April 15-23: Spring is coming…EVentually

So now we’re going back and forth between teaching classes and street edutaining on the weekends. I’m still doing the Wanda routine, and while it’s fun and the kids are adorable, it is exhausting work. There’s very little singing I can do now, as they’re not coming in groups and I’m supposed to work on my own, so now it’s pretty much going through the most basic of beginning conversations with EVERY SINGLE KID. Wanda is pooped.

I’m teaching two different classes each day, one in our Toy Workshop, which is making a stuffed animal, and in the Funworld Museum, which is a nightmarish place of WAY too much stuff and WAY too many little activities that all get in the way of actual teaching. Not my favorite place. It might be a little better if we can get a smaller range of ages coming through at any given time, but the way the thing is designed, it just invites chaos. Grrr.

Saturday night, right after work, we crossed the street to Heyri and went to a traditional music and dance performance that was utterly gorgeous. Before we entered the theatre, we could watch (and participate in) a shamanic ceremony. I haven’t gotten the details on that particular set of rituals, but am beginning to learn about shamanism, which is pretty gosh darned interesting.

The performance, in a brand-new black-box theatre that had us all drooling with envy, was in 2 parts: a musical portion and a theatrical piece. The musicians were 3 percussionists, a keyboard player, and two traditional stringed instruments (gotta get the names of them…one was a single-stringed, lap-held deal that she played with a bow—very plaintive-sounding—and the other was a large, horizontal harp-type thing). Very cool, very exciting. The dance piece involved 3 of the instrumentalists playing on the floor to accompany 2 dancers in what I can best describe as a cross between comedia d’el arte and kabuki (no puppets). Very stylized and specific, bawdy, sweet, and moving.

After the performances, several of us were brought up to dance, which went on for a while, and then a fabulous buffet dinner followed. Apparently the whole night was to celebrate the new theatre, to welcome the artists among the EV staff, and to invite donors of Heyri to a night of art. We were really fortunate to be included, and I’m excited about all the interesting people that are a part of that community.

On our walk home, we realized that it was still pretty early, so we went to the pub until it wasn’t early at all…or, perhaps early again would be more appropriate… Our pub brews its own beer, which is pretty darn cool. The beer is so-so, but it’s better than Korean beer, and they’re working on it. It’s nice to have a pub here for a quick (or not so quick) beer out, when you don’t have the next day off. Mmmmm. Beeeeeeeer.

On Sunday, I actually got out in the morning for a quick bike ride, and just about got blown the heck off the thing. It can get pretty breezy up here! Wanda desperately needs some elastic to keep her hat on. Post-workday, I ran out of steam for the first improv group meeting, but rallied for a “Hail, Spring! Hail, Fertility!” party which was good fun and involved filthy-minded party games. At which, of course, I excel.

Monday was a day off, so I slept, puttered, did stupid stuff, worked out, and spent a good chunk of time preparing an appetizer for our cooking group, which had its first meeting that night. I decided that, rather than make a special trip to EMart for ingredients, I would concoct something out of whatever I had at home (which isn’t much here—I miss the stocked pantry and accessibility of supermarkets!). I ended up cooking up some very thin buckwheat noodles in a broth, then sautéing tofu in the leftover broth with sesame oil and garlic, and wrapping both up in some dark, mildly bitter greens. It got really labor intensive when I decided to tie each roll with noodles…but they looked really good and were pretty tasty. There are three people in the group who have actually been to cooking school, so we should be eating pretty well. I certainly won’t be the shining star of the group, but I’ll be a fine example of my school of “ghetto cooking,” as one guy called it.

Tuesday was off, too, so I went to Seoul with Elana and Matt (another edutainer) to hopefully see some cherry blossoms—which are much celebrated here. We had a huge lunch near our first stop and tried kimchi stew, which is a “bachelor’s food,” made with kimchi and whatever is on hand (my kind of cooking!), and then went to Changdeokgung (a palace with a big garden; the suffix ‘gung’ means ‘palace’), where we accidentally met up with co-workers. The six of us continued on to Yeoido park, noted for it’s cherry blossoms. Alas, we had just missed the end of the peak, and didn’t get to see them in all their glory. It was also a miserable day out, but at least we didn’t get the torrential downpours that had been pummeling EV all day.

We had a few comical moments, too. We’re used to being accosted within and outside of the village by kidlets cackling as they use their two phrases of English, but when a group of uniformed kids were all over us at the train station, it was really overbearing. And then we realized why: they were all mentally handicapped. So of course we got the giggles that are only intensified because they’re inappropriate... Later we saw three teenage guys on the street, and one of them dropped his ice cream and was bummed about it. His friend was laughing at him, and he screamed out, in a horrendous accent: “Shut the fuck up, man!” which also got us howling.

When we got home, we went to a party to officially, if casually, welcome our newest staff: commercial workers (in the stores, restaurants, other sites) and a few performers from mostly Russia and Romania. It was good to be able to talk with them, as we often only see them in passing while we’re working. They’re an interesting bunch, for sure.

Wednesday was a day off but I ended up working for half of it, just trying to get caught up. We’d had an incredible night of thunderstorms and wind the night before (lots of simultaneous thunder and lightning, complete with power outage), and the yucky weather continued. I spent a good part of the day reading “Comfort Woman,” which is the first pick of my reading group that meets next Monday. We FINALLY, after much ado and hassle, had our first soccer games on Wednesday night, in spite of the weather—the wind blew away anything not nailed down. During warmup, a guy I wasn’t kicking with or looking at who was three feet away from me kicked the ball with all of his strength smack into my inner thigh (VERY strong and fast but not all that skilled…), so I have a nice soccer-ball-shaped bruise to show off. As for the game…I played defense, and let’s just say that I owe my goalie a beer. Many beers.

Thursday was back to work, but few kids for our program, so I got lots of peripheral work done. Watched a screening of “Proposition,” an Aussie movie with Guy Pearce and Emily Watson—good stuff.

Friday…swam in the morning and witnessed an aqua aerobics class, which was extremely well attended, and by a younger crowd than would be in a similar class in the US. Went to dinner with Anne and Jans at a place that specializes in duck barbeque—yummy! And within walking distance!

Saturday was a grueling day of street entertaining. I was scheduled for WAY too much time and the place was really busy. I was pretty exhausted for the afternoon classes, but rallied to get to the gym and then a birthday dinner at another w/in-walking-distance restaurant and then another birthday celebration at the pub. A late night.

Sunday…bad weather and lower attendance, so I got a bit of a breather. I spent my street edutaining time going between restaurants and talking to kids there (warm and dry!). I’ve got two classes again, then will hit the gym, go to improv, and then—lord help me—a toga party. Yes. Toga. I don’t have normal sheets, so I’m wearing a big scarf and a sign that says “Sari it’s not a toga.” When at a loss for a costume, go for the pun, I always say.

Tidbits: The Koreans love their fluorescent lighting. EVERYTHING is lit with the darned harsh bulbs. Even upscale restaurants—it’s considered hip and romantic. UGH. Perhaps when I get to a museum or two it will be different…

Forsythia—we have it here! And it’s gorgeous—but now on its way out. Azaleas abound, too. And things are starting to turn green and pretty. Hooray!

Cell phones: In Korean culture, it’s considered rude not to answer your cellphone, wherever you may be or whatever you may be doing (teachers seem to have a little leeway). So people answer their phones in restaurants, meetings, etc. They don’t, however, scream on their phones the way we do. Don’t know how they achieved that miracle…

At the gym: remember those machines with the ‘fat burning’ vibrating belt that were popular decades ago? No gym or spa here is without them. They may not do anything about the fat, but they feel great! You just step into the belt (it makes a ‘U’ from either side of the machine around you), lean into it with it around your back or hips or wherever, and turn it on. Watch it jiggle, see it wiggle…