him immediately. We had dinner and at 9 assembled for the meet and greet. Each team introduced their members and performed a little routine. We (the two guys and I) had also prepared (for ten minutes) and we went over just fine. After this meeting the evening 뒤풀이 duipuli commenced. I had an entire bottle of 막걸리 Makgeolli, which is, mind you, medicine, and in fact I felt much less congested afterwards. I was also on some of my most social behavior, I greeted and sat with each group except one (I gave them two chances, but as I approached both times they called out in English, and you have to train the students not to do that, so I turned away).

Tomorrow I'll find out who all is in 상모 sangmo with me, one thing is for sure, 이종휘 Yi Jonghui will not be our teacher (he's injured his back) and there won't be a 대보름 Daeboreum festival. As soon as I knew these two facts I decided to go back to Seoul on either Thursday night or Friday morning.