ONE THING I THOUGHT I’D NEVER HEAR IN KOREA

I’ve never been a Dave Letterman fan. I’ve never watched a complete Letterman show. I would guess over the years my total viewing time is less than 30 minutes. Yes, I know that his top 10 lists have become part of popular culture. I don’t have a top ten list of things I never thought I’d hear in Korea, but if I did I have number one picked.

I was in Seoul yesterday. There is a bookstore that does small concerts outside the store (but still inside the building in the subway area). There are a few seats, the acoustics aren’t great, but it’s a good idea. I was sitting on the opposite end of the hall and I had no idea who was playing. Suddenly it starts and I hear the strains of “Mack the Knife”. I love “Mack the Knife”. It’s one of my all-time favorite tunes. So they were a kind of jazz band, To my untrained ear it sounded like they were murdering Mack the Knife. They were a quartet consisting of a tuba player, guitar player, drummer, and saxophonist. They played some other songs of which I know. One was the “Beer Barrel Polka”. So they had a varied reportorie. The Korean people seemed to really liked it. They played some “traditional” Korean songs but to me they sounded as if they had their roots in old Eastern European music. (Growing up Jewish sometimes you can pick up these things). They also did “When the Saints Going Marching Home” so you can see they weren’t limited to one type of music.

After their show and they were leaving I could see they weren’t Korean, but white guys. I just assumed American because I’m dumb and as quick with a generalization as the next person. I confess I enjoyed the short concert. I wish the acoustics where better, but the price couldn’t be beat.

The people I was with and I went upstairs had dinner (Korean fast food courts are scary places). All the dishes you can get are represented in plastic so you can pick your favorite plastic food. I felt terrible saying no to every suggestion. Finally one person noticed a potato plate. It had French fries of many varieties and potato pancakes. It was safe so that was my choice. After eating we went back downstairs to watch their 2nd show.

I hear a song and I knew what I was hearing, but my mind couldn’t believe my ears. The Koreans loved it and were in to it. I think they liked it better than all the other songs. I’m listening carefully and it was what I thought, so I sang along and I was the only person there singing the words. It was “Hava Nagila”. Unreal! Hava Nagila in Korea. I can’t imagine topping that. It was amazing and needless to say I loved it. I was ready to jump up and start dancing a hora. (Israeli folk dance). Maybe if I had more confidence in my dancing ability I would have done it. It would have been the ultimate in cool. I just loved it. What a wonderful surprise and treat.

After the concert I went up to the quartet and said, “I never thought I’d ever hear Hava Nagila in Korea”. They smiled and nodded at me. They weren’t American. They didn’t speak English. Apparently they were from on of the former Russian countries. I wish they understood my compliment. And the Korean traditional songs they did had there base in old Eastern European songs. The Koreans didn’t know the origin of the music. They thought it was Korean. The promoter (Korean) told us when we were talking to him.

One of the absolute best things about living in a foreign county are the little things like hearing things so totally out of context that it’s a shock, but a wonderful shock. If I hear Hava Nagila in North America or Israel I go, “so? That’s nice”. In Korea it’s a link to my past life. Songs like Hava Nagila encompass so much of my past life (bar mitzvah’s, weddings, Hebrew school, and more). Being so far away from the context of the material makes it so much more special and gives you an appreciation for it. I go on about how I can’t seem to grasp the brass ring of happiness, but I’m not so stupid that I don’t really appreciate these small little gems of life.

I’m listening to “Fiddler On The Roof” right now. The only regret I have about Leah and Taylor’s wedding that Leah and I never got to dance to “Sunrise, Sunset”. I feel cheated. I have never been to a Jewish wedding where the father and daughter didn’t dance to this song. It’s absolutely beautiful and appropriate. Leah and I (and I know she knows I’m crazy) will have to dance to this one day. I’m always looking for something else to drop tears over. And Elana better have this to dance with me at during her wedding.

I had cold pear tea last night. Not bad. It was different. In fact, it even had a bit of a pear taste. After that the owner brought over a pot of some kind of hot tea. It was free or they say here, “it was service”. It seems that a lot of white foreigners get free things in some restaurants because they are foreigners and they are white. I don’t know if the same courtesy is given to blacks. I really appreciate the little things like that, but on the other hand I don’t think I’m special so why should I get something? I’m just some guy trying to make out as best he can.

A stranger (older man) started talking to me yesterday as I was waiting to meet some people. He looked me up and down a few times before approaching me to talk. I was a little worried that it would be a “my name is ????, nice to meet you” conversation. But he asked me where I was from and how long I’d been here. He’d been to Toronto for 1 week in winter and it made a real impression on him. I think he hated it. He must have said “cold” at least 10 times. He spent 7 months in Vancouver and loved it. It was a nice chat.

Today is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday. Monday is a holiday and I have no plans yet. I’m considering visiting one of the palaces in Seoul. I don’t want to spend the day at home. The problem is that it rains almost every day. That’s no fun. It seems that Koreans don’t like to venture out when it rains. I don’t know, maybe Koreans melt in the rain. Maybe Koreans are relatives of the “Wicked Witch of the West”?

In a way I feel like I’m coming to a line in the sand. I’ve feel I’ve bent almost as much as I can in understanding Korean ways. I can see a day coming when I say, “no more”. I can bend and I should bend as the visitor here, but damn, don’t Koreans want all these foreigners here to pass on some foreign culture? My biggest fear is that although I am one of the least violent people in the world, I may hit a teacher one day. That would be so uncool. I can’t seem to accept the Korean way of punishment. I try to bend and accept kids lying on the floor. I hate it. It’s degrading. Kids on their knees like some sort of peasants begging is very hard of my liberal eyes. Obviously this whole business of punishment is very stressing to me. Decent teachers who I like and seem like quite nice people hitting kids. Obviously judging my how much I mention this issue, it weighs heavily on my mind.

I wonder if they ever put on “Fiddler on the Roof” in Korean. If they do, I’m getting a ticktet.