Folk Song Practice

Dahin and I are practicing the dongyo "San dokkaebi (Mountain goblin)" for participation in a song competition to be aired on KBS Chuseok day (Chuseok is kind of like thanksgiving; a harvest festival) in September.  We tape this coming Sunday! When KBS called, I decided to do it because 1) Dahin wanted to do it and 2) It's a 'multicultural family' event and I am doing research currently on the concept of 'multicultural' and how that is performed musically in Korea.  So, two birds, one stone.  Get to spend some quality time with Dahin and get some research done.  We're doing ok.  I'm working on sounding more "Korean" or at least like I know what I am doing singing a Korean folksong.  Dahin is working on putting more energy behind her voice.  In just a few days, we've both improved a bit, but have a lot of room for growth. One of our dept.'s graduate students is working with us on it.  We decided to do Korean children's folk song (dongyo) because it is a traditional Korean holiday, I teach in a dept of Korean music, and it is short and relatively simple. They said we could not do pop songs, and right now Dahin's singing style is very pop songish.  I wanted to do a song she could confidently perform without having to do too many vocal tricks.  My hope is that I will NOT be playing the changgo the day of the filming.  Jack will request that they have a changgo player performing--it's just a regular part of that song to have a bit of percussion interspersed with the singing.   Preparing this song and doing it well has been way harder than I thought--props to the intricacies of Korean folk song.   The lyrics are kind of like this (sloppy English translation):

On one moonlit night, I was walking a long a steep mountain path
When I saw a dokkaebi with a horn on his head, holding a club, eryuwa dung dung

(percussion break)

I was so surprised!  Absolutely, without a doubt, it was a san dokkaebi
Oh my gosh, what to do?  I just closed both my eyes tight, eryuwa dung dung

(percussion break)

Chorus (do twice):
Will that mountain dokkaebi try and catch me?!?  My heart is beating so loud!
Oh, just walk!!  Help me!!!

I ran away so fast if I were an animal I would have left my tail behind!

(percussion break)

Eryuwa dung dung is a vocable, kind of like 'hey-ya'  or 'yeah yeah'  that keeps the melody and rhythm going. Oh--they did construction on my office this summer and have yet to fix the wallpaper.  So, it really looks a mess at the moment.  Enjoy the amateur performance!

Saying Goodbye

As mentioned previously, Ronan  has started a new school, and Oliver will start the new school this coming week.  Jack arranged a goodbye party for both boys with the teacher.  So, after getting some supplies, Jack and Uncle Brad picked up Ronan  early from school and they headed to his old school for the goodbye festivities.  The teacher was really happy to see Ronan.

When Ronan got to the classroom, all of the kids ran up to him. I think they missed him a lot and I think he realized that he missed the kids, too, despite his excitement at starting the new preschool.  Jack took lots of photos, for which I was really grateful.  I wasn't able to make it to the party because of publication deadlines, etc. (but what's new?--sigh).

Goodbye Moranban friends!

The love-fest continued in the Moranban classroom.  As you can see, below on the left, Ronan's friends continued to hug and hang on to him for a while.  That was so, so sweet!  Jack had bought some choco-pies and juice for the kids and some vitamin drinks for the teacher and they enjoyed the snacks together.

Below, you can see the kids' most recent project: the water project.  They did all kinds of experiments and games with water as they studied the good old H2O.  The school was great about getting the kids involved in a bunch of projects.  While at the school, the boys did a family project (for which they all participated in mock wedding ceremonies; Ronan was very upset about dressing up in a suit and faux marrying a girl he did not like; Oliver was delighted because he was 'marrying' his best friend), a tree project, a snow project, a Chinese character project, a flower project, a teeth project (during which they all got dental checkups), and an outerspace project.  One thing I've been really impressed with, as well, is the many updates the teacher's provide about the kids. A book is kept on each kid and the teacher will write in the book occasionally about any special happenings or milestones each child experiences.  I'm glad to know that the same practice is a norm at the Seoul National preschool.  The teacher worked very hard, especially at bringing Ronan out of his shell.  Oliver is a bit of a wild child and outgoing, but Ronan posed a challenge in terms of participating in class activities and playing with the other kids.  Their teacher was incredibly compassionate and patient.

This was a great opportunity for the boys, the teacher, and the kids in their class to say goodbye to each other.  I'm so glad that Jack came up with the idea and that the teacher was happy to do the party.  Jack said that, despite the hectic atmostphere of the day, the party was a lot of fun.  The little girl behind Ronan (below)  is his self-designated girlfriend.  She LOVES him.  Wish I had some time to arrange playdates with her mom, but I'm hoping that they can see each other in first grade. We loved this preschool and hate to say goodbye, but the lure of continued after-school programs for the boys through the SNU school makes the switch a truly practical one.  Plus, it's a good school, too. The boys will see a good majority of their former classmates when they start first grade in the spring, so it's not goodbye forever; just for a little while.

School Highlights, Summer 2010

For a one-day summer camp, the boys and their classmates went to a big water park.

The infamous family project.  Above, Oliver poses with his 'best friend' for their 'wedding' photo.  Notice how big the suit is--Jack said "You'd think they'd get a suit that fits."  I kind of like it.  To the school's credit, they did ask us to send a suit if we had one, but our boys have always flat refused to wear a suit, so we haven't spent the money on dress clothes for the boys.  It's hard enough to get them into sweater vests, and the one time Oliver wore a tie he hid it under a fleece jacket.   It looks like no one else had a suit either, since that one suit was the choice for all photos. I also like how Oliver is a whole head shorter than his 'bride.'  Way too cute.  Ronan was not happy and cried for days, faking sickness, etc. to avoid going to school on the 'big day.'  Oliver smuggly said, "I don't know why Ronan's so upset.  I'm marrying my best friend--isn't that great--to be marrying your best friend?"  Indeed.  Below, poor Ronan looks absolutely miserable.  When I saw the project, full of pages on what mommy and daddy do for a living and how babies are born, etc. I told him that I thought his 'wedding' photo was very nice and that he looked really handsome and that the little girl looked real pretty.  To which he shot back, "she's not!"  Ahem.  Well,  he seemed ok with the project once it was all over.  But, the morning of the 'wedding', I tell you--it was like he was headed to the guillotine--I had to carry him to the bus as he sobbed and handed him over to the teacher. I never felt so guilty sending a child to school.  Bubbie said, in an email, that, while she could not recall exactly, she didn't think Ronan and Oliver were old enough to be getting married.

For both years at the preschool, the boys celebrated their birthdays in style.  Last year, all we had were their first birthday hanbok, which didn't fit, so they didn't get all dressed up in the traditional Korean garb.  But, this year, we made a special trip to the market with Jack's mom and got some beautiful hanbok they can wear for at least another couple of years.  For their birthdays at school, we provided the cake and the hanbok, and the kids all gathered and celebrated.  For each month, the kids who have birthdays that month get a party.  For other kids' birthdays, we send presents and the boys make cards with little messages for their friends.   The boys, of course, had their party in July.  Both years, as well, the boys got photos with a little girl kissing them.  Oliver looks okay with it, but Ronan is like, "Hey girlie, get out of my personal space."  In the group photo above, their little buddy Hwaseong--with whom we had some playdates--does not look like a happy camper.  Wonder what went on there...hmmm....

The teachers there were really great about keeping us updated on all that went on at school.  Above is the last entry for Ronan, before the teacher knew it was the last entry.  Won't translate it all, but the teacher writes that even though the week-long summer break was short, she was really happy to see Ronan when school resumed.  She had heard that he had gone to the pool and did a lot of water play with his family during the break.  She also said he did a presentation in class about what he did during the break.  She was so happy that he did the presentation (this was not easy to get him to do, apparently) that she gave him a big hug afterwards.  She said that, since he hadn't seen his friends for a week, that he had a lot of fun reuniting with them and they all talked about what they did during the break.  She wrote that she hopes that, during this muggy summer, Ronan doesn't get fatigued and that the whole family is fine during the rest of the sweltering summer. And, she ends with 'Stay healthy!'   I tell you what, this was one sicky summer.

Above is Oliver's last entry, written the day before the goodbye party.  The teacher included his weight and height (something they did at regular intervals throughout the year). She wrote:

"Yesterday you got through this muggy weather by playing water games with your friends in the SNU ravine. When you heard there were crayfish hidden under the stones you went to find them, and then you thrashed around in the water with your friends and had a great time.  My day was made even happier when I watched you perched on top of a rock sharing the watermelon we brought from school and, without a break, playing and chatting happily with your friends.  I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day we will get to spend time with our sweet Hyunmo [his Korean name].  I pray that, wherever you go and whatever you do,  you will have a joyful and healthy life.  I pray that you, Junmo [Ronan's Korean name], and your family are always happy.  Moranban Teacher"

 (moran means 'peony,' so their class name was the 'peony class')  Thanks Moranban Seonsaengnim!

The Week in Pictures

Sometimes you think, "What have I actually done this week?" especially when you are in semi-vacation mode and worrying if you've accomplished anything, at all, worth while.  This week, pictures reminded me that my time over the past 7 days was not a waste.  Indeed, it was valuable time spent with family, friends, and colleagues. Above, the kids visit with their baby cousin.  We spent the night at their place outside of Seoul so that Jack and Uncle Brad could go golfing at the break of dawn.  Meanwhile, we had a great breakfast and lunch, looked at photos, chatted, did art projects (Aunt Wendy is a third-grade teacher so had the kids busy with drawing, cutting, and gluing), and Aunt Wendy treated the kids to ice cream at EMart.

 

Dahin and Oliver also tried to kill each other at EMart.  Oliver waves his 1,000 won (about $1) bill that he won that morning in an art competition.  Aunt Wendy had them do cut outs of their family and color them.  Then, Wendy's mother-in-law (Jack's aunt) judged which one she thought was the best.  Oliver really has a great sense of design and color, and his bold colors on the family cut-outs were great.

 

After the EMart excursion, we headed to a local Chinese restaurant and ate some jjajjangmyeon (noodles with a black pork and onion sauce) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) before driving back to Seoul.

Ronan started a new school on Wednesday this week.  They had been attending a great one, but the Seoul National University pre-school/kindergarten has an afterschool program for elementary kids through third grade.  You can only participate in this program if you attended the preschool.  We were originally on the waitlist for almost a year and when they called I had decided to keep the boys in their other school.  But, we kept them on the waitlist, and now we are switching them this semester since we discovered the afterschool program and need something for them to do after school beginning March--first grade lets out around noon (eek).  In  Korea, kindergarten is not compulsory. If you don't attend a preschool/kindergarten, you just begin school in first grade.  Most people these days, however, put their kids into some sort of preschool/kindergarten.  I keep 'slashing' the two words together because I really don't know what to call it.  The Korean for the schools that are akin to daycare--more play-based--are called eorinijip, but a lot of learning goes on in those programs.  My boys learned Chinese characters, how to read in Korean, math, drumming, art, cooking, etc at their eorinijip, so I hesitate to translate that as 'daycare.'  The other kind is more academic based and is called yuchiweon, which most people translate as 'kindergarten.'  Whatever you call them, I can't tell much difference between the two except that a lot of yuchiweon cost a little more and some make the kids wear uniforms.  Well, the SNU eorinijip includes classes in English, cooking, Korean, math, gym class and extracurricular activities like piano, taekweondo, etc.  Ronan is the first to switch to the SNU school (which is just right across the street from where we live--all we have to do is walk across and we're there! No more am/pm buses from school).  The boys will be in seperate classes instead of just one--in their other preschool, there was only one class for their age group.  The SNU preschool is huge, with tons of space for different classrooms.  The boys are so different and have different friends that I think they are craving some independent time. Oliver will start later this month. 

Ronan has loved it.  Not only are his friends from our apartments attending the school, but his teacher is pretty.  Yes--he's in love (photo above).  On the second day, he woke up at 6 am, ran to my room and yelled, "I need to go to school!  Hurry and wake up!"  I was like, "Chill, little buddy, it's 6 am."  My initial relatively gentle response deteriorated as time went on that morning. Remembering that the 6 am wake-up call meant no workout for mommy (I get those done when the kids sleep in the morning--Jack sleeps like a log so I don't like going out to run if the kids are awake or sick), I was not a happy camper.  I kept telling him, "Look, the school does not open until 8:30, just wait and don't worry; I'll get you there on time."  Well, the whole morning went like this:  "Hurry--oooh I'm going to miss school."  "Ronan, chill, it is only 7:00.  Why don't you eat breakfast?"  Breakfast subdued him for a while until the whining started and he threatened to walk to school by himself.  That's when mommy got mean.  "Look, your teacher is not there, no one is there right now.  You need to wait, and if you can't wait patiently you are getting a BIG time out, mister."  Well, if I weren't so grumpy and it weren't morning, I might have been a lot more constructive and distracted him with coloring  or a video, but there you have it.  Also, anyone who knows Ronan knows that little Mr. Stubborn sets his mind on one thing and that's it.  Distraction, most likely, would not have worked.  Finally, 8:20 am rolled around and I walked him across the street to school.  As we got closer to the school, he let go of my hand and walked ahead--a first, since he's usually pretty clingy.  I guess he did not want his new teacher to see him holding mommy's hand like a baby.  We were the first to arrive at the classroom and Ronan busily put his towel, snack dish, lunch pail in their places and then walked around the classroom smiling, surveying the scene at the beginning of the day.  I swear, I've never see this child like this.  He was almost giddy about school.  Mornings preparing for the other school were terrible with "I hate school" and "I'm not going" permeating the morning air every single day.  Watching Ronan walk proudly around his new classroom, I felt relieved knowing we'd made the right decision to change schools during the last semester before first grade.  The teacher came to the classroom after a few minutes and was a bit surprised to see us there so early.  We had gone early purposefully the first day so she could show Ronan the ropes and ease him into the routine, but she had told us there was no need to come so early the next day.  A little embarrassed, I said, "Ronan seems to like his new school and new teacher a lot."  She smiled and gave him a hug and little Ronan blushed--oh my Lord.  Well, that was that. 

On Friday, the 21st century Korean music project held their annual concert/competition at the National Center.  The Project holds auditions for young traditional music teams and choses about 9 or 10 teams for the year of workshops and concerts.  The teams get to perform in places like New York and Europe, and the final concert is a competition for a grande prize of around $10,000 dollars.  The concert was a lot of fun, and I was able to spend some time with colleagues during the concert and at the after party at a local pub.  Above, I am sandwiched between the Project's Music Director on the left, composer Won Il, and a director of a Center for World Music in Seoul (not remembering his name at the moment). Friends Kim Heesun and Park Jeonggyeong are behind me with two people I've seen before at these events, but don't know well.

Dahin spent a week at the National Center participating in a special summer program.  The kids wore white shirts and blue jeans for their concert on Saturday morning.   Since the classes lasted two hours, each morning after dropping Dahin off in her classroom I headed to the cafe at the National Center, ordered an iced Americano, and read To Kill a Mockingbird while waiting for Dahin's class to finish.  Mama mailed the book to me, since I was determined to read it this year in celebration of the book's 50th year anniversary, and I remembered what a terrific novel this is.  So well written with the most vivid characters in literature.  I finished the book within the week--can't wait to share it with Dahin later on. Thanks Mama!

On Sunday morning, we went to see Toy Story 3.  The cheapest way to see movies in a theater here is to catch a morning show.  The tickets are only 5,000 won (about $5), and Jack and I have special discount cards so our tickets were only about $4.  So, we went to the 9:50 showing.  Of course, Oliver's blankie came along because it was, well, morning and all (notice blankie draped over his left arm).  Going to a movie is an adventure in most places in Seoul.  Space is an issue, so theaters are crammed in the oddest places.  Usually, you get your tickets in one spot, and then spent time looking for the theater in which you will watch your movie.  In this particular theater complex, the different theater/showing rooms were spread amongst a few buildings.  After walking through one building and heading down two flights of stairs, we found the right place.  Always an adventure.  Toy Story 3 was great.  It brought closure to the saga of Andy and his toys.  Andy, now headed to college, and the toys have to face this change in all of their lives.  It was very well done and the kids really enjoyed it.  After the movie, we headed to the McDonald's located within the theater complex.  The 3,000 won (about $3) set menu meant that we ate for only about $12.  Don't like McD's that much, but sometimes it's fun to eat there, especially when it's super cheap. 

 

Parking is an adventure as well.  The theater complex offers parking, and it's not the drive in and park kind.  You park your car onto this massive ferris wheel-like structure and when you go to get your car, you watch all these other cars spin around until yours emerges.

The day Sunday ended with a dip in the kiddie pool.  The weather's been so hot, so we now have a kiddie pool to help keep the kids cool.  Dahin had invited a friend over for a playdate and they spent time in the pool playing games and telling ghost stories.  After time in the pool, Dahin headed to her friend's house for a sleepover.   After Dahin left for the sleepover, Jack, the boys, and I had a great spaghetti dinner.

So glad we were able to do so much in a week, and glad I take boatloads of photos so that I can remind myself of how much we actually do over just a few days.

Dahin's Drumming Debut

This week, Dahin participated in the summer camp program for kids at the National Center for Korean Traditional Arts.  It lasted one week and class was two hours a day, so it wasn't really a camp, but more like a special summer class.  Anyway, besides that little triviality, another is that the class was listed as a children's folk song and drumming class, but in the end it was more focused on drumming.  Instead of learning basic drumming patterns, they memorized a set for the changgu (hourglass shaped drum) that is used in samulnori performance.  I had signed Dahin up for the class (there were other instrument and drumming classes) because she likes to sing and she has a great little voice.  So, the focus on drumming was a bit disappointing, but I think that Dahin enjoyed herself anyway.  She made a friend and we ate lunch together with her mom once, also ran into each other on the city bus while on the way to class one morning. The girls exchanged emails and promise to keep in touch.  We know that her mom plans to enroll her in the winter session during the winter break, so maybe Dahin will see her then if not earlier.  I think, next time, I'll just let Dahin take the gayageum (12-string zither) class, which is what she really wanted to do in the first place.  The classes ran from Monday to Friday, and the week culminated in a performance for the kids' families.  In the video, Dahin is the second from the left.  I thought she did a great job.  When I went backstage after the performance, I said, "Great job!"  And one of her teachers (the one on the right in the video--yes, I'm pointing fingers [really liked the other teacher, who had told me Dahin worked very hard]) said, "Yes, she did well, but I wish she had hit the drum with more energy."  Whatever, Ms. Negative.  I almost said, "Maybe she'd have more energy if the class were actually a folk song class like the title implied (and what Dahin was looking forward to)," but bit my tongue and said, "Well, it was her first time drumming," and reinforced to Dahin how well she did.  I liked the other teacher better, anyway.  She always greeted me and seemed very encouraging with the kids; not like Ms. Negative who had reminded Dahin this morning that she had forgotten her notation (we had gone back to get it  5 minutes after class ended yesterday, but some kid had taken it away in search of Dahin and another child who left their notation in the classroom-- made no sense; the teachers should have kept it or put it in the education office).  We would have been able to retrieve it right away.  Grrrr.

In the photo above, Dahin warms up before rehearsal.  I didn't get any great stage shots because my Canon ran out of batteries, so had to use the little Olympus to shoot stills and it is just the worst camera at getting basic snap shots.  I hate it, actually.  But, it works for videos or when I don't want to carry the big semi-professional around. 

The kids who learned the haegeum (two-string bowed lute, below) had the toughest task this week since, even after a year or two of learning the dang thing it's hard to make a decent sound.  It takes years and years of work.

Dahin really wanted to do the gayageum, below, and they really had the easiest task (I think) since producing a sound on the instrument is not that hard for a beginner.  They played two folk songs and sounded great.

After the performance, the kids lined up for cds of kid-style music that included folk songs and Korean-ish music--really sounds like a lot of the cds for kids I hear, but I can see that the Center is trying to appeal to that general populace through this version of traditional music.

Before heading home, Dahin took a few more bites of the bagel I got for her at the cafe (we didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning because both of us woke up late and had to be there by 9 am) and posed with her class buddy.  It was raining, thundering, and lightening like crazy outside, so no one was in a hurry to get out in it.  Luckily, Jack had parked in the underground garage, so we didn't get wet heading to the car.

Pool Fun

One of the best ways to beat the summer heat is to visit the pool. The pool we like to go to is one right by the Han River with great views of downtown, Namsan Tower (the kids like to point it out each time we go), and the river and parks by the river.  We've been so desperate to cool down on weekends that we brave the massive crowds and fight for a parasol so the kids and I don't get burned to a crisp (Jack, apparently, believes he is sunburn resistent and does not apply sunscreen.  Hmmm...what's that peeling skin doing there on his back? ...mystery...).  Swimming caps are required; if you don't wear one the lifeguards make you get out of the pool until you put one on.  Goggles are not required, but good practice since I'm sure the water is not the cleanest.  The boys practice swimming--they mostly kick and splash in one place, but really put a lot of effort into it--and Dahin does handstands and plays games with her brothers. Oliver's new thing is taking a running start and jumping into the pool.  Ronan prefers to sit on the side of the pool, hold his nose, and then scoot in for his 'jump.'  Ronan's favorite game is chase, and it is so cute to see how excited he gets.  Dahin is doing really well with her swimming and practices going further away and swimming to me under the water. One of the things about pool culture here:  Men--mostly those with flabby, imperfect bodies--like to parade around in tiny speedos.  If that kind of thing makes your eyes burn, then maybe pool time here is not for you.  That, or you can develop a blind spot as a survival tactic (works for me). 

Oliver, especially, likes to climb up onto Apa when Apa is riding the float.  Ronan only likes to temporarily, then he kicks Apa off so he can have the float to himself.  ; - )

Food is another highlight of the pool.  If we do lunch there, the kids get to eat ramen, then follow that up with things like nacho and potato chips.  We also buy boiled and salted potatoes, corn dogs, and ice cream.  Needless to say, pool time is not healthy time.  Although, I've tried to do better and packed watermelon and other kinds of fruit like cherry tomatoes, plums, and nectarines.  The kids love the fruit, but the chips seem almost mandatory. Once we get through the healthy stuff, it's 'bad snack' time.  I must admit that I really like eating chips at the pool, too.  It's the only time we really do junk food head-on. 

Break time at the pool is mandatory.  Every hour is divided into 45 minutes of swim time and 15 minutes of break time. During the required resting moments, the kids tend to snack, hit the bathroom, and sit by the pool and wait for the announcement that it's time for another 45-minute swim.

Oliver Channels Julia Child

Oliver demonstrates the proper way to eat galbi (minus the chunk of raw garlic).  You can almost hear Miss Julia espousing, "A good cook must always taste one's creations because a truly good cook likes what one makes.  And, oooh, if it's too big for your mouth, never mind, just enjoy it anyway.  The more the better, I always say!"