Last night at dinner I heard Ye Eun and my host father discussing something about MBC and they kept switching the channel. Being the sharp knife I am, I naturally assumed it was about the TV crew that came last week (and filmed me, among other things). However, they never really settled on a station, so I figured it was a) not on after all, or b) host dad just wasn’t really into it. And then I forgot about it until I got to school today and everyone asked me if I’d seen us on TV last night. Somehow they had a clip of it and I saw a really creepy closeup of me singing the alphabet. Evidently, when you catch me at the right angle as I’m quickly looking back and forth between my board and the class, I look very demonic and that was what they chose to highlight in the news segment. I wish I knew what it was even about and what was said—it could have been something making serious fun of me and I’d have no idea! I’ll have to see if I can finagle the video file one of these days.
I was back to my regular schedule again, which was a little frightening but I managed okay, even with the wilduns. They don’t seem to mind learning letters and numbers…who would have thought? It seems boring to me! We played a very simple game in which I passed out alphabet flashcards to each small group, said a letter, and they had to find it and then raise it up in the air for inspection when I said so. The second graders would cheer and clap when I’d reveal the letter and distribute points. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t mutiny on my hands!
This afternoon was samulnori. I am learning so much now that I’m not playing with the regular band. Just as last time, I played with a few of my fourth- and fifth-grade girls, who continued teaching me the basics, very slowly and tediously. Well, for them. I am finally having fun playing, now that I know a little bit better how to do it! It’s so much better than before, when I just sat with everyone else and tried to pick up on what little I could. There’s no way I would ever have learned even as much as I now know, after two sessions—the kids are just too fast. I couldn’t even follow what they were doing! It’s like any other instrument, I suppose…you need a lot of practice with very simple things first. Though it’s probably easier to pick up than, say, the violin. Today I practiced and learned five drumming patterns: Hwiwaro 1, 2, and three, and two others whose names I do not know. I learned four of them last week, but they really started coming together this week. I was rockin out with Mina and So Hyun, two of my fifth graders who were my most enthusiastic teachers, finally feeling pretty good about my playing, when all the sudden these random strangers came up and started correcting my form. I deflated. I mean, I just started, guys! Give me a break! I suppose there’s something to be said for learning form right away as well so you don’t form bad habits, but still…perhaps it’s akin to putting too much emphasis on perfect pronunciation in the language classroom. In the beginning, you applaud efforts to remember the word and don’t dwell on imperfect pronunciation. And in samulnori, you pat me on the head and say, “Good job!” even though it’s not that great, just because I’m already being schooled by midgets. And from what I can tell, their form isn’t much better than mine! This happens to me in TKD, too…I’m held to this high standard on form, which makes it a lot harder for me to do right and a lot more frustrating, too, when I’m constantly being corrected on minor details, while the kids around me are flailing around. I suppose it’s only fair to hold me to a higher standard as an adult, but still…cut me some slack! Regardless, I am satisfied with my samulnori practice. I wish I had a jangja right here to work on some more!
It was an absolutely gorgeous day, I graced big city TV, I successfully taught four classes, I rocked samulnori, and I more or less muddled my way through five forms in TKD…what a great day it was! It’s a good thing indeed that I’m signing up for more Korea…