Dancing Peppero
Last Wednesday was the opening night of a new traditional dance show at the Korean National Theatre (near Donggik Station). Although the performance was only for one hour it seemed to last much longer since the MC tried to explain what each segment of the performance symbolized. Understandable, since the lead dancer was one of her best students. I wasn't the only one that felt like this. Irene and her friend had similar sentiments.
After the performance we went to have salongtang, beef soup. This dish is the only one thus far that is not spicy. A pleasant change as you could add as much or as little salt/pepper that you like. There was also a strange new type of kimchi that I had never tried before. Similar to radish kimchi but a little more tender and not as spicy.
Today is Pepero Day. Pepero (pocky to the nipponophiles) are these 'sticks' that can be covered in chocolate or strawberry candy. Sometimes they can be filled with chocolate or strawberry (see photo). When asked why today is Peppero Day I was told it is because the sticks look like the date, 11/11. I did try to explain to them what Remembrance Day and also about Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot and Bonfire Night. My afternoon class students, having a better understanding of English than most of the other classes, appreciated the Guy Fawkes story and Korea's religious freedom. They also got the full story, not the sugarcoated version. I even taught them the first verse of the rhyme:
Remember remember the fifth of november
gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot...
Personally, I think it's a marketing phenomenon but the students are encouraged to give pepero their teachers and there does seem to be a "Valentine's Day in November" theme to a lot of the packaging.
Quite a few of my students gave me pepero and a few thought that I wasn't going to accept them (and thus offend the giver) when it looked like I was leaving the classroom. This probably means I need to do something for Children's Day 어린이날 on May 5 (still a long time until then so I had better think of something good).
After the performance we went to have salongtang, beef soup. This dish is the only one thus far that is not spicy. A pleasant change as you could add as much or as little salt/pepper that you like. There was also a strange new type of kimchi that I had never tried before. Similar to radish kimchi but a little more tender and not as spicy.
Today is Pepero Day. Pepero (pocky to the nipponophiles) are these 'sticks' that can be covered in chocolate or strawberry candy. Sometimes they can be filled with chocolate or strawberry (see photo). When asked why today is Peppero Day I was told it is because the sticks look like the date, 11/11. I did try to explain to them what Remembrance Day and also about Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot and Bonfire Night. My afternoon class students, having a better understanding of English than most of the other classes, appreciated the Guy Fawkes story and Korea's religious freedom. They also got the full story, not the sugarcoated version. I even taught them the first verse of the rhyme:
Remember remember the fifth of november
gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot...
Personally, I think it's a marketing phenomenon but the students are encouraged to give pepero their teachers and there does seem to be a "Valentine's Day in November" theme to a lot of the packaging.
Quite a few of my students gave me pepero and a few thought that I wasn't going to accept them (and thus offend the giver) when it looked like I was leaving the classroom. This probably means I need to do something for Children's Day 어린이날 on May 5 (still a long time until then so I had better think of something good).
posted by georgesilver at Saturday, November 11, 2006
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