AMSF #4 – Dancing the night away

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After having a ‘little sleep’ (literally 15 minutes) at the hotel we headed back to the festival site for the evenings entertainment.

We had picked out something on the program called ‘Maskdance Competition’ and figured it would be worth a look. We got to the stage and found it surrounded by hyperactive children (and adults) with some cuddly looking mask characters dancing around. Realising this was the ‘Maskdance Competition’ we had come to see we stopped and tried to figure out what was going on. The characters finished dancing and the same song was played again, everyone in the audience was copying characters on the stage. We were amused to see that the adults were probably enjoying it more than the kids, but then looked around and realised all the stallholders were also merrily singing along and doing the actions! The realisation dawned that it must be some traditional Korean song – as to what we still have no idea. The song however got VERY annoying after a few plays and we headed off in search of better entertainment!

Looking across the festival site and consulting our program we found that the Andong Dance Troupe were performing on the main stage. We headed across to have a look and got a good view standing to one side. But not before chasing two of the masks half way across the site to get our photos taken with them!

Some of the dancing was amazing and the costumes spectacular. The girls at times looked as though they were effortlessly gliding across the stage – something I was never able to do! And they had the cutest little kids doing a ballet dance.

We watched the dancing for a while with Koreans trying to barge us out the way. I was stood next to a Korean woman who kept edging closer and closer to me – obviously my space was better than hers. She ended up so close that her bag was practically in my face, then kept looking around at me as if I was about to steal it. Sometimes Koreans just behave so oddly! We soon got fed up of this and headed towards the shops.

Browsing around the shops we came to a stall called Andong folk crafts that had some beautiful hand made tables. We had already walked past a few times but hadn’t really looked, there was no point in buying furniture because we’d have to get it back to the UK. And anyway: “It was out of our price range.” But we made the mistake of stopping! I spotted a beautiful small table that only stood a few inches off the ground. You often see things like this in Korea because traditionally they did everything sat on the floor. Emily talked me into finding out how much it was, I was astounded to find that it was only 35,000 won and the guy said he would sell it to me for 30,000 won (about 18GBP)! It was too good to turn down, so I now have a traditional Korean table to post back to the UK!

After Emily talked me into irresponsible purchases we decided get some dinner. Wondering down the food street again the Koreans weren’t so keen to get us into their restaurants when there was hundreds of Koreans milling around. We had seen a number of places with spit roast pigs and were looking for somewhere to get some pork.

Having already worked out our ordering method of pointing at the pig and saying tulgae (meaning for two), we decided to go to one of the few places that were still interested in our custom! We asked for pork and rice, so were surprised when pork and muscles arrived at our table. Looking nervously at the muscles I admitted to not having tried them before but being convinced I wouldn’t like them. Being with Emily I had no choice but to try them and was presently surprised to discover that they were actually OK. Whilst we were eating the guy who was cooking the pork came and sat with us for a bit. He seemed like a pleasant guy, and like a lot of people he was interested in what brought us to the festival and Korea. He made polite conversation but it didn’t last long as he had about as much English as we had Korean! He left and joined a group Koreans who had just come into the restaurant.

After eating dinner we realised most of the festival site was closing down for the evening and decided to head back to the hotel. Earlier in the day we had seen a Buddhist Monk doing some paintings and had thought about getting one. With table in hand it seemed to be the day for irresponsible purchases and we had to pass his stall to get back to the hotel so we decided to have another look.

We arrived at the stall and I showed Emily the painting I wanted of a monk sat meditating on a rock overlooking mountains. When I had first seen it it made me think on Inwangsan and I knew if I was going to get one it had to be this one. None of the other paintings made me think of the feeling I had at Inawangsan in the same way.

Unfortunately Emily also wanted the same painting. We asked the monk if he had two; after a bit of confusion and a very kind Korean man translating for us we discovered there was only one painting but the monk would do another while we waited – how about that for service!!

Each painting you see in the background is done by hand. The guy in the paintings we later found out is the founder of Buddhism.

Watching the monk paint was n experience in itself. A crowd assembled to watch him paint with the Koreans jostling for position near the front. He picked up the brush and put on some music like you’d here at the temples. Rather than copying the painting he looked at it, closed his eyes and seemed to visualize what he was going to do. He did most of the painting with his eyes closed in a kind of trance. He would stand back from the picture and almost lunge at it with the brush then give a powerful flick of the brush every time he removed it from the paper. It was amazing to watch. I would love to have videoed it but had to settle for subtly taking a picture.

As the monk handed over the paintings and we paid a Korean man walked past Emily giving her an evil look. Then he came right up to me and stared in my face giving me a look the likes of which I have never seen! The way he looked at me you’d have though he’d just watched me murder his only child!!!! Then as quick as he appeared he walked off. Me and Emily were both too shocked to react, puzzled we just looked at each other thinking: “WHAT?!” Then, with our paintings and table, we headed back to the hotel away from random hateful Koreans!!!!

* Posted by j150vsc on 02/11/2006.

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