Catching the Korean wave
Dramas come alive for Korean pop culture newbie Jacqueline Woo. -SPU
Jacqueline Woo
Wed, Apr 23, 2008
The Straits Times
I HAD never watched any Korean TV serial until six months ago.
To prepare for my trip to Korea last November, I decided to have a marathon video viewing of two of the country's top TV dramas - Winter Sonata, a modern love story starring heartthrob Bae Yong Jun, and Jewel In The Palace, a period drama about a royal cook-turned-doctor.
 |
| The crew shooting Korean Traditional Scientific Investigators at the Korean Folk Village. |
When I arrived in Seoul in the morning, it was autumn. But by evening, it was winter. Apparently a cold spell hit the city that day, lowering the temperature to minus 4 deg C.
Looking up at the snowflakes in the sky, my first thought flashed to Winter Sonata.
In the drama, the first snowfall in winter was a significant meeting day for the two lovers.
But alas, just like the girl in the story, I couldn't find Bae Yong Jun on the streets that night.
Lights, camera, cut!
The next morning, a blanket of snow greeted us at the Korean Folk Village near Seoul.
This theme park houses over 260 traditional homes, many of which were relocated from various parts of the country. These include houses of commoners and noblemen, and buildings for governors and scholars.
I saw potters, blacksmiths and other artisans who demonstrated their trades to recreate the lifestyle of the late Joseon Dynasty.
And I found out that I could not escape from the influence of Korean dramas.
Our group met a TV crew shooting a drama called Korean Traditional Scientific Investigators.
It sounded like the American CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) TV series, and I was curious to find out how ancient Korean sleuths cracked their cases.
As we scurried towards the action, the crew had to hush us - because we were making a lot of noise on the snow.
So we froze in our positions and inched forward only when the director cried: "Cut!"
Standing afar, I zoomed in on the actors' faces with my camera, but too bad I couldn't identify any of them.
"They're not the handsome ones," said my tour guide Min, summing up my ignorance.
Like Jewel In The Palace
 |
| The food is here - but where are the court ladies? |
Korean Folk Village was one of the filming sites of Jewel In The Palace.
I was glad to have watched a period drama before the trip because
I could recognise many of the sights in the park, including a flogging bench, a wooden jail, jar terraces and a herbal medicine shop.
We had lunch at the food court, which also had a traditional feel.
The wine that came in vase-like bottles looked very quaint, and the steaming hot soup looked inviting on the chilly day.
But it was no joke carrying my food on the tray - because the wooden tray was super heavy, and I felt like a penguin walking on the melting snow.
The outdoor dining area was snow-covered that day so we dined in a hut, which was cosy and warm and furnished with low tables and cushions.
Drama fans who want a workout should role-play serving the royal family a la Jewel In The Palace - by carrying each person's meal on one of the little wooden tables from the doorway to where he sits.
I wouldn't be surprised if those dainty court ladies in the Joseon Dynasty actually had muscular arms!
Korea In Motion
At Daegu city, we attended Korea In Motion, a performing arts festival that showcased Korea's non-verbal performers such as breakdancers, percussionists and martial artists.
The highlight that evening was Jump - a comedy about a wacky family of martial arts experts. It was like watching Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Stephen Chow live in action together!
The 90 minutes of jaw-dropping stunts and slapstick humour was worth every drop of the artistes' sweat.
Fish and dip
Nothing beats having some form of massage therapy after all that drama.
At the Spa Valley water theme park in Daegu, I had my feet exfoliated by Dr Fish, a type of small fish that nibbles off your dead skin cells. It is said to smoothen your skin and ease the troubles of skin problems.
The feeling was very ticklish, especially when a whole school of them swarmed at my feet.
But if you want to be tickled pink thoroughly, there is a special pool where you can go for a fullbody dip with these fishy friends.
One tip: Make sure your swimwear is tightfitting!
| Kimchi Culture The jac terrace is a common sight in countryside homes and is usually located in a well-ventilated area with lots of sunlight. Sauces and pickles, such as soya sauce, chilli paste and kimchi, are fermented inside the brown ceramic jars, which can preserve the flavour for several years. In autumn, it is common to see persimmon trees with only two fruit on their branches. They are left unpicked on purpose - to feed magpies that might need them during food-scarce winter. These totem poles, called jang-seung, are put up at a village's entrance for protection from evil spirits and bad events. Villagers also pray to them for their wishes to come true. This kid is at the Kimchi Museum in Seoul wearing a bamboo-woven rice sifter on her head. In the old days, doing this was a sign that she had wet her bed! Her parents would have made her don this and beg salt from the neighbours. |
This trip was sponsored by Korea Tourism Organization (www. tour2korea.com).
Photos by Jacqueline Woo
This article was first published in Special Projects Unit, The Straits Times on April 22, 2008.