Korea-Japan Cultural Show

Heoreum Theater at The National Theater of Korea. It was a bit windy and cold evening. But, we were so excited to be there since we were about to see the Cultural fusion between Korea and Japan.

In front of the lobby during the intermission.

 My Friend from India, Kumar, has got the best seat in the middle. 

We ll, during the preparation we could just take pictures of ourselves. 

But...too bad..we were not allowed to take any pictures during the show.

May 16, 2012. 

국립극장에서 봤던 한일문화교류 연작시리즈 첫 번째가 정말 흥미진진했다. 아주 멋있었다. 한국 전통무용은 물론 있었죠.^^ 한국 발레와 일본 발레까지 직접 볼 수 있어서 정말 기뻤다. 더 이상...

.더욱 재미있는 건 없는 줄 알았는데 내가 틀렸었다. 

It was such a thrilling show. VEry Veery creative. Of course, apart from being able to see the Korean traditional musical dances,  we could also see the Korean ballet.

한국 전통군무 주로....복의 대합주 (?)란 공연이 참 눈의 보양이었다. 

그런 표현이 있는데 귀(?)의 보양 같은 표현이 있을 까? ^^ 크고 작은 북들은 한자리에 모아, 각각의 북들의 소리의 높낮이 및 크기의 차이를 느낄 수 있어서 와......신났다. ^^

It was really a feast to the eyes and ears. I was impressed by the percussion show which showed all kinds of percussion from small tiny parts until the huge ones for us to be able to differentiate the sound in such a rewarding way.

What a great night indeed that was. 

제1부 공연이 흥미로운 여행처럼 그렸다. 제2부 공연은 제1부의 아름다움을 뛰어넘을 수 있을까라고 기대했는데....it just DID. 한국을 대표하는 피아니스트 이루마 씨는 'WOW'한 + 끝없는 뮤직을 보여주었다. 

The first part was like a time travel to the past. The 2nd part was more like a jump into the beauty of contemporary world. Korea's renowned pianist Iruma just wowed us.

Then...I was also flabbergasted by the 조화로운 뮤지컬 퓨전 (fusion) between 사물놀이 (주로 장고+꽹과리)와 일본에서 온 샹샹타이푼 밴드.  간단히 말하면 표현할 수 없는 공연이었다. 

Thanks to 국가브랜드위원회 for providing us with an insightful program like this.^^

After the show, of course...as usual, we took pictures with some of the members who preferred to stay a bit longer. 

HUge Inflatable Slideeeee

The 3-day event that changed the landscape of HUFS campus. That's what I thought about it. To call it an outrageous attempt to attract viewers: I'm in. To call it an inventive way to attract visitors to the event: I'm in. 

Some found it outrageous. Some others found it attractive.

Well, so much so, the debate was unnecessary.

I am sure that the university must've granted a license or some sort of permission to the students. Otherwise, such a huge inflatable slide would not have been allowed to be set up in the first place.

The hugely humongous inflatable PINK slide was set up during the 3-day campus festival. Most campuses in Korea has a kind of trend to celebrate the 3 day or more festival where all students--junior and senior--alike were all crammed into one place to celebrate 'something'. (and what was that supposed to be?^^)

Sure thing, it was so huge that people including outsiders would find it too great to overlook. So, with just as little as 500 Won for HUFS-ers and 1000 Won for non-HUFS-ers, visitors could enjoy plunging or sliding  themselves down the pink rubber.

Gosh, the graduate school seemed to be somewhat dwarfed by the immensity of this ride. 

Quite funny, eh? 

So, this is what it looked like when I saw it from afar. I was walking back home through the rear end of the campus...and yet...the  humongous inflatable slide was visible. That's exactly how big it was.

Going out for a picnic @ Zoo & Children Park

The day finally came. The kid's been waiting for the day we went to the zoo and the grand park for the first time. It was the first week of Summer vacation for me^^ so I could take the kids out. After all, it was Saturday so Eyra, too, was having her day-off.

Taking the line 7 subway to the Children Grand Park took only about 45 minutes from where we live in Imundong.

As soon as we got off the train, a very interesting mosaic or sort-of-mural or sort-of-painting on each step leading to the exit was visible. It was a picture of a tiger. Intriguing enough to stir our curiosity.

The kids finally got on the steps vanishing into the light^^

Waiting for the other families (multicultural families) to join us on the trip that day.

The trip was conducted by the multicultural families center at our neighborhood. 

So, we were expecting to meet lots  of other international families coming from different countries with their own kids.

Gonna be fun, and it was, indeed. 

Land of FolktalesThis is....

Korea like any other countries has lots of folktales of its own. So many that it would be hard to keep up with the numerous genres it offers. Yet, out of those seemingly countless folktales that it has, some famous and worth-knowing are right here being displayed through the life-size statues scattered on the land of folktales.  

I can't remember what and which ones they were. But, the one I took a picture of right here was about a naughty green frog that seemed to disobey his mother all of his life. He always did opposite of what his mother frog asked him to. Knowing the fact that his son always disobeyed her, one day the mother frog told him that should she be dead someday, she would love to be buried right at the side of the riverbank--hoping that her son would do the otherwise, i.e. burying her on the hills. 

But, as it turned out, on the day his mother died, he said that he had been disobeying his mother for all of his life that for once only he would do as his mother asked him to. 

So, instead of burying his mother on the hill, he buried his mother at the riverbank.

As the night fell and the rain fell heavily, the tomb of his mother at the riverbank was swept away...

He wept....

Eyra insisted on riding a bull. Good thing, that it was just a bronze statue.

This folktale is somewhat similar to what 'Jaka Tarub dan 7 Bidadari 'Jaka Tarub and 7 Angels' is in Indonesia. Well, to some extent it hos some similar intrinsic elements in it. As for Korea, it is known as 'the The woodcutter and heavenly maiden' 

The difference is that...finally the maiden or the angle brought along her children with her to the sky and left the woodcutter alone. While the one in Indonesia had it the other way around, the angel left the man and the baby on earth. 

Quite an interesting ending, right?

Let's see what folktale are we in now....!

wait, this is not folktale! what are these folks doing right here? I think ...they look like Avatar. Indeed, they were. I guess..this was just a gimmick to attract the curiosity of the visitors so as they trod along their steps and go into the folktales lands.

Well, we might as well take a token of remembrance right in front of the seemingly out-of-place story in the land of folktales, right? 

Or maybe they are actually at different places, it's just that I could not differentiate the fences that might separate the two colliding worlds apart?

Summer sets in

Summer sets in. What better way to experience the heat in Seoul than....splashing into the water? No..just kidding. We were in the children grand park and kids could just 'waste' ^^ I mean..spend their time with endless activities. Like this one: this small creek is for then children to cross and if they wish to...to plunge themselves into. But for Freya and her Mom...it was something to cross over.

Another waterfall, a man-made one,*sigh*. But, it was still a worth-seeing and worth-visiting one, though.

Should it not blend with nature, people would not bother themselves taking picture right in front of it.

and so were the children of this multicultural family. (well, most of us).

Riding on a Camel

Where? At Children Grand Park. 

Eyra was so excited when she found out that she could have a chance of riding on a camel's back during the trip to the park. Well, since the camel was big, two or three children got to ride at the same time. ^^ fairly safe enough then. The waiting line was a bit long, but the wait was something that might add to the excitement and anticipation.

Here she was on the came's back along with her friends.

When asked whether she was afraid or scared? She said no. Instead, she was more concerned about the smell that she had to bear while riding on it. Well, what  do you expect?

But, then when asked whether she regretted it? Not a bit. She loved it, she replied. The camel ride was one of the highlights that she would surely remember of being at the park.

Then...what's this? sure it is elephant. There are two of them. Surely they are not camels. 

While her sister was riding on a camel's back, Freya got to go somewhere else to see the elephant. Those under 4 years old were not allowed --just yet--to ride on a camel. She did have a great time, though.

multicultural families trip

Most of us were multicultural families living in Korea. Most of us. Saturday morning we met up at Children Grand Park to bring all of the children to the park. We let them play and experience lots of stuffs.

Lunch? We just ate what we brought from home. 

Kimbab, chobab, fruits, snacks, fried rice, and all kinds of food were available. No, of course.

Say Cheese! Kimchiiiiiii!

Most of the kids were multicultural kids since either their Mom or Dad was Korean. 

The best thing about it was that...we could sort of exchange ideas and views on how to experience and enjoy life in Korea to the fullest. What better way to do this than going out together and have some great time while at the same time chatting or exchanging views informally. 

This activity was conducted by the Purun Community Center in our neighborhood. 

The Baby Zoo @ Children Grand Park

What would a park without a zoo? well, not all parks should have a zoo, of course. I just wanted to say that this Grand Park is so grand that it even has a zoo of its own. The great part, apart from the usual zoo, it  boasts to have its own baby zoo where pony horse and any other tiny winy animals were just there to be explored and see--for the children of curiosity of course. Like their Moms above^^

I forgot what they were looking at right there. One thing for sure...they were also included as small and tiny animals^^. So, no need to feel worried or anything.

This, too, I forgot what they were looking at....I think a raccoon or something like that. Well, I was busy taking picture...and busy getting away the feeling of so blisteringly hot during the day ^^^ I wished I had sunglasses like my wife was wearing. (*sigh*: the sunglasses are gone now^^)

Now, I know what we were doing. We were not looking at any particular animals or anything. We were just standing there to feel the breeze of air splashed by the waterfall in front of us. It kinda refreshed our body.+ mind, too, perhaps?

Back tot the zoo...Freya and her Mom were ready to explore more baby animals. 

They just left us like that.^^

Oh, they were going to the photo-zone where we could try our luck to be a foxy fox. 

Eyra: a not-that-happy fox

Freya: not a fox but happy

Mommy: a sunglasses happy mommy fox

This one--I knew it: beavers. Yes, the children were looking at the beavers caged on a glassed wall. 

Lemur? nope. Squirrel? BIG no.

Meerkat. Yes, that's what it was. Meerkat ( I hope I spelled it right) were there, too. 

I learned about it on NGC channel. 

The entrance to the zoo. Not many people around. Most of them were taking shelters under the shades or trees or else..they were inside the building^^. 

It was a great day, indeed.

Children Grand Park (part 2)

What would a park be without an amusement park? and Thank God that's not the case with this park. The amusement park itself was more than modest. It suits and is palatable to everyone's cup of tea, be it thrill-seeker or just fun-seeker.  For the first one, roller coaster and any other adrenalin-fueled rides are there for them to challenge.

Since Freya could not ride most of the rides, she just kept on wandering on the amusement park. It's a good thing that she never insisted on riding those high and tall rides. She said 'Sarange-  사랑해' to me even when she was just....doing nothing. ^^ cute little Freya.

Oh, she was looking at the sky-train over there. When I asked her whether she wanted to take a ride on that one? she just shrugged....^^ 

Oh, see the green hat she was wearing? It was a bit way too big for her..that her Mom had to stitched a pin into it to make it smaller and fit into her head^^

(Hat is a -must-have item during summer)

I guess it was in the main boulevard of the park. The greeeen canopy and shades did help us from feeling the heat. It looked green, alright! But, the heat was a bit stifling. 

Luckily we managed to get around the park well.

Lots of people along with their family were strolling along the boulevard and taking a leisure time. After all it was Saturday...a weekend.

On our way home, we found a dancing fountain ..ready to greet the visitors good-bye.

I loved the pavement, pedestrian made of wooden plates on the right side of the street. It somewhat gave a sense of natural feeling to the street. The trees were left stranded and live right in the middle of the pavement without having to be destroyed. They just blend into the nature surrounding them.

Before going home, we took time to enjoy the splash of the water in the park. 

Eyra was a bit tired, actually. But, seeing the fountain had energized her energy back. Well, she still wanted me to carry her, though. * sigh*^^