Barbara & Bruces' Asia Adventures continue (China, Hong Kong and Korea too!!!!)

Women’s lives and possible choices have changed dramatically in the past two generations.  One of the statistics related to those changes which has been getting attention and worry is the low fertility rate of Korean women: only 0.96, less than even one baby per women.  Yet most population experts say a fertility rate of 2.1 is needed to keep a population stable (with other things like war and immigration also playing their parts).   Korean fertility rates reflect common trends in societies which are being more urban and educated.  Traditional agricultural societies have had higher infant mortality rates and so more births were “needed,” and birth control techniques were often ineffective.  Women usually married in their teens and might have children until menopause.   Women often run the small shops Today in Korea women are usually well-educated, and usually working outside the home for pay.  After ...

Quote from King in 1836 I have been trying to figure out differences as well as similarities among the various Koreans I have been meeting (students, workers at restaurants, shops and the hotel, as well as random interactions with folks on the street and folks from China (both Hong Kong and the Mainland) and Japan (based on two visits many hundreds of years ago.)    Finding words and descriptions has been challenging for several reasons: 1) I am an American- an outsider so my impressions are at best from the outside and superficial as well as biased and time limited; 2) All of these countries have long histories of invading, conquering and dominating each other (possibly more often with Korea being on the receiving end of these incursions), so some of impressions of similarities are probably due to forced enculturation practices, rather than reflecting common regional patterns; 3) I am a bit uncomfortable making sweeping generalizations about cultures that are profoundl...

A brief entry on an amazing coal kiln sauna experience. (I only have a few sauna photo since we were often without clothing and also it was very hot) Entrance to Sauna..  My host, knowing that I liked saunas as well as learning about traditional folk practices shared a Korean sauna of wood fired coals with me (plus two other dance faculty friend she knew).  Having checked with google, the tradition of this type of sauna originated in the days when coal for heating was made by burning wood in kilns. In the evening, people would come sit and sweat in those cooling kilns, appreciating the process of sweating as well as the healing properties of the coal as a cleansing ritual at the end of the day. Today, it apparently is growing in popularity in Korea. This was validated by my observation today, where men and women, young and old spent several hours in the multi step cleansing and healing process.  Me with my hair covered from the heat (outside resting...

Minerets in the distance This time I was able to explore more of the city than the area around the hotel, the hospital and where I was teaching (Arko Theater). Getting around is easy-the subway is cheap, easy to navigate with free entertainment in the form of songs that are play when a train is arriving at the station. (Side note: while traditionally on the subway, it would have been more common for people to give up their seat for Bruce and sometimes for me, rather than having us stand, I noticed that this time, younger people would often continue to sit with their heads buried in their cell phones. Instead it was middle aged people who stood so that Bruce could sit). We went to Itawon, the location of the main Seoul mosque and the center of the Muslim community in Seoul. The mosque is on a hill, so that it’s minarets tower over a tangle of working-class apartment buildings and stores. People walking the streets seemed to be from everywhere in the world, including Africa, America,...

Students on the last day of class   I am probably biased, but the students I have met here are amazing. I feel lucky to have worked with them and learn about their experiences as younger Korean women. I have now taught in Seoul twice, specifically two 3-day workshops (with 35-50 students each time) plus two half days of supervision whenI have the opportunity to hear about the work they are doing as dance/movement therapists.  This time I was teaching Authentic Movement which is a meditative partner movement form that has the potential to express and explore the less conscious experiences and feelings of those who are moving. It is a form that I have been practicing for almost 50 years and I love it, so I was happy to have that appreciation reciprocated by the depth of the movement journeys and learnings that occurred in three short days we had together. I also did a half day of supervision with a group of about 7-8 students the day after the final class session....

Changing of the Palace Guard More Changing of the Guard Band for Changing of the Guard  Apologies for the ‘radio silence’ but I have been busy teaching.  But, we now have a few days to explore and hang out so I hope to get out a few more blog entries before we leave for Hong Kong. We have spent time wandering, often with a museum as a destination and have passed by a number of palaces on our meanderings (we are in the center of the older area of the city, so palaces abound). And several times we were able to see an enactment of  the changing of the guard at some of the palaces. The rituals no longer fill any ‘actual’ function beyond touristic and local pleasure because the last Joseon king had no off-springs to continue his reign (which ended in 1897).  However, it is a colorful ceremony with guards dressed in bright flowing uniforms, carrying flags or swords marching to a slightly off-key drum rhythm accompanied by brass gongs, horns an...

Greetings from Seoul, from Bruce.  This is the second time I've been to South Korea with Barbara while she teaches a short (but intensive!) course.  I've been enjoying visiting familiar places here, and well as seeing new ones.   In the photo above, we see the changing of the royal guard, at the "primary palace" (there are several).  There is no longer a royal family in residence or which ruled the land, but the palaces are a reminder to Koreans and visitors alike about the sweep of history here.  And see we both the old and new on display: we see the large gate to the palace at upper left and some of the walls, but now almost dwarfed by the very modern buildings of Seoul today.     It common for some locals (and even some foreigners) to visit the palaces in traditional dress, especially wearing the hanbok for women and girls.  At left we see a mom and her daughter.     It's also traditional (...