Asia

It’s all about the music

I enjoy listening to traditional Korean music.  I sometimes listen to it in the car when I’m out and about town.  There is a music station here in Seoul that specializes in traditional Korean music.  It doesn’t play traditional music 24/7, but it does play it in the evening when I’m most keen to listen to it.  I am far from a music expert, but I am a music aficionado who appreciates listening to good music.  My tastes have changed over time.  I’ve moved away from listening exclusively to American top 40 pop and rock music toward appreciating diverse musical genres.  I’m not an avid fan of international pop music, including Korean pop, but I enjoy modern music mixed with traces of traditional rhythms and instrumentals. 
 
Traditional Korean music is a unique part of Korean culture.  Beyond the Korean drum processions you may have heard at Korean cultural exchanges, traditional Korean music comprises a family of musical styles ranging from royal court arrangements to rural folk music.  Although shades of traditional Korean music mirror certain aspects of other forms of Asian music, notably traditional Chinese and Japanese music, it is very much its own music form.  (Before I knew anything about Korea, I mistakenly assumed Korean music was just like Chinese music.  I was wrong.)  Traditional Korean music features percussion, stringed, and woodwind instruments, mostly of Chinese origin.  However, the way they are played is distinctly Korean.  Traditional Korean music is earthy and more melodic than it is harmonious.  It features odd musical beats that often leave one feeling unbalanced and restive for more.  Some traditional Korean music is an acquired taste for Westerner ears; it’s not for everyone.  But if you give it a chance and listen to it closely, it can grip you and draw you in.
 
I prefer traditional Korean music over its Chinese or Japanese counterparts.  Although it can be loud and triumphant, for the most part it is moody and ponderous.  It reflects the passion and spirit of the Korean people, their hopes and aspirations.  At the same time, the music reveals a sense of inner pensivity and a hint of despair and fatalism that comes with the belief that you cannot control your own destiny.  It can leave you feeling helpless against the forces of nature and society that continually assail you.  You can feel it with every accented fluorish of the reed instrument, the dull thud of the percussion beat, the grating bend of the strings, and in the wailing voice of the singer who strains to beseech the heavens for some relief from misfortune.  It may sound strange, perhaps annoying to the uninterested ear.  It may sound more alternative at times than a group on the fringe of alternative music.  But it is powerful all the same.
 
Here are a couple links with some great samples of traditional Korean music:
 
 
Give it a listen, and enjoy!

Blasts from the past

Dear Reader, I am sorry for the long absence.  As you know, I love writing this blog.  I look forward to writing each night about something different and offbeat.  Unfortunately, last week was a difficult week for me, with illness and other commitments I needed to fulfill.  Famous last words, I know, but it was just one of those weeks.  I’ve done everything that needed to be done, and for the time being, I can relax a bit and spend more time writing.  I feel much better, although I still have a cough (thanks for the kind words and well wishes!).  As is often the case, the cough will likely linger on for another week or so.
 
There’s so much to write about since my last entry that I think I’ll focus tonight on just a couple of interesting items.  Both happened last night.  I spent much of the weekend with my son.  After having spent the previous weekend at Seoul City Hall and working as a movie extra, I needed to spend more time with my family.  We had a wonderful time.  Last night, while his mother went out with some friends, my son and I stayed home and played together.  We began to carve a pumpkin into a Jack O’Lantern.  I gutted it, and he assisted.  The pumpkin still awaits a face because I stopped midway through carving when my son lost interest.  He was a great helper, helping daddy put the pumpkin guts into the plastic bowl and cleaning the gunk off my hands.  He industriously studied the inside of the pumpkin and asked me if he could have a bite.  I told him it didn’t taste good, but he tried a tiny piece anyway…and spit it out.  Sometimes you just have to learn something yourself.  We’ll finish up the pumpkin carving tomorrow evening.  He wants me to turn Jack O’Lantern into a train.  While I’m not surprised by his choice, since he absolutely loves trains, I was amused that he chose Oliver from "Thomas the Tank Engine" to serve as the model for his carved pumpkin.  He could have chosen Thomas, or Gordon, or Henry, or any number of central characters from the story, "Thomas the Tank Engine."  Instead, there was something about this pumpkin that reminded him of Oliver.  I’m not sure why–it’s a green train that’s not much different from the other "Thomas" trains.  At times, children’s minds work in mysterious ways.  So tomorrow night, we shall turn my son’s pumpkin into Oliver the Train. 
 
I haven’t carved a pumpkin in years.  The last time I did was over a decade ago when my wife and I just started dating.  We were still in college at the time.  We were over at her dormitory a few days before Halloween.  The residence hall had given away free pumpkins, and we went into the kitchen and carved a pumpkin into a Jack O’Lantern.  My Chinese wife had never carved a pumpkin before, for Halloween is a western tradition virtually unknown to Chinese (it’s catching on now in China, I’ve been told).  Like my son, she primarily watched me carve it.   Although it happened a long time ago and the memory has faded a bit, it came back to me as my son watched me once again carve a pumpkin.  After that first Halloween together, my wife and I made it a habit to spend Halloween going out for dinner.  We never really were the type of people to stay home and pass out candy to trick o’treaters.  However, now that we have a child who’s old enough to wear a costume (he’s going to be Thomas the Tank Engine–who else?), Halloween has taken on a new meaning.  We’re not really fans of a celebration that has such dark undertones, but I’m happy to let my son do some of those things most kids like to do, like carving pumpkins, dressing in a costume, and trick o’treating.  Trick o’treating can be filled with hazards, but since my neighbors are also my coworkers, I think we can safely trick o’treat without fear of tainted candy in a secure environment.
 
Last night while we were carving the pumpkin, I suddenly heard explosions outside our house.  It took me a few minutes to ascertain that it the sound of a fireworks display.  For a brief moment, the unthinkable crossed my mind–were those bombs?  Gunfire?  I turned on the television just to make sure.  Thankfully, it wasn’t an attack.  If it were, I would probably not be writing tonight.  It is not something to take lightly  After all, in Seoul we are well within range of North Korean artillery.  If there were an invasion by North Korea, the entire city of Seoul could be destroyed within two-to-three days.  No matter how unlikely it seems now, we are within range of a war zone, and the Koreas are technically in a tense ceasefire.  There has been no peace on the Korean Peninsula since 1950.  Last night was not a holiday such as Independence Day, when you expect fireworks.  I might not have thought anything of them, but I could not help imagining briefly what would happen if an invasion really occurred.  I would have to send my family to safety in Japan and stay behind, helping people, just as my colleagues in Islamabad are now feverishly helping those savaged by the tragic earthquake in Pakistan.  Seoul seems so far away from that possibility.  When you live here, you rarely ever think about the possibility of war; that is, until it suddenly grabs your attention.  Living in Seoul gives you a different perspective on something that seems so innocuous, even a fireworks display.  Every once in awhile, the City of Seoul still stages afternoon siren drills, and the entire city stops for five to 10 minutes, an ominous reminder that Seoul is not quite like any other modern metropolis.

The art of meeting and greeting

Tonight I was at a meet and greet.  I was the primary greeter, the first person most guests met when they arrived to the event.  I was happy and honored to have a chance to meet so many important guests and usher them into the party, but I also felt a bit rusty.  I haven’t been involved in these kinds of soirees since last July.  The event was a prelude to another large event I have to host next Sunday.  I’m glad to have had the opportunity to practice.  I felt awkward trying to greet all the guests, coming up to them, extending a hand and introducing myself, welcoming them, and ushering them to the sign-in table. 
 
I learned a few things tonight about the fine art of meeting and greeting people, and I thought I would share them with you in case you have to do the same.
  1. In Asia, be sure to bow your head when you shake hands.  I did not realize I wasn’t bowing my head until a Korean coworker pointed out Korean protocol.  This courtesy is an especially important one to remember when you’re in Asia.  In other cultures, follow the protocol of the local culture.  If you don’t know, ask someone who knows how to make a proper introduction.
  2. Be in the line of sight when the guest(s) arrive.  Don’t stand off to the side where they can’t see you.  Come up to them and try to get their attention, but don’t block their way.
  3. Meet the one in a group who appears to be the most important person.  A group of people who enter together pace themselves with the group leader.  Find that person, meet and greet them, and help them on their way.  The rest will follow their lead.
  4. Make sure you get the person on their way.  Make sure you don’t leave the person stranded and left alone to figure what they need to do next.  Help them get to their next destination, such as signing in, or hand them off to another escort.
  5. Make chit chat, but not chat.  Try to say something nice to the person to make them feel welcome, but don’t get bogged down in a conversation that will tie you down.
  6. Don’t be afraid to get reinforcements.  When possible, have at least two greeters at the door.  Often, many people will come at once, and they will all need your attention.
  7. Let the speeders pass you by.  Occasionally someone will pass you quickly without acknowledge you.  Let them go.  They have better things to do.

Blog Notes:  One of the people I met up with tonight reads this blog.  They read my entry last night about the new U.S. Ambassador and thought it might have been a bit too, well, praiseworthy.  Actually, I really do hold the Ambassador and his wife in high regard.  It really wasn’t a vain attempt at lavishing too much praise on someone.   I really meant what I wrote about him.  I have a lot of respect for a couple such as Ambassador and Mrs. Vershbow, who are both very accomplished in their own right.  One engages in foreign policy, and the other exhibits their professional artwork.  I usually work a long day, come home, and spend time with my family.  A couple such as the Vershbows are exceptional and an inspiration.