I enjoy life - I really do. I will never argue with someone who tells me I am blessed, nor with someone who tells me that is why I can enjoy life. When I share things, it's usually because I'm bubbling over with the enjoyment of it, and this is one of those things. I promise I don't share to try to put myself up on a high place, nor to make anyone jealous (if it would even have that effect. I don't know if it would.). I'm always reminded that, when we boil it all down, I'm a farm boy from Cherokee country, who has been so tremendously blessed in this life.
I love old culture, adn that includes everything from the hill people near where I grew up to the Cherokee folks where I grew up, to the ancient Korean culture where I currently live, and pretty much everything I've found wherever I've lived. Tonight was a night to share.
Today was Valentine's day, that's true, and that is celebrated in Korea (although it's the first half of two pairs of romantic holidays, and that is different from the US), but much more than that, this year, Feb 14th was "Dae Borum" (Great Full Moon) here in Korea. This is the first full moon of the new lunar year for those in Asia who use the Lunar calendar (which is mostly used to keep the old holidays, these days). The Lunar New Year (Sometimes incorrectly just called "Chinese New Year") was January 31st this year, so this is 15 days after that.
All day, I could see preparations being made on the beach as tree branches were piled up in preparation for a bonfire, and other people were burning fires along the edge of the water. However; I didn't really know what this holiday would be like since I don't remember ever participating in any Dae Borum celebration any other time I've lived in Korea. I found just enough details to be at the bonfire site just before the celebrations started.
At 5:45 PM, people lit the bonfire and the celebration began. There were so many people on and around the beach that I couldn't get close, and still be able to video or take pictures, and I keep a video blog of these kinds of things for my facebook friends. The start of the fire was pretty exciting in and of itself.
As soon as the fire went up, the Samulnori began. Samulnori is a type of Korean traditional music played with 4 (sa) Korean instruments. This is a noisy ordeal, with colorful costumes and dancing. (I've actually played the Janggu (hour-glass shaped drum) in the Seafair parade in Seattle with the Samulnori group there - I've always been included by the Korean community in the US). There was other dancing after that, and things seemed to die down a bit.
I walked on down the beach and to the water's edge because the seas were VERY rough today with high waves coming in, wind blowing very strongly out, and the effect this causes. Waves were crashing very high on the rocky shores of Dongbaek island - to the point I think people on the elevated walkways would get wet if, indeed, anybody was crazy enough to be walking there today. Waves crashed on the distant islets sometimes to the full height of the islets, which I'm guessing to be on the order of 30 feet high - I can't get close enough to gauge it any better than that.
As I walked back, many people were lighting candles in the floating lanterns and seeting them adrift in the wind to be carried out to sea with their wishes for the new year. Then, as I got close to the bonfire, music started again. This time, the music was led by a strong, low alto female voice singing in the traditional style Ganggangsullae (which is just saying they're going around in circles). This is a ladies' dance and game. I got excited because I've seen this on video, and was very familiar with the music, but I had never seen this done in person before. Ganggangsullae lasted for about 30 minutes. I got video of about 20 minutes of it. More wish lanterns were sent afloat as the ganggangsullae proceeded and as the bonfire came closer to burning all of the wood it was given as fuel. Very, very, very cool!!!
At the end of the Ganggangsullae, the barriers between audience and dancers were broken down, the Samulnori came back and started their noisy music and dance again, and the people of the audience rushed in and joined the dance, and that's how it continued on into the evening. It was overcast so nobody could see the full moon they were celebrating, but that didn't discourage anybody. It was so cold I felt like I was going to freeze. Light snow has fallen on the beach throughout the day. The wind just bites right through you, but that was one of the neatest celebrations I've ever been able to see or experience.
You know, I don't think I'll be able to post pics because I spent my time focusing on taking videos for the video blog. I don't think I can post a video here without giving the link to my youtube site or facebook page, and I don't want to do that, so I don't think I'll be able to share visuals with friends here, so I'll just overload you with text and leave it to your imagination.
Now, it's late evening. My videos of the evening are processing, and it will be a while before I'm able to finish uploading them for friends, and once again, I'm sitting here amazed at what I've been allowed to see and experience in life. I often sit at the end of the day, think back on the beauty of nature, or the beauty of people that I've been able to see that day, and just have to feel blessed. Today, after yet another thing that was totally new to me (despite my time in Korea up to now), I find myself once again smiling, feeling blessed, and just bubbling over with it, so I need to share it with friends. :) :) :) BTW, it wouldn't have been enjoyable if my lady and my son weren't able to be there with me, but they were, and that just completed the whole day for me.
I love old culture, adn that includes everything from the hill people near where I grew up to the Cherokee folks where I grew up, to the ancient Korean culture where I currently live, and pretty much everything I've found wherever I've lived. Tonight was a night to share.
Today was Valentine's day, that's true, and that is celebrated in Korea (although it's the first half of two pairs of romantic holidays, and that is different from the US), but much more than that, this year, Feb 14th was "Dae Borum" (Great Full Moon) here in Korea. This is the first full moon of the new lunar year for those in Asia who use the Lunar calendar (which is mostly used to keep the old holidays, these days). The Lunar New Year (Sometimes incorrectly just called "Chinese New Year") was January 31st this year, so this is 15 days after that.
All day, I could see preparations being made on the beach as tree branches were piled up in preparation for a bonfire, and other people were burning fires along the edge of the water. However; I didn't really know what this holiday would be like since I don't remember ever participating in any Dae Borum celebration any other time I've lived in Korea. I found just enough details to be at the bonfire site just before the celebrations started.
At 5:45 PM, people lit the bonfire and the celebration began. There were so many people on and around the beach that I couldn't get close, and still be able to video or take pictures, and I keep a video blog of these kinds of things for my facebook friends. The start of the fire was pretty exciting in and of itself.
As soon as the fire went up, the Samulnori began. Samulnori is a type of Korean traditional music played with 4 (sa) Korean instruments. This is a noisy ordeal, with colorful costumes and dancing. (I've actually played the Janggu (hour-glass shaped drum) in the Seafair parade in Seattle with the Samulnori group there - I've always been included by the Korean community in the US). There was other dancing after that, and things seemed to die down a bit.
I walked on down the beach and to the water's edge because the seas were VERY rough today with high waves coming in, wind blowing very strongly out, and the effect this causes. Waves were crashing very high on the rocky shores of Dongbaek island - to the point I think people on the elevated walkways would get wet if, indeed, anybody was crazy enough to be walking there today. Waves crashed on the distant islets sometimes to the full height of the islets, which I'm guessing to be on the order of 30 feet high - I can't get close enough to gauge it any better than that.
As I walked back, many people were lighting candles in the floating lanterns and seeting them adrift in the wind to be carried out to sea with their wishes for the new year. Then, as I got close to the bonfire, music started again. This time, the music was led by a strong, low alto female voice singing in the traditional style Ganggangsullae (which is just saying they're going around in circles). This is a ladies' dance and game. I got excited because I've seen this on video, and was very familiar with the music, but I had never seen this done in person before. Ganggangsullae lasted for about 30 minutes. I got video of about 20 minutes of it. More wish lanterns were sent afloat as the ganggangsullae proceeded and as the bonfire came closer to burning all of the wood it was given as fuel. Very, very, very cool!!!
At the end of the Ganggangsullae, the barriers between audience and dancers were broken down, the Samulnori came back and started their noisy music and dance again, and the people of the audience rushed in and joined the dance, and that's how it continued on into the evening. It was overcast so nobody could see the full moon they were celebrating, but that didn't discourage anybody. It was so cold I felt like I was going to freeze. Light snow has fallen on the beach throughout the day. The wind just bites right through you, but that was one of the neatest celebrations I've ever been able to see or experience.
You know, I don't think I'll be able to post pics because I spent my time focusing on taking videos for the video blog. I don't think I can post a video here without giving the link to my youtube site or facebook page, and I don't want to do that, so I don't think I'll be able to share visuals with friends here, so I'll just overload you with text and leave it to your imagination.
Now, it's late evening. My videos of the evening are processing, and it will be a while before I'm able to finish uploading them for friends, and once again, I'm sitting here amazed at what I've been allowed to see and experience in life. I often sit at the end of the day, think back on the beauty of nature, or the beauty of people that I've been able to see that day, and just have to feel blessed. Today, after yet another thing that was totally new to me (despite my time in Korea up to now), I find myself once again smiling, feeling blessed, and just bubbling over with it, so I need to share it with friends. :) :) :) BTW, it wouldn't have been enjoyable if my lady and my son weren't able to be there with me, but they were, and that just completed the whole day for me.
Put the internet to work for you.
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