My First Day (Culture)

Date: 10/25/2010 (But about Day 10/24)

As promised, this is the post about the cultural things I was able to experience during the Hanok Traditional Village/Bibimbap Festival.

With the help of Sumi and Yooba, we went into the Gyeongijeon Fortress (I really need to check the spelling of that fort) and off to the left side, there was a courtyard with some smaller traditional houses.  One of them, was selling something for 3000 won.  (I couldn't read the Korean), but then Sumi points and asks if I want to try on some traditional clothing.  For 3000 won--wouldn't you know?!  Which is about $3 USD.  I figured--why the heck not?  I mean, come on, it will be fun.

Sumi marches up and demands to be able to see the clothing selection.  She rejects the first 3 options, while I go to the other side of the hut and take off my outlayer T-shirt so I'm just in my cami and jeans.  Then I put on this puffy under-skirt thing--it's white.  (And scratchy).  It kind of reminded me of overalls--only with a skirt bottom--not pants.  Then the red "dress" that basically wrapped around right above my chest.  The top then is put on so that it covers the edge of the red skirt bottom and covers your arms.  They do a simple knot and trail the ribbon ends off to one side. Next was the head-dress-which was too big so it was very awkward to wear.  But nonetheless, I was officially in Korean garb:

Ta-Da!

Sumi fixing the ribbon.

Trying not to let the headdress fall off.

So I was basically thinking that I would get some great Facebook Profile pictures--if nothing else.  It turned into something I wasn't expecting.  I gathered a crowd.  Not just one or two strange people watching the weird American girl try on clothes--but like 30 people!  They were taking pictures of me, clapping, saying how beautiful I looked.  It was fun--the celebrityness hit again.

This is the face of thinking, 'Who are they watching? Oh, me...Well, OK!"

Once we moved on, I was able to get dressed back in normal clothes--and I had a couple ask me if I could hold their child and have my picture taken.

Next we moved on to traditional arts.  These are made entirely out of straw.

That's pretty good!
I took this picture for you, Mom!  Oink oink!

This is the man that makes the straw figurines.  He is 87 years old and this is his job.  He had over 100 pairs of shoes for sale and just endless amount of straw around.

This lady is making hemp.  It's a giant loom with the a shuttle that runs through the two weaves.  I think she was making a mat.  Do you see the tan color in her lap?  That's the hemp kind of rolled up.

There were some traditional games.  We tried to throw a bamboo shoot into a bucket--which sounds easy, but you have to get the entrance of the end of the shoot into a bucket and it bounces!  I think it was once a drinking game.  Only Yooba could actually manage to get the thing to actually stay in the bucket. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of this. 

This concludes my first day at Hanok Village!  It's been two days and I have much to update everyone on, so keep in touch for new posts!