London Korean Links

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Dulsori evening class # 3

Mainly consolidation yesterday. Lots of breathing (back-rolling) and reminders of the previous couple of evenings. We were struggling with the heat, and recognising this after a couple of recaps of the ground already covered we played some Korean games. This involved running around, making lots of noise, holding hands and making moves straight out of a ceilidh. I’m sure it would make for a good psychotherapy session, and it was a nice in theory to have a break and do a bit of bonding. But in the soaring temperatures – the warmest July day since records began – hands were slippery with moisture. Fortunately we were all equally perspiring, so no-one felt guilty, but lots of close bodily contact was probably not quite right for the weather, and I must apologise to the Japanese lady I found myself wrapped around in the “carpet-rolling” game.

We extended the nameless piece from last night (and it’s now got too long to upload as a convenient jpeg). I think we’ve now done most of it – apart some stick-twirling. There are some lines towards the end which look pretty boring when written down and use the left hand only: that’s because the right hand will be otherwise engaged, apparently. It’s a trick we’re going to be taught in lesson #4. Today my back aches. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or bad. On the first night we were told that if we didn’t get a stiff back (which I didn’t, the previous lesson) we weren’t doing the “breathing” right. I’m not sure though that just because my back hurts I’ve got the breathing thing right: because my neck hurts as well.

We were also given the words and a transliteration of the nursery rhyme we’ve got to sing, but I’m not sure I could read the Korean script all that well. If anyone can correct the Korean, and provide an English translation, I’d love to hear from you.

산 도깨비

달 빛 어스름 한 밤중에
틀림 없는 산 도깨비
에고야 정말 큰 일났네
두눈을 꼭 감고 에루화 둥둥

Dalbit Eoseuleum Hanbam Jungei
Teulim Eobnun San dokkaebi
Eigoya Jeongmal Keunilnattnei
Dununeul Kkoggamgo eiluhwa Dung Dung

One more lesson to go…

Back to lesson # 2

Onwards to lesson # 4

2 thoughts on “Dulsori evening class # 3

  1. Well nobody else has volunteered so here’s the world’s worst ever translation (not false modesty!):

    MOUNTAIN TROLL

    In the middle of the night, in the pale moonlight
    Without a doubt there’s a mountain troll
    Uh-oh, something really big is going on
    Both eyes tightly shut with an aye loo hwa doong doong.

    (Last bit doesn’t have any meaning, Mrs Max tells me it’s a common filler used between verses etc. The idea here is that we’re singing it with eyes tightly shut because there are scary monsters about!)

  2. Thanks for that Max. My life is the richer for knowing what this little ditty was about.
    And we were singing it soooo seriously!

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